ilocos

Guys why all the bickering and insults. It's simple. Thailand no longer wants the type of tourist that stays here indefinitely. The reasons are simple. The majority of these people usually work without permits or commit crimes. Thailand has really never been taken seriously in the international community. Harbouring fugitives from other countries, fake passport hub, lax and corrupt border controls and the list goes on. The Junta wants to clean everything up. Please stop with all this. Thailand is I hope turning into a normal country because for far too long everything has been backwards here. Yes for the people that lived and depended on the old way things were done in Thailand, the transition will be difficult. I firmly believe that all the expats with legitimate reasons for being here will be able to find the proper visa to stay. Ed visa to study, tourist visa for holiday, business visa to work, retirement visa to retire, investment visa to own part of the Thai economy,dependent visa If you have a child, a marriage visa if you are married. This is the way a normal country works.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

cambodia, laos, philippines, malaysia is the old Thailand. Residents on tourist visas. Time to find a new home

Ok. But I doubt this new rule has much intelligence in it. In my case, Thailand will lose 100% on it.

I am enrolled at my university in Denmark. I have 1,600 USD/month in grant and a bit of studen7ts loan. I live most of the year in Thailand, submitting 90% of the papers over the internet. In other words, I havue managed to take a Danish degree while living 10+ months a year in Thailand.

And now? If I cannot stay here at the basis of visa runs (I go to KL once a month, pretty cheap flight)?

Listen, please: I get my money from Denmark. I take these money from Denmark and put directly into the Thai economy. It is a 100% win situation for Thailand. It is totally legal, I follow all rules, I never do anything bad here, etc. So, the question is: why do Thailand want me to go back to my home country and use my money there?

Thus the lack of intelligence from these politicians. Honestly, it has been my thought, over the past couple of years, that this planet would be better off without politicians at all. They only create problems or short-sighted solutions that will later turn out actually to be more of a problem than a solution.

Look at the West. How is it going there? There should be a law against politicians and politics.

Hmm sorry but your 50k a month is not going to make a ripple on the Thai economy.

Why not go to Oz, or USA and do this? Cannot get a visa? Too expensive?

Lets face it Thailand became the Dollar store of countries when it comes to cost of living, and visa leniency - sure they don't want to remain there.

An ocean is made by many droplets of water.

There are hundreds of thousands of people in this situation, 99% of them never do anything bad in Thailand. Just spend their money.

The truth is the govt. is looking for a scapegoat to divert the attention from national problems. What better scapegoat of the so much hated farangs ? Sure, we are the cause of all bad in Thailand. yes, take that pill of the truth and feel reliefed. After all long term tourists will leave and go spend their money in Malaysia, Thailand will be happy and prosper again.

Here's the thing, I don't believe there are 100s of thousands of people abusing the visa system in this way, more likely a tenth of that.

Even so, most of them are honest law abiding types and would fall into line and stay for the maximum they are allowed - just as before - except now they may not spend as much.

The real problems are caused by illegal workers and overstayers.

In addition, long stayers of all types are seldom hotel guests and have long since tired of the tourist sites etc. so are not contributing directly to tourism at all.

Thailand will remain a desirable destination, especially so for the many who are breaching the law to stay already.

Isn't it well known that if something is more expensive, it becomes more desirable?

Mr Denmark. If you don't want to pay 30,000 baht for ED visa malaysia will give you unlimited free 90 day visa and 16 baht rice vege curries. If you want hookers, cambodia or vietnam.

i have a been a tourist in thailand for about 3 years,the last 3 years.i won lottery(or sort of) so i could stay long time with ordinary stamps(30 days) or 2 entries tourist visas(180 days) and i did not need to work

i rented an apartment in bangkok and when i was bored i went somewhere else,few days or 1 week or so(i went everywhere in thailand)

i am too young for retirement i am 33.i like to be single and having fun.sometime i went out of thailand(Bali,Hcm city,Tokyo or Vientiane) few days to apply for a tourist visa or just a 30 days stamp

i took a flight (nok air promotion) from don muang to hua hin i was the only passenger haha i had a short talk with the cabin crew about it

me " what the.."

cabin crew "we think our boss made a mistake"

the transfer from hua hin airport to town was free lol

anyway,i thought to take 1 more year holiday or so from october/november

but i cant do that anymore,right?the immigration will see my passport and assume i am an illegal worker

You could consider spending your holiday studying a bit thai, and get a 1 year ED visa which will be around 30.000 baht for both visa and school. I won't recommend to get ED visa for studying thai, and skip school though, because they does sometimes check up on you if you attend your class or interview you when you make your 90 day report.

crystal ball. Perhaps they'll selectively apply rules to Russians, Koreans, nigerians

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I'm on double entry tourist visa spending a week in Vietnam and arriving back to Thailand on 14th for second half of my visa.

