5 Visa Options. Which Is Best? Seeking Advice

[Sheryl]

Yes don't rule put METV just because website requires employment. See what the Embassy or Consulate says.

 

I contacted the New York Consulate on this exact issue on behalf of an elderly relative and they indicated that provided she could show enough money in the bank  or retirwment income, it was possible. They specifically said that they cared more about the financials than anything else.  Your mileage may vary if using a different Consulate or Embassy but worth asking.

 

 

 

 

[rhodie]

As above I think you should try to get an METV. Worth it if it works. But I believe you would have no problem with a SETV extended to give 90 days. Then a border hop for 30 days and extend. That gives you 5 months. You might still get another border hop and extend that another 30 days giving 7 months. Very few if any refusals crossing for your 2 VE entries at land borders.

 

Unfortunately though things change pretty quickly.

[Nanaplaza666]

I am happy for you that you can retire at 43 and want to stay in thailand , i hope everything will work out for you , just 1 thing the pricks you drove to their business meetings for so many years paid your salary , and thats why now you can retire and come to thailand so please a bit more respect for those pricks . 

[Anotify]

Find yourself a reliable  immigration / visas,  office , from recommendation if possible. They will guide you and do all the  leg work for you. All you will need is to show up for your picture. They do have reasonable fees and will save you many headaches. They also know the proper " channels "... Thai immigration nowadays has become a real pain , and is only getting worse. Good luck. I would personaly stay away from BKK.. 

[BritTim]

4 minutes ago, Anotify said:

Find yourself a reliable  immigration / visas,  office , from recommendation if possible. They will guide you and do all the  leg work for you. All you will need is to show up for your picture. They do have reasonable fees and will save you many headaches. They also know the proper " channels "... Thai immigration nowadays has become a real pain , and is only getting worse. Good luck. I would personaly stay away from BKK.. 

I do not think you will find agents who can help a 43-year-old with extensions of stay. The only dodgy mechanism I can think of would be medical extensions. Fake marriages would not work because marriage extensions are now scrutinised too closely.

[ChristianBlessing]

I recently applied for and received an METV. For employment I stated "retired". I was required to demonstrate sufficient savings ($7000 USD for the last 6 months) but was not asked to provide any proof of income. Unless a member here knows otherwise, I'm not certain that there is any correlation or connection between one's age and retirement status so it may worth attempting.

 

If there is in fact a suggested 180 maximum day stay for year, I suspect this might be a compelling option. If you can consider staying within that 180 limit you will avoid visa runs and will have essentially unlimited exit/reentry options. Furthermore (caveat emptor), this option should be repeatable for the foreseeable future. 

[Spodal]

On 11/16/2019 at 10:04 PM, DrJack54 said:

Have you considered a METV. That 6 plus couple of visa exempt border entries. Easily done.

 

On 11/17/2019 at 12:35 PM, treetops said:

Don't let what's written on their website put you off.  I don't satisfy the two requirements you quoted and I'm sure there are many more in the same boat but I was still issued a METV just a few months ago. 

 

21 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Yes don't rule put METV just because website requires employment. See what the Embassy or Consulate says.

 

 

18 hours ago, rhodie said:

As above I think you should try to get an METV. Worth it if it works. 

 

Unfortunately though things change pretty quickly.

 

Thank you to @DrJack54, @treetops, @Sheryl, @rhodie, @ChristianBlessing, @BritTim for the added information about the METV.  I will contact the Thai Embassy and/or regional consulate office(s) in the USA to see if they might accept some Vanguard Brokerage statements documenting income and assets in lieu of an employment letter (since, as stated, I am truly retired now and cannot provide the latter).

 

All that said, I am trying to understand the advantages of the METV vs. just obtaining a SETV and one VE entry.  Based upon forum feedback, I will NOT stay in Thailand in 2020 beyond 5 months.  Period.  

