Best location to stay if using tourists visas.....

[craigp]

Hello TV.

 

My nationality - UK. Age 36. 

 

Please could some wonderful TV members help me answer these questions. . .

 

For someone with no other visa options other than tourist visas, who wanted to stay in Thailand long term, (Or as long as they could using tourist visas) where would be the best place(s) in Thailand for them to live,  considering convenience of the visas and ease of travel for visa runs? (Including anything else that maybe appropriate to consider) 

 

Then, what is the maximum amount of tourist visas permitted? (Assuming there is a limit.) 

 

Many thanks in advance for any advice and suggestions offered. 

[Nick ZepTepi]

30 minutes ago, craigp said:

Hello TV.

 

My nationality - UK. Age 36. 

 

Please could some wonderful TV members help me answer these questions. . .

 

For someone with no other visa options other than tourist visas, who wanted to stay in Thailand long term, (Or as long as they could using tourist visas) where would be the best place(s) in Thailand for them to live,  considering convenience of the visas and ease of travel for visa runs? (Including anything else that maybe appropriate to consider) 

 

Then, what is the maximum amount of tourist visas permitted? (Assuming there is a limit.) 

 

Many thanks in advance for any advice and suggestions offered. 
 

It's a bit like asking us to guess your favourite colour.
So many factors to consider.
Can u afford flights then be in a place with a airport
Do you like the beach or a city?

Recommend you do a little reading and research.

Plus it's easy to move around once you get here and have a better feel for the place.

The map is not the territory.

All the best though.


Sent from my mobile, please forgive the autocorrect.
 

[darrendsd]

Bangkok if you want to do out/in runs to Cambodia

 

Same again if you want to fly to different countries to obtain your TV's or use the visa run companies to Laos

 

I live in Hua Hin and it adds 6 hours round trip travelling time when I do both of the above

[elviajero]

There is currently no limit to how long you can stay using tourist visas. However, Embassies/Consulates can have individual limits of the number of visas they will issue you, especially, countries neighbouring Thailand.

 

If you want to stay long term and aren't married, over 50, or working the best option is the Thailand Elite Privilege Entry visa that is valid for 5 years and starts at 500,000 baht.

[Ronuk]

I think you would need to visit a good few times in order to know in your own heart which area you would like to settle in. Thailand is very diverse in areas if you travel around. Wherever you choose to want to stay long term, it's all pretty much doable regarding visas etc.

You will also at 36, need some sort of decent independent income unless you are considering working here. You also need to consider if you want to buy or rent a home.

I won't bog the thread down in the rules of buying property as I think you are a long way from that decision just yet.

Just remember though at 36yrs old, you have a lot of years in front of you to survive here. Don't Burn all your bridges and have a plan that let's you return to the UK for work and living etc should you need too.

[Maestro]

Quote

... what is the maximum amount of tourist visas permitted? (Assuming there is a limit.)... 

 

For an application for a tourist visa at a Thai embassy or consulate there is a limit not in number but in purpose,  stated in the template for the visa application form published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), by some embassies and consulates adopted with modifications:

 

 

As long as the embassy or consulate where you apply for your tourist visa believes that your above signed statement is truthful, you should have no problem getting your application approved.

 

In 2009 some members reported that the embassies in Laos and Finland had the following notice published on the wall or given to applicants:

 

 

As the wording was identical in both embassies I assume that this notice was based on a guideline issued by the Department of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Subsequently some consulates, notably the one in Vientiane, sometimes affixed a warning stamp to the tourist visa of applicants who had several back-to-back visas from the same consulate, with the following text or similar:

 

 

 

[BritTim]

If staying for years on tourist visas, you will need some luck. Plan on traveling by air to Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi), Malaysia (Penang), Cambodia (Phnom Penh), and by land or air to Laos (Vientiane and Savannakhet). Possibly add Hong Kong, Myanmar(Yangon) and Indonesia (Jakarta and Bali). For most of these locations, you are best off if staying in Bangkok (near Don Muang).

 

Fwiiw, I expect immigration at some point to start denying entry to those who have been living long term in Thailand exclusively on tourist entries. That has not happened yet. Good luck, and ensure you have a backup plan.

[craigp]

Thanks for all your info,

 

there's some great comments and I sincerely appreciate it. 

 

I'm hoping to find out a little more if I can....

