Can I Live In Thailand On A Touristvisa?

[norwayeagle]

The TM card that you fill in and sign when you enter the country is an official document, and ticking 'tourist' as your reason for entry, when in fact you intend to reside, is a false declaration and is illegal. Moreover, residing in a country on a tourist visa is breaking the conditions upon which that visa was granted - the stated purpose of stay is for tourism - such a visa could therefore be cancelled at any time.

Hence, it is rather short sighted to plan a life in a country on tourist visas. The fact that people can get away with it doesn't make it legal, and serves as no guarantee that things won't change at the drop of a hat.

I'm constantly amazed at how many people post in the Visa forum just to put in their moralistic views of what they consider is right and wrong in an attempt to worry people.

All visa regulations, requirements and policies are constantly changing in Thailand. That's the reason why this busy forum exists in the first place - to keep us up to date about changes. There is no point worrying about what may happen in the future. The only guarantee is that changes WILL happen.

I,,,Me,,,do not see any moralistic about what DBrenn say.. It is Fact! OR? The Authorities(higher-ups) in Thailand will give u the same answer. Hehe,or maybe they sing it to you.

[tropo]

Ubonjoe's advice "Everyone's doing it, so don't worry" wouldn't have helped this poor soul either. Living in a loophole is risky, to say the least, and should not be recommended as it could cause substantial financial losses.

I live in this loophole because it is convenient. The only time it gets risky is if you expect any particular loophole to last forever. That would be stupid, but you and others are moralizing on this as you continuously use words such as "abuse". Go and preach elsewhere or get a job working as a consultant for the Thai Immigration department so you can help them weed us "abusers" out.

I'm not abusing the system, I'm working within the rules AND I am a tourist as I don't work here.

I've been on this forum for 3 years to help me stay currrent on the latest requirements, rules and policies....and I've been listening to people like you hyjacking good information threads for as long.

Go and find another hobby.

[tropo]

Legally you can't live anywhere while declaring your status as a tourist; in Thailand, people get away with it by exploiting a loophole in the system.

If you are going to continue waffling on about this here (and it looks like you are), you may as well get your facts straight. I can tell you right now, you can live in the Philippines forever as a tourist, no problem at all....AND they will welcome you to stay as long as you like, no questions asked. Currently you can stay there for 24 months without leaving.

Surprised?

I'm sure there are others as well.

Edited June 15, 2009 by tropo

[Baron72]

Thanks for your replies so far - it has been rather educating.

I guess I will start out on a Tourist Visa and then try to upgrade it by "being a bit personal" or what ever I can work out but never be too comfortable or bind up my money in a foreign country as a tourist.

Thanks again.

[Lite Beer]

Thanks for your replies so far - it has been rather educating.

I guess I will start out on a Tourist Visa and then try to upgrade it by "being a bit personal" or what ever I can work out but never be too comfortable or bind up my money in a foreign country as a tourist.

Thanks again.

At this moment in time there is no problem. Just do not count on it being this way forever is what we are all trying to say.

[norwayeagle]

Legally you can't live anywhere while declaring your status as a tourist; in Thailand, people get away with it by exploiting a loophole in the system.

If you are going to continue waffling on about this here (and it looks like you are), you may as well get your facts straight. I can tell you right now, you can live in the Philippines forever as a tourist, no problem at all....AND they will welcome you to stay as long as you like, no questions asked. Currently you can stay there for 24 months without leaving.

Surprised?

I'm sure there are others as well.

Tropo Why are you so insulting 2 Mr DBrenn?.I really dont think u understand what he is saying. Hmm.he "only"try to help out,and u start barking like a Terrier. I understand what you say,but to do it like that its not howe it should be done!. It will just destroy more 4 all of us who want to stay here.There are some laundry doing going on,so when they read this they will shurely speed up Ps: Philippines is NOT Thailand..Sm,ile

[ubonjoe]

Thanks for your replies so far - it has been rather educating.

I guess I will start out on a Tourist Visa and then try to upgrade it by "being a bit personal" or what ever I can work out but never be too comfortable or bind up my money in a foreign country as a tourist.

Thanks again.

You should try and get the multiple entry visa from Stuttgart I suggested. It will be much better and actually puts you into a slightly different status than what a tourist visa gives you.. Plus it will save a lot of time and money in the long run. Also it can be extended if you were to get a job, get married (sorry) and etc.

