Penang Consulate To Limit Issuance Of Tourist Visas To Three

[h5n1]

Pattaya Today reports in latest ed that new reqs in Penang are to provide 3 TRs TOTAL. The article does not state for what duration.

You may be able to scrounge another in the neighborhood but the party is over.

Hopefully the govt has the sanity to go back to issuing multiples in ones home country.

Well, looks like the party is over. Personally there is no way I will ever put 800k in a Thai Bank. I'm quite happy doing a few months here and moving in, its a big world.

At least they were smart enough to wait until Sept to put this thru. Many businesses in PTY will never survive past May 08. I'm already seeing bars and shops closing and speaking with locals and even Neils C has mentioned what a hard go it has been this year. Pattaya business needs the TR runners in a dire way to stay afloat at least half the year. Good luck, my money is going where its wanted.

Edited October 2, 2007 by PeaceBlondie
To clarify subject under discussion.

[cali4995]

Source: Pattaya Today October 1-15th Issue

Online at http://www.pattayatoday.net

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Visa changes at Thai Penang consulate

News for visa runners & married men

The Royal Thai consulate general in Penang, Malaysia, has indicated that officers there will now limit applications

from foreigners applying to visit Thailand as tourists to just three 60 day visas. A travel agent in Penang, who handles

applications on a daily basis, said The consulate is now counting the number of times they have issued a single entry

60 day visa to an individual. The new limit is three and there will likely be a note in the applicants passport from now

on. This is not the first time there has been such a crackdown on repeat applications for tourist visas. The logic seems

to be that visit visas are not designed for foreigners seeking residency. It is argued that bona fide retirees with money

in the bank or pension income, foreigners working legally in the kingdom and those with Thai wives and dependants

can apply for one year visas at Thai immigration offices provided they have the requisite documentation and cash back

-up. The current squeeze seems to be aimed at long stay foreigners in Thailand who don't otherwise qualify for long

stay visas, typically men on limited incomes who rely on renewing their visa time and again at Cambodian border posts

or Thai consulates in nearby countries. Penang has recently grown in popularity as a visa haven and the town has a

growing number of bars catering for visa runners. This trend is now under threat after the recent ruling. Other Thai

consulates and embassies in the region are unlikely to offer more generous visa extensions than Penang. Those in

Cambodia, the Philippines, Laos and Singapore to name but four are known to be just as restrictive if not more so.

An official source said, There seems to be a progressive squeeze against foreign men with very limited resources

trying to live in Thailand. If they don't qualify for one year visas in Thailand, their options of going repeatedly to a

Cambodian border post (30 days on arrival) or getting numerous prior visas in Penang (60 days) are disappearing.

He added that he advised people in this situation to return to their home countries, usually in Europe, to obtain

multiple entry non immigrant visas which are valid for a year at a time. But we all know, he explained, that many can't

afford the trip or are reluctant to fly home in case they come to official attention at the airport.

Another consequence of visa squeezes is that some foreigners go into overstay in Thailand as they can't find a way

to renew cheaply. The number of arrests for visa overstayers in Pattaya is rising, but there are no published figures.

But there is better news from Penang for foreign men married to a Thai woman. They can now obtain a multiple entry

non immigrant "O" visa, valid for a year, provided they take 1. Their original passport (copy of ID page) and two passport

photos; 2. Signed copy of wife's Thai ID card; 3. Signed copy of marriage certificate signed by both parties

(original needs to be shown too); 4. Copy of personal Thai bank book showing at least 400,000 baht

(original also needs to be produced); 5. Confirmatory letter from bank, not more than one week old.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Contributor's note: The Pattayatoday is a bit of a tabloid. The generalizations, the

haughty, offensive tone throughout. Quoting official sources who are never named.

Let's face it, Bangkok Post it's not. October 1st is the 1 year anniversary of the

changes so I guess the next few weeks will tell if this is just more bad news.

Edited October 1, 2007 by cali4995

[ballzafire]

Looks like my hunch was spot on.

Guess it was only a matter of time...

[Manchester]

Looks like my hunch was spot on.

Guess it was only a matter of time...

Quote from Maestro ( supermod )

There are many topics on the fact that some Thai consulates in the region are limiting the number of tourist visas issued to the same person. Nothing new here. Quote.

Of more interest to me in the same paper is the issue of property in the names of companies and the potential pitfalls awaiting buyers who purchase homes from " companies "

Edited October 1, 2007 by Manchester

[ballzafire]

Looks like my hunch was spot on.

