spambot

Yup - Nice update.

The numbering system is better and allows you to plan your next day. If you have No 576 (me) you can forget the about the early bus for next day for Udon - Hence you can make plans prior t the 1:30 am stampede that would occur the next day.

Spambot don't thank Scouse so much. He has been sitting on gold mind for a long time. Only kidding.

Sometimes I want to give accommodation place a bad review to keep it a secret. When in fact it's a ripper. Seriously though the other neighbouring countries to thailand. Cambodia , Laos etc are (imho) being brain dead. Do the 30 day or even 15 visa exempt and wham bang thailand. You might not be number 1 on hit list. Things already more expensive here by long way.

Mind you I love thailand

Yup - I agree with those thoughts.

I kind of like HCM, but only just like it in short visits. The other neighbors are somewhat less vital with energy. One of my thoughts are to try sihanoukville wher I have not yet visited and this type of 12 month Visa would make sense if it felt right being there. I am also off to Bali for a week in a few days time to test out the feel and maybe if it works out just take the 6hr flight return to KL every 30 days - Its on the AirAsia main routes flights schedule at low cost currently 900 x 2 = 1,800 THB.

I also love Thailand, but hate the process of the retirement extension and the mini jig needed on Tourist visa's - I know there is no way around this, but using a neighbor country as home base might make sense - And while not spending too long there, but long enough to get aligned and so can rely on somewhere that is more relaxed about long stayers - Buying insurance is the real plan here.

Scouse.......thanks for the info. In your opinion would it make any sense to have the visa for Cambodia for someone that say lives in thailand but wishes to visit Cambodia several times a year.

jacksam,

That's what I do!

For a start you never know if you need to leave Thailand quickly if there was a civil problem. Next, after you have the one month followed by the year extension you are good for a year and it's renewable every year. Saves a lot of messing if you are a regular to Cambodia at either the airport or the border post.

For the price of it and if in a persons budget, it's well worth it. No reporting every 90 days, no giving an address, in and out as you please at no extra cost.

Scouse Wish they had that for Vietnam. Am thinking of more travel in Cambodia. Don't wish to sound a smart a##. But money isn't a problem. To be able to fly into Cambodia and not stuff around with visa on arrival would be great.

Yeah,

It won't be long for Vietnam as they are hungry for investment and tourist $$$ and they are well aware as to how much they have been allowing to flow into neighbouring countries.

I am a regular there too, particularly in Hanoi.

Great question jacksam

Great Answers Scouse123

Its a similar thought process that I have been going through

i.e Thought Process on current Thailand options:

If you go the tourist visa route you are always trying select from the available neighboring countries that might be more flexible - with the amount of back to back single Thailand Tourist visas.

If you opt for the retirement extension you are forced into feeling sometimes like you have a of loss of control when you are following the ever changing rules associated with the 12 month extension applications, 3 month reporting, further reporting and tracking of address and requirement associated with the process of seeding funds for deposits into a Thai Bank.

This way your Visa for 12 months from Cambodia can appear to be the place where you travel from and regard Thailand only as the place where travel to visit and so It kind of feels like this changes the center of gravity.

Obviously you are still restricted by the Visa exempts, single Tourist, extensions you can get in the process.

Start = Tourist Visa 2 months, then extension 1 month, then leave Thailand and get Visa exempt 1 month, extension 1 month (Total 5 months).

Then leave Thailand and Start from begging.

You can possibly complete this same process about 3 times before needing to return home country for the multi entry (yes I should have be quoting days here, but for simplicity I have not done so).

More Importantly:

While the above process does not fundamentally change - However the really important thing here is (and I am assuming this to be the case) because of the 12 months Cambodian visa - both ends think differently about your intent and together with different process - This becomes more simple and less stressful.

1. As you enter Cambodia

There is no tourist visa required since you get unrestricted travel grated by the 12 month Cambodian visa.

2. When you apply for a Thailand tourist visa in Cambodia (or any Thai consulate handling your tourist application)

You are seen as less of a risk for illegal working and more committed to long stay to Cambodia because of the 12 months on the Cambodian business visa - more likely to get back to back tourist entry visas

3. If you enter Thailand on a Visa exempt

The same type of thinking will take place and you will be considered as more likely to be visiting because of the 12 months Cambodian visa.

- Am I being too simple and optimistic here?

Bottom line

For $295 you get increased flexibility, less problematic stressful situations and also a backup insurance for any impossible to follow changes that might occur in Thailand.

