THE BEST LONG TERM VISA FOR THAILAND YOU HAVEN'T HEARD OF

When we were first considering staying in Thailand long term, we researched for weeks trying to look at the long term visa options available to us.
Without a Thai spouse or bucket of money to spend on an Elite Visa, and unable to meet the requirements of a Business Visa, we thought staying in Thailand was impossible... Until we found this little known group of visas...The Smart Visa.
#smartvisa #thailandvisa #liveinthailand
Settle in Abroad website: settleinabroad...
Settle in Abroad youtube: / @settleinabroad
Contact us: [e-mail]
If you enjoyed this video and would like to support us please like, comment and subscribe!
Any engagement from viewers means a lot when starting a new channel.
Follow Laurel's Instagram: / laurelcharity
Follow Brenden's Instagram: / brendenmclean
Thanks for watching, and we will see you in the next video!
-Bren & Laurel

[@SettleinAbroad]

We just wanted to drop you a quick note to say a big thank you for letting us be a part of your relocation journey. It was such a pleasure working with you both, and we're so happy to hear that you're settling in nicely. It's wonderful to know that we were able to help make the move smoother for you, and we really appreciate your trust in our team. We're definitely looking forward to working with you again when the time for your two year visa extension comes. We're always here to help with any questions or support you may need along the way. Thanks again for choosing our services, and we hope to stay in touch!

[@SherifRFL]

This was one of the best Smart Visa videos I’ve seen on KZbin. Thank you for the information. I think so many more people would benefit from this, but I was only able to find this video because I watch a lot of Thailand content. It never came up in my search for Smart Visa videos because of either your title or use of hashtags and keywords. Again, I love the content and would like to see you reach more people.

[@ThePilgrimsProcess]

Thank you so much Sherif! We appreciate the information. We will try updating the hashtags and keywords and see if that changes anything for the search results. So glad we could help 🙏

[@tmb3131]

Nice video... I've been traveling through SE Asia for several years now and have approached the longer term Thai Visas several times. It's overwhelmingly complicated. It simply feels like Thailand doesn't want anyone staying over 90 days, unless of course you're going the Elite route. The Smart S Visa seems doable but also a loophole of sorts that like anything in Thailand can change overnight.

[@joelwatchesyoutube]

Interesting video, quite the range of categories in this visa. I liked the intro how the cats just kept appearing 😹

[@ThePilgrimsProcess]

😆 they seem to keep multiplying around us.

[@nmd1512]

Great information! Thank for sharing keep up the great work and don’t give up it will be ok our life always up and down as you experienced fight for what keep you happy

[@dougthebugwrx]

excellent and informative and to the point. Thanks so much, guys. Subbed to the channel.

[@dakalasujan509]

Awesome ! Thanks so much for sharing.

[@ThePilgrimsProcess]

Thanks so much for watching Dakala 😊🙏

[@roengarom]

Thanks for the information. I hope many viewers will benefit and make some groups such as in Pattaya or in the South (who could not go home because of their own) decreased in number.

[@ThePilgrimsProcess]

We hope so too Anurak! We made this video because people seem to have never heard of this visa. I hope it will benefit both foreigners and Thailand. Thanks for watching 🙏

[@amnatboonprasert8442]

Thank you for yours information.

[@ThePilgrimsProcess]

Thank you for watching Amnat! We appreciate your support. 🙏

[@sittichaitipsom8955]

Thanks for your time and amazing Thailand beautiful so much and video thanks 🙏🎊🎉♥️🥰✨

[@suayhughes8103]

Great video always. I love Thailand 😊😊

[@ThePilgrimsProcess]

Thank you Suay! We do too 😊❤️

[@bydeena]

นโยบายรัฐบาลไทยอยากให้ความสะดวกกับคนเก่งทั่วโลกมาทำงานที่ประเทศไทยครับ

[@tontosilver6578]

Great video 👍🏻 Thanks for sharing ✅

[@ThePilgrimsProcess]

Thank you Tonto! Glad you enjoyed 🙏

[@videogenie1236]

A very interesting visa, although I am eligible for a marriage visa, which I have never applied for. The smart S visa may solve some of my concerns. Do you still need a TM30 every time you re-enter the country?

[@HeyWattsUpCycling]

do you have to hire anyone? do you actually have to do anything with the "business" or can you just spend the $ to say ur doing it for the visa?

[@chayapatchaya8782]

Hi!Bren& Laurel.I knew this time was smog season in northern Thailand.Did u get the trouble about it?After harvest the farmer would burned straw in theirs field but it's definitely illegal.Hope u guys take care yourself.Have a nice day.

