AloisAmrein

15 minutes ago, tonray said:

The problem is the government preference system that gives advantages to Muslim citizens over the rest. Ask any Chinese business owner in KL why the vast majority of Monorail stations are not easily accessible to their neighborhoods ? They will give you an earful about how their requests are ignored and stops were added in Muslim majority areas where they are little used. Just a thought...maybe when the government stops discriminating against other races in actual laws then perhaps we can say nothing is wrong with living apart.

You are absolutely right. Without the Chinese the Malaysian economy would be about the same like in Indonesia, on a poor level. The racial discrimination of Chinese and Indians is a fact since the independence. The Malay "Bumiputera" (sons of the soil) control the whole government system. In a certain extense, the Malaysian political government system is clearly racist.

7 hours ago, Redcurry said:

I'm just not into Malaysian food. Really, their food is nothing compared to Thai food. 

Malaysian and specially Indonesian food is much more varied then the everyday Thai kitchen. After one week in Thailand, eating becomes a boring duty. Chicken and rice, rice and pork, tom yam kung, tom yam gai and that's it. Absolutely boring.

23 hours ago, Air Smiles said:

 

I'm pretty sure more farang have died in major western countries at the hands of radical Islam than in Malaysia.

 

Not going to a country simply because the dominant religion is Islam is simply Islamaphobia.

Yes, I can confirm that. I like Malaysia and even more Indonesia. No such stupid laws like in Thailand, e.g. forbitten smoking on the beach, no beer between 2-5 pm, stupid immigration laws, etc. And better food too.

Malaysia has a far better infrastructure then Thailand. No such stupid regulations as in Thailand, like smoking forbitten on the beach, stupid visa regulations  like re-entry permit, etc. The only disadvantage is the high price of beer, but Thailand is quickly following in this way. Another alternative is Vietnam, good infrastructure, easy to travel, much cheaper then Thailand and Malaysia, beer costs nearly nothing. 

22 hours ago, lcosini said:

Good to know about the 30 days - but the staff at the Thai consulate still say it's 15 days (I was there recently to get my tourist visa 1 week ago). Did you (or anyone) actually get a 30 days stamp?

Yes, I did this year in January, when entering Thailand from Savanakhet, Laos, to Mukdahan.

I had several disappointing taxi drivers. One did not want to put on the meter from Suvanni airport. So I insisted and told him to stop immediately. That helped. Another should bring to Bangkok Noi, train station for Kanchanaburi. He did not go there and tried to get rid off me, I had to insist, that this is not the right destination. And the end he asked other taxis and brought me there. He wanted the full fare, I paid only 2/3, because he was first driving to a completely wrong place.

On 16.4.2017 at 10:39 AM, lemonjelly said:

I'd sugar on down to Malaysia, 90 days visa at land border, apply for new PP by post from there.... that's what I did a few years ago... worth checking to see if it's still possible 

Not possible, Malaysia requires validity of passport for 6 months when entering the country.

Once a Schengen visa is given, people can travel freely in all Schengen countries, even if not member of the EU, for ex. Switzerland, as long as the visa is valid.

3 hours ago, Destiny1990 said:

Chinese like to gamble.

Casinos would really pull in these highrollers

it seems that you do not know that gambling in casinos is prohibited in Thailand. Gambling for money is prohibited, not only in bars or restaurants , but also privately. That's why casinos in Cambodia and Laos near the Thai border are flourishing.

On 13.2.2017 at 9:01 AM, reenatinnakor said:

 

Because you're a quality tourist, he is suggesting that you should be able to fly to London, Tokyo or NYC and do some shopping and get your tourist visa there and then fly back after a few weeks being a quality tourist. Not do land border crossings to save money... Since that's not what quality tourists do. He has a point and I agree with him! Why don't you just fly to hk and get your 2 months tourist visa there? Easy and quite cheap.

Sent from my LG-H990 using Thaivisa Connect mobile app
 

 

Doesn't make sense, because I don't want to go to London, Tokyo or New York. And when I travel by car, I must use land borders.

11 hours ago, blorg said:

Alois, I agree this limitation is not fully thought out and it has already been seen to have a negative impact down south in Songkhla where a lot of people living in Malaysia would take weekend breaks overland to Southern Thailand. Malaysians were actually made exempt, but what they have now found was that there were also a lot of Indonesians, Singaporeans and Chinese who lived around there and used do this but can't any more and it has had a measurable impact on tourism there to the point where the governor of Songkhla has appealed to immigration for a review.

