Help! Denied Tourist Visa in Thai embassy in Singapore

[Mario2008]

An investment of 10,000,000 baht qualifies you for yearly extensions of stay. Can be in government bonds and several other options.

[ubonjoe]

Here is a screen shot of the requirements to get an extension of stay based upon investment from police order 777/2551. No need to invest in a company. A bank account is enough.

[Bcgardener]

I am sure that the Thai Government would want long term foreign residents that add something to the prosperity of their country or are able to support their lifestyle here. The toughening of the visa laws has no effect on people who have the funds or employment here but the foreigners that do stay here by manipulating the system make Thai immigration wary of all foreigners staying long term. This does have an impact on those of us who follow the rules. This is why we have little respect for these people. No foreigner has a right to stay in Thailand. We are all guests here and a lot if people forget that fact.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[iamariva1957]

Hay Bcgardener... enough with the tirade already. Some of us are here on muti-entry visas exploring the area known as South East Asia, using Thailand not only as a prime destination but also as a 'hub' for traveling throughout the region. I have been here for months now and no I do notwork (do not need to) but I sit here while not traveling working on my second book. Here it is nice and quiet, good food, places to visit... so in every way I am a tourist. Thailand makes it easy to take advantage of staying here. There is always a way to get the right visa or just do visa runs when you need to. The Thai rules are what they are and so do not blame those who do take advantage of the country's generosity. As for other countries doing the same? Most would not, you are right. But maybe that is one of the things that makes Thailand such a destination? It is wonderful to be able to live one's life and overseas and not have to jump through the myriad of hoops that, say the UK requires (cost me a large sum of money and months of waiting and form filling out to get my Permanent Stay Visa for the UK... even had to take a stupid test called the "Being British Test). So enjoy being here and allow us to do the same.

[Bcgardener]

If you are writing a book here, you are working and should have a work permit. Before you go off on your own tirade, I am joking. Even I think the work permit rules are ridiculous here. A non Thai wife of a Farang working here can be deported or imprisoned for volunteering at her children's local school without a work permit. It really is totally over the top.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Frank James]

Take Kuala Lumpur also off the list. I was denied an ED visa there, although my papers were ok and from one of the best Thai schools in Bangkok.

I agree. Having dealt with them several times, I was reminded of that immortal line from "The Last Detail" (1972, Jack Nicholson and Randy Quaid, all time Hal Ashby classic):

"These guys are real pr_cks when they wanna be, and they always wanna be!"

The counter staff are all Malaysian locals, not Thai, and I swear it looks like they really get off on telling people no, especially when it involved someone losing money on their reservations, messing up their plans, whatever.

Vientiane is the place.

[NewlyMintedThai]

And some people wonder why I would want to acquire Thai citizenship.

After all the grief people go through with visas, work permits, border runs, taxes, 90-day reporting...is there any question, really?

[paz]

Oh give us a break. What are you the tourist police? There are thousands of foreigners who stay long term in Thailand on a tourist visa ... and the government is very well aware of such. I've been doing it for twenty plus years myself.

.

To the OP ... the Thai embassy woman in Singapore is absolutely wrong. Just fly back to BKK, get 30 day stamp on arrival and later go to Laos to get a double entry tourist visa.

perhaps the government has decided its time to put a stop to it.

In your envious whishes perhaps. Just wrong information from an useless civil servant. The wall has not been erected yet, sorry.

[paz]

And some people wonder why I would want to acquire Thai citizenship.

After all the grief people go through with visas, work permits, border runs, taxes, 90-day reporting...is there any question, really?

Last time I've checked (on TV of course), Thai citizenship is a slow path on doubtful, largerly discretional law that seems to be written to discourage people rather than forming new actively contributing citizens to the Kingdom, and of which the final step is requiring to lie about the intention of renouncing existing citizenship. Of course if all that is fine for you, no problem.

[NewlyMintedThai]

Mine took 3 years.

And I did not have to "lie" about anything.

[AYJAYDEE]

Oh give us a break. What are you the tourist police? There are thousands of foreigners who stay long term in Thailand on a tourist visa ... and the government is very well aware of such. I've been doing it for twenty plus years myself.

.

To the OP ... the Thai embassy woman in Singapore is absolutely wrong. Just fly back to BKK, get 30 day stamp on arrival and later go to Laos to get a double entry tourist visa.

perhaps the government has decided its time to put a stop to it.

In your envious whishes perhaps. Just wrong information from an useless civil servant. The wall has not been erected yet, sorry.

things are changing at consulates and embassies all over the world. tourist visas were not meant to allow full time living in thailand and they are tightening up.

