Highlandman

There was no Covid in 2019. The first news of this came out on January 1, 2020, referring to what was claimed to be a "novel coronavirus" first "detected" on December 31, 2019. The first country to do surveillance and impose restrictions (although very minor and involving no more than form filling) other than China was Thailand and this occurred on January 3, 2020 on flights arriving from Wuhan.

Travelers need to exercise personal responsibility, not be forced to buy things. While travel/medical insurance is a good idea, I don't think it should be forced. Myanmar aside, which still requires Covid/medical insurance at least to apply for a visa, all other regional countries have scrapped insurance requirements. Why would/should Thailand impose such a requirement when even Singapore doesn't? Tourists would stop coming to Thailand and visit Laos/Cambodia/Vietnam instead.

Whether we're talking land borders or airports, both are entrance points into the country where you have to pass immigration. There really is no difference and thus it IS very relevant to talk about. Poipet is in Cambodia so your experience there isn't relevant to Thailand unless you are referring to Aranyaprathet. Mae Sot I found less friendly about 10 years ago but they improved after around 2015 once that unfriendly immigration lady I often encountered was transferred to another location. Mae Sot is irrelevant nowadays to us farang as we can't cross there now. It's for Thais and Burmese only. Don Muang prior to 2006 - nope, didn't strike me as being friendly. Most of the time officers would be grumpy, stamp your passport and place it down on the table with no smile, no welcome or sawatdee krab/ka. I have encountered the occasional friendly officer at Suvarnabhumi though. In the immediate post Covid period, late August 2022, the lady immigration officer I had was a gem. Very polite and engaging.

I still see plenty of Thais do that but haven't observed a foreigner/expat do that.

Oh no, might be time to double mask at all times, permanently from now on!!

Of course the LTR is a non-immigrant visa! It's certainly not an immigrant visa and offers no pathway to citizenship or permanent residency.

Nonsense. E-gates don't do passport stamps and there's no need for one if you use one.

It doesn't make sense to your western mind but it might just happen. There are different requirements for this visa compared to the privilege visa.

LoL!! Cambodia and Laos will continue to enjoy unlimited entries by land or any transportation method they choose of course. There is no way a 2 entries per year restriction could be enforced for them. There would be riots. No way it's happening. Funny you even believe this would be possible when so many come and go nearly every day of the year. I'm laughing over my coffee now.

Permanent residency IS permanent. It's designed for residents of Thailand, not for people to obtain and then live abroad. Duh! Whereas an LTR visa is more like a glorified tourist visa or a mix of a restricted work/investor visa + privilege visa all rolled into one.

I read mid year for arrivals but by the time it actually happens it will probably be end of year or next year. I understand Singapore and Hong Kong passport holders have been able to use e-gates on arrival for years now.

I know you're being sarcastic but in actual fact, eventually all this passport and stamping stuff will become obsolete. Even Thai bureaucrats will be forced to change and of course they will do so quite quickly once they can start virtue signaling that they're the first in the world to implement some sort of new dystopian surveillance technology to "combat crime" or something.

It's completely random. Some officers ask you to remove your glasses, others don't. Or it depends on the border. Some border crossings don't care others do.

They're doing what they've been told to do. As with other global initiatives, countries are required to meet certain goals and deadlines. The eventual elimination of manual passport checks is the goal and in time there will be no more passport stamps or even passports at all. It will all be biometric and dystopian. Sure, it might take countries like Thailand another 10 or 15 years to get there but it will happen in the not so distant future. Singapore is in the early stages of allowing passport free travel now. Already happening at land border entrances for Singaporean passport holders. Must use a QR code and register in advance.

Not all arrivals. Apparently only if you've registered and from certain countries. Last year I was processed manually as I came with my family. I'll also get myself processed manually in the future even if I arrive on my own as I don't like this dystopian egate stuff. Australia is the country where on departure only the infirm and disabled get to be processed manually. All others, including families with small children and babies are processed using the e-gates. If you complain, they won't flinch. You'll still be forced to use the e-gates.