When you visit Thailand for the first time, you will be issued a 30-day stamp, a 15-day visa on arrival or a Tourist visa which is a 60-day visa with a 30-day extension to be done inside Thailand. However, if for one reason or another you find yourself wanting to extend.
The usual practice is to cross the Thai border every 15 days which you are allowed to do for a maximum of three (3) years. Another option is to leave Thailand and return by plane. Upon coming back, your passport will be stamped with a 30-day visa at the airport immigration. Doing border runs is not only inconvenient, it can also be very expensive. If you are an American, Canadian, Australian, or European (or from any country belonging to the European Union), you can make your life a lot simpler by applying for a Non Immigrant B Visa.
This one year multiple entry visa to Thailand comes with many privileges such as being able to obtain a work permit and to apply for a Business Visa in Thailand. This visa can also then be converted to a Retirement or Marriage visa even without leaving the country. Apart from all that, if you use your visa before it expires, you will be granted an additional 3 months thereby giving this one year visa a total validity of almost 15 months. Take note however, that this Non Immigrant B is not renewable, which means that if you want to stay longer, you will have to go back to your home country and apply for a new one.
To qualify for the Thailand One Year Visa, you must first of all be a legal citizen of the U.S., Canada, Australia or an E.U. member. And the other requirements include:
If you are processing your visa application yourself, those listed above are basically the documents you need to submit.
If you have fallen in love with Thailand and have decided that you want to stay for a long time, it would be in your best interest to seek the assistance of legal professionals who have the expertise and experience in helping expatriates like you meet their visa requirements for a One Year Thailand Visa application.