Kitsune

Farang teachers will not have problem staying in Thailand.

They just get "married", and head to Savannakhet.

Those who are over 50, will go to Pattaya to get a Non-O based on Retirement, with the "help" of a Visa Agent.

you know immigration is making home visits to surprise "married" couples and interrogate neighbors?

No they're not. Some offices are making home visits, by appointment or with prior warning, as part of the extension of stay application and no neighbours are interrogated. Neighbours are asked to confirm the foreigner lives at the address and sign a statement.

ok then I do like you and get "married"

Farang teachers will not have problem staying in Thailand.

They just get "married", and head to Savannakhet.

Those who are over 50, will go to Pattaya to get a Non-O based on Retirement, with the "help" of a Visa Agent.

you know immigration is making home visits to surprise "married" couples and interrogate neighbors?

Thank goodness somebody else noticed, I thought I was losing my marbles. The OP should have no problems at any borders because he can just tell Immigration Officers what he doesn't want.

I understand what Kitsune is saying with regards to enforcement, consistancy and opportunism but in the wider context of recent and current events and the way things are generally heading it's coming across a bit like wishful thinking.

Personally I think there will be a simple and natural solution: the single entry tourist visa will be the new visa exempt, for the runners and bouncers in tandem with exempt itself. A bit of inconvenience - or not at all - for those who really are on some kind of extended holiday, though it's certainly only going to make things worse for the language centres struggling to find teachers who will work for them illegally.

Then, as a show of what a great job they've done with the new visa system, the Thais will then pat themselves on the back with an announcement that the new overstay rules shall indeed be applied....

Sweet dreams suckers.

Even if singles are not "officially" limited in numbers, consulates have their own quotas, so soon enough visa runners will literally run out of consulates to apply to.

ah. figures don't lie,but liars figure. Tourist people numbers may be up, but I doubt it. But more tourists doesn't mean more tourism business. A lot of tourist increase is by large group tours of Chinese for example. They stay in pre-arranged hotels, with pre-arranged prices, set itineraries, etc. Very limited expenditures and certainly limited type of expenditures

A renewed influx of 2 weeks package holidays Chinese, will certainly spend more than a 30k a month farang teacher on a tourist visa.

Hello

I am using 3BB wifi service in Bangkok and continuously have unloaded pages, never had a decent conversation using skype and that's just regular landlines calls (no video).

When I call support they say it's because of the weather, ie if there is a cloud, the connection will be bad, it's not their fault.

That would entails near 6 months of rainy season. Do we have to have bad Internet 6 months per year?

Do you experience the same?

Thanks

K

Is this racism? The answer is definitely an opinion.

For me, it's not directly about racism, but more about money.

They want richer foreigners.

Does it mean they only like us when we spend money? Probably.

Does that mean they are racists? May be.

Policies like this are absolutely not racist. And it's ridiculous for anyone to even consider it is.

Talk to the OP about this, hes the one that said its racist -not me

No FACTS in that just a load of unverifiable Anecdote!

You will never have facts or stats about back doors and corruption in a country that does not allow criticism and you know it, but the fact remains that corruption is endemic here.

If a farang will have to go to farangistan and spend alot of money to get a visa, this being Thailand, there will be always be agents offering, the same service for 20% cheaper and without leaving the country.

It's going to be the same as the "teacher license"- they made legal teaching, so unrealistic (degree in Education for poverty salary)-result = 99% of teachers (even with generic degrees) are illegal here.

Thailand is famous for making rules that they cant enforced, and thats not going to change anytime soon.

Like everyone they will use "agents"

Even people with proper docs use them for peace of mind.

The only way like everything here, is the backdoor with cash in hand.

Most do not use agents.

Most Never use "backdoor's".

Facts please!

A verifiable link with statistics for back door jobs and agent usage would be good to

Back door jobs are by definition NOT TOLD, so no stats, just people talking here

MobileContent, on 23 Oct 2015 - 11:38, said:

Just had an expat meeting last Sunday with around 20 farangs here in Isaan.

6 Farangs pay someone in Pattaya to do their extension of stay also they do not have the minimum of 400,000 Baht those brokers put in the money and charge 30,000 Baht yearly. For 90 days reportings the farangs mails his passport to Pattaya and gets it back after 4 days.

2 Farangs have a company on paper in Pattaya and got their NoneB-M from the German consulate in Frankfurt. No work permit really and they exit every 3 months via Mukdahan and return an hour later to activate the new entry. As I said the company is just on paper and not even trading properly.

1 Farang has a NoneB-M also from Frankfurt but this guy is flooded with cash, build a mansion owns a couple of European limos and has a GF from a bar in Pattaya. His visa however is valid as he invests a lot in the Thai financial market and is now looking to buy a hotel in Thailand.

Like everyone they will use "agents"

Even people with proper docs use them for peace of mind.

The only way like everything here, is the backdoor with cash in hand.