[noisyboy]

Take Kuala Lumpur also off the list. I was denied an ED visa there, although my papers were ok and from one of the best Thai schools in Bangkok.

I agree. Having dealt with them several times, I was reminded of that immortal line from "The Last Detail" (1972, Jack Nicholson and Randy Quaid, all time Hal Ashby classic):

"These guys are real pr_cks when they wanna be, and they always wanna be!"

The counter staff are all Malaysian locals, not Thai, and I swear it looks like they really get off on telling people no, especially when it involved someone losing money on their reservations, messing up their plans, whatever.

Vientiane is the place.

I've have had pretty lousy experience at the KL immigration as well. On that occassion I caught a late night flight from Singapore and after a days work was tired and not beaming. The Malay lady at the counter snapped at me saying "why you make face like that? You don't have to come here if you don't want!". It took a whole lot of forced grinning/bearing/cajoling to get through that. Incidentally I was going to Vientianne via KL then and when I landed at Vientianne next morning, immigration was a breeze compared to the nasty experience at KL.

Edit: spelling

[sustento]

If you have an apartment in Bangkok and have spent 5 Months there you are hardly a tourist. Try that in any western country with tourist visa rules and you would be denied also. my country , Australia, come to mind. 90 day tourist visa for you , no problem. leave the country for a day or so and re-apply, no way you will get another one.

All these ways of staying in Thailand without actually having the right visa annoy the hell out of me i.e. ED visa with no intention of actually studying. If you do not have the correct requirements for a long term visa i.e. retirement with suitable funds. married to a Thai with suitable funds or working here legitimately then you don't belong here other than for a genuine holiday. I have lived in Thailand for 6 years and work here. I never have a problem renewing my yearly visa as I submit the correct paperwork and meet the requirements.

If you don't have the funds or the meet Thailand's visa requirements legally then you should not be here as people trying on all these scams to stay here just make life more difficult for foreigners that live here legally.

and what visa do you get if your 45 ( under 50),, sold nyour business, very well off and retired,,,, sense you seem to know everything about everyone else.

You don't. There's no visa that covers that set of circumstances. You live somewhere else until you're 50.

[AYJAYDEE]

If you have an apartment in Bangkok and have spent 5 Months there you are hardly a tourist. Try that in any western country with tourist visa rules and you would be denied also. my country , Australia, come to mind. 90 day tourist visa for you , no problem. leave the country for a day or so and re-apply, no way you will get another one.

All these ways of staying in Thailand without actually having the right visa annoy the hell out of me i.e. ED visa with no intention of actually studying. If you do not have the correct requirements for a long term visa i.e. retirement with suitable funds. married to a Thai with suitable funds or working here legitimately then you don't belong here other than for a genuine holiday. I have lived in Thailand for 6 years and work here. I never have a problem renewing my yearly visa as I submit the correct paperwork and meet the requirements.

If you don't have the funds or the meet Thailand's visa requirements legally then you should not be here as people trying on all these scams to stay here just make life more difficult for foreigners that live here legally.

and what visa do you get if your 45 ( under 50),, sold nyour business, very well off and retired,,,, sense you seem to know everything about everyone else.

You don't. There's no visa that covers that set of circumstances. You live somewhere else until you're 50.

investment visa

[paz]

If you have an apartment in Bangkok and have spent 5 Months there you are hardly a tourist. Try that in any western country with tourist visa rules and you would be denied also. my country , Australia, come to mind. 90 day tourist visa for you , no problem. leave the country for a day or so and re-apply, no way you will get another one.

All these ways of staying in Thailand without actually having the right visa annoy the hell out of me i.e. ED visa with no intention of actually studying. If you do not have the correct requirements for a long term visa i.e. retirement with suitable funds. married to a Thai with suitable funds or working here legitimately then you don't belong here other than for a genuine holiday. I have lived in Thailand for 6 years and work here. I never have a problem renewing my yearly visa as I submit the correct paperwork and meet the requirements.

If you don't have the funds or the meet Thailand's visa requirements legally then you should not be here as people trying on all these scams to stay here just make life more difficult for foreigners that live here legally.

and what visa do you get if your 45 ( under 50),, sold nyour business, very well off and retired,,,, sense you seem to know everything about everyone else.

You don't. There's no visa that covers that set of circumstances. You live somewhere else until you're 50.

Ahahah! People like you and Ayjadee wants to bend reality to fit your vision of the world, keep doing, once you have perfectioned the needed glasses, you can sell them on Ebay.

