rcys

If you are a member of a nation that gets a visa exemption (ie canada, USA...) can you apply for a tourist visa when you arrive at the airport say in BKK? Or do I still have to apply for a tourist visa outside of Thailand?

Thanks.

Why can't people just play nice and share what information that they have about the topic and shut up about what is wrong about all the non westerners in SE Asia because ALL _____ ARE _____ in your opinion. I think most people that read a topic entitled 30 days now 15 want to know how this new rule is going to affect them. I personally don't care about your opinion about anything. When I make a visa run, I'll tell you about how to do it, where to go, what I got, how long it took and how much it cost. Please can we start a new topic that is only for factual information on the new rule and just keep it to the facts as it is requested in the first posting of this topic.

My question is specifically, if I go to Victory Point (Burma) from Ranong how will my new 15 days be counted? For example, if I leave on Jan 6th and come back on Jan 6th when will I have to leave again? Is it Jan 20th or 21st? If I over stay by one day, will I be charged 500 Baht at this border? Has anyone done a border run to Victory Point in the last week or so.

Thanks for sharing your experience

If it had all happened the following month, the fees would have been 50% higher because of the 1% rate hike.

Hello, I noticed in Aug 2008 that there was a 1% PLUS(Visa) charge on all my ATM withdrawals where none existed before. You mentioned that there was a 1% rate hike? I have not been able to find any information about that at all. Can you please tell me how and where you found out about this 1% rate hike? Is it only on PLUS or is it on Cirrus as well?

Has anyone found a way to get around this 1% fee?

Thanks,

Ray

Thanks for the recent updates, i'll be doing a run within a week or so and i'll let you know when (if) I get back. Only prob is I don't believe there is much internet on the island i'm going to.

It is always a requirement - but currently it is not normally enforced at those locations.

Thanks Lopburi, can you please tell me how you know that this is not the "normal" process at the Andaman club or VP? I really don't want to get stuck in Burma.

Hello,

Has anyone that has done a visa exemption border run (free 30 days) in the past couple months (Nov Dec 07) had a request or heard of anyone that was asked for an onward travel document like at the Cambodian borders? I have not heard that this is the case, but was cautioned by someone that said, "the days of 30 day visa runners are over". I do not have a onward travel ticket, but was wondering if I should either buy one or make one up before I cross into Burma and have to sneak back into Thailand. Thanks, Ray

Hello,

Does anyone know if there is a similar requirement for a onward ticket out of Thailand within 30 days at the Andaman Club or Victory Point? ie a plane ticket out of Thailand within 30 days of reentry? Thanks

Hi just to confirm things at the Andaman Club. Went over there a couple of days ago. It was the first time using the club as I normally just get a longtail over to Victoria point and have a wander about. At the Andaman club pier they have their own immagration office. You are stamped out of Thailand there, walk along the pier to the boat and are taken to the Andaman club. You are then stamped into Burma and have one hour to enjoy the club. On the return to the boat you are given back your passport staped out of Burma then back to the Andaman pier. You then get stamped back into Thailand with either a 30 day or 90 day depending on your visa. All in all a painless way of doing it and all for 850 baht. Hope this clears things up

Is the 850B broken down to 500B for Burma "Visa" and 350 for the R/T boat ride or is it just the fee they are charging to get to the Club? Can you pay them $10USD and 350B(685B) instead? Do the ferries run every hour? What is the last boat back to the Andaman Pier? This will be my first visa run from BKK to Burma. I will be taking an overnight bus from BKK that I believe arrives at some ungodly hour in the morning. How far is the Andaman Pier from the bus station? Do you think it's possible to make a visa run and catch a ferry to Koh Chang Noi the same day or stay in Ranong for the night? Sorry for the many questions, I usually go to Cambodia, but wanted to check out the Andaman side over the holidays. Thanks for the help Ray

So, i still believe that 3x30 days of visa exemption + tourist visa, and "play it again sam" over and over, won't work.

No, you're wrong, it will work. The head of immigration in an interview last month in Farang magazine suggested that people who want to stay in Thailand indefinitely do exactly that: 3 X 30 day stays alternating with 60 day tourist visa + renewal, etc...

And the week before last, when I went to Suan Phlu to try to get a non-immigrant type O visa with a letter of invitation from a Thai organization affiliated with the US University I do work in Thailand for (it didn't work), two uniformed immigration officers said (in Thai) to me, "look, save yourself a lot of hassle and just do the 3 X 30 day stay thing alternating with tourist visas, that way you can stay in Thailand forever"...

this method of staying is not a scam some farangs cooked up, it's exactly what's being endorsed by Thai immigration officials.

preahko

I spoke to the guy that did the interview in Untamed Travel magazine on Tuesday. He believes that 3x30 VOA intermixed with 60 day tourist visas will allow you to stay in the country indefinately. But since 60 day tourist visas are discretionary, I would not wait until you've exhausted your 90 days with VOA before you go and apply for a tourist visa. I just got back from Hong Kong on a Visa run after my first 31 days in Thailand. It is the opinon of the HK Thai consulate that you are allowed to only stay in Thailand 90 days of any 180 day period regardless of whether or not you are on a Tourist visa or VOA. They told me it's all counted the same in their book. I applied for 3x60 day tourist visas (that I know you can get in the UK and Oz), but only got 1. Upon reentry into Thailand there were no notations on my passport as to remaining days or number of entries into Thailand. On my first entry into Thailand after Oct 1, on the 19th of Oct, I received a green #1 marking on the VOA. On my departure, there is also green markings and written in Thai it says stayed over by 1 day. So basically, I would say that you can stay in Thailand indefinately w/ mix of VOA and Tourist Visas, but it is discretionary. Look clean and sharp and don't go to Hong Kong for your visa run.

