Ohyesuare

It has already been confirmed multiple times if you read through the thread.

If you build them, they will come.

Of course. And you still have to take the PCR test and wait in your hotel room for the results. These changes are only for people who book from December 1st, it doesn't apply retroactively.

Me as well. Here's to 2 more years ????

The current situation is they are not from what I hear but that there's a chance that they might decide to be a few months from now. Especially if the COVID situation worsens again and the "reopening" is a failure.

To be fair, Elite Visa staff do have some kind of affiliation to immigration.

Of course they were but there was a recent "changing of the guard" with immigration recently as I understand it and also with the "reopening" of Thailand, I'm sure the IOs who were getting their piece have no problem now turning on this "illegal" entity that was making these visas possible and is now frowned upon.

This is true but in the past, getting a new passport seemed to stop all the why you come to Thailand too much, are you working here questions upon arrival at airport immigration if you had tons of back to back tourist visas. Obviously a passport is their first line of inspection and determination of whether to allow you in or not but of course, the information is on the computer as well if they feel a need to go in and access that.

I agree that it's just second hand info and rumors but this is the second post I've seen about it. Immigration denies or used to deny entry on several occasions when technically they had no reason to like for back to back tourist visas, being in the country "too much".

History would show a volunteer visa, if they cared to look into it, but I don't think the organization it was done with would.

Yeah it was a ridiculous situation. A ton of people either left the country or scrambled to get Education/Volunteer visas and then people who just sat on their ass and were prepared to overstay got rewarded with a free amnesty for several months.

Someone else made a similar post recently. Apparently the organization that all the volunteer visas were being done under was busted in some form or another and the people who got one under them now have a so called "black mark" on their passport. Legally, the only thing that would prevent you from qualifying for an Elite Visa is an overstay in the past few years or a criminal record etc.. so if people were denied, it might have been at the discretion of the airport immigration officer(s) but I'd follow the advice of the Elite visa staff. If a new passport solves the issue then that's the way I'd go.

Might as well give body bags instead if they don't open things up soon.

Yeah it's horrible. They must have like 1 person working the English line or something.

I read elsewhere that someone said you need to go in or call and specifically ask them to turn back on international transactions.

Interesting. So it's your interpretation as well that the TM30 is not the Hotel, guest house, landlord, agent, owner's responsibility and the majority have just been doing it as a favor?

I'm not interested in a repeated back and forth exchange, you are kind of twisting my words or taking what I say too literally but you can say I'm wrong if you want, here it is direct from immigration themselves. https://www.immigration.go.th/en/?p=14721 "According to section 38 of the 1979 immigration act, “House owners, heads of household, landlords or managers of hotels who accommodate foreign nationals on a temporary basis who stay in the kingdom legally, must notify the local immigration authorities within 24 hours from the time of arrival of the foreign national.” "The notification of residence of foreign nationals is made by the manager of licensed hotels according to the hotel act, owners of guesthouses, mansions, apartments and rented houses using the form TM. 30." Yes he has to do it himself if the owner, landlord etc.. chooses not to but officially it is the owner, landlord etc.. who should be doing it and they will be fined if they don't. I know the TM30 has nothing to do with tax but obviously a registered stay using TM30 is harder for shady landlords to hide for tax purposes and this is basically what I was told when I repeatedly asked one to do one for me for my visa purposes but they refused. You could very well be right that there is no charge to do it, I can't be bothered to dig further into it but I was told by my Japanese landlord in one condo that there was a charge for him when he asked me if I needed one or not.

Read elsewhere that it's already fully booked.

The owner of the condo is required by law to submit a TM30 on your behalf, you both can be fined if one is not filed with 24 hours of your arrival. It can even be done online. I would have asked them to do it but I have been in the same position and when asking been refused so it's not a guarantee that if you ask, they will do it. TM30 means the stay is registered and they have to pay tax on the income plus there is a charge to do it too.

Ding ding ding, we have a winner. Publicity and attention which hopefully leads to the dishwashers they need. Somebody with connections to cheap migrant labor which the restaurant might not have or want to associate themselves with.

Actually an extra clause was added this time that says: "Officials must be stricter in order to make sure foreigners are not abusing the system."

If the borders are open, they'll go back to doing border runs or visa runs I guess. Or Elite visa if they can afford it. COVID voided the 6 months thing ya.

Previously you didn't but this time it seems they have added a stipulation that it is up to the immigration officer's discretion as they don't want people "abusing" it.

You're talking about illegal money lenders. I'm pretty sure credit card companies don't sell their debt to these kinds of people.

You're quoting from the article where the debtor made a payment on the debt after the 2 years had already passed and renewed the statute of limitations.