naive guy tired of making mistakes!

[Walter Travolta]

Hello all . . .

I have just joined Thai Visa Forum and am not so familiar with the terminology used by you guys for different visas and what they mean!

A little bit about myself and my dilemma . . .

I am 47 and 1st came to Thailand in March 2013 for the standard 30 day in and out stay

I did the same last year through April and May and decided that it was time to sell up in the UK and try to make a go of living in Thailand. So I sold my house, completing in early February this year and within a week was in Thailand on a 60 day visa. My intentions were to get a little business going and take it from there. I knew I would need to find someone trustworthy for the 51% 49% deal but I never quite managed to get that far and was told by many expats that it is much harder for a farang to start anything in Thailand now.

I heard and read that Vietnam was offering longer term visas with the opportunity to quite easily extend, AND offer business visas quite easily. Someone I know working in HCMC told me this. My 60 day expired on 9th April so here I am in VN on a 3 month single entry. However, I am beginning to feel already I have made my 2nd mistake (my 1st not checking up how tough things had got in Thailand since I was there last year!) and would like to know at what stage Thailand would allow me back in and how would I apply for my next Thai visa should they let me back. Would I need to apply from outside Thailand? If so, where? Or could I apply and pay online like I did for the VN visa?

Don't get me wrong, I may stay here but I initially wanted to live in Thailand so I feel like I am compensating.

I know the mistakes I have made, but I would like some positive feedback on what my options regarding re-entering and staying in Thailand. Oh, just for the record, I have around 3m baht from the sale of house although that is still in a bank in the UK. I wasn't naive enough to bring my cash out here!!

Thanks in advance for any positive feedback

[NanLaew]

As a UK passport holder (correct?), you can return any time, either without a visa and get the short-term, visa-exempt entry at Bangkok airport, or you can apply for a single-entry (ONLY) Tourist visa at the Thai Embassy in Hanoi or Saigon. You need to pay the fees in US$ and show proof of onward travel out of Thailand.

There's a 'pinned' thread with the latest reports on getting visas in the region and the latest reports for Vietnam were for late summer last year and another about 4 months ago.

[Walter Travolta]

Thanks NanLaew. So basically if I fly into BKK I just get a normal 30days like on my my visit last year and year before? Or for a longer term single entry i apply through Saigon or Hanoi in person?

And yes I am a UK passport holder.

I would also be seriously interested in the Education visa because like I said, I would like to remain in Thailand so learning the language would be beneficial in more than 1 way.

No Manarak I am not a troll and have come here for advice from people who know what they are talking about! I have read so many threads on forums that contradict each other. Sorry you felt the need you had to post, after all, I did say positive feedback

[metisdead]

A troll post has been removed.

[elviajero]

I would recommend you get another Tourist Visa, which will give you 60 days + 30 extension (approx. 90 days).

That'll give you time to find your feet here, and if you want to take Thai lessons you can. After that if you want to stay and continue language lessons you could get a Non-Immigration "ED" visa with the support of your language school. Or get another tourist visa. There may be a limit to the number of back to back tourist visas you can get, which based on reports is 3 or 4, before they will want proof of income to ensure you're not working. But Tourist visas could keep you going for 1 to 2 years.

There is an elite visa available for unlimited entries for 5 years. It solves all problems, but its expensive at 500,000 THB.

Once you reach 50 you can apply for a Non-Immigration 'OA' on the basis of retirement which can be extended each year indefinitely.

Given you are new to the country I'd take it slow and keep your options open.

Edited April 10, 2015 by elviajero

[Mario2008]

You can get a double entry tourist visa in Laos, with extensions that gives you almost 6 months of stay in Thailand with 1 border run in between. During that tie you can look for a good school that will support you with an ED-visa.

Once you turn 50 you can stay in Thailand as a retiree, with 800,000 baht in a Thai bank account.

[BuckBee]

education visa is a awful mess currently & a good way for a novice to loose a lot of money

What you can do is either come back to thailand on visa exempt or pick up a tourist visa from vietnam,

Once back in Thailand look for language classes, some books & thai friends will help a lot too.

