babeinthailand

I just don't get half the farangs in Thailand. If you don't like the rules here, then go home! In the US, foreigners are deported for things like demonstrating. Years ago when I was involved in AIDS organizations, one of my friends didn't demonstrate because he was British and they were kicking out people who weren't Americans and who demonstrated at the World AIDS Conference. Absolutely no different than Thailand.

The Olympics is about sports, not politics. And if you think that demonstrating is going to change the Chinese, you don't understand Asians. The more you push an Asian, the less chance there is of them ever changing their minds. I don't agree with what the Chinese are doing in Tibet, but demonstrating isn't going to change that.

//Edit: deleted quote from deleted posts and reply thereto.

I've been down to Bangkok immigration twice in the last 9 months for visa extensions and both times they have been excellent. Very professional, very nice people and never took longer than 30 minutes maximum.

They really are a credit to Thailand :-)

Have to add a recommendation for Piammitr Language School. I took 3 months of classes with them and loved it. Would have loved to have continued on to Book 4 to start reading and writing but couldn't because of work commitments.

I've attempted to learn several foreign languages in the past, but this was by far the best experience. I can now hold pretty decent conversations in Thai, all because of the teaching at Piammitr. They're a very professional school, great staff, good materials and very inexpensive (currently 5,500 for 60 hours of instruction in 1 month PLUS 200 baht for the book).

Highly recommended - morning or afternoon classes, 3 hours each day Monday thru Friday. Also, small classes (only usually 3 or 4 students) so you get a lot of personal attention.

With a degree and a TEFL and work experience teaching here, and most importantly, being female - you should be making at least 45-50,000 a month.

I came here 4 years ago (single female) and walked into a job making 50,000 a month - I'm currently making 65,000 at my current school. There's no way I'd work here and only make in the 30s - people tell you you can live on that. Sure, if you want no life and no savings.

And it's incredibly safe here. I've been in BKK for 4 years and go all over the place by myself - never never never had a problem, anywhere! Don't worry - just come. If you have a degree and you're female, Thailand has gazillions of opportunities - I have many more here than I had in the UK.

RoueLeJour, exactly! Good post.

I've been here 7 years, am legally qualified to teach English (TEFL, college degree, 9 years teaching experience etc.) and been legal all that time. I worked at several different private schools - my last school I was there for 4 years. I quit at the end of last semester as I'd deliberately saved a ton of money so I could take a year off and finish writing a novel I've been working on forever. During the 7 years here, I've had a work permit and paid taxes. Now I just want to take a break.

I'm living on money I've saved (no need to work!) and if I decide to not work longer than a year, I'll bring more money in from the US. So, no, I'm not illegally working here. Yet, the Thai government won't let me stay beyond 90 days unless I get a tourist visa. A bit stupid if you ask me because, worst comes to the worst, I'll just take the money I've earned here and that I was planning on spending HERE and go back to the US for a year! Now how is that serving Thailand or making it a better place???

Actually, what I'll probably end up doing, if I can't keep doing visa runs, is just get another teaching job so I can get another work permit. Sucks, because I don't want to teach right now, I want some time off. Grrrrrrr!

I think it's hilarious that the immigration officials are bitching about this rule too!

I talked to the immi guy counting my days last week and said something to the effect "I think it's great that Thailand is stopping the indefinite visa runs". He immediately said "I do NOT. It's crazy. I spend all day counting days, counting days - government should not have done this. Very confusing and many falangs very angry." LOL

He was a really nice guy. Handed me the printed info about getting the 90 day tourist visa and said "Kuala Lumpur and Penang are the best. Some other places still not giving you one when you get there."

I'm going to KL in February anyway, so will do it there.

BTW, does anyone know if KL asks for a) proof of flight OUT of Thailand and

proof of 20,000 baht in the bank

(money doesn't matter, I have that - but don't want to buy another airline ticket if I don't really know when I'll be leaving again, as it's wasted money spent on fees to change the ticket when I don't use it on the day I've booked it for.)

Thanks!

Will the Thai Government consider changing the 90 day rule to speed up immigration queues or to make it easier again for people to keep exiting and immediately returning again and again for long stays in Thailand ?

No, to my mind, I don't think so. I don't think they care tuppence about it. The 90 day rule is good enough to cater for the vast majority of tourists and business visitors and hence for their economy. And the Thai Government doesnt care about how much time consuming procedures they inflict on their own immigration officers. It's an autocratic government system even during those time that they have an alleged democracy.

