Best Visa Options For Freelance/home Work

[DutchBen]

Hi all,

The company I work for allows me to work from anywhere as long as I have a good internet connection. My question is what kind of visa would be best for my case?

Sidequestion: Are there any minor coastal towns with good internet connection?

Cheers,

Ben

[Lite Beer]

Hi all,

The company I work for allows me to work from anywhere as long as I have a good internet connection. My question is what kind of visa would be best for my case?

Sidequestion: Are there any minor coastal towns with good internet connection?

Cheers,

Ben

A Visa does not allow you to work. You need a work permit and you will not get one for what you intend to do.

Technically you will be working illegally. Many people do this but if found out could get in a lot of trouble. Basically if you keep your head down and do not upset anyone the Authorities will not find out.

So you can really enter on any Visa.

As for internet connections? Thailand and good internet conections do not go hand in hand

[Mario2008]

To work you ned a woerk permit. For a work permit you need to be employed by a Thai company, so unless you set up you own company you can't do it legaly. As for the best visa in your case there isn't a best visa.

If you wan't more advice on your visa you should tell a little bit more. How old are you, do you have children?

[stacker10]

I had the some problem,working with internet.Dont start a company and all that xxxx,cost u a lot for nothing.

Just work from home,its ok to check email and more so who could say that u working?I had enough of thai

xxxx internet and xxxxxxxx visa rules and now with 15days visa run grazy people.They dont want u there so do what I did,

move to Philippines,good internet,great visa rules 16month with out leaving the country and everybody

speaks english and all drink sand beer less than halv the price.

[chivo]

i suspect that many (and know a few) who work from here unofficially.

you could just get tourist visas, as long as u were willing to split your time somewhere else (another country when your time is up-).

one friend managed to get a one year re-entry visa... dont know how! think he said he had a condo here or something. but that is no guarantee. maybe he just charmed the woman at the embassy in the country he was in. think thats rare tho.

you could set up a small company, but you'd be paying taxes here than, which is fine if you are ok with that.

you might also enroll in some language school, perhaps get a student visa? and do what else on the side...

good luck

[Lite Beer]

Have a look at the Thai Embassy website for Visa Information.

http://www.thaiembassynz.org.nz/INDEX.htm

[DutchBen]

I am 29 and hold a dutch passport.

From what I gather a non-immigrant B visa is the best option.

I don't know how to get one though, I would need a lot of paper work that I cannot provide.

To work you ned a woerk permit. For a work permit you need to be employed by a Thai company, so unless you set up you own company you can't do it legaly. As for the best visa in your case there isn't a best visa.

If you wan't more advice on your visa you should tell a little bit more. How old are you, do you have children?

[Lite Beer]

I am 29 and hold a dutch passport.

From what I gather a non-immigrant B visa is the best option.

I don't know how to get one though, I would need a lot of paper work that I cannot provide.

It does not matter what Visa you have. You cannot legally work without a Work Permit.

Work Permits can be issued on a Non B or a Non O Visa.

As said in your situation you are unlikely to get a Work Permit without a lot of effort.

[DutchBen]

I am 29 and hold a dutch passport.

From what I gather a non-immigrant B visa is the best option.

I don't know how to get one though, I would need a lot of paper work that I cannot provide.

It does not matter what Visa you have. You cannot legally work without a Work Permit.

Work Permits can be issued on a Non B or a Non O Visa.

As said in your situation you are unlikely to get a Work Permit without a lot of effort.

I don't want a work permit, I just want a visa that lets me stay as long as possible with min border runs. I can just be discreet about the work, it's hardly verifiable anyway.

I understand the tourist visa has been reduced to 15 day's and that is just unlivable. If it were 30 days I suppose it would be bearable.

I would be willing to spend a bit of money getting a student visa and even going to classes for an Ed visa (learning a bit of thai is not a bad idea) but not for 20 hours p/w as I must work at least 30 p/w for my subsistance.

It seems that in my case if I want to live a while in Thailand as a freelancer I am forced to cheat a little. Either get a multi non-B somehow (can I actually even have these extended if I don't get a work permit?) or get an Ed and only partially attend the classes, which is a waste of money.

It seems pretty stupid that there is not honest way to do this because I would be effectively pumping money into the country and wouldn't be depriving any Thais of a job.

I suppose If I can't get a non-b I will just have to consider the Philippines, I'm just not so confident about the internet quality over there.

[Maestro]

...I understand the tourist visa has been reduced to 15 day's and that is just unlivable. If it were 30 days I suppose it would be bearable.

The tourist visa continues to be valid for 90 days for a trip to Thailand and when you arrive in Thailand with it you receive permission to stay for 60 days. This can be extended by 30 days at any immigration office for a fee of 1,900 Baht.

The 30 and 15 days are visa-exempt entries, ie when you arrive in Thailand without a visa, and is intended for travellers who plan to stay in Thailand for those short periods. If you know that you want to stay longer you should get an appropriate visa.

--

Maestro

[IMA_FARANG]

Hi all,

The company I work for allows me to work from anywhere as long as I have a good internet connection. My question is what kind of visa would be best for my case?

Sidequestion: Are there any minor coastal towns with good internet connection?

Cheers,

Ben

You can legally get a 60 day tourist visa, which can be extended in country for 30 days. So you would be doing a visa run every 90 days. The 60 day Tourist visa is not free, you have to pay the fee for the visa. but it isn't much.

Right now, the Thais are not being to hard on back to back tourist visas. That could end however. I have recieved 3 tourist visa in the past in a row. On the 4th one I was advised I was getting "too many" visas. When I went back for the 5th visa, I was given it, but told that was going to be my last. This was quite a few years ago, so the situation may not be the same now.

Another option is to try for a 2 or 3 entry non O visa from Hull in England. They have been one of the easiest to get a 2 or 3 entry visa from. I believe each entry is good for 90 days (but it may be 60) with a 30 day extension possible in country. You need to leave the country and return to activate the 2nd and 3rd entry. You can get a 30 day extension on each of them. You need to get a exit/rentry permit before you leave so your multi-entry won't get canceled when you leave. Of course there is a fee for all of these, they are not free. A triple entry can legally keep you in Thailand for a year anyhow. But you will have to go out of country once every 90 days, and then you can return the same day if you want to. Just go across the border and turn around to come back. It is better if you can afford the flight, stay overnight (say in Penang, Malaysia) and return the next day. In general, if you look like you have the funds to support yorself in Thailand, and you pay the fees for the legal visas you get, you can get through the visa process with a minimum of problems. It's those who show up with dirty and old clothes or dress like beach bums (no offense, beach bums, I was one once) that have problems. If you look like a good tourist (i.e. with money) 90 percent of the time you can get a visa without a problem. So bottom line, dress well and be polite.

And don't gripe about the fees for the visa.