Longer Term Visas

Just do what I did... Show up here in Thailand on an exempt tourist visa... Use a visa assist service to change it to whatever visa you qualify for... It's not rocket science... Costs about $1000

Well I will refrain from my real comments and keep it cordial, and just say thank you.

Bobby

Buy an Elite visa for 24,000 Baht and it's good for at least 5 years and they help you renew it every year.

NomadBob123 wrote:

Hello Everyone, can someone give some insight into what longer term Visas are available today in Thailand.  Let me clarify longer term, as it may mean something completely different to others.  But specifically I mean like 1 to 2 years or more, or something annually renewable.

I have tried to do some online research, but can't seem to find the right sights.  Found several that tell me about what used to be available, but just trying to find out what is available today due to C-19.

Also, any advice or experience about going thru a Thai or American Law Firm in Thailand to get it, or can I do it thru the embassy here in the states?  If a law firm is the best way, would certainly be appreciative recommending any firm you have used and is reputable.

Thank you in advance for any assistance and/or recommendations.

Regards,

Bobby

Hey Bobby,

I'm definitely not an expert since I haven't arrived in country yet, and I only have daily conversations with my cousin in Chang Rai and certain posters here in the Thailand forum ("Leeds" is one) to give me insight.

However, here's some of what I've picked up along the way so far:

There are a lot of commercial websites out there that may or may not provide official government visa information.

The best source I've discovered so far is the website of the Thai embassy in Washington DC.

This is the specific web page that has way more information than you want, but certainly everything you need:

thaiembdc.org/visas/

Even though the web page will provide links to show you how you can apply for your Visa in advance, it does seem to be the consensus of everyone I've contacted, including my cousin, that the best method is to travel to Thailand on a Visa exemption (since you are a US citizen) and then use the services of an agent to help you first extend to a tourist visa and then apply for a non-immigrant Visa which will allow you to stay for a year, and can then be renewed.

I'm happy to have anyone correct me, although like you, I prefer not to get snarky comments from the peanut gallery.

Good luck!

My comment was not intended to be snarky... But sometimes one can overanalyze and worry about something that isn't "rocket science"... Just do it!  Also... How equipped for new experiences is someone with such a thin skin... Just asking for a friend.

speedlimit wrote:

Just do what I did... Show up here in Thailand on an exempt tourist visa... Use a visa assist service to change it to whatever visa you qualify for... It's not rocket science... Costs about $1000

There's no such thing as an exempt tourist visa. Either you enter on a 60 days tourist visa or a 30 days visa exempt. You don't need an agent to convert for example the 60 days tourist visa (the normal way) at the local immigration office to a 90 days Non-immigrant O as long as you meet the financial requirements.Cost: 2,000 baht. Then apply for a 1 year extension based on for example retirement. Cost: 1,900 baht. You said it isn't rocket science,so why did you pay $1000 for something that could have cost you 3,900 baht? Please tell.

I don't know how old you are. If 50 or older just apply for a 90 days Non-immigrant O Visa based on retirement in the US. That's by far the best way to start and also the easiest and cheapest way to extend the stay 1 year by applying for a 1 year extension at the local immigration office as long as you meet the financial requirements and have a Thai bank account. That extension can be extended annually for 1,900 baht/year if again, you meet the financial requirements. Don't listen to people suggesting using an agent for the ridiculous sum of $1000. That just shows they are morons. A serious agent in Thailand might charge you 12,500-15,000 baht if you don't meet the financial requirements. No need to pay more than that if you really need an agent.

Not everyone is looking for the cheapest way out... All in to go from exempt tourist visa to full retirement visa with resident certificates for driver's license, motorcycle and car and house purchases including Thai government fees it totaled $865... No waiting at immigration... It was fully worth every penny to me... I'm not as cheap as you are when it comes to buying a service... Value isn't measured by money alone in my sphere.

I am not going to use a agent when i can meet the requirement to stay here.
As i can easy spend the 10-20 minute at Immigration Office my self for 1 year more. (At my office)

But i know people that dont want to deal with Immigration even so they easy meet the requirement, The still use a agent for it.

I dont understand why some are against it.

I dont understand some say it cost to much, Maybe change the wording to it is to much for the person that write that ?

For many i known over the years it is small amount of money to skip the problems we sometimes can run into at Immigration.

If one day come i cant meet the requirement and want to stay here, I use a Agent..

Kindly.

Hello,

Good morning all.

Can anyone drop me a lead for a reputable agency and/or the process of how to go about applying yourself, please?

I too was weighing my options and it seems the Elite Visa might be the best option, however, I do not personally meet the age requirement of 50-60+.

I also was considering as Speedlimit suggested, touch down and figure it out later but with the uncertainty of Covid I didn't want to show up unprepared.

Any, and all, information is greatly appreciated!

Thank you kindly,

TaxesAreTheft wrote:

Hello,

Good morning all.

Can anyone drop me a lead for a reputable agency and/or the process of how to go about applying yourself, please?

I too was weighing my options and it seems the Elite Visa might be the best option, however, I do not personally meet the age requirement of 50-60+.

