I just spent a month with my girlfriend traveling in Thailand and we've decided to relocate in the Chiang Mai area if we can work out visa issues. We are currently back in the Philippines, where I have lived for the last 1+ years.

We have decided on the condo we want to rent, but are unsure of how long we will be able to stay and hence how long to make the lease.

I believe that coming from the Philippines, the best visa we can get is a two-month tourist visa with a one month extension. It is my understanding that by flying out of the Thailand after the first 3 months, we will be able to get another 2+1 tourist visa without a problem. Is this correct?

My next question is that after we go through the two consecutive tourist visas (6 months), what options do we have for staying longer? Can we simply fly out of the country again and get another 2+1 visa?

Down the road, I might return to the USA for a 6 month visa or 1 year retirement visa, but that still will not resolve my girlfriend's issues, unless she gets some sort of work or educational visa which would probably present a whole other set of issues.

Any replies/recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

If you had an extension of stay for reason of retirement, I believe a marriage of convenience would allow your girlfriend to get an extension as your spouse.

For a while, tourist visas should work, especially if getting them from different locations. In the past, you have been able to do this pretty much indefinitely. My gut feel is that, the future, the number of consecutive ones you can get without returning to your home country will become restricted.

Nationalities and ages would help give better advise.

Looks like you are American and over 50.

You can stay with Retirement Status.

Your Girlfriend would have problems unless you were to get married.

Edited March 8, 201610 yr by Eclipse

i agree with this reply though i suggest you do not try to get a tourist visa in cambodia,,my phillipine girl friend could not get a visa in cambodia though i got one,,better to try in laos

i understand that getting a retirement visa and getting married is probably the best option, I'm at least a year away from wanting to consider that, so am looking for other alternatives.

A "marriage of convenience" is not something I would be able to sell my girlfriend on either. Filipinas take the sacrament of marriage very seriously as a rule.

i understand that getting a retirement visa and getting married is probably the best option, I'm at least a year away from wanting to consider that, so am looking for other alternatives.

A "marriage of convenience" is not something I would be able to sell my girlfriend on either. Filipinas take the sacrament of marriage very seriously as a rule.

A couple of Thai Elite memberships ?

http://www.thailandelite.com/tpc_news_view.php?id=6

Then why not spend the year traveling the Philippines? Much easier for you visa wise and no issues for GF and time to get to know her and her culture. Or do you plan to make her earn her own living and employment looks better here? If just to keep out of family view you might consider travel between Thailand/Cambodia and perhaps Vietnam and Malaysia for a year or so.

i understand that getting a retirement visa and getting married is probably the best option, I'm at least a year away from wanting to consider that, so am looking for other alternatives.

A "marriage of convenience" is not something I would be able to sell my girlfriend on either. Filipinas take the sacrament of marriage very seriously as a rule.

In Thailand, you can pretty much just turn up at the amphoe office and state that you both want to be considered married for administrative purposes. I think this is a little different from a solemn declaration in church, "in the presence of God" of your intention to live together until death do you part. Perhaps, your girlfriend would see it in the same light.

Marriage is done at amphoe and it the legal marriage and requires paperwork from Embassy. It is an official marriage.

alk i am in the same situation as you and was actually just about to post a similar question,i have had a phillipine girl friend for a few years and we have both been living in thailand with tourist visas and my gut feeling is that you will be ok to fly out and then get another thats good for 60 plus 30 particularly if she has had limited travel or visas aquired for thailand

alk i am in the same situation as you and was actually just about to post a similar question,i have had a phillipine girl friend for a few years and we have both been living in thailand with tourist visas and my gut feeling is that you will be ok to fly out and then get another thats good for 60 plus 30 particularly if she has had limited travel or visas aquired for thailand

Staying in Thailand on the basis you describe requires a new visa to be obtained every 90 days.

IMHO this is not a viable long term solution to remaining in Thailand.

