Thai visas and Phuket Immigration Department
Depending on whether you are a honeymooning couple visiting for a few weeks or a retiree looking to settle down, getting the right Thai visa in Phuket is crucial. Although many people get by with the 30-day tourist visa on arrival issued at Bangkok or Phuket Airport, if you’re planning a longer stay it is important to know the options available to avoid unnecessary bureaucracy.
However, those wanting to live permanently or stay for part of the year must tackle plenty of red tape to secure the correct form of visa. Those whose application is based on reasonable grounds, and supported financially, should not have a problem meeting immigration department criteria, while others may use semi-legal options to remain. The Thailand visa options and regulations are outlined below, including the best way to obtain the necessary documentation. Unfortunately the process of getting a Thai visa in Phuket is teeming with misinformation and inconsistent interpretation between each particular immigration office and therefore requires a little patience.
Commonly available types of visas are as follows;
Tourist visas in Phuket (15 and 30 days)
Most people are able to enter Thailand without a pre-arranged permit and simply get a visa on arrival at the border. If you arrive by plane then a 30-day visa is normally issued, but should you take a land or sea crossing then you only get 15 days. If you want to spend longer than this in Thailand it would be wise to arrange a 60 day tourist visa beforehand. People from these countries can receive a visa on arrival: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bahrain, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Singapore, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America and Vietnam. Other nationalities may still be allowed into Thailand but must apply to Thai immigration through a consulate or embassy from outside the Kingdom.
Getting a visa-on-arrival extended: tourist visas received at entry points can be extended for an additional 10 days by visiting an office of the Thai Immigration Department costing 1,900 baht. You can find these in administrative centres such as Pattaya, Phuket, Krabi, Chiang Mai, Bangkok and Hua Hin. If you overstay on your visa without an extension then a 500 baht fine is payable for every extra day spent in the country. Although this fine is generally treated as a formality, there can be consequences if you apply for another visa in the future.
60 day tourist visas in Phuket
This form of visa can be applied for at Thai embassies in most countries of the world, usually costing around $15 to $50. These rules tend to change very suddenly but for now Thai Immigration has suspended charging for tourist visas until March, 2010, with the possibility of this clemency being extended. And these can be extended by a further 30 days once inside Thailand at the Phuket Immigration Department office, near Ao Nakham, before they run out. This costs 1,900 baht.
There is also the highly prized multiple entry tourist visa which allows visitors to stay in Phuket for up to nine consecutive months (three entries of 60 days with each extended for 30 days). However, many immigration offices in the countries surrounding Thailand are choosing not to issue multi entry tourist visas., Kuala Lumpur a notable example. Up to date info can be found on thaivisa.com.
Non-immigrant visas
These provide the most simple method to spend extended periods in Thailand. Those wanting to do anything other than normal tourist activities, such as start a business, work or do volunteer work, really should have a non-immigrant visa. This is normally step one towards getting a full one year marriage, retirement, work permit or other type of visa in Phuket.
To be a fully legal expat you really should have some sort of non-immigrant visa. And these are necessary if you hope to persuade the stringent Thai Immigration Department to grant your application for a more permanent form of entry permit, such as marriage, retirement and so on.
With a non-immigrant visa in Phuket one can remain on the island for up to 90 days before checking in at the local immigration office or heading over the border for a stamp, depending on your specific requirements. However, the downside is that while relatively simple to get in home nations, the countries bordering Thailand are extremely reluctant to hand out multiple entry non-immigrant visas. See the forum at thaivisa.com for information and details about these inconsistencies.
There are several types of non-immigrant visa;
Type B: for conducting business or employment.
Type M: for journalists accredited as press representatives.
Type O: if you are a taking care of dependent or are retired (over 55).
IM: investors who meet the Board of Investment requirements.
ED: education study or observation.
Retirement visas in Phuket
Anyone with 800,000 baht in the bank or a regular 65,000 baht income can get one of these relatively simply, providing your age is 55 or over. Retirement visas in Phuket are available at the Immigration Department office and can be renewed without too much trouble every year. Understandably they are very popular for those that qualify.