 

When I said 'best place to stay' in my original post, I just meant for practicality, by living near one of the Embassies that's easily reachable by land crossings, so the visa runs require little time and travel. So, just a convenient, normal town that has everything anyone would need. No need to consider cities or beaches, just a typical modest town that makes visa runs simple. However, it could be that staying near an international airport could be better option then, as to fly to different countries / Embassies?  

 

From my understanding, people wanting to stay longer term on tourist visas 'should' only apply 2 or 3 times from that same Embassy and then apply from another Embassy.....

Is this true? What's the benefit of it? So, it's better to go to a different Embassy each time, from those countries mentioned above; opposed to applying from the same Embassy, near a land boarder right? Then I have to ask myself why that makes the visa more likely to be approved. 

 

Also, how long would one need to be out the country to apply for another tourist visa?

Would a length of stay in my home country make obtaining future tourist visas easier? If so, is there any rule to the length of time one would stay out? 

 

I know I've asked a lot it but any added info would be great.

 

Thanks again. 

[Ronuk]

15 minutes ago, craigp said:

Thanks for all your info,

 

there's some great comments and I sincerely appreciate it. 

 

I'm hoping to find out a little more if I can....

 

When I said 'best place to stay' in my original post, I just meant for practicality, by living near one of the Embassies that's easily reachable by land crossings, so the visa runs require little time and travel. So, just a convenient, normal town that has everything anyone would need. No need to consider cities or beaches, just a typical modest town that makes visa runs simple. However, it could be that staying near an international airport could be better option then, as to fly to different countries / Embassies?  

 

From my understanding, people wanting to stay longer term on tourist visas 'should' only apply 2 or 3 times from that same Embassy and then apply from another Embassy.....

Is this true? What's the benefit of it? So, it's better to go to a different Embassy each time, from those countries mentioned above; opposed to applying from the same Embassy, near a land boarder right? Then I have to ask myself why that makes the visa more likely to be approved. 

 

Also, how long would one need to be out the country to apply for another tourist visa?

Would a length of stay in my home country make obtaining future tourist visas easier? If so, is there any rule to the length of time one would stay out? 

 

I know I've asked a lot it but any added info would be great.

 

Thanks again. 

Not being funny but how long is a piece of string? What are you going to do all day in a typical modest Thai town? If your looking to live somewhere that makes visa runs easy & close and that's your sole reason for living there, I can see you getting bored before your second visa is due. I think your starting at the wrong place. You need to start with somewhere you really want to live, have an idea of how much you want to spend on accommodation etc. Bangkok for instance is a great place to be based if you can afford the standard of living expenses you expect.
Visa runs are not hard to organise wherever you choose to live. Living in a modest town, you will be glad to have a few hours visa run.
Have you spent much time in Thailand? As I said, if not, have a couple of extended holidays to get an idea of where you want to be and what you wish to do all day.

Edited August 29, 2016 by Ronuk

[BritTim]

6 hours ago, craigp said:

Thanks for all your info,

 

there's some great comments and I sincerely appreciate it. 

 

I'm hoping to find out a little more if I can....

 

When I said 'best place to stay' in my original post, I just meant for practicality, by living near one of the Embassies that's easily reachable by land crossings, so the visa runs require little time and travel. So, just a convenient, normal town that has everything anyone would need. No need to consider cities or beaches, just a typical modest town that makes visa runs simple. However, it could be that staying near an international airport could be better option then, as to fly to different countries / Embassies?  

 

From my understanding, people wanting to stay longer term on tourist visas 'should' only apply 2 or 3 times from that same Embassy and then apply from another Embassy.....

Is this true? What's the benefit of it? So, it's better to go to a different Embassy each time, from those countries mentioned above; opposed to applying from the same Embassy, near a land boarder right? Then I have to ask myself why that makes the visa more likely to be approved. 

 

Also, how long would one need to be out the country to apply for another tourist visa?

Would a length of stay in my home country make obtaining future tourist visas easier? If so, is there any rule to the length of time one would stay out? 

 

I know I've asked a lot it but any added info would be great.

 

Thanks again. 

 

If planning to stay less than a year, you could stay somewhere like Udon Thani that has good infrastructure and is easy for visa runs to Vientiane. However, Vientiane will probably only issue you three tourist visas.

 

As a general rule, all consulates have rules on how many previous tourist visas are allowed. In many cases, these only count visas issued from the same consulate, though some also count visas issued by other consulates. My previous post was based on the assumption that you want to try to stay several years. You will not be able to do this using a single consulate.

