How to Live in Thailand at Any Age Despite Visa Crackdown – the Nomad Way

How to Live in Thailand at Any Age Despite Visa Crackdown – the Nomad Way

You might have heard in the news lately that Thailand is cracking down on foreigners and immigration making it harder to stay in the country long term well the truth is uh that’s half true because this has actually been going on for a long time in Thailand they’ve been

Making it more and more difficult say over the last 15 years to stay in Thailand long term I’ve noticed it coming in out of the country and having aor of the Visa situation so it’s not a thing that just started happening recently now in the West you hear a

Crackdown or a big change you know government passes a big law they tend to do that uh overnight you know a big dramatic change but in in the in the East and Asian societies including Thailand a lot of times what you’ll see is uh things evolve much more slowly

Sort of a makeshift you know small changes because uh they’re careful they don’t want to do something too big and for example drive away all the tourist business or something so they make gradual adjustments well they’ve been like I said been making these gradual adjustments for years and it doesn’t

Seem to be uh stopping and so it’s getting more and more difficult for foreigners to stay in the country now the the the graduality is a good both a good news and bad news kind of thing so it’s good that you have time like it’s not going to be too hard

To stay in or get back into the country in the near future you’ll still be able to go to Thailand and stay there the problem is uh yeah it’s not necessarily getting any better either it’s not going to just reverse the only way I could see

It reversing is if they have a dramatic drop off in tourism and foreign Revenue that they need to do what they can to try to get back uh foreign visitors which the popularity of the country I don’t see that happening so it’s going to keep getting harder and they’re going

To keep limiting who can get in and out of the country now at this moment pretty much you know it’s very easy for anyone to get to get to Thailand with no Visa beforehand you can arrive in the country pretty much any nationality and visit Thailand for a month or maybe two months

But what they’re doing is or three months tourist visa what they’re doing is they’re making it harder for the people who stay longterm and they’re star starting to scrutinize those people a little more people that want to stay so how can you stay if you see the title

This video how can you stay as a semi permanent Thailand I I call it semi-permanent Thailand resident or a nomad with your main base being in Thailand and this is what the topic of the video is about today so let’s assume you don’t have a retirement Visa by the way they’re

Making that harder too you don’t have a retirement visa either you’re younger than 50 which you can’t have access to retirement Visa or you’re older than 50 but you don’t want to you know jump through all the Hoops to get retiring Visa well there’s an option I like to

Call a just Nomad semi-permanent residency just like you uh you know you don’t jump into the deep end of a pool and put all your eggs in one basket don’t put all your eggs into the Thailand basket things can change you know at any moment what you

Want to do is kind of like put your uh foot foot into the pool and put your foot into the other pool it’s like so what you want to do is you know you want to maintain your roots in your home country you don’t that’s very important

Even if you don’t go back to your home country very often maintain your roots in your home country if if you like Thailand the best stay in Thailand six months out of the year you can still do that but they’re going to be scrutinizing you so what you have to do

If you want to stay in Thailand six months out of the year just on tourist feas and stuff you can do that I believe and even if they gets a lot more worse you can still do that but here’s a few tips for you dress nice this is the most important things I

Know Tha society and people you know you see a lot of people wearing flipflops both foreigners and ties dressed kind of sloppy casual that’s fine but respect and manners is a big thing in Thailand and when you go to the immigration office dressed kind of like Obama or in flipflops even just in

Shorts they really frown on that now they’ll look past it cuz they know you’re a foreigner and you know but they really look on you going to a governor office dressed like a bum and trust me I’ve been to these these immigration offices to stend my Visa many times and

80% of the people are dressed not just like it’s not just that they have shorts like they’re just dressed horrible man like so that’s the first thing you can do whether you’re entering the country or you’re applying at the immigration office for a visa extension dress nice

