I've gotten several private messages on this topic and thought I should address it.
There seems to be an under current or feeling on the group that people who get year-long, multi-entry Non-Immigrant visas (no matter the type or reason) are some how not following the rules or are circumventing them in some fashion. Please realize they are most definitely NOT.
The fact of the matter is; IF a consulate will sell someone a year-long, multi-entry Non-Immigrant visa (the type that you bounce out and back in every 90 days) it's a VALID visa and they have as much right to be here as people who are on yearly extensions of stays issued from the immigration office.
Different people get visas and or extensions for different reasons.
The group is about helping people get visas/extensions to thailand, and it shouldn't matter to anyone whether the poster wants a visa from a thai consulate OR a yearly extension of stay from the immigration office.
TLDR : Answer Summary
The discussion clarifies that individuals holding year-long, multi-entry Non-Immigrant visas are compliant with Thai visa regulations and should not be viewed as circumventing the system. It emphasizes that the validity of such visas, obtained through consulates, is equal to yearly extensions granted by immigration offices, and expats should support each other's visa choices without judgment.