 

So sure, like so many things it is ill thought out and is going to have negative impacts they did not forsee.

 

Your "so I'm just going to go spend my money somewhere else" however is misguided... Laos only gives 1 month visas which are quite expensive ($35) and renewals are very expensive if you want to stay any longer ($2-3/day IIRC). Vietnam also has a visa required which you have to get in advance at an embassy, I do not believe you can get anything at the land border whatsoever. If you fly in you can jump through some hoops and pay some more money for an authorisation for you to pay again for a visa when you get there. Malaysia to their credit does give most Westerners 90 days free at the border, but at least in my experience are far less tolerant than Thailand regarding people staying long-term as a tourist, I got the third degree trying to re-enter Malaysia having been out of it for well over a month in Singapore and Indonesia because they thought I had been there "too much" over the previous year, I had to have a formal interview and convince them I was not working. Indonesia only opened up free entry recently and there apparently is a whole hoo hah over needing to find a local agency to "sponsor" you for extensions, which I believe become a problem after a certain point, maybe six months or so. Cambodia you also do have to pay for a visa at the border, there is no free option like Thailand, I believe it is $30 now before whatever the immigration try to extract out of you on top of that. To Cambodia's credit you can get a business/ordinary visa for an extra $5 and unlike most other countries you can extend that pretty much indefinitely without leaving. The only catch? You are in Cambodia.

 

And frankly, no, these countries are NOT cheaper than Thailand, despite being (Malaysia excepted) much poorer. What is remarkable about Thailand is that it is not actually significantly more expensive than its much poorer neighbours. Booze excepted, that is much cheaper in Laos, Cambodia or Vietnam (not Malaysia where there is a big sin tax on it). But everything else, no, not really, if you live in Udon or Nong Khai you should know this well yourself, hotels are cheaper in both those places than in Vientiane and just go look at the price for anything imported in Laos like a phone or laptop. There's a reason everyone comes over the border TO THAILAND to do their shopping.

Just a short reply:

Thailand: You need a visa, when you want to stay longer then 30 days, even when married with a Thai citizen and supporting the family. Absolutely a no-go, never seen in another part of the world and also not in other countries in Asia.

Laos: I do not need a visa for Laos, visa-free entry for 15 days (valid for a few nations only, Switzerland, Japan, Luxembourg).

Vietnam: The visa rules are changing. Now already 15 days visa-free entry for many countries of the EU, e.g. Germany, France, Italy. Others will follow and there ar rumours that visa-free entry will be extended to 30 days. Visas easily available at any consulates, if you want stay longer. I make it always in Khon Kaen, they do it on the spot, you turn up at 9.00 a.m., you leave before 10 a.m. with the visa. And yes, Vietnam is quite cheaper then Thailand, especially accomodation.

Malaysia: 90 days visa-free entry, the best in South-East Asia, so far never any problems, despite I use KL as a hup (Air Asia).

Indonesia: Visa-free entry is already 3 years old. I didn't have any problem.

Philippines: visa-free entry 30 days.

Electronic stuff as laptops, cameras etc. is cheaper in many European countries then in Thailand, and with a reliable garantee of 2 years, which you can forget in Thailand.

13 hours ago, seancbk said:

 

The income question in the immigration card has nothing to do with the quality tourist label.

A quality tourist is one who supports the tourism industry by staying in the best hotels, eating in the best restaurants and spending money (does not need to be on shopping).

People using land borders and visa exempt entries are in no way considered quality tourists.

But going back to your original post, why don't you are least pay for a proper visa?  There is a reason the authorities have limited it to 2 visa exempt entries per year, it is to encourage people to actually pay for a visa.

 

Where from you take your definition of a quality tourist? From TAT? TAT is promoting tourism from China, certainly not the country with lots of quality tourists. For me, a quality tourist is a person who can spend as much as he wants and is not travelling with group tours. That is why the immigraton asks about the income on the immigration card.

People using land borders and visa exempt entries are in no way considered quality tourists. 

Very funny definition because this says nothing of the spending power of such a person. Why should I make a visa when I get a visa-free entry? If I want to stay longer then 30 days, I make a visa, if not, I don't need one. And I am a person who travels a lot, not only in Thailand. Neighbouring countries have a lot to offer, with less stupid rules.
 

