Why should I bother with visa's or residency?

[Dellie]

Ok so alot of people over the years have been telling me to get a "real" visa. By this they mean a non tourist one I guess. Here is my situation. I have lived in Thailand for 11 years now. I work offshore on the North Sea (Norwegian Sector) and that means I work 14 days and am off for 28 days. Those 28 days I have spent in Thailand for the last 11 years. Since Im never home more than 30 days I just use the tourist excemption stamp and it has worked great for 11 years. Never had any problems. So alot of my expat friends and neighbors etc always ask me why I dont get a marriage visa/extension. But I just don't see why I need one.

So my question is, Why shouldn't I just continue to come here on the excemtion stamp?

Before you start with ownership of stuff and things like that here is what I have done on a tourist excemption allready,

1. I have had a thai bank account for 7 years. Back when I opened it I went to several banks. Bangkok Bank and Krungthai had no problems opening an account for a tourist. SCB and Bank of Ayudthaya wanted a work permit. So I have had Bangkok Bank without any problem for 7 years now.

2. I have a had a thai drivers license for 6 years. First a 1 year one then it got renewed to a 5 year one. People said I couldn't do this on a tourist excemption but I had no trouble at all. Just take the tests and pay the fee. There was an extra fee to the inspector who approved the driving portion of the test.

3. I own a condo in Bangkok. People said I would have trouble getting my tabien baan but the condo developer (sansiri) and the local amphur sorted this without any problem and I got my blue book. I can now register vehicle's in my name without getting a certificate from my embassy every time.

So I ask again. Is there any reason that Im missing for me to get the marriage visa/extension with multiple entry?

[lopburi3]

There is no reason you can not continue to use visa exempt entry - but if you want to have a non immigrant entry the multi entry non immigrant O visa would suit your travel better than extensions (which would be hard to time right as must appear 30 days later for stamp). With this visa it would not matter if a trip here lasted longer than 28 days as visa entry would be for 90 days each time.

[jimmym40]

If you've never had any problems, and continue the same process, I'd say, just keep doing what you are doing...

I must ask though, you said you have a "blue book". Do you mean a "yellow book". Didn't think foreigners could ever get a blue book.

I think you were lucky getting a driver's license. Twenty years ago when I first started coming to Thailand, I tried several times in Lamphun, to get a driver's licence, but cannot on a 30 day tourist visa.

Good Luck, hope things still work out for you.

[Maestro]

The buyer of a condo gets a blue house registration book (TR.14) regardless of his nationality. It serves as a copy of the population census information for the listed address, ie the condo unit, but only Thai nationals and Permanent Residents can be listed as residents in the blue book. If the OP's name appears in this blue book it probably means that his Thai wife is registered as resident and his name is recorded in his capacity of that resident's spouse.

[gamini]

Hundreds of us do what you do. WE get bank accounts and driving licenses etc. You are not the only one working on rigs, or engaged in traveling on business so often that that we never spend more than a month at a time in Thailand. So what is the point of your post?

[IBoldnewguy]

Hundreds of us do what you do. WE get bank accounts and driving licenses etc. You are not the only one working on rigs, or engaged in traveling on business so often that that we never spend more than a month at a time in Thailand. So what is the point of your post?

How would you know it's hundreds?

[taotoo]

So what is the point of your post?

Through my super powers of comprehension and deduction I suspect it may be:

"Is there any reason that Im missing for me to get the marriage visa/extension with multiple entry?"

[cooked]

I suppose that if (when) the visa extension requirements are increased, that those of us already here will be allowed to stay on under the old conditions.

[PoodMaiDai]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I know a handful of guys who do what you do and use the same visa.

[PoorSucker]

Get an extension based on marriage.

You never know when they will change the rules again.

Extensions based on older police orders are grandfathered.

Right now you need 400.000 in the bank.

Next year it could be 600.000, you never know.

Get on the train now.

[lopburi3]

Retirement extensions of stay is what was grandfathered.

[Dirk_brijs]

I have been doing the same for 15 years now

I work in the cruise industry and have been coming in on entry styamps and the occasional tourist Visa.

I stay home home 2 months at a time though and use my monthly travel out as a fun weekend out with the family to Sg or HK.

Son loves Disney land

Didnt know about the drivers license though that I could get one??

How did you do that?