Wording Of Visa Exemption Law Posted At Mae Sai Border

[daeng1212]

I read Keenok's post at the "Enforcement of 90 out of 180 days" topic, and, as I was in Mae Sai today, decided to check out the exact wording on the new visa law as it's posted at the Immigration booth at the Mae Sai - Takilek border. I copied down the section on Visa Exemption (often called "Visa On Arrival"). Here it is in Thai and English:

กรณียกเว้น VISA

อนุญาตให้ผู้ถือหนังสือเดินทางหรือเอกสารใช้แทนหนังสือเดินทางจาก 39 ประเทศ

ตามที่กำหนด สามารถเข้ามาในราชอาณาจักรได้ โดยไม่ต้องขอ VISA ล่วงหน้า

โดยอนุญาตให้อยู่ในราชอาณาจักรได้ ครั้งละไม่เกิน 30 วัน รวมแล้วไม่เกิน 90 วัน

นับแต่วันแรกที่เดินทางเข้ามาในราชอาณาจักรภายในรอบระยะเวลา 6 เดือน

VISA EXEMPTION

Passport holders from 39 exempted countries will be able to enter into the Kingdom of Thailand without visa and remain in Thailand for 30 days per each visit. However, the total duration of stay should not exceed 90 days within a six month period, counting from the date of first entry.

This section is the fourth of five sections in the overal document, as follows:

(1) Principle and Reason

(2) Decentralization (includes this line: “…law officers at operational level will be more

authorized to make the decision making…”)

(3) Extension for Business

(4) Visa Exemption

(5) Tourist Visa

So, from the way this is written, it seems clear that the "90 days out of 180" restriction refers only to Visa Exemption (Visa On Arrival) and not to tourist visas. The main part of Keenok's post reads:

"i have just been to immigration in jomtien to extend my tourist visa.

visa history since october 1st is:

oct 29 enter on 30 day visa exempt at suvarnabhmi

nov27 exit at nong khai (30 days up)

dec 4 enter at nong khai on tourist visa (60 days given,expire on 1 feb)

jan 26 extension at jomtien(30 day extension given to expire on3 mar)

the officer told me he could grant me a further 7 days in case of emergency,otherwise at the end of my extension i will have to leave for 3 months!!!!!.")

Keenok, I think that officer is mistaken. If I were you, I'd try to do a 30-day visa extension (wherever is nearest you - Cambodia?), but be prepared to leave the country if they don't allow it, that is, have arrangements made so you can pack up and leave in 7 days if necessary. I have a hunch that the can get the 30-day visa extension. If not, you can probably get another 90 day tourist visa in Penang (60 days extendable to 90), if you want to shell out the money for that. Air Asia has really cheap flights to Penang. If you book online at www.airasia.com it's a lot cheaper than going through a travel agent.

[soap]

can somebody clear this up has i am still confused

can you do 3 border runs for 3x30 day stamp

then get a tourist visa valid for 2 months then apply for an extra 30 days

then do 3 more borderruns for the 3x30 day stamp

is this possible thanks

[Mahout Angrit]

can somebody clear this up has i am still confused

can you do 3 border runs for 3x30 day stamp

then get a tourist visa valid for 2 months then apply for an extra 30 days

then do 3 more borderruns for the 3x30 day stamp

is this possible thanks

There have been so many posts on this subject recently and the consensus is, in theory, it should be possible as pointed out in the OP here but as the new law only came into force in October nobody can say for sure as it hasn't been done yet. Ask again in July for a definite answer.

Edited January 28, 2007 by Mahout Angrit

[cali4995]

can somebody clear this up has i am still confused

can you do 3 border runs for 3x30 day stamp

then get a tourist visa valid for 2 months then apply for an extra 30 days

then do 3 more borderruns for the 3x30 day stamp

is this possible thanks

that is the basic problem, here we are nearly 4 months after the more rigorous enforcement policies supposedly came into effect (oct 1st) and no-one is even sure what they are? all this doubt, confusion and uncertainty could have been avoided with a comprehensive posting of the policies and how they should be interpreted including various scenarios by the m.f.a or immigration. forgive me for being the one ranting now but my entire holiday(as i'm sure everyone else's) has been under the cloud of this "visa uncertainty issue". they are going to annoy the nice people long before they get to this undesirable group they are trying to filter out. i've said my piece.

[Mahout Angrit]

my entire holiday(as i'm sure everyone else's) has been under the cloud of this "visa uncertainty issue". they are going to annoy the nice people long before they get to this undesirable group they are trying to filter out

There is no uncertainty if you want a Visa for your holiday. You can get a tourist Visa for any holiday that is over 30 days.(under 30 days you dont need one). A triple entry Tourist Visa will give you 9 months in Thailand. That's a long enough holiday for anyone, longer than that it is being resident.