Guess it was only a matter of time...

Quote from Maestro ( supermod )

There are many topics on the fact that some Thai consulates in the region are limiting the number of tourist visas issued to the same person. Nothing new here.

Yes, I know.

It's the overall trend, mate.

I decided that if Penang blows, it's 'final call'.

I won't wait 'til Laos joins the chorus...

[The Professor]

Would something like this not affect hoards of people? I think this thread may see hundreds of visitors

[taxexile]

There seems to be a progressive squeeze against foreign men with very limited resources

trying to live in Thailand. If they don't qualify for one year visas in Thailand, their options of going repeatedly to a

Cambodian border post (30 days on arrival) or getting numerous prior visas in Penang (60 days) are disappearing.

....... and this , i believe , can only be a good thing for thailand.

[The Professor]

Sure, it's a tremendously phenomenal thing for anyone who has a long term visa. Good for Thailand? This I don't think so.

[ballzafire]

....... and this , i believe , can only be a good thing for thailand.

Ah, here they come,

The 'holier-than-thou', 'I got mine so what's wrong with you' crowd...

We non-working, non-qualifying for O or R visas kind of people just don't belong here spending our savings or investment income, all the while abiding by the rules.

It just ain't right...

[The Professor]

....... and this , i believe , can only be a good thing for thailand.

Ah, here they come,

The 'holier-than-thou', 'I got mine so what's wrong with you' crowd...

We non-working, non-qualifying for O or R visas kind of people just don't belong here spending our savings or investment income, all the while abiding by the rules.

It just ain't right...

I was thinking the exact same thing when I read that post. Didn't take him long to come out of the woodwork with his useless comment

[tropo]

....... and this , i believe , can only be a good thing for thailand.

Why? Care to elaborate.

[sohn]

This is not good news.

I would just love to tell Toxic to go on a visa run from london right now.

Amazing Thailand.

[JimsKnight]

Sorry boys but writings now on the wall, either you like it or you lump it.

I, for one, won't be lumping it just yet

[pointofview]

There seems to be a progressive squeeze against foreign men with very limited resources

trying to live in Thailand. If they don't qualify for one year visas in Thailand, their options of going repeatedly to a

Cambodian border post (30 days on arrival) or getting numerous prior visas in Penang (60 days) are disappearing.

....... and this , i believe , can only be a good thing for thailand.

I dont have any problem with obtaining a visa - but your attitude to those less fortunate is disgusting to say the very least. Where do you get such a mean spirit from

[sriracha john]

No indication on the time frame for the issuance of the 3 tourist visas. Is this over a year's time? A three year time frame?

Or for the entire lifetime of the passport holder?

*Edit* With apologies to OP, is it possible for a Mod to have the thread title rewritten in order to put forth the issue more clearly,

PLEASE?

It seems obvious to me that if the information being put forth was more clearly delineated in the thread title, there would be a far greater response to this thread.

Thank you.

Edited October 1, 2007 by sriracha john

[mopenyang]

Source: Pattaya Today October 1-15th Issue

Online at http://www.pattayatoday.net

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Visa changes at Thai Penang consulate

News for visa runners & married men

The Royal Thai consulate general in Penang, Malaysia, has indicated that officers there will now limit applications

from foreigners applying to visit Thailand as tourists to just three 60 day visas. A travel agent in Penang, who handles

applications on a daily basis, said The consulate is now counting the number of times they have issued a single entry

60 day visa to an individual. The new limit is three and there will likely be a note in the applicants passport from now

on. This is not the first time there has been such a crackdown on repeat applications for tourist visas. The logic seems

to be that visit visas are not designed for foreigners seeking residency. It is argued that bona fide retirees with money

in the bank or pension income, foreigners working legally in the kingdom and those with Thai wives and dependants

can apply for one year visas at Thai immigration offices provided they have the requisite documentation and cash back

-up. The current squeeze seems to be aimed at long stay foreigners in Thailand who don't otherwise qualify for long

stay visas, typically men on limited incomes who rely on renewing their visa time and again at Cambodian border posts

or Thai consulates in nearby countries. Penang has recently grown in popularity as a visa haven and the town has a

growing number of bars catering for visa runners. This trend is now under threat after the recent ruling. Other Thai

consulates and embassies in the region are unlikely to offer more generous visa extensions than Penang. Those in

Cambodia, the Philippines, Laos and Singapore to name but four are known to be just as restrictive if not more so.

