Visa

[MichaelShort]

Hi,

Have been in Thailand for 3 years and have this 30 day tourist visa.

Now, when I come to immigration they almost always ask why I don't have a real VISA insted of coming there every month.

I then say that I don't have any business and I am not married so as I understand I can not get any Visa.

I had understand that you CAN get a VISA in a place in Bangkok, immigration have some place there, where if you show you dont have any address in your "home country" they give you a VISA, since you must have an "address" somewhere.

Does anyone know about this or have any suggestion let me know. The question is Can I get a 1 year Visa (multiple entry) though still I don't have any business, marrige, and less than 100,000 bath on the bank?

3 month Visa is interested if I can get it in Thailand otherwise it is not.

Cheers

Michael

[lopburi3]

1. You can not obtain any visa inside Thailand.

2. A 30 day stamp is not a visa.

3. You can only obtain a tourist visa at a consulate outside Thailand.

4. A multi entry non immigrant would not likely be issued to you anywhere in Asia.

5. 100,000 baht would not qualify for investment.

6. There is no such thing as a visa for not having a foreign address.

7. No. You are not likely to find anything better without leaving Thailand.

[cnxpat]

To the best of my knowledge, a Thai visa (except a 30 day visa on arrival) can only be obtained at a Thai embassy. There is obviously no Thai embassy in Thailand. I have never heard of what you would want to try, but the place to go probably is Thai Immigration, soi Suan Plu, close to Sathorn rd. I would also like to know how to "proof" something that is supposedly NOT there.

Anyway, good luck, and let me know if it worked for you!

[sua yai]

I'll add my tuppence worth.

I've been here for 8 years and have got by on tourist visas, one multi nonO after I went back to the UK, but mostly 30 day visas runs.

For years, I wasn't working, I wasn't married and I wasn't over 50.

So, where did I fit into the scheme of things, visa wise?

The fact is that I was bringing almost all of my rental income over from the UK each month and living well. All spent in Thailand.

Now I'm married, I don't need to worry so much about the visa, but I just can't understand how the marriage document has changed things so drastically in my favour, other than the authorities now "deem me as supporting a Thai national".

I was doing so before the marriage.

Seems to me that there are many people like the OP who can afford to live here comfortably, don't break any imm laws, bring in their money from overseas, yet are caught in a "visa black hole".

Again, just my opinion.

[astral]

Seems to me that there are many people like the OP who can afford to live here comfortably, don't break any imm laws, bring in their money from overseas, yet are caught in a "visa black hole".

Again, just my opinion.

Very true, but the Thai authorities are too myopic to see the value of the income

from these people, so they are left out in the cold.

[rishi]

Seems to me that there are many people like the OP who can afford to live here comfortably, don't break any imm laws, bring in their money from overseas, yet are caught in a "visa black hole".

Well, that "visa black hole" is not absolute - it's relative to what level "afford to live here comfortably" is on. Three million bath invested the prescribed manner yields a 1-year visa - regardless of age, marital status and working status.

[HarryHerb]

Not sure where the 'black hole' is in this case. Michael (OP) could get a visa if he wanted one - in a Royal Thai Embassy outside of Thailand (just to be clear ). He 'qualifies' for a double entry tourist visa, which would give him (2 months + 1) x 2 = 6 months stay in the kingdom, with only one border run.

It may not be good enough for some people, but it certainly beats 30-day border runs.

While I'm here, I also like to say that lopburi3 should be nominated for a sainthood as he demonstrates the most extraordinary patience in answering questions in this forum (not a dig at the OP, just a general observation I wish I had such indefatigable tolerance and magnanimity towards my fellow humans, but alas this escapes me )

[sua yai]

That's fair enough, HerryHerb and I've done the same myself with double entry Tourist visas. The thing is that from what I've read on this forum and from personal experience, it's difficult to get more then two back-to-back Tourist visas. When I did it a number of years ago, the agent said that Penang consulate had asked what I was doing in Thailand for so long and that the chances of getting a third were negligible. Assuming the comment was directed to my possibly working in The Kingdom, I asked if would be easier if I brought bank statements the next time from the UK showing my rental income. The agent said this wouldn't help with the TVisa.

The 30 day runs are a right royal pain, but it seems easier to stay on them than go for consequtive TVisas. I've never been questioned at any border about the number of 30 day entries I have - that's not to say that it couldn't have happened.