So let's all get used to it. That's the deal. We get 90 days, otherwise there are the longer term visas.

I guess it's all down to previous abuse of the system by a certain section of farangs who were staying in Thailand for a long long time and who included bar owners, teachers and other odds and sods. It didnt help to keep getting headline stories about paedophiles and other perverts of various sorts over the last 10 years or so. Remember the story about the man (German ?) in the north who was accused of giving AIDS to load of Thai girls. Its all these incidents that have finally made the Thai government tighten up on their procedures. Thats that, so we have to live with it. End of story.

Me, in the last 2 years, I have been working on a project in Tunisia. I arrive in Tunis, I get a 3 month visa. After 2 months I go back to UK for a week, and then come back again for another 3 month visa. I have been doing that almost continuously now for 18 months. No problems here. My company has an office here and I could get a proper work permit, but why bother. The 3 month visa is free. I am only on a project here which should finish later this year, so I am not permanently here. So why is it so easy here ? Because Tunisia doesnt get enough tourists yet and there is not a community of badly behaved farangs here to make the government more difficult to the tourist or business visitor. So here the visa problem is non existent.

Cheers

Chips

A little birdie told me that this new 90 in 180 day visa entry exempt law will be scrapped in February and things will return to normal so people can continue to do what they had been use to doing in the past, unlimited monthly visa runs. However, this is just a rumor I heard at work, but from a very crediable scourse, so if I get any other news I will inform.

I've also heard that rumour from a Thai with a very, very, very good connection at immigration and from a farang who knows more about visas than anyone I've ever met, and knows everyone at immigration. Everything he has ever told me has turned out to be true. He hasn't said that it will be February when it's scrapped, but says it's coming soon :-)

Man, you people are like a bunch of old women - panic, panic, panic - yet you've only got half information and hardly any of you have bothered to check at Thai immigration.

I went for my last 30 day visa run last week. I asked THREE different immigration officials and was told "Yes, you can now go to Malaysia and get a 90 day tourist visa as the new 90 days in Thailand law is ONLY FOR VISAS ON ARRIVAL". I mean they've been saying this for months but some of you don't seem to understand VISA ON ARRIVAL. (Hope none of you are teachers as you obviously can't read! :-)

I also have several friends who have gone to Malaysia in the last month after having done 3 thirty day visa runs. Every single one of them was given a 90 day tourist visa. No problem! So yes, you CAN stay 180 days in Thailand, just NOT on a visa on arrival.

All Thai immigration is doing is trying to get people into the system. It's difficult with the 30 day visa runs, but a tourist visa gets you into the system. That's all.

There are many rumours about not being able to get tourist visas but it's not true. It's just from people who know a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy. Geez - what a bunch of nervous nellies :-)

who you calling nervous nellie baby in thailand? the point is the inconsistencies that are happening and will continue to happen,not that people are panicing. youve obviously not been here very long or youd realise that asking 3 officials is completely irrelevant. it will depend on the one you deal with on the day. if you get one whos got it all wrong(like you refering to voa lol) then the 3 you asked arent going to help.

Keenok, I've been here seven years - how long have you been here?

Oh and I was also given a printed sheet of paper that came from BKK Immigration Dept. which explained which visas each country's citizen could get and for how long - and on the sheet it said three 30 day visa on arrivals, and 90 day tourist visas (no mention at all of not being able to get the tourist visa if you've already done the 30 day visa runs!)

Man, you people are like a bunch of old women - panic, panic, panic - yet you've only got half information and hardly any of you have bothered to check at Thai immigration.

I went for my last 30 day visa run last week. I asked THREE different immigration officials and was told "Yes, you can now go to Malaysia and get a 90 day tourist visa as the new 90 days in Thailand law is ONLY FOR VISAS ON ARRIVAL". I mean they've been saying this for months but some of you don't seem to understand VISA ON ARRIVAL. (Hope none of you are teachers as you obviously can't read! :-)

I also have several friends who have gone to Malaysia in the last month after having done 3 thirty day visa runs. Every single one of them was given a 90 day tourist visa. No problem! So yes, you CAN stay 180 days in Thailand, just NOT on a visa on arrival.

All Thai immigration is doing is trying to get people into the system. It's difficult with the 30 day visa runs, but a tourist visa gets you into the system. That's all.

There are many rumours about not being able to get tourist visas but it's not true. It's just from people who know a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy. Geez - what a bunch of nervous nellies :-)