Can Anyone Help Me Out With Some Questions?

[Stephen101]

Hello guys,

So I will try to be as short as possible.

My name is Stephen I'm 22 and I'm from Romania.

I have my own web design company (meaning that I can work from anywhere in the world) and also I do internet Marketing. I would like to come to Thailand and stay there for at least 1 year or maybe more, but I want to be legit. The thai embassy in Bucharest (Romania) is not so clear on their website about the visa applications and all that stuff. All I know is that I can enter in Thailand and get a Visa on arrival for 15 days, Or I can apply for a 30 days tourist visa from my country.

The thing is that I know so many people that works on the internet who are now living in Thailand for at least 2-3 years, and I really don't know how they did it and what kind of visa they are on.

I asked around and some of them are there on a type B visa (work visa), but they are working online and are not employed by any of the Thai companies. So how did they applied for that If they didn't received a letter or so from a thai company ?.

I would like to have a visa with multiple entries so I can do visa runs and all... and also I want to pay taxes and do all the necessary things as long as I can stay and live there for a while I won't mind.

Can anyone point me in a direction as I am really lost... I've been searching for at least 2 weeks on the internet about this subject and I find it very confusing, so the best choice was to come here and ask you guys what to do.

Thanks in advance,

Stephen

[Mario2008]

The law doesn't provide for your situation. The only way you can work legally in Thailand is by starting a Thai company. Most people in your situation choose to work illegally and stay in Thailand based on other reasons than working.

[Stephen101]

The law doesn't provide for your situation. The only way you can work legally in Thailand is by starting a Thai company. Most people in your situation choose to work illegally and stay in Thailand based on other reasons than working.

Weird, so all of them are staying there illegal ? Then why do they bother with visa runs and all ?

Also I can open up an office in thai if that's necessary an LTD or so for my web design, but I don't think they are looking for companies that small ? without some serious investment money

Edited September 18, 2012 by Stephen101

[ubonjoe]

Your best option to start with would be to get a 3 entry tourist visa. You would not need a new visa for almost 9 months by extending each 60 day entry by 30 days at immigration and making your last entry just before the visa expires 6 months after issue.

After that you could get a 2 entry visa at a nearby consulate that issues them but it will only have a 90 day validity period but you can get 6 month with it.

Unless you do decide to form a company and get a work permit.

Edited September 18, 2012 by ubonjoe

[Stephen101]

Your best option to start with would be to get a 3 entry tourist visa. You would not need a new visa for almost 9 months by extending each 60 day entry by 30 days at immigration and making your last entry just before the visa expires 6 months after issue.

After that you could get a 2 entry visa at a nearby consulate that issues them but it will only have a 90 day validity period but you can get 6 month with it.

Unless you do decide to form a company and get a work permit.

Wow thanks a lot for the help, so from where do I get that 3 entry tourist visa? From the thai embassy in romania or after I go in Thailand I go to their immigration bureau?

Also do you think I need serious investment money If I would like to form an LLC/Ltd in thailand ? Except the office rent and other costs per month ... Also do I need a Thailand resident to co-form the company with ?

Thanks a lot again...

[ubonjoe]

You always get visas from an Embassy or Consulate. You will get your extensions at immigration.

Click this link for info on doing business in Thailand A Business Guide to Thailand (English) (September 2011) from the board of website. It provides a lot of info on company formation work permit and etc.

The costs will not be all that high to get started up but you will have to have 4 Thai employees to get a work permit.

[Stephen101]

You always get visas from an Embassy or Consulate. You will get your extensions at immigration.

Click this link for info on doing business in Thailand A Business Guide to Thailand (English) (September 2011) from the board of website. It provides a lot of info on company formation work permit and etc.

The costs will not be all that high to get started up but you will have to have 4 Thai employees to get a work permit.

Great thanks for your help, so my best choice now is to go over at the thai embassy in Bucharest and get that 3 entry tourist visa and after that I will extend it at the immigration bureau in Thailand? Will I have any problems requesting for a 3 entry tourist visa?

