hhhhhhhttttttt2000

Time up for some 30 day visa runners

Farangs living in Thailand with a 30 day stamp on arrival, and renewing it by continuous monthly visa runs to the Cambodian border, face big problems from next month. New regulations introduced on October 1 2006 mean that these farangs will currently be on their third 30 days visa run (October, November and December) with the limit of 90 days in a 6 months’ block about to bite.

Since October, immigration officers at Thai airports and border posts have been underlining 30 days stamps in visitors’ passports with a yellow marker pen.

Once three such stamps have been issued in a 6 months’ period, entrants are likely to be refused another in the short term. They are likely to be given a temporary 7 days’ stamp and told to quit Thailand for at least three months. These changes had been introduced by the immigration bureau nationally as it was felt the discretion of the 30 days stamp on arrival was being abused by foreigners trying to turn it into an unofficial residency permit.

Bureau chief police lieutenant general Suwat Tumrongsrikul had indicated that he had evidence that some such “residents” were running bars illegally or abusing Thai hospitality in other ways. If the perpetual 30 days on arrival farangs wish to continue to live in Thailand they have to break the cycle by leaving the country and requesting a prior visa (60 or 90 days) at a Thai consulate or embassy abroad. The most popular destinations in Asia are Penang and Vientiane, but most applicants are currently being restricted there to a single entry tourist visa (60 days plus an extension of 30 days).

The British embassy Pattaya based officer, Barry Kenyon, said all of the options needed financial resources. “Foreigners over 50 can apply for a one year retirement option,” he said, “but they need to have at least 800,000 baht made up of a Thai bank book deposit and probably proof of income or pension in their first country.” He added that men under 50 wanting a one year visa were mostly restricted to the “married man’s extension” or a valid work permit issued by the Labour office. Another option for foreigners with funds is to return to their own countries to obtain a multiple entry tourist or non-immigrant visa.

It is increasingly the pattern that multiple entries are being given only in the applicant’s home country. The Thai government recently introduced a new three year business visa, again awarded only in the first country, but this requires the support of the Thai commerce ministry or board of investment as well as proof of liaison with business partners in Thailand. A Pattaya based visa and travel agent said that he thought that some impecunious farangs might go into overstay as they could not afford to leave the country, thus risking jail and deportation procedures. But he wondered whether the new rules might be softened later in the year. “The whole thing was introduced without much notice, “he said, “and it might not be long term as it stands. Nobody knows.” The immigration bureau stresses that the new rules about 30 days do not apply to holiday tourists or holders of prior visas issued in countries outside Thailand.

A spokesman said tourists were very welcome and there were procedures in place to permit long stays. “We are concerned only with the abuse of the 30 days stamp by foreigners who are renewing it month after month after month at border posts. It is not a residency permit,” he explained.

--Pattaya Today 2006-12-16

http://www.pattayatoday.net/index.php?acti...ews&id=2030

either totally stupid or totally confused, so would someone help me

I have american 60 day tourist, starting sept 14. Bangkok Immigration added 30 days to that. Dec 12 I went to Cambodia, so now I

am good till Jan 10, 2007. How many times can I still go to cambodia

Please help

Have put this in visa section without an answer

I am American, come to bkk on sept 14 with 60 day tourist visa,

went to immigration and they gave me 30 more days, so I am

good till 12/14

I now find out I have to stay until march of 2007.

Please give me advice as to what to do

is there a 90 day tourist from cambodia

how many times can I go to cambodia for 30 day visa

thanks

Hi

Cannot figure out the answer to this, and I think I have read everything. You seem to have alot of knowledge so I am asking for your help

I arrived in Bkk on 9/14 with 60 day tourist, immigration extended to 12/14. I am an american.

I come here to take my fiancee back to the states, but have run into some problems and now it looks like feb, 2007 or maybe march will be the day we return.

