How Do I Get In Legally?

[kc_phil]

FROM THE FAQ:

12 month validity, multi entry non-immigrant visa: pre-obtained at a Royal Thai Embassy/Consulate (usually) in your home country and will result in the holder obtaining a 90 day 'permission to stay' stamp upon entry. Each time the holder enters the Kingdom whilst the visa is valid, he/she will obtain a further 90 day 'permission to stay stamp'. Such visas can be issued for students/work/family etc. but normally require supporting documentation. This visa can also be extended up to one year for specific reasons and with the required documentation (see 12 month extensions).

Hi gang. I am looking to stay in Thailand legally for an extended period for no other reason than because i have the money and i have the time. I am a 32 year old American. I have no plans to work, purchase property or get married....though all those might come about in the unforseen future.

My question relates to the segment of the quote above regarding "supporting documentation". Upon what grounds should i go to my local consulate and plead for a 12/ME-NI Visa?

Any suggestions would be helpful....

[Thaiquila]

Great question. If you don't get an answer you could probably easily stay just by arriving on a 30 day stamp, then fly to Penang for a triple entry tourist visa, each one good for 60 days with a 30 day in country extension, so that adds up to about 300 days. Long enough?

Edited June 6, 2006 by Thaiquila

[kc_phil]

...so that adds up to about 300 days. Long enough?

Depends upon how i feel on day 299!

I like creative answers! thanks!

[Thaiquila]

...so that adds up to about 300 days. Long enough?

Depends upon how i feel on day 299!

I like creative answers! thanks!

Oh, I forgot to add you would need to leave the country two more times during your stay, after the first two 60 plus 30 day tourist visas.

Another way to do this is suddenly decide that you are "exploring" business opportunities in Thailand. Then you can find certain companies in Thailand who will give you a letter about that, and you can get a one year O visa (experts please confirm) where you would have to do a quick visa run every 90 days. This would give you a whole year, but also three trips out of the country, and no need to get 30 day extensions on three separate tourist visas. Let's face it, this all does seem kind of Mickey Mouse, doesn't it, too bad you just can't prove you are loading and stay as long as you like ...

[kc_phil]

Somehow or another, the thai consulate lady in Kansas is a blonde haired blue woman, with a similarly aryan husband and two children who look like they are a pair of lederhosen away from the hitler youth. I never understood her but maybe she will be somewhat sympathetic....lets hope.

I just finished an MBA program so maybe i can giver the story about seeking out business opportunities in Thailand. SHow her my diploma and bankbook....

neat idea!

[sriracha john]

MBA? Did you give up being an Architect?

[kc_phil]

MBA? Did you give up being an Architect?

Nope. I am still an architect. I got bored with the firm i was at so i decided to go back to school. When pondering what would best add value to my work experience, i figured an MBA might look better on the CV than a Masters of Film Ethnography (though i always found anthropolgy fascinating!).

It certainly allows me to stand out from my peer group. Architects are supposed to be notoriously bad at business...I belive that chance favors the prepared mind, so i figured Business school could be a productive way to spend some time....It was, i learned a lot.

I am still looking for an architecture job in the Kingdom....know anybody?

[Naut.Sirius]

Great question. If you don't get an answer you could probably easily stay just by arriving on a 30 day stamp, then fly to Penang for a triple entry tourist visa, each one good for 60 days with a 30 day in country extension, so that adds up to about 300 days. Long enough?

Hi,

I'm going to be living in Thailand in pretty much the same circumstances as the original poster and am still trying to figure out what kind of Visa to apply for etc.

Is a triple entry tourist visa easy to get in Penang or something? I ask because this would be wonderful if so

Edited June 7, 2006 by Naut.Sirius

[greg1965]

Hi,

I would like to live in the Kingdom the same as the first poster. I do not want to work as an english teacher. I have done this before, and it is terrible. I do not want to spend 3 million baht to purchase a business that will not make money. But I have an investment income of around 40 to 50,000 baht per month and so I could support myself in Thailand.

But how can I stay for the long term? You can only use the visa run 3 times and then you are at risk to be rejected. So if I go there for a 30 tourist visa I think I could do the visa run for 3 months, and then after that I might be foreced to leave. If this happened I could not return for 6 months. But I don't know if the Thai authorities really enforece this law or not.

Does anyone know?