Length Of Stay

[Leslie1984]

Hello there everybody, i have a couple of questions im hoping to get clarification on as i cannot seem to find answers to, im a little new here so any advice would be much apreciated.

Ill start with the background of my situation, im 25 and have been back and forth to Thailand the last few years speding alot of time there and have really enjoyed it, i have inevitabley met a thai girl 25 aswell (met her family, shes very well off well her parents are, shes not interested in my money, she get anything she likes from her dad, and she is not interested in coming here to the UK or marrying me for a passport) Have been with her for a long time, and she is now pregnant. We will be opening a shop in bangkok, most likely salon or media business maybe both and i wont be working in it for obvious visa reasons but will of course help out behind closed doors.

This brings me to my question. I would like to stay in Thailand indefinately, ie for as long as possible never returning to UK if that is possible, i know i would have to leave thailand in certain intervals but would not be going to the uk if possible but to neighbouring countries to renew visas.

I know you could get a multiple tourist visa with 3 entries, extending each entry an extra month thus getting 9 months, what do i do after this, can i apply for another multiple entry tourist visa there in thailand or in a neighbouring country and re start the cycle all over again year after year ( well 9 monthly after 9 monthly for as long as possible?)

Or if there is a easier way which i have not come accross could you please let me know and what to do?

It would be of great help if anyone has some insider tips of how to prolong the stay for as long as possible.

Thanks in advance.

[thaiphoon]

Your easiest option for long term living in Thailand is to marry the girl and then apply for extension of stay based on marriage, assuming you meet the financial criteria (400k in Thai bank for 2 months prior to application or 40k a month income). You would not have to leave the country but you would have to report your address to immigration every 90 days. For most offices that can be done by post.

If funds are a problem you could easily obtain a multi-entry Non-O visa from KL on the basis of marriage. You would have to show some funds in the bank (reports suggest 30k-100k). You would have to do a border run every 90 days, and doing a final one just before your visa expires would give you a further 90 days permission to stay, effectively stretching your visa to 15 months,

If you don’t want to go the marriage route you could obtain a Non-O multi entry visa on basis of visiting family and friends from Hull consulate in the UK (if you go back home) or from Perth (nearest issuing consulate to Thailand). You would need to do a border run every 90 days and can stretch to 15 months as above.

With either the extension of stay or Non-O visa you could obtain a work permit should you so require.

[Leslie1984]

Your easiest option for long term living in Thailand is to marry the girl and then apply for extension of stay based on marriage, assuming you meet the financial criteria (400k in Thai bank for 2 months prior to application or 40k a month income). You would not have to leave the country but you would have to report your address to immigration every 90 days. For most offices that can be done by post.

If funds are a problem you could easily obtain a multi-entry Non-O visa from KL on the basis of marriage. You would have to show some funds in the bank (reports suggest 30k-100k). You would have to do a border run every 90 days, and doing a final one just before your visa expires would give you a further 90 days permission to stay, effectively stretching your visa to 15 months,

If you don't want to go the marriage route you could obtain a Non-O multi entry visa on basis of visiting family and friends from Hull consulate in the UK (if you go back home) or from Perth (nearest issuing consulate to Thailand). You would need to do a border run every 90 days and can stretch to 15 months as above.

With either the extension of stay or Non-O visa you could obtain a work permit should you so require.

Thank you for the response.

Your easiest option for long term living in Thailand is to marry the girl and then apply for extension of stay based on marriage, assuming you meet the financial criteria (400k in Thai bank for 2 months prior to application or 40k a month income). You would not have to leave the country but you would have to report your address to immigration every 90 days. For most offices that can be done by post.

How long does this extension last for? and can you in essence do this forever ie renew it if its yearly every year? and if so after the first visa has expired (been utalised) where do i get the new visa to start the cycle over, in thailand, neighbouring countries or back home?

If funds are a problem you could easily obtain a multi-entry Non-O visa from KL on the basis of marriage. You would have to show some funds in the bank (reports suggest 30k-100k). You would have to do a border run every 90 days, and doing a final one just before your visa expires would give you a further 90 days permission to stay, effectively stretching your visa to 15 months,

Same questions as above

If you don't want to go the marriage route you could obtain a Non-O multi entry visa on basis of visiting family and friends from Hull consulate in the UK (if you go back home) or from Perth (nearest issuing consulate to Thailand). You would need to do a border run every 90 days and can stretch to 15 months as above.

