I Need A 1 Year Visa, Have Chilean Passort, Thanks

[Jayroo]

Hi all,

I was just wondering what option would be best for me, I have a Chilean passport which automatically gives me 90 days upon entry, though I'm not sure if it would be acceptable when applying for a condo that has a min lease term of 12 months in Bangkok...

I also have an Aussie passport if that helps, though not sure which would be more beneficial for me to use for the 12months stay. I have been searching around but not much luck with which would be the best option for my case, please help, anyone in the know how, thanks in advance... I am 30 years old, if that helps, cheers...

[PoorSucker]

1 year visas are granted for retirement (over 50) , based on marriage with Thai, employment or studies.

You don't seem to qualify.

Go for a border hop every 90 days and receive a visa exempt stamp on your Chilean passport.

[Mario2008]

As said, the Chilean passport allows you to stay for 90 days on each entry. That seems the easiest solution for you.

[JohnC]

Or sign up for a recognised education course and get an educational one year visa

[Jayroo]

Or sign up for a recognised education course and get an educational one year visa

yeah that's probably the type of visa I would want, as I would like to learn thai too, is there a min requirement of hours, say 20 per week? thanks for all the replies, cheers... yeah i was thinking of doing a border hop every 90 days, but will a real estate company grant me a one year lease with no actual visa? or do they just care about the money, and find a loop hole with paper work? cheers

[Mario2008]

An Ed-visa and extension of stay based on that requires you to study for a mimimum of 4 hours a week (on avarege). But it doesn't have to b Thai language, can be anything. As long as the institution is recognized as such.

Click on one of the banners on this page of a language school for some more information.

[Phatcharanan]

I THINK that the minimum amount of hours per week for an Ed visa is actually 4?

[PoorSucker]

No problems to get a lease without visa.

[Tod Daniels]

Sorry in advance for the long post; hope it helps you some!

I've personally met foreigners here who've rented condos and apartments while only having a "30 day visa exempt stamp" in their passport. I also recently met a guy who only had a “15 day visa exempt stamp” sign a 6 month lease at the apartments next door to mine! Go figure ..

Most people and/or companies who rent out condos and apartments here take two months rent as a security deposit. I'd imagine they don't care how you're able to stay here for the duration of your contract. If you bail out early, you lose the deposit plain and simple .

I agree too, the requirements set by the Ministry of Education for studying the Thai language at a private language school averages 4 hours a week (although I think it's stated as 16 hours a calendar month ). Now if you enroll in a 'real university' you can expect to carry a 'real course load' in regards to hours of attendance based on that uni's requirements.

Still after perusing the Thai Embassy's website in Santiago Chile, I think you're further ahead to just show up on the 90 days you're given as a Chilean National and sort things out once you're here.

This actually works out to your advantage if you're contemplating enrolling in a private Thai language school. At least you'd have 90 days to personally scope out perspective schools, or come up with other options available to you if you didn't wanna go the ED visa route.

FWIW: The paperwork supplied by both the Ministry of Education and whatever school you enroll in are addressed to Thai Embassy's or Consulates (of which there are NONE inside Thailand, lol ), compelling you to go to a foreign country to secure the initial single-entry, 90 day, Non-Immigrant, Type-ED visa. The school and the MOE then supply you with paperwork to get 90 day extensions of stay 'in-country' at Thai Immigrations for the duration of your yearly term.

Unless I’m mistaken, a simple r/t air ticket outta Thailand to any neighboring country and re-entering Thailand again would give you another 90 days based on your nationality.

Sadly I couldn't find that if it works like that EVERY time you enter Thailand by any means (air or land). SO I can't tell you if just leaving Thailand at land border crossing and returning would give you the same 90 days too.

Maybe a more learned poster than me could answer that.

EDIT

P/S: One other option I didn't think about is;

You could call the Thai Embassy in Santiago and ask them if they'll issue you a year-long, multi-entry, Non-Immigrant, Type-O visa. You could use a reason along lines of "exploring business opportunities', blah-blah-blah.

Some Thai Embassy's and/or Consulates around the world will issue 'em, and some won't, but you're out nothing by asking.

With that type of visa in hand (or in your passport), you'd hafta leave the country every 90 days and re-enter, but you'd get another 90 day permission to stay stamp upon re-entering. If you work the dates right you can get almost 15 months outta those types of visas.

I'd email or call 'em and ask about it.

Edited May 12, 2011 by tod-daniels

[PoorSucker]

Sadly I couldn't find that if it works like that EVERY time you enter Thailand by any means (air or land). SO I can't tell you if just leaving Thailand at land border crossing and returning would give you the same 90 days too.

90 days will be given at land and air.

[Jayroo]

Sorry in advance for the long post; hope it helps you some!

I've personally met foreigners here who've rented condos and apartments while only having a "30 day visa exempt stamp" in their passport. I also recently met a guy who only had a “15 day visa exempt stamp” sign a 6 month lease at the apartments next door to mine! Go figure ..

Most people and/or companies who rent out condos and apartments here take two months rent as a security deposit. I'd imagine they don't care how you're able to stay here for the duration of your contract. If you bail out early, you lose the deposit plain and simple .

I agree too, the requirements set by the Ministry of Education for studying the Thai language at a private language school averages 4 hours a week (although I think it's stated as 16 hours a calendar month ). Now if you enroll in a 'real university' you can expect to carry a 'real course load' in regards to hours of attendance based on that uni's requirements.

Still after perusing the Thai Embassy's website in Santiago Chile, I think you're further ahead to just show up on the 90 days you're given as a Chilean National and sort things out once you're here.

This actually works out to your advantage if you're contemplating enrolling in a private Thai language school. At least you'd have 90 days to personally scope out perspective schools, or come up with other options available to you if you didn't wanna go the ED visa route.

