We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Visas!

Staying long-term can be an exercise in frustration & futility--unless...

Unless? Unless what? Unless you know the Rules of the Game, and how to navigate them.

Prior to getting to Thailand recently, we anguished over “how to do it,” since there are several different types of visas, and they all have specific requirements and allow you to stay for certain periods of time. I’m going to address our recent visa history in Asia, since that is so fresh and because there are so many countries, all working under a different system. When it comes to EUROPE, and the Schengen rules, that is another conversation.

We don’t need no stinkin’ visas!

That line is a derivative of one of the many famous movie quotes we have heard over the decades, this one from The Treasure of Sierra Madre, starring Humphrey Bogart. The person being quoted is a bandit, a bandito, and he’s telling Humphrey that, “We are Federales (ie, the Good Guys)” but they sure don’t look it.  When Bogie asks them about their badges, the leader tells him that they don’t need those badges.

When we tried to get residency in Spain back in 2018, it didn’t work out and I was bummed. Kat and I spent many hours and quite a bit of money so we would have the ability to stay in Spain for a year, thereby getting around the “normal” Schengen 90 day limitation. (Contact me if you need specific help with Europe or the Schengen countries) As we were leaving the Spanish Embassy in Los Angeles I realized that we really did not need residency at that time, since we were not really looking for a long-term stay—anywhere! After I got over my disappointment, I said to her, “You know, we don’t need no stinkin’ visa!” and that took off all the pressure. Since then we learned about visas and immigration, and (most) everything that potentially limits international travel, or eases the process, and have had to deal with visas dozens of times.

Here’s a quick overview of how they work in southeast Asia, how to work with them, and how to work around them.

Thailand recently expanded their “No Visa Needed” policy which covers 93 countries, and that leniency allows you to stay for 60 days with NO visa required, which is double the 30 day limit they previously had. If you want to stay for an additional 30 days you can usually (not guaranteed) do that by visiting a local immigration office. Initially we tried to get what is called a “Tourist Visa” which is what we thought we needed, but to no avail. Generally this visa must be initiated from your home country OR by visiting a Thai Embassy. We spent a lot of hours trying to figure this one out, but when they expanded the No Visa limit, that made this unnecessary. On top of that you can do a “visa run” by leaving the country, entering another, getting stamped, and then returning to start anew. That’s the best you can hope for.

Thailand still provides a customary “Visa on Arrival” for those outside that 93 countries list, but all visas have fees, so it’s nice to not need one as an American passport holder. Meanwhile there are a dozen more visa options, including Retirement Visas, for those who truly want to stay “long term,” Business Visas, Marriage Visas, etc… They have as many options in Thailand as I have seen almost anywhere, and the media reports that tourism is DOWN, so most believe the country will continue to ease up on the process.

Vietnam used to be a bugger, which we found out first hand in 2020 when we were denied entry when trying to fly there from Thailand. The good news is that they have greatly simplified things and their “Standard Tourist Visa” is obtained online, usually takes less than 10 days, and is just $25 for a SINGLE entry (once in/ once out), or $50 for a multiple entry. They are very strict on overstaying your allotted 90 days, and fines can be considerable. We had friends who mistakenly believed their visa started the day they arrived, which was a few days after the official start date of the visa. When they tried to leave the country to enter Laos they were denied, turned back to immigration, and lost money and time trying to get it fixed. Vietnam also allows Visa Runs and there are companies that provide this easy service by busing you across a border and bringing you back later that day.

Indonesia/ Bali was a harsh learning experience since we got the recommended Visa on Arrival when we got to the airport. That visa is good for 30 days and if you want to extend for another 30 days (we did), you must do it in person at a local immigration office, which required three trips and a lot of inconvenience. The RIGHT way to enter Bali is getting an eVisa online before you enter. THAT visa is also good for 30 days, but can be extended ONLINE which is much easier. Again, learning lessons…If you intend on staying longer initially, you can get a longer term visa in advance, but they are more expensive.

Malaysia, ah!, land of the easy since NO visa is required for Americans and many other countries, and they allow a 90 day stay.

These four countries (and we never even covered Laos or Cambodia!) are noted for a reason since a constant rotation of all four would allow us to stay in southeast Asia full time and never have to become a resident of any of them. That was our initial plan in the Balkans, and it still might come into the picture, but rest assured fellow/ future nomads, the world is quite open for your visitations!

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