Hello,

I would really like any thoughts or comments on a few options I have to spend some time in Thailand. There are some great threads here, but these can be clarified with these questions from the research I have done already.

I have tried to separate the options and my questions to try and keep it simply and not to make it a confusing thread and beneficial to the most people as possible, that may have slightly different situation than me.

A few considerations about me that might help with forum advice or opinions.

Australian

Age 40

Resigning from a professional white collar job in December regardless. ( Contract expires )

Have a western income, external to Thailand I can manage from a laptop online. (Managing personal investments)

Engaged to a foreigner who is employed in Bangkok with a fully legal work visa, marrying early 2009 when families can get together.

We wish to be together full time.

At the moment, my Fiancé plans to work in Thailand for probably 3 years, I like it there too, I defiantly do not want to invest large sums of money into Thailand, I don’t consider it a secure investment option due local regulation and ‘practices’, and the business environment is not what I would call ideal.

Like wise, I only have marginal interest in a small business in Thailand in order to ‘sponsor’ myself with a work permit, although not ruling it out completely. I do not wish to discus that option in detail here as I don’t intend on doing that.

Option # 1:

Initially I get a multi entry tourist visa (2 entry), with a 6 months expiry from Brisbane my local consulate in Australia. Expect 60day+30 day extension with a fee then a holiday in the region to be the visa run.

Q. Has anyone got a triple entry from here? Do they still do it? A triple would be great.

Q. How much in a working savings account would they want to see, if any at all?

Q. Do I need a return ticket to Oz when I apply for this visa? Do they consider a return ticket at the entry point in Thailand for longer tourist visas? I know you are meant to have one when entering even on a ‘visa exempt’ entry, but I have never been asked to even see it. I like to travel on AirAsiaX via KL, which is all one way tickets.

Q. If I do buy a 12 month Aust- BKK –Aust return ticket, and I fly to BKK with say 2 multi entry visas, do I have to enter with one of those 2 visas, or can I initially enter on a 30day ‘Visa exempt’, reason is, to possibly cover a requirement of a return ticket, and I know I will visit buddies in Lao and Vietnam within the first month of go to Thailand. I don’t want to blow one of the 60+30 day entries, 10 days after I arrive. Does this depend a lot of the officer I get at the airport in BKK in this case?

Then later Option #2.

Getting a 1 year Non-Imm “O” visa. I see people have these for visiting Thai friends or Thai wives. By the time I finish the tourist visas I will be happily married, but not to a Thai national, but to a foreigner legally here full time on a work visa.

• Can I get this visa to be with a foreigner, my wife who is here legally?
  

• If so, do I require ’90 day visa runs on this one? (Visa runs no probs, excuse for another little holiday )
  

Q. If this is good for me, can I easily get another one after 1 year?

Then later Option #3.

Getting the 1 year Visa to explore business opportunities in Thailand. Sorted out by a Law company I all ready have advice on.

Thanks in advance for all your help.

Edited September 13, 200817 yr by heapsofme

When you marry. If she has an extension of stay of 12 months at a time.

You can get the same extension as her dependant.

Police Order 2006. 7.19

Edited September 13, 200817 yr by Lite Beer

Before your wedding, for your trip to Thailand in December, check with the consulate in Brisbane if they will give you a multiple-entry non-O visa for the purpose of visiting friends. Some honorary consulates do this.

--

Maestro

If you can get the above it will give you up to 15 months in Thailand.

It will also mean a border run every 90 days.

Thanks heaps for your quick and great replies.

I will look into everything suggested and thanks for the link, page 7 states it clearly for me. Looks easy.

This post is kind of timly for me regarding which air tickets to use up, and try to extend or even cut my losses and buy a return out of oz and back. At this stage, still on the idea of just a multi entry tourist visa first, we will marry when on that. (Maestro I will follow up your suggestion of course).

I was wondering if I in reality need a return ticket back to oz for that first visa?

What about the idea of say I have 2 multi entry visa's, of entering Thailand on a visa on a visa exempt 30 day visa, pop in and out in that 30 days, (Laos & Vietnam) then can I activate my first 60 day visa? I ask, as I will look at buying tickets to Vietnam and keep out of Thailand till I am ready to use my 60day tourist visas. This would be a pain in the but of course.

Thanks.

It’s up to the consulate whether it wants to ask for a return or onward ticket. Very few Thai consulates do and it would surprise me if Brisbane did.

With a visa in your passport the airline will not ask for a return/onward ticket when you check in for your flight in Australia.

--

Maestro

Do you think the Thai immigration at the airport would let me in on a 30day visa exempt even if I have a multi entry visa in my passort, (or how ever they do it)?