I also was considering as Speedlimit suggested, touch down and figure it out later but with the uncertainty of Covid I didn't want to show up unprepared.

Any, and all, information is greatly appreciated!

Thank you kindly,

If you're not at least 50 years of age a legit long term visa is out of the question. The Thai Elite option is doable, but it's not free.
You can for starters check this official link:

https://thailandelitevisa.com/

This seems like it comes with a lot of fluff to justify the price point to be honest.

TaxesAreTheft wrote:

This seems like it comes with a lot of fluff to justify the price point to be honest.

The price is way to high in my opinion. It's most often obtained by people who doesn't meet the requirements for a long term visa, to young for a visa based on retirement or not having enough money or both. The cost per year compared to an annual extension which cost only 1,900 baht/year at the local immigration office is very high.

Okay so there is an alternative option for extension!!

Cheers,

TaxesAreTheft wrote:

Okay so there is an alternative option for extension!!

Cheers,

Yes, but if you're younger than 50, you can't apply for a visa based on retirement. That also goes for the annual extension.

So the only options would be border runs (which I've heard are not currently happening due to Covid) or the Covid extensions that have people have been using for 60 day extensions?

May I ask, as employment seems to be my only option as a young man for an extended stay - do you recommend finding a job prior to touching down or would the best approach be to find work once I'm physically in the country?

If arriving on a 60 days tourist visa you can extend it another 30 days at the local immigration office. Then a border run gives you another 30 days. Then another 30 days extension at the local immigration office. Another border run and you've got ~6 months.
You can't work while on a tourist visa, you need a work permit and a business visa. Getting a work permit and a business visa from a tourist visa is not possible. Normally you do all this from abroad.

Thank you so much.

Look into Education Visa - lots of options, from only 4-hours per week of self defence training, anywhere from 35k - 55k Baht total for the 12-months.

Thank you!

Any info on people getting in trouble for working remotely from Thailand on a tourist visa?

TaxesAreTheft wrote:

Thank you!

Any info on people getting in trouble for working remotely from Thailand on a tourist visa?

Do you mean working online?

TaxesAreTheft wrote:

Thank you!

Any info on people getting in trouble for working remotely from Thailand on a tourist visa?

Other than the legal restrictions you've already read online?

I'm asking if anyone on this forum has any information on people working online and getting reprimanded for doing so.

TaxesAreTheft wrote:

I'm asking if anyone on this forum has any information on people working online and getting reprimanded for doing so.

How will Thai immigration know what you're doing online if you're using a VPN? If you get caught you will probably get fined and deported. There are proposals about a so called nomad visa, but everything here is slow, so you have to wait a bit.

Digitarius wrote:

Buy an Elite visa for 24,000 Baht and it's good for at least 5 years and they help you renew it every year.

You don't get a 5 year Elite Visa for 24,000 baht. Who told you that?

Twodogs100 wrote:

Look into Education Visa - lots of options, from only 4-hours per week of self defence training, anywhere from 35k - 55k Baht total for the 12-months.

An ED-visa is not considered a long term visa. Thai immigration started to question ED-visas 2018-2019 because many educations were just bogus. Many got rejected. A person 50 years of age or older can use an agent if not meeting the financial requirements,and get a 1 year (even 15 months) extension for less than 25,000 baht.

Hi,

Thanks for that info, I have trawled different sites to get the best advice, being 60 its a big move for me, I have some arthritis in back and knees, not chronic, I hope that is not a reason for refusal.

I will go on a 60 day tourist visa then get the longer visa in country.

Thanks again for your advice.

Regards

Iain

Leeds forever! wrote:

Digitarius wrote:

Buy an Elite visa for 24,000 Baht and it's good for at least 5 years and they help you renew it every year.

You don't get a 5 year Elite Visa for 24,000 baht. Who told you that?

I followed the official Elite link you shared earlier Leeds (thanks for that).

Am I reading that site correctly?

It seems that the cost for simply getting into the Elite program is 2,000,000 THB.

Then a person can apply for a one-year visa extension for 1,900 THB.

Is that the gist of it?

I was attempting to see if there were different levels of elite membership but that's all I could discern.

Iain12 wrote:

Hi,

Thanks for that info, I have trawled different sites to get the best advice, being 60 its a big move for me, I have some arthritis in back and knees, not chronic, I hope that is not a reason for refusal.

I will go on a 60 day tourist visa then get the longer visa in country.

Thanks again for your advice.

Regards

Iain

If arriving on a 60 days tourist visa, after ~30 days you can apply for a "Change of Visa" at the local immigration office,to a 90 days Non-immigrant O. But you have to meet the financial requirements. After ~60 days into those 90 days ,you can apply for a 1 year extension based on retirement. But with same financial requirements. If you already have a Thai bank account with 800k baht, go for the 90 days Non-immigrant O Visa from back home instead. Less work in Thailand. Regarding a health insurance, depending on when you're arriving and the covid-19 situation, the insurance must only cover the length of your Visa. Get it? In your case only 60 days if you enter on a 60 days tourist Visa. After that the insurance isn't mandatory.

