As 37 year old, what visa options is there? Only Elite Visa?
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TLDR : Answer Summary
A 37-year-old looking for visa options in Thailand can consider several possibilities beyond just the Elite Visa. Some options include the SMART visa for those with applicable skills or investments, the Non-O visa which can be extended, an educational visa for studying Thai language or other subjects, and a volunteer visa. New options, such as the Covid free visa, are also mentioned. It's important to evaluate whether the intent is to work, study, or simply reside in Thailand when determining the best visa type.
NON-O RETIREMENT VISA RESOURCES / SERVICES
Go to the Retirement Visa Section for information on requirements, including age restrictions, financial requirements, and necessary documentation.
For immediate assistance, contact Thai Visa Centre directly via LINE at @ThaiVisaCentre or Email them.
Explore recent discussions by using the Non-O Retirement Visa tag in the search box at the top of the page.
no, it’s brand new. But the agency offered it to me- they are very reputable and come highly recommended by many expats here in Phuket
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Ryan *********
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Istvan *********
TR and STV example... Or ED..
Oliver ********
if you will be working, volunteering, studying, or just travelling, you can get a visa on that basis. you are too young for a retirement visa but if you are rich enough to be in that position at your age, you can probably buy an elite visa with the spare change in your pockets.
Wayne ********
Get the Elite Visa. The money you spend, and time you waste learning Thai or whatever on an education visa, you could earn the THB2,000 a week the Elite Visa costs you.
Get a single entry tourist visa from the thai consulate in your country BEFORE you wing your way here, get thru quarantine, then track down one of the bigger agencies/agents that can get you a 90 day Non-O visa and a year extension based on volunteering (you will get a real visa but you won't be volunteering :O) That's an easy option without f*cking around enrolling in a school, pretending to study thai, and getting extensions every 90 days.
With that non-O visa/extension you'll get 3+12, so 15 months in country.
. I rarely recommend visa agents/agencies to anyone and go out of my way to tell people to do all they can to stay above the table rather than resort to paying under the table for their visa extensions.
That you ignored my advice and went to an agent is on you, glad you're happy with it, take care, stay safe (y)
you don't need it at all to get IN to thailand <- as in no one here is gonna ask for it when you stamp in or go for your extension. It's a requirement to get permission to enter thailand from the embassy you deal with ONLY
it's not that I can't search I just wanted to make sure I found the correct one. There are so many agencies with similar names I didn't want to chose the wrong one. Thanks
I have a Volunteer Visa. I am in Pattaya - PM if you want a Pattaya Recommendation.
I do not advise the ED visa. A Immigration Officer at the Airport told me its not a good option for my age group (at the time I was 40). (stands for Education NOT Erectile Dysfunction)
Michael Dawson. I think Philip was on the turps last night! 🤣
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Bobby ********
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Erik *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
is that not only a Unable to travel extension of people already staying in thailand and is unable to travel home or something because of the covid situation?
Bobby ********
Philip Houghton. Really? Do you have a link to that one?
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Bobby ********
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Tony **********
I'm 42 i went for a none immigration visa for 3 months with a chance to extend. Application via thai embasay
Erik *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
yeah, but you cant stay as long as you want on that visa?
your visa agent was lying about it while probably trying to sell you a different type of visa. Lots of folks on volunteer visas with no problems, just note it has to be with a legitimate organization and you do actually have to put in some volunteer work a few times a month. The scam ones are the ones that claim you don't have to do anything, same with ED visas that promise you don't have to study.
, there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of people here on volunteer visas where they don't volunteer even for a second and NOTHING happens to them at all
Most agencies offer a 3+12 volunteer visa (a 90 day Non-O and then a year extension tacked on) and your passport comes back with both already stamped in. They are indeed real stamps, from a real immigration office, by a real immigration officer, sponsored by a real foundation. :O You just got them by giving an agency a pile of money and your passport and they were issued under the "or at the discretion of the issuing officer" clause that is a catch all :P
I never thought they were not real stamps versus they were fudging attendance books if there is similar equivalent with volunteer orgs as there is with some ED providers. I know a few people on volunteer visas and I thought that they were required to rock up on occasion - waves at
With some ED providers (no names), they'll get you to turn up once a month or two to sign a book saying you'd met your minimum attendance requirement when you were never there.