An official source said, There seems to be a progressive squeeze against foreign men with very limited resources

trying to live in Thailand. If they don't qualify for one year visas in Thailand, their options of going repeatedly to a

Cambodian border post (30 days on arrival) or getting numerous prior visas in Penang (60 days) are disappearing.

He added that he advised people in this situation to return to their home countries, usually in Europe, to obtain

multiple entry non immigrant visas which are valid for a year at a time. But we all know, he explained, that many can't

afford the trip or are reluctant to fly home in case they come to official attention at the airport.

Another consequence of visa squeezes is that some foreigners go into overstay in Thailand as they can't find a way

to renew cheaply. The number of arrests for visa overstayers in Pattaya is rising, but there are no published figures.

But there is better news from Penang for foreign men married to a Thai woman. They can now obtain a multiple entry

non immigrant "O" visa, valid for a year, provided they take 1. Their original passport (copy of ID page) and two passport

photos; 2. Signed copy of wife's Thai ID card; 3. Signed copy of marriage certificate signed by both parties

(original needs to be shown too); 4. Copy of personal Thai bank book showing at least 400,000 baht

(original also needs to be produced); 5. Confirmatory letter from bank, not more than one week old.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Contributor's note: The Pattayatoday is a bit of a tabloid. The generalizations, the

haughty, offensive tone throughout. Quoting official sources who are never named.

Let's face it, Bangkok Post it's not. October 1st is the 1 year anniversary of the

changes so I guess the next few weeks will tell if this is just more bad news.

I can't seem to find this article in the online edition. In what section is it posted?

[sumrit]

But there is better news from Penang for foreign men married to a Thai woman. They can now obtain a multiple entry

non immigrant "O" visa, valid for a year, provided they take 1. Their original passport (copy of ID page) and two passport

photos; 2. Signed copy of wife's Thai ID card; 3. Signed copy of marriage certificate signed by both parties

(original needs to be shown too); 4. Copy of personal Thai bank book showing at least 400,000 baht

(original also needs to be produced); 5. Confirmatory letter from bank, not more than one week old.

It seems they might have realized their mistake in cancelling the 400k baht visa extention option for people married to a Thai so now they're bringing it back in a slightly different form. They will just have to do 90 day visa runs instead of visits to to the immigration office and take a trip to Penang every 15 months but at least it means people can stay if they have money in the bank but no 40k per month income.

[Gimbo]

But how to open a Thai bank account without a WP and Visa in the first place?

[cali4995]

Mopenyang, Go to the front page,

http://www.pattayatoday.net and then you must click

on "more..." in the red type to get the rest of the stories.

SrirachaJohn, makes an interesting point, the last time I

was at immigration, I very much got the impression that

my entire visa history in my passport was being evaluated

as a measure of my "goodness". Despite the fact that this

is not "one trip". And how do you bunch together visits

anyway when you force people to leave the boundaries of

the country every 1-2-3 months? I'll stop my bitc_ing.

[sriracha john]

Might I propose a thread title change to:

Penang Consulate To Limit Issuance of Tourist Visas To Three

*edit*

Second article at:

http://www.pattaya2day.com/index.php?actio...ews&id=2524

Edited October 2, 2007 by sriracha john

[gzu88bv]

No indication on the time frame for the issuance of the 3 tourist visas. Is this over a year's time? A three year time frame?

Or for the entire lifetime of the passport holder?

Laos' (Vientiane and Savannakhet) rule is 2 (two) back to back TR's within 12 months and this since August 2006 already. Question now is how these people would handle a case if somebody came along with 2 back to back TR's from Penang within a 12 months time frame.

[LivinLOS]

Well.. As sad as this is, its exactly as I predicted..

First they came for the visa runners.. And I said nothing.. Etc..

[cclub75]

Well.. As sad as this is, its exactly as I predicted..

First they came for the visa runners.. And I said nothing.. Etc..

Yes, and you were not alone.

At least, we could hope that peole will understand that there is a plan and a trend. And both are very clear.

It's impossible to say (even by thai standards) "back to back 30 days visa exemptions" are forbidden. And meanwhile, leaving the solution of the back to back tourist visas (or a mixing of both)...

It makes no sense.

I remember last october, they were already saying : if you stay less than 180 days per year, you are tourist. More, you are a resident (different ball game).

It's a basic rule, all around the world.