Whatever is the actual situation (since I have made some bold assumptions here) - Good posts, Thanks for taking the time.

Just a check for the OP - Does the bank book alone satisfy - For initial application conversion of Tourist to Non-O - or is bank letter also required?

Its really nice that you feel that Ubonjoe has become an UbonJoy.

I can do even worse, "presuppose" for "purpose" above. Apologies.

B+)

I am not the only person living in los with a rented pad etc and traveling every other week. So can I live in los by leaving every few weeks to to Vietnam. Stay there for week or so and do it ad infinitum. Thaivisa seems to have very mixed messages.

There is no mixed message. What ubonjoe said above is correct, if you travel often visa exempt expect to be given a secondary interview. As long you can prove you do not work and have the required funds (bt 20,000 cash), you cannot be arbitrarily denied, however you will be given a lecture about getting a visa. As ubonjoy said, that is what the tell anyone.

Its really nice that you feel that Ubonjoe has become an UbonJoy.

Ubonjoe is 1000 percent correct (and IMHO a great asset to this forum)

I have more than 40 exempt stamps in my current

passport due to being an offshore worker.I spoke in length to an immigration inspector end if last month on the way out in BKK

Yes ,they get an alert after 6 exempt entries but only to then establish whether you are using the visa exempt status to stay long term in Thailand.

If like me you enter Thailand stay a couple of weeks fly out for a month and then enter and do the same again over and over it's not a problem .

They will only refuse you if you are doing multiple back to back in/out and staying a full 30 days each time (in other words using the visa exempt facility to stay permanently in Thailand)

All i can say is your lucky

As i would have the same - maybe been 3yrs since had marriage visa & come every mth for 7 days on visa exempt (back to back) through Swampy but got nabbed for the more then 6 times in a year

She told me Visa next time or no entry (even wrote a little note in passport ) - now have new one + single entry 3mth Marriage visa

Is it 6 times per year as you say? - or is it 6 times on lifetime of the passport?

I had assumed that the 6 was a count on the total exempt entries in the passport rather than 6 as an amount over a yearly time period.

Ubonjoe is 1000 percent correct (and IMHO a great asset to this forum)

I have more than 40 exempt stamps in my current

passport due to being an offshore worker.I spoke in length to an immigration inspector end if last month on the way out in BKK

Yes ,they get an alert after 6 exempt entries but only to then establish whether you are using the visa exempt status to stay long term in Thailand.

If like me you enter Thailand stay a couple of weeks fly out for a month and then enter and do the same again over and over it's not a problem .

They will only refuse you if you are doing multiple back to back in/out and staying a full 30 days each time (in other words using the visa exempt facility to stay permanently in Thailand)

Great contribution since you have real time experience.

And even more interesting - since you are only out the country for 30 days - Then in the Thailand for a few weeks - And managed to accumulate 40+ stamps - You are almost a perfect example of actually stress testing the 6 visa exempts alert and after time system. Obviously this might become difficult if on one occasion a immigration officer subjectively thinks either 1 mouth away is not long enough or the 2 weeks inside Thailand is too long - Since I guess this is still just a personal judgement not a specific counting rule.

Any thoughts on 1 mouth away and 30 days in (Thailand) - Do any of your colleagues do that?

I am currently viewing an apartment in Lao to spend 1 month at a time there on a Lao tourist visa, but then use the Thai Visa exempt and stay in Udon as long as available of the 30 days, but its not clear what portion of the 30 days is too long staying before it is regarded as a long term stay abuse of the system.

The discussion is abut doing entries at an airport where they have to follow procedures to deny entry under section 12 of the immigration act.

At a border crossing they often do not follow procedures and will say no and expect you to turn around and go back to the country you just left.

Ahh - yes Good point - I can see a difference now - And its something I never considered before - Actually that is very good Info.

Ubonjoe is 1000 percent correct (and IMHO a great asset to this forum)

I have more than 40 exempt stamps in my current

passport due to being an offshore worker.I spoke in length to an immigration inspector end if last month on the way out in BKK

Yes ,they get an alert after 6 exempt entries but only to then establish whether you are using the visa exempt status to stay long term in Thailand.

If like me you enter Thailand stay a couple of weeks fly out for a month and then enter and do the same again over and over it's not a problem .

They will only refuse you if you are doing multiple back to back in/out and staying a full 30 days each time (in other words using the visa exempt facility to stay permanently in Thailand)

Great contribution since you have real time experience.

