# Possibilities to live in Thailand?



## Hektix (May 18, 2016)

Hey all, I'm a 24 year old guy from Cleveland, Ohio. I'll be traveling to Bangkok/Chiang Mai in late August and I was wondering how I could stay, to more or less live in Thailand without having to worry about the law.
I receive Social Security Disability and get my cash benefit monthly from the US (which I would still get so long as I'm a citizen), and I don't hold a degree, but do hold a lousy tefl. However, what I would like to do in Thailand is use my SSDI benefits to keep afloat and offer private native English sessions to locals to supplement my income just a bit and help locals out at the same time.
My real worry with Thailand is the passport entry/Visa situation. I am 100% confused about it all and the consulate offices haven't been responding to my e-mails..
Is month-to-month 30 day re-entry on a US passport allowed? If so, won't they eventually refuse entry after seeing a series of stamps?
I could get a single entry tourist visa valid for 60 days + 30 extension but after that expires I don't know what I could do. I do not meet the income requirements for the long term visa unfortunately.
Do I have any options to stay more or less indefinitely in Thailand?
Thanks for any replies and advice, I really appreciate it ^^


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

Hektix said:


> Hey all, I'm a 24 year old guy from Cleveland, Ohio. I'll be traveling to Bangkok/Chiang Mai in late August and I was wondering how I could stay, to more or less live in Thailand without having to worry about the law.
> I receive Social Security Disability and get my cash benefit monthly from the US (which I would still get so long as I'm a citizen), and I don't hold a degree, but do hold a lousy tefl. However, what I would like to do in Thailand is use my SSDI benefits to keep afloat and offer private native English sessions to locals to supplement my income just a bit and help locals out at the same time.
> My real worry with Thailand is the passport entry/Visa situation. I am 100% confused about it all and the consulate offices haven't been responding to my e-mails..
> Is month-to-month 30 day re-entry on a US passport allowed? If so, won't they eventually refuse entry after seeing a series of stamps?
> ...


Hi Hektix And Welcome,

My understanding is that Thailand is a difficult place to move to or stay long term. I base that opinion on only the posts in the forum.
We live in the Philippines, a neighboring country, where many guys move to from the States. I'm not even sure if Social Security and or SSDI is payable in Thailand. Many countries have restrictions placed on collecting benefits.

If you find Thailand too difficult or not possible for any reason, check out the Philippines Page here in the forum.Social Security and SSDI are payable here and one can even use one of the local (approved) banks for direct deposits.

Also, the cost of living is much lower here than it is in Thailand and you can enter on and keep extending a tourist visa. Then at the end of two years or so just take a cheap flight to Hong Kong and return; then start the tourist visa over again.

Anyway, hope you get the information on Thailand that you are needing.



Best Regards

Jet Lag


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## Jono395 (Apr 15, 2016)

Interesting original post.

I may be in the same situation. Going back in August on the 90 day. However I have heard about a one year stay visa?? 

I'm looking to purchase equity, being a hostel or restaurant. I belive you can only own 49%, but this is one way to stay indefinitely?


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## gnazi71 (Jun 17, 2012)

To live in Thailand long term you need a visa (educational-, retirement-, work- or have to be married with thai citizen).
I'm not an expert but I think it's difficult, not impossible but difficult.

Foreigners can hold 49% of a society or of a building. In certain cases (some condominiums) you can buy 100%.

But as I said I am not an expert in this matters.

Bye


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## Hektix (May 18, 2016)

Hi Hektix And Welcome,

My understanding is that Thailand is a difficult place to move to or stay long term. I base that opinion on only the posts in the forum.
We live in the Philippines, a neighboring country, where many guys move to from the States. I'm not even sure if Social Security and or SSDI is payable in Thailand. Many countries have restrictions placed on collecting benefits.

If you find Thailand too difficult or not possible for any reason, check out the Philippines Page here in the forum.Social Security and SSDI are payable here and one can even use one of the local (approved) banks for direct deposits.

Also, the cost of living is much lower here than it is in Thailand and you can enter on and keep extending a tourist visa. Then at the end of two years or so just take a cheap flight to Hong Kong and return; then start the tourist visa over again.

