Thailand Needs Residency Reform

[palm]

Why would condo owners get visas? You think a Mexican can just buy a cheap condo in LA or London and move there legally? Why here in Thailand?

Well Thailand used to give out the Investor Visa for condo purchases over 3m baht until 12 months ago (the Taksin Government changed the policy). I have the Investor Visa and can renew it yearly by just showing my Chanote to immigration every year. Its quite a quick and painless process.

Now its no longer available, the Thai Elite card thing is a bargain at just 1m baht for a 5-yr renewable VISA.

I'm not sure how many other safe countries will give a 5yr Visa for a relatively small amount of money?

[asiaworld]

Why would condo owners get visas? You think a Mexican can just buy a cheap condo in LA or London and move there legally? Why here in Thailand?

Well Thailand used to give out the Investor Visa for condo purchases over 3m baht until 12 months ago (the Taksin Government changed the policy). I have the Investor Visa and can renew it yearly by just showing my Chanote to immigration every year. Its quite a quick and painless process.

Now its no longer available, the Thai Elite card thing is a bargain at just 1m baht for a 5-yr renewable VISA.

I'm not sure how many other safe countries will give a 5yr Visa for a relatively small amount of money?

Are you guys INSANE in comparing Thai Elite Card with anything else > like MalaysiaMy2ndHome, or any other investment option 3mil baht. :)ok , i've got it also (but it only costs you pittance in adminitstrative costs!!) Whether 1 mil baht THROWN away completely on something as uncertain, as private company run thai elite card ....

hmm...if it makes a lot of "biznis sence" to any of you .. you must either never worked to earn your money(or not have them in the first place )

[Lite Beer]

Why would condo owners get visas? You think a Mexican can just buy a cheap condo in LA or London and move there legally? Why here in Thailand?

Well Thailand used to give out the Investor Visa for condo purchases over 3m baht until 12 months ago (the Taksin Government changed the policy). I have the Investor Visa and can renew it yearly by just showing my Chanote to immigration every year. Its quite a quick and painless process.

Now its no longer available, the Thai Elite card thing is a bargain at just 1m baht for a 5-yr renewable VISA.

I'm not sure how many other safe countries will give a 5yr Visa for a relatively small amount of money?

1.5 Million Baht as from Jan 1st according to Sunbelt. Its going up up up.

[jonniebkk]

in december 2003 my wife -returning from London- called me from Atlanta and told me under tears that when she answered the question "what is the purpose of your visit?" with " we have a home in Florida and spend most of our time there" she was told "THAT IS NOT A VALID REASON TO ENTER THE UNITED STATES!" she got however the entry stamp.

to make a long story short, three months later our home and those of our friends were sold and we left.

I sympathize with your situation...it's similar to many of us here in Thailand. The visa rules and regulations are drawn with a very broad brush to address certain perceived problems...but in the process, they snag many unintended victims in their net. By their nature, everyone's visa situation in just about any country is going to vary but by their nature, the laws are not drawn-up with specificity and much is left up to the descretion of those enforcing the laws. For many of them, it's just easier to deny someone entry than to have to spend time investigating a specific situation. In immigration enforcement circles, it's unlikely anyone every got fired for denying an entry.