Visa Rules Will Be Tightened To Stop Abuse

[beammeup]

The whole thing is horribly written.. But even if it is meant as its intended (I think)..

Are they really going to turn away the guy who comes for a month at new year, a month at song gran, a month at autumn and then when he returns for christmas say "no, sorry youve spent too much time and money here" I for one doubt that.

As to all the posters getting on thier high horse and saying get a real visa.. There is one glaring gap in the visa regs and thats an under 50 independantly wealthy person who for one reason or another will not or can not marry.

I live here, I am retired and should not need to work again, I have a nice villa to stay in, obey the law, budget about 150k per month for living (but blow that budget some months). The woman I refer to as my 'wife' was previously married to a farang who is MIA (and wanted by Thai authorities) and she cannot divorce without his consent. So what long stay visa is there ?? To the poster who said to get a 1 year tourist, find one !! No embassy or consul I know will issue 4x tourist entries and surely as a long stay resident you shouldnt still be on a tourist visa ??

Well said, there are also many seamen and offshore workers who may have a month on / off rotation outside the country who live (and spend a LOT of cash) here. Going down to Penang for a visa is a pain in the butt!! They love our money so I doubt they will make any drastic changes.

[Paraglider]

Then of course there is Cambodia which is most definitely Westerner friendly. You can pretty much just buy a one year visa at, I believe, around $US250 for a year. And it can be renewed ad infinitum. Malaysia and Cambodia both have plenty going for them, but they're not Thailand.

Thousand+1 times thanks for this suggestion.Maybe we spend our $ there.We've been to Cambodia and it was nice at serveral places.If it really comes to the worst,we'll make the move.Is nice for paragliding as well and even chaeaper too.

Would be for sure not the intention of the disisionmakers here,nor a benefit to Thailand,if many foreigners dicide the same way-but we don't care!

[jas007]

For me at least, this topic is more than academic, as I leave for Thailand in about seven weeks. I'm from the USA, over 55, and just retired. I'll have the monthly income and, if necessary, can deposit 800,000 in a Thai bank, althogh I'd rather not. So I'm planning on a retirement visa.

At first I was simply going to apply for a retiement visa here in the USA, but I don't have my retirement papers yet and I don't yet have a Thai bank account, so I'm not sure how I'd "prove" my income to the Thai consulate. However, I read somewhere on this board that one can convert a 60 day toursit visa, once in Thailand, to a non-immigrant O visa, and thereafter apply for the retirement extension of stay in Thailand. This would make sense for me, as by then I'll have a Thai bank account and will be able to prove my income either by way of some official documentation as to the amount or by some letter I get from the US embassy.

So, all things considered, does all this still sound feasible?

Thanks in advance for any insight.

John

[baboon]

That's funny, I feel just the opposite. If I was a poor man, I would not choose to live permanrntly in Thailand. I'd want to live somewhere that I could make something of myself and become rich. At that point I would come to Thailand permanently

And maybe die in a couple of months after a miserable money chasing life.

Great post, Neeranam! I am one of those who has fallen through the cracks of existing law. I am 35, married to a Tha woman with enough money to support us for a few years thanks to working 12 or more hours a day, 7 days a week for 15 years. I am faithful to my wife and have no criminal record in any country in the world.

It is not my fault I am too young for a retirement visa and last year was denied a 1 year extension on my Non O visa at the whim of an Officer. Lopburi3 told me he could not understand why, but there you go. Before anyone starts, no I was not drunk, aggressive or badly dressed.

Quite frankly, the attitude of what seems to be the moneyed, SUV owning smug pensioners who want scum like me kicked out of Thailand seemingly because they are jealous of young whippersnappers living the life they could not in the past, makes me want to puke.Get a life and get out of mine.

[meom]

Well said, there are also many seamen and offshore workers who may have a month on / off rotation outside the country who live (and spend a LOT of cash) here. Going down to Penang for a visa is a pain in the butt!! They love our money so I doubt they will make any drastic changes.

I'm doing 6/3 from Saudi and can't really imagine having to go to Riyadh diplomatic quarter every six weeks to get a proper visa instead of 30 days on arrival.

