# Any one know what to do in this situation?



## wana

I am irish age 26 ,company director 

was hoping to go back to bangkok annd live there for a period of 2-3 years, the new visa regulations have made this a very difficult plan indeed

I own 1 business in ireland that i can continue to run online from thailand which should bring in enough cash every month to cover thai rent and expenses

I have been looking at the visa system and the work permit procedures and its damn near impossible to live there peacefully without constantly worrying about dates and stamps and documents 

is there something im missing or is the only two ways to stay in bangkok by tourist visa or work permit ?

I could probably get a job teaching english quite easily but do i really have to pretend im an english teacher to be allowed to stay in thailand without having to constantly do visa runs every few weeks 

if someone could advise me on what to do in this situation id be eternally grateful as its not looking very clear to me at the moment 

thanks 

mike


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## King Silk

Apply to the HULL Thai visa office for a non-immigrant 'O' visa.
Why? 'Cos your company wants to research the possibility of opening up here.
You will need a letter to this effect.
With that you will only have to go to your local Immigration Office here every 90days.

Forget teaching English.

It's not so cheap here any more due to the poor exchange rate - 50 to the pound stirling.

Good luck.


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## wana

I was under the impression that the hull visa office was only for uk residents but i will check that out 

I really hope there is another way as teaching or studying doesnt really appeal to me 

The best situation i could imagine would be getting the non-immigrant o visa if it works 

if i got that visa would i only have to leave 4 times per year ?


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## King Silk

I have an 'O' non- immigrant and I never have to leave. All I do is go to the Local Immigration office and sign in every 90days.
I forgot you were not in UK so maybe you are right about Hull?
Forget about Work Permits they are a pain and hard to get. Expensive too I hear.


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## Guest

Don't know about Hull, but I'm a Brit and the Thai consulates I used in the past have been open to applications from all nationalities... eg I live in France, so have applied for and obtained my visas from the consulate in Lyon, and I've also had visas issued in Phnom Penh (though I wouldn't recommend it - Europe or Australia are much more accommodating, in my experience). Some British friends of mine swear by Perth for their renewals.

The 12 month multi entry non-immigrant visa I currently hold had a few key requirements.

- You need a Thai bank account - to get one you need to have a two month tourist visa at least, as well as a permanent address.

- You need to have held 800,000 baht in said account for 2 (3?) months prior to applying for visa (there is an alternative requiring proof of income but that seemed complicated at the time so I went for the first option).

- You need to provide proof of your permanent address.

Obviously not easy to set up when you start out -you can't get one without the other, etc.

I was in a similar situation to you once - I could pay myself from my company in the UK, obtained documentation from a Thai solicitor that supported my application for a work visa, and set off to Phnom Penh. They rejected my application - no explanation given. I ended up getting a 2 month tourist visa instead. Work visas can be a major hassle.

Anyway I'm a bit out of touch as I'm marrying a Thai national this summer, and we already have a baby daughter, so hopefully visa issues will be a bit simpler next time around...

My suggestion would be that on this trip you get yourself the tourist visa (2 months, extendable to 3 with a stamp at the local immigration office). This visit will give you time to set yourself up with a bank account, address, etc. If you have a spare 800,000 baht floating around that will simplify things of course, but if not... well the fact is the Thais don't make it easy for farangs to live in the country, and that's their privilege, whatever we may think of the situation. 

The border visa runs for those who flew in without a visa and just got a month's stamp is one area where they have cracked down. Before you could renew by simply taking a bus to the nearest border, walking across and back with a new one month stamp. Now they've cut that limit down to 15 days entitlement after the initial month runs out. The month stamps can only be obtained by flying in and out, once a month, to one of the neighbouring countries.


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## wana

thanks for all those repllies everyone 
I wasnt aware u had to be in thailand with a bank account already opened to get a non immigrant o multiple entry visa 
sommeone told me i could get one before i went to thailand so il have to check 

would be great to get it arranged before arriving in thailand


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## KhwaamLap

frogblogger said:


