hi there

met a Chinese friend ( PRC ) another day who bought a condo here, nothing else than investment and sabai sabai here. without any VISA arrangement he only gets a 15-day stamp every time he comes into Thailand.

with a tourist VISA arranged before arrival, he only gets a 3-months stay. what other options he could stay longer than 3 months in Thailand ?

also, once the first tourist VISA used, could he able to apply a second or a third tourist VISA again in his home country ?

thanks . . .

Possibly. a Chinese must apply at a Thai consulate in his country of residence.

Other options depens on age: over 50 or not?, is the condo more then 10 million worth?

Possibly. a Chinese must apply at a Thai consulate in his country of residence.

Other options depens on age: over 50 or not?, is the condo more then 10 million worth?

good to hear that Mario ! the answers are :

- YES, over 50 ( retirement VISA ? )

- YES, more than 10 million ( purchase done, already moved in )

what options available then ?

edit : added retirement VISA.

Edited October 10, 201411 yr by ETatBKK

good to hear that Mario ! the answers are :

- YES, over 50 ( retirement VISA ? )

- YES, more than 10 million ( purchase done, already moved in )

what options available then ?

He can then choose between extension of stay valid one year with proof of funds or income or having an investment worth more than 10M. The first is easier to obtain because much more common for the Immigration officers.

For more information just search "retirement extension" or "investment extension".

Edited October 10, 201411 yr by paz

He should apply for a non-O visa based on retirement and then can apply for an extension in Thailand. Investment is also possible, but the non-O visa will be easier to start with.

Hi

You state "having an investment worth more than 10m", that suggests it could include multiple condos worth over 10m, is that correct? Also do you know how the valuation is made, is it based on price paid, or the land dept valuation.

Thanks

good to hear that Mario ! the answers are :

- YES, over 50 ( retirement VISA ? )

- YES, more than 10 million ( purchase done, already moved in )

what options available then ?

He can then choose between extension of stay valid one year with proof of funds or income or having an investment worth more than 10M. The first is easier to obtain because much more common for the Immigration officers.

For more information just search "retirement extension" or "investment extension".

Yes, you can invest in multiple condo's and also a combination with state bonds is allowed for instance.

Valuation is normally made based upon the price you paid taxes over.

thanks Mario, thanks paz

I think the idea is clear, just start a tourist VISA application from his home country, agree that the non-O retirement extension is an easier solution; just like most of the cases here.

thanks Mario, thanks paz

I think the idea is clear, just start a tourist VISA application from his home country, agree that the non-O retirement extension is an easier solution; just like most of the cases here.

He should try "any possible way" to obtain a non-imm 'O' in his country, really worth that he does the effort.

That would save him the trouble of obtaining it by conversion in Thailand, or having to go to another consulate.

It would be nearly impossible for him to get a non-o In China there is only the embassy and official consulates the would only do the OA visa no non-o for 50 or over.

The O/A would be great for this person, I imagine that owning more than 10M Bt condos in Thailand he can meet the proof of funds needed.

thanks guys

that was my straight away question too - why not apply a non-O retirement VISA in China ? this guy is located in Beijing and not a big issue in terms of reaching Thai embassy. but I was not realised that post an application for a foreign country retirement VISA, is a sensitive issue there. I was not aware of investment extension yet.

by the way, what is O/A ?

Non-imm. O/A is the "king of visa" (at least before Thai Elite card visa PE was introduced). Multi-entry with each entry one year, so it last two years. Requires certified proof of funds, medical certificate, criminal record certificate.

Edited October 11, 201411 yr by paz

thanks guys

that was my straight away question too - why not apply a non-O retirement VISA in China ? this guy is located in Beijing and not a big issue in terms of reaching Thai embassy. but I was not realised that post an application for a foreign country retirement VISA, is a sensitive issue there. I was not aware of investment extension yet.

by the way, what is O/A ?

A OA visa is a one year multiple entry visa that gives unlimited one year entries for that year. By doing an entry just before the visa expires it can give a total stay of almost 2 years without getting another visa or extension of stay.

Info on OA visa on Shanghai consulate website. Tried embassy website but it has been hijacked. http://www.thaishanghai.com/th/visa/non-immigrant_oa/index.php

thanks all

I think the OA VISA is a good option for him. will forward the link to him. he could also look into other Thai embassy websites for OA VISA information too, his English not a problem.

I think the OA VISA is a good option for him. will forward the link to him. he could also look into other Thai embassy websites for OA VISA information too, his English not a problem.

If he has a lots or money and wants the best no hassle solution, Thai Elite card, 500,000 bt for five years and gives some perks.