Investment Visa (4 Days For This)

[rocky]

Trying to get an investment visa in Thailand

Information

I am purchasing two condos in view tolay 6. To be honest I really purchased them to get the investment visa as I am 36 and have decided to leave the UK. Not wishing to do the visa runs. Though I do have a Non Immigrant O visa.

I have a house here in a company name, and income from investments made in Europe. In total I have set up a life in Thailand. Do not work here and only bring money into the Thai ecomony

Have the money to cover the cost of both condos in a thai bank. Money sent form the UK. Have all the paper work from all banks involved

7th September 2006

Arrive at the visa office, The officer tells me I can use the receipts for any payments from the View Tolay and the rest must be in the Krung Thai Bank Savings Account. Between the bank and the View Tolay I must have 3,000,000 bht or more

7th September go to my other bank and draw out the balance to make 3,000,000. Get a letter from the bank to say that the funds came from abroad. Take the cashier cheque to the Krung Thai Bank. Open a new account. Because it is the afternoon, the Krung Thai staff are unable to put the cheque funds into my book and tell me I have to come back in the morning before 11:30am.

8th September go back to the Krung Thai bank and deposit the cheque, update the book and then make the journey from Pattaya Klang to Soi 5 Jomtien (Immigration)

8th September. Arrive at Immigrations with paper work, bank book, bank letter from Thailand, bank letter from England, view tolay papers, photo copies and immigration form filled out twice.

They tell me I have the wrong type of Bank account, they do not wont the account I have. I explain that the account is a savings account and I have opened the account that I was explained to me the day before. No good they say.

12th September I go back to the Krung Thai bank and explain that the bank account is the wrong one and I need to open a new account. We open a fixed account. Move the money from the savings account into the new Fixed rate account. Pays interest of 4.75%

13th Setember arrive at the immigration office 9:15am wait inline after pressing number 7 on the auto system. Armed with duplicate photo copies of passport, visa, letter from the bank in England, letter from the TMB, Reciepts from View tolay, bank book from TMB, bank book fixed account Krung Thai. The Amount of payments to the View Tolay on receipt + amount in fixed rate account = 3,000,000 bht. Wait for 2 hours to be called to desk 7. When I sit down the officer tells me the receipts I have for the View Tolay condos are the wrong type so cannot take this amount into account. He then instructs me to go to View tolay office and get new receipts. I figure there is no way that the staff at View Tolay office will have any idea of what I am talking about. I ask the officer is I go back to the Krung Thai bank and deposit an amount to take the balance in the fixed rate account to 3,000,000 bht, would he give me the investment visa. Yes he says.

13th September 11:30am I leave the immigration office, the rain is that bad that the whole of sio 5 is a flooded river. I wait patiently for a farang to leave the office who has a car so I can hopefully continue on my quest with out getting drenched and drowned. Eventually, I hitch a lift from a kind gentleman from Germany. He is kind enough to take me direct to the TMB second road. Fight my way through the work site below and arrive on the 1st floor. Take out enough money to top up the Krung Thai bank to excess of 3,000,000 and leave the bank heading towards Pattaya Klang and the Krung Thai bank. Deposit the money, get a new letter. Then a bht bus to walking street. Hitch a second bht bus to soi 5 immigration from south Pattaya remembering the river I had left earlier and paid 100bht to be dropped at the door. Firstly I go into the photo copy shop next door and get two new compies of the bank book and new bank letter. Attach them to the two sets of files.

Once again in I go to immigration. Select a ticket for desk 7. Wait yet another 30-40 minutes. The officer then calls my number. I produce all the documents and finally at 3:30pm on the 13th September 2006 and 1900bht later (plus 130bht in photo copies 200-300bht in taxis, 600bht for bank letters, 1200bht for photos) I get a new stamp in my passport. The new stamp states

Pattaya Immigration Office Application For Extension Of Stay Is Under Consideration. I am then told to report back on the 10th October to find out If I can have the new Investment Visa or not.

Amazing Thailand, 4 days of running around to be told I may or maynot get a visa. Even though I have followed all the rules, have the correct funds, can prove the origin of the money. Have all the paper work etc. If this is how difficult it is to be legal here, even with money and time. What will it be like for many of the other farangs that stay here on a lower income. You wait many of your long time friends here will fanish from the smiley face town of Pattaya to return to their former homes. Enough though they have enough to live here, just not enough for the new rules.

These new changes in Thailand spell trouble for all Farangs regardless of wealth.

I dont regret investing money here, but feal cheated by a country that wont let me stay long term to enjoy it. A visa run once every three months is a little harsh for anyone who is legal and invested good money. On my next forced visa run, I really will start looking at Cambodia. From what I have been told SIHANOUKVILLE is the place to be. Maybe I will see you all there.

[Jomtien]

Keep smiling and you will survive.

[eljeque]

I may see you there, even though I earn a lot of money here by retiree standards, and also have one house left to sell. it should not be too difficult. I have been coming here since I was 23 and have lived here for 8 1/2 years of the past 17. I am well under 50, so I may be asked to leave as well. I could always ask my wife--we are still legally married, for legal assistance, if it comes to that.

[gharknes]

Trying to get an investment visa in Thailand

Information

I am purchasing two condos in view tolay 6. To be honest I really purchased them to get the investment visa as I am 36 and have decided to leave the UK. Not wishing to do the visa runs. Though I do have a Non Immigrant O visa.