Is this racism? The answer is definitely an opinion.

For me, it's not directly about racism, but more about money.

They want richer foreigners.

Does it mean they only like us when we spend money? Probably.

Does that mean they are racists? May be.

Thanks. Is it the same situation with extensions on visas ? They seem.... More unwilling shall we say to give them out.

As long as you qualify for the extension of stay you are applying for and can supply all the documents/requirements you will always be granted an extension of stay.

Thanks a lot

I've heard rumours that the new in-coming METV could be the end of double entry TVs. And that the METV would only be applicable to obtain from your own native country.

I seriously hope that these are false rumours lol. That would be border line racist policies..

It's unconfirmed yet if ALL embassies/consulates are ending double entry TR's, but it looks very likely that will happen.

It's also unconfirmed but looks likely that the METV's will only be available from your home country/country of residence. This policy already applies to other visa categories and is no way racist.

Facts are names, numbers, data; You have been given none.

None of the people answering are on TR visa and have experienced the angst of being refused visa or entry.

and yet you seem happy!

Somebody made an interesting comment here about just overstaying and paying the 20,000 fine. That seems like a great way to avoid visa runs, but can one do that I definitely? If someone's goal were to come to Thailand for 3 visits per year, with each visit ranging from 2-3 months, could they just come in on a 30 day exempt stamp and stay as long as they want and pay the fine at the airport upon exit and then just come back and do it again a month or two later, and repeat and repeat? Does immigration ever hold it against the person and bar their future entries? That's probably cheaper for most than going back to their "home" countries for a new visa.

I read that was the next thing on their agenda

Just had an expat meeting last Sunday with around 20 farangs here in Isaan.

6 Farangs pay someone in Pattaya to do their extension of stay also they do not have the minimum of 400,000 Baht those brokers put in the money and charge 30,000 Baht yearly. For 90 days reportings the farangs mails his passport to Pattaya and gets it back after 4 days.

2 Farangs have a company on paper in Pattaya and got their NoneB-M from the German consulate in Frankfurt. No work permit really and they exit every 3 months via Mukdahan and return an hour later to activate the new entry. As I said the company is just on paper and not even trading properly.

1 Farang has a NoneB-M also from Frankfurt but this guy is flooded with cash, build a mansion owns a couple of European limos and has a GF from a bar in Pattaya. His visa however is valid as he invests a lot in the Thai financial market and is now looking to buy a hotel in Thailand.

The other farangs are mostly married to a Thai and are on a retirement visa for 400k. One got a divorce and he has 800k in the bank.

The other 12 farangs

Is this a cliff hanger? lol

We demand to know what the other 12 farangs do!

I have a friend that is German and very poor. He is married and pays the immigration and police off in Pattaya to get his extension of stay. He is currently very sick and survives on 400 Euros per month and the wife just waits for him to expire so she can grab a nice house. I am sure he will pass away in the next 3 months as his health is in very bad shape and I do give him some time some money to get by. Damn it this guy would get a big payout early next year as he finally reaches his pension.

Another farang a French guy was just diagnosed with stomach cancer, the inusrance only covers up to 150,000 Baht per month and he was just transferred from a first class private hospital to a government hospital. He should be returning to the home this weekend as he run out of money and the wife refuses to sell the house in Udon Thani (top location) as she wants to have the house too (No children involved).

The mistake both did was that they burned funds on Sinsood, Cars and house and on the end they have nothing,

Can't protect people from their own stupidity. Isn't stomach cancer pretty much untreatable. ..why sell the house and blow his wife's future security so he can have maybe an extra month or so in agony. Seems pretty selfish to me.

They have been married for a long time already. He just found out several months ago that their is a life insurance on his head. Mrs done that without him telling. He has Stage II so his survival rate of living another two - three years is very strong but at the government hospital he should be dead within a few months.

People marry here thinking, it has the same moral and romantic value as in the West.

As heart breaking these stories are, they are also unfortunately very common.

I can tell you that business is not good in Thailand. we are in high season and many business have no customers . I don't see many customers around me. not like last year.

look at the number of bikes waiting to be rented...

According to TAT

Tourism has never been better

Don"t be silly: you know very well they later on get proper paperwork, because Europe is so generous with migrants.

The things is, it's never reciprocated when Europeans go abroad

Your off topic and talking absolute nonsense.

There are 5 year and 10 year routes to obtaining permanent residency in the UK.

They have no recourse to public funds even though many have the right to work and pay taxes.

Wives are supported by there husband as sponsors, that's the condition.

Only after a certain period of time, working and paying taxes can they even claim job seekers allowance.

They are not even entitled to child benefits.

By the time they have ILR and may be entitled to some small benefit they have contributed thousands into the system.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/592541/Migrants-milking-benefits-system-Foreigners-more-likely-to-claim-handouts

No official limit on consecutive tourist visas has ever been set, that sort of implies Thailand doesn't mind perpetual tourists. Bit of logic there rather than assumptions.