Anyway nothing money can't fix so i ain't to bothered yet.

[Big Dogster]

If things become too restrictive visa wise here then there will be no alternative to choose a different country. I'm 45 and retired early who spends around 100K per month here. I live off a combo of pension and investment income from abroad. I don't have a cool 3 mil baht to yank from my foreign investments to plunk into this country and with all the ongoing rule changes, I dont know who would. There is too much risk to do that: economy goes down due to this, property values go down and the like. I also will not marry out of convenience. I have been here 5 years but have been very careful not to get tied down here as I have never been overly confident of the place to do that. I have myself set up to depart at a moments notice and will do just that if it comes down to it. Thailand is far from the end all in my book. We'll see what becomes of this

[melonf]

More firm details from www.forbes.com

Thailand will tighten entry regulations for tourists in a bid to crack down on illegal foreign workers, the Immigration Bureau said.

The move, which takes effect October 1, would affect tourists from 41 countries including Australia, the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the US, said Suwat Thamrongsrisakul, the head of the bureau.

Currently, tourists from 41 countries can enter Thailand without visas and stay in the kingdom for up to 30 days.

They can extend their stay by checking out of the country, mainly by crossing the borders of neighboring Cambodia and Laos, and returning with new entry stamps.

'Under the current rules, people from those countries can stay in Thailand as long as they want. Some even stay here for one year,' another bureau official said.

The bureau had learned that a growing number of foreigners from the 41 countries worked illegally in Thailand, Suwat said, adding many were employed in bars and restaurants in the popular seaside resort of Pattaya, east of Bangkok.

'Tourists are taking advantage of the visa exemption law. Instead of sightseeing, they are doing business here,' Suwat said.

From October, tourists from the designated countries can still enter Thailand without visas and stay for up to 30 days, but their entry stamps will be renewable twice at most for a maximum stay of 90 days.

Tourists who stayed for 90 days must leave the kingdom for at least 90 days before being permitted to re-enter Thailand, Suwat said.

[Maestro]

... one can convert a 60 day toursit visa, once in Thailand, to a non-immigrant O visa, and thereafter apply for the retirement extension of stay in Thailand. This would make sense for me, as by then I'll have a Thai bank account and will be able to prove my income either by way of some official documentation as to the amount or by some letter I get from the US embassy.

Even better, get a non-immigrant visa category O for the purpose of “investigating retirement possibility in Thailand” – single-entry or multiple-entry, as you prefer – from a service-oriented (read: honorary) Thai consulate and when in Thailand apply for annual extension of permission to stay. This way, you can avoid the additional step of converting the tourist visa to a non-O visa after your arrival in Thailand.

---------------

Maestro

[Sunbelt Asia]

More firm details from www.forbes.com

Thailand will tighten entry regulations for tourists in a bid to crack down on illegal foreign workers, the Immigration Bureau said.

The move, which takes effect October 1, would affect tourists from 41 countries including Australia, the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the US, said Suwat Thamrongsrisakul, the head of the bureau.

Currently, tourists from 41 countries can enter Thailand without visas and stay in the kingdom for up to 30 days.

They can extend their stay by checking out of the country, mainly by crossing the borders of neighboring Cambodia and Laos, and returning with new entry stamps.

'Under the current rules, people from those countries can stay in Thailand as long as they want. Some even stay here for one year,' another bureau official said.

The bureau had learned that a growing number of foreigners from the 41 countries worked illegally in Thailand, Suwat said, adding many were employed in bars and restaurants in the popular seaside resort of Pattaya, east of Bangkok.

'Tourists are taking advantage of the visa exemption law. Instead of sightseeing, they are doing business here,' Suwat said.

From October, tourists from the designated countries can still enter Thailand without visas and stay for up to 30 days, but their entry stamps will be renewable twice at most for a maximum stay of 90 days.

Tourists who stayed for 90 days must leave the kingdom for at least 90 days before being permitted to re-enter Thailand, Suwat said.

