Expats: New Thai visas make elite status obsolete

Longstay expats are in uproar as Thailand’s new visa policies render their costly long-term options nearly worthless. The introduction of a 60-day visa-exempt policy and the 180-day Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) has left many feeling shortchanged.

Geoffrey Fisher, a Brit who recently forked out 900,000 baht (approximately £20,000) for a five-year Elite visa, lamented, “I’ve wasted my money as more or less anyone can now stay in Thailand almost indefinitely for a paltry sum.”

The disenchanted expats argue that the 60-day visa-exempt option can be extended by 30 days at local immigration offices, followed by a border run to reset the process. Reports from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport suggest that immigration officers are telling new arrivals they can perform as many border runs as they like.

The DTV, costing just 10,000 baht (around £200), grants 180 days on entry with the option to extend for another 180 days. This process can also be repeated by briefly leaving the country.

American expat Dan Silverman, who holds an annual extension based on retirement, vented his frustration.

“It’s just ridiculous. I have to keep 800,000 baht in a Thai bank, obtain medical insurance, face ever-changing regulations, and regularly report my Thai address throughout the year, or be fined. And for what when you can come and go as you please with the new visas?”

Social media is abuzz with similar sentiments as expats digest the latest visa changes. However, critics may be overreacting. Official information does not specify how many times the visa-exempt discretion can be used. The DTV requires a cash bond or proof of 500,000 baht and is mainly aimed at digital nomads and freelancers working for foreign companies. Applicants must show contracts or portfolios, and participants in Thai soft power activities, such as cooking classes, Muay Thai training, medical treatment, music festivals, or seminars, are also eligible.

One expat with a one-year marriage extension questioned, “Would an appointment letter from a hospital for extracting your teeth enable you to get 180 days plus an extension of 180 days? Does a foreigner learning Thai cuisine need five years to learn how to cook?”

Immigration lawyer Jessataporn Bunnag commented, “The DTV throws a great deal of responsibility on embassies to check initial applicants and on the immigration bureau to monitor extensions and repeats.”

Jessataporn expects some clarification once the impact of the changes has been analysed, reported Pattaya Mail.