[paz]

Mine took 3 years.

And I did not have to "lie" about anything.

Maybe you got lucky because you applied late.

And you have really renounced you original citizenship? Or just pretended to not understand the affidavit that requires your intention to renounce? Perhaps you're American with a lot of foreing-derived income? In that case congratulations.

But I will be sorry for you when will want to travel the world, including your original home country, with only a Thai passport in your possesion.

[Bangkok45]

I moved my factory here 6 years ago, set up a Thai Company and employed Thais. Invested serious money here for machinery and buildings and export a good percentage of what I manufacture. I make a contribution to the economy of Thailand and when I go to renew my annual visa and work permit I am provided all the help that I need by the local immigration office. No need for bullshit or corruption.

Though I'm a newbie in this forum but I certainly had lived long enough to sniff out liars and poseurs. Factory owner, contributor to the Thai economy, no problem with visa ie. Mr. Perfect! If it sounds to good to be true then it certainly is not even near the truth. Grandstanding speeches in a forum is nothing more than one point here, another point there but a lot of bull in between.

Just give a straight answer to the one seeking it!

[NewlyMintedThai]

Mine took 3 years.

And I did not have to "lie" about anything.

Maybe you got lucky because you applied late.

And you have really renounced you original citizenship? Or just pretended to not understand the affidavit that requires your intention to renounce? Perhaps you're American with a lot of foreing-derived income? In that case congratulations.

But I will be sorry for you when will want to travel the world, including your original home country, with only a Thai passport in your possesion.

I applied before the affidavit was required, in 2007.

While the rest of you were complaining about border runs and work permits and the immigration merry-go-round, I was taking care if business.

Anyway, what's fibbing about an "intention" that you never end up getting around to, versus lying about being a tourist for twenty years?

[paz]

I applied before the affidavit was required, in 2007.

So you got lucky because you have been approved just before the queue stalled on the wishes of Buddha knows which politician or bureocrat, and got away without a crucial current requirement. Good for you.

While the rest of you were complaining about border runs and work permits and the immigration merry-go-round, I was taking care if business.

Maybe these people they were happier living their lives without no pre-set business goals..

Anyway, what's fibbing about an "intention" that you never end up getting around to, versus lying about being a tourist for twenty years

A big difference in my book, for me to state that I'm renouncing who I am, would take a lot more than citizenship.in a corrupt developing country.

For sure your nickname says it all on what achievements you value in life.

Remember, you can be legally Thai, but you will be falang in facts, forever.

[baboon]

My word! Thailand's foreign self appointed hatchet men do seem to be out in force recently! Good luck to them - and I do mean that - but the very few genuinely rich and successful people I have encountered in life gave me the impression that they had far better things to do than worry about what the rest of us are up to, and they would certainly not be trawling the internet for those they can point fingers at.

[NewlyMintedThai]

I applied before the affidavit was required, in 2007.

So you got lucky because you have been approved just before the queue stalled on the wishes of Buddha knows which politician or bureocrat, and got away without a crucial current requirement. Good for you.

While the rest of you were complaining about border runs and work permits and the immigration merry-go-round, I was taking care if business.

Maybe these people they were happier living their lives without no pre-set business goals..

Anyway, what's fibbing about an "intention" that you never end up getting around to, versus lying about being a tourist for twenty years

A big difference in my book, for me to state that I'm renouncing who I am, would take a lot more than citizenship.in a corrupt developing country.

For sure your nickname says it all on what achievements you value in life.

Remember, you can be legally Thai, but you will be falang in facts, forever.

Enjoy the merry-go-round then.

My home country's passport (USA) offers me exactly nothing. I would have no problem dropping it if I had to.

Unless you are a dirt farmer or a prostitute, there is no country in the world one cannot travel on a Thai passport.

[Bangkok45]

My word! Thailand's foreign self appointed hatchet men do seem to be out in force recently! Good luck to them - and I do mean that - but the very few genuinely rich and successful people I have encountered in life gave me the impression that they had far better things to do than worry about what the rest of us are up to, and they would certainly not be trawling the internet for those they can point fingers at.

Spot on!

[AYJAYDEE]

I applied before the affidavit was required, in 2007.

So you got lucky because you have been approved just before the queue stalled on the wishes of Buddha knows which politician or bureocrat, and got away without a crucial current requirement. Good for you.

While the rest of you were complaining about border runs and work permits and the immigration merry-go-round, I was taking care if business.

