Thai Embassy in Vientiane issues warning to visa runners

Image: Lawrence Beck

 

People who have a history of staying in Thailand using only tourist visas or ‘in-out’ border runs are being warned they may face increased scrutiny from immigration officers.

 

According to a note apparently posted on the notice board outside the Thai Embassy in Vientiane, Laos, this morning, officers at the consulate remind people they will reject tourist visa applications from anyone it thinks is using tourist visas to stay in Thailand long term.

 

The notice, a photo of which was shared on Facebook on Monday, reads:

 

"Thailand always welcome "genuine" tourists".

 

“However, the embassy has been asked by Thai authorities to observe "irregular" travel record (Travel history, in-out of Thailand) on each passport with pre-caution.

 

“The Embassy would like to inform that, it reserves the right not to receive any Tourist Visa applications, which may deem as abusing tourist visas (such as:  illegally working in Thailand by applying for tourist visa repeatedly etc....

 

“This is a gentle reminder for this application who may hold such history, in order to avoid unnecessary "over night" stay in Vientiane to hear the visa result (declined) in the next afternoon.”

 

Current requirements for a Tourist Visa

 

-- Passport or travel document with a validity not less than 6 months

-- Visa application form (filled out)

-- One(1) recent 4x6cm. photograph of the applicant

-- Round-trip air ticket or e-ticket (paid in full)

-- Proof of financial means (20,000 baht per person/40,000 baht per family)

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-12-17

I know a few people who had been popping in and out for tourist visas, but essentially living here, who have been refused a new one, or on one occasion, entry at Don Mueang with a visa from KL, because he had had too many repetitive stays. It's funny that they are worried about dropping tourist numbers, while at the same time making it harder to visit.

Having said that, such notices do serve as good advance warning, that if you want to stay here, then you do need to get the right visa, which most people shouldn't really complain about.

4 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

It's funny that they are worried about dropping tourist numbers, while at the same time making it harder to visit.

Sure

but these people are not tourists

2 minutes ago, AGareth2 said:

Sure

but these people are not tourists

well, sort of.... 

 

they regularly visit their home country

13 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

I know a few people who had been popping in and out for tourist visas, but essentially living here, who have been refused a new one, or on one occasion, entry at Don Mueang with a visa from KL, because he had had too many repetitive stays. It's funny that they are worried about dropping tourist numbers, while at the same time making it harder to visit.

Having said that, such notices do serve as good advance warning, that if you want to stay here, then you do need to get the right visa, which most people shouldn't really complain about.

They should tell how many tourist visa's one can get in a year...

 

And also make it easyier to get a real visa, myself i have to travel 3 hours single way to the embassy and a week later again 6 hours to get my passport back.

So it costs me 2 full working days.

19 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

I know a few people who had been popping in and out for tourist visas, but essentially living here, who have been refused a new one, or on one occasion, entry at Don Mueang with a visa from KL, because he had had too many repetitive stays. It's funny that they are worried about dropping tourist numbers, while at the same time making it harder to visit.

Having said that, such notices do serve as good advance warning, that if you want to stay here, then you do need to get the right visa, which most people shouldn't really complain about.

Which "right visa" would that be. The folk living here on back to back tourist visas are in the main under 50. Other than the elite visa I don't know of many other visas available to that group. I'm excluding all the sidestep ones like ed visa etc.

Edited December 17, 20187 yr by DrJack54
Error

4 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Which "right visa" would that be. The folk living here on back to back tourist visas are in the main under 50. Other than the elite visa I don't know of many other visas available to that group. I'm excluding all the sidestep ones like ed visa etc.

The "right visa" would probably be the legal one, which properly fits your genuine reason for being here. An education visa WILL allow you to stay here, as long as you actually do attend classes, though while you term it a sidestep, living here on repeated tourist visas, is an even bigger one.

It is getting harder to get long term visas, for "no real reason" all over the world, so it should come as no surprise that Thailand would also do so.

A key point I thought I made, was at least the Embassy are giving out notice that they will be making it tougher. Their past reaction has been to just do it, leaving lots of people running around like chickens with their heads cut off.

10 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Which "right visa" would that be. The folk living here on back to back tourist visas are in the main under 50. Other than the elite visa I don't know of many other visas available to that group. I'm excluding all the sidestep ones like ed visa etc.

