Under 50 And Unmarried. Its Decision Time.

[obsession]

Its time I made a decision whether to stay in los or cambodia. It seems the only option to stay in los is to fly to the uk every year to renew my years tourist or non immigrant visa. That would cost approximately £1,200 (70,000bht) and waste a week. The £1200 would pay for a years rent in cambodia. Is there an easier and less expensive way to live in los? Thanks

[Krub]

Its time I made a decision whether to stay in los or cambodia. It seems the only option to stay in los is to fly to the uk every year to renew my years tourist or non immigrant visa. That would cost approximately £1,200 (70,000bht) and waste a week. The £1200 would pay for a years rent in cambodia. Is there an easier and less expensive way to live in los? Thanks

Alternate between tourist visas and 30 days stamp has enable some members to stay as permanant tourists in los.

Tourist visas are available in bordering countries

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

Its time I made a decision whether to stay in los or cambodia. It seems the only option to stay in los is to fly to the uk every year to renew my years tourist or non immigrant visa. That would cost approximately £1,200 (70,000bht) and waste a week. The £1200 would pay for a years rent in cambodia. Is there an easier and less expensive way to live in los? Thanks

Alternate between tourist visas and 30 days stamp has enable some members to stay as permanant tourists in los.

Tourist visas are available in bordering countries

another option is to get an education visa which would give you up to 15 months for a multi entry Non Imm Ed type visa....

[astral]

It is difficult decision.

Good luck

[Big A]

another option is to get an education visa which would give you up to 15 months for a multi entry Non Imm Ed type visa....

Actually, a single Non Imm 'ED' can be extended for 12 months for B1,900. So you can stay in LoS for 1 year for........

*the price of a return train ticket to Penang (B2,000 or so 2nd class sleeper)

*Penang Hotel 2 nights (B1,000)

*a single entry Non Imm 'ED' (not sure how much)

* B1,900 for the year's extension

* and, of course, your language course price (the biggest factor!!)

It actually may be cheaper to return to the UK (with a cheapie gulf airline) and let Hull do their business!!

Just a thought.

Edited August 8, 2007 by Big A

[torrenova]

Isn't there some risk with language schools if you don't actually go often enough and your visa gets revoked ?

I think the safest bet at the moment is the following:

A murderous but doable trip is fly overnight with Singapore Air to London (other options do also work) and go straight to Hull, returning the same evening. I have been through the logistics for this but as I needed a new passport and have somewhere to stay in London, I chose a more relaxed agenda.

Flights into Hull are near impossible to connect with KLM / Thai / China back to Bangkok but can be done months in advance. I flew on Etihad for Bt28k all in return.

The total cost from Pattaya is about :

Taxi to airport - 1000

Flight - 30000

Tube and buses to / in central London - 500

Train to Hull - 2000

Taxis in Hull - 2000

Visa fee - 7000

Tube and buses to / in central London - 500

Taxi to Pattaya - 1000

So all in about 44,000 plus let's say 6000 for eating and a cheap B&B, maybe in Hull.

Add on 4*Bt2400 for border runs every 90 days and you have near 15 months for around Bt60,000.

Tourist visa runs are more expensive working out at about 15k (including extension which is classed at 30 days not on visa) per 3 months with no guarantee that you will get what you want.

Another work around is to find someone who will give you a job where you would have to pay the tax on the salary and perhaps come to a deal on the company costs as you would effectively be reducing their tax liability by whatever your salary was.

[theseveredhead]

i think visa are most easily doled out n your home country, esp hull.

dude - you cant plan your life in thailand like that. tomorrow things may be totally different requiring you to change your plan yet again.

you can stay in cambo and you can stay in thailand. you can do both or only one.

why is going home so horrible? liverpool? manchester perhaps? but seriously - no parents, mates to see...

ok if your like me on a super tight budget - just do it how it feels and visa rules dictate. too many people on this forum overthink today and into the next decade.

even control freaks like me have to just play the hand we are dealt. in the end - if you have money and can stay somewhere in south east asia - you win over the suckers slogging it out at home.

[obsession]

Thanks for all the replies. The 60,000bht does sound the cheapest but is still over 10,000bht a month and just seems uneccesary compared to neighbouring coutries visa options. And I would prefer not have to visit the uk again. Might have to do it. Thanks for the figures.

So is that right that with the ED visa, you can stay for 2 years? Am thinking that maybe sprending the 1st year on the ED visa and then get the extension for another year. And after that could move to cambo and spend one month out of every three in thailand would maybe be the best option.

[Big A]

Thanks for all the replies. The 60,000bht does sound the cheapest but is still over 10,000bht a month and just seems uneccesary compared to neighbouring coutries visa options. And I would prefer not have to visit the uk again. Might have to do it. Thanks for the figures.

So is that right that with the ED visa, you can stay for 2 years? Am thinking that maybe spending the 1st year on the ED visa and then get the extension for another year. And after that could move to cambo and spend one month out of every three in thailand would maybe be the best option.

No no no mate, you're getting it all wrong! Any Non Imm visa is for 1 year (either multiple entry or extended 1 year). Am I right, playmates?

(sorry, but Big A has been at the carpet cleaner solvent again)

Edited August 8, 2007 by Big A

[obsession]

Thanks for all the replies. The 60,000bht does sound the cheapest but is still over 10,000bht a month and just seems uneccesary compared to neighbouring coutries visa options. And I would prefer not have to visit the uk again. Might have to do it. Thanks for the figures.

So is that right that with the ED visa, you can stay for 2 years? Am thinking that maybe sprending the 1st year on the ED visa and then get the extension for another year. And after that could move to cambo and spend one month out of every three in thailand would maybe be the best option.