It is the Westerner's they are going after.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

[lung]

From October, tourists from the designated countries can still enter Thailand without visas and stay for up to 30 days, but their entry stamps will be renewable twice at most for a maximum stay of 90 days.

Tourists who stayed for 90 days must leave the kingdom for at least 90 days before being permitted to re-enter Thailand, Suwat said.

here we go ..

[Sunbelt Asia]

For me at least, this topic is more than academic, as I leave for Thailand in about seven weeks. I'm from the USA, over 55, and just retired. I'll have the monthly income and, if necessary, can deposit 800,000 in a Thai bank, althogh I'd rather not. So I'm planning on a retirement visa.

At first I was simply going to apply for a retiement visa here in the USA, but I don't have my retirement papers yet and I don't yet have a Thai bank account, so I'm not sure how I'd "prove" my income to the Thai consulate. However, I read somewhere on this board that one can convert a 60 day toursit visa, once in Thailand, to a non-immigrant O visa, and thereafter apply for the retirement extension of stay in Thailand. This would make sense for me, as by then I'll have a Thai bank account and will be able to prove my income either by way of some official documentation as to the amount or by some letter I get from the US embassy.

So, all things considered, does all this still sound feasible?

Thanks in advance for any insight.

John

Some Thai Consulates in the USA will give you a single 90 day "O" visa. Then you would do the extension here in Thailand.

Others will ask you to show your $ in the States and get a criminal record, medical report in the USA so you can apply for the long term retirement visa there. Once you arrive you get a one year stamp in your passport.

Easier just to get a single "O" or 60 day tourist and convert it here. as then you will find no need to be running around to the Police and getting a report, Going to a medical report that in the States will cost $150 and here $4.00 and getting a letter from the Embassy rather than show your bank accts in the States.

If you don't mind the cost and time than it may be better to apply in the States for the long term visa and get it over with before you arrive.

Either way works...

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

[Arkady]

I think it is best to sit back for a few days until the story is sorted out. It looks from the outside just a paper plan to deal with abusers. If it has any real functionality will be at the border and with the occasional passport check. Other than that the people who abuse the system don’t make visa runs and stay hidden in plain sight. Passport sweeps will be the only way to root out the problem people. This is not to untypical if what is done in the states. Just keep a copy of your passport and visa on hand. I suspect only certain parts of Bangkok will be swept like China town and so on. Other than that I would not worry too much if you are on the 41 country list.

I'm not sure that is very wise. If you are caught on overstay - not at the airport - the ramifications are pretty medieval!

Although it doesn't affect me I imagine that this is going to make a lot of people up sticks and go live somewhere else - I've heard that Cambodia and Vietnam are getting more popular.

I live in CM and there must be hundreds, if not thousands of foreigners living here that do this. Do the Thai government not want these people spending money in LOS?

We will have to wait to see whether they are after VOA countries or visa exemption countries or both. But I think the answer to your question is regrettably no, they don't care about the thousands of foreigners living here on tourist visas spending money. The TRT government has made it very clear that it is only interested in wealthy Elite card type foreign tourists and has come out with many comments critical of backpacker tourists. The global war on terror, the Southern situation and the alleged plot on Thaksin's life are all perfectly good excuses to tighten up visa enforcement.

[trajan]

This topic continues here:

Immigration confirms the end of border runs from October 1, 2006

Thailand tightens visa rules for tourists to cut illegal workers

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=82672

Tourists who stayed for 90 days must leave the kingdom for at least 90 days before being permitted to re-enter Thailand, Suwat said.

Edited September 10, 2006 by george

[john_bkk919]

I really don't understand comments like this. Not just the logic, but the vitriol, from a fellow expat.

Basically if you're single, too young to get an 'O' visa and don't want to / cannot teach English, what visa exactly are you eligible for?

And who are these people 'cheating' by staying and spending their trust funds / investment savings here? Do you think the 30 day visa run guys really feel like they're 'getting over' on the system? No, they're just trying to stay legal even if it means putting up with a horseshit procedure to do it.

