Dramatic Cut In Visa Extensions

[Malice in Wonderland]

A customer of mine went to the Samui Immigration office for a 14 day extension to his tourist visa yesterday and was given only ten days.Apparently there was a piece of paper on the notice board stating: 10 day extension - 1900 bt. Only 100 bt shy of paying the overstay....!!!

[dr_Pat_Pong]

A customer of mine went to the Samui Immigration office for a 14 day extension to his tourist visa yesterday and was given only ten days.Apparently there was a piece of paper on the notice board stating: 10 day extension - 1900 bt. Only 100 bt shy of paying the overstay....!!!

An extension on a 60 day real visa or a 30 day permit on arrival.

[Malice in Wonderland]

Thirty day on arrival.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Thirty day on arrival.

Then the usual extension is only that 10 days. It is a 1900 baht fee whether the extension is one day or one year.

[Baaksida]

...thinking they can have a "easy life", spending their pension on hookers and thinking they are something special.

We in Switzerland just voted them OUT...

Hahahahahahaha... don't tell me that Switzerland is, or has ever been the chosen expat home of overseas retirees, spending their pensions on Swiss hookers...

[shellman]

...thinking they can have a "easy life", spending their pension on hookers and thinking they are something special.

We in Switzerland just voted them OUT...

Hahahahahahaha... don't tell me that Switzerland is, or has ever been the chosen expat home of overseas retirees, spending their pensions on Swiss hookers...

considereing the amount of swiss retirees in thailand, i would think it is the opposite

[hudriwudri]

Sawasdee kap,

i'm going to renew my visa at the embassy in Vienna today, and i'll ask for the facts of extending the visa in LOS.

i'm interested in extending a Tourist Visa to 90 days at immigration Phuket Town or Patong Beach. This worked fine at the Patong Beach Bureau since 1998 for me.

Sawasdee kap,

[Speedy]

Thai Immigration: Dramatic Cut in Visa Extensions

Immigration now give only a 7 or 14 days extension to the 60 days tourist visa

Guys... The DIETHELM Annual report 2004 states that the average stay for alien TOURISTS visiting thailand in 2003 was 9 (nine) days... So I suppose that the gov. ain t stupid to understand that these huge amounts of people that are asking for one month extrensions on two months visas are not really visiting the country but rather living here... So be smarter, get yourselves other types of visas and keep enjoying LOS

[lopburi3]

Sawasdee kap,

i'm going to renew my visa at the embassy in Vienna today, and i'll ask for the facts of extending the visa in LOS.

i'm interested in extending a Tourist Visa to 90 days at immigration Phuket Town or Patong Beach. This worked fine at the Patong Beach Bureau since 1998 for me.

Sawasdee kap,

Although I do not believe you will have any trouble extending your stay you should be aware that the Embassy has no role in this matter as it is an Immigration Police matter. The Consulate only provides visas in this partnership and can not even guarantee you are allowed to enter Thailand. Entry and stay are overseen by Immigration.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Sawasdee kap,

i'm going to renew my visa at the embassy in Vienna today, and i'll ask for the facts of extending the visa in LOS.

i'm interested in extending a Tourist Visa to 90 days at immigration Phuket Town or Patong Beach. This worked fine at the Patong Beach Bureau since 1998 for me.

Sawasdee kap,

Although I do not believe you will have any trouble extending your stay you should be aware that the Embassy has no role in this matter as it is an Immigration Police matter. The Consulate only provides visas in this partnership and can not even guarantee you are allowed to enter Thailand. Entry and stay are overseen by Immigration.

As usual Lop you are right on the money. The issuance of visa's is the province of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the control of borders is in the hands of the Ministry of the Interior

[Baaksida]

...thinking they can have a "easy life", spending their pension on hookers and thinking they are something special.

We in Switzerland just voted them OUT...

Hahahahahahaha... don't tell me that Switzerland is, or has ever been the chosen expat home of overseas retirees, spending their pensions on Swiss hookers...

considereing the amount of swiss retirees in thailand, i would think it is the opposite

Yeah, after too many old Swiss cows, they probably are keen to find out about the young Thai chickens...