And even more interesting - since you are only out the country for 30 days - Then in the Thailand for a few weeks - And managed to accumulate 40+ stamps - You are almost a perfect example of actually stress testing the 6 visa exempts alert and after time system. Obviously this might become difficult if on one occasion a immigration officer subjectively thinks either 1 mouth away is not long enough or the 2 weeks inside Thailand is too long - Since I guess this is still just a personal judgement not a specific counting rule.

Any thoughts on 1 mouth away and 30 days in (Thailand) - Do any of your colleagues do that?

I am currently viewing an apartment in Lao to spend 1 month at a time there on a Lao tourist visa, but then use the Thai Visa exempt and stay in Udon as long as available of the 30 days, but its not clear what portion of the 30 days is too long staying before it is regarded as a long term stay abuse of the system.

Q1 - Purpotedly six is the limit, but we do not know if this is for a rolling 12-months or "forever" or what length (someone please correct if I am wrong on this).

Reaching 6 visa exempt entries is only an alert. It is not a written rule as a maximum.

The officer should then check to see if the are out/in visa runs when he gets the alert.. The purpose is the catch people that are using visa exempt entries to live here which is clearly not the reason they are allowed.

Great addition - So in fact there should be little to worry about for the first 6 visa exempts - I am assuming that this is not per period of 12 months, but rather its is a period of forever.

Hence after the first 6 visa exempts - It is only then that the process becomes more subjective - And a judgement will be made with an outcome more depending upon the individual officer concerned.

Ahhh - OK - I think we are on the same page - I used a clumsy word "tied" and you explain it better - Hence in my way of thinking if you cleared out all the central bank THB (ok I know this is not realistic and only used here to identify meaning) and replaced it 100% with USD - Result = no downside risk impact from the THB to the central bank (But obviously then - and I have totally ignored the fact that - there is no further THB available for future circulation and hence the THB would be a proxy for the USD in effect) - net result = THB becomes stronger than it was before the USD purchase (and obviously less exposed to downside fluctuations to THB caused by the stronger and increasing USD that is currently the fear)

Question 1

Is there an official (or more likely unofficial rule of thumb) number of visa exempt stamps limit?

Question 2

Does this limit of visa exempt stamps depend upon if they are back to back?

Question 3

Is there a considerations for your last visit duration being outside Thailand prior to next visa exempt - or is it all about volume of stamps and back to back amounts?

Q1 - Purpotedly six is the limit, but we do not know if this is for a rolling 12-months or "forever" or what length (someone please correct if I am wrong on this).

Q2 and Q3 - Back to Back or not makes no difference for being flagged at Immigration. Oil-workers doing periodic entries have been flagged and warned to "get a visa," though no visa suits their circumstance (some would argue the new METV, though their work may not take them near their home-consulate).

You may be able to show proof in your passport that the VisaExempts were Not Back To Back and/or not used for the maximum time allowed. You may be able to show work in another country as proof you do not work in Thailand. Some reports indicate a resistance to actually looking at documents. YMMV.

You Should Definitely have Cash On Hand to prove you have available funds for your stay in Thailand. BankBooks and such may not be accepted as proof. I suggest a suitable value of old-style Travelers Checks, to avoid walking around with 20K Baht in cash.

http://www.bangkokbank.com/BangkokBank/PersonalBanking/DailyBanking/CurrencyExchange/Pages/TravelersCheques.aspx

Great response - It gave me what I needed!

Currency traders attributed the increased foreign reserves to the central bank’s purchase of US currency to prop up the baht which has also strengthened

Excuse my ignorance, but how does buying USD prop up the Baht? If they buy USD with Baht, that would strengthen the USD and weaken the Baht (against the USD)

It's a "hedge" against the rising usd/falling thb. The amount of usd bought would hardly make a blip on the usd rate moving up but it would give some reassurance to the thb, especially if you were of the view the trend was set to continue...

If I understand you correctly - The more USD in the central bank of Thailand = more the THB will be tied to the movement of the USD and therefore less tied on the organic value of the THB itself - Is that what you mean by the Hedge?

The immigration only has a problem if you do IN-OUT on a visa exempt or if you have 5 or 6 visa exempt entries. It does not apply to you. Yours is visa exempt - leave the country - tourist visa - leave the country - visa exempt .Nothing to worry about.