[dbrenn]

Ubonjoe's advice "Everyone's doing it, so don't worry" wouldn't have helped this poor soul either. Living in a loophole is risky, to say the least, and should not be recommended as it could cause substantial financial losses.

I live in this loophole because it is convenient. The only time it gets risky is if you expect any particular loophole to last forever. That would be stupid, but you and others are moralizing on this as you continuously use words such as "abuse". Go and preach elsewhere or get a job working as a consultant for the Thai Immigration department so you can help them weed us "abusers" out.

I'm not abusing the system, I'm working within the rules AND I am a tourist as I don't work here.

I've been on this forum for 3 years to help me stay currrent on the latest requirements, rules and policies....and I've been listening to people like you hyjacking good information threads for as long.

Go and find another hobby.

There is really no need to be so rude, and I have no idea why you are being so defensive and angry about this. Calm down, and discuss like an adult please, as I am just as entitled to post here as you are and I do have a valid point.

Like it or not, residing in a country on a tourist visa is considered abusing the system by many other countries, andd even in Thailand gets more difficult as time goes by and involves shopping around consulates. All it would take is a centralised standard to be invoked, bringing all the consulates into line, and a lot of people would be caught short with no recourse to stay in Thailand.

The fact that the authorities in Thailand have so far turned a blind eye to it in no way forms a good basis for taking what are possibly large financial risks in moving to another country. Thailand has put the squeeze on border runners, and it could just as easily do so for resident tourists and force them to get the correct visas, excluding them if they don't or can't.

In telling people that they can move to Thailand here on a tourist visa, and explaining how to do it by shopping around consulates, it is only responsible to also tell them that there are risks associated with such a decision. If you have nothing to lose by living in such an insecure way as exploiting a loophole, that's fine. Not everyone falls into your category, such as people who may be considering selling up and moving their entire lives to Thailand, so please understand that there are things that need to be said for their benefit, not just yours.

All I am saying here is that people who are considering moving here might not realise that residential tourism is just a loophole that affords them no status at all. Such people need to be aware of this before they make long term financial plans and commitments to a country where they may not be allowed to stay, and I don't really care that this fact seems to upset you.

[dbrenn]

Thanks for your replies so far - it has been rather educating.

I guess I will start out on a Tourist Visa and then try to upgrade it by "being a bit personal" or what ever I can work out but never be too comfortable or bind up my money in a foreign country as a tourist.

Thanks again.

If you keep that in mind, you will have a great time with minimal financial risk, and risk of disappointment in general. So many foreigners come to Thailand to live as tourists, then howl in protest and blame Thailand everytime the government turns the screws on the practice a bit further. It is as if they believe that tourists have a right to residence, which of course is not the case.

Edited June 16, 2009 by dbrenn

[katabeachbum]

dbrenn

Since you so strongly advice against living in LOS on tourist visa, what would you recommond OP to do? Non Imm O to visit friends from one of three mentioned consulates in the world? or any other clever idea?

[dbrenn]

dbrenn

Since you so strongly advice against living in LOS on tourist visa, what would you recommond OP to do? Non Imm O to visit friends from one of three mentioned consulates in the world? or any other clever idea?

I'm not advising against living in Thailand. All I'm doing is saying that there are risks in doing so on a tourist visa.

Whether or not the OP qualifies for, or wishes to pursue a different kind of visa is beside the point. His original question was "Can I live in Thailand on a Tourist Visa", and the answer has already been discussed. Since I don't make or enforce the rules, I do not have any 'clever ideas' to protect people who bend them from disappointment. The fact that one has to shop around consulates for visas is not exactly a secure long term strategy - it indicates that all Thailand needs to do to end resident tourism is standardise its visa approval system along a single set of rules for every consulate, as most other countries have done already. Education and visiting friends are two other reasons for staying that are also temporary by definition, and as such should perhaps not be offered as advice to people who are planning to move, to migrate, to live indefinitely in Thailand.

