Advice on Visa

[Slavomir]

Hello,

some info about me first.. I'm under fifty, Slovakian nationality , living in UK (9y), software developer , part freelance, have MA in Teaching English (from Slovakian University)

Married to Slovakian, under 50, accountant, with the same degree as me. We have a 3 month y.o. daughter, she has British nationality..

Looking to move to Thailand, freelance there for a company in UK and US over internet. Initially for 6 months (so we can get some longer term price apartments also rent our house here in UK for at least 6 months) and then will see if we like it , stay longer.

So obviously our income will come from my freelance as well as from the house rent here. But need some sort of Visa to stay in Thailand legally.

Tourist visa - multiple entry sounds like a bit of pain (if 2 people with a small baby have to travel to (Penang? Burma? Philipines?) (each three months is it?)

So I was thinking something like ED visa? or even teaching English if I could do it only part time - couple of days a week.. ?

Would that work if I am not native speaker?

Otherwise, I wouldn't mind going to school to learn thai (hopefully not for entire day) or something more interesting like cooking or martial arts,

my wife would love to learn yoga etc.

With ED visa, would we both need to have them? What about our daughter?

Any other way anyone could suggest would be possible and not too expensive?

(Had a look at Thailand Elite , but 2 mil bath membership fee is too expensive)

Any advice on the above would be greatly appreciated!

Many thanks..

[paz]

ED visa and extension of stay have become costly and complicated, about Bt 50,000 per year. That makes it comparable with Thai elite at 100,000 a years, you can get it for 5 years not 20.

So the most practical choice is repeated tourist visa, or finding employment.

[ubonjoe]

A tourist visa requires leaving and re-entering the country every 90 days but you can just cross a border. turnaround and return.

If you can get a 3 entry tourist visa that would give you almost 9 months of total stay.

[Slavomir]

A tourist visa requires leaving and re-entering the country every 90 days but you can just cross a border. turnaround and return.

If you can get a 3 entry tourist visa that would give you almost 9 months of total stay.

Thanks ubonjoe, "If you can get a 3 entry tourist visa" .. how dificult is it to get 3 entry tourist visa in the row? Are you talking about multiple entry visa?

[PoorSucker]

A tourist visa requires leaving and re-entering the country every 90 days but you can just cross a border. turnaround and return.

If you can get a 3 entry tourist visa that would give you almost 9 months of total stay.

Thanks ubonjoe, "If you can get a 3 entry tourist visa" .. how dificult is it to get 3 entry tourist visa in the row? Are you talking about multiple entry visa?

Tourist visas do not come as multiple, you can get single, double or triple entry tourist visas.

[Slavomir]

ED visa and extension of stay have become costly and complicated, about Bt 50,000 per year. That makes it comparable with Thai elite at 100,000 a years, you can get it for 5 years not 20.

So the most practical choice is repeated tourist visa, or finding employment.

Thanks for your reply Paz, 100K thb is about £1958 which is still a lot but better then 1M.. I understand that this 100K is ANNUAL fee.. but can you get it without paying MEMBERSHIP fee?

plus what about the rest of my family ? Would I have to pay 100K for my wife and daughter as well?

[paz]

Thanks for your reply Paz, 100K thb is about £1958 which is still a lot but better then 1M.. I understand that this 100K is ANNUAL fee.. but can you get it without paying MEMBERSHIP fee?

plus what about the rest of my family ? Would I have to pay 100K for my wife and daughter as well?

Easy access membership

http://www.thailandelite.com/glimpse.php

or check any of the many running threads about it.

Child can enroll in school and get an ED visa /extension. In fact once you have enrolled your child one parent can get extension as guardian showing Bt 500,000 in bank.

[Slavomir]

Tourist visas do not come as multiple, you can get single, double or triple entry tourist visas.

thanks for the reply PoorSucker.. Is there somewhere a detailed guide how to go about obtaining those "triple entry tourist visas"? What is required etc..

[paz]

Tourist visas do not come as multiple, you can get single, double or triple entry tourist visas.

thanks for the reply PoorSucker.. Is there somewhere a detailed guide how to go about obtaining those "triple entry tourist visas"? What is required etc..

You need to apply in in a country that issues them. Near to Thailand, only Bali does with the requirement of three exit tickets.

[Slavomir]

Tourist visas do not come as multiple, you can get single, double or triple entry tourist visas.

thanks for the reply PoorSucker.. Is there somewhere a detailed guide how to go about obtaining those "triple entry tourist visas"? What is required etc..

