visas in thailand

[ljkd13]

Hello all,

I am planning to move to Thailand in september with 2 friends for about a year. We will be looking for work and are curious about the visa situation. I know people do "visa runs" but I read recently that when you've made 3 consecutive runs, they wont let you back in. Ideally we would like to get work visas, but I know that not all employers can easily do that.

Without getting a job before moving to Thailand, what is our best bet for not being thrown out/fined/jailed etc?

ANY information would be greatly appreciated.

thanks

(and any advice on work would help too)

[synthia]

For visas, the safest thing is to get a work visa. If your employer can't or won't do that, you are stuck with the visa run. After talking to a number of people making the run to Penang, Malaysia, and making a couple myself to Myanmar, the situation in October was, as I understood it:

The absolutely safest way to do a visa run is to go to Malaysia or Singapore and apply for a two month tourist visa, return to Thailand, and when the visa expires, make the run again. It is best to stay out of the country for three nights or so. This presents several problems. It is expensive, though with the budget airlines, not outrageous. After all, you know two months ahead of time, and booking that far in advance gets you the best rates. You also have to be away from your work for several days. The Thai consulates no longer do the 'apply in the morning, pick up in the afternoon' thing. As in all visa runs, there is always the chance they won't let you back it. Staying away several nights should help with that. In theory, you can do this forever, since the 180 day rule only applies to non-visa entries.

The non-visa, 30 day entry stamp is a bit murkier. You can, in theory, stay 90 days in Thailand out of 180. However, the days you cross the border count as two days, so if you go to Myanmar and come right back across the border, you have used your last day of the 30, and the first day of the next thirty, and so have used two of your ninety days. You are then supposed to be able to go to Penang or Singapore, and get a 60-day visa, but some people thing that you are less likely to get it if you have more than one 30-day stamp.

The situation changes almost on a daily basis.

[aarontcp]

Also note, that the regulations vary widely depending on what your nationality is. e.g., I think it's Koreans that can stay here and renew their visas without having to leave the country at all whilst the Japanese still have to leave every now and then.

- Aaron

[synthia]

If you are interested in teaching English, look at the thread in this forum: How to get a teaching job in ten days - the link

[ljkd13]

I was more interested in getting an internship, as long as I could get a visa. My ideal one would be related to NGO work, doing some community development or outreach. Im not concerned with making much money, I just want to make sure I have access to some kind of visa so I can stay for a year.

Does anyone have connections or leads I should check up on?


(by the way, my nationality is American)

I appreciate any and all advice.

Thanks

Luke

[Bevdeforges]

Try and find some copies of the Guardian Weekly. It's a weekly compilation of news from the Guardian newspaper out of the UK and it's directed at expats. About once a month they have a section on aid and development work, with a section of ads (jobs and schools) devoted to NGOs and development work, much like what you're looking for.

Even if nothing is posted for Thailand, you might get some leads on agencies you could approach about the type of job you want.
Cheers,
Bev

[synthia]

It will work the other way around, you will have to have the internship before you can get the visa. Just as in the US, there are no general visas that give you the right to work there. Also, the Thai government considers long term volunteers as workers and requires that they have a work permit. Ignore what I said about visa runs. An NGO probably isn´t going to let you work illegally, anyway.

Try the Amercan Consulate website, and look at thaivisa.com. Also, if there are any particular NGOs that appeal to you, try contacting them directly about their operations in Thailand.

[Markst]

Thailand has always been one of my favourite places to visit. In many ways it still is. Generally I like the people, the food, the country as a whole. But now I live here and have been trying to stay here with my family it's been quite hellish on the visa front, even though I have had a job here. I now own an expensive condo, am of (early) retirment age, have a small company here and still we have problems staying here - despite all of the above. Once upon a time, not so long ago I would have been able to stay, and so would my family, base entirely on my personal investment here. But not any longer.

Things are always at the 'discretion of the immigration officer' which can mean if you don't have the right connections / paperwork / face (!) then you can be right royally screwed when applying for something like a long(er) stay visa and / or a work permit. It was not so much of an issue, about 2 years ago and in the past, but now it is quite a lot of trouble actually.

Now the Baht is sooooo high it would seem that expats are no longer as welcome as they may have been previously (if they ever were).

Immigration laws have changed quite dramatically and affect pretty much everyone (expats) now, even those who thought they could stay longer thru retirement visas, home ownership, investment etc and continue to be in a staight of flux and at the various immigration office whims. Just because one seems to 'qualify' to stay does not guarantee one can, as many are now finding out

Both my wife and daughter are now on an education visa (it seemed an easier option) and that is now also a pain. My wife got 'kicked out' a few weeks ago, even tho we had all the right paperwork and monies etc (according to the website the immigration officer directed is to). She is back now but doesn't really want to live here anymore and keep having to process things all the time - it is quite a bind actually (our last visit to immigration when she was asked to leave we were treated a little like illigal immigrants which didn't go down too well). Even tho our young daughter is in school and she has to report her whereabouts every 3 months (erm - she's in school!?) and both physicaly have to leave Thailand the very day school finishes in the summer and will then have to reprocess their paperwork all over again for the start of the Autumn term.

I'm sure we may be an exceptional case but I've tried using 3 different lawyers and they all say completely different things about all we want to try and do. There is no direct answer really cos nobody actually knows..

Frankly if you don't speak Thai, regardless of whatever it might say on other forums regarding, say. teaching here, then I would think you would find it harder than ever to get a company / school, Uni to pick up the tab, pay you a decent paypacket (it wouldn't be much if you did get any interest) and help process all the paperwork. I very much doubt it will happen if you were to get here and start applying either.

btw 30 day visas now seem to be par for the course. Despite asking for and being nice and professional about it all I have not had any luck at all getting, initially, anymore than 30. I have personally and recently been to Singapore, KL and Penang to process various visas. KL is probably the worst now., when is was supposedly one of the easiest. Singapore is nicer but I doubt you will get anymore than 30 days there. Penang is the best bet, and they are exceptionally nice and laid back. But 30 days was all we could get...

[wolfmisc]

Markst
I am retired also, living alone here and never had any problems to get an O visa. You just have to proof an income of 800000 baht or more per year.
I only have to cross border every 3 months, get a new stamp for another 3 months, thats it.
Anyway, I prefer to receive the 1-year visa during my yearly >vacation< in my birth country at the nearest Thai consulate there. You even dont have to pass by, but can do it in writing.
As I heard getting a working permit is 800000 baht per year also.
So it seems to be a matter of money only.

[synthia]

I don't think the poster has an income, or he or she probably wouldn't want to work.

However, if you don't need to work, OP, you could try a student visa for a Thai language course.

The general sense seems to be, though, that Thailand only wants rich, short term tourists. Interesting, considering they have a shortage of English teachers. By the way, English teaching generally pay only enough to get by, no more.