Visa Possibilitys + How To Stay And Live In Thailand Legal

[pipovitsch]

Since January 2007 i am registered at the Swiss Embassy in Bangkok and living in Thailand (Huahin) now.

So far i had a Non Immigrant "O" Multiple Entry Visa from Switzerland, im using my second one now, which i usually picked up in person at the Thai Consulate in Basel, Switzerland, never with any overstays!

Now my current "O" Visa is reaching the end of its validity (5.July) and i am flying to switzerland, for one month, on 4.july with my girlfriend to visit and hopefully for a new "o" multi visa, even though the Thai Consulate in Basel told me they can not issue me a yearly visa like this anymore, i am shocked and dont understand.

My girlfriend and me want to marry in the future, but we are not ready yet and dont want to be pushed just because of the visa issues+questions.

Im worried and sad, concerning about my visa, because my life is only in Thailand.

I am 37 years old and living of my pension.

I am capable of speaking Thai at least 50%, Thai people say its more.

Present time I have over 800'000Baht on my Thai savings account and monthly transfers over 65'000Baht since i am living here.

Since i am not over 50 years old though, i do not fullfill the requirements for a retirement visa.

Going for border runs every 3months was absolutely ok for me!

What can i do, are my rights to stay and live here?!

What is the best for me to do, to make my stay, life in Thailand as easy and legal as possible?!

I dont know if this might be of any help, but

I am connected with Thailand since my parents used to live and work here from 1981-1991, during that time i went to the Swiss and International School Bangkok for 6 years, after that my parents sent me back to Switzerland for a work apprentiship (my parents and sister moved back 4 years later) and i havent been back to Thailand untill 2007. My sister was legally adopted in 1981 with 1year of age and is Thai, she has a Thai passport, no ID, but lives in Switzerland with my parents and can not speak a single word Thai, she is more swiss then i am and i am more Thai then she is.

What are my possibilitys + should i do?

Thank you all allready for your help, information and support.

Best regards,

[Lite Beer]

I would say the same as you have now. A Multi Entry Non Imm O Visa to visit friends.

You can get from Stuttgart or Hull UK. Apply by post.

[lopburi3]

You can probably still obtain a visit friends visa from Amsterdam, Hull and some of the Germain Honorary Consulates. Call around to Honorary Consulates and am sure you will find a place to obtain.

[MJo]

You say you speak Thai 50%, why not get one year ED visa and make it 100%.

I just wish i had the time to do it myself, even 50% would be nice

[bearhunt]

education visa or even better multiple o for visiting friends is definately the best choice! thats about it

[torrenova]

I would say the same as you have now. A Multi Entry Non Imm O Visa to visit friends.

You can get from Stuttgart or Hull UK. Apply by post.

Post from Switzerland that is, not from Thailand, or fly over from Switzerland and pick one up from Hull. Don't know too much about other European centres within easier reach.

[pipovitsch]

You can probably still obtain a visit friends visa from Amsterdam, Hull and some of the Germain Honorary Consulates. Call around to Honorary Consulates and am sure you will find a place to obtain.

Thanks for all your advices!

Is there anything else i could do, reach in Thailand @ Immigration Bureau (BKK or Huahin), Apply for Residency or extensions with non"O" multi (once im back from Switzerland or even before i leave) or other options.

I havent really considered anything else so far and therefore dont have much knowledge/experience about other possibilitys and Immigration visits, since i allways felt safe with my non"O" multi, but that has changed now.

Just thinking,

If nothing would work and i would go for ED Visa, how are these rules?

Could i even apply for that from Switzerland without having signed into a Languageschool in Thailand yet?

I dont want to fully commit to a school weekly or even daily, since i like to travel around Thailand as well and drive between Huahin-Bkk almost weekly.

So if i would miss any lessons, is there any danger to loose that EDVisa status and get on a blacklist, which only would make my life here harder!?

What are my possibilitys to make my life here as safe and secured as possible (concerning longstay+Visa of course!)

Thanks allready for all the knowledge, advices and suggestions.

Cheers

[koekenbakkerr]

Edit; see u dont want to marry

[ubonjoe]

I would not worry about it. As long as you can get the multiple entry non-o visas you are fine. Check with the friendly consulates mentioned. Stuttgart is good. I have suggested it to many people and they had good results.

Edit: Stuttgart website: http://www.thaikonsulat.de/index2.html

You could swithch to a ED extension of stay if you wanted to with the non-o you have now. It only requres a non immigrant visa. With most schools you only get a 90 day extensions of stay. Most schools only require you to attend class 4 hours a week. Some probably would be flexable as to that requierment as long as you made up the time later. You should conact one of them for more info.

If you don't mind border runs staying with what you have now is just a good option. An ED could be a back up option if you needed it.

[pipovitsch]

Edit; see u dont want to marry

Dear Koek,

You write in your posts you dont want advices concerning your girl or else, but only for your visa.

How can you honor your word if you dont do so yourself?

Besides that we do want to marry, but we, and i mean we, are not ready yet and dont want to be pushed just because of the visa issues+questions.

My Girl is not a bargirl, we can completely trust eachother and the past 2years has proofed that to us many times, she graduated from University and has 1stHonor degree in International Buiseness Administration and a monthly income over 20'000B.

I dont want to think i married cuz of the visa, i want it to be natural and real, my girl and me still believe in true romance and we have that and are very happy like that.

Cheers

[sunholidaysun1]

Best bet is the 1 year miltiple entry Non Imm " O " Visa. This can only be obtained from your HOME country. It is impossible to get this from any Embassy or Consulate in Any Asian countries .They will all tell you to get from your home country .

If after your "O" visa plus extentions and border runs have run out , the only option is to go home to renew the " O " or do what every one else does when they dont have the marraige, retirement . business. education visa etc etc. You need to go to Laos (Vientiane) and get a double entry tourist visa - 2000 bht = 60 days + 30 extention + 60 days + 30 extension + 4 x 15 day border runs before you have to get back out of Thailand and renew the Tourist visa in Laos. So you can stay with a tourist double entry visa plus the add ons = 240 days

[sunholidaysun1]

I forget to add that the 30 day extentions cost 1900 bht each time and the 15 day border crossing, depending on what country, will also cost you for entering their country only to return to Thailand, eg 500 bht per crossing into Myanmar. You also need the Laos visa when you go to Vientian , that will cost you 1500 bht to enter Laos.

[ubonjoe]

Best bet is the 1 year miltiple entry Non Imm " O " Visa. This can only be obtained from your HOME country. It is impossible to get this from any Embassy or Consulate in Any Asian countries .They will all tell you to get from your home country .

You don't have to get the visa in your home country. There are consulates in Europe that will accept mail in applications from other countries. Also Perth Australia will issue non-o's.

If you have a valid reason for the non-o such as marriage you can get them KL or Penang.

[rgw]

why go back to switzerland.

You could get a yearly extension of stay based on marriage, if you would be married at the amphur (takes 5 minutes)

No more hassles with borderruns at all, and if 400K in bank you can stay the whole year

Make a pre-nuptual, and you should be OK, if you're worried about being married.

SORRY: didn;t read the fact that you mentioned: My girlfriend and me want to marry in the future, but we are not ready yet and dont want to be pushed just because of the visa issues+questions

This makes my remark fruitless