visas

[drakoanders]

Sorry I am totally new i want to stay in chaing mai longterm, I can't afford retirement visa so probably means a tourist visa and keep renewing can anyone tell me how I go about this and how often do I do the visa run and where to go nearest to chaing mai how long can I keep renewing. Can I get residency?

Lots of questions but have been advised this is the site to be in

[ubonjoe]

You can only get single entry tourist visa at nearby embassies and consulates that will allow a 60 day entry that can be extended for 30 days. You can get 3 of them back to Vientiane Laos. Then you can get them at other nearby locations.

You will eventually reach a point where you will not be able to get them anywhere nearby.

It would be best to start out with a tourist visa from you home country before leaving.

I assume when you say you cannot afford the retirement visa you mean the financial requirement to get an extension of stay. Those are 800k baht in a Thai bank or proof of 65k bath income or a combination of the 2 totaling 800k baht.

[elviajero]

• There is currently no overall limit on the number of Tourist Visas (SETV) you can have.

Embassies/Consultates have their own limits on the number of back to back SETV's they will issue. Expect to be limited to 2/3 at the same place after which you would need to apply elsewhere.

You would be granted a 60 day permit to stay when entering with the SETV.

A 30 day extension of stay is available from Immigration for 1,900 baht.

Every 60/90 days you need to exit Thailand and get a new SETV.

You will not be able to get Permanent Residency with SETV entries.

Edited April 15, 2016 by elviajero

[BritTim]

You do not mention your nationality. It is worth doing so as there can be special cases for certain nationals, allowing long stay without the usual financial requirements. The rest of my post assumes you will not qualify for one of these special circumstances.

First, while Chiang Mai is a very pleasant area to live, it is not ideal for those who rely on visa runs to live in Thailand long term. With the exception of Laos, it is far away from other convenient locations to receive single entry tourist visas.

You are looking at getting tourist visas and visa exempt entries. Each tourist visa gives you a 60-day stay that can be extended once for a further 30 days on payment on 1,900 baht at the local immigration office in Thailand. A visa exempt entry gives you a 30-day entry if arriving at an airport and 15 or 30 days (depending on nationality) if arriving by land. Again, each visa exempt entry can be extended once inside Thailand for 1,900 baht.

There are limits to the number of visa exempt entries (total) and tourist visas (per location or total) that you can expect to receive without running into problems.

You can expect to receive at least three SETVs in Vientiane Laos, the most convenient consulate from Chiang Mai. You can probably receive additional SETVs at Savannakhet, a longer journey from Chiang Mai, but doable. (I am unclear whether Savannakhet counts Vientiane issues visas when deciding whether to issue further tourist visas.) You can receive at least three SETVs in Penang Malaysia. This is a long trip from Chiang Mai if you do not fly (via Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur). After that, it may become difficult.

Probably after six visa exempt entries (possibly fewer) you will begin to have problems using them to enter Thailand.

You can likely stay about 2 years using the techniques above. After that, you will need to be creative.

[drakoanders]

Hmmmm not so easy then I am from UK my pension is just a basic pension I think I would need another £7000 in the bank. My partner is from Philippines. how do guys live in Thailand for years then is there another option open to me. Wanted longer than two years that's for sure

[Eclipse]

Most qualify by having Thai Family or a pension or a job in Thailand.

Do you get a State Pension?

If you do you can get a Multi Entry Non Imm O Visa from London.

This would give you up to 15 months stay but needs a border run every 90 days.

By the time 15 months are up you might have save enough for yearly extensions from Immigration in Thailand.

It has to be the state pension though.

Edited April 15, 2016 by Eclipse

[BritTim]

Hmmmm not so easy then I am from UK my pension is just a basic pension I think I would need another £7000 in the bank. My partner is from Philippines. how do guys live in Thailand for years then is there another option open to me. Wanted longer than two years that's for sure

Very good news! If receiving any OAP, you qualify as one of the special cases. Those receiving an OAP of any size can get one-year multiple entry Non O visas from the embassy in London. You will just need to leave the country and re-enter every 90 days. This can be done quite easily from Chiang Mai.

[BritTim]

Have you already worked out how your partner will stay long-term in Thailand? If not, that is also something to consider.

[drakoanders]

I do get a state pension so that's good news after 15 months what happens then do I have to go back to UK? My partner is filipina so won't have a Thai wife as well nice thought tho haha thanks for everyone's quick response very impreesed

[drakoanders]

My partner is way younger than me she will try to get work permit she is a qualified English teacher worked in Korea for 5 years the only filipina to teach in her school her English is excellent. She speaks Japanese Korean Italian English tagalog and now studying Thai got a talent for languages

[theoldgit]

I'm assuming you're aware that your State Pension will be frozen as soon as the authorities are aware you're living in Thailand, if you were living in the Philippines you would continue to get your increases.

[Eclipse]

After 15 months you might have enough saved to get extensions in Thailand.

If not return to UK to get another or get Tourist Visa locally.

As said, if you live in Thailand your pension will never increase

[BritTim]

I do get a state pension so that's good news after 15 months what happens then do I have to go back to UK? My partner is filipina so won't have a Thai wife as well nice thought tho haha thanks for everyone's quick response very impreesed

Yes, you can only get this from the UK, so you will need to go back about once a year to sort it out. It is not too bad if you can stay with family. I have no wish to live in the UK, but a few days to see everyone and get a decent pint or two is rather nice. The airfare does not need to cost an arm and a leg. If you are flexible about which day you will travel, even booking flights at the last minute can be pretty cheap (around 20,000 baht return).