Wonder how this will go. I don't have any back to back visas in my passport, and I don't have any jvisa exemptions. I do have multiple double entry tourist visas over many years. Visa was acquired from home country, not a border country in Asia.

you'll be fine. youre not doing an Out/In7

I wouldnt be so sure!

the other thaivisa article (recently) stated clearly that people with VALID 60 day tourist visas were refused entry in the south of thailand.

even if a consulate gives you a VALID visa,,, the immigration officials may not let you in.

it says above that immigration is warning all foreigners to get the correct visa!!! but this is a stupid Catch22 situation where you get a CORRECT VALID VISA from a Thai Embassy and then you are refused entry with this CORRECT AND VALID VISA!!!!

-- completely bad!! its the Thai Embassys job to NOT issue a visa in the first place!!! the government should make more effort to communicate to their embassies throughout the world of this new rule!!!

i'm sure its just ONE email that needs to be sent as a group message to all their embassies. so why on earth hasnt this been done? why dont foreigtn thai embassies know this rule? why are they issuing visas to people that are not allowed visas?

or,, is it the immigration checkpoints that are misunderstanding this rule?

if the cut off date is in August,, then why are people getting stopped today and yesterday?????

this is VERY BAD and costly to people... immigration is NOT following its own rules!!!

i personally (kind of) understand the rules and I am trying to make the necessary changes. I am happy to play their game.. but they have to abide to the rules!! its really so bad for them to not follow the rules.

ok I'll teach you the rules. Immigration officer has the right to assess whether you are a genuine tourist even if you have a tourist visa. It's a very subjective assessment. If he feels you will work in Thailand he has every right to stop you entering Thailand.

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It is harsh on the kids though.

It is, but still irresponsible to caught up in this crackdown if you have kids in Thailand as foreigner.

You cannot blame the country to actually finally start to enforce the rules/laws. You can only blame the parent who has got himself in visa trouble by doing continuously border running to be able to stay here, even though the law has been quite clear for a long time, that you can maximum be tourist for 180 days per year.

I think you are a few years out of date on the 180 days per year.

This was policy of previous military government. Who runs the government. Only the blind can not see its going to be 90 days in 90 days out ruthlessly enforcement. It's just starting gently. Soon again the repeat of 90 day rule will be announced.

Looks like a lot of foreigners are either leaving or will have to get married, have a child or get a retirement visa.

thats exactly what you said !

i got to that conclusion 6 years ago. ..thats why you cant see a foreign young fellow in thailand living hjere.

.they only like and want 50 years old people.. .with money of course....otherwise please go back to where you come from!

enough poors in thailand, dont need no more...! please understand us.

well ...............enough thinking................i'll have a beer instead.

chears

over 50 visa policy means thai husband not jealous of his thai wife having a farang husband. That's what this crackdown is all about 555

For an American, the minimum wage is 65,000 THB/month in order to hold a work permit so you will have no problem proving this income.

As for the companies that took advantage of the loop holes to pay under minimum wage to teachers, etc. now that it will be universally enforced, the work permit/visa rules should provide an increase in wages for people in this category.

There is no minimum wage for work permit, but there is for extension of stay based on employment and for Americans it's 50.000 baht / month.

To get extension of stay based on marriage or children to income is only 40.000 baht / month.

Better to employ someone married.

This brings up an important point: until now married guys have not had any advantage when it comes to competing in the few occupations open to foreigners, in fact they have been disadvantaged as illegal workers do not have the "hassle" of applying for WP and they will work for less (sometimes even less than Thai people).

One outcome of this crackdown may be that it will be easier for married guys to find employment. There will definitely be many bars going cheaply - if you are that way inclined.

I have found myself in the unenviable position that at the end of my career I find it impossible to find work here as every (ERP) IT position advertised imposes 3 things - Thai national, under 35 years, degree. I have 20 years experience consulting to large manufacturing companies so it is incredibly frustrating to sit at home doing the housework. Going to my home country is not an option.