For future visa you can travel by land to Savanakhet Laos for example & grab a double entry tourist which would give yo 4 months plus possible 30day extensions from immigration on each entry.

This can be repeated a few times using various consulates & you could get a year or 2 or more from it.

3 million baht won't last long if you stupid so you really need wise up on visas & figure out what you want to do ...

[Mario2008]

I would recommend you get another Tourist Visa, which will give you 60 days + 30 extension (approx. 90 days).

That'll give you time to find your feet here, and if you want to take Thai lessons you can. After that if you want to stay and continue language lessons you could get a Non-Immigration "ED" visa with the support of your language school. Or get another tourist visa. There may be a limit to the number of back to back tourist visas you can get, which based on reports is 3 or 4, before they will want proof of income to ensure you're not working. But Tourist visas could keep you going for 1 to 2 years.

There is an elite visa available for unlimited entries for 5 years. It solves all problems, but its expensive at 500,000 THB.

Once you reach 50 you can apply for a Non-Immigration 'OA' on the basis of retirement which can be extended each year indefinitely.

Given you are new to the country I'd take it slow and keep your options open.

He would apply for a single non-O visa based on retirement. The O-A visa can only be applied for in the home country/country of residence.

[NanLaew]

Thanks NanLaew. So basically if I fly into BKK I just get a normal 30days like on my my visit last year and year before? Or for a longer term single entry i apply through Saigon or Hanoi in person?

And yes I am a UK passport holder.

I would also be seriously interested in the Education visa because like I said, I would like to remain in Thailand so learning the language would be beneficial in more than 1 way.

No Manarak I am not a troll and have come here for advice from people who know what they are talking about! I have read so many threads on forums that contradict each other. Sorry you felt the need you had to post, after all, I did say positive feedback

Yes, either 30 days visa-exempt that you can extend inside the country but with the recent administrative changes, I would not 'milk' any temporary stay. Best bet is the single-entry TR which gives you breathing space. If you need a double-entry TR visa, then that's best obtained back in the UK so have that in your year planner.

The ED visa is one of those visa classifications getting real close scrutiny under the 'adminstrative changes' and I would suggest making very, very sure of the bona fides of whatever establishment you choose to attend. Plenty good advice on these pages but don't confine yourself in that regard. You would also need to check on the idiosyncrasies of the local Immigration Office that would be handling any internal immigration paperwork for you. So where you choose to hang your hat needs to have that check-box added.

Your age and timing is to your advantage as you have up to 3 years to get your head around living here before you can qualify for the Non-O retirement option. Keep your 3 million where it is safe and working for you, pay yourself a salary and explore. If you like a particular locale, you are recommended to rent first. Same goes for any business you may wish to try. Take your time, do the math, don't crash and burn.

The 3 years can also embrace visits to other countries in the area. Who knows, things may change and suddenly Vietnam looks a better deal again. Keep both your mind and your options open.

Edited April 10, 2015 by NanLaew

[Walter Travolta]

You can get a double entry tourist visa in Laos, with extensions that gives you almost 6 months of stay in Thailand with 1 border run in between. During that tie you can look for a good school that will support you with an ED-visa.

Once you turn 50 you can stay in Thailand as a retiree, with 800,000 baht in a Thai bank account.

Can the double entry only be done in Laos Mario2008?

[Walter Travolta]

What does TR mean please? Sorry but i did say I was not familiar with the O and A and the wording but I will research and find out. I have no immediate plans of returning to the UK so I only need advice about my options here?

Although I do need to think about retirement, it is still nearly 3 years away so I at the present I would like to concentrate on getting back to Thailand should I feel the need, and for the longest duration. If I can get longer going going via Laos than Saigon I would probably take that option if it gives me longer stay. But does anybody know why 1 country would give a longer period than another country?

Sorry guys I hate to be a pain but I find the advice interesting although baffling at times

[skatewash]

What does TR mean please?

Tourist Visa (60 days, extendable for an extra 30 days while in Thailand).

