Can you stay in Thailand long term without a tourist VISA?

[green1976]

If you're getting married and want kids just be aware that you have pretty much no rights in Thailand.

In case, if you are legally married in Thailand (registered marriage and not only a ceremony in a temple):

Father's rights, while living in the same house with your Thai wife with your own children or children from her from a previous marriage are very strong. - Children have to follow and child protection services and anti-spanking laws are weak or non-existing in Thailand.

However in case these are not your children, the biological father, the ex-husband of your wife, can object to passport issues and to transfer these children to abroad, because they are also his children.

About custody rights of these Thai children, there are many cases where custody rights were given to the ex-wife and the foreign husband, if claimed in court. - It depends on the divorced couple what they really want. Some ex-husbands insist the children should stay with them and their follow-up wife after divorce - but there are many Thai men, who are happy to get away from all and everything after divorce.

There are 2 sides of the story, while fathers after divorce have no rights, they have also no obligations, as there is no child support and no visitation right in Thailand. The father just walks away, finished, and the next husband will take over. Thai law is quite similar to Japan.

In Western countries the position of the father is much worse than in Asia. In USA, fathers are merely walking ATMs after divorce. Child support payments are enforced, but visitation rights often ignored by the ex-wife. No payment of child support and you will find yourself in jail. Child support payments are often misused for anything else and not for the child.

Well the problem,if i understand it correctly it's not the same for a Thai man as a foreign man.
Also i've read Western woman who marries Thai man have more rights than the contrary.
So being a western men married to a Thai women is quit a bad bet in my opinion.

Marriage in general is not good at all for men,unless you find the exceptional woman but the majority thinks their are the one who is not like the others.
I wouldn't do a marriage in Thailand.
I would keep the relationship without marriage and if the woman start talking about marriage or split...i would split.

The same story if she just start shit about"mama house,hospital bill for the family,buy this buy that".

I recognize i have still the choice so i can avoid to be totally sucked financially(but not partially maybe).

When the moment hit where i don't have the choice anymore because i've mongered all around without building something,maybe i would be mature to be an old fat ugly sponsor who have only money as a tool.
I hope i don't get to this point and if i get there,i assume it's better than what the West has for ladies.

I don't mind to be the main provider if she is poor but i can't accept to be a perpetual ATM.
There's no reason going to other part of the globe and ending without a buck going back home like a poor dog.

Well regarding the limit of Thai residency as a tourist,i still maintain what i've said.
I don't see a fundamental problem about that if you keep your mind about Thailand.

If the guys is in a serious relationship and can't stay there as a tourist..they are other options but they are few.

As Thai authorities doesn't care too much about farangs and their wives,especially if the farangs is not a wealthy guy,it should be a mutual comprehension and the Thai partner should be involved to understand the situation.

[Jester]

So basically they want you to just go there a short time, blow your money, and then piss off back to your own country.

If you want to stay there long term because living expenses are cheap and you like the country, then you're not welcome.

This is a good summery of the situation in a few sentences. Just my opinion.
Tourists are expected to pay for their stay with foreign money and to leave after a few weeks in general.

The problem is that Thailand gives foreigners very little options about other visa permits.

Thailand was even reluctant to introduce a retirement visa and later on very reluctant to create a spouse visa.
You are now welcome if you are 50+, retired and bring your own money. (baht 800.000,-)
Please keep in mind, no work allowed and no medical insurance while in Thailand.

You are also welcome, if you are married with a Thai national, but only if you bring some money with you (baht 400.000,-) and you will get a very basic minimum health insurance on request. NO working permit included in a spouse visa!

Working permit: Thailand is not much into offer working permits, even foreigners in foreign companies in Thailand in higher position complain about hassles, like delivering of blood tests etc. - Maybe best to try it with a Thai Ltd. Company. and a foreigner (=you!) as managing director and at least 4 employees and 3 Thai shareholders.

Land: Foreigner cannot buy any land, married or not does not matter. Do not believe too much in company ownership, as there are plenty of legal loopholes if such a company-contract is done between a married couple = marital common assets which might override the shareholder commercial laws.

On the other side you have also to consider the situation of Thailand. It is not because of Western foreigners, but of Asian neighbors. Thailand is full with legal and illegal people from China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepali, etc. etc.
These Asian people without any qualification and very poor often overstay their permits for many years, or are moving in-out over decades and are truly nothing which might qualify them as 'tourists'.

Thanks for this informative post!

[Winston]

I don't know if I already asked this or not, but how to guys like @Falcon and Scott Mallon (AnAmericaninBangkok) stay long term in Thailand? What kind of visa do they have?

[Winston]

Some information about how to apply for the Thailand tourist visa and business visa:

https://www.visafirst.com/en/thailand_t ... a_info.asp

Apparently, you get one month free as a tourist in Thailand, then if you want to extend a second month, you gotta pay a fee there at a travel agency to extend. I asked an expat friend here today about it. He said he paid 60 dollars to extend his tourist visa one month.

You can also get a business visa too. See details above and how to apply.

[Winston]

Some information about the new Thai Smart Visa, who is eligible for it, and whether it is good for digital nomads or not.

https://www.locationindependent.co.uk/thai-smart-visa/

THE THAI SMART VISA – THE BEST VISA FOR DIGITAL NOMADS, OR ALMOST USELESS?

