I was tempted to post something about the new 6 month multiple entry tourist visa for Thailand sooner as I'm super excited about it, but up until now it's all been hearsay and didn't want to spread rumors if they were untrue.
But good news, I've gotten a hold of one of the first official documents explaining the new METV (Multiple Entry Tourist Visa) and it's not only official, but it's even better than we thought it was going to be. This is the new solution for digital nomads and is the new Digital Nomad Visa for Thailand. Keep reading to see the official announcement below.
How I Got the Letter:
I wish I could say I have some type of hookup in the Thai government but nope, I just emailed the Thai consulate here in South Africa where I'm currently traveling and asked them about applying for a double or triple entry tourist visa and they sent me this.
I first heard about the new 6 month multiple entry visa months ago but didn't want to speculate or get my hopes up. But here's the official announcement by The Royal Thai Embassy on behalf of the Thai Government themselves.
Summary of the new 6 Month Visa:
Multiple Entry
This means you can go to Bali for a weekend, Cambodia to see Angkor Wat, then go to Saigon to visit friends whenever you want and not have to worry about wasting of one of your entries on your visa. This gives travelers and digital nomads freedom to go where we want, whenever we want and not be stuck to a timeline.
6 Month Validity
This actually means up to 9 months if you time it right. Get the new visa 2 weeks before you leave for Thailand, then come and go as you please making sure you fly back into Thailand a day or two before your 6 months run out. That way, you get a full 60 days from that day, plus the option to extend it for another 30 days without leaving the country, giving you up to 9 Months in Total!
Death of the Double and Triple Entry Visas:
Unfortunately, this is something no one knew about until just now, but with the introduction of the new 6 month multiple entry tourist visa we lose the option to obtain a double or triple entry tourist visa. We'll still be able to get single entry visas which are good for 60 days + a 30 day extension, but it rules out going to places like Laos to get a double entry.
My suggestion is to either get a new ME Visa before you come to Thailand, or just plan a trip home anytime after November 13th. Just in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
By the way, if you're making location independent income and want to exclude your first $100,800 in earnings, check out the foreign earned income exemption. Having the new 6 month multiple entry visa makes it easy for us digital nomads to travel perpetually while allowing us to use places like Chiang Mai, Thailand as our home base whenever we want to take a break from island hopping and hang out at a coworking space.
How to Obtain a New 6 Month Visa:
The only downside to getting the new 6 month visa is that you have to do it from your home country, or a county where you can prove residence in.
That means for most of us already traveling in Thailand or SE Asia, we'll have to fly back home to get the new visa. The good news is, if you use my 9 month plan I mentioned above, you'll only have to do it once a year or so, and can use it as an excuse to go to weddings, or see your family that I'm sure misses you.
The cost of the new visa is around $140 USD and in my opinion is a fantastic deal for a 6 month multiple entry visa as it gives us both freedom of time and schedule. In my first book 12 Weeks in Thailand I wrote about how to live the good life on the cheap, make border runs and get by on $600 a month, but those days are over.
They were fun as hell and if you're in your 20's I encourage you to spend a few years working as a divemaster and training muay thai like I did, but if you're 30+ like I am, instead of counting our baht and trying to live as cheaply as possible, let's put in some hard work and all become Thai Millionaires to really live freely and enjoy all of Thailand and the rest of the world.
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Warm Regards,
Johnny FD
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