 

Returning to your home country for a few months each year would greatly enhance your chances if (as I predict) a crackdown comes on staying long term with just tourist entries.

[kanook]

Since no one except BritTim (I agree with Udon Thani) has taken a stab at answering your question I will give you my opinion.  I have not listed smaller border towns like Nong Khai or Mukdahan, but you may consider these depending on personal taste.  If you arrive on a METV, I would probably choose Chiang Rai.  It is an easy 60 km journey to the border from the city and Myanmar (Burma) uses entry stamps ($10 U.S), instead of full page visas like Laos.  The problem with Chiang Rai is that after close to nine months you may have to start using SETV visas and for this CR is not a good option.  

 

Udon Thani is another option and probably the best all around livable city for at least 2 or 3 years (maybe more) depending on how long the Lao consulates in Vientiane and Savannahket let you switch back and forth between them. If after 2 or three years, your status or Thailand's visa options haven't changed, Bangkok and it's sheer volume of flights within the region would probably make it the best option for long term visa running.

[JackThompson]

As others have stated - if you can afford by-air, Bangkok is perfect, though the timing with applying and receiving visas often requires an extra day out of the country.  Also easy to find VIP buses, from Bangkok, if you go that route.  Since you can only get a handful of visas from any one nearby consulate, there is no 'easy location' for long-term stay, close to a particular nearby consulate.

 

Do NOT attempt to use serial visa-exempt entries, except maybe your first and perhaps second entry, or you WILL be denied entry, at some point relatively soon.  Easier just to start with a Tourist Visa from your home-country.

 

You will need to plan to use several nearby consulates to obtain Tourist Visas, as others have noted.  Figure 3 to 4 from Vientiane and Savanakhet, Laos, 2 or 3 from Penang, and 3 from Cambodia (but these limits can change w/o notice).  But start with the somewhat 'more difficult' ones, such as HCMC and Hong Kong, who may deny you if they see several serial TVs from other consulates (or may not - current reports are not crystal clear); the latter 'more difficult' consulates require that you show flight tickets and/or money (at least 20K Baht, but Cambodia agents suggest 1K USD for those with many previous serial-visas), and/or where you will stay; the 'easy' ones do not request these.

 

This should allow you to get 2 years+ here before needing to get a new passport, at which point you can re-start the same process - if / while things remain as they have, and serial Tourist Visas continue to be issued locally, and accepted without issue at border-crossings.  For now, only a few crossings might be a problem (namely questioning, etc). 

 

Note that while the nearby consulates do not research your previous-passport's history (hence the ability to 'start over' with a new passport), the border-post Immigration officers can see everything.  If questioned, you will need to have 20K Baht in Cash or Travelers Checks on your person, ready to show, upon entry.  I also carry a Thai bank-book showing all my money is transferred from overseas (hence I am not stealing a Thai job), though I have not needed to show it.

 

Also, and most importantly, if you do not plan to return home soon, have a Backup Plan Ready - such as staying in Cambodia (easy 1-year visas) or Vietnam (fairly easy).  This is how I live here - always prepared for a change, at which point I will re-locate to those countries part/all of the time, if necessary - because I have zero interest in returning to the USA. 

 

Note that if you enter by air, the IOs could choose to reject your entry, and can choose to send you either back where you just flew from, or to your home-country - their choice.  Airports are generally considered to reject entry less often (for visa-exempts - almost never for tourist visas), but the consequences for rejection are purchasing a last-minute ticket (expensive) to whichever location the IO chooses.

Edited August 30, 2016 by JackThompson
put back 1st par

[hanssna]

Maybe find a convenient town around Had Yai, in the south. Surely more fun than the Northeast, and close to the Malaysian border ( easy bus trips to Penang for visa ) and flights to Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia for new SETV.....

[cameraman888]

Bangkok in general would be the easiest because its a major transportation hub. With that said, you should try some other places in Thailand and see if you like it? For example if you live in Krabi, maybe the extra time and money to travel is worth it? You can take the bus or train back to BKK or fly to Singapore or other countries from the Phuket airport.  

 

Just see what place you want to live before deciding. If money is a problem I'd look at Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai because its cheaper there and there's a train and bus and border runs to Laos and Burma. 

 

Good luck...go and see what places you want to live to weigh the pros and cons.  

[AsianExport]

17 hours ago, darrendsd said:

Bangkok if you want to do out/in runs to Cambodia

 

Same again if you want to fly to different countries to obtain your TV's or use the visa run companies to Laos

 

I live in Hua Hin and it adds 6 hours round trip travelling time when I do both of the above

 

 

A bit stupid to stay in BKK to do visa run by land to Cambodia.