12 hours ago, seancbk said:

A recent ruling said only 2 visa exempt entries by year when coming by land.  

Sorry I didn't make that clear, but I was talking to Alois and he's doing land crossings so it applies to him.

 

I do entries at land borders and by air, depending what is more convenient for me. When I stay in Vientiane and want to go to Udon Thani or Khon Kaen, I certainly do the land crossing, much faster. When I want to go to Hat Yai, I take the direct flight from Vientiane. Since 1.1.2017 new rule: Only 2 land crossings per calendar year. When I entered from Laos to Mukdahan, an english-speaking officer took his time and explained me the new rules. I told him that I knew already. The new rule does not apply for entries by air, but this may change also. Apparently tourists should spend their money in other countries which not have such stupid rules.

16 hours ago, seancbk said:

A quality tourist is someone who comes here and stays in a 5 star hotel or resort for 2 weeks and spends a load of money dining and shopping.

I'm sure TAT does not consider someone who spends time in Nong Khai or Udon as a quality tourist.


 

 According to TAT, a quality tourist is a tourist with an income of 80'000 US$ or more per year, see immigration card. And what should I buy in Thailand? Coconuts or bananas? Or fake watches and similar rubbish? Thailand is not a good shopping place today, things are more expensive then in some European countries, e.g. computers, labtops, cameras, watches, etc. And no garantee in case of problems.

1 hour ago, seancbk said:

If you are such a quality tourist why do you expect to enter Thailand on a visa free entry and why do you have to do your entries by land?

Try paying for a visa and flying in instead.

If price is your primary concern then what makes you a quality tourist?

Should I fly to Vientiane when I stay in Nong Khai or Udon Thani? By land 2 hours, by flight 8 hours with stopover in Bangkok. So you see, time is primary concern, not price. You should think logically.

2 hours ago, reenatinnakor said:

 

Why don't you just fly in and out like most "quality" tourists do? I've never had a problem with getting tourist visas and just coming in and out with a months break.

Sent from my LG-H990 using Thaivisa Connect mobile app
 

 

Why should I fly to Vientiane, when I stay in Udon Thani (70 km) or Nong Khai (20 km)? Overland it is less then 2 hours, flying means go to Bkk and then to Vientiane. Minimum time about 8 hours. You should think more logically.

It is nothing else then a desperate move of TAT and immigration to boost tourism. On the other hand, the immigration does all to keep quality tourists like me away from the country, by limiting entry by land border to 2 times per year, with visa-free entry for now 30 days. So I am forced to spend my money in Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia. Never mind, prices in all these countries are cheaper then in Thailand. And they have nice beaches (not in Laos and Cambodia) and landscapes also.

Good guys in is not working, too many bureaucratic hassles of immigration. Much more easier in Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos.

I go to Thailand every year, but I never make ANY visa. I not like countries who are asking for a visa for bringing money in the country. I always use visa-free entry, then I go to Laos, also visa-free entry, then I return to Thailand, and if finished I go to another country, like Malaysia (90 days visa-free). Now Indonesia gives also visa-free entry for 30 days. Good so!

Thailand an education hub - you must be joking!

After knowing Thailand since more then 40 years, with some long stays, I clearly opt for Spain. Much better food, no language problems (I speak Spanish fluently), better climate, nice and cheap housing, better infrastructure, much higher road safety, no cheating, no different prices for foreigners as in Thailand, same currency as in most of Europe, etc.

Some years ago I was checking out if Thailand would be a good country for residence after retirement. My wife is Thai. Finally I and her came to the conclusion, that it is not a good country for farangs, even married with Thai. Racist laws for farangs, big bureaucracy for visas and permits, low road safety, very limited shopping opportunities for Western food in most areas, growing criminality in some areas, low standard of housing at high prices. All this led to the conclusion, that live in other countries is much easier and much better. Thailand did not fulfill the test.

I always do my travels to Thailand on visa-exempt entries, because I not want to feed the money-making visa machine. I mostly stay 3 months in the area, on the last day I go to Laos (visa-exempt entry too) and then I return to Thailand overland, I then I repeat that. So far no problems, neither in Thailand nor in Laos. Or I fly to Vietnam. I have done this now for several years.

One more useless and stupid ranking of TripAdvisor. No. 1 of murder island?