New 5 Years Visas For Long Term Residents

[Sunny Valentine]

Immigration boss explains new visas

Much less paperwork for some farangs

PATTAYA: -- Head of Pattaya’s immigration bureau, police colonel Ittipol Ittisarnronnachai, has announced that the foreign holders of some long visas will no longer have to provide mountains of paperwork every year. Once registered, they will be cleared for entry and exit for up to five years on a case by case basis. However, they will still need to obtain a re-entry permit if they do decide to leave the country.

To qualify for the new fast track facility, foreigners must hold a non immigrant visa, any type, and show that they have been “living” in Thailand for the past three years. The most obvious way of demonstrating this is to have held consecutive one year extensions authorized by the immigration bureau. Police colonel Ittipol said there were six categories of people eligible to transfer. These included farangs with a Thai spouse, those with a Thai dependant, retirees, substantial investors, work permit holders and special categories including diplomatic personnel.

Ittipol added it was not compulsory for eligible people to change to the multiple years’ option. They could continue making annual applications as in the past. Although the detail is still settling down, it is understood that applications for the multiple year visa can be made only in the Bangkok immigration headquarters in Soi Suan Plu (Sathorn). However, Pattaya immigration officers will be able to provide further details of the new system which bears some similarity to “green card” options operating in some parts of the world.

Applications have to lodged in the second half of December 2004. Otherwise you have to wait until late next year. Police colonel Ittipol explained that the fast track notion was designed to simplify visa life for long term farangs who had shown by their immigration record that they were contributing significantly to Thai economic and financial strength or had ongoing family responsibilities. He concluded that it was the aim of the immigration bureau to create a safe environment for all foreigners in the kingdom and that included a privileged status for the long stay residents as defined.

--Pattaya Today 2004-12-16

Edited December 16, 2004 by george

[davethailand]

Yippee

3yrs already

thai spouse

work permit

business

fingers crossed

[DaveYo]

Interesting. Incidently, how much is the cost for such 5 year visa. Also does one still have to do the visa runs every 3 months.

Not all answers are explained here. We all need more detail, so get on the ball George, and find this out.

Daveyo

[ZOVOX]

If it is aimed at people with at least 3 consecutive extensions, i would imagine that it is like a 5 year extension, so no need for 3-month boreder runs.

[davethailand]

Interesting.  Incidently, how much is the cost for such 5 year visa.  Also does one still have to do the visa runs every 3 months.

Not all answers are explained here.  We all need more detail, so get on the ball George, and find this out.

Daveyo

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

if you get a 1 year visa you don't ned to do visa runs. I've done one in 3 years.

[castelleone]

too late for me this year. Just renewed my retiree visa for one year last week with the ,,normal,, procedure.

Well, looking forward to next year and hopefully get a 5 years extention.

[ovenman]

...almost sounds too good to be true, doesn't it?

[danone]

sounds like an easy, slimmed down residence permit - nice!

[kreon]

...almost sounds too good to be true, doesn't it?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

too bad for me as i travel at least 1-3 times a montrh out of thailand

[Limbo]

Off topic post deleted

/Admin

Edited December 16, 2004 by george

[lemon]

well if this is true, then it seems like it's what we've all been waiting for yeah...personally it's just a pity i left the LoS a coupla years ago and my visa probs was one of the main reasons that we left...i wasnt able to work during the latter years of my stay and was reduced to border runs every 3 months. Until i discovered the Aranya Prathet run, these were eating into our (pitiful) budget in a pretty big way...now if this new 5 year thing sticks, i think it will encourage a lot more expats to go and stay out there...especially retirees maybe?...and thats good for the local economy innit?

[Maejo Man]

First it's five year driving licences (great move) and now it's five year visas. I won't hold my breath on this one as it has been proposed several times already. Let's have some more details George, as they come to hand. Cost being the main one Pro-rata on the one year visa would place it around 37.000 Baht

[Maejo Man]

Off topic post deleted.

/Admin

Edited December 16, 2004 by george

[davethailand]

Off topic post deleted. Please post a new topic regarding taxes, in the proper forum branch.

Thanks!

