Hello,

I (36) am thinking about moving to BKK for a few months to maintain my software business from there and also to offer counseling services related to that in the area.

I can live quite well from that in Europe, but what requirements does Thailand have to give me a business visa to avoid me having to do a visa-run every 3 months when I'm working on my own?

Thanks for any insights!

Rolf

Hello,

I (36) am thinking about moving to BKK for a few months to maintain my software business from there and also to offer counseling services related to that in the area.

I can live quite well from that in Europe, but what requirements does Thailand have to give me a business visa to avoid me having to do a visa-run every 3 months when I'm working on my own?

Thanks for any insights!

Rolf

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A letter of invitation from a local company should suffice for a 1 year business visa.

A letter from a lawyer stating that you are coming to set up shop does it too. BUT make sure you don't apply at some Mickey-mouse embassy. London & Tokyo are both pretty good at handing out 1 year multiple entry business visas.

From your description though - I think you are going to find it tough to get a work permit which is needed if you want to work with any local companies here...

BUT make sure you don't apply at some Mickey-mouse embassy. London & Tokyo are both pretty good at handing out 1 year multiple entry business visas.

No they're not at all IME! I don't know anyone that's got a multiple entry Non-imm B from London without a WP! Tokyo was okay a couple of years ago, but I'm pretty sure they don't issue multiple entry Non-imm Bs without a WP!

Apply at a Mickey Mouse Consulate if anything! I'm sure others will name them! Generally avoid Embassies as they're generally a lot stricter and 'funny' about issuing Visa than Consulates!

A multi entry B visa gives you no right to work in Thailand and without a work permit you will not be allowed to stay longer than 90 days at a time. Several of the sponsors can help if you wish to set up shop here for the long term but from what it sounds that is not your plan so you should include visa runs the way it sounds; and keep any consulting outside of Thailand to be safe.

BUT make sure you don't apply at some Mickey-mouse embassy. London & Tokyo are both pretty good at handing out 1 year multiple entry business visas.

No they're not at all IME! I don't know anyone that's got a multiple entry Non-imm B from London without a WP! Tokyo was okay a couple of years ago, but I'm pretty sure they don't issue multiple entry Non-imm Bs without a WP!

Apply at a Mickey Mouse Consulate if anything! I'm sure others will name them! Generally avoid Embassies as they're generally a lot stricter and 'funny' about issuing Visa than Consulates!

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Can't get a Work permit without a non-immigrant B - there's no way to get the WP first...

Errr well yes there is kind of, although as you say you'd need to be on a Non-imm B (or Non-imm O) first. If you don't meet the minimum wage, or don't have a degree and are teaching here (and there's probably other examples). You'll (generally) get a work permit but you won't get the one year Visa extension so you'll need to do a run every 90 days. This is how people get a multiple entry Non-imm B with a WP! Penang issue them quite often!

London especially will generally only issue a multiple entry if you have a WP. If anything in my post was incorrect I'm sure Lopburi would have corrected me! Sunbelt Asia posted the info a while ago. And I know a fair few people that have done it! Although if you'd like me to post links proving this I'll be happy to do so.

See you learn something new every day mate!

Just to add something here, if you are going to do 90 day visa runs, you need to renew your WP every 90 days also.