Isaan Lawyers is not a large Law firm and we don't have the staff to translate 17 pages quickly....
We are not specialized in visas as we mostly work in Isaan with
people living here for a long time. We do more property, family and corporate law.
But this is a small summary that might help some people.
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http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/do ... 7_2551.pdfThis document is important and concern all foreigners with temporary stay visa. It replaces and cancelled the previous orders on Sept 8 2006, which are the rules of October 2006 and also the order signed on January 21, 2008.
It's the police order 777 year 2551.
It was signed on 25 Nov 2008 (2551).
The numbers are not the same as the previous order.
I had a small conversation with my assistant and we compare the 2 versions, the new and old one, quickly.
Here are some changes:
BUSINESS VISA: Under 7.1 (4) before, you had to:
"The business concerned must have duly submitted its audited balance sheet as at the end of the latest fiscal year."
Now, it's the 2 latest years. It seems to be in accordance with the new labour act which will allow work permits for 2 years. That's my personal opinion.
The clause 7.1 (5) seems to be deleted. Before, you had to show some profits and losses, audit, etc.
In case of visa for an investment, the Thai version was not mentionning 3 million baht. The English version was. Now, it's clearly an investment of not less than 3 million. That was 7.4 before.
For teachers, private and public school, it looks like it's the same. BUT BE CAREFUL. The previous police order was mentionning documents required...the new one DOES NOT MENTION DOCUMENTS REQUIRED...but only basis for consideration.
For family (like spouse, children) there are some modifications:
It looks like the 'support of a child visa' is still there, but there are financial requirements. 40,000 baht income per month for the mother or father, or 400,000 at the bank. But they added a paragraph mentionning that the immigration office has DISCRETION case by case to deliver this visa. No requirement about the age (before there was a requirement of 50 y-o, that was not always applied).
The HUSBAND married to a Thai lady (what about the wife married to a Thai???) now must show 40,000 baht income per month, or 400,000 baht at the bank 2 months in advance. Before, it was per couple. Now, it's for the foreign HUSBAND. But on the third page of this document, there is a mention on page 3 that the immigration will have discretion to apply this clause or not. Same as the previous one. I do believe it's to protect people living here for a long time, with children or a wife, who don't have the requirements. Personal opinion too.
For retirement visa, it's now SPECIFIED that you need 800,000 baht in a local bank account for the FIRST YEAR. Some people were able to get a one year retirement visa abroad without showing money and the second year, for their extension, had to put 800,000 baht 3 months in advance. The rest seems to be as before.
The annex at the end, (this annex is the salarial requirement for foreigners having an extension based on business) The amounts the same with some specifications. For the first category, the put an exception on Europe about RUSSIA (not included). Russia was in the third category and Europe was in one. No more confusion!
Second is the same.
The fourth, the specified that South Africa is excluded and is in the third category. (Same as Russia). But it was also before in the third...
We did NOT check all clauses and this is NOT a translation. Just some help to start with.
I do hope a big law firm or the immigration bureau will provide a FULL English translation soon.
Sebastian from Isaan Lawyers
This post has been edited by Isaanlawyers: Yesterday, 2008-12-03 18:00:39
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http://www.isaanlawyers.comhttp://www.isaan-properties.comhttp://www.roietmap.comhttp://www.surinmap.com
At their discression of coarse.
That should keep the visa runners busy and drive Immigration nuts trying to calculate the 90 day issue. They have run out of fingers and toes now 
](http://www.udonmap.com/udonthaniforum/images/smilies/eusa_wall.gif "Brick wall")