/Admin

[IsaanAlex]

Just sounds like a quick and easy alternative to Permanent Residence...which, from a Thai point of view is smart...as this way (as opposed to PM) will never (even in theory) lead to citizenship for the farang.

IA

[Gumballl]

Below is the first paragraph from the original post:

"Head of Pattaya’s immigration bureau, police colonel Ittipol Ittisarnronnachai, has announced that the foreign holders of some long visas will no longer have to provide mountains of paperwork every year."

The last two words of the statement give me the impression that those with a one-year visa will still have to make their border runs (for a visa renewal), on a yearly basis. I think that what the immigration bureau was implying was that under the new program, those individuals who have shown their worthiness for at least 3 (consecutive) years, will be able to continue applying for the one-year visas, but without having to provide gobs of evidence that they normally would have to. This evidence includes such things as marriage cert, business certs, bank docs, money, etc.

Does this make sense? Anyhow, my 2 satang's worth of my Thainglish interpretation skills.

[ovenman]

Just sounds like a quick and easy alternative to Permanent Residence...which, from a Thai point of view is smart...as this way (as opposed to PM) will never (even in theory) lead to citizenship for the farang.

In over ten years experience in-and-out of Thailand, I've never once been under the impression that any of the Thai authorities were looking for a way to provide foreigners with a quick and easy alternative to Permanent Residence.

Edited December 16, 2004 by ovenman

[mouse]

I have gone through life hoping for the best and expecting the worst. With this policy in mind I have been correct and benfitted in 50% of the times in question.

Let us hope then pray and if this comes true, rejoice, for we have been recongnized for what we truly are; an assett to the society that we have come to join.... for one reason or another.

[Highwayman]

The 5 year visa was/is part of the Elite Card scheme as l recall.

[LivinLOS]

Below is the first paragraph from the original post:

"Head of Pattaya’s immigration bureau, police colonel Ittipol Ittisarnronnachai, has announced that the foreign holders of some long visas will no longer have to provide mountains of paperwork every year."

The last two words of the statement give me the impression that those with a one-year visa will still have to make their border runs (for a visa renewal), on a yearly basis.  I think that what the immigration bureau was implying was that under the new program, those individuals who have shown their worthiness for at least 3 (consecutive) years, will be able to continue applying for the one-year visas, but without having to provide gobs of evidence that they normally would have to.  This evidence includes such things as marriage cert, business certs, bank docs, money, etc.

Does this make sense?  Anyhow, my 2 satang's worth of my Thainglish interpretation skills.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thats how I would read it too.. That you can fast track your 1 year visa applications without duplicating lots of paperwork that they already have on file..

[RDN]

...Let us hope then pray and if this comes true, rejoice, for we have been recognized for what we truly are; an asset to the society that we have come to join.... for one reason or another.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Seconded! Next year will be my third, just in time for December to hopefully get a 5 year extension. Excellent news! Lets hope it's what we think it is

Keep us updated George, please!!

(154 people are reading this topic! I think that says it all!)

Edited December 16, 2004 by RDN

[francois]

I have gone through life hoping for the best and expecting the worst.  With this policy in mind I have been correct and benfitted in 50% of the times in question.

Let us hope then pray and if this comes true, rejoice, for we have been recongnized for what we truly are; an assett to the society that we have come to join.... for one reason or another.

I'm with you on this way

it is fair enough to give a long term visa to those who can apply for it as it is done in most countries in the world, a kind of green card as a comment says.

it is exactly what we are all looking for, no more visa-run, just a plain registration as a foreigner living in Thailand, and renewable every year or so.

if we compare the visa/green-card stuffs in some countries ... Thailand is late and has so many foreigners living and working in the country that it's time to catch-up the rest of the world, as this government would like to show that they want to be part of the "big cake", it seems to me fairly normal that they apply some common rules concerning immigration, as Mouse said we all came to join Thai society, so if they recongnize us as

foreigners with our rights, no more no less, it's good enough. no one ask for more than some understanding, being considered part of Thai life as most of us are and will continue to be.

