Whch Type Of Visa Should I Apply For?

[CountryWA]

Hello. I lived in Thailand with a proper work visa in the early 1990s, stayed nearly 3 years. Since that time I have probably accumulated an additional 6 months in Thailand on various short-term travel visas. I can speak Thai ok, good foundation--if I focused on it for a year in Thailand, might even be considered fluent. I went to school there as a kid but it was English school, in any case I learned a lot of Thai using tutors at that time.

My Thai wife has lived in USA with me for 12 years now, we have a legal marriage in Washington State. We have three kids, all three were granted a Thai passport. We arranged those passports via Thai consulate which was very helpful. They make a yearly visit to a local Wat for such matters. As a side note, book early if you want to use their services because each year lots of people come.

We have a small business, now nearly 10 years, and much of the business is dealing with Thailand. We can show steady record of wire transfers to Thailand, attendance at trade shows, invoices, photos, letters from suppliers, etc.

My wife spoke to a career Thai government person who is well-known, about how I might bet a longer-term visa for Thailand. He said (and perhaps just to move on to another subject, not sure) that when I can show a total of 5 years' stay in Thailand, to apply for citizenship. I read about the process on this forum awhile back, and it seems like I could do it but it's not easy...

I would really appreciate some advice about what type of visa I should try to get for Thailand. We might move in another 1-2 years, I am almost ready but not quite sure. I believe the consulate in Los Angeles will grant 1 year visa (?) but what type? As a matter of principle I really do not want to deposit money into a Thai bank just to get a visa, but I am not sure if that is still part of the process like it used to be, and I would not like to live in Thailand if I have to leave then come back more than once per year.

Thank you so much for reading this and any followup responses.

[lopburi3]

1. Do not believe LA will provide a one year visa - more likely a single entry non immigrant O visa for a 90 day stay with the expectation you will extend one year once in Thailand. In any case a one year visa is only for 90 day stays and you have to leave/return to continue. It also does not allow Permanent Residence (PR), much less citizenship.

2. So you do not provide an age or income. If over 50 you have retirement option with bank deposit of 800k or income of 65k. If under you need 40k per month family income (either in Thailand tax paid or certified by US Embassy if in US).

3. If extensions of stay are a problem (required for PR or Citizenship) the best you can have is multi entry non immigrant O visas. Not all Consulates are happy to issue them however - small honorary Consulate may be best but in a year or two things could be completly different so hard to make any firm plans on that.

[CountryWA]

Khun Lopburi,

Thanks for your prompt response. I am under 40. I am sure your advice is sound but I am not familiar with some of the terms so I beg to ask a followup.

You mentioned "single entry non-immigrant O visa for 90 day stay with expectation that you will extend one year once in Thailand". Does that mean that after I arrive with that visa, I can apply in Thailand to stay a full year?

If you can meet the 40k per month family income the cost is 1,900 to extend for one year

You mentioned "one year visa is only for 90 day stays and you have to leave/return to continue". Does it mean that even if I get a 1 year visa, I must leave and come back 4 times during that year (every 90 days)? Dear God I hope that is not true.

Yes that is what it means - but you can do it the same day.

We have a rental house that earns around 40k baht per month but I wonder about your comment "certified by US Embassy". Is the US Embassy in Bangkok in the business of certifying income? That must mean tax return? Can you explain this income verification process?

You fill out a form letter and sign it under oath. You should have supporting paperwork if requested by Immigration.

I guess now is not the time to whine about this but after 12 years of marriage and rubber-stamp visas for my wife in USA with full employment permission and every right to come/go whenever she wants in my country, it seems terribly unfair that I would not be allowed similar treatment in her country... but that is just a separate issue I suppose.

Yes it is. Casual stay in Thailand is much easier - permanent stay is harder.

I have the means to hire a lawyer, and have used a good one in Thailand for unrelated issues, I wonder if I may use our company history and paper trail to secure a visa. I think the people who come to Thailand to work for Chevron or Toyota, etc, do not have to leave every 90 days but I may be wrong.

They are here on employment visas with work permits and in fact many of them do have to leave every 90 days.

Thanks again!

[jstumbo]

^^ very strange.

I assume that it was lopburi3 that answered his questions inline. But it is strange that it is in the OPs post and not a new one by lopburi3. Does not even say that it was edited by lopburi3. Strange indeed. Almost looks like the poster is answering his own questions.

[lopburi3]

Was going to be a separate post but got combined as last post of the night.