[@ThePilgrimsProcess]

Hi Chayapat! Yes right now is very smoky and there is still alot of burning despite it being illegal. We will update everyone in the next video. Thank you for your care. We hope you have a great day as well! ❤️

[@karenk3593]

@@ThePilgrimsProcess Just a thought for people who don't like the burning - I'm now an old lady, and I have personally experienced how the rice growers were pressured to stop burning in the Sacramento area in CA (yes, there is actually a lot of rice grown in CA), and what happens when they aren't allowed to burn anymore. It's easy to be irritated about the smoke, but not think through what happens if they aren't allowed to burn. Fire is an organic control method. It kills pests and diseases and creates fertilizer (potash, carbon). It doesn't kill fish or birds, doesn't contaminate the water supply. Allows small farmers to earn a living. Allows them to produce a cheap, organic staple. Now, what happens if they can't burn? They still have to kill diseases, and pests, and they need to fertilize. So....then they have to use chemicals. And, those chemicals are usually put into the air multiple times a year, instead of just once a year burning. The chemicals get into the product (no longer organic), get into the water (contaminates water supply), kills fish that locals would have eaten, contaminates the fish that don't die - locals are now eating contaminated fish. Then, if the farmers can't afford the chemicals, they can lose their farms. Then, you have a large conglomerate who buys up all the little farms (sound like America to you?). And then...they aerial spray multiple times a year, so you end up with polluted air, anyway. Maybe it's colorless or odorless, but it's there and probably worse for you. And, either way, they're going to have to plow up the fields and put dirt in the air, too, anyway. Burning is cheap and produces an organic product that doesn't hurt the environment, allows the small economy to thrive, and locals to get a healthy, cheap staple. Any man-managed crop will affect the environment in one way or another. Unless you're just harvesting wild food and never plowing the ground or trying to manage pests or diseases, there will be an impact. Fire is a way better way to manage all of the above than the alternatives. Sometimes we need to sit back and realize that maybe people actually know what they're doing -- like the Thai farmers. May I suggest that instead of cursing the farmers when you deal with the smoke, to smell it and say, "many blessings for those small farmers producing our affordable, organic product, and may their families thrive." Trust me, the alternative really sucks. I wish you guys the very best in your adventure. Thanks for making your videos 🙂🙏

[@ThePilgrimsProcess]

@@karenk3593 Hi Karen! Thank you for watching and the encouraging words. 🙂 I'm not sure where you have gotten the impression that we are cursing the farmers. We are not trying to point any fingers, and we understand that the problem is systemic and don't fault any Thai farmers just trying to make a living. However we believe with education and awareness we can help to shift the way farmers think about about their land and their needs to produce crops in these ways. First let me explain the situation (as best as I know it) about Thailand, and more specifically the north, because it seems like the comparison between California and Thailand is not equal. Where we live right now has a current AQI of 260. It has been like this for weeks and will continue for another 4-6 weeks depending on when the rain comes. It will range between 200-500 on the AQI depending on the day. This is downright dangerous. Not just for humans but the wildlife in the area as well. The elderly, children, and people with respiratory issues are especially susceptible to be hospitalized or develop some sort of life threatening symptoms, and this happens every year for 2 or more months. So you can see, it is not so easy to "smell it and say many blessings for the farmers" Now this is caused by much more than just burning rice straw in the fields for fertilizer. They will also burn corn (which has a much larger biomass), leaves, garbage, grass... well pretty much everything. This also does not stop at the fields. The biggest cause of the pollution, as far as I can tell, is actually burning the forests. Every night the mountains around us are deliberately set on fire. This is not only happening on private and public land, but also in protected national parks. This is very illegal in Thailand but not well enforced, as the rural areas don't have a large police presence. It is incredibly destructive to the environment, wildlife, biodiversity and soil quality. Not to mention the people that live in these mountains that have to make fire breaks every year in hopes that their homes are not caught in the crossfire. Why they are doing this seems to be a mystery to most Thai people, as every time we ask we get a different answer. Some say to clear the land to make it easier to hunt and forage, some say to harvest mushrooms come rainy season, some people just admit they have no idea. Regardless there is not one good reason to be causing so much destruction on a yearly basis, and the consensus for most people in Thailand is they are not a fan of this practice. Fire certainly is part of nature and has its place in the cycle of an ecosystem, but this has to be managed responsibly and does not work well on a large scale year after year. In regards to fire being an organic method of pest and disease control, yes its true fire can be used like this (although there are much better ways to use this material) but this is not what is happening in Thailand. 0.3% of Thailand's farms are organic. Farmers are using these burning methods as a quick and cheap way to clear the fields because of the economic pressure to plant and harvest as much as possible. They will proceed immediately after burning, to synthetically fertilize the fields, spray copious amounts pesticide, herbicide and insecticide until the crops are grown, then burn and repeat. Unfortunately this pressure is caused by the "large conglomerates" that you spoke of already having a firm grip on the agriculture sector here. Farmers often go in debt to buy the hybrid seeds, fertilizers and chemicals and get into contract farming. That means monoculture, soil quality and sell prices are only getting worse country wide... and so is the air quality. Your right though, we absolutely should be thanking and blessing the farmers that produce the food we eat, and I believe we can do that while also simultaneously calling for better practices and changes to the agricultural system as a whole. Our food systems are becoming increasingly complex, so your right that we cannot just stop centuries old practices overnight and expect our farmers to adjust. But we can raise awareness about the crisis of food security around the world, we can educate farmers on how organically produced food could increase profitability through diversity, we can have conversations like this and learn from each other and different perspectives, and very easily we can choose where to spend our money on the kind of food we want to eat. If you haven't yet watched our interview with Jon Jondai, I would highly recommend it for learning more about the current situation in Thailand from a local who has spent a large part of his life as an activist in these areas. Thank you so much for your thoughtful and engaging comment. We really appreciate getting to discuss these kinds of ideas from different perspectives and learning from each other. It is a large part of why we started our channel. Hope your having a great day 🙂