Changing to a new profession is incredibly difficult, even more so when the lower skilled jobs are taken by illegal workers. Perhaps I will have some new opportunities next year. Money is not an issue as I have learned to live within my means and not as a permanent tourist.

Before the flamers take aim - I have been working in other countries, the most recent being Malaysia where I took a permanent position thinking my wife could join me - but I hated every minute there and only lasted 9 months. I have never done a days work in Thailand.

To all the cynical idiots out there, wishing ill fortune on others - I hope you choke on your dinner and nobody bothers to help. In fact I hope someone records it on their iphone and posts it here...

would you waste your time on flies that stick to shit. Ignore mal discontented adjusted posters in the same way.

lol - harsh - but hey - you are really seeing the mentality and bitterness of many Thaivisa members on these threads.

They should be ashamed of themselves, but I fear most of them are rather proud of the bilious crap they are posting.

You only need 40K/month for a visa based on marriage or a kid. Even an English teacher makes that.

the number's now 65K/month or 800K in the bank or any combo equating to that. Starting English teachers *might* get half that, but then they'd already have a WP ...wouldn't they!!

Ah Thailand, Land of Perplexities

its 400,000 for those married to a thai

Yes, I fall into the category above. Married with a son but earn a little less than 40,000. Teachers are covered by the Work Permit. If I had huge savings I could get a non immigration o visa based on that, and retire :-) wouldn't that be nice! Working visa it is then!

the problem for those woking in Thailand....married or not, if they lose/leave their job they have 7 days to get out of the country. To get back in....well how will they get back in? They won't, unless they are over 50 and have the required money/income for a long term visa.

This means is essence that Thailand offers some of the worst job security in the world.

It's going to be an employers market bonanza.........People will be taking any job at peanut rates just to stay with their family.

Immigration policy directed at families shows how kind immigration are. Check visa policies before you marry.

When it comes down to it Thais don't really like foriegners

Our money is wanted but our persons are not

the thais in my village do

How do you know? Actually if you ask thais if they like farang most will say no but there's no malice in it generally. It's just that they feel we are alien or its just a preference.

I would work on worst case scenario 90 days in and 90 days out and being turned back at border occasionally being told that I can't be resident in Thailand on tourist visas any longer. I've factored this in to cope with the stress of being told I'm an unwelcome undesirable degenerate.

So if an Italian citizen who has absolutely no history of visa runs and arrived in Thailand obtaining a 30 day visa exempt status because he did not have time to get a proper tourist visa, wants to stay here longer than 30 days. Will he be able to travel to Vientianne, Laos get a proper Thai tourist visa from the Thai embassy, and be allowed reentry at the Friendship bridge immigration checkpoint, Nong Khai, into Thailand in order to stay an additional 30 or so days? He will be able to show sufficient funds and plane ticket back to Italy before the expiration of his newly issued tourist visa.

This applies to my son-in-law visiting with his Thai wife. They live in Italy and are staying only two months. This is not a visa run in the sense of someone doing it repeatedly in order to stay in Thailand for an6 indefinite period of time. Before anyone says,"He should have gotten a proper tourist visa before coming." I know, I know, but it just didn't work out this time. Last minute travel plans, etc.

no problem for your son in law. Sleep easy mate.

narrithiwat crossing 4 days ago the group coming back from Penang with double entry tourist visas

Do you mean the ones with lots of O/I visa stamps in their passports or genuine tourist visas?

if you're on thai visa looking at this forum i doubt you're a genuine tourist lol

It is my opinion only that if fully computerised access by border staff it'll go same way as schengen, 90 days in and 90 days out. Is there any CURRENT immigration notices that support this opinion?

i have no problems with not allowing back to back tourist visas and VOA's if that's what they choose to do but my issue is with people being denied at borders. This is what creates the unecessary confusion. The decision on whether someone is a visa runner should be made by the embassy when they apply for a visa and not at a border.

I have just got back from London with a new triple entry tourist visa (GBP 75). I have a passport full of tourist visas/VOAs and non-immigrant visas. I have purchased future tickets from Thailand etc based on my being able to stay during the time printed on my visa and also made various plans for trips with friends in Thailand. Now i am in a situation where i don't know if i will be able to return for my second or third entry. If they had denied my visa application at the embassy then i would simply not have travelled to Thailand in the first place.