Same as above again, but isnt this type the same as tourist multiple visa, or are there advantages?

Thanks for your help, much apreciated.

[eggomaniac]

Hello there everybody, i have a couple of questions im hoping to get clarification on as i cannot seem to find answers to, im a little new here so any advice would be much apreciated.

Ill start with the background of my situation, im 25 and have been back and forth to Thailand the last few years speding alot of time there and have really enjoyed it, i have inevitabley met a thai girl 25 aswell (met her family, shes very well off well her parents are, shes not interested in my money, she get anything she likes from her dad, and she is not interested in coming here to the UK or marrying me for a passport) Have been with her for a long time, and she is now pregnant. We will be opening a shop in bangkok, most likely salon or media business maybe both and i wont be working in it for obvious visa reasons but will of course help out behind closed doors.

This brings me to my question. I would like to stay in Thailand indefinately, ie for as long as possible never returning to UK if that is possible, i know i would have to leave thailand in certain intervals but would not be going to the uk if possible but to neighbouring countries to renew visas.

I know you could get a multiple tourist visa with 3 entries, extending each entry an extra month thus getting 9 months, what do i do after this, can i apply for another multiple entry tourist visa there in thailand or in a neighbouring country and re start the cycle all over again year after year ( well 9 monthly after 9 monthly for as long as possible?)

Or if there is a easier way which i have not come accross could you please let me know and what to do?

It would be of great help if anyone has some insider tips of how to prolong the stay for as long as possible.

Thanks in advance.

Does she have an older sister!?

[thaiphoon]

1) Extension of stay is granted for 12 months at a time. You can renew every year as long as you meet the financial requirements.

2) It is not a visa (these are issued by embassies/consulates). It is an extension of stay (issued by Thai immigration). You renew your extension of stay at your local immigration office in Thailand. You do not leave the country.

3) If you chose either of the Non-O visa routes you will need to obtain a new visa every 15 months from the places outlined, and you will have to continue with 90 day border runs.

4) The final entry on a triple entry tourist visa normally has to be made within 6 months of visa issue. With careful timing and extensions you will get maximum stay of 9 months. Non-O visa will give you a 15 month stay period, 90 day border runs (rather than 60 and trips to immigration to extend for extra 30 days) and flexibility to go in and out of the country whenever you want and as often as you want. With the current crackdown on tourist visas, it is possible (IMHO) there could be changes to the future availability of multiple entry tourist visas.

[Leslie1984]

Does she have an older sister!?

Im afraid not.

1) Extension of stay is granted for 12 months at a time. You can renew every year as long as you meet the financial requirements.

2) It is not a visa (these are issued by embassies/consulates). It is an extension of stay (issued by Thai immigration). You renew your extension of stay at your local immigration office in Thailand. You do not leave the country.

3) If you chose either of the Non-O visa routes you will need to obtain a new visa every 15 months from the places outlined, and you will have to continue with 90 day border runs.

4) The final entry on a triple entry tourist visa normally has to be made within 6 months of visa issue. With careful timing and extensions you will get maximum stay of 9 months. Non-O visa will give you a 15 month stay period, 90 day border runs (rather than 60 and trips to immigration to extend for extra 30 days) and flexibility to go in and out of the country whenever you want and as often as you want. With the current crackdown on tourist visas, it is possible (IMHO) there could be changes to the future availability of multiple entry tourist visas.

Thanks alot for that info, the latter sounds very interesting and i shall be looking into that.

Do you by any chance know the cost for the Non-0 visit family visa. And do you have to pay 1900baht for extensions similar to the tourist visa extensions every border run or is it a flat fee for the visa which is renewed after expiry?

No problem if you dont know, i will be doing alot of research into it very soon.

Im also looking into the ED Visa, learning Thai, looks very interesting, 1yr visas every year, i think i read somewhere can do this for up to 10 yrs.

Thanks again.

