Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing Special Tourist Visas in Thailand. 

A recent article from the Bangkok Post, bangkokpost.com, the article is titled: Special Tourist Visa Programme Extended. Quoting directly: "The Cabinet resolved on Tuesday to extend the Special Tourist Visa (STV) program for one year until September 30 next year to woo well to do visitors. Deputy Government Spokesperson Traisuree Traisoranakul said the Cabinet approved the proposal from the Tourism and Sports Ministry to extend the Special Visa programme for visitors' long stays from its original end this Thursday." (This was written last week as of the time of this video.) "The extended programme was intended to attract foreigners with high purchasing power to visit the country with their families and stay for 90 to 270 days." That is really notable. 

First off, we have done other videos on this channel. The Special Tourist Visa has what I call a "hard out" on it. Now, you can come in, it is quite a nice visa. It is a bit longer than a standard Tourist Visa. You can get as long as 9 months if you use it correctly but at the end of that 9 months you have got to go and as we have discussed in other videos, it is not convertible. It is not even discretionarily convertible according to Thai Immigration. It is 270 days at max and then you are gone, you have got to go. You can do a Border Run, perhaps come back and get another visa but you can't simply convert status in Thailand. Now it has proven somewhat popular. We have assisted folks getting Special Tourist Visas the last year so and we have had some folks that really enjoy it; it served their purpose. 

For other folks especially those who think they may be staying in Thailand or may want to live in Thailand a Non-Immigrant Visa may be a better way to go. And then under certain circumstances, a Tourist Visa may be the way to go. At the very least it has the possibility, albeit in a discretionary capacity or only under a favourable exercise of discretion, it at least has the possibility of being able to possibly convert status if your circumstances change. Again with the Special Tourist Visa, notwithstanding the extension of the program, it is our understanding that the rules remain and those with an STV are not going to be able to convert and extend status within Thailand.