Tourist visa after 5 years of ED visa ?

[phompen]

I have studied thai 3 years, english 1 year and half, and now studying russian for 1 year and half, this is the maximum that you can do,

it remains 6 months for me of studying russian, but I don't like this language and I want to stop, so I plan to go to Lao to get a tourist visa because I don't want to go back my country,

since I have a condo in Bangkok I'm a bit in a worry if I don't get the tourist visa, then I could go back for 30 days with the passport only to give back my condo and change of country ?

 

Do you think they will refuse me the tourist visa ? Any other guy as the same case of me ?

 

If I come back in thailand by the land and not the plane I will get only 15 days with the passport ? So I guess it's better for me to come back by plane to get 30 days ?

 

maybe I will go to Cambodia, but I prefer to stay in Bangkok, I've heard you can get a one year visa in Cambodia for 287 us dollars (I don't know what kind of visa it is)

Is it easy to find a company to move my things from Bangkok to Phnom Pen ? I don't have so much things, I guess less than 80 kilograms of things to move
maybe it could be possible to rent a car with a driver ? (I don't have a driver licence) how much could it cost ?

[ubonjoe]

Yous should have no problem getting a single entry tourist visa at Vientiane. The they don't count your previous stay against getting one. They only count tourist visas issued by them.

[phompen]

So if I understand well, I can do 2 tourist visa + 2 one month extention at chaeng wattana, so ok for 6 months, and then the thai embassy in vientiane will refuse a 3rd tourist visa, right ?

after I could go to the cambodia border to get a 3rd tourist visa or not ?

[JackThompson]

1 hour ago, phompen said:

in thailand by the land and not the plane I will get only 15 days with the passport

You get 30 days now if entering Visa-Exempt at land-entries - effective since the change to 2 visa-exempt entries max at land-entries per calendar-year.

 

44 minutes ago, phompen said:

the thai embassy in vientiane will refuse a 3rd tourist visa, right ?

At some point - usually your 3rd or 4th one - they will put an extra stamp on your visa stating, "This person travels to Thailand frequently on Tourist Visas..." and then refuse any additional tourist visas after that one.  Personnel at that consulate will tell you that the solution is to go to your embassy and get a new passport so you can start over.  If you spread out your Tourist Visas from consulates in the region, to avoid that warning, you should be able to get 2+ years per-passport.  

 

With regard to Vientiane, be aware that if you have a stamp on a Tourist-Visa from ANY Thai-consulate saying, "This person travels to Thailand frequently on Tourist Visas..." that they will NOT issue one (personal experience recently).  I got that extra-stamp on my 2nd (ever) Phnom Penh-obtained Thai-visa - so I would limit that Thai-consulate to one visit only (they used to be ok for 3). 

OTOH, I was able to get a Tourist Visa in Savanahket to spite that warning-stamp.  But Savanakhet requires a flight-booking out of Thailand, proof of funds, and proof of where you will stay.  Vientiane doesn't.

 

Given all the ED visas in your passport, I would not try to fly in - at least until you get a new passport - but you could "use up" your visas from consulates in Phnom Penh, Vietnam, and Laos before the new-passport step.  If returning from Cambodia, I would use Ban Laem or Ban Packard - maybe Koh Chang - but never Poipet.

 

44 minutes ago, phompen said:

...after I could go to the cambodia border to get a 3rd tourist visa or not ?

Thai Tourist Visas (60-days) are only available in Phnom Penh in Cambodia.  In theory, you could do 2 visa-exempts per calendar-year using Ban Packard or Ban Laem, though entering that way is the least-certain of success, as it is specifically ordered that these only be used for occasional visitors - not people staying in Thailand for long periods or visiting frequently.

Edited June 9, 2017 by JackThompson

[maddox41]

You having studied so long on ed visas  i agree with  Jack 

As this is what I have done 

I was on ED  visa for 3 yrs 

In the end it was to hard and to much red tape and to be honest and  just too expensive when you add it all up ??

So I went home for a 1 month holiday lost my passport got a new one and applied for 6 month multi entry tourist visa 

And it was easy 

1st entry 60 days 

2nd 60 days +30 day extension  at immagration

3rd the same as entry 2 

So in total 8 months stay in Thailand 

Also if you go this way and you can go home for holiday apply  at your own country 

When you get the visa and you have to leave  Thailand after you 1st entry is up fly to Singapore as it's close and it's not that expensive to fly to there now and saves a shit load of time too

This what you need to apply for a multi entry visa 

1 new passport 

2 a current bank account with up to $8000 USD 

3  air ticket ( if one way get a cheap ticket to Singapore to prove you are leaving after the 1st entry )

4  letter of employment  ( not all ask for this some consulates do some don't ) 

If you require one get a friend to type you one and say you work for them 

This is what I did and they didn't ask one question 

So if you have the time and some spare money this is a option to consider 

Hope this helps 

☺

 

 

[tubby johnson]

Can someone with a valid tourist visa still enter via Don Muang or Suvarnabhumi  airports even if he has 3 or more ED visas in his passport?

