# moving to thailand



## ricky123 (Jul 7, 2008)

hi all
in thinkig of moving to thailand i have no teacking skills and would it be hard to get other jobs and whats the best way of going about it


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## synthia (Apr 18, 2007)

Welcome to the forum! I moved your thread to the Thailand forum as that seemed more appropriate. Take a browse through to discover some of the obstacles to your plans.

We really would need a little bit more information to give you advice, like where you are from and what your skills are, but there are a couple of general things you must consider.

First, you cannot just decide to move to another country, but must have the country in question's permission to do so. For years Thailand gave a sort of tacit permission by allowing people to cross the border into Myanmar and come back with another 30 days on their entry stamps, as many times as they wanted. This is no longer true, and the country is tightening up on other types of visas as well.

Second, getting permission to work legally is even more difficult, because an employer must show that there are no Thais that can perform the job, and go to some expense to get you a work visa. In the past this has been widely flaunted, but again, there are crackdowns now.

Third, wages aren't good. Someone with a degree, teaching ESL, will make enough to live on but not much more.

Fourth, have you ever been there? For longer than two weeks or a month? If not, I'd suggest that you go and stay for as long as possible before making any decision.


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## D_Rock (Jul 10, 2008)

*I plan on visiting for about 6 months*

Hi there, I am new to this site. I have been planning on taking a trip to Thailand for about 6 months. I don't need a job or anything I have been saving my money. I was just wondering how I would get a visa for that, or anything else that I should be aware of. I have a friend that did the same thing a few years back but he seemed to have a much easier time being able to stay there for 6 months. I love to save money and work my butt off and then go backpacking somewhere I have never been to. If anyone has any tips or anything that would be greatly appreciated. 

thanks.


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## Ted88888 (Jun 2, 2008)

If you plan to spend only six months, sorting your visa situation out will be easy.

Get a 60-day tourist visa at the Thai embassy or consulate in your home country. 

Go to Thailand.

One BUSINESS day before the visa expires go to immigration and ask for an extension on the visa - you will (typically) get another 30 days - fee is B1900 at the moment. 

At the end of those thirty days you will have two options:

1. Go to a neighboring country and apply for another 60-day tourist visa and follow the same procedure as above, or

2. Do visa runs every 30 days for [roughly] the next three months. You are allowed 90 days of the in-and-out type visa runs every SIX months. Anyone who knows of any changes to this: PLEASE correct me.

Don't forget that 90 days is NOT Three months - pay close attention to the dates stamped on your visas, extensions and entry permits. 

Note that you will NOT be allowed to work on a Tourist Visa.

This procedure is not difficult. Any/every country you move to or visit for extended periods of time will have certain hoops you will need to jump through. Not a big deal.


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## synthia (Apr 18, 2007)

Ninety days isn't even ninety days, nor is sixty really sixty. I got caught with this one.

On the 60th (last) day of your two month tourist visa, you cross the border to Myanmar, do some shopping, and come back into Thailand with a 30 day stamp in your passport. You are on day 1 of your thirty days. So, with a 60 day visa and a 30 day entry stamp, you have only 89 days, because the border crossing day is counted twice, as the first and the last day.

Also watch if you arrive on a flight around midnight. My flight was due in, I believe, just before midnight, but arrived after midnight. My entry was dated for the day before I physically went through immigration. They may use some sort of artificial immigration day, taking a gap in arrivals in the early morning hours as the end of the previous day. It's something to be careful of if you are also booking a departing flight and counting out those 30 or 60 days.


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