The basic law is the same for all embassies/consulates, but the policies of different embassies/consulates do seem to differ perhaps due to varying interpretations or implementations of the rules, or sometimes, quite frankly, for no discernible reason. Sometimes visas that are available at one embassy/consulate will not be available at another. Thai Visa can be invaluable source of information regarding what's available from where under which conditions. Something you wouldn't necessarily know otherwise.

[Walter Travolta]

What does TR mean please?

Tourist Visa (60 days, extendable for an extra 30 days while in Thailand).

The basic law is the same for all embassies/consulates, but the policies of different embassies/consulates do seem to differ perhaps due to varying interpretations or implementations of the rules, or sometimes, quite frankly, for no discernible reason. Sometimes visas that are available at one embassy/consulate will not be available at another. Thai Visa can be invaluable source of information regarding what's available from where under which conditions. Something you wouldn't necessarily know otherwise.

Yes I agree skatewash and thanks for the heads up. I guess most posts regarding my situation are all good and true, but when so many people offer different advice, it is difficult to know which route to take. Laos seems a good bet for longevity going by what Mario2008 said, and the advice from elviajero about ED visas seems useful too.

[Walter Travolta]

education visa is a awful mess currently & a good way for a novice to loose a lot of money

What you can do is either come back to thailand on visa exempt or pick up a tourist visa from vietnam,

Once back in Thailand look for language classes, some books & thai friends will help a lot too.

For future visa you can travel by land to Savanakhet Laos for example & grab a double entry tourist which would give yo 4 months plus possible 30day extensions from immigration on each entry.

This can be repeated a few times using various consulates & you could get a year or 2 or more from it.

3 million baht won't last long if you stupid so you really need wise up on visas & figure out what you want to do ...

Hi Buckbee thanks for taking the time out to reply

May I ask what you mean by education visa is a mess? Im not sure if you mean that they are fed up of people using it as a way of conning some extra time in Thailand or maybe the system is screwed?

I know what you're saying about 3m baht, I know its not a fortune, but I came over on Feb 9/10 and including everything (accom,food,drink,electric and water) I had spent £1400 in those 2 months. I went out nearly every night but yeah, I may be a bit naive when it comes to understanding the laws of a land, but I have a knack for being frugal!! The reasom I sold up was because I ended up unemployed with a mortgage and no govt help so being single I had to find every penny myself. I just thought that I may aswell be skint in Thailand where money goes further than in the cold of England

[nzexpat]

Be very careful and conserve your financial resource

At your age the visa options are limited , practically, to tourist visas .

These visas are best obtained in Laos where double entry visas are issued.

I would suggest staying well away from Language Schools and ED visas !

If you really wish to learn the Thai language that can be done by just paying for tuition no need for an ED visa !

Edited April 10, 2015 by nzexpat

[DP25]

Best bet is the single-entry TR which gives you breathing space. If you need a double-entry TR visa, then that's best obtained back in the UK so have that in your year planner.

A double entry tourist visa is best obtained in Laos. Absolutely no reason to go back to the UK, he will have no problem getting a double entry in Laos.

[elviajero]

What does TR mean please? Sorry but i did say I was not familiar with the O and A and the wording but I will research and find out. I have no immediate plans of returning to the UK so I only need advice about my options here?

Although I do need to think about retirement, it is still nearly 3 years away so I at the present I would like to concentrate on getting back to Thailand should I feel the need, and for the longest duration. If I can get longer going going via Laos than Saigon I would probably take that option if it gives me longer stay. But does anybody know why 1 country would give a longer period than another country?

Sorry guys I hate to be a pain but I find the advice interesting although baffling at times

I think your decision is simple. Get a Tourist visa. And think again when it expires.

If you're prepared to travel then go to the Thai Embassy at Vienteine, Laos and get a double entry Tourist visa. I don't think a double is available in Vietnam or Cambodia.