Thailand, like everywhere else, does have avenues that allow people to stay. Working and getting married are two good examples of temporary residence that can be renewed any number of times in Thailand, as opposed to mere tourism. Although temporary residents are also subject to regularly meeting criteria, they are not breaking the terms of their visas by making (what may be regarded by the authorities as) false statements about why they are in Thailand, and are therefore less likely to be at the receiving and of a crackdown. Temporary residents who have no plans to move on, and who don't qualify for permanent residence, should aim to comfortably exceed the bare minimum renewal requirements as a safeguard in case of future rule changes. Many people scrape by, only just meeting the requirements each year for renewal, and are disappointed when the bar is raised a notch and they no longer qualify to stay, so it is important to have a margin of safety over the bare minimums. Just like everywhere else only permanent residents and citizens can stay in Thailand forever with no further criteria that must be met.

Non citizens in Thailand are subject to immigration control just like anywhere else, and complying with the rules is sometimes onerous. It's a shame, because Thailand is such a great place and everyone wants to live there, but we could say the same about a lot of places. Many of the British working holiday makers who visit Australia for the holiday of a lifetime don't want to leave when their year is up, but unless they can qualify for a different kind of visa, they have to go, period. Nobody has a right to live in a foreign country unless you have the right kind of visa, and this should be kept in mind when making plans fro the future.

The OP is sensible and prudent in his conclusion that he will not invest large sums of money in Thailand unless he gets a more substantive type of visa that will better guard against the possibility of disappointment.

Edited June 16, 2009 by dbrenn

[katabeachbum]

dbrenn

Since you so strongly advice against living in LOS on tourist visa, what would you recommond OP to do? Non Imm O to visit friends from one of three mentioned consulates in the world? or any other clever idea?

I'm not advising against living in Thailand. All I'm doing is saying that there are risks in doing so on a tourist visa.

Whether or not the OP qualifies for, or wishes to pursue a different kind of visa is beside the point. His original question was "Can I live in Thailand on a Tourist Visa", and the answer has already been discussed. Since I don't make or enforce the rules, I do not have any 'clever ideas' to protect people who bend them from disappointment. The fact that one has to shop around consulates for visas is not exactly a secure long term strategy - it indicates that all Thailand needs to do to end resident tourism is standardise its visa approval system along a single set of rules for every consulate, as most other countries have done already. Education and visiting friends are two other reasons for staying that are also temporary by definition, and as such should perhaps not be offered as advice to people who are planning to move, to migrate, to live indefinitely in Thailand.

Thailand, like everywhere else, does have avenues that allow people to stay. Working and getting married are two good examples of temporary residence that can be renewed any number of times in Thailand, as opposed to mere tourism. Although temporary residents are also subject to regularly meeting criteria, they are not breaking the terms of their visas by making (what may be regarded by the authorities as) false statements about why they are in Thailand, and are therefore less likely to be at the receiving and of a crackdown. Temporary residents who have no plans to move on, and who don't qualify for permanent residence, should aim to comfortably exceed the bare minimum renewal requirements as a safeguard in case of future rule changes. Many people scrape by, only just meeting the requirements each year for renewal, and are disappointed when the bar is raised a notch and they no longer qualify to stay, so it is important to have a margin of safety over the bare minimums. Just like everywhere else only permanent residents and citizens can stay in Thailand forever with no further criteria that must be met.

Non citizens in Thailand are subject to immigration control just like anywhere else, and complying with the rules is sometimes onerous. It's a shame, because Thailand is such a great place and everyone wants to live there, but we could say the same about a lot of places. Many of the British working holiday makers who visit Australia for the holiday of a lifetime don't want to leave when their year is up, but unless they can qualify for a different kind of visa, they have to go, period. Nobody has a right to live in a foreign country unless you have the right kind of visa, and this should be kept in mind when making plans fro the future.

The OP is sensible and prudent in his conclusion that he will not invest large sums of money in Thailand unless he gets a more substantive type of visa that will better guard against the possibility of disappointment.

dbrenn

With all your wisdom, could you mention some visas allowing OP (quote) "to move, to migrate, to live indefinitaly in Thailand" (unquote) ?

Is there any reason you assume everyone here on touristvisa (quote) "shop around consulates for visas" (unquote) ?

[Lite Beer]

Off topic post deleted

[tropo]

There is really no need to be so rude, and I have no idea why you are being so defensive and angry about this.