Anyway, hope you get the information on Thailand that you are needing.



Best Regards

Jet Lag[/QUOTE]

Thanks for your reply! I'm really open-minded about making a move to southeast Asia, and I was actually looking for more info about the Phils too  I'm used to living a very tight-budget life over here and just want to cut the rope and start anew in a different culture where I could life more comfortably and feel a bit more welcomed


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## Mweiga (Sep 24, 2010)

Hektix said:


> Hey all, I'm a 24 year old guy from Cleveland, Ohio. I'll be traveling to Bangkok/Chiang Mai in late August and I was wondering how I could stay, to more or less live in Thailand without having to worry about the law.
> I receive Social Security Disability and get my cash benefit monthly from the US (which I would still get so long as I'm a citizen), and I don't hold a degree, but do hold a lousy tefl. However, what I would like to do in Thailand is use my SSDI benefits to keep afloat and offer private native English sessions to locals to supplement my income just a bit and help locals out at the same time.
> My real worry with Thailand is the passport entry/Visa situation. I am 100% confused about it all and the consulate offices haven't been responding to my e-mails..
> Is month-to-month 30 day re-entry on a US passport allowed? If so, won't they eventually refuse entry after seeing a series of stamps?
> ...


Your thinking on options is getting close. For under 50's staying in Thailand you have two basic choices to make - either working under a work visa , or having a tourist visa of some kind of which there are a few choices , none of which allow you to stay indefinitely without exiting the country at some stage. You cannot work at all whilst on a tourist visa (and that includes offering private English lessons for remuneration). If you want to teach you will need the appropriate work visa.

The days of indefinite visa runs to neighbouring countries using the automatic 30 day "permission to stay" stamp are gone now - you can no longer do this at all using land routes through Thai borders although still possible to a limited degree by air - as you point out, after collecting a few consecutive 30 day stamps airport immigration officials are likely to put a stop to it.

What I would suggest is make your visit on a 60 day tourist visa which you can extend by 30 days at an immigration office. This would give you 3 months to investigate your future visa options in-country. A variation of this could be to get a double entry 60 day tourist visa where you can extend the first 60 day entry by 30 days , then exit Thailand for a nearby country and re-enter for the second 60 day visa which can again be extended by 30 days. This would give you six months to explore and understand on the ground all the possible visa options available to you.


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## mpdan89 (Feb 27, 2014)

Hektix said:


> Hey all, I'm a 24 year old guy from Cleveland, Ohio. I'll be traveling to Bangkok/Chiang Mai in late August and I was wondering how I could stay, to more or less live in Thailand without having to worry about the law.
> I receive Social Security Disability and get my cash benefit monthly from the US (which I would still get so long as I'm a citizen), and I don't hold a degree, but do hold a lousy tefl. However, what I would like to do in Thailand is use my SSDI benefits to keep afloat and offer private native English sessions to locals to supplement my income just a bit and help locals out at the same time.
> My real worry with Thailand is the passport entry/Visa situation. I am 100% confused about it all and the consulate offices haven't been responding to my e-mails..
> Is month-to-month 30 day re-entry on a US passport allowed? If so, won't they eventually refuse entry after seeing a series of stamps?
> ...


If you're military collecting VA and SS then you need to just get a wife and buy a house there under her name. If you applied for SS with the VA Disability then your prob collecting around 4000 or more bucks a month. I collect VA and work, I have been approved for SS but I like to work. My wife is Thai and we have considered moving to thailand but the SS will not work if you are living there. If they find out you are living there they will cancel your SS benefits. IE dont tell them you live there and have your parents forward your mail to you or communicate things such as do you owe someone money. Use your GI Bill to go to school online to get a teaching degree and then try to get hired on by one of the international schools.


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## Xynoplas (Aug 2, 2015)

You need a BS or BA degree to get a Teaching License from the gov't, but if you can't get that, you can still get a work permit from a private school that is willing to hire you based on your "rotten tefl". It's my understanding that you'd need to speak to these schools face-to-face.


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## Putrijaya (May 25, 2016)

For a long term visa checkout the Thailand Elite visa program. It's government sponsored. They offer a 5 Year multiple entry no stay limit per entry visa for 500,000 THB.


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