You don’t have to like go way over the top and dress in a suit but you know just a nice pair of slacks nice shoes shoes not flip-flop just normal shoes H they can even be tennis shoes and uh you know like a button-up shirt you know if

You got to watch I don’t know just you know comb your hair maybe shave whatever but just look the most presentable you can that’s going to really help you uh they have to make a decision you know whether they see you’re always in the country if they have to make a decision

That could really help you in your favor to prove you I I have not seen the immigration disapproving people from getting their extensions but like I said that could increase that could change so that’s the first step is to dress better um the second the second thing is to um

Don’t get in the trouble with the law don’t ever overstay like remember you want to be in and out of Thailand for years that’s your plan and you plan to spend six months there maybe you know one or two months back in your home country 3 months maybe 3 months in other

Asian countries you could go to Cambodia or Philippines or LA or Malaysia or wherever Indonesia valy uh so you don’t want to do any you need it’s not like he’s saying have to be like you can’t have fun and party have a good time get drunk whatever you want to do

But you have to be in control of your behavior don’t get in trouble with the law cuz that’s all going to if they see that they might start rejecting people with those issues uh they might not reject you to enter the country but they might to get a visa extension or

Something so uh yeah stay stay right with with the law and then the other thing is um you know maybe even try to stagger your visits like you might even be able stay eight nine months this is not you know good advice I’m just saying uh if

If you stagger it right like because I believe it’s on the calendar year so you could say like stay in the country November December then you stay like four months that’s six months right there four months straight start of the year then you leave go elsewhere then

You come back to Country for another 3 months that’s like almost 9 months in a one-year period because it’s based on the calendar year so you can do stuff like like that but what you can’t do the whole point of trying to make is like you can’t live in

Thailand year round you know un unless you get a year round Visa so if you just want to stay like six months out of the year you can do that you can spend a lot of time but if you wanted the whole shebang and live well you’re going to

Need a long-term Visa you’re going need a retirement Visa a student visa or uh probably that fiveyear thing that Elite Visa you’re going to need one of those and all those have big big sacrifices you have to to make you know do you want to go to school every day or four times

A week to learn thae language uh do you want to jump through the Hoops you need to get retirement visa do you want to put a bunch of money to buy Elite Visa those have big downsides now there’s other countries you can stay in pretty much year round that don’t have these

Visa difficulties that Thailand has there’s Mexico Mexico you get a six-month visa on Entry six months like no Hoops to jump through nothing to pay you just enter the country bam you got 6 months on your passport it’s very easy a lot of those Latin American countries to

Stay a year round in Cambodia you can stay a year round you can get a it’s called a business Visa and you don’t have to have a business everybody that wants to stay there does this even people that only stay there for 3 4 months you can get a what’s called a

Business Visa and it’s $350 and the government does there doesn’t care if they don’t care if you have business it’s just a way for them to make some extra money so 350 bucks you get to stay there for up to a year uh Philippines also is very easy to stay

For about 3 four years straight with the six Monon fees extensions so you have other options in Thailand but I’m assuming you’re not interested in those countries uh you’re interested in Thailand but like I said uh you know you have to live a a easy easier limited lifestyle uh you

Know so how do you live as a nomad this is the thing like a lot of people have they try to take their Western lifestyle and and Export it into Thailand where they got a nice home or nice condo and car and they’re living there year round

Now if you want do that like I said you probably have more resources you might as well get the retirement Visa or get the elite Visa or whatever that’s just what you want to do but if you’re more like kind of like me and you’re just uh

One you’re kind of low on finances two you’re kind of broke you know three you’re um you’re you’re more flexible you can adapt to situations you don’t you’re not trying to live a western lifestyle in Southeast Asia then your options are actually better because you can stay five six

Months out of the year and Thailand and then you could go spend a month or two in Cambodia a month or two in India you know a month or two in Philippines or Vietnam or wherever now all those countries can be also very cheap to stay