[tropo]

that is the basic problem, here we are nearly 4 months after the more rigorous enforcement policies supposedly came into effect (oct 1st) and no-one is even sure what they are? all this doubt, confusion and uncertainty could have been avoided with a comprehensive posting of the policies and how they should be interpreted including various scenarios by the m.f.a or immigration. forgive me for being the one ranting now but my entire holiday(as i'm sure everyone else's) has been under the cloud of this "visa uncertainty issue". they are going to annoy the nice people long before they get to this undesirable group they are trying to filter out. i've said my piece.

If you take their (Immigration's) wording as gospel, they have been clear. The only people who have muddied the waters so to speak are members on here who have assumed that tourist visa stays will also be effected.

There have been a number of members who have recently reported that they easily got tourist visas after 3x30 day visa exempt entries in Malaysia and Laos. It may be better to assume that 30 day stamps followed by tourist visa followed by 30 day stamps is allowable at this stage until we find out otherwise.

I'll be testing out the reverse scenario myself late March. I'll be attempting a 30 day visa exempt entry after having been here 5 months (plus one month away) on a tourist visa. Hopefully there will already be reports in about this scenario before I return.

My biggest concern is more whether or not I'll be allowed to board a flight to Bangkok from Manila without a visa. The Thai Airways check-in staff are probably more confused than we are.

[onebir]

My biggest concern is more whether or not I'll be allowed to board a flight to Bangkok from Manila without a visa. The Thai Airways check-in staff are probably more confused than we are.

I think technically you're not allowed to fly in to Thailand without a visa unless you have an onward ticket (see http://www.thaiconsul-uk.com/pdfs/Aj%20%20...ht%20Ticket.pdf - assuming this info's up to date...)

So the check-in staff should probably only let you on if they are confused, or generally not enforcing this (very irritating) rule...

[PhilHarries]

can somebody clear this up has i am still confused

can you do 3 border runs for 3x30 day stamp

then get a tourist visa valid for 2 months then apply for an extra 30 days

then do 3 more borderruns for the 3x30 day stamp

is this possible thanks

There have been so many posts on this subject recently and the consensus is, in theory, it should be possible as pointed out in the OP here but as the new law only came into force in October nobody can say for sure as it hasn't been done yet. Ask again in July for a definite answer.

As I see it this visa clamp down is ostensibly to get rid of those foreigners living, and in some cases working, in Thailand exclusively on the 30 day VOA's.

Should the authorities realise that those people have merely switched to 3 x 30 day VOA + 60 day tourist + 30 day extension (repeat ad nauseum) they may close that loophole as well.

Alternatively they may just gradually slip back to the old ways of 30 day VOA's indefinately. Who knows?

As they say "Watch this space".

[Maestro]

...the 30 day VOA's...3 x 30 day VOA...30 day VOA's

A VOA (visa on arrival) is good for entry for 15 days, a visa-exempt entry for 30 days.

--

Maestro

[cali4995]

that is the basic problem, here we are nearly 4 months after the more rigorous enforcement policies supposedly came into effect (oct 1st) and no-one is even sure what they are? all this doubt, confusion and uncertainty could have been avoided with a comprehensive posting of the policies and how they should be interpreted including various scenarios by the m.f.a or immigration. forgive me for being the one ranting now but my entire holiday(as i'm sure everyone else's) has been under the cloud of this "visa uncertainty issue". they are going to annoy the nice people long before they get to this undesirable group they are trying to filter out. i've said my piece.

If you take their (Immigration's) wording as gospel, they have been clear. The only people who have muddied the waters so to speak are members on here who have assumed that tourist visa stays will also be effected.

There have been a number of members who have recently reported that they easily got tourist visas after 3x30 day visa exempt entries in Malaysia and Laos. It may be better to assume that 30 day stamps followed by tourist visa followed by 30 day stamps is allowable at this stage until we find out otherwise.

I'll be testing out the reverse scenario myself late March. I'll be attempting a 30 day visa exempt entry after having been here 5 months (plus one month away) on a tourist visa. Hopefully there will already be reports in about this scenario before I return.

My biggest concern is more whether or not I'll be allowed to board a flight to Bangkok from Manila without a visa. The Thai Airways check-in staff are probably more confused than we are.

yes, tropo i agree with you we're basically waiting on reports from members who went out and got their tourist visa after oct 1st to see if they were then able to make a border run. these accounts from members are the only factual information i have to go on.