I guess the triple entry tourist visa's?

1 minute ago, fruitman said:

I guess the triple entry tourist visa's?

Don't exist

1 minute ago, fruitman said:

I guess the triple entry tourist visa's?

Those have not existed for over 3 years now since the multiple entry tourist visa (METV) became available.

18 minutes ago, fruitman said:

They should tell how many tourist visa's one can get in a year...

 

And also make it easyier to get a real visa, myself i have to travel 3 hours single way to the embassy and a week later again 6 hours to get my passport back.

So it costs me 2 full working days.

I don't suppose tourist visas apply to you in any case then?

So when applying for a TR in Vientiane, will they be able to access your history online, or are they just flicking through your passport,in order to decide who is a regular visitor?

 

Plus should we now expect more stringent examination at immigration at the Nong Kai border?

 

Will be interesting to see how this plays out in the weeks/months ahead, and applicants should check back and share their experiences.

 

Johnson81

11 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

The "right visa" would probably be the legal one, which properly fits your genuine reason for being here

There are groups, not working here, for whom there is no "right visa". These are people who are mainly financially secure, under 50 and wanting to spend a lot of time here. People need to spend their time somewhere and, if they like being in Thailand, it is not clear why Thailand would not want them here. That leaves aside people in relationships with people here who do not qualify for visas based on that relationship (unmarried, married but same sex, married but to non Thais and so on).

 

Thailand has the right to make any rules on visas and permissions to stay they like. However, those who look at the rules and decide tourist visas are legally their best option should not be treated like criminals.

Bit of an odd thing to publish though I mean the letterhead is bigbluediving. Talk about fake news.

4 minutes ago, vinegarbase said:

I tried to tell people. Every time there is a crackdown on illegal immigration it always comes hand in hand with making legal immigration more difficult and screwing over those just trying to follow the rules. 

 

Thailand is not going back to the Thailand of 5-10 years ago. They are paying tribute to the new emperors in China. "Farang go home" is the new Thai slogan. Good news is that you can free yourselves of the Thailand chains. Go get your Panama permanent residency in about 2 months and enjoy your freedom. You can own land, guns, get permanent residency and enjoy your freedom they way you are supposed to. Forget all this Thai immigration madness.  These are the guys to go through and don't wait before it's too late to make your backup plan. https://www.joyful-feet.com

 

I strongly considered Panama but always felt Thailand was a good place to retire. My Spanish is not good, so Thailand won out. Apparently, I lose. The government is morphing into "Farang Go Home" mode. Hard to believe that Thailand is courting a nation which has not traditionally had good relations with monarchies of any type.

25 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

I don't suppose tourist visas apply to you in any case then?

No i finally got married after using many tourist visa's...but who will get married when he just knows his thai partner for a short time?? I know my wife 15 years now and we're married 10 years.

 

So the Thai government wants guys like me to get married or stop coming to thailand a few times a year.

17 minutes ago, BritTim said:

There are groups, not working here, for whom there is no "right visa". These are people who are mainly financially secure, under 50 and wanting to spend a lot of time here. People need to spend their time somewhere and, if they like being in Thailand, it is not clear why Thailand would not want them here. That leaves aside people in relationships with people here who do not qualify for visas based on that relationship (unmarried, married but same sex, married but to non Thais and so on).

 

Thailand has the right to make any rules on visas and permissions to stay they like. However, those who look at the rules and decide tourist visas are legally their best option should not be treated like criminals.

But they’re not legal, an oxymoron no?

I had every intention of getting married but now that is on hold because my hosts cannot read the very clear documents I have from Social Security, Teacher's Retirement and a TIAA-CREF annuity. The numbers are right there in black and white, but they don't count even though I bring in TWICE the amount they require.  Plus, I seem to detect a definite bias against farangs using a marriage to live here. They want you to spend money and leave. A 46 year old Thai woman does not have many prospects and my pathetic 80 thousand baht a month is worthless without the specific proof they require, which the Embassy no longer gives. It's like an SNL skit except no one is laughing except Immigration.

28 minutes ago, vinegarbase said:

I tried to tell people. Every time there is a crackdown on illegal immigration it always comes hand in hand with making legal immigration more difficult and screwing over those just trying to follow the rules. 

