Living part of the Year in Thailand.

[philipmclaren1]

Hi, hoping to meet someone who has possibly done this.

I would like to Sail West to East from UK to Gulf of Thailand.

Once in Thailand i would like to leave my catamaran there and go back to the Uk for Summer 6 months then return 6 months later for Winter, then do this continuously for the next few years.

Has anyone imported their Yacht and paid the 7% tax and keeps their Yacht there and doing a similar thing? Also can anyone recommend a Marina etc in the Gulf that i could have the Catamaran hauled out for 6 months a year?

I would also be interested on Visa information can you come in on a 6 month Tourist Visa and stay on your Boat or come in on a Tourist Visa and do visa run.

[philipmclaren1]

[QUOTE=philipmclaren1;2338016]Hi, hoping to meet someone who has possibly done this.



I would like to Sail West to East from UK to Gulf of Thailand.



Once in Thailand i would like to leave my catamaran there and go back to the Uk for Summer 6 months then return 6 months later for Winter, then do this continuously for the next few years.



It seems to register crew as passengers gives them more freedom to leave the Country and come back in again with a fresh stamp and another 30days Tourist Visa.

The Skipper on the other hand must pay a £500 bond to leave the Country. The vessel is given a 6 month stay.

So my question is once the bond is paid can the Skipper come and go from Thailand for the next 6 months. Then get bond back at the end of vessel stay. Or does he have to renew the bond each time he wants to leave?

[daletournier]

You could register the boat in Langkawi 120nm south of Phuket and leave it there, no import duty etc.

Sent from my vivo Y35 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[philipmclaren1]

Originally Posted by daletournier

You could register the boat in Langkawi 120nm south of Phuket and leave it there, no import duty etc.

Sent from my vivo Y35 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

I shall look into that. [emoji16]

[GB32]

On arrival in Thailand (Phuket), boat gets a 6 month Visa - renewable once so every year boat has to leave. Most people take the trip South to Langkawi and back to Phuket. Easy and hardly a chore with great places to visit en-route. Langkawi is also a duty free port so fuel and other items are good price.

On arrival back into Phuket - if the Captain wants to leave Thailand while the boat stays, a bond may be payable - which is refundable when you return to Thailand. You first have to check in the boat and yourself at Chalong Harbour/Immigration/Customs in the normal way then go to Customs in Phuket Town to get your own departure authorised
Alternatively you can also pay a fee of approx 50USD to waive the bond.

Important to sign in any other travellers as Passengers and not crew, the Captain will be the only crew or their travel out of Thailand becomes more of a problem.
The origins of these regulation lies with shipping and commercial crew leaving a vessel. Thai authorities are helpful to the likes of us - just ask confirmation and all is well.

Very common, very easy, and not expensive.
You can ask an agent to do this for you but a yearly trip to Langkawi is part of the pleasure.

I'm doing my 3rd Langkawi Trip as we speak.

[GB32]

Addendum. You can get a 3 month Visa for your first trip to Thailand from any embassy or consul, (Hull is very helpful). This would give you your initial visit.
When you do your Boat Visa Trip out of Thailand on your return and get a 30 day tourist visa which you can extend for another 30 days by visiting the Phuket Town Immigration Office. Of course you may decide to do 30 days in Langkawi area - so your 6 months is covered.

[Mithril Bham]

I don't pretend to know Thailand but have experience with other foreign ports. Finding a local partner can be very beneficial. Perhaps register boat in Thailand with local partner. Just a thought. Can eliminate much red tape. Of course, you must find the right partner. Maybe someone to live and care for the boat while you are gone. Perhaps a few charters for tax purposes. Wrong partner will be a nightmare.

[Dougtiff]

I would keep the boat in Langkawi not the gulf, the west coast is much better cruising ground.

[Aguabago]

I'm in Langkawi just checking out heading for Thailand. Picked up the Thai 60 day visa in Penang last week. While the Thai web sites mention a 6 month Visa, I've been in the Thai embassy in Los Angeles and Penang and both would only do the 60 day single entry tourist Visa. From what I hear getting a 30 day extension after you are in Thailand is straightforward.