[agwiltshire]

I read week after week about people upset with Thai immigration and lack of visa extentions. So I have to ask. Is anyone posting these complaints, either married to a Thai or over 50? One guy above coming from NZ come for 4 months at a time. Are you retired? If so why don't you apply for a one year visa. Perhaps I just don't know how difficult it is to live in Thailand. But in order to keep this conversation in perspective we need to know the situations of those trying to get one extention followed by another. IN Short. Is it possible to live in Thailand leagally, are does everyone get thrown out sooner or later.

Thanks All,

Adrian

[bishop15]

sorry if this has been said already, but if i want to stay in thailand for a year. what exactly do i have to do, id appreciate your help

[Limbo]

sorry if this has been said already, but if i want to stay in thailand for a year. what exactly do i have to do, id appreciate your help

You have to surf a little bit in the visa-section of this forum. There you will find all the answers.

[Limbo]

ALL I HEAR IN THE ADVICE SECTION'S IS MOSTLY HEAR-SAY WHY NOT JUST GET THE PROPER VISA PIOR TO ARRIVAL. THE WIFE AND I APPLIED FOR AND RECEIVED A RETIREMENT (O) VISA WITH LITTLE OR NO PROBLEMS I HAVE MET FOLKS HERE IN THAILAND THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR YEARS AND STILL BITCHING ABOUT HAVING TO RUN THE BORDER, JUST DO IT RIGHT THE FRIST TIME...........HAVE A GREAT THAI DAY

I am not deaf, Mr. Masterchief!

It is very fine for you that you and your Thai wife (didn't know Thai wifes also need visas), got your visas.

But not everybody saw Abraham already. Younger than fifty means you won't get a retirement visa.

And if you are over fifty and don't have enough income, you won't get it either.

It is a little bit too easy to say that people should not be here.

The foreigners lost a lot of respect since the second and third waves of western male immigrants are coming in.

Nowadays you mainly see two categories:

The well-to-do foreigners who live in expensive houses and drive expensive cars.

The poor misfits who try to make ends meet.

In both categories you find scum and in both categories you find fine people.

But it is nice that we all know that you and your wife are very fine.

Have a global nice day.

[DaiMai]

I think you are hoist on your own petard.

Tourist visa's are not intended for long-timers!!

They are intended for tourists, and the immigration has been quite tolerant of the over use of these visas.

tourist visa's have been intended for long-timers for 20 years.

this sudden shift represents a dramatic change in practice by Thai Immigration.

These visa may have been abused for 20 years, and now the

Immigration authorities are clamping down, so you cannot complain.

[astral]

ALL I HEAR IN THE ADVICE SECTION'S IS MOSTLY HEAR-SAY WHY NOT JUST GET THE PROPER VISA PIOR TO ARRIVAL. THE WIFE AND I APPLIED FOR AND RECEIVED A RETIREMENT (O) VISA WITH LITTLE OR NO PROBLEMS I HAVE MET FOLKS HERE IN THAILAND THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR YEARS AND STILL BITCHING ABOUT HAVING TO RUN THE BORDER, JUST DO IT RIGHT THE FRIST TIME...........HAVE A GREAT THAI DAY

You have it in a nutshell, MasterChief.

Get the correct visa and you will not have problems.

As for the advice, we offer here.

It is not official, but is based on many years of experience. Some of us have been around Thailand for 20 years.

Unfortunataly there is no reliable official site where your questions will be answered

quickly and efficiently.

www.thaiimmigration.com looked as though it might fullfill that role, but the advice offered there is suspect at best and downright wrong in many cases. Sad to say.

This trimming of Tourist Visa extensions at NongKhai, is being derided by the Immigration officers in Phuket.

[LivinLOS]

QUOTE (masterchief @ Thu 2004-09-30, 13:02:53)

ALL I HEAR IN THE ADVICE SECTION'S IS MOSTLY HEAR-SAY WHY NOT JUST GET THE PROPER VISA PIOR TO ARRIVAL. THE WIFE AND I APPLIED FOR AND RECEIVED A RETIREMENT (O) VISA WITH LITTLE OR NO PROBLEMS I HAVE MET FOLKS HERE IN THAILAND THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR YEARS AND STILL BITCHING ABOUT HAVING TO RUN THE BORDER, JUST DO IT RIGHT THE FRIST TIME...........HAVE A GREAT THAI DAY

You have it in a nutshell, MasterChief.

