Visa options for Thailand

[whitedesire]

If anyone knows me i used to put a few posts on here, read all the others and well up on this information.

What is want to do is work from home in the UK and come out to Thailand for, say, 3 months at a time, no more than 6 months in the year.

I don't think I would require nomad or work visas, why, from what I understand you are allowed to take your laptop etc to Thailand and conduct UK business activities in your hotel if you wish without all the complicated visas, it's only if you using Thailand for selling your business models / products etc, I won't be doing that. I will literally doing my UK business whilst in Thailand for a few months.

You may well say, what you worried about, just do one visa run, buts that's not me, I would like a visa of six months if possible.

Years ago, you could get 6 month type visas from the embassy here in the UK

Not sure what is suitable anymore, so many options on the Internet and some not clear.

On a good note I noticed my trip this time gave me a 2 month visa.

Anyway any thoughts.

Thanks

PS will do some research in the meantime

[Gaybutton]

from what I understand you are allowed to take your laptop etc to Thailand and conduct UK business activities in your hotel if you wish without all the complicated visas

That is probably correct, but if I were you I would check with the Thai embassy and make certain that is correct. I would even try to get it in writing - just in case some Thai police are not aware that it is ok.

[Jun]

How would they even know you are doing UK work from your hotel room ? I also don't think they care about that (but can't be sure).

1 You can get 60 day visa free on arrival. Then get another 30 at Jomtien immigration.

2 For over 50s, I think there is still a 90 day visa available online. I had one 3 years ago. The biggest challenge is finding it in their drop down menu when you do the online application.

These days, I typically get my 60 days on arrival, then go somewhere else for 2 weeks and get another 60 days when I return to Thailand

[whitedesire]

Thanks Jun, useful knowing about the 3 month one, that would do me, i don't really like to go to immigration for extensions, they are a pain.

Next thing I need is office rental where they have two screen monitors, that's difficult.

[Jun]

Next thing I need is office rental where they have two screen monitors, that's difficult.

Or alternatively, just buy two monitors for your apartment?

Which then leaves the question of what to do with them when you return to the UK. So go for long term apartment rental ?

Warning: I DON'T have experience of such things, but suspect it would be competitive, since long term rental is cheaper.

[Gaybutton]

How would they even know you are doing UK work from your hotel room ?

I have no idea how they would know, or care, but if I were going to spend months in a foreign country, I would first make damned sure what I'm planning to do is legal. Considering all it would take to find out for sure is to contact the Thai embassy, doesn't it make more sense to do that rather than be uncertain about it?

[2lz2p]

Effective on July 15, 2024, Thailand created a special visa category for use primarily by digital nomads. A good friend of mine falls into that category. He spends time in Canada (summer months) and Thailand (winter months). He is a IT specialist operating his own business - thus he continues to work with his customers which are all outside of Thailand. He was staying here using a Non-O Visa, extending it based on "retirement," and then getting a Re-Entry Permit to keep it in effect.

However when Thailand created the Destination Thailand Visa, he opted to get one as it did not require him to keep 800k baht in a Thai bank. He said it was relatively easy to get and he is now here on his first entry using that Visa - he did get a permission to stay of 180 days when he arrived. He doesn't stay that long, so will not extend it. It is multiple entry and valid for 5 years. When next he returns, he will get another 180 day permission to stay.

The Pattaya City Expats Club has a webpage showing the requirements -
https://pcec.club/Destination-Thailand-Visa

[whitedesire]

Great information here.

With some visas you need health insurance. With most travel insurance in UK, it has life span of so many days per trip. Does Thailand have its own health insurance plans for foreigners, do you think, thoughts

[Jun]

With some visas you need health insurance. With most travel insurance in UK, it has life span of so many days per trip. Does Thailand have its own health insurance plans for foreigners, do you think, thoughts

Would you trust a Thai insurance plan?

Also, if you don't have insurance, how would you pay for an unexpected LARGE medical bill? e.g. from a heart attack or a messy road traffic accident.

I suggest spending some time getting travel insurance quotes. For this current trip, I'm using LV.

[Gaybutton]

I suggest spending some time getting travel insurance quotes.

Absolutely. And get it whether your visa requires it or not. Better to have it and not need it than to find out the hard way that you should have had it. Traveling to a foreign country without insurance - good insurance - is just plain foolish. Don't try to cut corners about insurance. If you need to save money, find a different way to do it.

Over the years I've seen too many instances when people took the chance - and lost. Lost BIG. Please, folks - don't let that happen to you.