Asia Expats Forum

KoratCat · Centurion Joined: 26 Mar 2006 Posts: 640 Location:

Yesterday I got an email from Association of Foreigners in Thailand (AOFT), clarifyng the changes a little:

1. Retirement Visa extension. If you have a foreign married spouse who is a dependent they will be able to get this dependent visa now.

2. Retirement visa extension: If you have children under 20. They will no longer be able to get a dependent visa based on you having an extension of stay on retirement. They want these kids to get it based on education so they go to school.

3. Investment Visa extension: Will no longer be available after Oct 1st for new applicants on 3 million Baht.

4. Investment visa extension. For existing extension of stay holders of 3 million Baht, we are now being told this will now be grandfathered in and they will be able to get the extension forever as long as they renew.

5. Frequent visitors: We have checked and it has been confirmed. If you have a visa on arrival more than three times in six months, you cannot come into Thailand without a visa from an Embassy/Consulate. When you enter Thailand, even if you are here just 1 hour, this counts as 30 days. If you come back 6 weeks later for 2 days, this again is 30 days. If you arrive a month later for 4 days, still counts as 30 days. When you leave, you cannot enter Thailand for 3.5 months without coming back with a visa. The reason is to force people who are supposed to have work permits to do so and pay tax.

6. On extension of stay based support of a Thai national (Marriage visa), before if you applied for this extension of stay, you would get a 30 day consideration stamp. Once you return in 30 days you would get the one year extension. Now it will be the same as an extension of stay based on business with the norm of three 30 day consideration stamps. Immigration will go out and check to see if it’s a real marriage or a sham before issuing the one year.

7. On an extension of stay based on being a Monk. No dependents will be allowed to get an extension of stay based on being a dependent

The biggest change is item #5 and targets border runners. If you are in Thailand and need to do a run go on day 28 or 29 to get the most out of it.. If you have been in Thailand for a short time on holiday with just a stamp, and feel you may want to extend in the future or come back again an a month or two, it may be advisable not to visit Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos or Cambodia for a day trip as each time you enter Thailand it will count as a 30 day stamp. Cool

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KoratCat · Centurion Joined: 26 Mar 2006 Posts: 640 Location:

When they introduced the 30-day stamp they did consider that short-time tourists spend a lot more cash then long-time vacationeers. I guess they reconsidered that idea Idea

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