You need to apply in in a country that issues them. Near to Thailand, only Bali does with the requirement of three exit tickets.

wow, that's a bit out of the way

What about something closer to UK ?

[ubonjoe]

You can get a 3 entry tourist visa from the embassy in London by post or in person and in person only at any of the consulates.

[Slavomir]

You can get a 3 entry tourist visa from the embassy in London by post or in person and in person only at any of the consulates.

That sounds good, thanks ubonjoe! Is it this visa : http://www.thaiembassyuk.org.uk/pdffile/visa_standard.pdf ?

I guess you're referring to type (at the top:) Tourist Visa (Up to 3 Entries)..

So how does that exactly work ? It says there this visa is valid up to 60 days only? (so cca 2 months?). Can I somehow use it 3 times? 3x60 days? But how ?

[ubonjoe]

That is the application form. More info is here http://thaiembassyuk.org.uk/?q=node/45

Each 60 day entry can be extended for 30 days at an immigration office. You just need to be sure you do the 3rd entry prior to the enter before date on the visa which will be 6 months from the date the visa is issued. You can get almost 9 months of total stay from a 3 entry visa.

[Slavomir]

That is the application form. More info is here http://thaiembassyuk.org.uk/?q=node/45

Each 60 day entry can be extended for 30 days at an immigration office. You just need to be sure you do the 3rd entry prior to the enter before date on the visa which will be 6 months from the date the visa is issued. You can get almost 9 months of total stay from a 3 entry visa.

Thanks again ubonjoe, I really appreciate your help and patience.

I apologize if I'm being thick, but can you please explain your sentence : " You can get almost 9 months of total stay from a 3 entry visa" ..

How exactly can this be achieved ?

1) I fill out and pay for 3 entries visa form at thai embassy in London. lets say it will be valid from 1 jan 2015 - 1 june 2015 , but I will only be allowed to stay in thailand for 60 days

(according to article nu 5. PERIOD OF STAY Upon arrival, travellers with this type of visa will be permitted to stay in Thailand for a period of not exceeding 30 days or 60 days.

so 60 days from 1 jan would get me to end of feb 2015..

2) What then ? Do I then have to do that "visa run" to the border? and just getting a new set of stamps in the passport will get me another sixty days ?

3) If 2) = yes .. it would get me to the end of april 2015, let say I do that again travel to border - return ...that's end of june, when the validity of my visa runs out.. So that's 6 months, how did you get 9 months?

or I am not understanding how this works at all ?

[paz]

This is asked every day, had you searched it would have saved you all the writing and brought additional practical information beside day counting.

3 entry visa, each entry 60 + 30 = 270 days. You need to do three extensions at bt 1,900 each and two border runs which cost depends on where you stay and where you go.

Edited December 27, 2014 by paz

[MrB2015]

Hi guys, I didn't really understand how it works as well.

To clarify: Triple Entry Visa = Permission to enter Thailand THREE TIMES, and each time granting you 60 days (+30 days possible extension). Is that it?

Please clarify. Cheers.

[Maestro]

Yes, that's it. Three entries within the validity period of the visa.

[MrB2015]

Many thanks for the clarification, Maestro.

Next, would be how to get it. Simply fly over to Bali to apply for a 'Triple entry' tourist visa? Good odds of getting it without being rejected (for whatever reasons)?

Can I get this done in Penang as well? Any helpful information would be greatly appreciated.

[ubonjoe]

Many thanks for the clarification, Maestro.

Next, would be how to get it. Simply fly over to Bali to apply for a 'Triple entry' tourist visa? Good odds of getting it without being rejected (for whatever reasons)?

Can I get this done in Penang as well? Any helpful information would be greatly appreciated.

You will have to show proof of a flight out of the country for each entry that can be up to 90 days apart to apply for the 3 entry tourist visa in Bali. If you have proof of the flights out of the country you will have no problem getting the visa.

Penang only does single entry tourist visas.

[MrB2015]

Many thanks for the clarification, Maestro.

Next, would be how to get it. Simply fly over to Bali to apply for a 'Triple entry' tourist visa? Good odds of getting it without being rejected (for whatever reasons)?

Can I get this done in Penang as well? Any helpful information would be greatly appreciated.

You will have to show proof of a flight out of the country for each entry that can be up to 90 days apart to apply for the 3 entry tourist visa in Bali. If you have proof of the flights out of the country you will have no problem getting the visa.

Penang only does single entry tourist visas.

Great, ubonjoe for the heads up! Many thanks!!!