Thai Immigration is working step by step, quietly, in order to not create panic and to save face. And this is probably on that point that we can critizise them : they're deliberatly creating uncertainty, a fog... Instead, of being straight.

But again, don't be fooled.

Pattaya Today might be a shaddy newspaper, and the report might be 70 % true... it doesn't matter. It will happen.

Edited October 2, 2007 by cclub75

[ballzafire]

I've just emailed the consulate requesting official word about this supposed new change. I will post the reply if and when I receive it.

I would encourage other concerned individuals to contact them and request verification as well. Maybe it will help stimulate a more offiicial response from them.

Royal Thai Consulate-General,

No.1, Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman,

10350 Penang, Malaysia.

Tel : (094) 226-8029,9484

Fax : (094) 226-3121

I don't know about you, but this is the dividing line for me. If it IS true, then it's 'bye, bye Thailand' for me...

[cali4995]

"The Fog of War"

The fog of war is a term used to describe the level of ambiguity in situational awareness experienced

by participants in military operations. The term seeks to capture the uncertainty regarding own capability,

adversary capability and adversary intent during an engagement, operation or campaign.

gee, that actually does seem to describe it pretty well.

[ovenman]

Might I propose a thread title change to:

Penang Consulate To Limit Issuance of Tourist Visas To Three

Suggestion seconded. If true, this change has the potential to impact many and (with apologies to the OP) this thread has been effectively buried through the use of abbreviations such as 'Pt' and 'Tr' in its title.

[Firefan]

Bad news for many. Sorry to hear.

No time period for the 3 visas mentioned so without that information it is hard to evaluate the actual impact.

as 6x30-day visa-free-entries are allowed in a year one could speculate that if the 3 visas are in a 12 month period, that people can still combine the 2.

Meanwhile, as others mentioned; it makes little sense to leave that option open too.... But making it "3 visas for life" or "3 visas for life of passport" also does not make any sense (as would cut off a ton of real tourists).

Looking forward to more info on this one.

Cheers!

[ovenman]

Thanks for the title change (PeaceBlondie?). I'll bet this thread now starts to generate some views...

[PeaceBlondie]

Suggestions taken about the title; thanks.

Of course, any change to visa regulations/procedures brings out the cries of folks, "Get rid of the scum; only I and those above me deserve to stay here!" And it brings out the cries of conspiracy, xenophobia, etc. All of which have some basis in reality, although for the life of me, if I live here 50 more years, I may never know the 'reasoning' or the 'rationale' for immigration policy here. Heck, I don't agree with most of my fellow Amurikans about immigration to the USA.

Penang (whose stamp graces my passport and my extension to live here) seemed to be the only nearby consulate that offered hope for us mere mortals with less than 3 million in the bank, two Thai wives, and a pension of 200K baht per month.

I can't blame any embassy/consulate of any country that has the common sense to look at a passport full of tourist stamps and say, "You're not a tourist!" They do have the right to say that, and to act accordingly. The response may be, "But they allowed us permanent residents to pretend we were accidental tourists all these many years, even before my first luk krung was born!"

[JonnieB]

Doesn't seem to me to be a major unexpected change. Most could see that the limit on number of tourist visas would be the next shoe to drop. Makes sense actually. I can see the Thai officials logic in "pushing" most foreigners residing in LOS back to their home countries (or out of Thailand at least) if they suspect some/many are undesirables of some sort (economically challenged or people with criminal backgrounds). I, for one, would be happy to see all these tattooed steroid monkey English and Continental football hooligan types you see all over Pattaya booted out. I suspect most are of very limited means (or engaged in petty criminal behavior) and these regs are directed at them I suspect. Hopefully, they will push many out of Thailand (if not back home). Those that meet the basic de minimus standards for a non-imm visa can get one while back home and then return. Not much of an issue really.

Would suggest that most clean their record by getting a new passport from Bangkok embassies. At least then, everyone will have a clean slate to start with...unless someone can confirm that past T-visas will not count towards the new 3 max total. I suspect this would be the case as otherwise, just about everyone would have to immediately return home at the expiration of their current visa. TThe 3 NEW T-visas from the date of the new regs would basically give everyone about a year to arrange their affairs in LOS and return home to get a new Non-imm visa is they qualify. In the alternative, it gives those who don't wish to stay or don't qualify, a year to settle their affairs, sell up, and move on.

Edited October 2, 2007 by JonnieB