Perhaps there is a need to be rude, because you just won't quit. I thought I already explained fairly well why I'm being defensive. If you haven't figured it out, go back and read my replies again.

Calm down, and discuss like an adult please, as I am just as entitled to post here as you are and I do have a valid point.

Unfortunately you are just as entitled to post here as anyone else, but how about you find another thread to inhabit. I'm not going anywhere because any thread regarding tourist visas is of personal interest to me. You won't find me on many other visa threads, because I don't poke my nose around in areas that don't personally concern me.

Like it or not, residing in a country on a tourist visa is considered abusing the system by many other countries,

Now you've changed your story. Earlier you said that no other country will allow residence with tourist visas, and now after I proved you wrong (by giving a example of a country in this region that does), you're saying many other countries will consider it "abusing the system".

andd even in Thailand gets more difficult as time goes by and involves shopping around consulates. All it would take is a centralised standard to be invoked, bringing all the consulates into line, and a lot of people would be caught short with no recourse to stay in Thailand.

This is the typical response of visa thread "moralisers". What if this, what if that?

I've been here for 3 1/2 years with my Filipino gf, and it hasn't become any more difficult. It was hardest back in 2006 when they introduced a lot of new rules. Now it's easier.

Can you believe it?

Tourist visas are easier to obtain now than from October 2006 to December 2007. Double entry tourist visas were not available in SE Asia during that period and Phnom Penh wasn't issuing them either. Penang was getting difficult too.

[tropo]

*Continuation due to reaching the maximum number of quotes in above reply*

The fact that the authorities in Thailand have so far turned a blind eye to it in no way forms a good basis for taking what are possibly large financial risks in moving to another country.

Now you're just being dramatic: "large financial risks". Get real.

"Turning a blind eye". This is also nonsense. If they wanted to stop perpetual tourist visa runners it would be a simple procedure, but they haven't made any moves to tighten up on that and as I said, they're making it easier. If they didn't want us, they would stop us.

Even tourist visa extensions are as easy as ever to get. They made it more difficult for awhile by asking for proof of onward travel, but now they've lightened up. It would be easy for an immigration officer to refuse an extension after a quick perusal of a person's passport revealed that person had stayed in Thailand too long.

Ask yourself - why? Why are they making it so easy?

and I don't really care that this fact seems to upset you.

Absolutely! The "moralisers" such as you who continually hyjack these threads don't care who they upset, in fact to upset is their primary goal.

There are trolls on every forum.

[dbrenn]

You won't find me on many other visa threads, because I don't poke my nose around in areas that don't personally concern me...

You persist in shouting and screaming for absolutely no reason - can't you hold a sensible discussion?

And, it seems to be you who is poking his nose into someone else's business here - my comments were aimed at highlighting obvious risks to someone who is thinking of moving to Thailand and who isn't aware of how things work here. The OP seemed to appreciate a balanced view of this situation, so why poke your mose into his business with these silly attacks?

Things are getting more difficult - they crack down and they lighten up, but they seldom lighten up to where they were before. Look at what happened to border running. I should know mate, I came to Thailand as a tourist in 1990 and went all the way through the system to citizenship - a long and tedious process, but one that I undertook because the rules kept getting tougher and I wanted security.

You have only been here a short time, and you don't really have any idea of what you are talking about. I hope to see you still posting on this forum and living in Thailand in 18 years, but I don't think I will unless you regularise your visa situation.

Edited June 16, 2009 by dbrenn

[tropo]

You won't find me on many other visa threads, because I don't poke my nose around in areas that don't personally concern me...

You persist in shouting and screaming for absolutely no reason - can't you hold a sensible discussion?

And, it seems to be you who is poking his nose into someone else's business here - my comments were aimed at highlighting obvious risks to someone who is thinking of moving to Thailand and who isn't aware of how things work here. The OP seemed to appreciate a balanced view of this situation, so why poke your mose into his business with these silly attacks?

Things are getting more difficult - they crack down and they lighten up, but they seldom lighten up to where they were before. Look at what happened to border running. I should know mate, I came to Thailand as a tourist in 1990 and went all the way through the system to citizenship - a long and tedious process, but one that I undertook because the rules kept getting tougher and I wanted security.

You have only been here a short time, and you don't really have any idea of what you are talking about. I hope to see you still posting on this forum and living in Thailand in 18 years, but I don't think I will unless you regularise your visa situation.

