Thai Visa Run

Latest News: Meeting with Immigration Oct 9, 2006

Summary of Meeting: Joint Foreign Chamber of Commerce with Immigration 9 Oct 2006

Subjects discussed

1. Tourist Visa
2. Non B Visa extension
3. New kind of Non Immigrant Visa
4. Ninety day Reporting
5. Resident Permit for retirees
6. Resident permit , requirement of Thai Language
7. Business visa for short term business without work permit
8. One Stop office Labour and Immigration at the Labour Ministry site

A) Tourist Visa

The new regulations have to be understood as following: during 6 Months the person can only remain 90 days in Thailand, so the immigration counts per day, upon each entry the persons get 30 days, until the 90 days are used up. [30 x 3 days is possible]

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B) Non B Visa Extension

Earlier, the Visa issuance and renewal were categorized in three groups according the size of share capital and /or corporate tax paid, the larger ones in group A, middle one in group B and smaller ones (share capital less than 10 Mio / corporate tax less than 3 Mio) in group C, with most smaller companies assigned to group C, where the visa extension was granted only max 30 days for the first 3 times, then 1x 9 months when applying for 1 year visa. This A-B-C-Group Qualification as been canceled and only 2 groups exist now: Group 1: all companies with share capital =2 Mio or higher, and equity above 1 Mio (and the other criteria’s fulfilled) => 1x 30 days for consideration, then 1x 11 months Group 2: all companies with 2 Mio share capital but equity below 1 Mio: the immigration considers case by case, and if the company attaches to the application feasible reasons why the equity is below 1 Mio the visa can still be granted. The official at the immigration counter has no approval authority, he only has to collect and check the documentation, and if ok, accept it and forward to higher ranks for approval or rejection.

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C) New kind of Non Immigrant Visa

Immigration informed that foreigners can now obtain a 3 year multiple Non Immigrant Visa with multiple entry at every Thai embassy or consulate abroad for a fee of 10,000 Baht, granting the traveler a period of max 90 days in Thailand per arrival. Details can be found of the website of the Ministry of Foreign affairs. Immigration suggested to contact the Thai embassies in the foreign countries to find out what kind of documentation is required for obtaining such a visa.

Note: None of the attending representatives of the Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce have ever heard anything about this kind of Visa.

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D) Ninety Day reporting

Immigration explains this rule re-implemented under former Immigration Authorities bases on a 30 year old law. Immigration will investigate possibilities to get it abolished within 6 months.

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E) Resident Permit for retirees

This earlier abolished category should be re-implemented, as under the current situation a retiree hesitates understandably to transfer all his assets to Thailand if he can only get a 12 month Retiree Visa and has no guarantee for his further stay in Thailand. However, Immigration informs that there are no such changes considered right now.

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F) Resident Permit, requirement for Thai Language

As a resident permit is much less than a naturalization / Thai Nationality, the requirement for the foreigner to speak Thai just for the resident permit should be abolished, as in most other countries an international language is sufficient, none requires the native language for obtaining this status. Immigration informs that no changes are expected in the near future to abolish this requirement (implemented 4 years ago by Interior Minister Khun Purachai)

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G) Business Visa for short term

Worldwide most countries allow foreigner to visit for a short period of time with a business visa and attend meetings, congresses, exhibitions, marketing promotions, short working periods etc/ without having to obtain a work permit. Thailand is the only country in the world which requires every foreigner to obtain additional to the Non B Visa also a work permit, even he attends a meeting just for 1 hour.

It was suggested to abolish this requirement in Thailand (in order to prevent that every honest business man coming to Thailand behaves illegal from the time of entry). Thailand should either accept the short term working under the Non B Visa, or issue easy obtainable Business Visa to such business man. It is understood that this business visa shall NOT entitle this foreign person to gain income or employment in Thailand under this business visa.

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H) One Stop Office for Visa and Work permit at the Ministry of Labor site

JFCC suggested to keep this very convenient office (allowing the business people to extend Visa and Work permit at the same location) in operation, as the issuance of this 2 documents are strongly related and it is extremely inconvenient to run each time from Immigration to Labor department and backwards, as it has always to be done at the same time. The Immigration official informed that the inter-linkage of this 2 will be eased by new regulations of the labor department, which will issue in the future 1 or 2 or 3 year work permit independent from length of Non-B visa. Therefore and also due to change in line of command the office might be closed soon. The JFCC would deeply regret this closing.

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Remarks:

New info shall be published on Immigrations website within this week.

The new regulations will be implemented now, and the JFCC is asked to give some feedback on the procedures after they were applied for a due period of time, e.g. 6 months.

Peter van Haren of the Joint Foreign Chamber of Commerce thanked the Immigration Commander for the very fast feedback on our letter, the immediate kind invitation to present our thoughts as well as the very fruitful meeting and discussions today.