I meant to say 5,000bht a month.

[simon43]

Bear in mind that if you go down the ED visa (as I have done since I'm 48 years old), you do actually have to attend the course! So it is not neccessarily the cheapest option for us 'youngsters'

Simon

[Maestro]

Obsession, you – and others in the same situation, condemned to the perennial use of tourist visas obtained from a Thai consulate in the region or multiple-entry non-O visas from a more distant consulate – may want to check out the cheap fares offered by ThaiVisa’s travel site and Penang visa-run packages mentioned in this topic, pinned at the top of this forum.

--

Maestro

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

Thanks for all the replies. The 60,000bht does sound the cheapest but is still over 10,000bht a month and just seems uneccesary compared to neighbouring coutries visa options. And I would prefer not have to visit the uk again. Might have to do it. Thanks for the figures.

So is that right that with the ED visa, you can stay for 2 years? Am thinking that maybe spending the 1st year on the ED visa and then get the extension for another year. And after that could move to cambo and spend one month out of every three in thailand would maybe be the best option.

No no no mate, you're getting it all wrong! Any Non Imm visa is for 1 year (either multiple entry or extended 1 year). Am I right, playmates?

(sorry, but Big A has been at the carpet cleaner solvent again)

okay in terms of the Non Imm ED its like this. If you have a single entry then its good for 90 days and if you have some paperwork then can extend it for a year. So that would be 15 months ( 90 days + 12 months )

If you get a multi entry Non Imm Ed from your home country with paperwork then its good to enter Thailand for one year from your first entry. If you border run just before the end of the 12 months then your entitled to another 90 days. ( 12 months + 90 days) = 15 months.

That's the way its worked for me anyway. Of course your going to have to fork out for tuition. Some schools don't really care if you attend as long as you pay for the program.

[obsession]

Thanks for all the replies. The 60,000bht does sound the cheapest but is still over 10,000bht a month and just seems uneccesary compared to neighbouring coutries visa options. And I would prefer not have to visit the uk again. Might have to do it. Thanks for the figures.

So is that right that with the ED visa, you can stay for 2 years? Am thinking that maybe spending the 1st year on the ED visa and then get the extension for another year. And after that could move to cambo and spend one month out of every three in thailand would maybe be the best option.

No no no mate, you're getting it all wrong! Any Non Imm visa is for 1 year (either multiple entry or extended 1 year). Am I right, playmates?

(sorry, but Big A has been at the carpet cleaner solvent again)

okay in terms of the Non Imm ED its like this. If you have a single entry then its good for 90 days and if you have some paperwork then can extend it for a year. So that would be 15 months ( 90 days + 12 months )

If you get a multi entry Non Imm Ed from your home country with paperwork then its good to enter Thailand for one year from your first entry. If you border run just before the end of the 12 months then your entitled to another 90 days. ( 12 months + 90 days) = 15 months.

That's the way its worked for me anyway. Of course your going to have to fork out for tuition. Some schools don't really care if you attend as long as you pay for the program.

Thanks. I dont really understand its advantage though. It sounds pretty much the same as a 1 year tourist or non imm visa, but with the extra cost of tuition fees? Is that right or have I missed something?

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

Thanks for all the replies. The 60,000bht does sound the cheapest but is still over 10,000bht a month and just seems uneccesary compared to neighbouring coutries visa options. And I would prefer not have to visit the uk again. Might have to do it. Thanks for the figures.

So is that right that with the ED visa, you can stay for 2 years? Am thinking that maybe spending the 1st year on the ED visa and then get the extension for another year. And after that could move to cambo and spend one month out of every three in thailand would maybe be the best option.

No no no mate, you're getting it all wrong! Any Non Imm visa is for 1 year (either multiple entry or extended 1 year). Am I right, playmates?

(sorry, but Big A has been at the carpet cleaner solvent again)

okay in terms of the Non Imm ED its like this. If you have a single entry then its good for 90 days and if you have some paperwork then can extend it for a year. So that would be 15 months ( 90 days + 12 months )

If you get a multi entry Non Imm Ed from your home country with paperwork then its good to enter Thailand for one year from your first entry. If you border run just before the end of the 12 months then your entitled to another 90 days. ( 12 months + 90 days) = 15 months.

That's the way its worked for me anyway. Of course your going to have to fork out for tuition. Some schools don't really care if you attend as long as you pay for the program.

there is no 1 year tourist visa. You can get a 3 entry TV from some home countries. A 3 entry gives you 3 x 60 days but you can also pay 1900 baht to extend each entry another 30 days. So a 3 entry TV gives you 9 months. If you travel in the region to get another TV from Penang etc then will only issue a single entry which is 60 days plus 30 ext (1900) baht..

If you add up the travel and extension cost the TV route can be more expensive and time consuming than the ED visa route. Of course it depends on your tuition cost.

[simon43]

It sounds pretty much the same as a 1 year tourist or non imm visa, but with the extra cost of tuition fees? Is that right or have I missed something?

[\quote]

The fact is that the ED visa is almost the only option for the under 50 years old, non-employed business owner/investor/entrepreneur. (The other option that my lawyer suggested was to become a monk....)

Additionally, don't assume that it is a piece of cake to get this visa/visa extension if you sign up for 'Joe Blogs language school', or never attend classes. When I attended at Suan Phu for this visa, the immigration officer was very reticent to provide the visa until she saw my documents from Chula University. She told me that they were not happy to give the visa for attendance at private language schools....

(Of course, the private language schools might well disagree with me - I'm just repeating what the immigration officer told me)

Simon