Visa options for non-permanent residency

[Martin Holland]

Hey,

My GF and I are Brits, both freelancers looking for base in Asia. Bali was convenient but we fancy Thailand for a year or more.

I know we can apply for an extension for the 90 day visa for up to a year (correct me if I'm wrong!) so I was looking for information on this process.

- Has anyone here done it?

- Is it highly likely to be approved or not?

- What about repeating this process again for a second year (ie come in on another 90 day visa and then extend once again)

Basically I don't want to spend 3 months settling in to a place only to have to leave and tart again somewhere else, and I'm much more inclined to base myself somewhere that I know my visa options (for example in Indonesia the worst case scenario is a visa run to Singapore every 2 months, but for a bit of cash a work permit is pretty easy to come by).

Any help, advice or experience is very much appreciated.

[ubonjoe]

Unless you both are 50 or over there is not extension you can get that would give you one year of stay other than going to school or working.

You could get a 3 entry tourist visa at the consulate in Bali that would give you 60 day entries that can be extended for 30 days at immigration. You can get almost 9 months of stay from the visa. The you could get another tourist visa to finish the year..

[Martin Holland]

Oh right I must have read that wrong. We're not over 50 and don't want to go back to school just yet.

I didn't know about the triple entry visa, that sounds perfect.

Are the authorities pretty strict when it comes to people using the system in this way? Indonesia seems to put up with it for example, but if we did this for 2 sets of 9 months do the Thai authorities get a bit pissed off?

[ubonjoe]

As long as you can get the visas Thai immigration does not object. They might ask for proof that you are not working here on entry to the country. Having 20k baht cash each would normally satisfy that.

[Martin Holland]

Thanks so much for your help

[mahjongguy]

"...freelancers looking for base in Asia"

It should be noted that whatever freelancing you do in Thailand will not be legal nor is there any reasonable way to make it legal. Many do, most get away with it; just need to understand that you'll be under a bit of a shadow.

Before you commit to staying in Thailand, take the time to learn about the triple entry Tourist Visa.

- It will be valid for 6 months from date of issue.

- Each entry allows 60 days, where the day of arrival is Day 1.

- Each entry can be extended for 30 days at a Thai Immigration office for 1,900 baht.

- Having extended, you must do a border run, by air or land, before the end of the 90th day.

- The third and final entry must be made before the 6 month expiration of the visa.

So, if you time it just right, you can get nearly 270 days in Thailand. Then you must travel to a country that will issue you another visa, hopefully another triple. Usually this requires at least an overnight stay.

[TerryLH]

"You could get a 3 entry tourist visa at the consulate in Bali that would give you 60 day entries that can be extended for 30 days at immigration."

Doesn't Bali ask to see flights out after each of the three entries?

[Martin Holland]

This is all great advice. Thank you

[SoFarAndNear]

"...freelancers looking for base in Asia"

It should be noted that whatever freelancing you do in Thailand will not be legal nor is there any reasonable way to make it legal. Many do, most get away with it; just need to understand that you'll be under a bit of a shadow.

Before you commit to staying in Thailand, take the time to learn about the triple entry Tourist Visa.

- It will be valid for 6 months from date of issue.

- Each entry allows 60 days, where the day of arrival is Day 1.

- Each entry can be extended for 30 days at a Thai Immigration office for 1,900 baht.

- Having extended, you must do a border run, by air or land, before the end of the 90th day.

- The third and final entry must be made before the 6 month expiration of the visa.

So, if you time it just right, you can get nearly 270 days in Thailand. Then you must travel to a country that will issue you another visa, hopefully another triple. Usually this requires at least an overnight stay.

I thought this is exactly what doesn't work anymore.

[paz]

So, if you time it just right, you can get nearly 270 days in Thailand. Then you must travel to a country that will issue you another visa, hopefully another triple. Usually this requires at least an overnight stay.

I thought this is exactly what doesn't work anymore.

It does, consulates still issue tourist visa, and border post allow people to enter on these.

[Suradit69]

"...freelancers looking for base in Asia"

It should be noted that whatever freelancing you do in Thailand will not be legal nor is there any reasonable way to make it legal. Many do, most get away with it; just need to understand that you'll be under a bit of a shadow.

Before you commit to staying in Thailand, take the time to learn about the triple entry Tourist Visa.

- It will be valid for 6 months from date of issue.

- Each entry allows 60 days, where the day of arrival is Day 1.

- Each entry can be extended for 30 days at a Thai Immigration office for 1,900 baht.

- Having extended, you must do a border run, by air or land, before the end of the 90th day.

- The third and final entry must be made before the 6 month expiration of the visa.

So, if you time it just right, you can get nearly 270 days in Thailand. Then you must travel to a country that will issue you another visa, hopefully another triple. Usually this requires at least an overnight stay.

I thought this is exactly what doesn't work anymore.

"I thought this is exactly what doesn't work anymore."

You've been reading some of the threads on TV where unfounded rumor and unwarranted gossip are magically transformed into reality. Serial visa exempt entries are a no-no and repeated sequential visits to the same consulate for visas will probably raise some questions, but there is no evidence that tourist visas are not being issued or, if issued, that they are being refused at borders ... except in the active imaginations of some confused posters.

There was a recent thread proclaiming that someone with a tourist visa had been only allowed a 30 day entry at the airport, as an example. Of course it was because he screwed up and got a visa exempt entry.

[Martin Holland]

I love forums. Thanks for taking the time to respond especially since this is probably quite a common thread.

I will look in to the triple entry visa, but in case you know the answer, do all Thai consulates issue this or are there just a few in Asia that I would need to use? And how long does it take from application to collection?