Since it appears none of you stays will be more than 30 days you can just use 30 day visa exempt entries instead of getting a tourist visa. There is no limit of how many you can do.

Even if you wanted to stay longer than 30 days you can get a 30 day extension at an immigration office.

How many visa exempt stamps did you have in your passport over last 12 months?

• I was surprised when I saw UbonJoe's response - use 30 day visa exempt entries instead of getting a tourist visa. There is no limit of how many you can do

• Then saw a conflict when I saw IKV's -The immigration only has a problem if you do IN-OUT on a visa exempt or if you have 5 or 6 visa exempt entries

Question 1

Is there an official (or more likely unofficial rule of thumb) number of visa exempt stamps limit?

Question 2

Does this limit of visa exempt stamps depend upon if they are back to back?

Question 3

Is there a considerations for your last visit duration being outside Thailand prior to next visa exempt - or is it all about volume of stamps and back to back amounts?

Anybody saying "Go home for METV" raises suspicion for me

I can name half a dozen of European consulates equally if not more demanding than some in SEA available for non-residents.

That's what seem to be the latest MFA message is, but sorry I don't see the point of flying to all the way to Europe to be asked more documents than in the region.

Kitsune, they are being serious this time around. Nothing suspicious to me at all. I saw a few things at the Embassy that made me feel that they have changed. I watched a few officials deal with some people that were out of line this time around. Just to say, I will follow things to the letter of the law here as I am too close to retirement age and do not want to stuff things up in the future.

Looking at the backpackers streaming over the borders today and yesterday, tourism certainly is not slowing down.

Yes on my visit last week I was surprised that there was so much emphasis on a new stipulation - that was in bold on the ticket (given to track the handing of passports for the visa) of a new requirement to enter the full street or road name of your accommodation while you are residing in Thailand

It looked like this was just a small requirement - But there were a lot of people that could not give EXACTLY the right information - if you could only provide general guidance and not a full address that satisfied the Embassy processor you were required to queue at a new place to be further processed. And around 50% of the applications had to go into this queue - The guy in front of me was asked for more info and he responded he was staying at hotels and could not remember the street/ road name and he was one moved to the new extra line - For most in the line it did add an extra 30/40 mins to the morning process.

Thanks UbonJoe

Yup I know -

But I wanted to add some context about the process since I know that its just so easy to simply say something will be OK and when you turn up its not OK.

This is not amazing new info that I am providing, but rater an additional beat that might just help some reach a judgement because the way the conclusion was derived.

Hence this is my attempt to add a little extra detail and context so people have more confidence on the information on which they can make judgments upon.

From my own perspective I usually find other peoples post more convincing when they show how they know, what they know. Rather than being amazed at what I think they know.

Yup good point about the border control -

I agree that they must have a database or a set of screens that shows up very specific problems to make decisions against - What I am not sure however is if several visa exempt entries can be seen on this system. That is not to say that this information is not there, but normally it is not something that is available to the immigration officer from this type of system.

I am guessing that the system they use is dated and the original development on the system never added the bespoke requirement to check against several visa exempt entries (that has only emerged with new changes in policy over the last number years).

I think its more likely that they will in practice still do a visual inspection of the old passport on exit and not use the computer system (see below) to identify multiple visa exempt usage.

If they can not see on their computer system the history of old passports (or indeed any passports) the one obvious solution for multiple visa exempts is to not have the old passport with you when you attempt to enter Thailand- This is an entirely valid position to hold since the old passport is superseded at the point where the old passport visa was transferred to your new passport and Thai immigration accepted / stamped the transferred visa on new passport on exit.

However I do not know the actual system they use in detail I only how these systems are usually build and I am only voicing my suspicions and not my knowledge of what is actually happening. And if anyone does know - Please call out.

The reason I think there is no easy single process on the existing system to show the several visa exempt entries

The main purpose of the computerized systems on border control systems are mostly focus upon validation and identification to stop criminals using fake identification. Hence border control systems mostly just verify the passports itself and check the identify of a person against the passport to prevent identity theft and run a check against external Interpol and other agency alert systems. These systems do not usually show the crossing history for an Individual passport.

Validity and authenticity checks are made on the scan of the passport the completed transaction of entry / exit is recorded as an event then fed into a larger central database and the information is no longer held local.

If you then wanted to latter retrieve data from the database you obviously can make an individual query on the database - But these are usually made from the actually information contained on the visa / passport itself. The system is designed for checking what is on the passport is the same as exists in the database and hence validating that the passport is not forged. This is not to be confused entering the passport number and the system providing a history log of all events to then check against what is contained in the passport - The system is checking on what you can physically see in the passport to tell you if its valid or not (forged).

