Hi,

I am looking for the best long term visa options since the METV was introduced - I have had some excellent feedback on a topic I posted around this today many thanks ThaiVisa members (I think this site is excellent)

If possible I would like to know my different options and the requirements for each given my own situation my passport hasn't got enough pages for continuous SETV's!

i) I am 43 years old

ii) I am married to a lady from Thailand who now lives in the UK (we are separated) I am staying in Thailand (hopefully)

iii) I have a new partner and have opened a business together - although she is the owner she would be willing to help in any business/work permit requirements

iv) My financial situation is reasonable with a large pension residing in the UK that I can't access until I am 55

Many thanks in advance - if any more information is required please let me know.

Given your age and circumstance there is only one "long term" visa which might suit your stated need.

Detail in the link

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

Hi OP....43 is way short of the 50 when you can apply for your non o.

Of course in meantime you may marry but I don't think anyone would suggest marriage for means to live in los is sensible.

The elite visa may be too expensive but would give you trouble free means to remain till 48plus.

If it was only 3 or 4 years you could try and use as many setvs and metvs and stamps etc as many do.

Perhaps you could use the last option to get through say next couple of years and then look at your options.

Your business ideas are separate but only to a point. You can't work on TV,s or stamps.

Good luck

If you are on good terms with your wife and she was willing to send you signed copies of her house book registry and ID card. You could then get a multiple entry non-o visa in Savannakhet by showing thme and a your marriage certificate plus a copy.

If your friend has a register company your and can meet the requirements you could a work permit, a non-b visa and extension of stay.

• The Elite visa (5 years for 500k) would be your best option and enable you to stay until you reach 50 when you qualify for a non 'O' visa and extension of stay based on retirement (800k in Thai bank).

For you to get a non 'B' visa and work permit you need to be employed by your business which would have to be a company. The costs of setting up that company are expensive and usually impractical for a small business.

If you are on good terms with your wife and she was willing to send you signed copies of her house book registry and ID card. You could then get a multiple entry non-o visa in Savannakhet by showing thme and a your marriage certificate plus a copy.

If your friend has a register company your and can meet the requirements you could a work permit, a non-b visa and extension of stay.

Hi ubonjoe many thanks for your help over the last couple of days in a couple of different topics - I will certainly keep Thaivisa updated with my own experiences and tips during my experience in the process.

One final question why would you prefer Savannakhet to Vientiane to apply for the Marriage O visa - I have used Vientiane previously for an METV with no issues although I always find it extremely busy and the new queuing system there sucks - reading some posts the process at Savannakhet seems much quicker and smoother.

Thanks again

If you are on good terms with your wife and she was willing to send you signed copies of her house book registry and ID card. You could then get a multiple entry non-o visa in Savannakhet by showing thme and a your marriage certificate plus a copy.

If your friend has a register company your and can meet the requirements you could a work permit, a non-b visa and extension of stay.

Hi ubonjoe many thanks for your help over the last couple of days in a couple of different topics - I will certainly keep Thaivisa updated with my own experiences and tips during my experience in the process.

One final question why would you prefer Savannakhet to Vientiane to apply for the Marriage O visa - I have used Vientiane previously for an METV with no issues although I always find it extremely busy and the new queuing system there sucks - reading some posts the process at Savannakhet seems much quicker and smoother.

Thanks again

You can only get the multiple entry non-o in Savannakhet. Vientiane will only do a single entry.

Be sure you have original signed copies from your wife.

On 3/14/2016 at 3:42 AM, PomPolo said:

Hi ubonjoe many thanks for your help over the last couple of days in a couple of different topics - I will certainly keep Thaivisa updated with my own experiences and tips during my experience in the process.

One final question why would you prefer Savannakhet to Vientiane to apply for the Marriage O visa - I have used Vientiane previously for an METV with no issues although I always find it extremely busy and the new queuing system there sucks - reading some posts the process at Savannakhet seems much quicker and smoother.

Thanks again

 

Can other nationalities get a METV from Vientiane? 

 

Or can I, as a Canadian passport holder, only get a SETV from Vientiane?

 

thanks

 

39 minutes ago, Cutter said:

 

Can other nationalities get a METV from Vientiane? 

 

Or can I, as a Canadian passport holder, only get a SETV from Vientiane?

 

thanks

 

 

Other nationalities (including Canadian) cannot get a METV in Vientiane. The post you were replying to was, confusingly, using "METV" to refer to the old double entry tourist visa which is no longer available anywhere.

43 minutes ago, Cutter said:

 

Can other nationalities get a METV from Vientiane? 

 

 

 

 

No. You need to apply in your own residence country.

Some Consulates in foreign countries used to issue METVs to non-residents (Melbourne, Australia) but because of lax standards in those Consulates approval now lies with the Embassy.

The same thing happened with OA Visas.

Gradually all the old Consular loopholes are being closed.

9 hours ago, Evilbaz said:

Some Consulates in foreign countries used to issue METVs to non-residents (Melbourne, Australia) but because of lax standards in those Consulates approval now lies with the Embassy.

The same thing happened with OA Visas.

Gradually all the old Consular loopholes are being closed.

 

UJ's suggestion is the best one by far - 1 year ME from Savanakhet.

 

The embassy in Sydney website still says the electronic-visa is a ok for non-Australians - no special note about the METV being any different (their e-visa can be purchased online before visiting).  Then again, that site also references the now-defunct 'double-entry' - so could be outdated info.

 

Perhaps the Thais consider the Australian visa-process safe enough to screen out any dangerous types, and the visit expensive enough to keep out the riff-raff - though I would not make a special trip unless they confirmed on the phone they would (still) do an METV for foreign-nationals.

The Elite Visa just announced a new visa, 800K baht for 10 years, which is a measurable discount from the previous and still available 500k for 5 years. 

Or you can try to apply for a Permanent Residency under the marriage criterias, if you are married for more than 3 years.

5 minutes ago, Jujus said:

Or you can try to apply for a Permanent Residency under the marriage criterias, if you are married for more than 3 years.

Permanent residency requires paying tax for 3 years, since the OP is not yet working will take that long to even get to the initial stages of applying

1 minute ago, beano2274 said:

Permanent residency requires paying tax for 3 years, since the OP is not yet working will take that long to even get to the initial stages of applying

Even under marriage? I actually don't know the conditions for that specific case.

18 minutes ago, Jujus said:

Even under marriage? I actually don't know the conditions for that specific case.

even for marriage, there are no special rules.

3 minutes ago, beano2274 said:

even for marriage, there are no special rules.

But then, how does that differ from applying under business or employment? Price for getting it (twice cheaper)? No minimum salary like for under employment? What else?

It is best to say if you are married to a Thai and can qualify for PR you can apply for Thai citizenship.

The requirement are about the same,  One is that you must be legally working and can show 3 full years of tax payments.

 

I suggest reading the requirements, they can be found by searching or in a pinned topic

9 hours ago, Jujus said:

Even under marriage? I actually don't know the conditions for that specific case.

See this list of  required docuemts for a PR application from immigration website.  Supporting Thai citizen or being supported by Thai citizen

Thanks but it was not for me I was merely raising these questions to help PomPolo.