Business abroad/traveling

[FrankK]

Hi everyone,

I was looking desperately for answers but couldn't find anyone in a similar position to mine.

So I am married to a Thai with 2 kinds plus 3rd on the way.  I normally would use multi-entry non-O as I travel abroad a lot for for 2 weeks every 2 months and shorter trip even more often. Have a business in Singapore ,have a company in Europe do a lot of consulting.

Now I have not been traveling since this entire COVID fiasco happen. Did not apply for the 1 year extension based on marriage since I still have a valid Multi Entry Non-O.

My wife refuses to budge regarding traveling to Europe due to the Thai media covid Scare plus her being 5 month pregnant so here we are.

What are my options for someone that needs to travel and wants to come back to his family?  I mean I might do it less frequently but this entire lets close the borders to anyone indefinitely caused a lot of issues for me (lost customers ,former partner stole some of my old contract and what not).

So I can pay for Elite visa easily or get any other option but the biggest issue is I just can't extend not traveling for much longer (maybe 2-3 months then) and cant travel then since my wife will be due to give birth.

 

What are my options really?

1) Are there any options for me to stay in thailand (did not apply and don't have money in my thai bank account I mean the required 400k but have a lot on my European bank account plus regular salary comming there). Do not mind paying visa agent or even buying elite visa if needed but not sure if this option is still valid for me

2) If I decide to go are there any documents you can't get in advance? Saw people having massive issues with the approval from the embassy to be allowed to entry Thailand. Wanted to ask about peoples experience. I am quite worried to fly and then be refused to go back for God knows how long....

I just need to fly for 2 weeks ish and sort the documents for my companies at the very least .

 

[BritTim]

As far as business travel is concerned, there are no reasonable solutions. At a minimum (ignoring requirements at the destination country) you are faced with a wait of indeterminate duration before you can fly back to Thailand, and then 14 nights quarantine before you are able to join your wife again.

 

If willing to accept that travel is likely impossible for the next year (six months at least) finding a way to stay will probably be possible. As a first step, talk to your local immigration office to see if they can help you without using unofficial channels. If you strike out there (and you may well) Thailand Elite is a possibility, but you would need to act fast to have everything processed in time. More realistic is probably to employ the services of a good agent who can navigate the system to your advantage.

[DrJack54]

Assume your over 50. 

If so, use an agent to obtain an extension based on retirement not marriage. 

Whatever you do,,.....Do not exit Thailand.

 

Have you used your 60 day extension to visit family? This guy has guidelines that outline obtaining annual extension non o marriage.

@Peter Denis

Edited August 12, 2020 by DrJack54

[86Tiger]

Guy, it is crazy to travel now and expect to get back into Thailand in timely fashion.  

 

 

You did not mention when your current visa expires.  I recommend put the required money in Thai bank today, let it serve the time and apply for extension in last 30 days of your current visa.  Even if your visa expires soon you can apply for 60 day extension to visit wife in order for money to season.

 

My thoughts, the experts will be along shortly to say how it really is.  But for goodness sake don't leave expecting to get back in easily or qwikly.

 

 

[Peter Denis]

Will gladly provide you with options to stay longer-term in Thailand, but need some additional information in order not to make incorrect assumptions and waste your time with non-relevant options.

1 - When did you enter Thailand latest and what is the permission to stay date as stamped in your passport when you entered Thailand on your ME Non Imm O Visa?

2 - What is the validity date of your ME Non Imm O Visa (you stated that it is still valid)?

3 - Did you already apply for a 60-day extension of stay for reason of visiting your thai wife /thai dependant children?  If so WHEN did you apply for it and what was the permission to stay date from that application?

4 - What is your AGE, your nationality, and what is your local IO?

>> I will respond once you clarified your Visa situation re the above.

Edited August 12, 2020 by Peter Denis

[FrankK]

13 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

Will gladly provide you with options to stay longer-term in Thailand, but need some additional information in order not to make incorrect assumptions and waste your time with non-relevant options.

1 - When did you enter Thailand latest and what is the permission to stay date as stamped in your passport when you entered Thailand on your ME Non Imm O Visa?

2 - What is the validity date of your ME Non Imm O Visa (you stated that it is still valid)?

3 - Did you already apply for a 60-day extension of stay for reason of visiting your thai wife /thai dependant children?  If so WHEN did you apply for it and what was the permission to stay date from that application?

4 - What is your AGE, your nationality, and what is your local IO?

>> I will respond once you clarified your Visa situation re the above.

1) I believe it was at the end of January on a fly from Hong Kong the entry was valid till 18 April

2) The visa is valid till December 2020 it is multi entry non-o from Savannakhet

3) Not sure if I understand but yes my 90 days entry ended in April I believe and extended it right away. Was not aware of the rules so the extension expired on 17 June.

4) I am 35 years old, Polish my local IO used to be Nakhon Sawan but we just moved to Chiang Mai.

 

[Peter Denis]

Crystal clear now.

To summarize > You entered on a Non Imm O marriage Visa which provided you with a 90-day permission to stay till 18th April.  It is very unfortunate that you then used your (one per entry) 60-day extension of stay, which was not necessary as you were already covered by the Amnesty extension.  That 60-day permission to stay expired 17th June and you are now on the Amnesty extension again.

As you are under 50 years of age, your only options left to stay in Thailand after 26 Sept are:

1 - Applying for a 1-year extension based on your Non Imm O Visa for reason of marriage (or dependant thai children);

2 - Applying for the EliteVisa.

> I don't have sufficient knowledge on the EliteVisa application, but since you wrote that the finances for applying for that Visa are no problem, I suggest you contact them asap to already enquire about the procedure as it might take a couple of weeks to get it (and with only 6 weeks left your time is running out).

>> The reason you need to keep that Elite Visa joker up your sleeve, is that it is far from certain that your local IO at Chiang-Mai would be willing to accept your application for the 1-year extension of stay based on your Non Imm O Visa for reason of marriage. 

So you should enquire at your local IO whether they would be willing to do so, you now being on an Amnesty extension.

If not, there are only two escape-routes left:

a) Using a Visa agent with the right connections to 'circumvent' that problem;

b) Relocating administratively to a different province with a more accommodating IO (but in most provinces that would incur a 'house visit' during your under consideration period, and with with a pregnant wife and 3 children, that would be quite inconvenient even if it would be only temporary).

>> When applying at IO Chiang-Mai for the 1-year extension of stay based on your Non Imm O Visa for reason of marriage, and with no money on a personal thai bank-account, you are already too late to make use of the 400K funds-in-bank method (as that requires two months seasoning before the date of application).  However, you can still meet the financial requirements when transferring +40K in course of this month, and one other +40K transfer in course of September to your personal thai bank-account.  Doing so also requires that you can provide evidence of the foreign origins of those funds (no problem if the funds originated indeed from abroad), but IO might also require evidence of the source of the foreign income transferred.  You having a business abroad would also be no problem to provide evidence that of a steady monthly income stream.

Note: If that sounds too challenging, when making use of a Fixer agent, he can also take care of the 400K requirement (which you are not able to meet anymore at this moment).

 

Conclusion > IF IO Chiang-Mai is willing to accept your application for a 1-year extension of stay based on your Non Imm O Visa for reason of marriage, you can still manage to get that before 26 Sept, but it would require two transfers of +40K during months of August and September to your personal thai bank-account.

Or alternatively making use of a Visa Agent with CM connections (PM me if you need some info on that option).