[mallet36]

My partner is way younger than me she will try to get work permit she is a qualified English teacher worked in Korea for 5 years the only filipina to teach in her school her English is excellent. She speaks Japanese Korean Italian English tagalog and now studying Thai got a talent for languages

You could marry your girlfriend in Thailand. She could then get a non B visa and work permit ( find a teaching job first of course ) and then you can become a dependent on her visa and then you can stay in Thailand as long as she holds a non B visa.

[elviajero]

My partner is way younger than me she will try to get work permit she is a qualified English teacher worked in Korea for 5 years the only filipina to teach in her school her English is excellent. She speaks Japanese Korean Italian English tagalog and now studying Thai got a talent for languages

You could marry your girlfriend in Thailand. She could then get a non B visa and work permit ( find a teaching job first of course ) and then you can become a dependent on her visa and then you can stay in Thailand as long as she holds a non B visa.

It's never a good idea to get married for the sake of a visa but if they were legally married, in any country, and the wife had an extension of stay based on work (not a non 'B' visa) he could get an extension of stay as her husband (spouse).

[drakoanders]

More complicated than i Thought we have two kids 3 years got a British passport and an eight month old will be getting British passport soon seems very complicated in in Philippines for the past 3:years much simpler but nowhere near as nice as Thailand I got a few problems I think

[evadgib]

Just Curious; Does the London Thai Embassy route accept other UK pensions (Military, Plod, Civil Service etc) from retired applicants that are too young to claim UK OAP but are nonetheless over the required age (50) to settle here?

Having seen the way things are going re obtrusive & unnecessary data requests inc the batch that went AWOL last month some might prefer this alternative.

Edited April 15, 2016 by evadgib

[elviajero]

Just Curious; Does the London Thai Embassy route accept other UK pensions (Military, Plod, Civil Service etc) from retired applicants that are too young to claim UK OAP but are nonetheless over the required age (50) to settle here?

You can get a non 'O-A' multiple entry visa if over 50, and have a certified income equivalent to a min of 65K baht pm, or cash in the bank equivalent to 800K, or a combination of the two. It would give a 1 year entry and you can apply for a 1 year extension of stay based on retirement (over 50) towards the end of the year.

[BritTim]

Just Curious; Does the London Thai Embassy route accept other UK pensions (Military, Plod, Civil Service etc) from retired applicants that are too young to claim UK OAP but are nonetheless over the required age (50) to settle here?

Having seen the way things are going re obtrusive & unnecessary data requests inc the batch that went AWOL last month some might prefer this alternative.

Unfortunately not for multiple entry Non O. A Non Imm O-A (Long Say) visa from London might be possible, though the conditions for that are a little annoying.

[lkv]

If i take a line of credit of 50K USD and the bank is happy to give it to me (so basically I am using someone else's money -the bank's -, once it hits my account it's my money. How and when I repay the bank is my problem.

Seriously.

Edited April 15, 2016 by lkv

[jacksam]

You do not mention your nationality. It is worth doing so as there can be special cases for certain nationals, allowing long stay without the usual financial requirements. The rest of my post assumes you will not qualify for one of these special circumstances.

First, while Chiang Mai is a very pleasant area to live, it is not ideal for those who rely on visa runs to live in Thailand long term. With the exception of Laos, it is far away from other convenient locations to receive single entry tourist visas.

You are looking at getting tourist visas and visa exempt entries. Each tourist visa gives you a 60-day stay that can be extended once for a further 30 days on payment on 1,900 baht at the local immigration office in Thailand. A visa exempt entry gives you a 30-day entry if arriving at an airport and 15 or 30 days (depending on nationality) if arriving by land. Again, each visa exempt entry can be extended once inside Thailand for 1,900 baht.

There are limits to the number of visa exempt entries (total) and tourist visas (per location or total) that you can expect to receive without running into problems.

You can expect to receive at least three SETVs in Vientiane Laos, the most convenient consulate from Chiang Mai. You can probably receive additional SETVs at Savannakhet, a longer journey from Chiang Mai, but doable. (I am unclear whether Savannakhet counts Vientiane issues visas when deciding whether to issue further tourist visas.) You can receive at least three SETVs in Penang Malaysia. This is a long trip from Chiang Mai if you do not fly (via Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur). After that, it may become difficult.

Probably after six visa exempt entries (possibly fewer) you will begin to have problems using them to enter Thailand.

You can likely stay about 2 years using the techniques above. After that, you will need to be creative.

Really good advice brittim.

Maybe the OP could consider living Udon Thani.

He could milk the setv at Vientiane. Then not such big deal fly udon to bkk and out to wherever.

Think your on the money with the couple of years.

Mind you if he does not have funds enough to obtain non o based on retirement then perhaps 2 years will see him out.

[CharlieH]

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[Maestro]

Removed a post discussing moderation and the reply to it.

[drakoanders]

Will the two kds getting visas extended be the same problem? Seems a bit problematic in Thailand.

[BritTim]

Young kids (under 15) are not fined for overstays. You could consider being a scofflaw in that respect.

[CharlieH]

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