Confused Re 1 Year Visa

[StanOgden]

Hi all,

I'm more than a little confused regarding availability of and/or qualification rules for the 1 year "O" type visa. I have trawled through pages of info here and there appears to be conflicting advice for people who fall into the same category. Some state that it is possible, some say they have been granted one and others intimate that they are simply unavailable for anyone who falls into the category that I do.

Which is :-

Single male, aged 47, UK national with no Thai dependants, relatives.

No plans to work or study in Thailand, or do much other than play golf !

No Thai bank account at present but I could easily open one before applying and deposit whatever is required if that helped.

What I attempting to do is circumvent monthly visa runs for the next 2.5 years (until I will qualify for a retirement visa) if at all possible. Even a 6 month visa, which I also read is possible if applied for in one's home country, would be a start although clearly not as good as a 12 month multiple entry one.

Could anyone give a definitive answer (if one exists ) ??

Any help/suggestions much appreciated.

[Sunbelt Asia]

"O" visa...no. However if you have a tourist visa abroad( not the simple 30 day entry) from a consulate you can change this to a "B" visa here in Thailand. ( no thats not a misprint on my part)

You can change it to a "B" if you can provide one of the following evidences of investment in Thailand, each of which is equivalent to no less than 3 million Baht, If you can do this, then you are eligible to apply for a Non-Immigrant "B" Visa for the purpose of long stay in Thailand :

* Cash deposit in a fixed deposit account with government banks (Krung Thai Bank, Government Saving Bank, Bank for Agriculture Cooperatives, Rattanasin Bank, Bangkok Metropolitan Bank, Siam City Bank, Government Housing Bank).

*Government bonds, or state enterprise bonds, purchased only from government agencies or state enterprises or agencies commissioned by government or state enterprises.

* Buying a condominium unit/s from the owner according to the price registered with the Department of Lands. ( Must be approved before hand)

*Other investments the Immigration Bureau deems beneficial to the country.

You decide your risk and if its worth it.

You must show a bank statement proving the transfer of funds from an overseas bank to a Thai bank of at least 3 million Baht. The applicant must be either the recipient of the money in Thailand or the person issuing the transfer from a bank abroad. Get a Tor Tor Som.

Your first year of applications will be processed within 15 days.

Couple Tips: You must retain a continuous investment. The Immigration Bureau must first approve changes in investment. You must then retain a continuous investment after this change. You must submit evidence of investment to the official within 150 to 180 days from the day the visa application is approved.

Enjoy the golf!

www.sunbeltasia.com

[StanOgden]

Many thanks for the reply.

* Buying a condominium unit/s from the owner according to the price registered with the Department of Lands. ( Must be approved before hand)

This interested me and I certainly hadn't heard of it before. As I planned to buy a condo (up to about 5M) then this seems the way to go and I will investigate further. It was my intention to rent for 6 months initially, giving me plenty of time to find the right place. This I could still do whilst doing monthly visa runs, then return to the UK and apply for a longer tourist visa before returning and purchasing the condo I have decided upon.

However, do you know what is the longest tourist visa I can apply for in my home country that is likely to be granted ? I believe that I can apply for a 60 day visa which is renewable for a further 30 days. Is this the best option or is there another (maybe 6 month validity) that is automatically granted ?

Thanks again for your help - 'tis a minefield !!

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Many thanks for the reply.

* Buying a condominium unit/s from the owner according to the price registered with the Department of Lands. ( Must be approved before hand)

This interested me and I certainly hadn't heard of it before. As I planned to buy a condo (up to about 5M) then this seems the way to go and I will investigate further. It was my intention to rent for 6 months initially, giving me plenty of time to find the right place. This I could still do whilst doing monthly visa runs, then return to the UK and apply for a longer tourist visa before returning and purchasing the condo I have decided upon.

However, do you know what is the longest tourist visa I can apply for in my home country that is likely to be granted ? I believe that I can apply for a 60 day visa which is renewable for a further 30 days. Is this the best option or is there another (maybe 6 month validity) that is automatically granted ?

Thanks again for your help - 'tis a minefield !!

What is your home country Stan ?

[StanOgden]

dr Pat Pong,

It's the Uk.

[Sunbelt Asia]

Hi Stan,

It sounds like you may be able to get a one year multi entry visa on your own in Birmingham or Hull. We also can sponsor you. Very high probability you'll get a one year multi-entry visa. You however must cross the border every 90 days for just 5 minutes. Once you are ready to go with the investment visa, we can then help you switch it over to the one year visa.

On the condo, the perfect agent would be Sarah Allen who is from the U.K as well. She has been involved with real estate in Bangkok for eight years and very much respected in the community for her integrity and is well liked. Sarah heads up our real estate division. You can find our listings at www.property.th.com

Please drop me a e-mail at [email protected] and I’ll be glad to answer any personal questions.

Regards,

Greg Lange

Managing Director

Sunbelt Asia Co., Ltd

www.sunbeltasia.com

[dr_Pat_Pong]

dr Pat Pong,

It's the Uk.

any of the Thai consulates in the UK will accommodate you Stan, but avoid the Thai Embassy in London. Too hard.

[StanOgden]

Greg/dr Pat Pong,

Many thanks for your help/suggestions.

I note what you say Greg and will take you up on your kind offer and email you a little closer to the time. I have two properties on the market here at the moment and need to be around to supervise their sale. Once I have found buyers and the legal process is underway I will be in touch with you. Hopefully it won't be too long as the market remains fairly buoyant.

Once again, thanks very much guys for shedding some light on matters !

Regards

Stan

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Greg/dr Pat Pong,

Many thanks for your help/suggestions.

I note what you say Greg and will take you up on your kind offer and email you a little closer to the time. I have two properties on the market here at the moment and need to be around to supervise their sale. Once I have found buyers and the legal process is underway I will be in touch with you. Hopefully it won't be too long as the market remains fairly buoyant.

Once again, thanks very much guys for shedding some light on matters !

Regards

Stan

Good luck with the sales and settlements Stan.