I sincerely wish you luck. But if you have been residing in Thailand more than 183 days in a year the border may decide you have been given tourist visa in error. You would have been better to get a new passport. Good luck anyway. Perhaps embassies are giving visas against wishes of Bangkok and therefore the need to turn back those upon entry to Thailand.

here was another thread about 8 people who were refused entry at that checkpoint and told to go back to KL and fly to BKK.

and there was no indication that they were on 2nd entries of existing visas.

for those trying to work out rules. The golden rule is allowing someone into any country is discretionary. We are seeing the beginnings of severe turbulence. But this will not affect people who come to Thailand for a two month holiday every year. Time to stop being so complacent to think you can rely on rules. If you're trying to work out the application of rules you've been here to long and not welcome is my guess. That's why I have chosen other ASEAN counties that allow residence on tourist visas.

here was another thread about 8 people who were refused entry at that checkpoint and told to go back to KL and fly to BKK.

and there was no indication that they were on 2nd entries of existing visas.

for those trying to work out rules. The golden rule is allowing someone into any country is discretionary. We are seeing the beginnings of severe turbulence. But this will not affect people who come to Thailand for a two month holiday every year. Time to stop being so complacent to think you can rely on rules. If you're trying to work out the application of rules you've been here to long and not welcome is my guess. That's why I have chosen other ASEAN counties that allow residence on tourist visas.

Wonder what will happen to all those foreigners that are married, have children, but don't have enough money to get a Non-Imm visa based on marriage.

Will Immigration start splitting up families?

u

I hope so.

These guys should have thought about the correct visa before getting married and having kids.

A little forward planning/saving may have helped them here.

lack of a visa being an incredibly heinous crime rightly denies a father to be with his son under UN charter. I think not.

can someone assure me that I can use my triple entry visa that was issued in Britain on 5th may!, I am about to do my 1st ever visa run on a clean passport (.i.e. no border stamps) . Have never done a visa run in the past?.

you'll be welcome with open arms and legs. No worries for you mate.

Problem I see here isnt the new rules so much as the D**K heads that you sometimes can be unfortunate enough to meet at immigration interpreting whatever they want depending on if they got into an argument with the missus before they went to work.

i know far too many people who have run afoul of those from time to time. plenty of people coming in and out of LOS regular to do business apart from anything else, done a few turn around meetings over a border myself then back the same day or next for legit reasons in the past on the way out of Thailand a few days later by plane.

Sometimes tourists cross borders for the day for a look see like mai sai or over the friendship bridge just to come back later and carry on touring about Thailand, they wont be welcome either then. Heck I was in and out of Thailand for a good few months while deciding whether to stick around or not without wasting money on a multiple. Or when a visa has run its course and I dont want another before popping off someplace else ill extend on a tourist for a few weeks if out of town and near a border. This wont make things better for a lot that are just going about their lives and not really trying to stiff the system at all

There is nothing to say how immigration will interpret hub skippers to malaysia or cambodia ankor wat 2 day trippers then back or Vientiene trippers. Or for that matter anyone who trips out to singapore for a days meeting and back or anyhwere else for short meetings ... stamps can build up. There are plenty I know who pop in every few months or even weeks both to do business or for pleasure, these all use the entry visa. If they are in and out in 2 weeks or less then come back the same day are they in the net too ?

Asian nationals are the very worst for this btw.

Thats the problem with making yourself the hub of Asia and you dont have a decent rules defined with well run immigration that all work off the same page.

Its all ok until it isnt and then your screwed. Idiots here need to understand there is more to using tourist visas than trying to stay forever here. Just wait until ASEAN and all the people in and out for family visits and stuff .. its going to be a real mess.

IMO there will be a LOT of mistakes

philippino working illegally put 100 baht in their passport when crossing border. This used to work well. I don't know now. Perhaps all they're wanting is a note in the farang passport but are to shy to ask, loss of face.

