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Thai Visa Update

The Thai legal system is somewhat different from that of Western countries. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Thai bureaucracy. Thai Government Ministries and Agencies are given far more latitude in determining day-to-day policy than their counterparts in other countries. This fact can be quite frustrating for those non-Thais dealing with government entities in Thailand.
As the capital of Thailand, Bangkok is the administrative hub for all governmental activity in Thailand. As a result almost all Thai government decrees are issued from Bangkok.

Recently, the office of Royal Thai Immigration headquarters in Bangkok issued new guidelines for how Thai Immigration regulations will be carried out as of 2009. Under the new regulations a few wrinkles have been added for those wishing to remain in the Kingdom of Thailand for a long period of time.

New Visa Exemption Regulation

Until the new regulations were promulgated, it was legal for a non-Thai to remain in the Kingdom of Thailand for up to 30 days provided they had a 30 day visa exemption stamp in their passport. As of the time of this writing, 30 day visa exemption stamps will no longer be issued at the land border of Thailand. Instead, those entering Thailand via a land border will be issued a 15 day visa exemption stamp. The practical implication of this is that now non-Thais entering Thailand by land will only be allowed to remain in Thailand for 15 days at a time on visa exemption stamps.

Business Visa Extension Restrictions

For those in Thailand for business reasons wishing to extend their visa in Bangkok, or elsewhere, they will need to produce financial statements of the company they work for showing at least two years of profitable operations. The upshot of this new regulation is the fact that small business owners who have not been in business for longer than 2 years will have difficulty obtaining a Thai Visa extension.

Marriage Based Visa Changes

For those in Thailand on a Thai marriage visa, there are now more options for showing the Thai/foreign couples financial requirements. In the past the Thai/foreign couple had to produce evidence of a combined income of at least 40,000 Thai baht per month. Under the new Immigration regulations evidence of a lump sum of 400,000 Thai baht in a Thai bank account will be sufficient to meet the financial requirement for a Thai marriage visa. Thai Immigration regulations can be confusing and frustrating, let Integrity Legal clear up some of the confusion and assist you in obtaining the correct Thai Visa in the fastest most efficient way possible. Contact Integrity Legal Today!

Get Your Thai Visa Application Started TODAY!

For updated information regarding Thai Immigration matters please visit our Youtube Channel at Integrity Legal Thailand.