6 ms·

Great write up! I'm thinking of doing the exact same thing. A couple of questions - Why the limitation to being able to only do 6 months? Do they stop renew

by scheff 13y ago

Great write up! I'm thinking of doing the exact same thing. A couple of questions - Why the limitation to being able to only do 6 months? Do they stop renewing your visa after that? Have you looked at other neighbouring countries like Laos, Burma and Cambodia for a similar arrangement?

Radim 13y ago
It's probably because the OP had a double entry tourist visa. You can renew easily -- or at least could, a few years ago. I lived in Thailand for two years, entirely on tourist visas. Let me just add there's a marked difference between how OP describes his Thailand experience, and living outside of start-up/expat communities.
- scheff 13y ago
  care to elaborate?
  - Radim 13y ago
    Why not. There's plenty of more detailed info out there, and I don't claim to be any sort of expert after mere two years, but here's two stereotypical extremes: Tourist-eyes: beautiful beaches; nice weather; safe; cheap food; laid back, friendly smiling people -- PARADISE! Live-and-work-there-eyes: rampant bigotry and racism (common to most SE Asia); dishonesty ("losing face" and all, again shared across SEA and not specific to Thailand); nothing ever gets done (the famous wait-for-crisis management aka the reverse side of the laid back culture); encouragement of keeping in line and professional mediocrity; (lack of) quality healthcare; dirt; systemic corruption and mafia; massive drinking in connection with ubiquitous handguns; relationships aka love the farang cash machine; farangs always 2nd class citizens no matter what (land ownership &c) -- BUSINESS OWNER'S HELL! Now that's just to juxtapose two extremes, neither is "the truth". When it comes to running a business, beware of that viewpoint #2. Freelancers who just hang out with other freelancers on the beach for a few months don't need to care, of course :) For serious business, Malaysia is much more organized and welcoming. Hopefully I don't get downvoted for this paradise-shattering post -- I still have many Thai friends and I love the country despite all its problems.
    - pieterhg 13y ago
      You're absolutely right on most of those points. With regards to the racism: I did experience it when I entered night clubs, and it felt weird I had to pay an entrance fee and the Thais did not. But on the other hand, I know foreigners (esp. Westerners, like me) simply cause a lot of trouble in night clubs and obviously hitting on their women. In a weird way, you pay that off with an entrance fee. In my limited experience, much of the racism I saw Westerners deal with, was most of the times them behaving in a stereotypical Western way (loud, obscene and rude). I don't have a problem with that, but Thai do. I've come very far by just being over-polite and friendly to everyone I met. Bowing a lot, smiling and always staying calm in conflict situations (e.g. outside at 4am with drunk people). With regards to dating, I mostly dated hi-so girls, which in the end paid more for my drinks, than I did for theirs ;)
      - Radim 13y ago
        Actually, I meant racism toward dark-skinned people (Thais or otherwise), not so much toward Westerns. To wit, skin whitening is a monstrous business in Thailand. I'll never forget the forest of umbrellas on really hot days, or people walking in long sleeves, just to fend off the sun and "stay white" :)
    - scheff 13y ago
      I've spoken with a few of westerner businessmen in Thailand now, and they re-iterate much the same sentiments. My view has become "go there as a tourist who happens to spend several months on business" as opposed to "go there with a view to doing business with the locals". Likewise I have met some lovely Thai people. They are very caring and welcoming.
pieterhg 13y ago
Thanks! The most I could get from the Thai embassy in Amsterdam was a double-entry visa. If I wanted a triple-entry visa (giving me 3x90 days or 9 months), they required me to have booked all my flights in and out of the country beforehand. That was a bit too much planning for me. I believe there's education visas if you study Thai at a school for a year, but that seems like too much of a distraction while starting up a business. Yes, I'm actually trying Phnom Penh in Cambodia in 2014. Cheaper, although internet connectivity might not be up-to-par and it's a lot less safe from what I've heard.
- maccman 13y ago
  You should try Siem Reap - much nicer, and seems almost european.
  - notahacker 13y ago
    Or if you want somewhere relaxed Battambang has most of the benefits of Siem Reap (even day trips to Khmer ruins!) but without the tourist circus.
- maccman 13y ago
  Or Saigon - had a great time there. http://blog.alexmaccaw.com/traveling-writing-and-programming http://blog.alexmaccaw.com/traveling-writing-and-programming
  - pieterhg 13y ago
    I'm actually in Saigon right now! Do you have any recommendations for spaces to work? I am trying SaigonHUB on Monday.
    - maccman 13y ago
      Hmm, I was usually working out of my hotel room or cafe's along Phạm Ngũ Lão street.
  - homakov 13y ago
agilebyte 13y ago
Presumably also because working somewhere for more than 6 months usually means you are tax resident and the visa is a tourist and not a work visa? Not that it is probably enforced in Thailand.
- pieterhg 13y ago
  Yes, the law is not ready for this set-up yet. But as you mention, unless you cause trouble, it's not really in the Thai's interest to enforce that you might officially be breaking the law by working (even if it's for yourself).

