What options do I have for long-term stays in Thailand after being denied entry due to frequent visa exemption use?

Hmm... As passports are mostly biometric these days it could be more than just birth dates and full names.

I see.I guess it's all up to the individual immigration officer at the airport?

@Nich****

nope, their system is set up to flag after 4 to 6 30 day visa exempt entries BUT it's a crap shoot :/

Some people I know have 15 or 20 visa exempt entries and have never been questioned and I know others who were questioned after 3 :O

Wow. Are there any nationalities in your opinion which seem to be treated differently than others in terms of 30day entry stamps? Say a Japanese passport vs. a South African?

unfortunately a new passport does NOT wipe your entry history clean when you stamp in to thailand. Their program searches by DOB, sex, surname, country of origin and will match to a previous passport.

The only benefit a new passport has is if you're red-stamped at a thai consulate for too many visas. Because they don't have a data base they just look thru your passport, and usually a new passport means you can use that consulate again.

@Ivan ***********

thanks

It's the visa fee. You don't get it back.

@Ivan ***********

sorry to disturb but can you explain that 1milion baht you get it back or it us the visa fee ?

It is solely owned by the TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) which has also been around for decades and is not going anywhere regardless of any changes in the government...

Elite was introduced by Thaksin way back in 2003 and there have been TWO military coups since then to depose first him and then his sister, if they wanted to get rid of it it would have been gone by now. I wouldn't worry about that, I would say it is perfectly stable, certainly once you get it. Even if they discontinued the programme (which is itself unlikely) I would strongly suspect they would continue to honour the existing visas.

They did change the programme terms a while back- there used to be a "lifetime" visa, which they discontinued, but they are still honouring it for people who bought it. They also expanded the programme recently with new, cheaper options, including these 500k for 5 years and 1m for 20 "bare bones" just visa options- the original Elite was not just a visa but a whole "VIP package" with spa and golf add-ons that didn't sell so well... most people were more interested just in the visa. So if anything the indications are they are trying to expand it, not shut it.

@St**

I joined Thailand Elite when it was first introduced over a decade ago and have been through a few "coups" since, the program has been unchanged throughout. I am a very happy member...

METV is an option for up to 9 months but you'd have to go back to your home country, or somewhere like Australia, to get it. Marriage is another option. It's possible also it was just this particular IO and you won't have an issue with the next entry, people do report being questioned and told to get a visa but then have no issues the next time. Carry the 20,000 cash, a ticket out and whatever documentation you can to show you are working outside Thailand.

Jeremy taking the total cost of the visa (which you have to pay upfront) and simply dividing by the number of years is an overly-simplistic analysis of the actual cost.

Secondly, many people simply may not need the extra years. It doesn't matter how cheap additional units of something are, if you simply don't need them. The utility of an Elite visa year is substantially higher when you are under 50 than when you are over 50.

@Ivan ***********

100,000 THB per year vs 50,000THB per year tells me that the 20 year TEV is the best value visa for your money....that is all I'm saying prove me wrong

Jeremy I think we are talking at cross purposes here. I am just trying to explain why spending 500k more for the 20 year is not necessarily the best value for everyone. For some people it may make perfect sense.

@Ivan ***********

so you cannot prove me wrong that 100,000 is less than 50,000...plus your argument is null and void you have negated facts once again...there is a thing called inflation that occurs every year...

@Jer***

(1) getting more of something you don't need at a lower price isn't a bargain if you don't need it.

(2) money NOW is worth more than money in 20 years. Interest compounds. KEEPING 1,000,000 now is worth a lot more than simply having 1,000,000 in 20 years time.

@Ivan ***********

well 100,000 per year is double that of 50,000 per year...so I stand that the 20 year TEV is the best value for your money...prove me wrong that 100,000 is less than 50,000 I will stand by for your response....

@Jer***

there are two things you are not getting here.

(1) 1,000,000 for 20 years is not better value than 500,000 for five years *if you only need five years*. This could be because you don't know if you want to stay here, or it could be because you qualify for a near-free visa like retirement at some point before your 20 year Elite expires. No point spending for Elite if you don't need it.

(2) Opportunity cost and the time value of money. 1m spent now is money that is gone, that if you had kept hold of it would be substantially more than 1m in 20 years time. If you put 1,000,000 in a broad-based US index fund, on historical performance going back over the last 100 years, you would have almost 7,000,000 at the end of 20 years. So by that analysis, it's actually costing you 350,000 a year.

By "you don't need to have any money" I was referring more to the option of a letter verifying your income from your embassy. If you can show 65,000 a month in income, you don't need any money at all in Thailand.