I'm sure most would gladly pay for a one year visa down at Suan Phlu, if such a thing were possible, even if it cost $$$$. But it's not, so the only people making money right now are Cambo border guards and travel agencies. Sorry, but that's how the Thais have set it up. They'd make more money than off of the Elite card if they simply sold one year visas downtown for 30-40k baht a pop.

[FLAME DELETED. It's enough to state your point. Abusing other posters only detracts from any message you wish to convey. /Meadish]

I live in CM and there must be hundreds, if not thousands of foreigners living here that do this. Do the Thai government not want these people spending money in LOS?

no they dont and rightly so....if you are on a perpetual rotating tourist visa run (or perpetual visa exempt re-entry merry-go-round), then you are cheating the system and have no right to complain if the authorities decide to stop the cheating (even if you are supporting three buffalos and an entire bar)....

get the right visa and get legal not fair to those who comply with the system and take the time and expense to comply.....

Edited September 11, 2006 by meadish_sweetball

[Arkady]

The whole thing is horribly written.. But even if it is meant as its intended (I think)..

Are they really going to turn away the guy who comes for a month at new year, a month at song gran, a month at autumn and then when he returns for christmas say "no, sorry youve spent too much time and money here" I for one doubt that.

As to all the posters getting on thier high horse and saying get a real visa.. There is one glaring gap in the visa regs and thats an under 50 independantly wealthy person who for one reason or another will not or can not marry.

I live here, I am retired and should not need to work again, I have a nice villa to stay in, obey the law, budget about 150k per month for living (but blow that budget some months). The woman I refer to as my 'wife' was previously married to a farang who is MIA (and wanted by Thai authorities) and she cannot divorce without his consent. So what long stay visa is there ?? To the poster who said to get a 1 year tourist, find one !! No embassy or consul I know will issue 4x tourist entries and surely as a long stay resident you shouldnt still be on a tourist visa ??

If you are under 50, independently wealthy, not married to a Thai and not working here, they would tell you to get an Elite card or at least an investment visa. If you cannot qualify for either, they don't care much whether you stay or go.

[Maestro]

From October, tourists from the designated countries can still enter Thailand without visas and stay for up to 30 days, but their entry stamps will be renewable twice at most for a maximum stay of 90 days.

Tourists who stayed for 90 days must leave the kingdom for at least 90 days before being permitted to re-enter Thailand, Suwat said.

If with “renewable” an extension of stay at the local immigration office is meant, then this looks like an improvement to me for the bona-fide tourist.

---------------

Maestro

[Maestro]

Immigration confirms the end of border runs from October 1, 2006

Thailand tightens visa rules for tourists to cut illegal workers

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=82672

My guess was right, then, and we didn’t even have to wait long for clarification by a more lucid news report than the rubbish article in the Nation.

---------------

Maestro

Edited September 10, 2006 by maestro

[kudroz]

Tourists who stayed for 90 days must leave the kingdom for at least 90 days before being permitted to re-enter Thailand, Suwat said.

Now my question is, what about consecutive Tourist Visas obtained in Thai Embassies abroad? They say "Tourists" cannot stay more than 90 days... so I guess it would be impossible to get consecutive Tourist Visas or 2-3 Re-Entry Tourist Visas?

[Neeranam]

This morning we woke up to news that the Immigration Department looks to be doing what they should have done many, many years ago

They did about 8 years ago - people were losing their passports and and accidently losing the in the washing machine . The embassies were very busy handing out new passports. A lot cheaper than flying back to your homeland!

[Maestro]

Now my question is, what about consecutive Tourist Visas obtained in Thai Embassies abroad? They say "Tourists" cannot stay more than 90 days... so I guess it would be impossible to get consecutive Tourist Visas or 2-3 Re-Entry Tourist Visas?

Reading it in the context of the news report I understand that it applies to tourists entering on the visa-exemption status, not to those entering on a tourist visa.

At first glance the losers would appear to be the honorary consulates, who would see a lower demand for tourist visas, but since a tourist visa costs only $25 per entry it comes out even money, with an extension of the visa-exempt entry (1,900) – if that is what is really meant – costing about the same.