Can you suggest to me how to extend my visa to like March. Or is that impossible. When I went to immigration to extend 30 days the lady did not want to talk about the cambodia solution. Do we have a company that can get a 90 day tourist extension, or can I go to cambodia every 30 days till March of 2007.

Would really appreciate the answers if you know

Thanks

lee tiyler

//email removed//

forgot to mention that my visa is stamped "multiple re entry is good"

Are you sure that is exactly what it is says on the visa you got from the Thai consulate (not embassy) in Miami?

Or are you talking about a multiple re-entry permit you obtained from an immigration office in Thailand?

Actually, it does not matter now, since you say that before returning to Thailand you obtained a tourist visa and then entered Thailand with this visa. Therefore, the permission of stay you currently have stamped in your passport is based on the tourist visa, which means you are allowed to stay for only 60 days from your date of arrival, unless you apply for the extension mentioned by Lopburi.

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

Maestro

The 1 year visa from the Miami consulate says

category----o-a

good for multiple entries

issue aug 31

I have a question that I cannot find in search

I have a 1 year retirement visa, sent on august 30, 2005 from Thai embassy, Miami

I entered Thailand September 25, 2005 and reported every 90 days. I went back to America

April 2006. I have a 60 day visa to re enter Thailand for this month. Can I renew my 1 year visa

when I re enter this month. If so, can I do this at the airport immigration, or do I go to Bangkok

immigration office. I have read a website that said that I can renew by just showing my financial

and filling out the proper forms. The date of august 30 2005 shows as the date of issue, the date

of sept 25 2005 shows the entry. Which date does the 1 year start

Thanks for any help

forgot to mention that my visa is stamped "multiple re entry is good"

I have a question that I cannot find in search

I have a 1 year retirement visa, sent on august 30, 2005 from Thai embassy, Miami

I entered Thailand September 25, 2005 and reported every 90 days. I went back to America

April 2006. I have a 60 day visa to re enter Thailand for this month. Can I renew my 1 year visa

when I re enter this month. If so, can I do this at the airport immigration, or do I go to Bangkok

immigration office. I have read a website that said that I can renew by just showing my financial

and filling out the proper forms. The date of august 30 2005 shows as the date of issue, the date

of sept 25 2005 shows the entry. Which date does the 1 year start

Thanks for any help

I have a question that I cannot find in search

I have a 1 year retirement visa, sent on august 30, 2005 from Thai embassy, Miami

I entered Thailand September 25, 2005 and reported every 90 days. I went back to America

April 2006. I have a 60 day visa to re enter Thailand for this month. Can I renew my 1 year visa

when I re enter this month. If so, can I do this at the airport immigration, or do I go to Bangkok

immigration office. I have read a website that said that I can renew by just showing my financial

and filling out the proper forms. The date of august 30 2005 shows as the date of issue, the date

of sept 25 2005 shows the entry. Which date does the 1 year start

Thanks for any help

I have a question that I cannot find in search

I have a 1 year retirement visa, sent on august 30, 2005 from Thai embassy, Miami

I entered Thailand September 25, 2005 and reported every 90 days. I went back to America

April 2006. I have a 60 day visa to re enter Thailand for this month. Can I renew my 1 year visa

when I re enter this month. If so, can I do this at the airport immigration, or do I go to Bangkok

immigration office. I have read a website that said that I can renew by just showing my financial

and filling out the proper forms. The date of august 30 2005 shows as the date of issue, the date

of sept 25 2005 shows the entry. Which date does the 1 year start

Thanks for any help

I have read all 42 pages of this forum and now I am so confused that

I will ask one of the chiang mai experts step up and set me straight

I am 74 years old, want to be in a neighborhood of farangs and thai, but weighted

towards farang.

My fat ass does not fit on a motorcycle, so I would also like to be very close

to shopping for grocery etc/

Also, would like to find apartment or house, but like all americans I want something newer and am looking to rent, not buy

ok, now please no flamers, just give me the straight poop

thaqnks alot