Non Immigrant "O" Visa

[lime12]

Hi guys I currently live in England with my thai G/F who's here on a 6 month tourist visa. This expires in Feb so she'll be going back and I'd like to join her and work remotely doing web development for a UK company I work for.

I was planning on getting a work permit but as someone pointed out I'd need to be working for a Thai company so was considering just getting a non immigrant "O" visa.

I'd like to apply for my visa in Jan, ready for Feb but have a few questions:

1. How illegal is it for me to stay on a non immigrant o visa and working without a work permit? What are the chances of me getting court (obviously I'll be careful), can this damage any chances of future visas for my thai gf to come back to the uk?

2. I suppose a multiple entry visa would be best in case I do want to stay longer than 3 months - £100 is a fair bit of money, so I'd like to get the visa application right first time. Is it relatively easy to get? Looking at the form, the only supporting documents I need to provide is a letter confirming staying with my girlfriend in Thailand. Would a copy of her ID card or anything else strengthen my application? Are there any pitfalls to look out for?

3. I noticed for the letter for staying with "friends/family" I need to provide their address. Before staying with me in England, my girlfriend lived with her parents - when we fly back we'll be staying in our own place which we've yet to find (probably stay in a hotel for a month so I'm 100% sure that I indeed want to live out there before making a 6 month commitment on rent). Should I put down her parent's address as we don't actually have an address of our own yet, despite the fact we won't be staying there?

4. Am I asking too many questions?! Getting my gf's tourist visa in the uk was quite a challenge and perhaps I'm making to big a deal of getting a thai visa for myself.

Best regards

Lime

[Crossy]

Hull is your friend, start here http://www.thaiconsul-uk.com/ and download the application packs for an O visa, follow the instructions, you should have no problem at all. Do NOT apply at the embassy in London.

As to your work. Thailand has no vehicle available for those who work remotely, the usual advice is to 'surf the internet' for however long you're here. Unless you brag about what you're doing or piss someone off enough to shop you there is little danger of being caught.

[steve187]

If £100.00 is too expensive for a multi entry 'o' visa, which would give you almost 15 months of stay in Thailand, with 90 day border runs, then obtain a 2 entry tourist visa from Hull which should be free, and would give you 60 days of permission to stay, on each border run. each 60 days could be extended by a visit to local immigration office for 1,900 baht. A 3 entry tourist may even be available.

Apply by post to hull, its a three day turn around, or a personal pre-arranged visit is £10.00

[garyh]

Pays to ask lots of questions now rather than get caught out later. Use the parents address your GF is most likely in the house book for that address anyway. Beware that the internet in Thailand can not be relied on 100%, you may experience some periods of slow or no connection at all.

[CharlieH]

You dont state what area of Thailand you will most likely be staying but it could be important for your "surfing" needs, as mentioned above internet in some areas is poor and the last thing you need is not to be able to surf effectively.If you want to share what region someone here will know any potential problems.

[lime12]

If £100.00 is too expensive for a multi entry 'o' visa, which would give you almost 15 months of stay in Thailand, with 90 day border runs, then obtain a 2 entry tourist visa from Hull which should be free, and would give you 60 days of permission to stay, on each border run. each 60 days could be extended by a visit to local immigration office for 1,900 baht. A 3 entry tourist may even be available.

Apply by post to hull, its a three day turn around, or a personal pre-arranged visit is £10.00

Thanks Steve187, I think 60 days might be more ideal. However looking at the General visa rules and regulations document on the Hull website I've seen the following for the tourist fees:

one entry = £ 28.00

twoentries = £ 56.00

threeentries = £ 84.00

where about's did you see that the visa is free?

Many thanks

[highlander403]

If £100.00 is too expensive for a multi entry 'o' visa, which would give you almost 15 months of stay in Thailand, with 90 day border runs, then obtain a 2 entry tourist visa from Hull which should be free, and would give you 60 days of permission to stay, on each border run. each 60 days could be extended by a visit to local immigration office for 1,900 baht. A 3 entry tourist may even be available.

Apply by post to hull, its a three day turn around, or a personal pre-arranged visit is £10.00

Thanks Steve187, I think 60 days might be more ideal. However looking at the General visa rules and regulations document on the Hull website I've seen the following for the tourist fees:

one entry = £ 28.00

twoentries = £ 56.00

threeentries = £ 84.00

where about's did you see that the visa is free?

Many thanks

was in touch last thursday with hull and yes the visa is free untill march 2011.

scotty

[spacebass]

If £100.00 is too expensive for a multi entry 'o' visa, which would give you almost 15 months of stay in Thailand, with 90 day border runs, then obtain a 2 entry tourist visa from Hull which should be free, and would give you 60 days of permission to stay, on each border run. each 60 days could be extended by a visit to local immigration office for 1,900 baht. A 3 entry tourist may even be available.

Apply by post to hull, its a three day turn around, or a personal pre-arranged visit is £10.00

At the Brisbane Australia Thai consulate they recently refused an Australian national (a friend) a double entry tourist visa because the applicant did not supply an air ticket or 'itinary' to take the applicant out of Thailand after the first 60 day period, the applicant did supply an airticket out of Thailand at the end of the second 60 day period, planning to do a visa run to Cambodia or similar after the first 60 day period.

They refused the double entry and issued a single entry.

[Lite Beer]

Tourist Visas are free until March 31st.

[lime12]

You dont state what area of Thailand you will most likely be staying but it could be important for your "surfing" needs, as mentioned above internet in some areas is poor and the last thing you need is not to be able to surf effectively.If you want to share what region someone here will know any potential problems.

Hi CharlieH, my girlfriend lives in Kanchanabui, she claims the internet is fine there.. does anyone know if its as good as Bangkok as I've had no issues using the internet in Bangkok in the past. As internet is obviously pretty vital to me I was planning on getting a dongle as a backup, if for whatever reason I can't get on on a cabled connection I can connect through 3g.. but I've not researched into if this is possible yet.

To everyone else thanks for the info about the tourist visa, I'll give hull a call after the Xmas break