---------------

Maestro

[rossigee]

Completely agree....busines visas, retirement visas, marriage visas are all easily available.

What is so difficult with simply complying with the law.

Certain situation make it hard or impossible to get the right visa. Me for instance, I do not work in Thailand but I have income from my investments and business abroad. I am 24 years old and I do not qualify for the retirement visa.

Even for a Tourist Visa, the embassy abroad wrote on my visa that they will not give issue me another one (probably because I'm too young). I tried showing some sort of proof of funds that I have... but doesn't work.

So it's impossible for me to have a visa, unless I form some kind of BS company and pay 2M baht or I give some extraordinary in the government coffer by buying bonds. So it's not practical, or easy as you say, for me to obtain a visa.

Dude, same boat. I can more than adequately look after myself, my girlfriend, all our friends and their buffaloes and raise our son in Thailand, based on the income from my UK-based clients, but I'm not prepared to set up another BS company like I did for the last 3 yrs to do it. The biggest waste of time and insults to my intelligence in my entire life so far. I'm looking into the other ways, such as investment visas etc, but so far think we might well not get to raise our son in Thailand at this rate.

[lung]

i think most of the "businessmaker" are on VISA -O

[creation2474]

Completely agree....busines visas, retirement visas, marriage visas are all easily available.

What is so difficult with simply complying with the law.

Certain situation make it hard or impossible to get the right visa. Me for instance, I do not work in Thailand but I have income from my investments and business abroad. I am 24 years old and I do not qualify for the retirement visa.

Even for a Tourist Visa, the embassy abroad wrote on my visa that they will not give issue me another one (probably because I'm too young). I tried showing some sort of proof of funds that I have... but doesn't work.

So it's impossible for me to have a visa, unless I form some kind of BS company and pay 2M baht or I give some extraordinary in the government coffer by buying bonds. So it's not practical, or easy as you say, for me to obtain a visa.

Dude, same boat. I can more than adequately look after myself, my girlfriend, all our friends and their buffaloes and raise our son in Thailand, based on the income from my UK-based clients, but I'm not prepared to set up another BS company like I did for the last 3 yrs to do it. The biggest waste of time and insults to my intelligence in my entire life so far. I'm looking into the other ways, such as investment visas etc, but so far think we might well not get to raise our son in Thailand at this rate.

Me too. And many, many others i think. Have a relatively small investment at home, but enough to support myself and a potential family as well. To take 3 mill. baht out, and invest them in Thailand, will reduce the yield more than I will accept. That cost is simply not worth it.

Of course Thailand can do what it wants, I don't complain. And if they don't want me and all the other decent visa runners here, fine, I just leave then. It's their problem, not mine. However, I can feel a bit sorry for those, who have started a family life here, but don't want or need to marry. They cannot just leave like that.

Thailand have many fine aspects to offer foreigners, but so do many, many other countries!

[dob310870]

get the right visa and get legal not fair to those who comply with the system and take the time and expense to comply.....

Take for example a guy working for less than 50-60k a month in Thailand and not the owner of the Biz (a teacher getting 25k/mo?) not married ... comes on a non-imm-b multi ... works WITH a work-permit <not likely> and has a life they enjoy. All legal but then changes jobs and there is no permission to stay etc etc etc ....

Yes a trip home is doable .... for about 2 months salary ... to get the new non-imm multi ....

jdinasia . . i'd feel some empathy for your argument, but it comes from a premise that such a farang - indeed, any farang - has a god-given right to be here. We don't. Being here is a privilege accorded to us by Thai hosts. We might have a life we enjoy, but so what? It is completely in a sovereign government's rights to change the immigration laws as they see fit.

We, in turn, have a right to go home if we dont like the new rules our hosts make for us.

The Thai Government seems to be doing what any responsible government should do; enforce both the letter and the essence of its immigration laws and, at the same time, clamping down on people they see as essentially undesirable. It's a fair cop. Our home governments do it; our host government can do it too.