There has been much talk about a digital nomad visa for Thailand in the last few years, so when the SMART Visa was announced with basic, fairly cryptic, details in 2017, many got excited about what it could mean. No more visa runs?! No more 90 day reporting?! Multi-year visas?! Was Thailand about to acknowledge digital nomads and make them legal?

https://www.interactivethailand.com/tha ... plication/

[CannedHam]

Probably using a marriage visa, or if over 50, retirement visa.

[Yohan]

Probably using a marriage visa, or if over 50, retirement visa.

Yes, correct, in my case 'retirement visa'. However there are also various requirements to meet, otherwise no Thai consulate will accept your application. This is not a 'cheap visa' either if you have to do it abroad and not in Thailand in any local immigration office...but I rarely stay longer than 2 months in Thailand, therefore I cannot apply for extention while in Thailand in my second home.

In my case see a list, Thai Embassy/Consulate in Tokyo, what I all need for 12-month-retirement visa with multiple re-entry - never had any problem, as my documents are carefully prepared and visa is ready within 2 working days.

For me the Thai retirement visa/multiple entry is really fine, no question during arrival and departure neither in Japan or in Thailand, I have my Thai driving licence for 5 years, no problem with buying a motorcycle or renting a car, no problem with keeping a Thai banking account and payments etc. - I can also invite family members and friends to stay in my home and register them with the local immigration office - never I had any problem, it's a good visa...

THAI Visum/Pensioner

I must appear in person in the Thai consulate, I cannot apply by mail or send anybody else

Application Form
Personal History-Form
2 x Pictures

Guarantee Letter (from a person living in Japan - can be my wife, or one of my 2 daughters)
Copy Passport of Guarantor (signed same way as original on passport)

Passport + Copy passport (signed same way as original on passport), must be 18 months valid

Copy of my Japanese Residence Card
Tohon Original (Japanese Address confirmation from Japanese ward office)

Medical Certificate/drug-free etc. (in Japan this costs about USD 300,-)

Letter of retirement allowance, translated in English and certified by my embassy (costs about USD 150,-)
must confirm minimum retirement allowance per month baht 65.000,-

Visa-Fee incl. multiple entry approx. USD 200,-

Appointment-Form Thai Embassy (internet application)

My Thai Banking account statement (passbook and actual printout of statement by internet)

My Thai address – as owner I provide a copy of the landtitle (chanot) + utility payment copy of the house administration.

Airticket confirmed/paid for first return trip
Schedule about possible travels within the next 12 months to/from Thailand to/from Japan or other countries

[Yohan]

Some information about the new Thai Smart Visa, who is eligible for it...

This visa requires a monthly income of at least baht 200.000,- which is about USD 6.400,- and additional health insurance and so on. This is only for foreigners who are holding a very good position in a major foreign company.

Otherwise you need an investment of USD 640.000,- this is about 20 million Baht...

The 'smallest type of these visa' called 'startup' requires you to create a Thai company, and a fixed deposit of baht 600.000,- (aprrox. USD 19.000.-) - this does not sound so bad, but they give you only visa for 1 year... and you have again ask for extension and qualify again.

It is not so cheap to create a LTD comp. with such limited choices of business and with Thai shareholders. Of course you need also a private health insurance for Thailand etc. etc.

My opinion: not easy if you are short of money....or if you don't hold a position in a foreign company which pays you a rather high salary and wants you to take care of a new business/branch office in Thailand.

[CannedHam]

Probably using a marriage visa, or if over 50, retirement visa.

Yes, correct, in my case 'retirement visa'. However there are also various requirements to meet, otherwise no Thai consulate will accept your application. This is not a 'cheap visa' either if you have to do it abroad and not in Thailand in any local immigration office...but I rarely stay longer than 2 months in Thailand, therefore I cannot apply for extention while in Thailand in my second home.

I was replying to the question of how Scott Mallon can stay in Thailand indefinitely but forgot to quote Winston's post.

But yet you are spot on with the rest - Thailand has cracked down on permatourists, begpackers, and jobless drifters hard. Unless you bring some serious coin to the game, expect to use a tourist visa for exactly that - short term toursism.

[Yohan]

... you are spot on with the rest - Thailand has cracked down on permatourists, begpackers, and jobless drifters hard. Unless you bring some serious coin to the game, expect to use a tourist visa for exactly that - short term tourism.

For sure it can be said, Thailand is not such a cheap place any more. Longstay is not so easy without breaking the law and overstay your visa.

Even tourists are supposed now on request, if they look a bit suspicious, to show up with some money during passport control - especially when entering multiple times by land and not by air...

Of course Thailand is still a cheap place if you can live like a low-income uneducated Thai, but while on retirement/vacation I prefer to live a comfortable life - but many foreign male travelers from Europe find themselves suddenly in a rather bankrupt situation. All spent for alcohol, girls, expensive restaurants, upper class hotel rooms...

You also have to consider air fare - further medical bills can become a headache if you face suddenly a serious health issue....

I visited Thailand countless times during the last 40 years, I have my second home there, but I have also my escape route if somebody really goes wrong.

I have Japanese family, and no personal relationship with Thai people. This helps me a lot not to spend money for stupid things while in Thailand.... Our family life when we are in Thailand is really comfortable, nothing missing.

Don't ask me about endless Thai horror-stories - up to Western beggars in Pattaya streets and up to suicide of foreigners who enjoyed a last bottle of whisky and after walking to the balcony...