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

Leeds forever! wrote:

Digitarius wrote:

Buy an Elite visa for 24,000 Baht and it's good for at least 5 years and they help you renew it every year.

You don't get a 5 year Elite Visa for 24,000 baht. Who told you that?

I followed the official Elite link you shared earlier Leeds (thanks for that).

Am I reading that site correctly?

It seems that the cost for simply getting into the Elite program is 2,000,000 THB.

Then a person can apply for a one-year visa extension for 1,900 THB.

Is that the gist of it?

I was attempting to see if there were different levels of elite membership but that's all I could discern.

Yes, there are levels but even the cheapest option is still very expensive. Because of the "at least" 50 year of age thing to be able to legally apply for a retirement visa, I guess most of the people dumb enough to go for the Elite Visa don't meet that requirement. The benefits are in my opinion a joke and not worth the money. What can beat 1,900 baht a year if meeting the financial requirements? I'm staying 5-6 minutes away (with motorbike) from immigration and my bank is ~80 meters from Immigration (not a coincidence). A few copies of this and that + a bank letter from my bank,it cost 100 baht, and a few minutes inside immigration, and I'm good for another year.

ED-Visa / ED-Extension is still a option to stay in Thailand for a long time.
Sure one have to leave the country once per year to get a new 90 days ED-Visa that one can Extended at Immigration inside Thailand.

The last school i use have 4 level af Thai = 4 years.
If English is not you first language you can study English for X years.
A lot of the language school all so have other language for X years.
So one can stay many many years doing this.

Sure Immigration might check on the school to see if you there, And do a very little test when you come to get your Ed-Extension, But it is not hard in any way.
And some Immigration Office have the option to pay a "fee" to skip the test.

If you choose a language school it pretty normal to go out of the country to get 90 days ED-Visa they call it, the go to Immigration Office and get 90 days Extension 3 times to cover 1 year.

If you choose to study at a Universitet you get 1 year Extension at Immigration.

Under Covid 19, When there was no option to go to neighboring countries, Thai Immigration made it easy for people to simple get the first 90 days all so at Immigration Office inside Thailand (Dont know if that cancel again)
So clear Thailand have no problem with people using it.

I use it for 3 years my self, And i am very happy for that option be under 50 years at the time and not marry to a Thai.


The Thai Elite program sell:

Elite Superiority Extension
Membership validity of 20 years
It costs 1 million Thai baht with no annual fee

That 50.000 per year, Or 4.167 per month, In my book that super cheap to stay here.
Sure one need to pay up front.

Because something is a lot of money for some people, Dont make it bad choose or make the people using it Dumb, It only made people write that 100% Dumb.

It is only a good thing that Thailand have many option for people to stay here if we want to.

Kindly.

Never done that wrote:

ED-Visa / ED-Extension is still a option to stay in Thailand for a long time.
Sure one have to leave the country once per year to get a new 90 days ED-Visa that one can Extended at Immigration inside Thailand.

The last school i use have 4 level af Thai = 4 years.
If English is not you first language you can study English for X years.
A lot of the language school all so have other language for X years.
So one can stay many many years doing this.

Sure Immigration might check on the school to see if you there, And do a very little test when you come to get your Ed-Extension, But it is not hard in any way.
And some Immigration Office have the option to pay a "fee" to skip the test.

If you choose a language school it pretty normal to go out of the country to get 90 days ED-Visa they call it, the go to Immigration Office and get 90 days Extension 3 times to cover 1 year.

If you choose to study at a Universitet you get 1 year Extension at Immigration.

Under Covid 19, When there was no option to go to neighboring countries, Thai Immigration made it easy for people to simple get the first 90 days all so at Immigration Office inside Thailand (Dont know if that cancel again)
So clear Thailand have no problem with people using it.

I use it for 3 years my self, And i am very happy for that option be under 50 years at the time and not marry to a Thai.


The Thai Elite program sell:

Elite Superiority Extension
Membership validity of 20 years
It costs 1 million Thai baht with no annual fee

That 50.000 per year, Or 4.167 per month, In my book that super cheap to stay here.
Sure one need to pay up front.

Because something is a lot of money for some people, Dont make it bad choose or make the people using it Dumb, It only made people write that 100% Dumb.

It is only a good thing that Thailand have many option for people to stay here if we want to.

Kindly.

You seem a bit naive. The only reason the Elite Visa exist is for thai authorities to make money. They didn't come up with that Visa to make it easier for people to stay in Thailand. Everything is about making money. From 2014-2020 there were less than 9,000 Elite Visas issued. You think that's a lot? Only a dumbass would go for a 20 year Elite Visa.

It does not matter how many use it, It is a additional option for people to stay here.
What wrong with have more option to stay in Thailand ??

Again for saying it "Only a dumbass would go for a 20 year Elite Visa." really show us all on here who the real dumbass is.

Thanks Leeds forever!23

V good advice, I will do what you advised, thanks again.

Iain