I have a house here in a company name, and income from investments made in Europe. In total I have set up a life in Thailand. Do not work here and only bring money into the Thai ecomony

Have the money to cover the cost of both condos in a thai bank. Money sent form the UK. Have all the paper work from all banks involved

7th September 2006

Arrive at the visa office, The officer tells me I can use the receipts for any payments from the View Tolay and the rest must be in the Krung Thai Bank Savings Account. Between the bank and the View Tolay I must have 3,000,000 bht or more

7th September go to my other bank and draw out the balance to make 3,000,000. Get a letter from the bank to say that the funds came from abroad. Take the cashier cheque to the Krung Thai Bank. Open a new account. Because it is the afternoon, the Krung Thai staff are unable to put the cheque funds into my book and tell me I have to come back in the morning before 11:30am.

8th September go back to the Krung Thai bank and deposit the cheque, update the book and then make the journey from Pattaya Klang to Soi 5 Jomtien (Immigration)

8th September. Arrive at Immigrations with paper work, bank book, bank letter from Thailand, bank letter from England, view tolay papers, photo copies and immigration form filled out twice.

They tell me I have the wrong type of Bank account, they do not wont the account I have. I explain that the account is a savings account and I have opened the account that I was explained to me the day before. No good they say.

12th September I go back to the Krung Thai bank and explain that the bank account is the wrong one and I need to open a new account. We open a fixed account. Move the money from the savings account into the new Fixed rate account. Pays interest of 4.75%

13th Setember arrive at the immigration office 9:15am wait inline after pressing number 7 on the auto system. Armed with duplicate photo copies of passport, visa, letter from the bank in England, letter from the TMB, Reciepts from View tolay, bank book from TMB, bank book fixed account Krung Thai. The Amount of payments to the View Tolay on receipt + amount in fixed rate account = 3,000,000 bht. Wait for 2 hours to be called to desk 7. When I sit down the officer tells me the receipts I have for the View Tolay condos are the wrong type so cannot take this amount into account. He then instructs me to go to View tolay office and get new receipts. I figure there is no way that the staff at View Tolay office will have any idea of what I am talking about. I ask the officer is I go back to the Krung Thai bank and deposit an amount to take the balance in the fixed rate account to 3,000,000 bht, would he give me the investment visa. Yes he says.

13th September 11:30am I leave the immigration office, the rain is that bad that the whole of sio 5 is a flooded river. I wait patiently for a farang to leave the office who has a car so I can hopefully continue on my quest with out getting drenched and drowned. Eventually, I hitch a lift from a kind gentleman from Germany. He is kind enough to take me direct to the TMB second road. Fight my way through the work site below and arrive on the 1st floor. Take out enough money to top up the Krung Thai bank to excess of 3,000,000 and leave the bank heading towards Pattaya Klang and the Krung Thai bank. Deposit the money, get a new letter. Then a bht bus to walking street. Hitch a second bht bus to soi 5 immigration from south Pattaya remembering the river I had left earlier and paid 100bht to be dropped at the door. Firstly I go into the photo copy shop next door and get two new compies of the bank book and new bank letter. Attach them to the two sets of files.

Once again in I go to immigration. Select a ticket for desk 7. Wait yet another 30-40 minutes. The officer then calls my number. I produce all the documents and finally at 3:30pm on the 13th September 2006 and 1900bht later (plus 130bht in photo copies 200-300bht in taxis, 600bht for bank letters, 1200bht for photos) I get a new stamp in my passport. The new stamp states

Pattaya Immigration Office Application For Extension Of Stay Is Under Consideration. I am then told to report back on the 10th October to find out If I can have the new Investment Visa or not.

Amazing Thailand, 4 days of running around to be told I may or maynot get a visa. Even though I have followed all the rules, have the correct funds, can prove the origin of the money. Have all the paper work etc. If this is how difficult it is to be legal here, even with money and time. What will it be like for many of the other farangs that stay here on a lower income. You wait many of your long time friends here will fanish from the smiley face town of Pattaya to return to their former homes. Enough though they have enough to live here, just not enough for the new rules.

These new changes in Thailand spell trouble for all Farangs regardless of wealth.

I dont regret investing money here, but feal cheated by a country that wont let me stay long term to enjoy it. A visa run once every three months is a little harsh for anyone who is legal and invested good money. On my next forced visa run, I really will start looking at Cambodia. From what I have been told SIHANOUKVILLE is the place to be. Maybe I will see you all there.

looks like all for nothing as they are discontinuing investment visa's 1st Oct, desk 7 most likely new this the whole time

[Chang_paarp]

looks like all for nothing as they are discontinuing investment visa's 1st Oct, desk 7 most likely new this the whole time

Looks to me like he did it just in time. The immigration dept has decided they will all the folk with exising investment visa to continue them, they will not issue any new ones. See here.

Another backflip with pike for dofficulty.

[rocky]

Well time will tell the out come.

The biggest worry is that working with the law and rules still does not Guarantee long term stay in the kingdom.

These are uncertain times

This must be a massive worry for people with only a VOA, and no other means to achieve any other visa.

People have said on this forum that these changes really will not have a large impact on Thailand’s Tourism. I disagree whole heartedly. I believe there are as many if not more people here long timers with VOA spending more money than the rest of the long timers with the correct visa.

I am 36 and have all they have asked for, but still no guarantee. If they make it too difficult for people, perhaps they will look towards new shores.

There was a lesson I was taught many years ago in business, It takes a long time to catch a new customer, but it takes even longer to get an old customer back. The trouble with this lesson, you only really understand it when it is too late. and time will show the outcome.