A double entry will give you about 6 months. On the first entry you will be given a stay of 60 days. Before the 60 days is up you'll need to go to immigration in Thailand and get a 30 day extension (cost 1,900 THB) at the end of that 30 days you will need to exit Thaialnd, but you can turn around and re-enter with your second entry and be given another 60 days. Once that's up you can go back to immigration for another 30 day extension.

During the last 30 days you can make plans for your next visa based on what happens during that 6 months.

That's what I would do if I were you based on what you told us.

[VBF]

Be very careful and conserve your financial resource

At your age the visa options are limited , practically, to tourist visas .

These visas are best obtained in Laos where double entry visas are issued.

I would suggest staying well away from Language Schools and ED visas !

If you really wish to learn the Thai language that can be done by just paying for tuition no need for an ED visa !

The bigger language schools who will "arrange" an ED visa for you may well charge quite a lot and will probably want you to pay up-front.

Depending on where you stay in Thailand, there are lots of cheap little language schools dotted about.

Some are better than others so don't pay for lots of lessons up-front, try and negotiate a sort of "Pay as you go" agreement.

Actually, in your situation, that might apply to many things!

[BuckBee]

education visa is a awful mess currently & a good way for a novice to loose a lot of money

What you can do is either come back to thailand on visa exempt or pick up a tourist visa from vietnam,

Once back in Thailand look for language classes, some books & thai friends will help a lot too.

For future visa you can travel by land to Savanakhet Laos for example & grab a double entry tourist which would give yo 4 months plus possible 30day extensions from immigration on each entry.

This can be repeated a few times using various consulates & you could get a year or 2 or more from it.

3 million baht won't last long if you stupid so you really need wise up on visas & figure out what you want to do ...

Hi Buckbee thanks for taking the time out to reply

May I ask what you mean by education visa is a mess? Im not sure if you mean that they are fed up of people using it as a way of conning some extra time in Thailand or maybe the system is screwed?

I know what you're saying about 3m baht, I know its not a fortune, but I came over on Feb 9/10 and including everything (accom,food,drink,electric and water) I had spent £1400 in those 2 months. I went out nearly every night but yeah, I may be a bit naive when it comes to understanding the laws of a land, but I have a knack for being frugal!! The reasom I sold up was because I ended up unemployed with a mortgage and no govt help so being single I had to find every penny myself. I just thought that I may aswell be skint in Thailand where money goes further than in the cold of England

Basically education visas are a mess as they have a big crackdown on it currently, even if you legit going to school it more hassle than it worth,

The language school fees are ridiculous, hassle with immigration is rediculous so I see no reason why anyone would want an Education visa when you could achieve the same on tourist cheaper/easier & have wider option on what type of language schooling you want.

I paid less than 400GBP years ago for 2hrs a day for 4 months, mix that with books & thai friends & language is covered for the basics & then time & practice improves it daily.

If you had planned your trip here you could of got a triple entry tourist in uk by post from embassy & that would of done you good 6 months (8+ months with extensions) to start off then picking up couple double entries in Savanakhet would of seen you well over a year.

Few places around will do double entry visas but laos is easiest & cheapest to do. I would recommend Savanakhet as easy route/cheap for beginner.

Read up on the Savanakhet guides as I personally posted quite a lot of info to try & make it easy for people.

I think you need a few nights in & fully grasp the visa system by doing some research on here, don't rely on bar talk/advise as most if it is pure 5hite.

Also use your money wisely, that means efficient transfer methods such as online transfer from likes of Halifax & having a bank account here, Cash exchange is best rate though if use service like http://www.x-one.com/ so worth coming over with some GBP cash £20 notes.

Good planning & you could have a few cheap years here & see where it takes you, be lazy & stupid & you will be another penniless tosser sat at the bar. not knocking you, just want you make most of your time & money ...

Edited April 10, 2015 by BuckBee

[DogNo1]

Three million is not very much money. It might last you five years if you're very careful. I hope you will have a regular retirement income. Good luck!

[JB300]

Three million is not very much money. It might last you five years if you're very careful. I hope you will have a regular retirement income. Good luck!