The regional Thai consulates and embassies ALREADY DO limit the number of TR visas based on what evidence of multiple prior visas and visa exempt entries are already in the applicants passport. Visa annotation is very common.

Regardless if someone successfully get their umpteenth TR visa from the umpteenth regional Thai consulate or embassy, Immigration officers ALREADY DO arbitrarily exercise the enforcement of limits by either denying entry or advising people with evidence of multiple prior visas and visa exempt entries that they must get the correct visa or will be denied entry next time.

The fact that there's 'no official limit on consecutive tourist visas' means absolutely nothing. People have been getting red-stamped for years. People being denied entry and being sent back to where they came from is increasing.

I agree,what good is it to repeat incessantly that there is no limit on TR visas when in real life, immigration and embassies do have their own set limits ?

IMHO the METV will be a huge flop, you can guess why.

But we have to wait and see.

The Thai Embassies/Consulates in Vientiane, Savannakhet, Penang and even Phnom Penh make a fortune in issuing visa, most of the profits are being send to BKK.

I think the current government tries very hard to limit the business potential for the visa related industry, BTW all companies are TAT registered.

Yes a flop.

Surely less candidates than the 2&3 TR visa, but is that not the all point?

Keep "quality tourists" only.

It's true. People with these visas could just return to their home country [or in my case, the country which issues me my passport] when it expires and get a new one. Instead of flying out and obtaining a new visa after every 3 months, you fly "home" once every 9 or 10 months and get the METV. Cost probably works out the same.

I just been to Bali to get a 3 entries TR visa for 9 months.

How does flying back to France and paying 3 times the flight price, and spending 5 times the time to fly to France, and spending 5 times the money in accommodation in Paris to get the same 9 months can work out "the same" please explain.

But in UK, they get income support, housing benefit, free school, free healthcare, etc, so it"s make sense to restrict access

Not really. A tourist is a tourist and has booked his ticket with return flights, has a valid medical insurance (Travel Insurance). A student that is going to study in the UK has also paid in advance for housing, the school including tuition fees, a valid medical insurance.

Even during my time in Thailand (None-O-M) due to my 3y old Thai boy, I have a valid medical insurance, a liability insurance and on top a Travel Insurance and it costs me 400 Euros monthly just to be on the save side.

I was referring of the 50000 Thai living and working in the UK, these are 72% women working in bars, restaurants, massage parlors and sex industry. How did they get there? They have zero qualification and certainly did not entered UK with a proper valid working visa but certainly with a TOURIST or student visa.

If they entered on a toursit visa or student visa, and overstayed and are working illegally they will not get recourse to public funds or benefits...

in the case of students under tier 4 studies, they can legally work upto 10 hours a week during the term, and during term holidays 20 hours a week, but they still have no recourse to public funds or services

So give it a rest will you...the fact is persons on a toursit visa to the UK are not entitled to any public funded services or benefits as you said originally

Don"t be silly: you know very well they later on get proper paperwork, because Europe is so generous with migrants.

The things is, it's never reciprocated when Europeans go abroad

If there is a huge drop-off in tourist visa applications due to the difficulty in obtaining the METV, would it be likely they revert to the double or triple or lower the requirements on the METV...?

I mean, they need cashflow at these consulates and visas are their main income (?)

The thing is they can largely afford a drop off.

This year, Thailand just celebrated it's 28th MILLIONS of tourist. The lucky one was awarded an economy return ticket to THL.

Despite bombing and political coup, it's never been better for THL and further deals with China buying a new train system hope to welcome 7 millions Chinese.

In India the METV is none consecutive.

You have to stay out of the country for at least 2 months before applying again

"But in UK, they get income support, housing benefit, free school, free healthcare, etc, so it"s make sense to restrict access:"

They only restrict access to legitimate visitors/ potential residents. The third world gets away with anything provided that they can sneak in. Sorry for the rant, but it really annoys me the hoops (+cost) we have to jump through to get our legitimate Thai spouse into the UK when others not only do it for free but get subsidised once there.

"Third world" as a term has been obsolete for 15 years.

Marriage has been a known route for illegal immigration for decades.

For the biggest majority of 'tourists' it's not going to make any difference. There has been no mention of stopping visa exempt or visa on arrival. Those two fit nearly all tourists who have a 3 or 4 week holiday in Thailand.

Generally someone who wants a 6 month holiday will be aware of the costs and conditions and act accordingly.

This isn't a get at anyone post by the way, but the days of arriving in Thailand on a 30 day entry and deciding to stay for a year are slowly disappearing. Sure it will be sad and hard for some to take in but that's the way it is.

As has been posted by others it's really no different to the requirements for my wife coming to UK for a holiday with me. Proof of work here, cash in the bank, hotel bookings etc.

Comparing THL with a G7 country?