This really is tiresome. Surely the fact of the matter is that if you have the correct visa and/or documentation then you will be allowed to enter Thailand. I for one have no problem with the authorities refusing entry to people who are trying to abuse the system and there are many thousands of them. Do it the right way or find somewhere else to live and leave those of us who are here legally and legitimately to enjoy the delights of living in Thailand. Thank you.

sounds like you want all the pussy for yourself 555

I was hassled at immigration at Suvarnibhumi airport last month coming back. I work in Africa on a one month/ one month cycle and I had a return ticket 26 days later. They tried to say I was working here. This time I will have pay slips for the preceding 3 months to show my income comes from elsewhere, return ticket to Tanzania and a letter stating I work for the drilling company for the last month and one staing I will be working for them the following month. I still envisage problems as I have many Thai stamps in my passport. Spoke to a friend at Kap Choeng that is in charge there and he said I am all legal but cannot guarantee I will not have issues. Can anyone see problems with entering the kingdom?

Yes they see many tourist visas and exempt entries in my passport and they show they disapproval leading to much delay. Everything is discretionary with immigration. Do not rely on hard and fast rules or your rights as an alien.

I'm on double entry tourist visa spending a week in Vietnam and arriving back to Thailand on 14th for second half of my visa.

Wonder how this will go. I don't have any back to back visas in my passport, and I don't have any visa exemptions. I do have multiple double entry tourist visas over many years. Visa was acquired from home country, not a border country in Asia.

you'll be fine. youre not doing an Out/In

How do you define Out/In though? I'll be in Vietnam for 7 days. Is Out/In about people who cross back the same day? 1 day? 3 days? 1 week?

I wish the immigration rules were clearer.

I agree that they are a bit unclear. According to some officials at the southern border with Malaysia, they requested that some people stay in Malaysia a minimum of 1-2 nights. That is not a difficult thing to do and one would think if you are going all the way to a border crossing you would actually be staying in that country for a couple of days? If that's all it takes...a couple of days then I think a lot of people can breathe a sigh of relief. However, the impression I'm getting is that may not be enough if you've spent 350 days in Thailand on back-to-back tourist visas and/or visa exemptions and only 1-3 days in between visa/border runs. A clearer directive would certainly be welcome. In any case I fortunately do not fit the profile of a visa runner and always stay a few days, a week or two outside of Thailand between each entry I've made. Generally I have legitimate business reasons for doing so, but even in the rare case I had to leave to extend my stay, I spent some time outside of Thailand before returning. I've only ever done one in-out border run at a small crossing, which I had some trepidation at doing, but I knew I'd only be doing it once before going for a visa. That was shortly after my job and work permit ended so I was pretty OK.

trying to be helpful. If you've spent long amounts in Thailand prepare to be out for 3 to 6 months. I was out for 9 months and the many tourist visa made immigration hesitate to give me an exempt entry. They are serious now. If you've been here too long it's time for you to leave permanently is the impression I get.

Here's a workaround:

1. Leave Thailand.

3. Loose your passport.

4. Apply for and receive replacement passport at your embassy.

5. Apply for and recieve multiple entry tourist visa.

6. Rinse, repeat.

Which is illegal (destroying government property in most cases and leads to all sorts of problems in getting a new paspsort if it happens often).

Secondly, immigration has a database and is not only dependend on seeing your passport to see how many entries you made.

I think they don't want people living year round on tourist visas lol. If it gives you so much stress to attempt to beat the system perhaps it's better to find another early retirement location.

Here's a workaround:

1. Leave Thailand.

3. Loose your passport.

4. Apply for and receive replacement passport at your embassy.

5. Apply for and recieve multiple entry tourist visa.

6. Rinse, repeat.

Good idea, add to this go in disguise. I have found these embassy staff have very good memories.

I applied for a ED Visa (with Walen), that should be ready in like 2 weeks I guess.

I am flying to Suvanburmi around 5 of August. I am planning to take the 30 day visa waiver, get the documents from the school in Bangkok, then go to Laos change this visa and enjoy my 1 year hassle-free.

My concern is that I'm a bit worried that they deny me entry, since I have a fair amount of stamps already.

Since Apr12,

1 visa waiver (1month),

1 tourist visa (3 months)

Gap ~8 months

1 tourist visa (3 months)

5 days gap

4 in and outs

I left the kingdom the 20th of April.

How likely is it that they don't let me in? If they do, can I explain my situation (applied for ED visa etc)

If I get denied, can I somehow buy a ticket to Laos and go there directly?

If I want to avoid those risk I could apply for ED visa in my home country but it would cost me a fortune and make me waste a lot of time (I live far from any embassy)

Thank for your help

see you in penang mate *