FWIW: The paperwork supplied by both the Ministry of Education and whatever school you enroll in are addressed to Thai Embassy's or Consulates (of which there are NONE inside Thailand, lol ), compelling you to go to a foreign country to secure the initial single-entry, 90 day, Non-Immigrant, Type-ED visa. The school and the MOE then supply you with paperwork to get 90 day extensions of stay 'in-country' at Thai Immigrations for the duration of your yearly term.

Unless I’m mistaken, a simple r/t air ticket outta Thailand to any neighboring country and re-entering Thailand again would give you another 90 days based on your nationality.

Sadly I couldn't find that if it works like that EVERY time you enter Thailand by any means (air or land). SO I can't tell you if just leaving Thailand at land border crossing and returning would give you the same 90 days too.

Maybe a more learned poster than me could answer that.

EDIT

P/S: One other option I didn't think about is;

You could call the Thai Embassy in Santiago and ask them if they'll issue you a year-long, multi-entry, Non-Immigrant, Type-O visa. You could use a reason along lines of "exploring business opportunities', blah-blah-blah.

Some Thai Embassy's and/or Consulates around the world will issue 'em, and some won't, but you're out nothing by asking.

With that type of visa in hand (or in your passport), you'd hafta leave the country every 90 days and re-enter, but you'd get another 90 day permission to stay stamp upon re-entering. If you work the dates right you can get almost 15 months outta those types of visas.

I'd email or call 'em and ask about it.

wow thanks for all the info, I'm actually residing in Australia at the moment, so was thinking of paying the embassy here a visit to ask which passport would be easiest to get the education visa, seeing as I do want to learn some thai as well, so figured won't hurt, and 4 hours a week is doable...is there penalties for missing one week if I'm out of the city? if so then might just do the normal entry visa with the Chilean passport and leave every 90 days, might be easier...hmmm hard choice with all the options available, but thanks again for your post.... cheers....

[Jayroo]

Sadly I couldn't find that if it works like that EVERY time you enter Thailand by any means (air or land). SO I can't tell you if just leaving Thailand at land border crossing and returning would give you the same 90 days too.

90 days will be given at land and air.

that's good to know, already have plans to visit Singapore so that will give me another 90 days upon re-entering, just have to see what side trips to do for the rest of the stay... I guess my main concern was getting a condo leased out for 12months, but from what I read here, doesn't seem to be a problem with a just a normal entry stamp, as long as you got 2 months rent covered, well I want to have 6 months rent paid in advance before coming over, at least have half the year covered to start with..... cheers all...

[Jayroo]

Sadly I couldn't find that if it works like that EVERY time you enter Thailand by any means (air or land). SO I can't tell you if just leaving Thailand at land border crossing and returning would give you the same 90 days too.

90 days will be given at land and air.

Hi there, I was just wondering if this is new thing to get 90 days for land entry? I was just reading the below on a visa run website...which suggests a land entry gives you half the of amount days you would get if you went by air? please advise, as I was thinking of doing one of the visa runs by land to Cambodia for my 80 days renewal, thank you....

Visa Renewal Services to Cambodia and Laos

Daily Visa Run - Bangkok to Ban Laem, Cambodia, with Thai Visa Service. Most foreign visitors to Thailand are granted a 30 day stay upon entry via Airport into Thailand or 15 days upon entry via any land border. Staying longer requires a new entry stamp, and the fastest & most economical means of visa renewal is to exit Thailand by land and return. The Border is open 365 days per year.

[Mario2008]

If you can enter without a visa and how many days you get upon entry depends on your nationality.

Thailand has an agreement with Chile to allow their nationals to stay for up to 90 days without a visa, that is regardless of method of entry. A border hop will do. (You might need a visa to enter the other country).

[Jayroo]

If you can enter without a visa and how many days you get upon entry depends on your nationality.

Thailand has an agreement with Chile to allow their nationals to stay for up to 90 days without a visa, that is regardless of method of entry. A border hop will do. (You might need a visa to enter the other country).

Ok cool got it, i figured that would be the case, but I just rather be safe, read that the reason they halved the days by re-entering via land was to minimize all the border hops being done by westerners, was too frequent? haha, a bit slack..

[dotx]

I get 90 days on arrival too. I now have a student visa and things have been smooth. No problem AT ALL renting a place. Send me a PM if you want details/have questions. Good luck!

[Jayroo]

I get 90 days on arrival too. I now have a student visa and things have been smooth. No problem AT ALL renting a place. Send me a PM if you want details/have questions. Good luck!

Just sent u a pm, cheers...

so i take it you arranged your student visa once in Thailand?

[tombkk]

As for renting a condo, as a condo-owner I don't care what kind of visa you have, but I do care whether you have income. If not, I would ask for the whole 12 month's rent in advance.

That said, I have European friends who come to stay in Bangkok for 1 month or 3 months at a time, and they also find condos for such short periods. It's not always 12 months minimum stay. My suggestion is to avoid the real estate agents and visit the ThaiVisa classifieds instead.

HTH

[jboras]

Ehm... guys.... My son who was married to a Thai and divorced.. thus could not apply for an Immingrant "O" visa nay longer; could only enter Thailand as many times as he liked and get the appropriate stay at the airport without any Visa.

In the case of Australian passport 28 days. Furthermore he would only be allowed to enter Thailand as long as the commulative total stay over a year was not more than 6 months.

I think this rule still apllies. That is you can enter Thailand; do your border hops before your Visa expires; as long as you are not in Thailand for more than 6 months of a Year.

The move was to stop people just on plain Tourist Entry Visas staying in Thailand forever by doing border hops.

[lopburi3]

That rule was for visa exempt entry - you could always obtain a visa for entry and stay more than six months. And that rule ended two years ago - there is no such restriction.