 

Stay Trat / KohChang a lot better, perfect quiet island or quiet city and 1 hour to the border.

 

Also OP should really stay near Cambodia as it is the only good option to spend time near Thailand until he will be allowed in again after using all his Thai tourist visa.

 

 

 

 

[AsianExport]

Stating near a border is anyway the solution, any other suggestion seems totally useless if you do not want more troubles.

People talking about chiangmai are so funny hahahaha

Edited August 30, 2016 by AsianExport

[Enoon]

Mukdahan or Nong Khai.

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, AsianExport said:

 

 

A bit stupid to stay in BKK to do visa run by land to Cambodia.

 

Stay Trat / KohChang a lot better, perfect quiet island or quiet city and 1 hour to the border.

 

Also OP should really stay near Cambodia as it is the only good option to spend time near Thailand until he will be allowed in again after using all his Thai tourist visa.

 

If you can travel from Koh Chang to the Cambodian border in an hour, you must have a very fast helicopter. I cannot see how you could possibly do it any other way. Have you actually compared cost/time to travel from Koh Chang to Phnom Penh versus Bangkok (by air) to Phnom Penh? Call me stupid, but I would prefer the latter.

Edited August 30, 2016 by BritTim

[darrendsd]

2 hours ago, AsianExport said:

 

 

A bit stupid to stay in BKK to do visa run by land to Cambodia.

 

Stay Trat / KohChang a lot better, perfect quiet island or quiet city and 1 hour to the border.

 

Also OP should really stay near Cambodia as it is the only good option to spend time near Thailand until he will be allowed in again after using all his Thai tourist visa.

 

 

 

 

 

Why is it a bit stupid?

 

Read my post again,

 

It is the best place to stay if he wants to go to Laos to get a TV AND also if he wants to go to Ban Laem with the Visa Run companies

 

Unless he wants to change location just before he gets a new TV or a 30 day out/in, I doubt he wants to do this don't you?

 

 

[elgenon]

Nong Kai

[JackThompson]

On 8/29/2016 at 11:48 PM, Ronuk said:

Not being funny but how long is a piece of string? What are you going to do all day in a typical modest Thai town? If your looking to live somewhere that makes visa runs easy & close and that's your sole reason for living there, I can see you getting bored before your second visa is due. I think your starting at the wrong place. You need to start with somewhere you really want to live, have an idea of how much you want to spend on accommodation etc. Bangkok for instance is a great place to be based if you can afford the standard of living expenses you expect.
Visa runs are not hard to organise wherever you choose to live. Living in a modest town, you will be glad to have a few hours visa run.
Have you spent much time in Thailand? As I said, if not, have a couple of extended holidays to get an idea of where you want to be and what you wish to do all day.

 

This is good advise.  It really depends on how much you have to spend, and what your subjective needs and desires are.

 

If you are not going to be "going out" much (which costs money), then you might as well go to Sihanoukville, Cambodia.  Nice beach, and 1-year, inexpensive visas are easy.  Plenty of bars with other ex-pats to chat with, if that is sufficient on the 'entertainment' side.  Phnom Penh can be more or less expensive, depending on where you want to live in the city, and quality of room ($60/mo for a fan-room and up).  I recommend Cambodia to anyone on a shoe-string budget (less than min $1K / mo USD).

 

If you desire, and have budgeted, entertainment, then Bangkok or a larger Thai city would be your best option.  The cost of room+board+basic-transportation in Bangkok is, in my experience, only about $100 USD / mo more than a small Thai town, where there is less available, in terms of entertainment, than Sihanoukville.  It's "going out" that can eat your budget in Bangkok.

 

Another alternative would be to do a "slow tour" of Thai regions.  Stay in the South for awhile, using the Penang consulate, then NE for awhile, using Vientiene + Savanahket, then SE (I would suggest Chanthaburi) for your runs to the Phnom Penh consulate.  These options would still allow you to sign 6-mo leases on housing, though you would also be 'stuck' in those locales unless willing for forfeit your deposit.  Chang Mai/Rai is the least-convenient for Tourist-Visas, you can get only 2 serial visa-exempts at the Lao (not Myanmar) border, but if flying (higher budget), there are options.

