Thai immigration compliments

I have always been complaining about the ‘stupid’ Thai immigration laws that obliges you to leave the country after 3 months or having to report on a regularly basis.
But when I woke up in the middle in this night, I suddenly came to realize that they are actually pretty good.

In Europe you are allowed to enter – with great difficultly - for three months, but then you have to go again, not being allowed to enter the union for another 3 months.

So what is all my complaining about ? Here I am, most part of the year with relatively little difficulty.
I don’t think you can as a Thai person stay in Europe so easily as a farang here in Thailand.

Just a clear moment in my thinking...

Peterplay wrote:In Europe you are allowed to enter – with great difficultly - for three months, but then you have to go again, not being allowed to enter the union for another 3 months.

Many of the falangs in Thailand that think they have a born right to live here (and indignantly complain on the Web when they’ve been refused their third back-to-back TOURIST visa) haven’t got the faintest idea of all the hoops a Thai citizen must jump through to get a visa from their country.

However, I think that your comparision with the European visa is not quite valid. The situation you describe is for tourist visas. Once you have a European long term visa, you don’t have to make visa runs. In Thailand, on the other hand, you have to do visa runs even if you have a one-year Thai Non Immigrant O-A visa.

Before you get a long term visa (6 months to start with), you need to do an exam here in Thailand, showing your ability to read and write the language of a country, know the history and habits. Impossible for most Thais.

This is true for the Netherlands, not sure about other EU countries. Somebody knows ?

Asiaphile wrote:

Peterplay wrote:In Europe you are allowed to enter – with great difficultly - for three months, but then you have to go again, not being allowed to enter the union for another 3 months.

Many of the falangs in Thailand that think they have a born right to live here (and indignantly complain on the Web when they’ve been refused their third back-to-back TOURIST visa) haven’t got the faintest idea of all the hoops a Thai citizen must jump through to get a visa from their country.

However, I think that your comparision with the European visa is not quite valid. The situation you describe is for tourist visas. Once you have a European long term visa, you don’t have to make visa runs. In Thailand, on the other hand, you have to do visa runs even if you have a one-year Thai Non Immigrant O-A visa.

Unless it's multiple-entry. A Thai multiple-entry Non Immigrant O-A visa DOES NOT require any visa runs, only 90-day reports. If you want to extend it to nearly two years, you MAY do a visa run (leave Thailand and return), just before the validity expires, and get an additional year, also without visa runs.

Sorry, I meant to write the multiple-entry Non Immigrant O
I guess the effect of too much whisky in Yellow Bird last night

Ah, OK.

As for people complaining, I think most of it would go away if:

1) the rules were clearly posted.
2) the rules were administered fairly and evenly in every Immigration office.
3) the rules didn't change for capricious and whimsical reasons.

The fact that such wide latitude is given Immigration Officers in requiring various documents, and the sometimes vindictive way the rules are applied is the main cause of the complaints. One should be able to look at a hand out from Immigration, complete a checklist, and be assured of quick, professional service if they meet the (clearly stated) requirements.

Hi,
The best way, if you qualify, is to get a single "O" visa. When this is nearly up, get a extention for a year. You then have to only visit Thai imm every 90 days. Instead of having to leave LOS. I got mine due to retirement. To qualify for this you have to be over 50, and have a yearly income of 800,000B. when ex. rate fell i went for a married permission to stay. Which reqired a income of only 40,000B a month, or 480,000B per year. Even though i will be getting over 800K, next month i will still get my P. to stay stamp, due to being married to a Thai. I asked Imm. why you have to report every 90 days. The reply was, a lot of farangs move house, and do not tell Imm., this is so they know your address. Fair enough IMO. The only thing you have to remember is to let them know, can't remember form No., that you are leaving LOS. and get stamp in P.P.
Last time i reported to Udon Imm. i was in and out in five mins. I go as soon as they open, so not many there.
I must say, all the time i have visited Thai imm.. Patt. N.K. and Udon, i have been treated very good and have nothing but praise for them. Also they are very helpful.
Cheers Doug.

douglas
Thanks for that post. I have a Thai wife and house close to Udon. This time home I plan on staying. I am over 50 and qualify for both retirement or based on marriage. I had a friend tell me with the O visa you have to leave every 90 days. Now I see to specify single O visa when I get one.
I am working in Iraq and will be coming to Thailand next month. Can I change the 30 day stamp into a single enty O visa in Udon or do I have to go to Vientiane to acquire it first.

Furyrider wrote:douglas
Thanks for that post. I have a Thai wife and house close to Udon. This time home I plan on staying. I am over 50 and qualify for both retirement or based on marriage. I had a friend tell me with the O visa you have to leave every 90 days. Now I see to specify single O visa when I get one.
I am working in Iraq and will be coming to Thailand next month. Can I change the 30 day stamp into a single enty O visa in Udon or do I have to go to Vientiane to acquire it first.

Furyrider, here is what I did and I was working in South Korea at the time, so would suspect you could do same from the sand pit if they have Thai Embassy where you are. I got the type O non-immagrant at the Thai embassy in Seoul which is good for three months once you hit customs at the airport. Real easy to do. Believe the visa was good for 6 months before you had to use it. Upon arrival, I immediately opened a savings account with Bangkok bank and moved monies in to cover me for the retirement visa requirements. Only need two months maturity on the money at the bank for this first time, next year I'll need three months maturity. Went next and got the yellow book address thingy and that was it. Had to get a translation of the picture page of my passport for the yellow book. Took a few days to get the yellow book and then went to immagration and was really very easy to obtain the one year extension. I only have to go to the immigration office every three months and hand in an address paper. Easy. IMO stressed that retirement visa is for just that, retirement and no compensation for any services performed in the Kingdom. All in all, it was painless and if you have the monthly monies to meet the retirement visa it is easy. Knock on wood, it may all change tomorrow.....hope this helps.