Sorry for the questions, but I'm really newb at this, and the lady who answered the phone from the bucharest embassy was kinda sleepy (I guess she did not had her coffee yet) so she just blabbered some stuff.

Anyway thanks a lot again...

[Lite Beer]

They might only give you a two entry, but worth a try.

[davejones]

The law doesn't provide for your situation. The only way you can work legally in Thailand is by starting a Thai company. Most people in your situation choose to work illegally and stay in Thailand based on other reasons than working.

Weird, so all of them are staying there illegal ? Then why do they bother with visa runs and all ?

Also I can open up an office in thai if that's necessary an LTD or so for my web design, but I don't think they are looking for companies that small ? without some serious investment money

I think they are here legally (i.e. the have a tourist, retirement visa, etc), but they are working illegally. It's a bit of a grey area though. Depends on how much work you actually do, whether you have a company based outside Thailand, whether you have staff, etc. If you have a Romanian company and staff and you just oversee the business then you would be ok.

[Stephen101]

The law doesn't provide for your situation. The only way you can work legally in Thailand is by starting a Thai company. Most people in your situation choose to work illegally and stay in Thailand based on other reasons than working.

Weird, so all of them are staying there illegal ? Then why do they bother with visa runs and all ?

Also I can open up an office in thai if that's necessary an LTD or so for my web design, but I don't think they are looking for companies that small ? without some serious investment money

I think they are here legally (i.e. the have a tourist, retirement visa, etc), but they are working illegally. It's a bit of a grey area though. Depends on how much work you actually do, whether you have a company based outside Thailand, whether you have staff, etc. If you have a Romanian company and staff and you just oversee the business then you would be ok.

Well they are not having a company or something like that they are internet marketers just like myself, we make money promoting some internet products over the internet and we get payed in commissions thru paypal, something like that...

And for the web design part, I mostly do some freelancing work over sites like Freelancer or oDesk, also get payed thru paypal...

I don't really plan to open a web design company in Thailand, I tought of it as a possibility for me to stay legally there, but since I have to employ 4 persons and I also read that I need 2 more partners, is something I don't think I will be able to do since I do all the stuff myself and don't actually need employers...

Basically what I need is the ability to stay there as a tourist for a larger amount of time, without trying to work there or anything like that. And I can just pay taxes for what I make online so I can stay legit.

[Colabamumbai]

Sometimes it is harder to be legitimate than illegitimate. When you want to be honest and do the right thing the hurdles seem tremendous. Hence the number of people living here and doing some type of income generating work without the proper documentation.

[noob7]

Look for the language schools, contact them, apply with there 'help' (business model) for a ED visa on 'learning Thai'.

Extension every now and then in Thailand, as long you 'study' with them. (actually, you can, but mostly....!)

Easiest solution, me think

Edit: Minimum one of the bigger once, is/was advertising on TV. If you get the papers in time, you can apply for the visa in your country. Otherwise, you have to go to KL, S-Pore or so, to get the ED-Visa. Cost approximately 25-30k for the School/year plus visa cost, plus extensions

Edited September 18, 2012 by noob7

[aarn]

You internet savvy guys can surely 'work' from anywhere that you have good internet connectivity. I guess that any income you make is deposited into paypal etc., can hardly be taxed in Thailand.

If you can get a 60day, 2 x 60day, or even 3 x 60 day tourist visa, then you can basically extend for 30 days (at the end of each 60day period extension, costs 1,900 baht). When that is up, you have to leave - which might be as easy as an afternoon in Malaysia - then re-enter to start your next 60day period.

The after your visa totally expires (could last as long as 3 x (60 + 30) = 270 days), you could reapply for another one (although it is VERY DIFFICULT to get more than 2 x 60days) in a neighbouring country. Plenty to see in SEAsia. AA

[Soutpeel]

Basically what I need is the ability to stay there as a tourist for a larger amount of time, without trying to work there or anything like that. And I can just pay taxes for what I make online so I can stay legit.