[thaiphoon]

1) Non-O multi-entry visa is £100 (or currency equivalent) each time you obtain.

2) If you do a border run you may need to pay for a visa for the country you are going to, otherwise no fees

3) 1900 baht fee applies to each 30 day tourist visa extension or applying for yearly extension of stay

4) ED visa is another option for you if you want to study (I discounted that option because you indicated you wanted to work)

[lopburi3]

Non-O multi-entry visa is £100 (or currency equivalent)

Suspect that is 4,000 baht as do not believe Thailand has adopted the pound as there currency standard.

[PoorSucker]

When the baby is born you can apply for extension based on that. (if you don't want to get married)

In both cases rule 2.18 (police order 777/2551)

2.18 In the case of a familymember of a Thai(applicable only to parents, spouse, child, adopted child or child of his/her spouse):

Permission will be granted for a period of not more than 1 year at a time.

(1) The alien has obtained a temporary visa (NON-IM)

(2) Proof of family relationship

(3) In the case of a spouse, the marital relationship shall be de jure (legitimate) and de facto;

(4) In the case of a child, adopted child or child of his/her spouse, the said person must not be married, must be living with the family, and must be less than 20 years of age; or

(5) In the case of a parent, one of parents must have an average annual income of not less than 40,000 baht per month or a money deposit of not less than 400,000 baht for expenses within a year.

(6) In case of marriage with a Thai lady, the husband who is an alien must have an average annual income of not less than 40,000 baht per month or a money deposit in a local Thai bank of not less than 400,000 baht for the past 2 months for expenses within a year.

You can also get a work permit on this visa/extension of stay.

[Mario2008]

Since the OP is not married, i suggest he reads this topic to make sure he will become the legal father of the child. That is also necesarry to be able to get extensions of stay from immigration based on having a Thai child.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Gain-Parenta...-M-t235443.html

[hyls]

My situation/dilemma is similar. I'm only 30, lived in Thailand for several years, teaching in a government school in Isan (Nong Ki, Buri Ram).

First I tried to do a master degree in English language studies in Korat (Nakhon Ratchasima). I quit after a few months because it was too theoretical for me.

Then I was out of options, because teaching was out of the question. My wife is a government teacher upcountry and makes for someone living in Isan a relatively good living. It is a very stable job and the salary keeps increasing.

Our plan was to give up on Thailand and move to my home country, The Netherlands. I've already begun a new job as a nurse apprentice, where I both work and study at the same time. Our plan was that my wife and our 1 1/2 old son move in with me by the end of 2010.

However, suddenly I've started questioning our plans very much because of my love for Thailand, Buddhism, Isan, language, weather, nature, and so on. I also love the self-sufficiency economy principles of His Majesty. That's something I'm seriously interested in to bring into practise, although I'm not really a doer (yet).

I also speak Thai fluently and can read and write.

Now I wonder if it would be wise to cancel our plan of moving back to The Netherlands and try to live in Thailand. The problem is visa. I don't wanna make a lot of money, just enough to complement my wife's salary for things like tickets to The Netherlands every 2 years or so.

In the past I've had the following visa's: non-immigrant ED (intercultural learning - voluntary 'work') 15 months, non-immigrant B (with workpermit and TEFL-degree) for more than a year, several tourist visa's, a 3 month non immgrant O for visiting wife and son.

I want to know what our options are. If my wife earns 12.000 at the moment, does that mean that I have to earn an extra 28.000 a month to comply with visa-rules for being married with a Thai national?

My son has double nationality.

Or is it a possibiliy to become a student of Thai language? I'm already fluent both in speaking, with good reading skills except writing is not very good yet. I saw there's a new language school in Buri Ram, close to our home. I'm willing to study more, but what use is a certificate in Thai? http://www.tlslanguageschool.com/

Or part-time teacher perhaps? I don't want to teach full-time anymore.

Or Buddhist scholar? I'm already very much into Buddhism and while in Thailand I am a regular visitor (every month) of Dhamma-retreats.

Also for my wife it will be hard to quit her job and it may take a long while before she can get a decent job in The Netherlands. In the long run a government teacher also gets paid very well.