3Million really isn't a lot of money, even at a burn rate of £700 per month, you'll be broke before you hit 55 & wouldn't have enough to cover the 800,000 retirement deposit a few years before that, so obviously you need some kind of income stream.

I'm not sure that starting a business in Thailand is the smartest plan, have you looked into making money online? That way you can "Work" from wherever you have decent internet access.

Or, there's always teaching English (walks away whistling)...

Edited April 11, 2015 by JB300

[jerojero]

Google. Read read read. All your questions will be answered.

[Pinot]

I wouldn't have the patience to fight the Thai visa battle for the next three years. Learning Thai is boring, a language that only 70 million speak.

I would look to Vietnam, the Phils, but I think Cambodia would be the answer. It's a lot easier to have a business and work in Cambodia than Thailand. It has it's downsides but every place does. It's also cheaper.

[Walter Travolta]

education visa is a awful mess currently & a good way for a novice to loose a lot of money

What you can do is either come back to thailand on visa exempt or pick up a tourist visa from vietnam,

Once back in Thailand look for language classes, some books & thai friends will help a lot too.

For future visa you can travel by land to Savanakhet Laos for example & grab a double entry tourist which would give yo 4 months plus possible 30day extensions from immigration on each entry.

This can be repeated a few times using various consulates & you could get a year or 2 or more from it.

3 million baht won't last long if you stupid so you really need wise up on visas & figure out what you want to do ...

Hi Buckbee thanks for taking the time out to reply

May I ask what you mean by education visa is a mess? Im not sure if you mean that they are fed up of people using it as a way of conning some extra time in Thailand or maybe the system is screwed?

I know what you're saying about 3m baht, I know its not a fortune, but I came over on Feb 9/10 and including everything (accom,food,drink,electric and water) I had spent £1400 in those 2 months. I went out nearly every night but yeah, I may be a bit naive when it comes to understanding the laws of a land, but I have a knack for being frugal!! The reasom I sold up was because I ended up unemployed with a mortgage and no govt help so being single I had to find every penny myself. I just thought that I may aswell be skint in Thailand where money goes further than in the cold of England

Basically education visas are a mess as they have a big crackdown on it currently, even if you legit going to school it more hassle than it worth,

The language school fees are ridiculous, hassle with immigration is rediculous so I see no reason why anyone would want an Education visa when you could achieve the same on tourist cheaper/easier & have wider option on what type of language schooling you want.

I paid less than 400GBP years ago for 2hrs a day for 4 months, mix that with books & thai friends & language is covered for the basics & then time & practice improves it daily.

If you had planned your trip here you could of got a triple entry tourist in uk by post from embassy & that would of done you good 6 months (8+ months with extensions) to start off then picking up couple double entries in Savanakhet would of seen you well over a year.

Few places around will do double entry visas but laos is easiest & cheapest to do. I would recommend Savanakhet as easy route/cheap for beginner.

Read up on the Savanakhet guides as I personally posted quite a lot of info to try & make it easy for people.

I think you need a few nights in & fully grasp the visa system by doing some research on here, don't rely on bar talk/advise as most if it is pure 5hite.

Also use your money wisely, that means efficient transfer methods such as online transfer from likes of Halifax & having a bank account here, Cash exchange is best rate though if use service like http://www.x-one.com/ so worth coming over with some GBP cash £20 notes.

Good planning & you could have a few cheap years here & see where it takes you, be lazy & stupid & you will be another penniless tosser sat at the bar. not knocking you, just want you make most of your time & money ...

That was the first mistake I made, not getting the correct visa in Hull.

So you think my best option for longevity on my next visa would be Savanakhet in Laos? A double entry would give me 60 (+30) then border then another 60 (+30) would I be correct in my assumption? I am not going to even think about the ED visa as an option because the only reasons I considered it in the first place were because it gave me 1 year, and the fact I would feel like I was doing something worthwhile.

[Walter Travolta]

Three million is not very much money. It might last you five years if you're very careful. I hope you will have a regular retirement income. Good luck!

I'm not sure that starting a business in Thailand is the smartest plan, have you looked into making money online? That way you can "Work" from wherever you have decent internet access.