If you are going to work illegally, you would do well to stay away from trying to pay tax on earnings made online, this will not make you legit in Thailand and will possibly raise flags as to what you are up to, if you claim to here on a tourist visa why would you be trying to pay tax here and this would be the same question an offical here would ask ?

If you want to be legit (BTW working on line is not a gray area according to Phuket DOL/immigration - its illegal) you need to set up a Thai Ltd company, if not married to a Thai - THB 2.0 mill capitalised company + 4 employees, if married to a Thai these requirements are halved, and get your WP and pay your taxes

[Colabamumbai]

I work with a work permit and Non B visa totally legal. I have English Camp every Sunday at my home, four hours, 150 Bhat. Not legal, ah but its my thai girlfriends house. Ah she takes the money.....Pretty grey area right. As she says immigration is not going to come and arrest you for teaching English on Sundays in my home.

[Stephen101]

Thanks a lot guys, these replies were helpful enough to give me an idea to what I have to do.

So basically I will stay on a tourist visa if possible to get those 3x60, and lay low without any taxes and stuff... Is a shame I really wanted to go on a more legit way...

There is no way in hell I will be funding a thai ltd with 2mil+ baht and employ 4 people just to be able to stay there and enjoy the country ...

Also I've made my mind to stay in Chiang Mai, is that an expat area? Can I find some english speaking people there? Maybe some thai language classes and stuff.... I don't like too much the crowded areas like Bangkok..

Thanks a lot to all of you who posted here, really helped me and gained more info than I did on my own in 2weeks+ of searches on internet...

[lizardtongue]

If you decide on Chiangmai there are quite a few guys doing what you want to do just 'put yourself about' a bit and no doubt you will meet them and take it from there!

[Maestro]

Chiang Mai has a lot of expatriates, many on retirement, but also many employed there in various professions.

Learning the Thai language is not crucial, but if you plan to stay in Thailand for the long term, eg longer than one year, you may find it useful and the non-immigrant visa for education, with consecutive 90-day extensions, will come in handy for your purpose.

Regarding work without a work permit, the official word on my part is this: don't work. Treat "work" as a dirty word, never let it pass your lips in conversation with other people or even in your sleep if you're not alone in bed. Read and write emails, read and write entries on your blogs, update your website, play with the websites of friends and acquaintances, but never "work", if you get my drift.

[mca]

Regarding work without a work permit, the official word on my part is this: don't work. Treat "work" as a dirty word, never let it pass your lips in conversation with other people or even in your sleep if you're not alone in bed. Read and write emails, read and write entries on your blogs, update your website, play with the websites of friends and acquaintances, but never "work", if you get my drift.

Soundest advice I've ever read on here. Even if some Thai student slipped you 500 baht for giving his English essay the once over for accuracy 5 years ago there's always some bitter, twisted tosser who'd only be too willing to try and drop you in it merely for his own entertainment.

"MCA do you work from home?"

"Nah, I just piss around on the internet all day"

Edited September 18, 2012 by mca

[Colabamumbai]

Thats right, my girlfriend is the teacher Sundays, I just pour the juice for the kids, right!

[Stephen101]

Chiang Mai has a lot of expatriates, many on retirement, but also many employed there in various professions.

Learning the Thai language is not crucial, but if you plan to stay in Thailand for the long term, eg longer than one year, you may find it useful and the non-immigrant visa for education, with consecutive 90-day extensions, will come in handy for your purpose.

Regarding work without a work permit, the official word on my part is this: don't work. Treat "work" as a dirty word, never let it pass your lips in conversation with other people or even in your sleep if you're not alone in bed. Read and write emails, read and write entries on your blogs, update your website, play with the websites of friends and acquaintances, but never "work", if you get my drift.

Great advice... thanks a lot to you and the rest of the guys