It is likely that serial tourist visas will become increasingly difficult to obtain therefore another solution should be sough.

it certainly is not ideal jim but neither is marriage to everyone,,but hopefully for me when i turn 50 next year i will be able to get a retirement visa,though not sure if that is actually going to make it any easier for my girlfriend

it certainly is not ideal jim but neither is marriage to everyone,,but hopefully for me when i turn 50 next year i will be able to get a retirement visa,though not sure if that is actually going to make it any easier for my girlfriend

It wont unless you get married.

Or maybe you could employ her as your maid.

it certainly is not ideal jim but neither is marriage to everyone,,but hopefully for me when i turn 50 next year i will be able to get a retirement visa,though not sure if that is actually going to make it any easier for my girlfriend

You are correct.

Obtaining retirement status will provide no solution to your g/f's problem.

Staying in the Philippines is so less stressful visa wise, plus the beaches are much better in P.I..

This is your choice, way the options carefully. Best of luck to you and your girlfriend.

thanks for the advice tj but i have spent a couple of years in the phillipines and am currently staying in puerta galera,,nice beach ,,but life in the los,,,easily beats life in the phillipines

Thanks for all the great advice. My only major concern about the whole visa thing is signing a 1 year lease on a fairly nice condo and then being denied a tourist visa extension once I leave the country on a visa run. It sounds like the possibility of that happening is slim. I'll probably go ahead and trust my luck as to getting at least a year's worth of tourist visas, and then if things go well, bite the bullet, marry my girlfriend, and get a retirement Visa there.

As far as the Thailand vs Philippines debate, there really are good things to be said about the Philippines. Visas are a non-issue. People are very friendly. Costs are relatively low. For single men, I think the availability of sweet, attractive English speaking women is unsurpassed anywhere in the world. The only issues are that it is much more of a 3rd world country than Thailand and has a great great deal more poverty. It cannot compare from an infrastructure standpoint to Thailand. I could easily stay in the Philippines and be happy there. I just want to try the LOS as a change of pace and make a comparison as to which location I would be happiest in. I could very well be back in the Philippines in a year.

Thanks for all the great advice. My only major concern about the whole visa thing is signing a 1 year lease on a fairly nice condo and then being denied a tourist visa extension once I leave the country on a visa run. It sounds like the possibility of that happening is slim. I'll probably go ahead and trust my luck as to getting at least a year's worth of tourist visas, and then if things go well, bite the bullet, marry my girlfriend, and get a retirement Visa there.

As far as the Thailand vs Philippines debate, there really are good things to be said about the Philippines. Visas are a non-issue. People are very friendly. Costs are relatively low. For single men, I think the availability of sweet, attractive English speaking women is unsurpassed anywhere in the world. The only issues are that it is much more of a 3rd world country than Thailand and has a great great deal more poverty. It cannot compare from an infrastructure standpoint to Thailand. I could easily stay in the Philippines and be happy there. I just want to try the LOS as a change of pace and make a comparison as to which location I would be happiest in. I could very well be back in the Philippines in a year.

If you enter Thailand with a tourist visa you can have an extension of 30 days for a fee of 1900 Bht.

Such extensions can only be obtained from an immigration office not by making a visa run.

alk whats the point of signing a one year lease ???ok you might save a few baht over a 6 month lease ,,but i would suggest taking a lease for 6 months,,,you might even find a better place after a month or two after you sniff around,,,generally one gains knowledge with time,,and just remember that unlike the phillipines rentals are cheap and easily available so relax its the last of your concerns

Good advice Gojdthai.... thank you.

I looked at over a dozen condos and one was head and shoulders above the others, but there is always something nice to had with a bit of looking.

What has your experience been getting Pinoy out of PI? I hear the PI immigration can be rough about denying boarding flights without payoff.

Like to hear your take on this and how you work around it.

Edited March 8, 201610 yr by 4evermaat

phillipine immigration can be a pain in the butt that is for sure last year i had to book another return ticket at manilla as they accused my girlfriend and me of falsifying documents as shereturned at a much later time after staying in thailand with me,,it was very stressfull but after telling me that i should get married they told me to buy a return ticket about 9 months after departure which i quickly did at the airport

dont realy think bribes work,but if girl travels with you and you show money accomadation and a return ticket ,then that should be enough to please immigration