In the problem is you’re going to have a little more expenses one you have to fly to those countries or take a bus to them or something that’s more expense to you might not have a condo so you’re going to be staying in hotels now a lot of those countries like Vietnam Cambodia

India they have very cheap hotels so that’s not that big of a problem but uh yeah you have to be kind of flexible that means you’re going to be moving around a lot so you kind of want to keep your possessions very limited you need

To learn to live like out of one little rolling suitcase and maybe one man bag that’s a good combo or like one big backpack that’s small enough for carryon and like one man bag you know because that all that stuff you can you can take on a carryon even on budget Airlines so

You basically have to limit your possessions to about 20 pounds worth of of stuff now uh that that might sound ter several people like I said if that’s a deal breaker for you well then you have to go to the Western lifestyle where you have a lot of possessions and you know

Now there is ways to get around that like you can get like a a cheap room like you’ve seen me get a fan room many times you get a fan room so it doesn’t cost a lot of money it’s like say $120 a month or something $100 a month 150 a

Month as long as if you can live in that fan room and you like it when you go to other countries because it’s so cheap you can just leave all your stuff in the fan room but that means you have also have to make sure now there’s always a

Chance you might not get back in the country and whatever you leave in the fan room is going to be lost probably for good so you still probably don’t want to have too much valuables or possessions in that fan room but you might be able to have a little more

Clothes a little more luxuries a little more things than just living out of a packpack or suitcase that’s one strategy now people might be saying you know like well you know chap Charlie why are you giving advice we only want Rich expats to come to I think that’s really not

Fair I think it’s really not everybody has to go extreme cheap Charlie mode but people should learn how to be more economical and Frugal that’s the number one way expats get in trouble is by spending beyond their means now I’m not saying you can’t spend

A lot of money but spend to your heart’s content but as long as you can afford it that’s the key so you know I’m trying to teach people to live within their means now let’s say you know a lot of people the fan room is

Not for them rice cooker is not for them they like eating you know nice Meats steaks cheeseburgers they want to live nice air con well you know you still get a condo for 3 400 a month you can work with what’s in your budget but when I

See a person that’s living a very simplistic lifestyle and is not blowing a lot of money that person is usually you know a standup guy because he’s he has it takes discipline to live cheap it takes it takes discipline and it takes discipline to be able to be a

Nomad in southeast East Asia you know anybody can show up with a bunch of money and just book a nice expensive hotel and not have to worry about anything and uh you know if you’re in that position that’s great but most people in this world aren’t that me they

Can’t still not be able to travel especially we have many digital Nomads and people who are looking to maybe spend some of the retirement days in outside of the United States or Europe they may not have that great of a budget they might not have a lot of income mightbe have limited limited

Pension but they still have options in life they can still do things they’re not just limited to a trailer park in Alabama or a you know u a council house in England there’s you might have opt other options I mean bad behavior it’s not a

It’s not a limited a cheap person a lot of the worst behaving people are two weak millionaires spending all kinds of money so uh you know it’s like they don’t have much knowledge a lot of times of the country the culture they have maybe uh and they’re just

They’re at a party they’re they’re spending money like crazy who doing who knows what taking who knows what substances and they get out of control and start you getting into fights cause problems everything so it bad behavior is not a cheap thing or a rich thing it

Can there’s you know there’s rich expats in tourists that are in great behavior and there’s likewise with uh poor expats and and tourist but the Nomad is a good option The Nomad lifestyle is a good option for people who uh are Travelers at heart they’re not trying to replicate

The Wern lifestyle in Southeast Asia they’re not trying to get a home and live their year round with a lawn and a dog and you know a car and all that stuff I mean if you want that stuff like I said you kind of have you’re going to

Have to pay a price for that you you’re probably you know you see a lot of vloggers where they say well it’s so expensive and to live in because they’re trying to live the Western lifestyle um and and if you try to live a western lifestyle in Southeast Asia