Strange ... but with your 2 tourist visas I have a hard time seeing a "We" in your post. I think you meant "you people that live there"

HEY, are you drunk??? Bendix did not mention "2 tourist visa's", that was me. He sounds as though he lives there, I don't. At least read the posts before you reply to them. Bendix is right, you are a immigrant in Thailand. You should consider yourself lucky that they let you stay at all, instead of bitching about how hard it is to do so. If it cost two months salary to fly home and re-new your visa then you have to decide whether you feel that it is worth it to do so. I don't need to be living in Thailand to realise that 2 months salary is a lot to spend to maintain a lifestyle that you desire; because you have just stated it as a fact. I respect your knowledge as a resident of LOS. The fact of the matter is, I easily obtained 2, 60 day visa's here in the UK and could have applied for 4. I also do not have to be a resident to know that there are lots of non-tax paying, illegal immigrants in Thailand that only serve to give the honest visitors a bad name.

[Indifferent]

Hi All.

I was told to read this by a friend as it might concern me. I think it probably will.

Not directly from the Tourist visa's etc but more from the stance the government is taking.

Certainly, in my own country, the recent anoucements here (had they been introduced in the UK) would have been viewed as severely nationalistic and opened to serious debate and condemnation.

The upshot being that Thailand is looking less and less viable to the outside world, it seems on a monthy basis.

I've been here about 6 months on a Non-B multiple entry since (I told the consulate) I was looking into investments here to expand my existing property investments.

What I actually was looking at, was long term residency here with my family living off the income from the 15 properties I have in the UK. I've already looked into investing in property here and an investment it is not. It's just throwing money away, and (from a busines point of view) it's almost laughable that people promote this as a method to enable extended priods of stay here. They certainly arn't welcome to manage any of my properties.

I'm better off buying another one in the UK and renting one here. I will own that one 100% and it will appreciate whilst earning an income.

But aside from not investing in property here what the options?

Yes I could afford 3m (or even the 10m), but for what? A visa that MAY enable us to stay here a while longer?

There would certainly be no return on that invesment and business is about making money not losing it.

Start a business here?

High risk. The odds are stacked against me and it is an unfamilair environment so there is a high risk of failure. (Even in the UK, 75% of businesses that fail, fail in their first year and the lawyers and accountants have accountability-which seems lacking here)

O visa for retirement? Not an option, I'm 42.

Marry a Thai girl? I don't think my wife would approve.

So... the options are limited. Been a fun time and a nice place to visit, but gonna try Brazil next when my visa runs out.

[fanclubcm]

50 independantly wealthy person who for one reason or another will not or can not marry.

If you are under 50, independently wealthy, not married to a Thai and not working here, they would tell you to get an Elite card or at least an investment visa. If you cannot qualify for either, they don't care much whether you stay or go.

What BS not the reply to U'r post but your post Get real-ELITE--EASY under 50 sounds like not jyet reached puberty------------ Get some more massages----own a Villa?? BS

[fanclubcm]

Completely agree....busines visas, retirement visas, marriage visas are all easily available.

What is so difficult with simply complying with the law.

Certain situation make it hard or impossible to get the right visa. Me for instance, I do not work in Thailand but I have income from my investments and business abroad. I am 24 years old and I do not qualify for the retirement visa.

Even for a Tourist Visa, the embassy abroad wrote on my visa that they will not give issue me another one (probably because I'm too young). I tried showing some sort of proof of funds that I have... but doesn't work.

So it's impossible for me to have a visa, unless I form some kind of BS company and pay 2M baht or I give some extraordinary in the government coffer by buying bonds. So it's not practical, or easy as you say, for me to obtain a visa.

Dude, same boat. I can more than adequately look after myself, my girlfriend, all our friends and their buffaloes and raise our son in Thailand, based on the income from my UK-based clients, but I'm not prepared to set up another BS company like I did for the last 3 yrs to do it. The biggest waste of time and insults to my intelligence in my entire life so far. I'm looking into the other ways, such as investment visas etc, but so far think we might well not get to raise our son in Thailand at this rate.

Me too. And many, many others i think. Have a relatively small investment at home, but enough to support myself and a potential family as well. To take 3 mill. baht out, and invest them in Thailand, will reduce the yield more than I will accept. That cost is simply not worth it.

