Big Change in Penang

[Mattd]

The biggest change that I think will happen regarding Thai visas is that they will more to e-visas, this is inline with their intention to go to using e-gates for foreign arrivals / departures, to do this means they will have to go to an online visa system that ties in to the e-gates.

Should this then track the number of tourist visas applied for and granted online, then there maybe a maximum limit applied.

The visa exempt could become a simple online ETA type of thing to accommodate the e-gates.

[Lovethailandelite]

[SicTransit]

The biggest change that I think will happen regarding Thai visas is that they will more to e-visas, this is inline with their intention to go to using e-gates for foreign arrivals / departures, to do this means they will have to go to an online visa system that ties in to the e-gates.
Should this then track the number of tourist visas applied for and granted online, then there maybe a maximum limit applied.
The visa exempt could become a simple online ETA type of thing to accommodate the e-gates.

Sorry but this is pure speculation, completely ignoring the complications of Immigration’s IT infrastructure.

[Mattd]

3 minutes ago, SicTransit said:

 

Sorry but this is pure speculation, completely ignoring the complications of Immigration’s IT infrastructure.

 

What part is pure speculation?

They have already announced the intention to move to e-gates, although the time line is too optimistic, to do this properly, then they must move to e-visas, won't work otherwise.

[SicTransit]

What part is pure speculation?
They have already announced the intention to move to e-gates, although the time line is too optimistic, to do this properly, then they must move to e-visas, won't work otherwise.

Of the things you mentioned, only e-visa has been hinted at, with a test phase in 2017.

[elviajero]

5 hours ago, BritTim said:

One service (used mostly by Filipinos) is  https://mrandmrshowe.com/lifestyle-blog/rent-a-flight-ticket. Personally, if I was thinking of doing something like this, I would talk to a clued up travel agent, and see if they would arrange it for me. They can easily arrange confirmed reservations with free cancellation within 48 hours, and should only charge a service fee.

Thanks, but that isn’t really relevant. It’s a service specifically for Filipinos needing a return ticket to the Philippines.

 

It’s another service offered by someone giving misinformation and helping people obtain visas fraudulently.

 

Any others?

 

[NorthernRyland]

Yet another final nail in the coffin. It's easy  enough to predict that people using Penang will now flood to other borders until they're overwhelmed and clamp down in a similar fashion.

[overherebc]

50 minutes ago, genericptr said:

Yet another final nail in the coffin. It's easy  enough to predict that people using Penang will now flood to other borders until they're overwhelmed and clamp down in a similar fashion.

Agree. It will be slower than normal, anyone can chime in with their definition of normal, but it will come.

More and more Thais are going overseas for education and returning to Thailand and more positions will open up for them in IT.

Might not seem like it looking from a bar stool but that isn't really a good vantage point.

[darrendsd]

1 hour ago, elviajero said:

Thanks, but that isn’t really relevant. It’s a service specifically for Filipinos needing a return ticket to the Philippines.

 

It’s another service offered by someone giving misinformation and helping people obtain visas fraudulently.

 

Any others?

 

A Google search is simple enough, It took me 20 seconds to find one that can add your required destination if you want them to

Edited March 6, 2018 by darrendsd

[BritTim]

4 hours ago, elviajero said:

Thanks, but that isn’t really relevant. It’s a service specifically for Filipinos needing a return ticket to the Philippines.

As I indicated in my previous post, the service is used mainly by Filipinos. However, they can arrange tickets to/from other countries than The Philippines. In fact, there would be no need for a Destination to be specified if the destination was always The Philippines. They actually use a Middle East based travel agent.

[ericthai]

6 hours ago, genericptr said:

Yet another final nail in the coffin. It's easy  enough to predict that people using Penang will now flood to other borders until they're overwhelmed and clamp down in a similar fashion.

been hearing this for over 20 years, but somehow Thailand is still going strong.  

[NorthernRyland]

6 hours ago, ericthai said:

been hearing this for over 20 years, but somehow Thailand is still going strong.  

Yet another. :) Not in the coffin of Thailand in general but in the coffin of living here hassle free for people of any age and any income level. I'm too young to retire, don't have the interest/ability to start a business and hire Thais and don't want to get married so I'm making plans to move back home in the next year or so. I'll be replaced by 20 Chinese tourists and retired guys though so it's a wash for Thailand in terms of revenue.

[Mattd]

15 hours ago, SicTransit said:

 

Of the things you mentioned, only e-visa has been hinted at, with a test phase in 2017.

 

Stage 1 of preparing for use of the e-gates for foreigners - 

 

[Lovethailandelite]

Fake tickets, changing passports to hide your history from Embassy's and consulates etc. I guess some people won't be entirely happy until the Thais eventually define a limit on obtaining visas and your simply forced back to your home country in order to get another. Using these fake tickets in order to get a visa is without doubt, fraud. Get caught and you'll be in Malaysia longer than you planned,before most likely being deported but it won't be back to Thailand.
Maybe ask yourselves why the majority of agents there were using legitimate bus tickets and not these scam airline tickets that you cannot fly on. Perhaps Penang are already on to it?
You wonder why it gets harder and harder for genuine tourists.

[lkv]

24 minutes ago, Lovethailandelite said:

I guess some people won't be entirely happy until the Thais eventually define a limit on obtaining visas and your simply forced back to your home country in order to get another. 

We will deal with that situation when the time comes. Some will stay, some will study French or self defence, some will go just because they had enough of it, and a very small minority will bite into Elite.

 

Quite simple really.

[SicTransit]

Stage 1 of preparing for use of the e-gates for foreigners - 
 

Six months, sure. Maybe right after the 90-day report website is stable and works in all modern browsers.