If you did wish to see this by only using the passport number and a complete history of where that passport had crossed what borders on what dates then this would be possible, but this would normally require a management reporting process that is entirely outside the scope of a local immigration office and would be conducted using an IT manager specialist focused upon these specialist requirement from the system.

Obviously any system can be configured to do things that are outside of what the core software provides at a latter date, but this is usually very expensive and requires a solid business case. The amount of time and investment that is required to do what might seem to be the simplest of things like roll up the amount of back to back visa exempt entries is quite a challenge in such an enterprise software system that they are using - hence i suspect there is a good chance if wanting to see the several visa exempt entries they are still limited to only doing a visual inspection of an actual original passport(s).

Thanks for the heads up UbonJoe - I tried the visa forum, but It timed out on me with an error several times - switched off PC tried again and got the same problem - So I tried the general forum more as a test and it posted 1st time. Mnnn?

I have just got my 4th back to back double tourist visa, but as we now know the double is no longer available. I am assuming that there might be some type of limit imposed at some point in the future for a single.

The reason I post this here is t to simply reassure anyone in the future if limitations do occur on the single tourist visa and you have a new passport there does not appear to be any computerized checking of previous visas being issued. The check is simply a visual inspection of the current passport pages. This is known by many on this forum already and this info here is just being presented as extra confidence.

I watched the admin staff processing the passports and application forms after I had made my own application and it seemed clear that there was no database being accessed in the process of administering the applications for the tourist visa. It might be interesting to note that earlier that morning I had to go to NongKhai immigration since a new rule about existing tourist visa in old passports now need to be transferred to the new passport prior to exiting Thailand.<-Click link

In summary if you do not want to read the content from the above link - At the border crossing if you had a tourist visa in your old passport the rules have changed as to what you need to do. No longer will the immigration officer simply take the old and compare the stamps to allow the new passport to be used, but now requires the old tourist visa to be transferred across to the new passport.

However the reason that I mention this is that I could see at immigration to transfer the tourist Visa across the officer had to make multiple access to different databases (using the sim chip in my passport). It looked like he signed into 4/5 different systems in order to complete the process. Since my working days were spent previously have been in the enterprise software world I could recognize something that was termed ‘swivel chair’ meaning multiple swivels of the chair to move to a different computer screens in order to see different views of information contained on a different systems.

While it might seem entirely logical that as a passport holder you should have all your applications for visas in a single system it would be unusual to have this in practice and it is more usual to have to move through higher level consuls to drive down into the different underlying separate visa application data. The reason I am boring you with this detail is to point out that Immigration obviously do have this information since he seemed to be checking this (This Info is collected at border crossing not the Embassy when providing the visas). Since it took the officer 25 mins to do the computerized admin on my details it is clear that this is a time consuming act to check through your full Visa and crossings history. However the more important point is that for the Embassy issuing visa is very unlikely to be inputting any of the data to any system since the time and effort would be very time consuming and would not make sense when there are sometimes 600 plus application in a single day. Similarly the checking of historical previous tourist visas issued will not be done - The swivel screen time required to do this would make the process unmanageable for the amount of people being processed per day.

This is a longer than necessary post – But done with good intentions – Mainly for the upcoming debate around how many single tourist visas that can be done back to back and importantly the question asked around can the Embassy or consulate check the back to back history if you get simply a new passport. There will be some that might want to use this info in order to mask history for a special one off type situation that might warrant this more extreme workaround.

Quick other side note: I was surprised that there was a new stipulation in bold on the ticket (given to track the handing of passports for the visa) of a new requirement to enter the street or road name of your accommodation while you are residing in Thailand (new Gov security requirement - I guess). And while this might seem like a small requirement if you could not provide this you were required to queue at a new place to be processed. And surprisingly around 50% of the applications had to go into this queue since they were either staying at hotels and could not remember the street/ road name or some other reason they were not able to recall the exact address.This is not a big deal, but did add an extra 30/40 mins to the morning process for the application for the forgetful.

If you have a new passport with a tourist visa you now need to transfer this from the old passport to the new passport at Thai immigration.