Get the correct visa and you will not have problems.

RANT

I would not complain and fully support the idea of a tourist showing he brings money in from overseas monthly to stop people working illegally and paying no taxes.. I think that is a great and sensible rule..

However, when they leave no alternaive visa option available to someone who is retired under 50 and supports a Thai GF (and extended family), the maid, The landlord, even the Som Tam woman. I think they are loosing out big time..

I am a (without boasting) high net worth individual, even the US rolls out a red carpet and issues me long term visa's (not green card) once I show them a couple of 7 figure bank accounts, so that I can simply go and live there and not work.

I had a long term Thai lady who I wished to marry but due to odd rules (IMHO) she could not divorce her ex husband without his approval, he was AWOL and wanted in Thailand with no way to track him down. So we could not marry here, or have an overseas marriage recognised. She died this spring and I am not ready to simply marry the next one that comes along.

Thailand claims to want tourists to come and spend money here.. What is the average tourist spending per week in Thailand... 500 Euro / 1000 Euro per week ?? for how many weeks ??? I live here and average around 500 Euro per week in a normal week, If I am going Sailing / Diving / Island hopping etc I may double that figure...

So essentially I spend close to a tourist (who they claim to be desperate to want to attract) every week for 52 weeks of the year.

At the same time there is no 'long stay' legal visa for me... The tourist visa's (60 + 30 days) are now being stopped if you have many others in the passport, and 30 day visa runs are getting to be a nightmare.

I currently live in a modest home but have refurbished it to include the basic creature comforts of a projection big screen home theater, better bathrooms, sorted the kitchen etc etc but this was a temporary plan. Ultimately I want(ed) to build a Villa with a min build cost of 10 mil or so. Thats direct investment into Thailand on a not too small scale. I am expected to do that while living under the constant fear that existing laws like the 5 visa on arrivals in 6 months then leave Thailand for months that may get implemented ?? Or that my next 'tourist' application will be denied ??? Sorry too much risk.

I agree with all the current rules with one glaring exception. Under 50's that can prove they are not draining the Thai economy should have a legal avenue open to them short of marrying someone to get a paper.

/RANT

[sua yai]

Spot on livinLOS. I'm in exactly the same situation as you. OK, maybe not quite as cash rich, but more than enough monthly income from the UK to lead a good life here. I also support my girlfriend and, to a lesser extent some of her family. I regularly spend 50,000 baht+ a month in los, but I'm too young to apply for a retirement visa - 46 - and I'm damned if I'll marry the g/f just out of visa convenience.

Thailand should recognise people like us. We don't winge, spend our money here, genuinely love the country and simply want to stay here, without being a burden on anyone.

[unbiasbob]

QUOTE (masterchief @ Thu 2004-09-30, 13:02:53)

ALL I HEAR IN THE ADVICE SECTION'S IS MOSTLY HEAR-SAY WHY NOT JUST GET THE PROPER VISA PIOR TO ARRIVAL. THE WIFE AND I APPLIED FOR AND RECEIVED A RETIREMENT (O) VISA WITH LITTLE OR NO PROBLEMS I HAVE MET FOLKS HERE IN THAILAND THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR YEARS AND STILL BITCHING ABOUT HAVING TO RUN THE BORDER, JUST DO IT RIGHT THE FRIST TIME...........HAVE A GREAT THAI DAY

You have it in a nutshell, MasterChief.

Get the correct visa and you will not have problems.

RANT

I would not complain and fully support the idea of a tourist showing he brings money in from overseas monthly to stop people working illegally and paying no taxes.. I think that is a great and sensible rule..

However, when they leave no alternaive visa option available to someone who is retired under 50 and supports a Thai GF (and extended family), the maid, The landlord, even the Som Tam woman. I think they are loosing out big time..

I am a (without boasting) high net worth individual, even the US rolls out a red carpet and issues me long term visa's (not green card) once I show them a couple of 7 figure bank accounts, so that I can simply go and live there and not work.

