# do i really need a visa to stay in Thailand???



## petepie1234

I plan on staying in Thailand for two years,basically i am trying to get over a nervous breakdown,anyway i have 25 k in the bank and want to travel to Thailand to rest my head by the beach for the next 18 to 24 months,guys,what do i need to stay that long?please if you reply explain to me easy to read stuff,since the breakdown i find it very difficult to concentrate and read

thank you guys


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## lv_artist

petepie1234 said:


> I plan on staying in Thailand for two years,basically i am trying to get over a nervous breakdown,anyway i have 25 k in the bank and want to travel to Thailand to rest my head by the beach for the next 18 to 24 months,guys,what do i need to stay that long?please if you reply explain to me easy to read stuff,since the breakdown i find it very difficult to concentrate and read
> 
> thank you guys


You will need a visa(s). Visit the Thai Immigration website. It will have visa info.


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## petepie1234

its all some confusing to me,i need help with it


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## Song_Si

Yes you need a visa.
25k would be difficult to cover 18 months if you are including travel, visa renewal costs, your medical costs, healthcare and insurance.

For 18mths the only real option is to try Tourist Visas. But be aware you have to leave the country every 90 days (more expense). 

Refer to this thread: Thailand - visits and Tourist Visas


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## bangkokburke

Tourist visa, leave and return every 90 days.


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## petepie1234

Thanks man

How difficult is it to get a tourist visa?i am thinking about brining my dog with me,will it be abit suspicious if i bring him with me on a tourist visa???will they not let him go with me on a tourist visa?


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## stednick

petepie1234 said:


> I plan on staying in Thailand for two years,basically i am trying to get over a nervous breakdown,anyway i have 25 k in the bank and want to travel to Thailand to rest my head by the beach for the next 18 to 24 months,guys,what do i need to stay that long?please if you reply explain to me easy to read stuff,since the breakdown i find it very difficult to concentrate and read
> 
> thank you guys


Pete:

Your plan has problems that must be addressed before you take further steps.

I will attempt to explain them as easily as I can. However, expatriation, visa and financial issues tend to be very complicated and are never straight forward. The criteria for the issues changes frequently and the decision making is done by individual human beings. So what is said today by one person may be different then what is said tomorrow by another person.

Your first issue is that you need formal permission to stay in Thailand for an extended period of time. You want 18 to 24 months permission to stay in Thailand for what I would deem as a medical recovery. There is no visa that I am aware of that covers your specific situation. I don't believe that a Thailand "medical" visa exists. You may possibly be issued permission on a special needs basis but you will need to petition the local Thailand Embassy or Consulate. This is not an easy task and may not work. There is an Embassy in London and Consulates in Birmingham, Cardiff, Dublin, Glassglow, Hull and Liverpool. See Thailand-UK - UK Visas ?????????????????? for a list of addresses and phone numbers.

The only visa you qualify for is a Tourist Visa which is a 60 day visa. Possibly by manipulating a multiple entry tourist visa you can manage to stay for 180 days. This is a troublesome, complicated, expensive and difficult method of staying in Thailand for 18 - 24 months. It involves visa runs and border crossings with no guarantee that you will be granted permission to re-enter Thailand. Some visitors have managed to use this method to remain in Thailand long term. It is not advised. 

Your second issue is finances. 25k Euro is not enough. You need to supplement this amount of money significantly for 18-24 months in Thailand.

Your third issue is the cost and availability of your medicines and follow-up medical reviews of your condition. Possibly the biggest problem is affordable quality medicines. 

Your fourth issue is a long term lease for a house. By law the owner of the house must verify your legal permission to stay in Thailand. Also, as you mentioned, the landlord will want either cash up front or some documentation that you will be able to pay your financial obligation.

Your fifth issue is the dog. Veterinarian services, shots/vaccinations and quarantines tend to add up to an expensive time consuming issue. It can be done by is another issue you need to address.

My advice to you is to abandon your plan. There are too many issues to cover on an individual basis in regards to your stated medical condition. You need help to develop a plan that will work to achieve your stated goal. Unless you have dedicated family and/or social services manpower to help you overcome the many issues that will appear you have little chance of successfully accomplishing your stated goal(s).


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## petepie1234

jeez man,whay to bring down the party


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## bangkokburke

I don't know anything about bringing a dog. Check your local Thai Embassy. Maybe they can help.