 

My goal is to visit Thailand annually each year as part of an overall 10 months spent oversees.  The ability to return the following year and visit again (for another 5 months, hopefully) is what's important to me -- NOT a one time max out of time in country for 2020 or attempting to "live" in the place.  I can spend the other months in the Philippines or Malaysia -- both of which I like also.

 

Bottom line then:  If I want 5 months in Thailand -- either:

• 1 METV.....OR.....
•  1 SETV + and 1 border bounce will do the trick. 

Can you all tell me why the METV is superior? (FYI: I fully understand the differences in how the two visas work.  I am asking more from the point of view of how Thai immigration sees it).  In other words, is the METV just better because:

 

• Thai Immigration views it as more financially rigorous to obtain = must be a "better" visitor for Thailand? 
• Do they simply prefer METVs because they know the holder must have returned to his/her home country to obtain it?
• Is the METV just outright better than the SETV/VE option because it avoids all together any "visa exempt" entries?  Are those always frowned upon vs. entering on a Visa?

Please enlighten me ????

 

 

 

Edited November 18, 2019 by Spodal

[verticalift]

Employed as a pilot based in Abu Dhabi for the past 20 years, I too decided to make T’land my home when not at work.

 

As a Canadian expat, I left Canada back in ‘96 for employment opportunities initially in Doha, then latter Abu Dhabi. Working an 8 week “On” (5 day work week) followed by 4 weeks “Off”. Initially I found myself commuting between the mid-East and the Caribbean for the first 2 years. That wasn’t working. Eventually settled in Phuket, purchasing a “Passport 40” (yacht) that I lived aboard for a few years before building my retirement home on Phuket.

 

For the past 20 years I have maintained either Non-Immigrant 3 year Business Visas (Now no longer available) or, Non-Immigrant 1 year Retirement O-A Visas. Unfortunately the annual Renewal process was proving to be painful. So, not wanting to go through the continued headaches every year of having to renew my visa, I simply made application for the new O-X 10 year retirement visa. They call it a 10 year visa, but in actual fact it has to be “renewed” after 5 years. Embassy staff in Abu Dhabi advised that this was so Immigration can check that bank account balances, health insurance requirements, residency, etc, all still meet the requirements for continuation of the visa. 90 day Ck’s at Immigration in Phuket are still required.
 

Banking and Financial requirements:

Banking in Thailand is done with United Overseas Bank (UOB) as it has branches throughout SE Asia, including S’pore, Malaysia, Vietnam and T’land. I avoided all the Thai only Banks, ie the Yellow Bank, the Purple Bank, the Green Bank, etc...
 

In addition, 6 years ago I took out an insurance policy out through “Prudential Insurance” in Bangkok with UOB acting as the broker. This was a 10 year policy where they pay 6% for the first 5 yrs, followed by 8% for the last 5 yrs on the annual deposits. These “rates” are now no longer available. Annual interest on the policy is deposited into my UOB savings account and pays for my Common Area Maint Fees, Electrical, Water, Internet, etc on my home. The Insurance Policy and my cash on deposit meet the requirements for the visa issuance.

 

Health Care is with CIGNA in Dubai. If you read the fine print of any of the Health Care Providers with offices “In” Thailand, they will not cover you after your 70th Birthday. Though CIGNA have offices in Thailand,  I “signed” with CIGNA “outside” of T’land and will continue to have lifetime coverage.

In addition to the above, I also have my name in the Tambian Baan (Yellow Book) for my home, as well as Thai I.D. (Pink Card) both of which assisted in my being issued the visa.

 

Obviously everyone’s personal situation is different. There are a lot of hoops to jump though and research required in order to get it right for you. But, it can be done.

 

 

 

 
 

 

[rhodie]

6 hours ago, Spodal said:

........

 

•  1 SETV + and 1 border bounce will do the trick. 

Can you all tell me why the METV is superior?

.........

1 SETV will work for 5 months. METV can possibly last for 9 months if you wanted to stay longer.