by scheff 13y ago

Radim 13y ago

It's probably because the OP had a double entry tourist visa. You can renew easily -- or at least could, a few years ago. I lived in Thailand for two years, entirely on tourist visas. Let me just add there's a marked difference between how OP describes his Thailand experience, and living outside of start-up/expat communities.

scheff 13y ago
care to elaborate?
- Radim 13y ago
  Why not. There's plenty of more detailed info out there, and I don't claim to be any sort of expert after mere two years, but here's two stereotypical extremes: Tourist-eyes: beautiful beaches; nice weather; safe; cheap food; laid back, friendly smiling people -- PARADISE! Live-and-work-there-eyes: rampant bigotry and racism (common to most SE Asia); dishonesty ("losing face" and all, again shared across SEA and not specific to Thailand); nothing ever gets done (the famous wait-for-crisis management aka the reverse side of the laid back culture); encouragement of keeping in line and professional mediocrity; (lack of) quality healthcare; dirt; systemic corruption and mafia; massive drinking in connection with ubiquitous handguns; relationships aka love the farang cash machine; farangs always 2nd class citizens no matter what (land ownership &c) -- BUSINESS OWNER'S HELL! Now that's just to juxtapose two extremes, neither is "the truth". When it comes to running a business, beware of that viewpoint #2. Freelancers who just hang out with other freelancers on the beach for a few months don't need to care, of course :) For serious business, Malaysia is much more organized and welcoming. Hopefully I don't get downvoted for this paradise-shattering post -- I still have many Thai friends and I love the country despite all its problems.
  - pieterhg 13y ago
    You're absolutely right on most of those points. With regards to the racism: I did experience it when I entered night clubs, and it felt weird I had to pay an entrance fee and the Thais did not. But on the other hand, I know foreigners (esp. Westerners, like me) simply cause a lot of trouble in night clubs and obviously hitting on their women. In a weird way, you pay that off with an entrance fee. In my limited experience, much of the racism I saw Westerners deal with, was most of the times them behaving in a stereotypical Western way (loud, obscene and rude). I don't have a problem with that, but Thai do. I've come very far by just being over-polite and friendly to everyone I met. Bowing a lot, smiling and always staying calm in conflict situations (e.g. outside at 4am with drunk people). With regards to dating, I mostly dated hi-so girls, which in the end paid more for my drinks, than I did for theirs ;)
    - Radim 13y ago
      Actually, I meant racism toward dark-skinned people (Thais or otherwise), not so much toward Westerns. To wit, skin whitening is a monstrous business in Thailand. I'll never forget the forest of umbrellas on really hot days, or people walking in long sleeves, just to fend off the sun and "stay white" :)
  - scheff 13y ago
    I've spoken with a few of westerner businessmen in Thailand now, and they re-iterate much the same sentiments. My view has become "go there as a tourist who happens to spend several months on business" as opposed to "go there with a view to doing business with the locals". Likewise I have met some lovely Thai people. They are very caring and welcoming.

pieterhg 13y ago

Thanks! The most I could get from the Thai embassy in Amsterdam was a double-entry visa. If I wanted a triple-entry visa (giving me 3x90 days or 9 months), they required me to have booked all my flights in and out of the country beforehand. That was a bit too much planning for me. I believe there's education visas if you study Thai at a school for a year, but that seems like too much of a distraction while starting up a business. Yes, I'm actually trying Phnom Penh in Cambodia in 2014. Cheaper, although internet connectivity might not be up-to-par and it's a lot less safe from what I've heard.

maccman 13y ago
You should try Siem Reap - much nicer, and seems almost european.
- notahacker 13y ago
  Or if you want somewhere relaxed Battambang has most of the benefits of Siem Reap (even day trips to Khmer ruins!) but without the tourist circus.
maccman 13y ago
Or Saigon - had a great time there. http://blog.alexmaccaw.com/traveling-writing-and-programming http://blog.alexmaccaw.com/traveling-writing-and-programming
- pieterhg 13y ago
  I'm actually in Saigon right now! Do you have any recommendations for spaces to work? I am trying SaigonHUB on Monday.
  - maccman 13y ago
    Hmm, I was usually working out of my hotel room or cafe's along Phạm Ngũ Lão street.
- homakov 13y ago

agilebyte 13y ago

Presumably also because working somewhere for more than 6 months usually means you are tax resident and the visa is a tourist and not a work visa? Not that it is probably enforced in Thailand.

pieterhg 13y ago
Yes, the law is not ready for this set-up yet. But as you mention, unless you cause trouble, it's not really in the Thai's interest to enforce that you might officially be breaking the law by working (even if it's for yourself).