> Don't know about Hull, but I'm a Brit and the Thai consulates I used in the past have been open to applications from all nationalities... eg I live in France, so have applied for and obtained my visas from the consulate in Lyon, and I've also had visas issued in Phnom Penh (though I wouldn't recommend it - Europe or Australia are much more accommodating, in my experience). Some British friends of mine swear by Perth for their renewals.
> 
> The 12 month multi entry non-immigrant visa I currently hold had a few key requirements.
> 
> - You need a Thai bank account - to get one you need to have a two month tourist visa at least, as well as a permanent address.
> 
> - You need to have held 800,000 baht in said account for 2 (3?) months prior to applying for visa (there is an alternative requiring proof of income but that seemed complicated at the time so I went for the first option).
> 
> - You need to provide proof of your permanent address.
> 
> Obviously not easy to set up when you start out -you can't get one without the other, etc.
> 
> I was in a similar situation to you once - I could pay myself from my company in the UK, obtained documentation from a Thai solicitor that supported my application for a work visa, and set off to Phnom Penh. They rejected my application - no explanation given. I ended up getting a 2 month tourist visa instead. Work visas can be a major hassle.
> 
> Anyway I'm a bit out of touch as I'm marrying a Thai national this summer, and we already have a baby daughter, so hopefully visa issues will be a bit simpler next time around...
> 
> My suggestion would be that on this trip you get yourself the tourist visa (2 months, extendable to 3 with a stamp at the local immigration office). This visit will give you time to set yourself up with a bank account, address, etc. If you have a spare 800,000 baht floating around that will simplify things of course, but if not... well the fact is the Thais don't make it easy for farangs to live in the country, and that's their privilege, whatever we may think of the situation.
> 
> The border visa runs for those who flew in without a visa and just got a month's stamp is one area where they have cracked down. Before you could renew by simply taking a bus to the nearest border, walking across and back with a new one month stamp. Now they've cut that limit down to 15 days entitlement after the initial month runs out. The month stamps can only be obtained by flying in and out, once a month, to one of the neighbouring countries.


This is why most Brits use the Hull Consulate as they follow the legal limits and don't add in their own rules like the London Embassy and some other consulates. The staff in Hull are Brits (its run under a Royal Commission that dates back something like 100 years and are much, much fairer). For my Non-O (which I'm about to renew) I just gave copies of my marriage cert and kid's birth certs and my passport (pus a couple of forms - one which is to certify that I can afford to live there - no need to proove it, just sign and the standar application form - £105 including P&P and 3 days later it came back in the post). Wana, send them an email and ask, they may well help you as an Irishman - it may mean you have to travel there for a day rather than get it posted back (as you may need a UK address for that).

Another choice for you Wana is a student Visa. You can't work on it, but you don't need to, your income is earned overseas (don't tell anyone that you work from Thailand even if its online as this can be construed as work - just say its your company and your income comes from your ownership - i.e.. investment). Student Visa needs to be renewed each year as all Non-Im 'O' s do - Thai schools like Walen (new one opening in CM soon - already one in BKK) will help sort out all the paperwork for you and give you the minumum amount of lessons to keep you legal - they say they can renew this for 5years on their ads. This would give you chance to sort out another method - like getting married, starting a new business in LoS, finding a job that comes with WP, etc etc etc. Check out Walen, even if you don't use them their website explains the process I believe.

Frog, you do know you could have got the Non-Im O on the strength of your daughter even before marriage - caring for Thai children is the same Visa as a Marriage Visa (40k/Month - or 400k banked etc).


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## King Silk

Sorry Frogy I don't agree with some of your info.
I was in UK sent a form,Passport and money for my Non immigrant O to Hull,and it came back a couple of days later.
I only needed that 800000bht guarantee after I decided to go for a retirement visa.
And then I dont have to actually have that amount in the Thai Bank. I have a small lump sum in my account and proof of monthly income from UK. All adding up to the 800000bht annually.
Told them I was getting married to a Thai. Which was true.
But you can get all the up to date info from Hull on the Net. Suggest you do so asap.


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## Guest

KhwaamLap said:


> Frog, you do know you could have got the Non-Im O on the strength of your daughter even before marriage - caring for Thai children is the same Visa as a Marriage Visa (40k/Month - or 400k banked etc).


Ah yes of course, remember reading about that a while back before the littl'un suddenly appeared out of nowhere carried by the Thai equivalent of a stork 

Good point, I have to renew before I go back in June, and I have all the docs with me, plus the certified translation... thanks for reminding me, I'd completely forgotten about that. Good too that it's 'only' 400K.

On consulates I was amazed at how helpful the Thai consulate was in Lyon France - I emailed them and had a personalised reply back the same day. When I'd posted off the docs they even rang me back to say I'd forgotten one - but not to worry, if I faxed it to them they would still get my passport/visa in the post to me that night. And they were as good as their word. The whole operation took four days, including posting there and back.