Hi JB300 - I have wandered about making money online but my work background is manual so wouldn't really have a clue where to start or what business would be good, as I fear that anything worthwhile would be already up and running with much competition . . . would you have any suggestions as I am open to any ideas or thoughts.

[Walter Travolta]

Be very careful and conserve your financial resource

At your age the visa options are limited , practically, to tourist visas .

These visas are best obtained in Laos where double entry visas are issued.

I would suggest staying well away from Language Schools and ED visas !

If you really wish to learn the Thai language that can be done by just paying for tuition no need for an ED visa !

The bigger language schools who will "arrange" an ED visa for you may well charge quite a lot and will probably want you to pay up-front.

Depending on where you stay in Thailand, there are lots of cheap little language schools dotted about.

Some are better than others so don't pay for lots of lessons up-front, try and negotiate a sort of "Pay as you go" agreement.

Actually, in your situation, that might apply to many things!

VBF and nzexpat - thanks for the advice on ED's. I may look at that in the future if/when I go back. Things can change very quickly and even a thicky like me knows that

[richard_smith237]

Thai Elite Visa an Option for the OP ?

5 years Visa for 500,000 Baht...

[Walter Travolta]

Thank you to everyone who has taken time out to offer me advice My main concern that I was worried about was that if I tried to get back into Thailand just a week after leaving, they would think I was playing the system after having spent 2 months there and not extending. But everyone shares the opinion that I will not have any problems about going back should I wish to which kind of answered my concern.

Regarding ED visa, I was under the impression that this would be my best option for longevity ( 1 year ) which would give me that 'breathing space' but again, I will take the advice of so many who say it is too risky, and maybe look at that should I need to as an option at a later date! Who knows, maybe I will be back here in 6 months asking your advice again and driving you all nuts!!!

In the meantime, I will try and make it work in VN, I have a 3 month visa here so . . .

In summary, if I return to Thailand, Am I better off going via Savanakhet or Vientiane for a double entry visa?

Oh and any last advice about online business would be great

Thanks again for the advice and knowledge.

[Walter Travolta]

Thai Elite Visa an Option for the OP ?

5 years Visa for 500,000 Baht...

thanks Richard, this was mentioned earlier and it crossed my mind but dismissed the idea simply because I am 47 and again, forgive my naivity, but Im only 3 years away from retirement visa so would I be right in assuming that I would be paying 500.000 baht for 3 years? Or would it still take me to 52 and then start my retirement visa at 52?

[BuckBee]

That was the first mistake I made, not getting the correct visa in Hull.

So you think my best option for longevity on my next visa would be Savanakhet in Laos? A double entry would give me 60 (+30) then border then another 60 (+30) would I be correct in my assumption? I am not going to even think about the ED visa as an option because the only reasons I considered it in the first place were because it gave me 1 year, and the fact I would feel like I was doing something worthwhile.

Yes I think that your best option at moment & gives you some time to review visa rules/options & your plans here.

Savanakhet is easy, you can do this on your own with no touts/agents & no hassle, just by researching the savanakhet threads for advise & asking few questions if needed. You would have close to 6months from that if do 2 extensions but I would probably only do one extension & then use the 2,000baht extension fee to go get another savanakhet visa.

getting some language tuition would be good as gives you routine plus speaking some lingo makes big difference on ease of life & way you treated here.

Online businesses all sounds good but for most it all talk as it not that easy unless your field or linked resources work with it . Worth while employment is not easy here, English teaching gets knocked here but some of the most decent people & good long term earners I know have been proper teachers who put in the effort & got good positions.

You would probably be wise doing a few trips around the region when activating second visa entries or picking up another visa. Cambodia is worth some time, historically interesting & siam reap was quite appealing to me, could be a place you find interesting & with more friendly permits & less $ greedy could be a business ground for yourself ! Thailands good at sucking money & 'well expect you can guess' , setting up business is not fun here & with current political mess & prejudice on foreign companies you would be mad to try when so many ASIAN neighbours have far more to offer.