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, tubby johnson said:

Can someone with a valid tourist visa still enter via Don Muang or Suvarnabhumi  airports even if he has 3 or more ED visas in his passport?

Usually, this is not a problem. However, especially if you are young, immigration may suspect illegal working. Be prepared to explain why you are spending so long in Thailand, and your source of income that allows you to stay without working.

[JackThompson]

2 hours ago, tubby johnson said:

Can someone with a valid tourist visa still enter via Don Muang or Suvarnabhumi  airports even if he has 3 or more ED visas in his passport?

In addition to what BritTim said, be absolutely sure to have 20K Baht worth of cash or travelers checks and show them "helpfully" at the first sign of questioning.  Also, have a clear story for what you intend to do with this entry, including when you will be leaving.  But don't be surprised if they "tsk tsk" at the sight of those and become very unfriendly. 

Edited June 9, 2017 by JackThompson

[phompen]

thank you all for these replies

 

I plan to go to Lao, Vientiane, for 2 X tourist visa + extention at chaeng wattana, so it should be ok for 6 months

 

I would be curious to have some feedback of people living long time in Thailand and chose to live in Cambodia aftern maybe there is a section on the forum for that ?

[BritTim]

6 hours ago, phompen said:

thank you all for these replies

 

I plan to go to Lao, Vientiane, for 2 X tourist visa + extention at chaeng wattana, so it should be ok for 6 months

 

I would be curious to have some feedback of people living long time in Thailand and chose to live in Cambodia aftern maybe there is a section on the forum for that ?

I have a friend who lived in Thailand for about 15 years, and then nearly 5 years ago moved to Sihanoukville in Cambodia. The visa situation is very simple to deal with. He seems happy with his choice, but his requirements are simple. He is over 60 years old, and just needs a friendly bar with other expats he can mix with socially. Apart from a couple of overseas trips a year to see friends, he has an unvarying daily schedule that I would find unbearably boring. Cambodia can work for some.

Edited June 10, 2017 by BritTim

[gk10002000]

Just my skeptical nature, but an adult constantly staying long term in country on an Ed visa, given the current scrutiny and questions I hear being asked about how a foreigner supports themselves proves they are not working in Thailand, etc.  It seems like there would be more questions asked as the stays and total in country time increase?

[BritTim]

16 hours ago, phompen said:

I plan to go to Lao, Vientiane, for 2 X tourist visa

Just to be clear: this must be two separate trips to Vientiane for tourist visas. If you think double entry tourist visas are still available, be aware that they are not.

[phompen]

8 hours ago, BritTim said:

Just to be clear: this must be two separate trips to Vientiane for tourist visas. If you think double entry tourist visas are still available, be aware that they are not.

yes I was talking about two separate trips

[phompen]

12 hours ago, gk10002000 said:

Just my skeptical nature, but an adult constantly staying long term in country on an Ed visa, given the current scrutiny and questions I hear being asked about how a foreigner supports themselves proves they are not working in Thailand, etc.  It seems like there would be more questions asked as the stays and total in country time increase?

good question, usually they don't ask about your income, but one year and half ago, when I came back with my new ED visa from vientiane, at Suvarnabhumi airport the immigration officer ask me to follow him to explain why I was so long time in Thailand, we chat about 10 minutes, I had to answer many questions, I've explained him I work on Internet with france only, so my money come from France, I don't earn money from Thailand, he asked many questions on my business on Internet to be sure I was not lying, and after he allow me to enter the country again. For Thailand it's nice to have people working on Internet because the money come from another countries and you spend money in Thailand, so you are a bit like a super tourist, I've done maths and I think on one year I spend arround 17 times what an average tourist would spend on 2 weeks

[gk10002000]

1 hour ago, phompen said:

good question, usually they don't ask about your income, but one year and half ago, when I came back with my new ED visa from vientiane, at Suvarnabhumi airport the immigration officer ask me to follow him to explain why I was so long time in Thailand, we chat about 10 minutes, I had to answer many questions, I've explained him I work on Internet with france only, so my money come from France, I don't earn money from Thailand, he asked many questions on my business on Internet to be sure I was not lying, and after he allow me to enter the country again. For Thailand it's nice to have people working on Internet because the money come from another countries and you spend money in Thailand, so you are a bit like a super tourist, I've done maths and I think on one year I spend arround 17 times what an average tourist would spend on 2 weeks

yep.  I understand.  Unfortunatley the working online while in Thailand is far from a settled issue.  Best wishes

[IMA_FARANG]

A tourist visa, no matter where in the world it is issued will give you a 60 day stay on entry to Thailand and may be extended for another 30 days at your local immigration office for a 1900 Baht fee.

There have been no more multiple entry tourist visas for over a year now, since double entry and triple entry tourist visas were ended,.

The only multiple entry tourist visa left is the METV which has many restrictions and isually is only issued in your home country.

However, if you have been doing Ed visas legally, and don't have any SETV on your visa record, there is no reason to not try for a Single Entry Tourist Visa in Laos, Penang, or whatever.