I went to Lao last week to get one of the last double entry tourist visa. I had three double entry tourist visas in my old passport, but now I had a new UK passport obtained in BKK I figured I could get the fourth back to back.<-Click link

I could see when looking on this forum that every previous posting doing the border crossing simply provided both passports and a visual inspection of the two passports together was seen as enough to allow clean passage out of Thailand. The exception to this has always been if a B Visa was in the old passport (reporting every 3 months) and then this would be required to be transferred through a visit to immigration prior to doing a border exit.

In my specific situation however after getting the 6am bus from Udon I arrived at the border at 7am (one person in the queue in front of me only). When I showed the two passports the response was “go to immigration” There was confusingly no further explanation or context and when I then asked for clarification (since I had no idea why I needed to go there) the response was the exactly the same then after a third try asking what I thought was a reasonable question the officer started waving his hands and raising his voice and I thought it better to to move away from the booth and simply ask elsewhere what the problem was.

Obviously this not very helpful, but in the LOS and being given absolute power sometimes does result in this particular way of dealing with customers. I tried a few more people that were working in the offices and no one was particularly helpful. However after ten or so minutes I found someone that looked at my passport and told me a little more when he said I need to go to immigration that was 1 km away since there was a change of rule and I need to get the visa in my old passport changed over to my new passport.

While the initial officer had made the process more than a little uncomfortable with his desire keep information to himself and act like he was telling the dog to go outside, however the Thai gents in the car park were so muuuuuuch more welcoming and they were really well just happy to help a struggling foreigner. And so reasonable when offering to take me to the immigration offices for just one hundred THB - However in the end we settled on 40 THB (and I hailed a tuc tuc on the way back for 30 THB - no bartering)

The immigration offices in NongKhai are quite close and the distance is entirely walk-able, but since I had no idea where they were I knew I had to take the tuc tuc route. The offices officially open at 8:30am I arrived there at 7:15am and I was surprised to see that an officer was servicing another person in the same situation as myself with a new passport, having a tourist visa in the old passport. I am guessing since this is a new rule through the recent security tightening there was someone in early to attend to something that they knew would happen since no one arriving with new passport to the border would actually know they had changed the rule.

The process takes around 25 mins and 8 signatures on different documents, 15 pages of assorted documents and photocopies of your new and old pages. Finally a payment of 20 THb for the photocopies and then you are away.

Obviously the reason for this post is not to shine a light on the process of how NongKhai immigration get up early and process the new rule, but rather a warning that anyone with a new passport with a tourist visa in your old passport – You need to visit immigration prior to getting to the border (if you want an easier crossing).

Monday is going to be a big day where METV theory meets real life.

Big general Macro indicators awaited:

1. How different Embassy's/Consulates interpret what should be the same set of standards to issue the new METV
2. Experiences of applications turning up at either overseas of home country Embassy/Consulate.

I am also guessing that many new applicants on the day will have no idea this change has actually taken place. I went to Vientiane earlier this week to get an early double tourist visa before they ended. I was expecting a huge stampede of applicants, but there was none. I saw at the end of the queue (Thursday) the highest ticket number was 251 - The last time I was there this number was over 620,

From the many people I spoke to they had no idea of this change taking place and a few even thought they could actually get their METV this week on their current application. There was entirely no information available anywhere at the Embassy and none of the staff knew much what was happening next Monday. Its going to be an interesting read on this forum what actually does happen

ThaiVisa could charge a pay per view subscription for next week and probably get plenty of customers. I would also not be in the least surprised to find someone somewhere at some Embassy resetting calibrations on what we thought we knew.

It is interesting to see this announcement today since it coincides with the end of the long availability of the double (and also the triple) tourist visas .

Thailand is essentially replacing them with the METV that now forces foreigners to leave and return to their own country in order to get one.

If this report is correct foreigners under 50, not married to a Thai, but looking to work in Thailand even less Visas will be issued and the net result is less foreigners staying long term in Thailand.

Its not clear if this is just part of a longer term political trend or just coincidental and is really a money saving scheme.

If its political then which of the other Visas will be next to have changes limiting the time or opportunity for foreigners to remain here over the longer term.

If they get a job, they just need to go over to Laos and get a Non-Imm B visa.

If there are less jobs - There is less people allowed to apply for a Visa - Effectively less long term stayers - Irrespective of the method used to obtain the visa.

It is interesting to see this announcement today since it coincides with the end of the long availability of the double (and also the triple) tourist visas .

Thailand is essentially replacing them with the METV that now forces foreigners to leave and return to their own country in order to get one.

