Parker2100

Having a bus ticket to Laos for exit got me in trouble once. Not because it was wrong. It was because a cheap ticket out when arrive by air in is suspicious. You shouldn't have an inexpensive exit ticket when you arrive.

Yes, they should exempt people who have their own International Insurance. This has come up before and they insisted it HAS to be a Thai Insurance company. Because...well... Thailand. Yeah, they are just strangling there own tourism industry. But hey it is their country! After the effects of about 10 years of this, they will be the most open tourism spot in the world. Or... Myanmar-Like They will do what they will do.

On the first or second Visa it usually is easy. After, that "It is like a box of chocolates. You never know what your gonna get" Even on the first visit, they reserve the discretion to deny entry just because they don't like the way you look, or dress.

It would obviously be before you get past Immigration. Btw, the original plan years ago, was just tack a 200 Baht fee to your airplane ticket.

Even if you think you are doing everything correctly, you never really know, in Thailand, anymore.

I don't recall any exorbitant exit fees from Cambodia. But I do remember the crazy Flat-Rate Hotel Tax in Malaysia that cost more than my room at the Hostel I was staying.

I fail to see a connection between the two events. I understand that tsome in yhe government(s) have wanted to impose this fee for a long time before but this event is a poor excuse to do so. I am actually in favor of a fee to reimburse Thailand for medical costs incurred during normal tourism. It may help relieve some of the occasional hostility expressed by some Immigration Officers who behave as if repeat tourism is an unwelcome burden on Thailand.

I believe the original discussion was about extending Visas (ot stamps?) to 90 days. I have done the 60+30. But there is a limit.

Depends on the scheduling og the connecting flights. If you pay top dollar, sure. But my flights usually have two connecting flights. And I prefer sufficient time in-between connections in case one is late or cancelled. Still, if you are lucky enough to have 3 week to a month of vacation time. Is paying a couple grand to fly halfway around the world going to be the first choice of most tourists?

It may well be a slimer "Majority" than you think. Working class people, who currently have a job, usually don't have time to fly halfway across the planet to spend 3 or 4 week in Thailand. That is 5 days of travel to & from the United States alone.

Sounds fine to me. When they have a 90 day tourist Visa I may do that. It was you that said people don't need more than 3 or 4 weeks vacation. That is wrong. You are thinking of only one category of people. What about people who work remotely or people whose income comes from Investment or pention? They have to pay-up to "Live" in Thailand or spend their cash elsewhere (which I do). There is no in-between in Thailand, currently.

Ummm...retired people who don't want to live in Thailand take long vacations. And they generally have sufficient income. I am one of those. Why do I want to put all that money in a Thai Bank if I can spend 90 days in Thailand, 90 days in Malaysia, and wherever the Hell else I want? Buying into a long-term scheme in Thailand means I intend to stay in Thailand. I don't!

I seem to remember that Tourist Visas were 60 days, not 30. It is the stamp that is 30 days.

How does raising financial requirements help? The two stories they mentioned were a businessman & a bike gang. Businesses and gangs don't have money? Sounds like an excuse to me. Nothing to do with screening out criminals. Like when he instituted "Good guys in, Bad guys out." Sure, he got many bad guys out but a lot of good guys moved to Philippines or Vietnam. I currently have a retirement Visa in Cambodia. Retirees saved Thailand's Bacon during Covid. They keep chipping away at Long-term tourism and Thais will continue to suffer and Thailand's neighbors will benefit.

They do already, don't they. I believe it is on the list of things needed. Not sure they enforce it though.

Yeah, he needs to wait until the Government changes. It is taking longer than expected.

The Thai Philosophy seems to be that Thailand is Governed by people, not words, and the Law is fluid. So, this being true, it is better to carry the 20,000. 10,000 may not work and it is harmful to tell people that is always the rule.

The Thai Embassy website in the USA.

When I first came to Thailand in 2016, the website said the official amount was 20,000. But when I have been ask to show it (and I have been asked to show it) they ask to see 10,000. But if they wanted to be strict, they could ask to see 20,000. Especially for longer trips.

It didn't change. It is still 20,000 BUT they will often only "ask" to see 10,000 cash. Better to bring the official amount. Not what people think the will ask for.

No argument but I don't like to play Russian Roulette.

Yes, but I knew what he meant. He just means getting stamped in. I didn't want my answers to be overly/unnecessarily complicated.

If only week long visits, it shouldn't (especially from last year). But I can never predict what Thai Immigration will do, exactly. It may slow the que a little because they need to examine the dates. Unless you are lucky enough to get an IO who just does not care about petty things. The number of VOEs -should- not matter unless you are coming in from a Land Border. But sometimes you get an IO who thinks it is a trick so they need to examine the dates and if you have any Visas + VOEs. But the computer should just give them the info (assuming it was entered correctly). On its face, it shouldn't be a problem.

You didn't say anything that disagrees with what I said. But the "180-Rule" is the reason I am not in Thailand right at this moment, or rather, why I have not been back to Thailand since before COVID. So, it is still taken very seriously. They kept waving a paper in front of my face that said I was in Thailand 191 days in 2018 and 2019 (Which is 2 years, but I digress). Then stamped me in for 30 more days but scribbled a note in my passport, that I was trying to live in Thailand. An attempt to bias future attempts to enter legally. The IO said she is only letting me in because I just came from 60 days in Malaysia & Indonesia. Which totally blows their reasoning out of the water. So, in 30 days, I went to Cambodia. Then COVID happened and I have been spending my money here since. So, Thai Immigration can and will, use there "discretion" to pull reasons out of there behind to boot you without a reason other than suspicion. Or saving face if you prove their assertions wrong. That is what the scribbling in my passport was. Saving face. So I do know what I am talking about.

The memos to the Oil & Gas workers was not in the OP. But it would make sense for the reasons I have been explaining. Your post does not disagree with anything I have been saying and it is important for everyone to know. Not just oil/gas workers. Telling people there is no 180 day rule does not help. If people believe you, you are setting them up for trouble. There shouldn't be such a rule. But Immigration uses it, none-the-less? I have actually seen it written on the Websites of some Consulates. They don't post that because it is a written rule (in that case it is written) but they are warning travelers. They know what triggers Immigration. It should be written on all the Consolate Websites But it isn't, be like you and I, they know it isn't a rule Immigration should be imposing. The mistake many repeat visitors make is that they believe IO discretion works in their favor when many times (most?) it is the opposite.