Guys, I need help.
I have been staying in Thailand for the last 2 years on different types of visas.
I stayed on an ED visa with AAA Language school until July 2022. Never had any problems with the school or the immigration office. It wasn't some shade ED visa thing but a proper language school.
Then I did the TR visa with visarun thing (mixed in with 1 month trips back to Europe in December 2022) for quite a while. Until May 2023.
On my last entry in May, after a short trip to Kuala Lumpur, the immigration officer gave me a really hard time. I was trying to enter on a visa exemption because I already had flights booked to Europe in June anyway. So they let me enter, but it was clear to me that I need a long-term solution to this problem.
That didn't really bother me, because I was planning to get the Elite Visa anyway. So I applied for it last month. Only to find out this morning that my application was NOT APPROVED. They didn't give me a specific reason but they said it might be because of my ED visa record.
Now I am pretty bummed out. Never in my life would I have expected to get rejected from the Elite Visa. I thought the whole point of paying 600,000 THB was to not deal with all these frustrations again. I have no overstay record, no criminal record.
So my question to everyone in this group is now:
What are other options to get a legitimate long-term visa in Thailand? Besides marrying a local.
About me:
30 years old. I run my own location-independent business in Europe but I want to spend most of my time in Thailand. Money is not really an issue (hence the Elite Visa). I even looked into starting a business in Thailand but that would cost me roughly 100,000 THB per month to hire enough Thai employees to qualify for my own work permit and visa. And to get that business profitable it would suck a lot of time and energy out of my existing business.
I was thinking there must be other options, no? I appreciate any kind of help. Thank you!
TLDR : Answer Summary
The user details their previous experiences with various visa types in Thailand and the recent rejection of their Elite Visa application, which they suspect may be linked to their prior ED visa. They seek alternative long-term visa solutions apart from marrying a local. Community comments suggest several options, including the LTR visa, SMART visa, and investment visa, as well as potential business setup strategies that could provide a viable way to obtain a work permit. The discussion reflects concerns over visa policies and procedures, particularly for expats trying to establish stable residency.
LONG TERM RESIDENT (LTR) VISA RESOURCES / SERVICES