Please give me some advice on what to do, also regarding visa and long-term stay. Maybe I'm stupid to start doubting my choices all of a sudden.

Even if we do decide to live our lives in The Netherlands, I still think and hope (somewhere in the back of my mind) to eventually move back to Thailand again.

[lopburi3]

To stay on marriage extensions of stay would require you have bank account at 400k level for three months each year or prove your personal income of 40k per month. Not meeting that would require travel every 90 days to use/obtain new visa entry for the next 90 days.

I really do not see government teaching to be a well paid job but guess that may be in the eye of the beholder. But your post only indicates you are having doubts. If it were the wife, common among Thai, it might have more weight. But if the wife is willing to travel expect she should be the one you should be asking. Wife and child would likely have more future opportunities in your home country if able to adapt. I would advise going with the plan to move there now - if you then decide as a family to return to Thailand, as some do, it should not be that big a problem.

[hyls]

Lopburi, I see you're from Bangkok and of course being just a government teacher doesn't pay well in a (economically) developed area like Bangkok. In a small village in Isan, with mainly rice farmers however...... it's a whole different story. And those gov jobs are quite hard to get, and once she quits and after a while decides she wants the job back then her salary will have to start from the beginning again.

You're right. My wife doesn't worry about it. She doesn't attach too much to her job anyway. She's very placid. She does have doubts about quality of life in the West, but she can probably cope with it.

It's very likely we'll stick to our old plan, to move to Europe.

Thanks for the advise.

[PoorSucker]

I want to know what our options are. If my wife earns 12.000 at the moment, does that mean that I have to earn an extra 28.000 a month to comply with visa-rules for being married with a Thai national?

The combined income is not an option since November 2008.

Now the money must be the husbands.

Note: There is no monetary obligation for females married to Thai males.

[Leslie1984]

Since the OP is not married, i suggest he reads this topic to make sure he will become the legal father of the child. That is also necesarry to be able to get extensions of stay from immigration based on having a Thai child.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Gain-Parenta...-M-t235443.html

Thanks alot for that info, i had no idea tbo, i will make sure i do the registering.

To Hyls, i think you have the same passion i have for Thailand, id say stay in Thailand, sounds like youll be more happy there.

Quick question, does anyone know if you can work in Thailand with a "Non-O multi entry visa on basis of visiting family and friends" or is it only the "Non-O visa from KL on the basis of marriage" which allows you to work?

[thaiphoon]

No visa of any type allows you to work; the visa allows you to travel to Thailand. The permission to stay you get on entry allows you to stay. To work you must obtain a work permit. And you can use Non-O visa entry or extension of stay based on marriage to support your work permit application.

[Leslie1984]

No visa of any type allows you to work; the visa allows you to travel to Thailand. The permission to stay you get on entry allows you to stay. To work you must obtain a work permit. And you can use Non-O visa entry or extension of stay based on marriage to support your work permit application.

Thanks.

1. Another question if you could, i will be applying this week for a Non-O visa based on visiting friends and family, but just before i do that was thinking......They seem to be currently offerning free tourist visas (same as my last trip i got a free triple entry tourist visa), could i apply for that visa, stay the 9 extended months etc then apply for the Non-O visa based on visiting friends and family there in Thailand or close by like KL (which is fine), or does that Non-O visa have to be applied for far outside of Thailand like in the UK or Australia (Not fine). If so then i guess thats a waste of time and ill be better off just applying for the Non-O visa as intended?

2. Also when the Non-O visa has been used up, ie 15 months time, where is the closest place to Thailand i can reapply for it again? Is it possible to reapply for it in Thailand?

Thanks again.

[lopburi3]

Friends and family is not considered a valid reason for non immigrant O visa issue anywhere in the area of Thailand. Perth would be the closest place but they now require copy of ID card to issue so no guarantee what will be required in the future.

[Leslie1984]

Friends and family is not considered a valid reason for non immigrant O visa issue anywhere in the area of Thailand. Perth would be the closest place but they now require copy of ID card to issue so no guarantee what will be required in the future.

Ok Thanks again. Im going to apply for the Non-O Visa, based on visiting friends and family this week, and after will sort out which visa ill need when this one is finished (15 months time).

Thanks for the help.