Maybe these people they were happier living their lives without no pre-set business goals..

Anyway, what's fibbing about an "intention" that you never end up getting around to, versus lying about being a tourist for twenty years

A big difference in my book, for me to state that I'm renouncing who I am, would take a lot more than citizenship.in a corrupt developing country.

For sure your nickname says it all on what achievements you value in life.

Remember, you can be legally Thai, but you will be falang in facts, forever.

Enjoy the merry-go-round then.

My home country's passport (USA) offers me exactly nothing. I would have no problem dropping it if I had to.

Unless you are a dirt farmer or a prostitute, there is no country in the world one cannot travel on a Thai passport.

not true. many western countries will not give thais tourist visas if they are self employed.

[NewlyMintedThai]

My partner has traveled to over 60 countries, including all of Western Europe, on a Thai passport. Self-employed. Never been turned down for a visa. Not even once.

US (ten years), UK, Schengen, Israel, Japan (when visas were necessary)...

Never a question.

[AYJAYDEE]

My partner has traveled to over 60 countries, including all of Western Europe, on a Thai passport. Self-employed. Never been turned down for a visa. Not even once.

US (ten years), UK, Schengen, Israel, Japan (when visas were necessary)...

Never a question.

and my in laws have been refused. i can anecdote spar all day if you like.

[sustento]

If you have an apartment in Bangkok and have spent 5 Months there you are hardly a tourist. Try that in any western country with tourist visa rules and you would be denied also. my country , Australia, come to mind. 90 day tourist visa for you , no problem. leave the country for a day or so and re-apply, no way you will get another one.

All these ways of staying in Thailand without actually having the right visa annoy the hell out of me i.e. ED visa with no intention of actually studying. If you do not have the correct requirements for a long term visa i.e. retirement with suitable funds. married to a Thai with suitable funds or working here legitimately then you don't belong here other than for a genuine holiday. I have lived in Thailand for 6 years and work here. I never have a problem renewing my yearly visa as I submit the correct paperwork and meet the requirements.

If you don't have the funds or the meet Thailand's visa requirements legally then you should not be here as people trying on all these scams to stay here just make life more difficult for foreigners that live here legally.

and what visa do you get if your 45 ( under 50),, sold nyour business, very well off and retired,,,, sense you seem to know everything about everyone else.

You don't. There's no visa that covers that set of circumstances. You live somewhere else until you're 50.

Ahahah! People like you and Ayjadee wants to bend reality to fit your vision of the world, keep doing, once you have perfectioned the needed glasses, you can sell them on Ebay.

I don't want to bend anything. I'm bent enough as it is. I'm simply pointing out the current Thai laws on immigration although as someone has pointed out there is an investment visa available. It's people like wanderluster who want to bend Thai immigration laws to fit their individual circumstances.

[NewlyMintedThai]

My partner has traveled to over 60 countries, including all of Western Europe, on a Thai passport. Self-employed. Never been turned down for a visa. Not even once.

US (ten years), UK, Schengen, Israel, Japan (when visas were necessary)...

Never a question.

and my in laws have been refused. i can anecdote spar all day if you like.

Perhaps your in-laws weren't as qualified as you think?

[AYJAYDEE]

My partner has traveled to over 60 countries, including all of Western Europe, on a Thai passport. Self-employed. Never been turned down for a visa. Not even once.

US (ten years), UK, Schengen, Israel, Japan (when visas were necessary)...

Never a question.

and my in laws have been refused. i can anecdote spar all day if you like.

Perhaps your in-laws weren't as qualified as you think

You make my point so well!

[Arkady]

and what visa do you get if your 45 ( under 50),, sold nyour business, very well off and retired,,,, sense you seem to know everything about everyone else.

The Thai Elite Card which is being relaunched is perfect for this particular profile.

For OP he should try another embassy and/or another type of visa. Even though he may get more tourist visas from other embassies entering as a tourist is not a long term solution. Thai embassies have a lot of discretion to deny visas to people they think are unsuitable. This is easily justified by citing a suspicion that the applicant is likely to be working illegally in Thailand. Also standard operation procedures at a particular embassy or consulate can change without notice resulting in wasted trips.

[NewlyMintedThai]

It's just a passport. It's not something holy.

It's a practical solution to living and doing business freely in your chosen location, with the identical, full rights as a native.

You have thousands of pages on this website of people trying to solve the problems of living as a foreigner in Thailand.

Assuming you want to live here permanently, I think you'd have to have your head examined not to want to be free of those handicaps and hassles.