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Duncan *******
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Shayne **********
I have been a volunteer for 11 years with 4 different foundations. The Thai government isn't banning me, actually they like me.
I’m actually looking more into this option. I’m wondering if you know where I could learn more. I could qualify for a retirement visa, but I don’t want to lock myself into that and I’m very serious about wanting to learn Thai, if I’m going to eventually settle down in Thailand. Do you know where I can find classes that would qualify for the education visa?
I have been in touch with a few, but every operation seems unprofessional even to the suggestion of being scammy... havent stumbled on anything that seems throughly legit :D
I felt the same, but that is just how they are, all small privately owned 'businesses' with interesting contacts. Sales/marketing/communication/smooth operations is not really what they do. And that goes for many thai businesses, in my experience. What is required nowadays by immigration to extend a Visa has forced out many of the bogus 'visa for cash' schools.
Yeah you probably have a lot to sift through. Problem is there is a very high % who do not want to learn and only want to buy a visa. Lots of laces cater to this so the teaching quality and set up is poor.
If you really want to go the whole hog look at the Chula Uni intensive course. Quite expensive and very tough. You will come out reading, writing and speaking to a high level. I know a guy who did it and many dropped out. He said the finishers were mostly Korean and Japanese guys sent by companies who would not dare to fail. :-D :-D
Yeah. I probably should have mentioned that I would prefer a place in Chiang Mai, although I’d be open to other options for learning. Bangkok would not be my first choice, but it’s not out of the question. Given my age, I probably could not handle the intensive. I saw Tod’s comment about people being on educational visas and not really wanting to learn Thai and that has me a bit concerned. I don’t want to be sharing classes with people not serious about learning...feeling a tad bit overwhelmed at the moment. Lol
I am learning Thai online right now, one on one, with a great teacher. Just started but enjoying the hell out of it. When I come back to Chiang Mai, I will also do an ED visa even though I could technically qualify for another retirement visa. I just don't want to use my IRA as the basis for that again. So, my plan is to learn as much Thai as I can right now...and then come over and join a language school, with the ED visa.
I’m glad to meet someone in the same situation. Did you start out with absolutely no Thai (well, aside from basic pleasantries)? I’m struggling to learn from online resources. I don’t think they really approach the language correctly. A one-on-one tutor might be very helpful while I await regular classes.
No Thai, at least none to speak of. Suwadee kah, kohp koon kah, enough to be polite, but not a lot beyond that. That is enough to get by in CM or Bangkok, but not enough for further exploration of Thailand.
One on one is the best way to do it. One on one with my excellent teacher (she is hilarious) forces me to put the words into conversation and teaches me the tones. The language school will be a lot easier once I have moved beyond the beginner stage.
Since the plan is to eventually spend a good deal of my time in Thailand, learning the language is going to be helpful.
I don't really want to use my IRA. I would rather work online and earn the money to put into my Thai bank accounts to use for the future retirement visa. So the ED visa seems the best way to return to Thailand once the "crazy stuff" with the virus is over.
Would you mind PMing wiht me? I’d like to know more about your teacher. I may eventually use the retirement visa, but I just don’t see a reason to have them poking into my finances until I’m ready. I’d like to get to Thailand as soon as I get my vaccine.
Those that do not want to learn do not even attend class so do not worry about them ;-) If I was here to study Thai I would prefer Chiang Mai over Bangkok too. It is a lovely city. I am pretty sure Chiang Mai University have courses.
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Greg ********
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Bobby ********
Ruth Regal. You can still undertake study whilst on a retirement visa. ED visa requires continual extensions and progress testing by immigration officers.
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Bobby ********
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Josh ***********
There's the SMART visa, if you have the right technical or investment background. There's also the 10 million baht investment visa. Depends on if you want to work / invest or just chill.
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Josh ***********
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