Singapore and Hong Kong don’t employ e-gate for foreign visitors, but Thailand will. Uh-huh.

[Mattd]

3 minutes ago, SicTransit said:

Singapore and Hong Kong don’t employ e-gate for foreign visitors,

Singapore have been using e-gates for departing foreigners for a while now.

I agree, 6 months is not achievable, however, it is inevitable that e-gates usage worldwide will come eventually.

[BritTim]

3 hours ago, Lovethailandelite said:

Fake tickets, changing passports to hide your history from Embassy's and consulates etc.

All Penang's new regulation does is force those who want to buck the system to do is use a ticket rental service (which I agree is fraud) rather than buy a genuine onward ticket in the region that they may or may not use.

 

The fact is that there are as many opinions on the desirability and tolerated types of long term tourists as there are senior officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Bureau. The consensus is not to stop wealthy individuals from spending as much time as they like here, as long as they are not competing with Thais for employment or business. The challenge is how to achieve this while preventing less desirable individuals (which everyone defines differently) from being able to easily get tourist visas locally.

[Kaalle]

I asked the visa company I use here in Phuket if they had heard anything, they had no clue what I was talking about, sent her the facebook post but no reaction. According to her its still a regular onward ticket requirement, anywhere outside the country that is. 

Edited March 7, 2018 by Kaalle

[Lovethailandelite]

1 hour ago, Kaalle said:

I asked the visa company I use here in Phuket if they had heard anything, they had no clue what I was talking about, sent her the facebook post but no reaction. According to her its still a regular onward ticket requirement, anywhere outside the country that is. 

I wouldn't rely on what a visa run company in Phuket is telling you because it's 100% happening.
One more thing to add to the pile. People are turning up in Penang showing paper work that they are a 1% and 2% share holder in a company in order to gain a ME B visa. Well guess what? That's over too.

Edited March 7, 2018 by Lovethailandelite

[Kaalle]

I dont rely on them at all. I asked her to double check etc, since im guessing people are leaving tonite looking to secure tourist visas. I hope we get some definit info. 

[SicTransit]

I wouldn't rely on what a visa run company in Phuket is telling you because it's 100% happening.
One more thing to add to the pile. People are turning up in Penang showing paper work that they are a 1% and 2% share holder in a company in order to gain a ME B visa. Well guess what? That's over too.

100% happening as in you or someone went to the consulate without a ticket home and was sent away?

[Kaalle]

I dont know anything about that wierd looking dude and his facebook. But it wouldnt suprise me if Banana for example could work their magic and circumvent this new "rule" perhaps. 

[midas]

30 minutes ago, Kaalle said:

I dont know anything about that wierd looking dude and his facebook. But it wouldnt suprise me if Banana for example could work their magic and circumvent this new "rule" perhaps. 

There is certainly nothing weird about Jim and he has been doing this for donkeys years. I would rather trust his take on things than anyone else on the island.

[ericthai]

13 hours ago, genericptr said:

Yet another. :) Not in the coffin of Thailand in general but in the coffin of living here hassle free for people of any age and any income level. I'm too young to retire, don't have the interest/ability to start a business and hire Thais and don't want to get married so I'm making plans to move back home in the next year or so. I'll be replaced by 20 Chinese tourists and retired guys though so it's a wash for Thailand in terms of revenue.

You can blame all the people that worked illegally, over-stayers, trouble makers, etc.  When I first came to Thailand to work (early 90's) things were so easy. No hassles from immigration, you could get a non-B multi-entry visa with only a letter from a company saying they were going to employ you. Visa exempt, they didn't care how many you had. Early 2000's the crack downs started and the noose keeps getting tighter and tighter. 

[NorthernRyland]

19 minutes ago, ericthai said:

Early 2000's the crack downs started and the noose keeps getting tighter and tighter. 

I got comfortable here since 2005 when it was still easy (enough for my liking anyways) and it was my impression that Thailand didn't care, if you had money to be here then come on in. Since then immigration has become a real point of stress so I need to get real and start making sound plans to move on before it's too late.  How long does one need to live in Thailand anyways? :)

[lkv]

3 hours ago, Lovethailandelite said:

One more thing to add to the pile. People are turning up in Penang showing paper work that they are a 1% and 2% share holder in a company in order to gain a ME B visa. Well guess what? That's over too.

 

You sound quite excited about all these crackdowns. 

 

Are you expecting an increase in the number of applicants for Elite there at the office?

 

Generally, people going on ME nonB were people working for companies that could not meet Immigration requirements for annual extensions.

 

Those people will now either opt for visa runs every 3 months for single entry non Bs or just leave Thailand.

 

I really don't see them joining Elite, which provides a tourist visa, where if you want to work legally you need to convert to nonB, and you enter the same catch 22 loop. Never mind the fact you cannot go back to your PE visa (unless you pay again).Or so I have heard.

 

It baffles me why you find joy in some people's misery really.

Edited March 7, 2018 by lkv

[sanemax]

1 hour ago, ericthai said:

You can blame all the people that worked illegally, over-stayers, trouble makers, etc.  When I first came to Thailand to work (early 90's) things were so easy.

Visa restrictions the world over have tightened in the last 20 years

[BritTim]

27 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Visa restrictions the world over have tightened in the last 20 years

That is possibly true on the average. However, entering some countries (especially as tourists) has become much easier over that period. Within this region, Vietnam and Myanmar are examples.

[sanemax]

2 minutes ago, BritTim said:

That is possibly true on the average. However, entering some countries (especially as tourists) has become much easier over that period. Within this region, Vietnam and Myanmar are examples.

Yes, but those were previously "closed" Countries