Of course Thailand can do what it wants, I don't complain. And if they don't want me and all the other decent visa runners here, fine, I just leave then. It's their problem, not mine. However, I can feel a bit sorry for those, who have started a family life here, but don't want or need to marry. They cannot just leave like that.

Thailand have many fine aspects to offer foreigners, but so do many, many other countries!

[quadricorrelator]

Conditions in Thailand seem to change quickly and unpredictably. It seems to make the future precarious for some of us.

These recent changes make me wonder if there will be future rule tightening in other areas. I wonder if they could make it more difficult to get a retirement visa by changing the retirement age to 55 or increasing the amount of money needed, etc. etc. There could be all kinds of other changes as well.

I believe that the Thai government makes policy changes because they feel it is in the best interest of the country. Any change, even a very good one, will cause some pain for some groups of people. Good policy makers try to minimize the pain, but they are focused on improving the lives of the greatest number of people, and in improving the country's future prospects.

A few groups are always going to get hurt, but supposedly this is necessary for the greater good.

I realize that no policy making process is pure or free from individual self-serving politics, but overall, I believe that policy makers are trying to help the country.

On the positive side, I have to wonder if the tightening of regulations in immigration, land ownership, etc. have come about because Thailand has advanced to a point where they can afford/need more controls and organization.

-q

[endure]

Conditions in Thailand seem to change quickly and unpredictably. It seems to make the future precarious for some of us.

These recent changes make me wonder if there will be future rule tightening in other areas. I wonder if they could make it more difficult to get a retirement visa by changing the retirement age to 55 or increasing the amount of money needed, etc. etc. There could be all kinds of other changes as well.

There have been a couple of changes of retitrement age over the past few years and they've all dropped the age limit. It used to be 60 & 55 with different financial requirements then it dropped to 55 and then 50.

[dsfbrit]

Well,

Four and a half years ago I went through the visa process with my Thai fiancee for a settlement visa in U.K. - we had lived together in BKK for 2 years and I had been back in the U.K. for over a year with no visits here ; (establishing the that end of the business).

It was a simple process of reading the forms and presenting the information that is required by the Home Office to satisfy the financial and, even more importantly, that you do have a stable relationship that is liable to last.

After the initial 6 months whilst she was not allowed to work, she then obtained the two years to stay and the following day went and found herself a job that she loves doing and has made lots of pals in a fairly upmarket store.

She now has permanent leave to stay - accepts that tax in the U.k. is high but the benefits of medical treatment and future education far outweigh the tax costs.

One serious car crash...........think about it.

She is delighted that she can have further education (She has a Thai Degree already) in the future if she so decides.

The embassy staff at that time were polite - efficient and as they are civil servants, they look for discrepancies in paperwork.

I am back here for a couple of years and she will vist during her hloidays. Why?.

She doesn't need a re-entry stamp for the U.K. - she can come and go as she pleases, within reason of course.

Over the years the Britlag embassy did get a lot of bad press and a lot of it was justly deserved, but I do feel that there has been a sea change in the attitudes of the Embassy these past few years and this in itself could be as a result of actually having a U.K. Ambassador to Thailand who is not living in the age of Kipling.

Cheers,

Couthy.

I would love to be in my wife's postion for coming to the UK!

Okay, £300 for the visa - but after that she get's to stay for a year. Then applies for Indefinite Leave to Remain - she can then apply for a NI number and then has the same rights as I do in the UK. Free health-service, eligible for credit, can own property. She doesn't have to bring in an amount of money every month that is almost 10 times more than minimum wage.

After 3 years she can then apply for UK citizenship and can carry a UK passpost and all the benfits that are afforded from that.

Then i read in other Forums , how rude the UK embassy staff are towards Thai wives and how its almost impossible to get a UK visa ! .......Just who is telling the truth here, or perhaps the UK Embassy are realising just how difficult the Thai govt are making life for british nationals and just reciprocating.............Whats good for the Goose is good for the Gander ?