Family looking to stay in Thailand for a year, while kids are in school

[trezcan]

- US Citizens

- Under Retirement Age

- Run Established Internet Business

 

We have two kids getting to the age where we need to sit tight during the school year, and have had our eye on Thailand for a while now. Our business is established, and 100% online. The company is incorporated in the US, and we are salaried employees with verifiable income and assets.

 

With the kids schooling, we need to commit a lot of money up front in order to guarantee a spot for both of them in an international school. It creates a little bit of a catch-22, since we don't know if we can legally stay for an entire school year.

 

What is the best way to approach getting a visa that would allow for us to stay in Thailand for up to 1 year? Is it possible to stay longer than a year? The more I have looked into the visa requirements, the more I realized I needed some input from people that have actually been through the process. We are currently back in the US, and can complete any applications necessary from our home country.

 

I really appreciate your help.

[Phuket Man]

You all need to start with Non Imm O Visa.

Once in Thailand the kids can get 12 month extensions for being students.

Mum and Dad can get 12 month extensions for being parents of students.

You would both need 500,000 Baht in a Thai bank.

 

As for your business it would be a good idea to keep quiet about that as it is technically illegal.

 

2.11 In the case of a family member of an alien who has been permitted to stay temporarily in Thailand for study in an educational institution as set out in clauses 2.8 or 2.9 (applicable only to parents, spouse, children, adopted child or the child of his/her spouse):  Permission will be granted for a period of not more than 1 year at a time.    (5) In the case of parents, there must be an account deposit with a local bank made in the name of father or mother of not less than Baht 500,000 as shown in bank account transactions for the past 3 months. For the first year, it should have that said amount in the bank account for not less than 30 days at the submitted date of the application.

[ubonjoe]

A off topic post meant to derail the topic has been removed.

[LongTimeLurker]

Just completed this process last week. Here's how it went.

 

Arrived on  single entry tourist visas.

 

Child enrolled in school and obtained letter and paperwork from school.

 

Converted child SETV to non-O ED (3 month validity) after 1 month.

 

Converted child non-O ED to 1 year extension after 2 months.

 

Obtained letter and paperwork from school for parent non-O application outside Thailand.

 

Enter on non-O dependent visa (3 months validity) and after 2 months obtain letter and paperwork from school to apply for 1 year extension of stay*

 

*you don't get 1 year extension, only to validity of child extension, so 8 months.

 

Doing it this way meant a couple of trips out for parents to obtain another SETV until child 1 year extension is granted. If you can get non-O for first entry, that will shortcut the process.

 

Only 1 dependent non-O is allowed per child but as you have 2 both parents are covered. In my case only one parent gets the visa and the the other is only eligible for a tourist visa which is increasingly being questioned.

 

 

[Skytrain2hell]

Phuketman is right on about this. We are American and have our two kids at KIS International School. The school's visa department handles all of the visa paper work and holds your hand, so to speak, throughout the process.

 

Make sure your kids get accepted first. I know that schools such as KIS and NIST have waiting lists for certain grades.

[robertson468]

If you like to PM me, we can perhaps take this topic further on to help you in your goal of staying in this lovely Country.

[elviajero]

13 hours ago, trezcan said:

Our business is established, and 100% online. The company is incorporated in the US, and we are salaried employees with verifiable income and assets.

Most people operating this type of business do not disclose the fact as you cannot legally work, without permission (that you will not get), whilst in the country. The authorities do not seek out or actively prosecute this type of work, but it is best to keep it to yourself.

 

http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/doc/Immigration_Act.pdf

Section 37 : An alien having received a temporary entry permit into the Kingdom must comply with the following :

1. Shall not engage in the occupation or temporary or employment unless authorized by the Director General. or competent official deputized by the Director General .

 

Also, note that you become resident for tax after living in the country for more than 6 months and could have a tax liability on income transferred to Thailand in the tax year it's earned.

[jasonsamui55]

Get the kids accepted at an international school before leaving the US. They should be able to get you the papers for the kids to get Ed visas and you and your wife Non-O visas as guardians of kids in an international school all from your local Thai consulate in the US. One kid can upward sponsor one parent. The visas will be good for 90 days upon entry. Once in Thailand you should immediately open a bank account in your name and also one in your wife's name and immediately deposit 500k THB into each. After the money has been "seasoned" for 30 days then get papers from school for one year extension (best to request this from them as soon as you arrive also since they tend to be slow), bank letters and statements of accounts showing more than 500k in each account for more than 30 days, copies of passports, visas, marriage and birth certificates as well as sone proof of address in Thailand, and take all down to your local immigration office and get a 1 year extension for each of you. Your situation is exactly what my wife and I and our two kids did 2 years ago. Any good international school should be able to prepare most of the papers for you and guide you through the process. And if you don't want to tie up 2 sets of 500k, one kid and one parent can do all above for one term and the others can live on tourist visas for 4-5 months. They can get a 60 day tourist visa, extendable to 90 days, and then maybe one in and out on a 30 day stamp, extendable to 60 days, and then get the second set of Ed and Non-O visas when you go home for Christmas or summer break and then you can just move the 500k from your wife's account after she gets her extension and then from your account back to hers after she gets her extension, repeat, repeat. That also works.

[ubonjoe]

3 hours ago, jasonsamui55 said:

They should be able to get you the papers for the kids to get Ed visas and you and your wife Non-O visas as guardians of kids in an international school all from your local Thai consulate in the US.

The visas and  extensions are based up being the parents (parents are not guardians) of a child attending  school. There is no visa or extension issued as a guardian.