I am also wondering how current the link in the first reply from "Lite Beer" is, I am making a reference to 7.4 (4) that refers to a 3 mill baht condo will do the trick for an investment visa. Is that still working? here is the link, http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/post-a64624-

Thanks for the ticket info above.

...I am also wondering how current the link in the first reply from "Lite Beer" is, I am making a reference to 7.4 (4) that refers to a 3 mill baht condo will do the trick for an investment visa. Is that still working? here is the link, http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/post-a64624-

Yes, it is current and valid. Note this important prerequisite:

(2) The alien entered Thailand

before this Order came into

force and has been

continuously allowed to remain

in the Kingdom in connection

with an investment of not less

than Baht 3 Million;

This means it would not work for you if you made this investment now. It works only for those who were on this investment extension already before October 1, 2006

--

Maestro

Do you think the Thai immigration at the airport would let me in on a 30day visa exempt even if I have a multi entry visa in my passort, (or how ever they do it)?

They usually do for travellers with a single-entry non-immigrant visa or a tourist visa but it would make no sense to request it with a multiple-entry non-immigrant visa because this type of visa allows you an unlimited number of journeys to Thailand until the visa's expiration date. There is nothing to be gained by delaying its first use.

--

Maestro

So when I get a 2 entry with six month expiry,’ multiple-entry non-immigrant visa’ a ‘multi entry tourist visa’?, this being a 60day + 30day extension for a fee at a immigration office in Bangkok, I can enter and leave Thailand several times in that 90 days, then at the end, so I have kind of no current visa as such and leave for a visa run and activate my ‘second entry’ and then come and go on that if I need to?.

heapsofme, you had asked about “a multi entry visa” and my answer was for that. A multiple-entry visa is always a non-immigrant visa.

Now you are asking about “a 2 entry with six month expiry,’ multiple-entry non-immigrant visa’ a ‘multi entry tourist visa”. There is no multiple-entry tourist visa in the sense of a tourist visa valid for an unlimited number of journeys during the visa’s validity. The tourist visa is always valid for a specific number of journeys and the specified number is the maximum number of journeys you can make with that visa.

--

Maestro

So when I get a 2 entry with six month expiry,’ multiple-entry non-immigrant visa’ a ‘multi entry tourist visa’?, this being a 60day + 30day extension for a fee at a immigration office in Bangkok, I can enter and leave Thailand several times in that 90 days, then at the end, so I have kind of no current visa as such and leave for a visa run and activate my ‘second entry’ and then come and go on that if I need to?.

A Multi Entry Non O Visa enables you to come and go as many times as you want for a year.Each entry is a maximum stay of 90 days. Do your last exit/entry a day before it expires and you will get another 90 day stay.

A single entry Non O Visa gives you a stay of 90 days.

A Double Entry Tourist Visa gives you 2 entries. Each entry is for 60 days and can be extended at Immigration for another 30 days.

After your first 60 days and 30 day extension have finished, you exit Thailand and come back again to activate your second entry of 60 days.

Great, thanks for that, yeah, I kind of covered many options in this thread,may had made it a little confusing, for myself included.

Thanks lite beer, "O", Non O, all a bit confusing really, So the Double Entry Tourist Visa, if I get that fro the first trip, do you think when I fly into BKK they would let me in on a 30 day visa exempt so I can pop over to Laos and others quickly, then re enter on a pre approved 60+30 day visa then still have one up my sleve for a visa run in 3 months time?

Other wise I am thinking other wise of just flying direct to KL, then Laos etc and keep out of Thailand till ready to start the first 60+30 day tourist visa.

Do you know if the expirey date is from issue or first entry into Thailand?

How do you know so much about all of this?

, So the Double Entry Tourist Visa, if I get that fro the first trip, do you think when I fly into BKK they would let me in on a 30 day visa exempt so I can pop over to Laos and others quickly, then re enter on a pre approved 60+30 day visa then still have one up my sleve for a visa run in 3 months time?

They have been known to do this. providing your Visa does not expire while you are doing this.

Other wise I am thinking other wise of just flying direct to KL, then Laos etc and keep out of Thailand till ready to start the first 60+30 day tourist visa.

You will need a Malaysian Visa or a flight out of Malaysia within 60 days or they may not let you on the flight.

Do you know if the expirey date is from issue or first entry into Thailand?

From the date of issue and will be printed on the Visa.

How do you know so much about all of this?

I live in Isaan. Not much else to do

Only kidding. I love it.

Edited September 14, 200817 yr by Lite Beer