I've been dating my Thai girlfriend for 10+ years, and I'd like to stay in Thailand as often and long as possible until she can retire from her job. I don't know if a spouse / marriage visa is easy or fast to get once you've been seeing each other a long time, but I'd like to work also, because I'd prefer to contribute to the society in which I live, and my spinal damage has kept me out of the workforce for a long time (I'm still focused on musculoskeletal rehab, but I'm ready to do something).
I'm 53 and have done over 130 jobs in my life, everything from labouring and technical work through to writing business advice / consulting and fairly high end software sales / account management ... I've done 20 years combined formal and informal tertiary level study & research, though never gained an undergrad degree (I was mistaken by medical students to be a fully qualified doctor, a senior professor thought I was a PhD, and a PhD candidate thought I was a professor) ... and so far as my comprehension of English goes, I feel like I'm one of the last of the generations who really understands the language properly (not through formal training so much as the fact that I'm a writer and I spend a great deal of time thinking about the meaning of things). I feel like I would be a great teacher / tutor for intermediate and advanced students of English as a second language, to help them understand subtleties and confusing parts of English in various contexts from slang and poetry through to technical jargon & the intentionally deceptive nature of "legalese" and other such matters.
How should I approach this problem of getting a visa to stay longer in the shortest possible time, I've already used up one stay of 60 days, and now I'm into my 2nd stay for this year, expiring August 2nd.
What's the best opportunities following this for someone like myself to find a sponsor for switching to work or digital nomad visa? Or something of that nature?
Any advice or contacts etc?
TLDR : Answer Summary
The post discusses the situation of an expat wanting to stay in Thailand long-term with their Thai girlfriend of over a decade. The individual seeks to navigate visa options, including the potential for a marriage visa, work opportunities, and digital nomad visas. Commenters suggest considering marriage for a simpler visa process, exploring teaching positions, or pursuing retirement visas. They highlight the importance of legal work permits and potential business opportunities. The post emphasizes both the challenges of finding a sponsor for work and the complexities of Thai immigration regulations.
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