Spousal or marriage visas in Phuket
People who find love in Thailand and end up getting hitched to a local are eligible for a spousal visa. But there are still some stipulations to be met, such as a Thai bank account with savings amounting to 400,000 baht or 40,000 per month regular income. It doesn't matter if this cash comes from your spouse, your own work or even oversees, provided your national embassy can provide verification of its legitimacy. However, despite the large savings you need to demonstrate, a retirement visa is decidedly simpler to obtain and process. Spousal visas require all sorts of paperwork.
Immigration department blues in Phuket
Outings to the offices of Thai immigration are not usually a thing to look forward to. Most foreigners living in Phuket find very little joy in these crowded havens of bureaucracy and that inconsistent information makes life even more tiresome than it should be. Apparently efforts have been made in recent times to increase the standard of service received in consulates and embassies with varying degrees of success. But there is still much inconsistent information and unnecessary paperchasing that can have you pulling your hair out. Of course, these office workers have to ensure that the small minority out there who are trying to dupe the system and enter the Kingdom under false pretences are weeded out, so the best thing to do is have all your paperwork in order to avoid being caught up in their over-zealous detective work. Arm yourself with lots of patience and perhaps some gratuity, and be prepared to make multiple visits.
Study visas in Phuket
These kinds of visas have grown in popularity in recent times owing to the fact there is less of a paper chase than regular non-immigrant visas in Phuket. Any school, institution of accredited college can issue the necessary paperwork which is generally less closely scrutinised by immigration officers than other types of non-immigrant visa, such as for work. There are Thai language courses which do not cost too much and don't even insist on mandatory attendance. And when compared against the cost of constant visa runs, it makes sense financially sensible too.
Note! This kind of visa (Non Imm) still requires trips to an office belonging to the Thai Department of Immigration every 90 days, providing you haven't crossed a border during this time, for a stamp. If you do wish to exit the Kingdom remember to get a re-entry stamp before travelling. These are pretty costly at 1,000 baht or 3,800 baht (multiple entries) but without them your non-imm visa becomes void when re-entering. And these MUST be gotten from a immigration office before you get to the border and are no longer available from Thai airports.
Permanent residence visa in Phuket
This type of entry permit can be arranged if you have the correct documentation, and are happy to fork out the hefty 195,000 baht fee. Permanent residence visas in Phuket do allow the holder to remain in the Kingdom for as long as they wish, but you are given the same minimal rights that people with non-immigrant visas have. Should you want to get non-Thai relatives to stay with you in Thailand, buy property, get a Thai passport or arrange a mortgage, then some marginal benefits are attached to having permanent residence visas in Phuket. However, to have any hope of a successful application it is necessary to have spent a decade or more in Thailand by other means.
Business owner and work permit in Phuket
A 12-month non-immigrant B visa and work permit in Phuket is available to those who invest a sizeable chunk of capital in a business. Many expats have chosen this route to gain entry permits over the years. However, this wave has been somewhat tempered by new government scrutiny into companies with large proportions of foreign ownership.
Thai law necessitates that no business can be in a majority of foreign hands, therefore finding partners to control the other 51 per cent is of paramount importance. Normally this is a wife, husband or long-term partner, although, even these happy scenarios can sometimes go array.
Strangely enough, female expats who find Thai husbands are better looked after by the law then their male equivalents. The other major beneficial aspect to company ownership is they're able to own land, so finding the right person to do business with is doubly important.
Work permits in Phuket: in reality most people ignore these altogether owing to the hideous paperchase involved, the fact that they are difficult to obtain and that it is pretty easy to get by without one. If you do insist on working legitimately then be prepared for a struggle. Step number one is to get your hands on a non-immigrant visa from the Thai Department of Immigration which allows one year in the Kingdom. But this is given out only once you have in your pocket the Manpower Department work permit. But after all this the Department of Immigration must see all documents you sent over relating to the company once again. Plus your prospective employer must have two million baht of capital per foreigner working already for it and have four Thais on the payroll.
General patience!
You must try to be patient and not loose your cool with the oft-frustrating Thai immigration workers. More and more people are coming to live in the country and many of these come up with extraordinary schemes to con their way inside. Your best bet is to be prepared, have all documentation ready and waiting and just bite the bullet and accept whatever comes your way. Eventually most problems can be solved but patience is the name of the game. Visit the Thailand visa section of our forum.
Updated: January 2010.
- Buying property in Phuket
- Cost of living in Phuket
- Meeting Thai ladies
- Thaivisa.com
- Living in Chiang Mai