[@karenk3593]

@@ThePilgrimsProcess You sound so like I sounded when I was young. As to burning the brush in the forest, that also manages the forest, so that they don't end up desiccated by beetles and then all of them destroyed by wildfire. Have you seen Oregon or California recently? The forests are nearly completely gone. Black, dead trees as far as the eye can see. When we were young, we protested burning in the forests or cutting any trees. We thought they should be left in their virgin state. That hasn't turned out so well. I just think it's arrogant to go to another country and assume the people who live there don't know what they're doing. That's such colonial thinking. I'd love to hear your thoughts on these issues when you are 67, and see if you still think you always knew best. Time will tell. I know you mean well. But, I'd like to challenge you to take a few minutes and just ponder if you might be wrong. I just see myself in you when I was young. And I learned I, and others in the environmental movement way back when, were wrong. And, I can see the results ---completely destroyed forests and worse agricultural practices. Our great ideas to protect the environment ended up actually destroying it. I do honestly wish you well. Best of luck to you.

[@benbohoho]

Great video thanks! How much does it cost for the visa + agent? Are you required to move that money into a Thai bank account during the startup period? That would trigger a lot of annual paperwork/reporting for US citizens. Does this visa now require you to pay tax to Thailand on your worldwide income?

[@ThePilgrimsProcess]

Hey Benbo! Thank you. As for the visa, the fee is 10,000 baht per year, so the 2 year extension will be 20,000 baht. You are not required to hold the amount required in a Thai account, it can be in USD in your personal account. But obviously anything that costs baht will need to be converted or transfered to Thai currency. For the visa agency costs and details about tax, I would encourage you to reach out to Settle In Abroad and book a free consultation. Link in the description. They are experts on this and can answer all the questions and concerns you have and lay out all the costs involved in great detail. But from what I understand, you will not be revealing your worldwide income in any way, so there will be no need to pay tax on it.

[@gregfraser8784]

Can you get this smart S visa after arriving in Thailand? And is there a visa agent that helps you get approved? ?

[@lextor4712]

Wow, thank you so much for this information. To qualify for the Smart S visa do you actually need to have a university degree? Or is being an entrepreneur enough?

[@ThePilgrimsProcess]

Hey Lex! No university degree required. Glad we could help. 😊

[@stack7379]

Three questions , number 1) did you need a Thai business partner or where you able to maintain 100 % ownership between the 2 of you . 2) if you have you and a business partner ( one software developer and one UX designer for example) that want to work on an app together , could they get the smart s visa together , like would the 600k in the bank cover you both or would you need 600k in the bank each , I am assume the visa cost of 10k baht is for still for each person but as far as capital requirement i am confused a bit . 3) if you bring a spouse , does it have to be my marriage or can a domestic partner you have children with work ?

