you’ve likely seen a number of headlines about changes to both holiday travel and long term stay visas stemming from a recent cabinet meeting. with the dust settling a bit let’s get past the click bait and talk about three things. first, what the thai government has already put in place to make things easier or more attractive for both visitors and expats. second, what’s pending that we’ll keep a keen eye on, and third, some important changes that were not part of the cabinet meeting announcement, but that you should know if you’re planning on applying for or extending a long term visa. so, let’s dive in.
the cabinet meeting was focused on changes that will help stimulate the economy by making thailand a more attractive destination. for holiday travelers this includes allowing visitors from 93 countries to enjoy thailand for 60 days visa exempt. some government officials are concerned about folks abusing this longer than typical stay privilege, and this is something we’ll keep an eye on, but for now, arriving visa exempt means getting stamped in for 60 days.
also mentioned was the thailand digital arrival card or tdac that was rolled out last year. there were a couple of minor glitches that were quickly fixed and now it works quite well. just be sure to visit the official site: tdac.immigration.go.th. it’s free and you can complete this up to 72 hours before you fly. if you enter a site asking for money to get this done you’re being ripped off. and if you forget to do this before you fly there are kiosks at the airport. you’ll just be adding some time to get through immigration which is no fun.
now for expats or those of you considering a move here the cabinet noted the global roll out of the e filing system. gone are the days of having to make an appointment for a visit to a royal thai embassy or consulate. now all filings are electronic, and that includes applications for dtv, 90-day non-o and non-oa or ox visas. and to be a bit contrarian to all the doomer and gloomers out there, the ministry of foreign affairs did a terrific job on rolling out this system.
in that same vein, the ministry of foreign affairs is leading a multi agency visa committee that’s already met twice to improve coordination and communication between the ministry, immigration and the board of investment. what would be good to see is the committee having a means for the expat community to raise issues or perhaps a survey to better understand what’s working well and what could be improved.
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so, what’s pending to keep an eye out for this year? most importantly pending revisions to eligibility and conditions for resident retirees. we don’t know what these will be yet and we’ll post an update as soon as we have clarity. just from a paperwork perspective i hope the cabinet considers eliminating the need to show evidence of the last tdac as a visa stamp issued by the same government agency should be sufficient. also the paperwork around an applicant’s long term lease keeps growing. for a condo, it’s now the lease, the deed, and the landlord’s id and tabien baan. how about just the lease and proof of rent payments to make this a bit easier on everyone?
finally, there has been a change to the financial requirements for the dtv and non-o visas and i call this the rule of three. in most cases applicants used to be able to show required funds in a bank account for a single statement period. now, whether it’s the dtv or 90-day non-o or non oa or ox visas, you’ll need to have the funds on deposit for at least three statement periods. so please plan accordingly.
there are two exceptions to this rule of 3. if you’re filing for your first non-o retirement or marriage visa, nothing has changed and the funds must be on deposit in your thai bank account for 60 days. also, if you’re removing funds during the year, you must show the required balance for three statement periods before you apply for your visa extension with one exception, and that’s if your funds are kept at bangkok bank as that bank is requiring that this balance must be maintained for 4 statement periods.
at bottom, the cabinet is focused on boosting economic activity by making thailand a more attractive destination. and, there were a number of positive developments last year. with additional coordination by the visa policy committee and outreach to the expat community we’re anticipating more streamlining of systems and requirements.
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