You must be trading on a differnt market because I see it today still at 35.61 to the dollar.

By the way it isn't the baht strenghtening it's the dollar weakening.Watch the rate baht/euro,no major changes in the pst month or so.On the contrary the baht weakened little against the euro.

Baht / USD exchange rate as of today, 6th is 35.91 per visa, so if you take money out of a PLUS/Visa system ATM that is the rate that you should get. Unfortunately, I've gotten different rates at times from Visa than their published rates when they withdraw it from my bank.

You said that you got a 60 Visa correct? There is a post above that says that Penang is now issuing 90 tourist visa instead of the 60 day variety. I just got back from Hong Kong and they gave me only one 60 day visa. I had originally asked for 2 or 3. They said that they could only give me one when I got there, but when I emailed them they said they could issue a max of 2, but I had already been in Thailand for 31 days already on VOA. If they can give 90 day tourists visa for real, that would definately be the place to go.

It won't interfere at all. The 90 day rule only applies to the 30 day entry permission.

Hey Doc, You seem very certain about this. Is this because you feel this way or do you have any kind of proof or reason that says this is true? It's very important that we only use the resources of everyone in the group to spread what we know from experience rather than our own interpretations of rules with nothing to back it up. If you have any proof, I would love to see it and I hope you're right. Accoring to the HK Thai Consulate, the 90 days in 6 months includes all forms of entry.

The new policiy is used for tourists to stay not exceeding 90 days

within 6 month period. Either the tourists use their free access visa or tourist visa, they are

all counted together. For example, you entered the kingdom by the free accees visa for your

first trip and you stayed 30 days. Then, you applied for a tourist visa(60 days) at a

consulate and stayed for the whole period(60 days). You will be rejected to enter the

kingdom for your next trip as your quota has been used up.

Here is the reply from the Thail Consulate in HK that is interpreting the 90day in 6 month rule.

The new policiy is used for tourists to stay not exceeding 90 days

within 6 month period. Either the tourists use their free access visa or tourist visa, they are all counted together. For example, you entered the kingdom by the free accees visa for your first trip and you stayed 30 days. Then, you applied for a tourist visa(60 days) at a consulate and stayed

for the whole period(60 days). You will be rejected to enter the

kingdom for your next trip as your quota has been used up.

Not saying this is the end all be all, but this is the interpretation by the HK Thai Consulate.

It doesn't matter if you have a 60 day tourist visa or a 30 day entry permit at border. They all count the same according to official policy towards the 90 day limit in 6 months. But of course, enforcing it is a totally different matter entirely.

Check Airasia.com for cheap flights. The cheapest w/o taxes that I've seen is to KL from BKK for 99THB. I'm flying to Macau next week to do my visa run R/T cost me 4000THB.

You should have no problems boarding your plane as most people who enter Thailand will exit Thailand overland. They have never checked my onward ticket nor do I ever expect them to. The easiest thing to do is if ur in the south at any time with 30 days left to go is to step into Malaysia check out and back in to get a new 30 day entry permit.

Here is the response I received from the Thai Consulate in Hong Kong when I asked them about getting triple 60 day Tourist visas. The editor of Farang Magazine also told me that Hong Kong was not a good consulate to go to because they are the most strict in the region. If anyone has gotten a triple visa in the region after Oct. 1, please let me know. I have only seen triples that were issued before Oct. 1

==========

Dear Sir,

The new policiy is used for tourists to stay not exceeding 90 days within 6 month period.

Either the tourists use their free access visa or tourist visa, they are all counted together.

For example, you entered the kingdom by the free accees visa for your first trip and you

stayed 30 days. Then, you applied for a tourist visa(60 days) at a consulate and stayed

for the whole period(60 days). You will be rejected to enter the kingdom for your next

trip as your quota has been used up. The Thai consulate in Hongkong may issue the maximum double tourist visa to you but that depends on the record of your trips to Thailand in your passport.

For more visa details, please visit our website at: www.thai-consulate.org.hk

Should you have any enquiries, please feel free to contact us again.

Best regards,

Thai Consulate

I've been in and out of Thailand 3 times in the past 4 months and have yet to be asked a single question, much less proof that I have an onward ticket, which I don't have. Most countries that I've been to in the past 9 months "require" proof of onward travel, but I have not been asked to show it. I'm traveling around on 1-way tickets and never have an onward ticket. I wouldn't worry about it. Just look presentable when you cross any borders or fly and you shouldn't have any problems.