[@ThePilgrimsProcess]

Hey Stack! 1) Yes, at the end of the initial 6-month visa, you will require a Thai partner to open your company and receive the 2 year extension. There is a possibility that if you're American, you can own 100% of the business through some agreement between USA and Thailand. But alas, we are Canadian. 2) Yes, I believe you can file under the same application for the Smart Visa. However, as far as I know, whatever bank account this money is in should have both of your names on the account. But yes, the visa fee is per individual, so 10,000 baht each per year. 3) Yes, I am pretty sure your domestic partner and children would count as your spouse and dependants. We are not visa experts by any means, so I would highly encourage you to reach out to Settle In Abroad for the free consultation. They can address all of your questions in detail and most likely provide you with some additional solutions to any issues there might be. Thanks for watching! Hope I could help. 😊

[@umeshy]

This is very good informative video, myself a software engineer, I'm working in Technology industry for 20+ years, 8+ years I worked in USA on H1B visa, I love to move to Thailand, any one looking for co-founder or software engineer to hire I'm available.

[@ThePilgrimsProcess]

Thank you Umesh! We are so glad you found it helpful. It sounds like you have the perfect background for this visa, and you could start pursuing this option on your own and find potential business partners in Thailand as you go. If you have any questions or ways we can help, let us know. And if we find anyone looking for a partner, we will mention you for sure 😊

[@umeshy]

@@ThePilgrimsProcess Thanks!

[@remanentcrab3676]

Great Vid! Gained a sub :) btw is there a limit to how many years you can renew Smart ''S'' Visa for? Thx again look forward to more great content

[@ThePilgrimsProcess]

Thank you so much! Officially Immigration says 4 and half years (1 6 month visa, 2 year extensions) but we have yet to fully confirm that and I beleive immigration hasn't had to deal with many of these cases yet as the Visa is relatively new. We are hoping it is extendable for much longer as switching back to a regular business visa would be quite the downgrade after having the Smart Visa, so it doesn't really make a ton of sense. I would anticipate some rule changes and upgrades as time passes. Hope that helps! 🙏

[@remanentcrab3676]

@@ThePilgrimsProcess thx!!!

[@kenoyer5765]

Thanks for the breakdown. What insurance did you get and was it paid upfront or the 6months? I plan to continue using one that’s monthly but not sure if I’d need to pay upfront to meet the visa requirement… thanks in anticipation of your response

[@kai6424]

What freelance website did you use to develop app?

[@ThePilgrimsProcess]

I would look at fiverr or Upwork to find someone who is a fit for your goals and budget.

[@jimmccann3856]

What does YOUR app do? Also, isn"t the "Fight" visa easier? (I had assumed that mastering Muay Thai could take a long time, maybe a lifetime...)

[@ThePilgrimsProcess]

Hey Jim! I think that depends on your goals in Thailand. The "Muay Thai" visa is actually just a version of the education visa. Some of the disadvantages would be: - You have to find an accredited gym to get approved, pay the cost for the gym, and potentially a visa agency to help with the paperwork - Education visas have been under alot of scrutiny by Thai immigration due to the large amount of people abusing the system, so they are much harder to get approved for now. - You will have to spend alot of your time near or at the gym you are training at, allowing for less flexibility. - You will have to check in every 3 months - You will not legally be allowed to work or own a business in Thailand. I'm sure there are few more but ultimately, it depends on your reason and goals for being in Thailand. If you have a passion for Muay Thai and genuinely want to spend a year or more learning, it could be the right fit for you! As far as our app, it will be an informational app and resource calculator for building Ban din houses (earth homes) 😊 Thanks for watching 🙏

[@jimmccann3856]

@@ThePilgrimsProcess Well done, and good luck in your venture... "Whatever you can do or dream you can do, just begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin now." -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

[@ERICSPLACE100]

Hi, I have 6 year's Crypto investment experience and a founder of an online AI business Business, could I be eligible? Thanks, Eric...UK.

[@ThePilgrimsProcess]

Hey Eric! As far as I know, it needs to be a business based in Thailand and must be beneficial directly to Thailand. That being said, maybe you could open an extension of your already existing company in Thailand and be able to qualify. I would recommend reaching out to Settle In Abroad for a free consultation (information in the description). I am sure they could help you find a solution that would work. Thanks for watching 🙏

[@ERICSPLACE100]

@@ThePilgrimsProcess Thank you guys

[@belimitlessss]

You guys are vegan, right?

[@p_daddy7409]

how s ur farm!? ... wish it get a good poduce..very appreciate u both!!

[@ThePilgrimsProcess]

We appreciate you too! Our farm is going well. We will update everyone next video on what has been going on and our future plans 😊🙏

[@user-nu7ec5es9o]

Please help me get a visa of thai which at least more than 6 months, now i am a chinese passport holder who come in thailand now with free visa policy

[@Pokerrr]

What about for tourits? I just wanna dtay 3 months without leaving country🫠

[@ThePilgrimsProcess]

You can apply for a 2 month tourist visa from your home country and then in Thailand you can extend for another 30 days :)