July: Hopefully the month of visa clarification in Thailand. The 60 days visa exempt for 93 countries This was announced prematurely by the foreign affairs ministry and has not yet started. Amongst the details to be clarified are whether the visa exempt can be extended for a further month at local immigration (90 days in all) and whether the whole exercise can be repeated by leaving Thailand and returning quickly.- Pattaya Mail

July: Hopefully the month of visa clarification in Thailand

Pattaya MailJune 29, 2024

Expectations are high that at least some visa ambiguities will soon be clarified.

The 60 days visa exempt for 93 countries
This was announced prematurely by the foreign affairs ministry and has not yet started. Amongst the details to be clarified are whether the visa exempt can be extended for a further month at local immigration (90 days in all) and whether the whole exercise can be repeated by leaving Thailand and returning quickly.

The Destination Thailand Visa
This looks like a 180 days "activity-related" visa with limited extension rights, but clarification is awaited. Will likely need documentation such as company papers to work overseas for remote workers, registration at a Thai martial arts training facility or enrolment at a cuisine college. It might be extended to tourists seeking gender reassignment surgery or listed medical procedures. Very unlikely to be an additional option for wannabe retirees or longstay tourists trying to avoid border or visa runs.

Long Term Residence Visa
This 10 year visa, which requires an annual income of at least US$80,000 or very substantial investment in Thailand, has been touted as exempt from the Thai Revenue announcement that assessable income remitted to Thailand from January 1 2024 will be subject to personal income tax. However, it is unknown whether the exemption will apply to stage two of the Revenue's plans to tax worldwide assets, whether remitted to Thailand or not, from next year. This second Revenue proposal (unlike the first already in operation) would need a new law or Cabinet approval.

Review of retirement-related visas and extensions
Due to be implemented in September 2024. A temporary reduction in medical insurance for those applying for a one year visa in Thai embassies was announced, but nothing more. Likely subjects for upward review are the 800,000 baht requirement in the bank or 65,000 baht in regular cash transfer from overseas: these sums have not been raised for over 15 years. Other subject reviews might center on why some longstay retirees have to provide medical insurance whilst others do not. Getting the foreign affairs ministry, which controls entries, and the immigration bureau, which controls extensions, to agree won't be easy.

Tax identification numbers
There is speculation that holders of some longstay visas and extensions of stay could require registration with Thai Revenue and the issuing of a TIN and/or confirmation that a tax return had been submitted by the applicant. This is extremely unlikely at present as the requirement of at least 180 days in Thailand in any one year to be a tax resident does not require any particular visa. Some tourists, relying of visa exempts, extensions and border runs, could clock up six months plus without having any kind of visa.

Gay marriages
Long-stay visas for gay partnerships won't likely be announced until the legal process is completed towards the end of the year. The current annually-renewable extension for foreigners with a Thai spouse of the opposite sex – the one requiring 400,000 in the bank or similar monthly income – is under review anyway as many of these foreigners are retired.