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## joseph44

Pete,
In order to get the best advise on which visa to obtain you should give a bit more details. 
- your age (50+ or 50-/-)
- will you have any kind of income during your stay in Thailand? Is it more or less than THB 65,000 per month?
- are you on medication at the moment?
- could you live without your dog for one or 2 years?

Reason for asking:
- If you are over 50 and you show the Thai Embassy or Consulate a bankbook with at least THB 800,000 on it, you will get a one year - double or multiple entry - non-immigrant 'O-A' visa. This will grant you 360 days of stay and if you do a border-run on the last day of the validity, you'll get another 360 days. Alternatives are ED-visa or tourist-visa. 
- It's not easy to get a pet in to Thailand and it's certainly not easy to get the same pet back into the UK again. A pretty costly and time-consuming issue. 
- If you are on medication at the moment, it will be "free" while being in the UK. Being away for a certain longer period of time may cause you to pay for your medication yourself and that become pretty costly. 

Pete, you're suffering or recovering from a nervous breakdown and the only thing you can think of at the moment is: sun, beach and relax however..........I wonder if this will help with your problem on the longer run. Every day at the beach can be pretty boring. If I were you, I'd certainly look for some kind of occupation: diving, learning Thai, a period of meditation or yoga, Thai cooking.......just keep yourself busy.

Try to stay away from the famous nightlife spots..........they may cause problems which are possibly worse than your mental problems.


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## wendy_1

I think you will need to visa to stay or live in Thailand for a long period of time, otherwise you will run many risks with immigration issues.


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## petepie1234

wow thanks joseph

i am only 31,and no,i couldnt leave ozzy for a year or two,if he didnt come with me i wouldnt go,im to attached to him,yes the medication would cost abit but i have near 1500 a month coming in from rent i reciever at my disposal and another 20k in the bank so money will be ok,see the thing is,i need the sun,the sun really really helps my mental problems and i can cope better in it,i need to get away from my family aswell
do you live in thailand joseph?

that sounds like an irish name,i am from dublin,are you irish?


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## joseph44

I'm sorry Petepie, I'm 50% Dutch, 25% German and 25% Austrian........almost everything except Irish.
I do live in Thailand at the moment . 

The only advise I can give you, regarding age and income:
Go for an ED-visa; sign up for a Thai language course, preferably on Koh Samui (lots of sun).
As long as you participate in the Thai language course you are eligible to stay on an ED-visa . 

Initial cost will be approx. THB 25000 for the course (including visa-assistance); THB 2,200 for the visa (non-immigrant ED - single entry - 3 months). 
Every 90 days you will have to extend your stay with help of the school and that will cost you another THB 1,900. Sometimes, schools are able to extend, after the first 90 days up to one year.

A real big school with a lot of branches is Thai Walen Walen Internation School
Contact them for questions and how to get along.

If you are able to arrange an ED-visa in the UK, you may get a one-year visa, which saves THB 10,000 on 90-day extensions 
Of course, therefore you need documents from your future school and an advance payment will be required. 

Regarding Ozzy: Read this Blog.......I think it contains valuable information: 
Thailand Travel Blog

Good luck.


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## petepie1234

joseph44 said:


> I'm sorry Petepie, I'm 50% Dutch, 25% German and 25% Austrian........almost everything except Irish.
> I do live in Thailand at the moment .
> 
> The only advise I can give you, regarding age and income:
> Go for an ED-visa; sign up for a Thai language course, preferably on Koh Samui (lots of sun).
> As long as you participate in the Thai language course you are eligible to stay on an ED-visa .
> 
> Initial cost will be approx. THB 25000 for the course (including visa-assistance); THB 2,200 for the visa (non-immigrant ED - single entry - 3 months).
> Every 90 days you will have to extend your stay with help of the school and that will cost you another THB 1,900. Sometimes, schools are able to extend, after the first 90 days up to one year.
> 
> A real big school with a lot of branches is Thai Walen Walen Internation School
> Contact them for questions and how to get along.
> 
> If you are able to arrange an ED-visa in the UK, you may get a one-year visa, which saves THB 10,000 on 90-day extensions
> Of course, therefore you need documents from your future school and an advance payment will be required.
> 
> Regarding Ozzy: Read this Blog.......I think it contains valuable information:
> Thailand Travel Blog
> 
> Good luck.


Excellent tank you very much Joseph lane:


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## Dumbo

Education visa. Could someone perhaps explain that avenue to him. I don't know enough about it. As Joseph444 has said you need something to do.