I think you've taken "living in Thailand" to a different level than the OP had in mind.

In your situation, wanting to live permanently in Thailand, forever, obviously tourist visas wouldn't be appropriate.

There are many situations where tourist visas can offer a very good solution to "living in Thailand". It works fine for people who want to get a feel for the country without making any serious financial commitments, don't want to buy real estate AND have an offshore income.

[koheesti]

I think you've taken "living in Thailand" to a different level than the OP had in mind.

In your situation, wanting to live permanently in Thailand, forever, obviously tourist visas wouldn't be appropriate.

There are many situations where tourist visas can offer a very good solution to "living in Thailand". It works fine for people who want to get a feel for the country without making any serious financial commitments, don't want to buy real estate AND have an offshore income.

I agree with tropo on just about everything he's stated here on this thread. Why does this other guy assume staying in Thailand on Toursit Visa's is "abusing the system"? It's the Thai's system and they don't seem to mind so I don't see where the "abuse" is coming in. As long as they keep issuing the visas, it's legal. Sure they can change the rules someday but as anyone who has a clue knows, they can change the rules FOR ANY visa in the future so don't get too comfortable.

Another thing, "shop around consulates for visas"?? I've just picked up my latest Toursit Visa here in Singapore (4th overall). when it expires I will have been living about 1 year and 8 months in Thailand as a tourist. Since I AM a tourist (I always have my camera with me ), I don't consider it shopping around to go to other consulates. On the contrary, I use their rules (leave every 90 days) as an opportunity to see the region. I'm a tourist using Thailand a base mainly because of the cost of living (1 month at my resort on Samui costs the same as 3 nights in my hotel here in SIN), year-around hot climate and decent Internet. I have visited Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Bali, Singapore, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Minh City and even Estonia all because I had to do a visa run of one sort or the other. Someday, if I'm still in the region and Thailand wants to change their rules so that people like me can't use Thailand as a base, fine, I'll go somewhere else. But I'll probably be somewhere else by then anyway.

Edited June 16, 2009 by koheesti

[dbrenn]

I've just picked up my latest Toursit Visa here in Singapore (4th overall). when it expires I will have been living about 1 year and 8 months in Thailand as a tourist. Since I AM a tourist

If I'm still in the region and Thailand wants to change their rules so that people like me can't use Thailand as a base, fine, I'll go somewhere else. But I'll probably be somewhere else by then anyway.

Yes, you are indeed a tourist annd you are not investing your whole life into Thailand, so you have nothing to worry about

[simcity]

I think I was the first one using the ‘shop around “in this post!

That bit flame some of you!

If you are a ‘Yes’ man and do not know the way to move around, I am sure you will find difficult to retired before the minimum retirement age (50 year old) and you choice will be for a 2 * 60 visa at normal embassy.

With a Thai bank book well maintain, at the embassy in Paris I could not get any thing over.

If embassy staffs for you are the legitimate people to control your life that find to me.

I email people, I call people and talk to them, I give them my situation, and if they reply in a positive manner and are happy to issue me with a flexible visa I do not find myself cheating the system at all.

They know what they are doing & as I said they required some form of financial prove.

Now I have been here for over 11 years on a tourist visa, perhaps one day if the situation change will look at a retirement visa, but do not see the benefice.

I just said to the Opp what I did, as he wants to retired at 36 and I was 39 when I done it.

If the consulate issues me a visa, it is legitimate for me, if one do not want to, I will ‘shop around’ to see what else I can do.

[dbrenn]

I think you've taken "living in Thailand" to a different level than the OP had in mind.

How do you know what the OP had in mind? He came here asking for information, and he got it. Isn't that what forums like these are supposed to be about? Why shout people down with such paranoid rage, just because they question a practice as potentially risky?

I think your irrational anger speaks for itself on how insecure people living in Thailand on tourist visas feel. I know how much it sucks, because I used to be a tourist myself.

