What are the best visa options for a family of six from the UK to stay in Thailand for one year?

Smart visa gives you and dependents 2 years. Or 6 months and 2 year extensions. It’s pretty geared towards digital but there’s 4 types. you’ll have to see if your circumstances apply?

ED Visa may be an option for you. Our school

@Boreiko ******************************************

offer an excellent value for the annual package + visa

You know you gonna spend a small fortune in visas/extensions/flights. There's no cheap way at all

Multi Entry tourist visa will give you 9 months if you play it exactly to the date. + 1 other single entry tourist visa + extension = 3 more months.

It’s a bit of a headache and will take planning but works like this.

Apply METV before you come online in your home country. Apply as close to leaving as possible but leaving enough time to process it.

From the date of processing it’s valid for 6 months to enter/exit/re enter as many times as you like.

Each time being stamped in for a maximum of 60 days, which you can then extend by 30 more days each time without leaving.

Doing the minimum entry/exits would be like this

1st entry = 60 days + 30 day extension

Visa run # 1

2nd entry = 60 days + 30 day extension

Visa run # 2

3rd entry and this one is Essential to plan the date exactly. You need to stamp into thailand for your 3rd entry BEFORE your visa expires. Even if it’s 1-2 days before the 6 months runs up, you will still be stamped in for another 60 days and then be able to extend that by 30 days more.

Once that is done that visa is finished and you would need to either go to a neighboring country’s thai embassy and buy another single entry tourist visa (60 day entry + 30 day extension- taking you to 12 months) Or just do a normal exit/entry hop and get 30 day visa exempt + 30 day extension (taking you to 11 months)

It would really require laying it out on a calendar and having the requirements organized. Like having exit tickets booked, some hotel stays, and proof of travel funds.

Each extension would cost 1900 baht per person. For 6 people that adds up too. As do border hop tickets. X 4 times during the year. Not cheap

But it wouldn’t tie you down to any classes like an education visa would.

Put the kids in school and you can get a visa but possibly not what you are looking for

There's only really 2 options that come to mind:

Option 1: Both parents enroll in thai language courses and get an ED visa, which can last up to 12 months. Children under 14 or 15 I think it is can't be fined or banned for overstay, so just let the kids go on overstay if they are all young.

Option 2: Enroll the kids in school in Thailand and get them on ED visa. Then both of the parents can get a visa based on children attending school. This requires each parent to have 400,000 baht in a Thai bank account in their name only as part of the application and extension process.