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## joseph44

Dumbo,
There are 2 possibilities to obtain an ED-visa:
1. You enroll for a course in Thailand; pay upfront and wait for the necessary documents which will be provided by the school. With those documents, some photographs, a visa-application form and your passport you head for the nearest Thai Embassy/Consulate in order to obtain an ED-visa; preferably one year - single entry. 

2. You head for Thailand without a visa and you will get a 30-day "permission of stay" upon arrival at the airport. 
Go to the school of your choice, enroll for a course, pay and exchange some personal data. The school will take care of the necessary documents which will allow you to obtain an ED-visa in a neighboring country. In this case, you will almost certainly get a 3 month - single entry. 

In both cases, the permission of stay based on your education needs to be extended at the nearest immigration office. In most cases every 90 days; in some cases the school may be able to take care of an extension up to one year. In any case, every extensio will cost you THB 1,900.

In order to be eligible for an ED-visa, you must enroll (and actually participate) for a 180 hour- course (4 hours per week). That can be: Thai language, Thai culture, yoga, Thai cooking as long as the school is accredited and approved by the Thai Ministry of Education. 

Sounds awful, but the only things you have to do are:
- attend the classes
- keep an eye on the time-frames regarding application and extensions of your stay
If you have a proper school, they will assist you all the way.


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## petepie1234

joseph44 said:


> Dumbo,
> There are 2 possibilities to obtain an ED-visa:
> 1. You enroll for a course in Thailand; pay upfront and wait for the necessary documents which will be provided by the school. With those documents, some photographs, a visa-application form and your passport you head for the nearest Thai Embassy/Consulate in order to obtain an ED-visa; preferably one year - single entry.
> 
> 2. You head for Thailand without a visa and you will get a 30-day "permission of stay" upon arrival at the airport.
> Go to the school of your choice, enroll for a course, pay and exchange some personal data. The school will take care of the necessary documents which will allow you to obtain an ED-visa in a neighboring country. In this case, you will almost certainly get a 3 month - single entry.
> 
> In both cases, the permission of stay based on your education needs to be extended at the nearest immigration office. In most cases every 90 days; in some cases the school may be able to take care of an extension up to one year. In any case, every extensio will cost you THB 1,900.
> 
> In order to be eligible for an ED-visa, you must enroll (and actually participate) for a 180 hour- course (4 hours per week). That can be: Thai language, Thai culture, yoga, Thai cooking as long as the school is accredited and approved by the Thai Ministry of Education.
> 
> Sounds awful, but the only things you have to do are:
> - attend the classes
> - keep an eye on the time-frames regarding application and extensions of your stay
> If you have a proper school, they will assist you all the way.


Wow thanks Joseph

i think in your previous post i will check out the school and try and get into it

thanks for all your help dude

p


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## petepie1234

petepie1234 said:


> Wow thanks Joseph
> 
> i think in your previous post i will check out the school and try and get into it
> 
> thanks for all your help dude
> 
> p


 i think joseph i am going to do a years course in speaking thai,what do you think?


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## joseph44

petepie1234 said:


> i think joseph i am going to do a years course in speaking thai,what do you think?


Go for it Pete. Apart from improving your Thai language skills, you will be occupied and the course will take care of some regularity in your mental recovery-period.


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## petepie1234

joseph44 said:


> Go for it Pete. Apart from improving your Thai language skills, you will be occupied and the course will take care of some regularity in your mental recovery-period.


Thanks Joseph,im goina go for it,thanks for all your helplane:


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## TheNativeSon

Visa and Immigration Laws Thailand Bangkok


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## joseph44

TrangDoan said:


> *Hi Joseph44*
> Thanks for your recommendation.



invoice is on its way


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## chrischiang

Hi, 

I am from Hong Kong and I am planning to move to Thailand with my wife and 3 years old daughter.
If we want to move to Thailand, could we 1 year ED visa for the stay? All of us should applied for the visa? of just my wife and I apply for the visa?
What is Non-B work visa with work permit? Is this visa suitable for our family?

Look forward to the reply.

Best,
Chris


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## saltish143

petepie1234 said:


> I plan on staying in Thailand for two years,basically i am trying to get over a nervous breakdown,anyway i have 25 k in the bank and want to travel to Thailand to rest my head by the beach for the next 18 to 24 months,guys,what do i need to stay that long?please if you reply explain to me easy to read stuff,since the breakdown i find it very difficult to concentrate and read
> 
> thank you guys


Hello Pet,

I would suggest you to learn Thai Language. Which will cost you around 1000K but you will have freedom and you will save more. 

Regards,


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