Job Discussion Forums

[rc81]

I asked the Phuket immigration office about how to get a visa and they told me I could get one through one of the lawyer offices in Bangkok.

I looked around a little bit and the only place that seems possible is Sunbelt?

Has anyone used this method? Is it legitimate? Are there other better places to use? What is a reasonable cost for something like this?

Some details:

I am 28, I don't expect to work in Thailand, and I'm trying to stay here in Bangkok for just one year.

thanks guys

[Pauleddy]

AFAIK they are quite expensive. They are a well-known brokerage or agency which sells a lot of pubs and businesses here. Typically, these agencies are set up in a western style, fairly swanky---so that they tend to sell bars to rich westerners, in addition to having company cars for the staff and high overheads to cover. I know that they either employ lawyers or, more likely, give work out to lawyers.

I seem to recall that they also give out a free glossy magazine, as well as posting column ads in the Post--the main western style newspaper--every day. All swanky and swell.

All this is fine, great...if that is your business model and it makes you money. They would say that you get quality--I would say that you get an overpriced middleman.

You need to do a lot of googling and make sure that u use keywords like visa, thai, teacher (I know u r not) in thailand----or pm me for sites.

Visa rules are complex. I am no expert, others are---but you cannot normally just "stay for a year" here. You have to show some reason like work or business, or even learning Thai. Some of these firms seem to have lawyers who work in-hand with "key people" and can get you 12 months just cos u r learning Thai, or "wanna be a monk" but it wont be cheap.

Visas have got stricter again. I think the best option is get a 3-6 month visa in a USA-UK Thai embassy and then come in and fly out somewhere near to top-up. It keeps changing. But, nobody here gets an easy-stay 12 month visa as a general rule. Its not like nipping to Spain from the UK. If u r 50plus, you can have a retirement visa but must prove money.

Eddy

[rc81]

Do you know how much money?

I talked to Sunbelt before through a Live Chat but I cant seem to find that site again. They made it seem like an easy thing and if I remember correctly, they told me it was going to cost 300 bucks. Im not sure if that included the actual application fees at immigration. I imagine it doesnt.

Has anyone else tried this?