Edited June 16, 2009 by dbrenn

[Baron72]

I have to say my intention is to live in Thailand permanenty - therefore it is very important for me to know any risks involved with tourist visa - thanks dbrenn. As it seems right now touristvisa or an other half solution is my only option, so it is also nice to know, that I for a good while can live there on a tourist visa while trying to improve my situation or worst case look closer at the neighbour-contries...or the Philippines )

[Lite Beer]

I have to say my intention is to live in Thailand permanenty - therefore it is very important for me to know any risks involved with tourist visa - thanks dbrenn. As it seems right now touristvisa or an other half solution is my only option, so it is also nice to know, that I for a good while can live there on a tourist visa while trying to improve my situation or worst case look closer at the neighbour-contries...or the Philippines )

Unless you are 50 or have a Thai Wife or working legally or studying your options are Tourist Visas or Non Imm O Visas.

All perfectly possible at this moment in time and maybe indefinably. However do not make long term plans based on the assumption that this will continue for all time. It may not. Have a plan B.

[katabeachbum]

dbrenn

Since you so strongly advice against living in LOS on tourist visa, what would you recommond OP to do? Non Imm O to visit friends from one of three mentioned consulates in the world? or any other clever idea?

I'm not advising against living in Thailand. All I'm doing is saying that there are risks in doing so on a tourist visa.

Whether or not the OP qualifies for, or wishes to pursue a different kind of visa is beside the point. His original question was "Can I live in Thailand on a Tourist Visa", and the answer has already been discussed. Since I don't make or enforce the rules, I do not have any 'clever ideas' to protect people who bend them from disappointment. The fact that one has to shop around consulates for visas is not exactly a secure long term strategy - it indicates that all Thailand needs to do to end resident tourism is standardise its visa approval system along a single set of rules for every consulate, as most other countries have done already. Education and visiting friends are two other reasons for staying that are also temporary by definition, and as such should perhaps not be offered as advice to people who are planning to move, to migrate, to live indefinitely in Thailand.

Thailand, like everywhere else, does have avenues that allow people to stay. Working and getting married are two good examples of temporary residence that can be renewed any number of times in Thailand, as opposed to mere tourism. Although temporary residents are also subject to regularly meeting criteria, they are not breaking the terms of their visas by making (what may be regarded by the authorities as) false statements about why they are in Thailand, and are therefore less likely to be at the receiving and of a crackdown. Temporary residents who have no plans to move on, and who don't qualify for permanent residence, should aim to comfortably exceed the bare minimum renewal requirements as a safeguard in case of future rule changes. Many people scrape by, only just meeting the requirements each year for renewal, and are disappointed when the bar is raised a notch and they no longer qualify to stay, so it is important to have a margin of safety over the bare minimums. Just like everywhere else only permanent residents and citizens can stay in Thailand forever with no further criteria that must be met.

Non citizens in Thailand are subject to immigration control just like anywhere else, and complying with the rules is sometimes onerous. It's a shame, because Thailand is such a great place and everyone wants to live there, but we could say the same about a lot of places. Many of the British working holiday makers who visit Australia for the holiday of a lifetime don't want to leave when their year is up, but unless they can qualify for a different kind of visa, they have to go, period. Nobody has a right to live in a foreign country unless you have the right kind of visa, and this should be kept in mind when making plans fro the future.

The OP is sensible and prudent in his conclusion that he will not invest large sums of money in Thailand unless he gets a more substantive type of visa that will better guard against the possibility of disappointment.

dbrenn

With all your wisdom, could you mention some visas allowing OP (quote) "to move, to migrate, to live indefinitaly in Thailand" (unquote) ?

Is there any reason you assume everyone here on touristvisa (quote) "shop around consulates for visas" (unquote) ?

dbrenn

I see you have replyed to other posts after this one

Did you miss it, skip it or just ignored it?

Edited June 16, 2009 by katabeachbum

[dbrenn]

dbrenn

I see you have replyed to other posts after this one

Did you miss it, skip it or just ignored it?

I already explained, and it's also been pointed out by others - marriage or employment are a means to more secure life, so long as you have a safety margin and are not scraping by on the minimum requirements. You can renew your visas in Thailand, and there is no chance that the authorities will take you to task for having the wrong type of visa. The same applies to retirees. Those who are working can go on to get permanent residence.