 

Thailand is not going back to the Thailand of 5-10 years ago. They are paying tribute to the new emperors in China. "Farang go home" is the new Thai slogan. Good news is that you can free yourselves of the Thailand chains. Go get your Panama permanent residency in about 2 months and enjoy your freedom. You can own land, guns, get permanent residency and enjoy your freedom they way you are supposed to. Forget all this Thai immigration madness.  These are the guys to go through and don't wait before it's too late to make your backup plan. https://www.joyful-feet.com

 

When the dust settles for these rules and the drama, the strong adapts, and they will be back.  The sun still shines tomorrow.

19 minutes ago, KhunFred said:

I strongly considered Panama but always felt Thailand was a good place to retire. My Spanish is not good, so Thailand won out. Apparently, I lose. The government is morphing into "Farang Go Home" mode. Hard to believe that Thailand is courting a nation which has not traditionally had good relations with monarchies of any type.

Not directed at you but your comment triggered my thought.

So May here I’m TV continually gripe about Thailand ‘not following their own rules’ and complain about how free and easy the establishment it. Now Immigration is stepping up to the plate and it’s a problem for everyone? 

Agreed there is a huge number of what foreigners would consider more ‘important’ things to work on but in my opinion you have to be careful what you wish for. We can’t whinge about the lawlessness of the country then pick and choose which rules we’d like to be enforced and those we think we should get a pass on.

30 minutes ago, KhunFred said:

I strongly considered Panama but always felt Thailand was a good place to retire. My Spanish is not good, so Thailand won out. Apparently, I lose. The government is morphing into "Farang Go Home" mode. Hard to believe that Thailand is courting a nation which has not traditionally had good relations with monarchies of any type.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with this warning for visa runners.  I am very sure they know they have to stop running sooner or later.

38 minutes ago, KhunFred said:

The government is morphing into "Farang Go Home" mode.  //

How that??

Could you please give us examples of anti-farang-expats measures by the Thai Government? 

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

Which "right visa" would that be. The folk living here on back to back tourist visas are in the main under 50. Other than the elite visa I don't know of many other visas available to that group. I'm excluding all the sidestep ones like ed visa etc.

I often wonder how they live here. They must be very wealthy or have inherited money to be able to stay here for long periods without working. I think many of them perhaps have saved up a bit of money and try to stay here as long as possible to avoid doing an honest days work. Naturally Thailand is not very keen on these type of tourists.

59 minutes ago, BritTim said:

There are groups, not working here, for whom there is no "right visa".

These are people who are mainly financially secure, under 50 and wanting to spend a lot of time here. //

If they are "financially secure" way before what is considered a retirement age,

then they will have no problem to get an Elite Visa.

It's the "right visa" for such lucky people. 

 

Edited December 17, 20187 yr by Pattaya46

1 hour ago, AGareth2 said:

Sure

but these people are not tourists

I don't think Thailand wants the type of tourists, they save a bit of money and try to live here as long as possible so they don't have to work. The amount they spend is negligible. The country is not going to miss these type of so-called tourists.

9 minutes ago, gamini said:

I often wonder how they live here. They must be very wealthy or have inherited money to be able to stay here for long periods without working. I think many of them perhaps have saved up a bit of money and try to stay here as long as possible to avoid doing an honest days work. Naturally Thailand is not very keen on these type of tourists.

They may be property owners in their home Country , who rent that property out and live on that income ?

12 minutes ago, Pattaya46 said:

If they are "financially secure" way before what is considered a retirement age,

then they will have no problem to get an Elite Visa.

It's the "right visa" for such lucky people. 

 

OK, I do fit into that category .

But I wont spend the money on an elite visa , main reason being that I dont want to commit to staying in Thailand for 5 more years .

  If I cannot stay in Thailand on tourist visas , I will just go somewhere else and live

1 hour ago, vinegarbase said:

You can own land, guns, get permanent residency

So owning a GUN is your second highest priority for selecting your country of residence.  Must be really safe there!!

malaysia is a good option. 90 day free entry for a lot of western countries. i have stayed in nice apartments outside of kl, in the 10,000 baht a month rent range. But you get a much larger place than thailand with a western kitchen, laundry room, den, etc. 

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

Don't exist

Depends what country you apply from.  You can get 9 months from many countries.