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What are the best visa options for French digital nomads planning to stay in Chiang Mai for 6 months?

Visa Rules Digital Nomad Chiang Mai Tourist Visa Visa Extension Border Run Non-Immigrant B Visa Employment in Thailand

Jun 16, 2018

6 years ago

ORIGINAL POSTER

Hey guys 

We are 3 french guys who want to have a Digital Nomad’s experience in Chiang Mai. We want to stay like 6 months in CM but we saw it can be difficult with all the VISA’s thing.. 

Do you know how can we do? 

We saw that It’s possible to go to Laos and after came back to Thailand but Is it a long term solution ? Is it possible to do it 5,6 times ?

Thanks 😉

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TLDR : Answer Summary

Three French individuals are seeking advice on staying in Chiang Mai for six months as digital nomads, with concerns about visa regulations. Community members suggest obtaining a single entry tourist visa and extending it in Chiang Mai, followed by additional tourist visas or border runs to extend their stay. The conversation touches on the potential need for a work permit if they wish to work legally in Thailand, with recommendations for alternative visa options.

Michael ********

Not difficult at all if your gonna be in Chiang Mai for 6 months.

Eg:

Land on a single entry tourist visa - 60 days

Extend tourist visa for another 30 days in Chiang Mai

After that

Options:

1. Go get another tourist visa from an embassy/consulate outside of Thailand.

2. Green bus from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai border run 30 days + extension. 1 More border run for another 30 days. Bam.

No difficulty....

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Tod *********

Okay, what we're NOT going to do is debate what constitutes work in thailand especially as it relates to e-commerce. Sheesh even the powerz-that-b don't have a clear plan to handle it.

The O/P said they want to come here for 6 months and the best way they can do that is

get a 6 month METV <- multi-entry tourist visa from your country BEFORE you wash up here

get a single entry tourist visa, then a 30 day extension taking you to 90 days, then go get another single entry tourist visa from a thai consulate in a nearby country and another 90 day extension.

come in a 30 day visa exempt entries, get a 30 day extension, border-bounce for a new 30 day visa exempt entry, get a 30 day extension, border-bounce for another 30 day visa exempt entry & get a 30 day extension.

Those are the 3 ways they can get a 6 month stay here.

The easiest by FAR is getting a 6 month METV from the thai consulate in their country BEFORE comin' here.

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Oscar ******************

Digital Nomad's experience... Oh my Buddha, get a tourist visa experience, an exempt visa entry experience, a visa run experience or a border bounce experience... like everybody experience.

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Robert *******

Stevie, this is copied from the law: "Section 5. In this Act:

"Alien" means a natural person who is not of Thai nationality;

"Work" means engaging in work by exerting energy or using

knowledge whether or not in consideration of wages or other benefits; ". They write they want to work on their e-commerce shop, so even making benefits. I can only read that as working in Thailand, so work permit is needed as well as an visa that allows you to work with the work permit.

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Stevie *******

I am not sure if you really understood what is goin on. Maybe you should read a bit about digital nomads and about what the guy here is talking about. Is definetely NOT illegal. Not sure why you try to tell the people here it IS.

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Robert *******

Thanks for sharing, I like to follow the law instead of news on a forum.

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Robert *******

They stated they want to stay long term to work.

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Oscar ******************

I don't offer any advice about how to work illegal in Thailand, I only say how to stay long term in Thailand as a tourist. And that is with tourist visas, visa runs or border bounces, I never said the words "work ilegal" in my first comment.

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Carl ********

please tell my Thai wife that! Tried to tell her without success!

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Robert *******

It is only a grey zone, because that is how Digital Nomads like to defend their illegal work. The labor act section 5 is very clear.

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Robert *******

We offer advice according the rules and regulations, we don't offer advice how to work illegal in Thailand.

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Oscar ******************

Yep, but nobody knows when you are working at home.

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Robert *******

All these options are Employment Prohibited. Not a good advice.

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Robert *******

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Robert *******

Do you like to work as Digital Nomads during this 6 months stay?

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Sergey *********

They can try that new 4-year visa if it is available already =)

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Andre **********************

Huy Vu Ng look for Santtu Säävälä, he may have something for you guys working here legally as digital nomads e-commerce thingy. The only one who can provide his service in this group.

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Robert *******

Than you have to find a company inside Thailand that will offer you a job and apply for the work permit, so you can apply for the Non Immigrant B visa.

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Huy ********

ORIGINAL POSTER

Yes sure! We want to work on our ecommerce shop

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Huy ********

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