 

But, as I stated previously, be prepared with a back-up-plan for the possibility that, at some point, serial-tourist-visas from anywhere may be denied.  You must always be ready and willing to pull-up-stakes and head to one of the countries who appreciate under-50 long-term tourists spending money there - Cambodia, Vietnam, etc.

[Nick ZepTepi]

The advice to spend a long break away from Thailand, 6 months to a year, in maybe Cambodia, Laos or Vietnam is a very good suggestion.
It will look less like you are working in Thailand to the IO give you some variety of you're planning long term life away from the UK, it's cheaper to up sticks and live in a country than do multiple visa runs a year.
And the advice to suck it and see once you get here.

I promise you what ever your carefully thought out plans are now they will change after you've lived here for a while and learnt all the practicalities you can only learn once you're here.
All the very best with your travels


Sent from my mobile, please forgive the autocorrect.

[Nick ZepTepi]

I presume you'll get a METV from the UK before you leave, if you don't it's a bit silly or your on the run from the cops out somthing. [emoji1] [emoji1]

This will give you 8 to 9 months without the need for a new visa.
I did similar (not the running from the cops) and chose Chiang Mai to start with.

In my opinion it's the best place to start, the highest quality of life for the lowest ££, it's easy to get by with little to no Thai language, You can get a nice condo with a pool for around £150 a month. a border run after the 90 entry period takes a day on a green bus to Mae sai and it's only $10 to get in to Myanmar.
It's also got a airport and good train links if you want to go further.

After 8 months or so you'll have a much better idea of what's on offer the pro's and cons of living here etc.

You will have a hard time living 100% of your time in Thailand on tourist visas.

Plan to live for a while in the surrounding countries, you can try Cambodia, a years visa can be $250 and it's not that bad a place to live, you may even prefer it depending on your life style. [emoji482] [emoji377] [emoji381] [emoji265] [emoji487]

Read the some travel blogs and local forums for any place you short list.





Sent from my mobile, please forgive the autocorrect.

[JackThompson]

2 hours ago, Nick ZepTepi said:

I presume you'll get a METV from the UK before you leave, if you don't it's a bit silly or your on the run from the cops out somthing. ...

 

He can only get an METV if he has a job that will let him take 6-mo off, or has proof of self-employment which they will accept (a tax-return to this effect for the UK, if I recall) - plus the min-balance in a bank account for 6 mo, etc.    Nothing to do with a police-check.

 

That would be the best type of visa for Chang Mai / Rai, given it is about as far as one can get from any nearby consulate for an SETV.

[Nick ZepTepi]

 

He can only get an METV if he has a job that will let him take 6-mo off, or has proof of self-employment which they will accept (a tax-return to this effect for the UK, if I recall) - plus the min-balance in a bank account for 6 mo, etc.    Nothing to do with a police-check.

 

That would be the best type of visa for Chang Mai / Rai, given it is about as far as one can get from any nearby consulate for an SETV.

Soz I forgot about the employment requirements.

Sent from my mobile, please forgive the autocorrect.

[kanook]

1 hour ago, JackThompson said:

 

He can only get an METV...

 

That would be the best type of visa for Chang Mai / Rai, given it is about as far as one can get from any nearby consulate for an SETV.

 

Why are posters on this thread lumping Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai together when discussing 'border runs'?  

 

I have lived in both cities on a Non O multi entry and from CM, even with a car, it's a 4 hr slog through the mountains - until you are close to CR city, to get to the border - bus takes even longer. The trip from CR to the border is 45 min to an hr on a straight 4 lane highway.  Most foreigners who live in CR or CM own or rent at least a scooter and you can easily do the run on that from CR, but not from CM.

 

[JackThompson]

2 hours ago, kanook said:

Why are posters on this thread lumping Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai together when discussing 'border runs'?  

 

I have lived in both cities on a Non O multi entry and from CM, even with a car, it's a 4 hr slog through the mountains - until you are close to CR city, to get to the border - bus takes even longer. The trip from CR to the border is 45 min to an hr on a straight 4 lane highway.  Most foreigners who live in CR or CM own or rent at least a scooter and you can easily do the run on that from CR, but not from CM.

 

 

Good to know, but the OP was asking about the closest locations in Thailand for the use of Tourist Visas.  Since Visa-Exempts would not work for long nowadays, only an METV would be useful for a border-run strategy, in which case Chang Rai sounds much better.  But from anywhere in that area, it would be about the same "long way" to get to a neighboring-country Thai-Consulate for Tourist Visas.