Unfortunately, there is no magic. You have to qualify for the right to live in Thailand, just like everywhere else. No matter how much resident tourists think that Thailand needs them and their money, Thailand doesn't always agree and they are made to live in a constantly shifting limbo. In my own case, they were cracking down and I had to abandon some of the fun things that I was doing and get a day job. Working in Thailand isn't always easy, and I could have made more money elsewhere, but the sacrifices that I made were rewarded with the right to stay as long as I like, and do what I like, with no restrictions whatsoever. That's the way I like to live.

Edited June 16, 2009 by dbrenn

[katabeachbum]

dbrenn

I see you have replyed to other posts after this one

Did you miss it, skip it or just ignored it?

I already explained, and it's also been pointed out by others - marriage or employment are a means to more secure life, so long as you have a safety margin and are not scraping by on the minimum requirements. You can renew your visas in Thailand, and there is no chance that the authorities will take you to task for having the wrong type of visa. The same applies to retirees. Those who are working can go on to get permanent residence.

Unfortunately, there is no magic. You have to qualify for the right to live in Thailand, just like everywhere else. No matter how much resident tourists think that Thailand needs them and their money, Thailand doesn't always agree and they are made to live in a constantly shifting limbo. In my own case, they were cracking down and I had to get a job.

I have seen the point of WP and B visa for some people for some years now(but pobably not for OP), but marriage as a way to secure life?

You still havent replyed to why you assume everyone in LOS on touristvisa (quote) "shop around for touristvisa" (unquote)

Basicly you seem to quote other posts wrong, complain other members are shouting and assume everyone are cheating the touristvisa system.

Edited June 16, 2009 by katabeachbum

[dbrenn]

I have seen the point of WP and B visa for some people for some years (but pobably not for OP), but marriage as a way to secure life?

You still havent replyed to why you assume everyone in LOS on touristvisa (quote) "shop around for touristvisa" (unquote)

Basicly you seem to quote other posts wrong, complain other members are shouting and assume everyone are cheating the touristvisa system.

Well you might be right about marriage

To clarify, I don't assume that everyone is cheating the tourist visa system, which is there for bona fide tourists for a perfectly good reason. Almost every country on the planet issues tourist visas, and attaches conditions to them that state restrictions on such things as residence and employment.

The problem is this: Thailand's immigration is getting much more efficient these days, and it probably won't be long before everyhting starts working to a common standard, just like they do in most other places where back-to-back tourist visas end up in refusal sooner or later. Add to this the high profile and embarassing cases of fugitives who seem to make Thailand their second-home, and it's not unreasonable to suggest that resident tourism mmay be in jeapardy. Thailand profiles as ideal the tourists who spend a lot of cash in a short time, but its actions suggest that it doesn't really care about the others and is actively putting the squeeze on them. Look through this forum, and see how the border runners get treated these days. Border running used to be as easy as pie, and I've met people who stayed years on back to back 30-day entry stamps. How can we be sure that back-to-back tourist visas won't be treated in a similar way? We can't.

On the shopping around question, I think that you should look through this forum, where friendly and unfriendly consulates are discussed at great length to understand why resident tourists need to shop around for visas. It seems to be a never ending story, a contstantly shifting set of places and procedures that have to be followed. Good consulates go bad and vice versa. People travel great distances and are not given the visa that they wanted. They queue up at hot and dusty borders. They suffer at the hands of rude officials who know that they have the upper hand.

It was a lot easier when I was doing it - the rules were a lot slacker. The main problem in those days was that flights were relatively more expensive then and the only land border open was Malaysia, meaning that unless you had a lot of dosh, you were at the mercy of the whims of the consulate in Penang, with a 30-hour train ride each way.

Edited June 16, 2009 by dbrenn

[tropo]

I think you've taken "living in Thailand" to a different level than the OP had in mind.

How do you know what the OP had in mind? He came here asking for information, and he got it. Isn't that what forums like these are supposed to be about? Why shout people down with such paranoid rage, just because they question a practice as potentially risky?

I think your irrational anger speaks for itself on how insecure people living in Thailand on tourist visas feel. I know how much it sucks, because I used to be a tourist myself.

You just don't quit do you? You've monopolized 30% of this thread already with no end in sight.

With your new flag and citizenship in hand, why not enjoy your freedom and find another hobby? Wave your flag someplace else. Surely you can find better pastimes than trolling visa threads when these topics don't concern you in the slightest. Is your life in Thailand so boring?