A few weeks back I helped a friend move his boat from Langkawi to Krabi where we cleared in. While only 40 miles from Phuket, they don't have the online clearance and other processes in Ao Chelong Phuket. My friend is looking at major work that may take awhile. While at Customs (i was with him listening) in Krabi he politely and persistently asked if there was any issue or costs associated with him leaving the boat in krabi and leaving thailand. The official said no cosys or issues, but was very focused on informing him about a 1000 bhat per day fine if the boatdid not check out in 6 months. He asked if he could get the 6 months extended, and the response was only if the boat was undergoing repairs and could not be moved, in which case he would need a letter from the yard and pictures to support that claim.

Another interesting bit is that for the captain they might only stamp your boat papers and not stamp your passport. I have seen this in both Ko Lipi and Krabi, albeit this did not happen last year when I was in phuket. Which means that when you leave thailand that it will be known that you are captain of a vessel.

[Razoo]

Originally Posted by Dougtiff

I would keep the boat in Langkawi not the gulf, the west coast is much better cruising ground.

Any idea how much a slip goes for in Langkawi? Is there shore power and water?

[topmast]

Penang is another lay spot. Some marinas on the south east side near the bridge.

[GARRYOWEN]

What about using Thailand retirement visa---have a certain amount of money in a Thai bank, have a long term lease (apartment/house/room/shack) and check in every 90 days. The checking in part sounds like a drag, even if one wanted to live there indefinately.

[GARRYOWEN]

Have to be 50 years old or older....(It won't let me edit my post anymore)

[GB32]

Hi GarryOwen
I think you got the Retirement Visa question sorted. A deposit into a bank is certainly needed.
The boat has different 'visa' needs.
If registered in Thailand the boat can stay indefinitely. Great place to do work and to tour Phang Nga Bay in any season and to access many other great places.
For this you need to pay 7%? Tax on the boat value for the Thai Registration.

If registered anywhere else the boat gets customs waiver to stay in Thailand for 6 months - break this waiver and you risk majorly expensive problems.
Notwithstanding Aguabago's experience in Krabi, at Ao Chalong in Phuket the 6 months can be extended by application by the owner - or possibly an agent (but best by owner), for another 6 months.
If after this time the boat is not capable of being taken out of the country an application can be made to stay longer with letters from a Thai Company doing the work that prevents it leaving. This is at the discretion of the Senior Customs Officer. The boat essentially can stay up to 1 year total unless it cannot be moved when it can stay longer by arrangement.

If the Captain/Owner/Crew wants to fly out or - because of the Immigration Visa of usually 30 days on arrival - they need to leave Thailand, they pay a bond, (refundable when they return), to allow them to leave the country by air. It may be possible to pay a fee to waive this bond. Best that anyone not Captain is signed on as Passenger.

As a foreign registration means the boat is essentially a vagrant - constantly having to move location, many people take a Langkawi Registration. This allows you to stay in Langkawi indefinitely and has zero tax on the boat price. It makes it easier to visit Thailand cruising grounds for 6 months at a time, (and extend up to a year).
Your stay in Langkawi comes with cheaper mooring fees and a no tax environment for fuel/provisions etc etc. The one stop check-in at Telaga Harbour on Langkawi has all the offices in one place - though check the opening times. It's very common for boats to transit between Chalong and Telaga (120Nm), to fulfil the Customs requirements in Thailand.

Ao Chalong has a one stop Harbourmaster/Immigration/Customs office that is very helpful with clear and straightforward advice. Krabi is in a different district and may interpret differently to the above. As with all things, it's best to get advice at every step as official interpretation can change.

[uspatriot]

Ive live in thailand for the past 7 years. Things i would worry about is to many back to back tourist visas, when you fly back have the equivalent of 20,000 thai baht in cash. Immigration wants to see cash for this and not a bank statement.

The rules here change all of the time, im on a family visa i have two kids here and i still have to check in every 90 days, if i go visit family for more than 24 hours they are supposed to let immigration know im at their house.

When i return after 24 hours im supposed to go down to immigration for half the day and let them know.

If you stay in a hotel they xopy your passport and report to immigration you are at this location.

There are ways around it, i love it here, but there is alao a reason alot if people i know have moved to cambodia.

Easy 1 year visas, you can work, cost , ect.

Have a great day.

If you need hekp let me know i have a thai boat captain friend who is very trustworthy.