Better to be a tourist in Thailand, than an expat!
Now Thailand is offering the Tourist Visa for free. Double entry. With such a Visa, one can stay in Thailand for 6 months! (2 months + 1 month extension, visa run, 2 months + 1 month extension). Renewable indefinitely until march 2010 (the tourist visa will be free until then).
Applying for a non-immigrant Business visa (non B visa) will cost you 120 euros for one year, and you will still have to go on visa run every 3 months!
Chose the best for you! 
New Visa Rules – 2009
VISA – New Rules 2009 (source LePetitJournal and Law Solutions)
Transit Visa (or visa exemption): renewable indefinitely
The exemption of Visa (which allows people from 41 countries to stay in Thailand without any visa for a limited period of time) is now renewable indefinitely. The 90day rule, established in October 2006 (no more than 90 days in the Kingdom and then 90 days abroad) has been cancelled. However, people entering the country by land will be granted 30 days the first time but then only 15 days each time (see New Visa Run rules).
Non-B Visa (Work): now possible even if the company is losing money on the fiscal year
Since 2006, a company requesting a Non-Immigrant B Visa had to prove that it was making money, ie: profit. This was on top of the usual requirements of 2 million baht capital and 4 Thai employees for 1 foreign employee. Now, even a company losing money may obtain a non-B Visa for a foreigner. This is now decided on a case by case basis.
Investment Visa: restarted
The Investment Visa (IB or IM), granted to foreigners investing a certain amount in the country, had been canceled in October 2006. It is now back on the “menu”, except that the minimum amount used to be THB 3 millions and it is now THB 10 millions!
Retirement Visa: easier conditions
The Retirement Visa (O) is available for all foreigners aged 50+ and who can prove a yearly income of THB 800,000 (or a monthly income of THB 65,000). The problem was the money deposit that had to be made a very long time in advance. The money deposit used to be requested 3 months before the Visa application. This has been reduced to 60 days.
Wedding Visa: restarted
The Wedding Visa is granted to a foreigner married with a Thai national. The rule to obtain this Visa has been changed back to how it was before 2006: One need to register the wedding in Thailand and put a minimum deposit of THB 400,000 on a bank account in Thailand OR prove a minimum monthly income of THB 40,000.
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More information about Visas on the Visa and Immigration page.
Non immigrant B visa for Thailand
The Non Immigrant B (Business) Visa is the Visa needed to work or run a company in Thailand. This Visa can be obtained at an embassy or a consulate of Thailand abroad.
You will find here below a list of documents to provide, but of course the best is to use the services of a lawyer.
There are 2 different kinds of Non Immigrant B (Business) Visa:
- The Non Immigrant B (Business) Visa – Single Entry – 3 months: is valid for one entry in Thailand maximum and for a maximum duration of 3 months.
- The Non Immigrant B (Business) Visa – Multiple Entry – 1 year: is valid for one year and allows you to enter and exit Thailand as many times as you want.
Depending on the embassy you may get one or the other. The embassy of Thailand in Paris, France, for instance, only delivers the 3month-single entry. The embassy of Thailand in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, delivers the 1year-multiple entry without any problem. The embassy of Thailand in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, delivers both, but one needs to get all the exact documents needed for the 1year-multiple entry to get sure to actually get it. Several people asking for the 1year-multiple entry in Malaysia (KL or Penang) end up with the 3month-single entry only because of non sufficient documents.
Based on your personal situation, find out with your lawyer the best place to go.
Note: even with a 1 year visa, you will get a 3month stamp on your passport each time you enter Thailand and you will have to renew this stamp every 3 months, either by going to the immigration office or by doing a Visa Run (depending on your company/employer situation).
Tip: your 1year visa can stay for 15 months: You are allowed to enter in Thailand until the last day of the visa. If you do so, you can stay for up to another 3 months after your visa has expired, before renewing it.
Documents required for the Non Immigrant B (Business) Visa application:
- Passport or travel document with validity of not less than 6 months.
- Completed visa application form.
- Recent passport-sized photograph (4 x 6 cm) of the applicant taken within the past 6 months.
- Evidence of adequate finance (20,000 Baht per person and 40,000 Baht per family).
- Letter of approval from the Ministry of Labour. To obtain this letter, the applicant’s prospective employer in Thailand is required to submit Form WP3 at the Office of Foreign Workers Administration, Department of Employment, Ministry of Labour Tel. 02-2452745, or at the Provincial Employment Office in his or her respective province. More information is available at www.doe.go.th/workpermit/index.html
- Copy of Work Permit issued by the Ministry of Labour and alien income tax or Por Ngor Dor 91 (only in the case where applicant has previously worked in Thailand).
- Corporate documents of hiring company in Thailand such as:
1) business registration and business license
2) list of shareholders
3) company profile
4) details of business operation
5) list of foreign workers stating names, nationalities and positions
6) map indicating location of the company
7) balance sheet, statement of Income Tax and Business Tax (Por Ngor Dor 50 and Por Ngor Dor 30 of the latest year)
8 ) value-added tax registration (Por Por 20)
- Document indicating the number of foreign tourists (for tourism business only), or document indicating export transactions issued by banks (for export business only).
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More information about Visa on the Thai Visa Page.