If this report is correct foreigners under 50, not married to a Thai, but looking to work in Thailand even less Visas will be issued and the net result is less foreigners staying long term in Thailand.

Its not clear if this is just part of a longer term political trend or just coincidental and is really a money saving scheme.

If its political then which of the other Visas will be next to have changes limiting the time or opportunity for foreigners to remain here over the longer term.

There is no getting around the fact

The financial loss for Thailand on losing the long stay tourists will be massively outweighed by the surge in Chinese replacements.

• Chinese tourist for 2015 expects a record 7.45 million (up 62 percent on 2014) and Thailand is current their top overseas destination. Tactically Thailand has seen the opportunity and introduced a three-month visa fee exemption August 2014 and as a result the market has grown faster than predicted.

While the headline numbers look good - The actual impact on Thailand has been a lot less profitable.

The Chinese phenomenon also introduced a disproportionate increase in packaged travel products that contain flight, transport, hotel, excursions and entertainments. As a result its now the China tour operators that are increasingly taking more of profit on the growing Thailand tourist revenues. China is buying more bulk wholesale products from Thailand than any other country, but leaving less profit for Thailand businesses than most other countries. In short the China phenomenon in Tourism might end up being more profitable for China than Thailand and could end up more dependent on a single supply that uses its power to squeeze increasing profits out supply while at the same time leaving many small traditional Thai businesses no access to these markets.

This myopia for China tourists should maybe be more guarded since China history shows an exceptional talent of getting into value driven markets fast, but also with equal agility extracting themselves just as fast when needed. Since the China economy is currently in a rapid slowdown then anything could happen in the next 12 months to make a hard landing in tourism figures out of China end faster than they actually started.

Its a Change that will continue

There is no question that the new visa rules will better streamline the processing of this kind packaged tourist since they are able to capture revenues more efficiently as foreigners pass through 'The Thailand experience'.

But Thailand also has decided that the old ways of tourism must change at the same time. Seems now there is no longer room for a legacy tourist who started out on this Thailand experience with little more than a rucksack, a desire for exploring and a shinny passport with the now rare Thailand Visa. But then this tourist stayed not because of lack of choice, but because of a feeling of being at home in a foreign place and developing a deeper connection to Thailand in the process.

​Its undeniable that the economics of the new Visa rules decision will create opportunity for a more effective deployment of resources within tourist management since these resources can be more accurately aimed in this streamlined system. But with the turbulence in the China markets this future might just become something that is short lived and in the process leave a deeper scar of losing those foreigners that were not just passing through, but stayed because they had a much more sustainable commitment to contributing more.

It's not surprising at all they just follow suit.

You can stay in Thailand for a total of 5 months without getting

stopped at the Immigration if you arrive here by air to get a visa-

exempt stamp of 30-day stay, extend it for 30 days, go to one of

the Thai Embassies or Consulates for a single-entry 60-day TV

and extend it for 30 days, which will all cost you 4,800B.

Too

Good post - Very practical - Especially needed in the wake of the bad news today.

Not saying anyone will like it, but its a solution - with calculated cost and allows decisions to be made.

OK - Now think for a moment you are a fly on the wall at this this first meeting - Someone must have said at some point something like:

"Our objective is to solve the problem we have, which is....(Blank)...."

- "And if we make the long term tourists go home every 6 months this will be the solution."

Question: Can someone fill in the (blank) with the possible problem

My attempt is way too thin, but here are a few.

1). Preventing foreigner employment without getting the right visa

- But with just 0.56% Thailand's official unemployment rate (as of the end of 2014) can this be really seen as a problem.

2). Force schools to provide the correct employment based upon the right visa and no longer expect foreigner English teachers to work illegally through no option.

- Possibly, but I have no experience to comment on this - Could this create more illegal over-stayers

3). Not maximized revenues from the back2back multiple tourist visa users that could be achieved from border runs more often on a single visa

- OK this one is a wild and desperate attempt (especially since we also do not know if any back2back single tourist visa will be allowed.)

4). Erosion of Thainess by cultural long term foreigners staying here

- Possibly, but then this is not a problem being solved, but rather a fear being prevented and would be more similar to the recent stopping alcohol sales rule 300 meters of a school, which is more a moral judgement and not really problem solving.

I am personally stuck with trying to find any conclusive answer to the (Blank).

And hence if there is no real tangible problem being solved here and its just a moral standpoint - Who then will be next...The over 50's?