I had a long term Thai lady who I wished to marry but due to odd rules (IMHO) she could not divorce her ex husband without his approval, he was AWOL and wanted in Thailand with no way to track him down. So we could not marry here, or have an overseas marriage recognised. She died this spring and I am not ready to simply marry the next one that comes along.

Thailand claims to want tourists to come and spend money here.. What is the average tourist spending per week in Thailand... 500 Euro / 1000 Euro per week ?? for how many weeks ??? I live here and average around 500 Euro per week in a normal week, If I am going Sailing / Diving / Island hopping etc I may double that figure...

So essentially I spend close to a tourist (who they claim to be desperate to want to attract) every week for 52 weeks of the year.

At the same time there is no 'long stay' legal visa for me... The tourist visa's (60 + 30 days) are now being stopped if you have many others in the passport, and 30 day visa runs are getting to be a nightmare.

I currently live in a modest home but have refurbished it to include the basic creature comforts of a projection big screen home theater, better bathrooms, sorted the kitchen etc etc but this was a temporary plan. Ultimately I want(ed) to build a Villa with a min build cost of 10 mil or so. Thats direct investment into Thailand on a not too small scale. I am expected to do that while living under the constant fear that existing laws like the 5 visa on arrivals in 6 months then leave Thailand for months that may get implemented ?? Or that my next 'tourist' application will be denied ??? Sorry too much risk.

I agree with all the current rules with one glaring exception. Under 50's that can prove they are not draining the Thai economy should have a legal avenue open to them short of marrying someone to get a paper.

/RANT

hey dude, you got so much cash, why not get the investment visa. 3 mil baht is pocket change to you. just plunk it into krung thai bank, waltz to bkk immi and capture the visa. no more crying, no more complaints. done deal. i know that's what i would do. you're bitching over nothing

[LivinLOS]

hmmm bitching over nothing...

So far I have been told about the 3 mil investment sheme that :-

A ) It did not exist.

B ) It had to be invested into Gov bonds or a condo

C ) It is then 'locked down' and cannot be access should I need to

Some Immigration offices still deny the existance of such a visa, my local one now says (after I pointed them to the imm3 web board) that it does but have no details on it, bizarrely when I went for my latest 30 day extension they said I need not show money in from overseas (Tor Tor 3 ??) and it need not be a Government bank (easy huh, borrow 3 mil from a mate for a week and bingo ?!?! ) but also said it was an extension of an existing visa and so I need a non imm 0 to have it extended, but I cant get a non imm O.. Catch 22, so now what ???

Basically I believe that with some work in educating my local office (why should I be doing this) and getting written clarification from Bangkok this may well work and it IS my next plan once my current 3 tourist visa's expire.

That said I did not make my money by giving the bloody stuff away, the Baht has lost 30% against the Euro (my main holding currency) and I have made between 10 - 15% on my investments in the last 3 months alone, 3 mil is +- 75k USD so given those facts I would be looking at a cost of 75 dropping to about 50 in depreciation and loosing about 7 - 10 in investment appreciation, so total 'cost' to do this looks like being somewhere between 25 - 35k USD based on last year as an example. Dead money such as this earns me nothing. However being pholisophical I may just bring in the 3 mil and treat it as pocket money for the next year and top it up at renewal time.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I think you are hoist on your own petard.

Tourist visa's are not intended for long-timers!!

They are intended for tourists, and the immigration has been quite tolerant of the over use of these visas.

tourist visa's have been intended for long-timers for 20 years.

this sudden shift represents a dramatic change in practice by Thai Immigration.

These visa may have been abused for 20 years, and now the

Immigration authorities are clamping down, so you cannot complain.

I agree ... you agree ... and so does Astral. Sadly the abusers consider their status is a right.

[LivinLOS]

Its just a little harsh to call people such as myself 'abusers' dont you think...

I live monogously with a TGF, I love Thailand, I support Thai people financially (both in relation to direct support to GF and indirect to the ecomony), I am learning Thai language and culture, I am trying to integrate to this place as best I am able.