I hope that this new rule will emerge clear and simple as it should be.

it might be the best news we had for long.

francois

[sas_cars]

I deep heartedly wish that it's not just a rumour

[andyadam]

Interesting.  Incidently, how much is the cost for such 5 year visa.  Also does one still have to do the visa runs every 3 months.

Not all answers are explained here.  We all need more detail, so get on the ball George, and find this out.

Daveyo

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

if you get a 1 year visa you don't ned to do visa runs. I've done one in 3 years.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Depends which visa you have, and if you have a WP, i.e non imm b, no WP only 90 days entry into LOS then you must cross a border.

[lukamar]

This is defiantly good news for a lot of us. We can't move back to Thailand for at least 2 years (when my wife has her Canadian Citizenship) so I hope everything is settled by then.

My main concern about us coming back full time has been the fact that you kind of live on a wing and a prayer and are at the whim and the mercy of the tide of the government. This new 5 year visa (as long as they keep it) will allow me to liquidate my assets in Canada when we move back and be a bit more secure. I'll be 60+ when we return to the LOS so 3 +5 +5 would make me 73+ years old and probably near my useful end unless i live as long as my parents ( 90+).

I think that they also know that a lot of people apply for PResidency for the security rather than the love of country and this is a good way to appease those people as well as easing the paperwork burden on the immigration Dept.

We all know about the crackdowns on short term stay visa's of late. It only makes common sense to introduce something like this to either free up existing staff for this end or to use it as another way to pressure existing short stay farangs to apply for longer stay visas.

[Foggy Bottom]

First it's five year driving licences (great move) and now it's five year visas. I won't hold my breath on this one as it has been proposed several times already. Let's have some more details George, as they come to hand. Cost being the main one Pro-rata on the one year visa would place it around 37.000 Baht

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Errrrr...... One Year Non-Imm extension is 1,900 Baht x 5 = 9,500

How'd you reach 37,000?

[Foggy Bottom]

Personally I see the proposal in the same light as Immigration saying "No" to the 10,000 Baht annual fee about 5 - 6 years back. Probably more than any other Gov't department, Immigration analyse and understand the masses of statistical data they gather, and with the flack they've had recently over marriage and business visa conditions changing, this may be the sugar to sweeten the medicine ...

... especially if some of the rumours I've heard about large scale evacuations being true. (By large scale - put it in the context of numbers leaving who were on high incomes/investment balances, plus lost large-employer investors such as one reported in this forum mid-year in response to another tightening of Business visa rules).

The timing is also crucial - 7 weeks before the general election - it may be designed to stop the tens of thousands of farang teachers bitching at their students about how bad TRT is for Thailand internationally.

Yeah, some would say that would make no difference to a vote count, but consider the maths -

10,000 dissatisfied teachers infront of 150 students a week each = 1.5 million households getting their votes influenced from farangs.

Add to that, the dissatisfied farang employers, for arguements sake 100,000 of them with an average of 10 employees = another million households.

Thats 2.5 million households (assume 2 adults per) and heading for 5 million voters getting ears bashed from a very small, very P'd off farang community.

With a population of 63 million, of which only 55% are of voting age (34.65 million), that means farangs have influence on arount 1/7th (14.43%) of the votes.

Now - couldn't that just swing an election?

Therefore tendering something like this to remove the risk is a worthwhile gamble that could be revoked or shelved after the election.

........ or am I giving too much credit to the spin doctors?

[stanley89]

If the 5 year visa is true it will be good, but will it cost nearly 10,000 baht, and will we have to have 2 million baht (5 * 400,000) or 4 million baht (5 * 800,000 for retirement) to apply for it? Even a reduction in paperwork would be a help.

I recently applied for my visa extension at Chiang Mai. There was nobody waiting, I was in and out inside 10 minutes and there were not so many staff as usual inside the office. When I asked why, I was told that there has been a decline in the number of applications. Don't know if this is true or not. This Is Thailand and I have learnt not to believe everything that Immigration tells me.

[roamer]

Doesn't affect me now chaps, though with a Thai wife and future plans, it will if it comes to pass. So for those of you that it will affect now, well I will keep my fingers crossed that its true and hope its a nice early Christmas present for you.

Merry Christmas.

[sabaijai]

What about work permits, I wonder?