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## Guest

King Silk said:


> Sorry Frogy I don't agree with some of your info.
> I was in UK sent a form,Passport and money for my Non immigrant O to Hull,and it came back a couple of days later.
> I only needed that 800000bht guarantee after I decided to go for a retirement visa.
> And then I dont have to actually have that amount in the Thai Bank. I have a small lump sum in my account and proof of monthly income from UK. All adding up to the 800000bht annually.
> Told them I was getting married to a Thai. Which was true.
> But you can get all the up to date info from Hull on the Net. Suggest you do so asap.


Ah it all comes back to me now, you're right YRH. I'd applied for the O-A retirement visa cos I was over 50 - at the time I had no dependents in Thailand. It was all rather last minute, so when the passport came back and was only a 'O' visa I thought it better not to ask any questions with just a few days before my flight. Maybe they just made a mistake, I don't know, but I'd provided proof of age, money in bank for more than 3 months, permanent address in Thailand.... and I end up with a visa for someone with a dependent in Thailand!

Still, it worked ok.......

They certainly make you jump through a lot of hoops.....


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## Serendipity2

wana said:


> I am irish age 26 ,company director
> 
> was hoping to go back to bangkok annd live there for a period of 2-3 years, the new visa regulations have made this a very difficult plan indeed
> 
> I own 1 business in ireland that i can continue to run online from thailand which should bring in enough cash every month to cover thai rent and expenses
> 
> I have been looking at the visa system and the work permit procedures and its damn near impossible to live there peacefully without constantly worrying about dates and stamps and documents
> 
> is there something im missing or is the only two ways to stay in bangkok by tourist visa or work permit ?
> 
> I could probably get a job teaching english quite easily but do i really have to pretend im an english teacher to be allowed to stay in thailand without having to constantly do visa runs every few weeks
> 
> if someone could advise me on what to do in this situation id be eternally grateful as its not looking very clear to me at the moment
> 
> thanks
> 
> mike



You could always marry a Thai! Seriously, if your business is via computer you could be in Timbuktu [or Timbukthree] and know one would know. Or would they? What kind of business? That might help the group offer suggestions.

Serendipity2


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## wana

Serendipity2 said:


> You could always marry a Thai! Seriously, if your business is via computer you could be in Timbuktu [or Timbukthree] and know one would know. Or would they? What kind of business? That might help the group offer suggestions.
> 
> Serendipity2


I run a wholesale warehouse ,id put the link but it might not be allowed,basically its just a place for busineses and entrepreneurs to purchase items they can resell via smaller stores or ebay etc 

for awhile i worked about 18-20hours a day 7 days a week but now most of the tasks are automated and there is staff to cover anything that needs physically done



If i can get a 1 year O visa il be happy to do that and do the 90day visa flights 

I have emailed hull to enquire what visa they would recommend given my circumstances 

Do i need to have a plane ticket to prove im leaving on the 89th day or could i just organise this when im already there ?


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## KhwaamLap

wana said:


> I run a wholesale warehouse ,id put the link but it might not be allowed,basically its just a place for busineses and entrepreneurs to purchase items they can resell via smaller stores or ebay etc
> 
> for awhile i worked about 18-20hours a day 7 days a week but now most of the tasks are automated and there is staff to cover anything that needs physically done
> 
> 
> 
> If i can get a 1 year O visa il be happy to do that and do the 90day visa flights
> 
> I have emailed hull to enquire what visa they would recommend given my circumstances
> 
> Do i need to have a plane ticket to prove im leaving on the 89th day or could i just organise this when im already there ?


You don't need a plane ticket - you may need to show the ability to purchase one at the immigration desk at the airport - but I never have.


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## Guest

KhwaamLap said:


> You don't need a plane ticket - you may need to show the ability to purchase one at the immigration desk at the airport - but I never have.


Agreed, me neither... with the proviso that I heard a couple of months back when they were announcing the change from 30 day to 15 day border stamps, that this was another area immigration was going to tighten up procedures on. No idea whether they have or not...


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## wana

thanks guys ,all your help is invaluable !

theres so much wrong or outdated info out about thai rules and procedures


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## King Silk

You don't have to do 90day Flights Pal. Only trot down to the local Immigration office and renew your 'O'. No charge either amazingly!

Don't let it stress you out..........It will all be ok in the end.


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## wana

So its just a matter of getting a non imm O visa with multiple entries from hull?

and a one way ticket into thailand ?

if its that simple i dont know what i was worried about


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## KhwaamLap

wana said:


> So its just a matter of getting a non imm O visa with multiple entries from hull?
> 
> and a one way ticket into thailand ?
> 
> if its that simple i dont know what i was worried about


Yep, and you only have to report if you haven't left the country within the last 90 days (an immigration stamp/entry permit counts as a reporting) - so you can do either as suits.


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