Right now tourist visas are easy to obtain. Easier than at anytime over the past 3 years. For 3 months this year they were even offering free tourist visas.

I'm eligible for a retirement visa, but why bother when tourist visas are so easy?

[dbrenn]

I think you've taken "living in Thailand" to a different level than the OP had in mind.

How do you know what the OP had in mind? He came here asking for information, and he got it. Isn't that what forums like these are supposed to be about? Why shout people down with such paranoid rage, just because they question a practice as potentially risky?

I think your irrational anger speaks for itself on how insecure people living in Thailand on tourist visas feel. I know how much it sucks, because I used to be a tourist myself.

You just don't quit do you? You've monopolized 30% of this thread already with no end in sight.

With your new flag and citizenship in hand, why not enjoy your freedom and find another hobby? Wave your flag someplace else. Surely you can find better pastimes than trolling visa threads when these topics don't concern you in the slightest. Is your life in Thailand so boring?

Right now tourist visas are easy to obtain. Easier than at anytime over the past 3 years. For 3 months this year they were even offering free tourist visas.

I'm eligible for a retirement visa, but why bother when tourist visas are so easy?

Why on earth should I quit just because of you?

After all, you have next to no experience dealing with the visa system, so your indignance counts for nothing at all really. You tell us how the rules are changing, but you can only go back 3 years or so, which is nothing. You just got off the plane mate. You also made yourself appear foolish by second guessing that the OP was not interested in my opinion, guessing that he was not planning to stay permanently and would have nothing to lose staying in such an insecure basis as tourist visas. This turned out not to be the case, so if anyone here has egg on his face - it's you.

It's very telling too that you do have a plan B - you are eligible for a retirement visa, but just can't be bothered applying for it, yet. Not everyone does have a plan B like you seem to do, and my comments were for the benefit of those people - not you. Once the novelty wears off and you get sick of crackdowns, of being made to live in limbo, I expect to see you posting here about your retirement visa application, so good luck with that. Not everyone has the choices you do.

Not everyone likes an insecure life juggling visas and, from your own admission, exploiting loopholes. Some people have a lot to lose, financially and otherwise, if they move to a foreign country without knowing all the facts, which you obviously don't. People should be informed of all the facts when making important decisions, and silly attacks like yours won't stop me posting for their benefit.

Edited June 16, 2009 by dbrenn

[tropo]

Why on earth should I quit just because of you?

After all, you have next to no experience dealing with the visa system, so your indignance counts for nothing at all really. You tell us how the rules are changing, but you can only go back 3 years or so, which is nothing. You just got off the plane mate. You also made yourself appear foolish by second guessing that the OP was not interested in my opinion, guessing that he was not planning to stay permanently and would have nothing to lose staying in such an insecure basis as tourist visas. This turned out not to be the case, so if anyone here has egg on his face - it's you.

It's very telling too that you do have a plan B - you are eligible for a retirement visa, but just can't be bothered applying for it, yet. Not everyone does have a plan B like you seem to do, and my comments were for the benefit of those people - not you. Once the novelty wears off and you get sick of crackdowns, of being made to live in limbo, I expect to see you posting here about your retirement visa application, so good luck with that. Not everyone has the choices you do.

Not everyone likes an insecure life juggling visas and, from your own admission, exploiting loopholes. Some people have a lot to lose, financially and otherwise, if they move to a foreign country without knowing all the facts, which you obviously don't. People should be informed of all the facts when making important decisions, and silly attacks like yours won't stop me posting for their benefit.

Of course you're not going to quit, that's pretty obvious now.

Now read your post again.

How about you stop getting upset, shouting, screaming and all those other adjectives you constantly use.

What happened 50 years ago when you were a tourist here is irrelevant. What's been happening over the last 3 years is, and although you'll be the last to admit it because you don't know jack about the current tourist visa situation, tourists visas are as easy as pie to obtain, and all signs are that it's getting easier.

I'm a tourist, mate. As a tourist I'm passing through, mate. It's pretty obvious that anyone considering living in Thailand on a tourist visa doesn't have permanent plans because obviously tourist visa runs, border runs and constantly getting extensions would drive a person crazy in the long run.

Just enjoy your new flag and find another hobby mate. Find something more relaxing that doesn't get you so worked up.