I love the food, the climate, the people, the Islands and environment, in general I think I could happily pursue a lifestyle here that benefits Thailand and costs them nothing.

Is that so abusive ??

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Abuse of the Thai Immigration rules. You pretend to be a tourist whereas you are in essence a de facto resident.

[Sunny Valentine]

I'm in a similar situation, LivinLos, well, probably with less cash, but still enough for my spending needs here in Pattaya.

Dr. Patpong seems to follow the way a lot of experts do, forgetting and ignoring everything a little outside his field of expertise ......

Anyway, I would love to get more information on the 3 Mill Baht Condo Deal, but Pattaya Imm seems to not know anything about it.

I have seen a new Condo project I might be interested in investing, but the Condo will be built now, to be finished next Year. I wonder if it would be possible to sign for this now, with a contract that involves about 50% up front payment in 12 monthly installments, and the remaing part on completion.

Does anybody know if this would be accepted? And where? Can I go to Bangkok Imm although I live in Pattaya?

Has anybody ever met a person in Thai Immigration who is really knowledgeable about this scheme?

I am on a B Visa now, by the way.

So, if I can sort out the Condo Deal and get the extension before the Visa expires, it would be great for me.

But where to go?

Sunny

[LivinLOS]

Understood but as a high net worth individual do you really think it benefits Thailand to not allow me to become a resident ??

Malaysia show a tiny bit of cash and get a 5 year visa..

PI I am told one year visa's are simply handed out with minor cash in bank (overseas) questions...

New Zealand showing something like 5000 NZD as prrof you can live there without drianing the economy or signing welfare and you get visa's (commonwealth passport for me so dont know how that effects this).

Australia I can get a 1 year extendible to 5 year visa and after a couple of years start applying for PR.

Allow me to become a resident without loosing large sums of money in the process and I will.. ###### give me PR and I will even loose the large sums of money if I had to (if the Elite card did allow 1 rai of land ownership I would have probably bought one !!!)..

I am just trying to politely point out that the Thai system shuts out people who could bring a lot of inward investment into the country.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I'm in a similar situation, LivinLos, well, probably with less cash, but still enough for my spending needs here in Pattaya.

Dr. Patpong seems to follow the way a lot of experts do, forgetting and ignoring everything a little outside his field of expertise ......

Anyway, I would love to get more information on the 3 Mill Baht Condo Deal, but Pattaya Imm seems to not know anything about it.

I have seen a new Condo project I might be interested in investing, but the Condo will be built now, to be finished next Year. I wonder if it would be possible to sign for this now, with a contract that involves about 50% up front payment in 12 monthly installments, and the remaing part on completion.

Does anybody know if this would be accepted? And where? Can I go to Bangkok Imm although I live in Pattaya?

Has anybody ever met a person in Thai Immigration who is really knowledgeable about this scheme?

I am on a B Visa now, by the way.

So, if I can sort out the Condo Deal and get the extension before the Visa expires, it would be great for me.

But where to go?

Sunny

Go for a trip to BKK and talk to 'em in Suan Phlu. Take evidence of the readies with you.

I object to the 30 day walkers making more and more difficult for those that do comply.

[LivinLOS]

Sunny,

You are correct, I have been told by others that Pattaya is one of the offices that denies any such knowledge of this rule (as did Nong Khai, as did Phuket until I printed to paperwork, as do many rural offices) or existance of the visa.

[LivinLOS]

I object to the 30 day walkers making more and more difficult for those that do comply.

So do I, but now that multiple tourist visa's are not being issued (if you have many other in the passport) people are being forced to abuse this last system if they wish to retire in Thailand under 50 and not get married..

I dont want to bend or break the rules, however no rules fit me.

Every other country 1st and 3rd world has bent over backwards to get me to stay there.

[unbiasbob]

Hey Livin', I have personal experience speaking with BKK immi about this investment visa (not scheme). You do exactly what I said and deposit 3 mil into Krung thai or other gvt bank and that's it. Go to immi yourself and get the scoop. It's a cakewalk. And hey, if the baht is down 30% against your euro currency then perhaps it is a good time to diversify a small percent to the baht and maybe it will go up 5-15%. I'm an investor and contrarion thinker.