@Ivan ***********

OK so let me break this down for you... 5 years divided by 500,000 = 100,000 a year.... 10 years divided by 800,000 = 80,000 per year.....20 years divided by 1,000,000= 50,000 per year....the 20 year visa is the best value for your money....and that is all I am saying....

Sure

@Jer***

and I explicitly acknowledged it may make sense for some people. I'm just explaining why for many, if they are in their 40s, the 5 or 10 year option may actually make more sense, as *for most people* the retirement visa is a lot cheaper and makes more sense after 50.

For the Elite visa all you need is 1,900THB... after you have already given them 1,000,000. And 1,000,000 at the start of a 20 year period could be 6,700,000 at the end of it- you need to figure on the time value of money and what else you could possibly have done with it.

I am not saying no-one should get the 20 year. I'm just explaining why for many, the 5 year may actually make more financial sense, that the 20 year is not necessarily better value if you qualify for a much cheaper visa before it expires.

@Ivan ***********

only if you have enough float to take it out and still maintain the amount needed for the retirement visa...i believe its 800,000THB for a minimum of 90 days in a bank acct that you can not touch at all....with the TEV for 5-20 years all you need is 1,900THB for a yearly visa renewal, no immigration or forms to fill...

You don't have to have any money in your bank account to get a retirement visa. That is one of the options to get one. Not the only option. But even if you do go with that option, that money stays yours, you can take it back out after. The Elite fee by contrast is money that you do not get back.

@Ivan ***********

you forgot about the money you have to have in your bank acct every year...but then again you have overlooked facts so it's not surprising to me....Fact again the TEV you do not have to show a yearly bank acct amount...

@Jer***

a retirement visa is 1,900B a year. For sure there are situations it may make sense but for most if they are over 50 a retirement visa is going to be substantially cheaper.

@Ivan ***********

look at that breakdown in prices and you see that the 20 year visa is the best value for your money...5 years 500,000THB; 10 years 800,000THB; 20 years 1,000,000THB...the price per year is even lower than the retirement visa yearly regulations....but you will make your own determination on this...I just present facts

That also depends if you want or need 20 years

@Jer***

- key is when you get to 50 you have other cheaper options. So if you are relatively close to that number, the 5 year might work out the better deal.

the 20 year visa at 1 million THB is actually the best value for your money

500,000B. You can get six years out of it as you can get stamped in for 1 year just as it expires (and use a reentry permit to keep that final year stamp alive if you want to come and go). Like the six month METV you can get 9 months, same idea.

Visa options range from 5 to 20 years and cost between Bt. 500,000 and 2 million.

I think Daniel is referring to

What's the cost of a 5yr VIP visa

Thailand is very accommodating for long term stayers. You simply need to get the correct visas.

@St**

- have sent you a friend request and message

Sten - I am a retired British Merchant seaman - In your position and the current inflexible visa requirements my best advice for you is to consider relocating to Vietnam !

"Seamans passport"? you mean seamansbook, but sorry will not help att all.

They are mostly used for instance, if say a Nigerian who travelled from Nigeria to say the UK in order to join a ship. He wouldn't need a visa to enter the country where as he normally would. His seamans passport would carry a travel document and log of his travels plus a letter outlining exactly his travel plan. They are not that common and certainly not something just anybody could obtain.

There's actually what they call a seamans passport. It basically carries a travel document. They are used for crews to enter a country when needing to join a ship. Some country's allow you to enter visa exempt where you would normally need a visa.

They are not easy to obtain and have a strict criteria. They also don't give automatic visa free entry. You certainly couldn't use it as a holiday passport.

@Al**

I interpreted his phrasing that he flies in, but not always from places with a Thai consulate. As you say it is unclear. Point is it is not necessary when interpreting it to jump to the conclusion that the guy is working illegally.

@Ivan ***********

that is not what he said. Stop twisting his words. Admittedly he could’ve been more clear.

He said he flies in from places that don't have a Thai consulate.

Why are you guys such old farts? He just stated that he goes to Phuket often. Seriously, you're more like old cranky women every day.

I wasn't entirely sure other than him saying between deliveries in Phuket. I was assuming boat delivery into Phuket but I stand corrected. Either way, continual visa exempt entry eventually comes to an end. Particularly for those from a certain age group.

To be fair, he did not say that. He didn’t say where he does his deliveries, only that he goes to Phuket between jobs.

Correct Robert. Commercial skippers and crew in Thailand is a reserved occupation.

It is even a prohibited job for foreigners, driving commercially a boat.

Home country., check the website of the Thai Embassy in your home country.

I had 6 from the airport, one border crossing from Malaysia and one extension from last year. Never had a problem. Was always asked by the female staff if I had Thai lady.

Go talk to immigration in Bangkok or where you normally land explain that you use Thailand as a hub, They can write in your passport to other officers to see also in the computer.