What Visa Can We Get?

[perkie173]

Me and my husband both stayed in Thailand for two years on non immigrant O visas. We left in October last year and returned to the UK but after a winter here we want to return. Now we both have enough savings to live off in Thailand for at least another year but with the Non O rules changing we're not sure how we can return. We are both British and both under 50. If we both took on freelance writing jobs and worked online would this change things or do we need to be employed by a Thai company?

[draftvader]

There are numerous methods that you could employ. Many people live here on back to back tourist visas, but from time to time they crack down on this practice. You could visit the Consulate in Hull with a headed letter from

Yourself t/a xyz company

Stating that you are a self-employed xyz that has increasing business relationships with companies in Thailand and that, over the course of the next 12 months, you envisage having to make repeated commercial visits to the Kingdom.

This, in the past, has seen many people getting a 12 month non-immi 'B' visa. Once you have this you get 90 days on your passport every time you enter the kingdom. So you would have to do a border run every 90 days. There are SO many ways to do border runs that depend on your finances and patience. If you leave Thailand on the penultimate date on your visa, for your last border run, then you get close to 15 months stay out of this.

The tourist visa option works as follows:

Apply for a double entry tourist visa. Do this as close to your travel date as possible. When the visa is issued it will have an expiry date 90 days from the issue date.

Enter Thailand and receive a 60 day entry stamp. On day 59 go to immigration and get a 30 day extension. On the 89th date of your VISA (careful distinction, you have a VISA and and ENTRY STAMP, they are different) you should leave Thailand and re-enter for your 2nd entry on your tourist visa. Your visa will be "struck through" and you will receive a 60 day entry stamp. Go to immigration on day 59 and get a 30 day extension. You are close to 180 days in Thailand. My reasoning for expiry minus 1 day is that some border officials will enjoy telling you that your expiry date is the day the stamp/visa has expired rather than the date is DOES expire, all depends on how busy they are and how vulnerable they think you are.

Once this stay is up you go to the advised consulate nearby (check near the time on ThaiVisa, these change) and apply for another double entry tourist visa and start the process again.

This has given you 360 days.

The cheaper and simpler option is the non-immi 'B', if you can get it. Talk to the consulate in Hull and explain your "created" business situation and see what they say. I have found them helpful and honest about my chances in the past.

[perkie173]

Thanks for your advice. I've been doing some freelance writing work on and off for years and I'd be willing to try my luck with a non B in Hull. Maybe I could start up a Thai travel website between now and then - maybe that would do me some favours? I'm just wondering whether they'd be a bit sceptical about both me and my husband applying for a non B for the same thing.

I'd rather keep away from the double entry tourist visa if I can as I've heard stories about people getting their four months + 2 one month extensions and then being told they can't return to the country.

Do you know if Hull is still the best consulate to get a visa from or if Birmingham or London would be more lenient?

Edited January 26, 2012 by perkie173

[wayned]

I would try for a triple entry tourist visa. If used properly you can get almost 270 days with just two border runs. Another option would be ED visa, but you would have to find a school, enroll and, most likely, pay in advance to get the paperwor necessary to obtain the visa.

[perkie173]

I would try for a triple entry tourist visa. If used properly you can get almost 270 days with just two border runs. Another option would be ED visa, but you would have to find a school, enroll and, most likely, pay in advance to get the paperwor necessary to obtain the visa.

If we went for the triple entry do you know whether we would likely be awarded another triple entry on our return back to the UK?

[CharlieH]

Cardiff Consulate is very friendly, I would suggest either the triple entry or consider an ED visa, the ED Visa only requires 4 hrs of study per week.

Tourist Visa or ED will require border runs.

[moe666]

What kind of visa can you get. Unless you go for the Education visa or tourist visa you will be breaking the law. You really donot qualify legally for anything else,

[wayned]

I would try for a triple entry tourist visa. If used properly you can get almost 270 days with just two border runs. Another option would be ED visa, but you would have to find a school, enroll and, most likely, pay in advance to get the paperwor necessary to obtain the visa.

If we went for the triple entry do you know whether we would likely be awarded another triple entry on our return back to the UK?

There are no guarantees that you could get a triple entry visa next week, let alone 9 months from now. Rules, regulations and the people that interpert them change daily

[lopburi3]

It does not matter what visa they have if they work while in Thailand without a work permit they will indeed be in violation of Thai law. Be aware of that.

[TerryLH]

"I have found them helpful and honest about my chances in the past."

Shouldn't applicants and 'advice givers' also practice honesty?

For an extension, you don't have to wait until the 59th day. The extension is added on to the current permitted to stay date, not from the day you apply.

[perkie173]

We weren't planning on working in Thailand unless there was a visa that would make it possible to stay longer if we did. Looks like we're going to go somewhere else where the rules aren't so ridiculous.

[4evermaat]

Cardiff Consulate is very friendly, I would suggest either the triple entry or consider an ED visa, the ED Visa only requires 4 hrs of study per week.<br />Tourist Visa or ED will require border runs.

We weren't planning on working in Thailand unless there was a visa that would make it possible to stay longer if we did. Looks like we're going to go somewhere else where the rules aren't so ridiculous.

The multi entry ed visa is the easiest to qualify for, and does not need to be a language school. You'll have to do visa runs every 90 days, whih can give you up to 15 months stay on the 1 visa.

<br /><br />"2nd best time to plant a tree is today." Sent from ThaiVisa app.

Edited January 26, 2012 by 4evermaat

[perkie173]

Cardiff Consulate is very friendly, I would suggest either the triple entry or consider an ED visa, the ED Visa only requires 4 hrs of study per week.

Tourist Visa or ED will require border runs.

We weren't planning on working in Thailand unless there was a visa that would make it possible to stay longer if we did. Looks like we're going to go somewhere else where the rules aren't so ridiculous.

"2nd best time to plant a tree is today." Sent from ThaiVisa app.

We planted one almost three years ago for all the good it did. I'm sorry, I don't want a Thai boyfriend and I'm not over 50 and all the money I've spent in the country for the last two years is worth nothing. I'm not "desperate" enough to bend over backwards getting tourist visas when we can be refused entry just because a Thai immigration official is having a bad day. There are other places to live that have a similar climate. Maybe if the non o rules are changed in the future things will be different but for now I think there are better options out there.

Thanks to everyone who replied.

[steve187]

Who of you is closest to 50 and when ?

forget that question i just looked at your profile.

good luck to you in your seach for somewhere easier to stay

Edited January 26, 2012 by steve187