Which isn’t really built for that you’re trying to eat steaks in countries that don’t raise beef you’re try you know like they they’re not really big on beef you’re trying to live in U you know a nice big mansion or a luxurious pen House Condo these are all things that

Are like above and beyond what the locals do so you’re going to pay a premium a lot of times and you’re probably spend about the same amount of money that you you spend in the west yeah that in that those cases it’s not cheap but if you can live like a local

You’re flexible you’re adaptable then you know living a cheap lifestyle is and living nomadic is good now now living a nomatic lifestyle has its upside it can be very boring living in the same city even in a place like Paya year round you know I

Think a lot of people they just get so comfortable there they don’t want to go anywhere else and I I I understand that because i’ I’ve been that kind of way too before but if you have a little more of an adventurous spirit and you don’t

Want to get bored you know you can go around other countries Thailand is one of the Great greatest places locations in the world for going visiting other cultures and countries you’re surrounded by you know half the world’s populations in Asia and you can fly there to any of those countries very easily from

Thailand you know for example if you’re trying to live a expat lifestyle in Argentina for example you’re pretty much just limited to like Chile Brazil Paraguay uguay even just going to Colombia can be expensive from Argentina so you’re kind of in a cold assac but

Thailand’s like a hub it’s a center of a lot you can even go to Europe you can go to Turkey you can go to India Middle East you can go to Russia you can go to China you can go to South Korea Japan Taiwan Indonesia Australia there’s so

Many places you can go to that are fairly close to Thailand so embrace the nomatic lifestyle because like I said this visa thing is probably not going to get better yes you can still spend time in Thailand but if you’re not willing to make the sacrifices to live their year

Round then embrace the nomadic lifestyle embrace the cheap lifestyle Embrace living cheap lifestyle you know whether you want to do a fan room that’s $600 $700 a month total expenses maybe ,000 if you 1,500 if you party a bit more or you could be in a condo spending a th000

And 2,000 a month but you’re living a nomadic lifestyle now there’s one more thing to bring up for end this video sometimes the condos or apartment buildings if you want to so a lot of the condo buildings they cost a lot more than the cheaper rooms and they require

You sometimes to have a year Visa or sign a one-year lease you don’t want to do that a one-year lease is bad you know just on the face of it in a country that has great flexibility with renting it’s not like America you have to have a one-year lease there’s cheap apartment

Buildings where you can get three months you only need to sign for three months so and they’re paying you more you have to pay more to stay in those places so there not all condos are like that if you want to stay in a condo look for a

Place that does month a month or maximum six months uh preferably 3 months so and L places are going to require you they may require you to show a Visa a long-term visa to stay there so you’re you’re better off you know if you can’t find a

Condo that is more flexible you may or may not be able to because a lot of condos are just rented by their owners there’s all kind you know so but you go in these apartments and Fan Room type buildings it’s not even all fan rooms A

Lot of them have air condition too some of them are you know quite nice range anywhere from 3,000 to 15,000 about a month they they’ll rent to you month to month and some are even like condos you know those probably going be a little more expensive but on the expensive side

But they have a kitchen everything but those are your best option you don’t want any place that requires you to have a you know one-year lease or a onee uh you say no I’m just here on a tourist visa and I just want to stay for two three months you

Know so that’s that’s the end of it uh yeah you know there’s many residential options in Thailand the condos are really uh not even a main big thing it’s like you know you got hotels that can be cheap you can just stay in hotels cheap hotels you can stay in cheap to moderate

Apartment buildings and then you have condos but like I said the condos can also like some of them you might find something that suits you uh the best thing with the condos is to rent in low season but anyways uh yeah I would say uh embrace the nomatic lifestyle even if

You’re not a digital Nomad you may still have to be a nomad

Thailand is cracking down on people trying to live in the country for months and years at a time. Cheap Charlie Chronicles discusses some strategies to deal with this and how to stay right with Thai immigration authorities.