have visa exempt rules changed

[retoohs]

Hi I have a Thai wife living in NZ with me and we always return to Thailand each year for 2-3 months. For 10 years I have always arrived on a visa exempt entry and at 30 days travel to one of the neighboring countries for a few weeks before returning to Thailand and getting another visa exempt entry, never been a problem. I have also regularly extended my 30 days visa exempt entry for the allowed extra 30 days and have never overstayed or breached my entry conditions. My travel agent has told me I will not be allowed into Thailand without either a visa or airline tickets out of Thailand before my 30 days is up. I don't think anyhing has changed but thought I had better check here just incase.

 

Appreciate all sensible advice

AJ

Edited January 1, 2020 by retoohs

[jackdd]

No change. But upon checking in for your flight to Thailand you might be asked for a ticket out within 30 days, see this thread for details:

Doing the border run at a land border is no problem (just avoid the Poipet crossing, other crossings are fine)

[ubonjoe]

No changes. The airline can ask to see ticket out of the country within 30 days which has been the same for decades.

A low cost one way ticket to any nearby country from any airport here would be accepted.

[steve187]

don't forget you can get a 60 day 'visit Thai wife' extension instead of the 30 day extension

[twix38]

So you enter for 30 days  visa exempt and must already have a flight out booked on or before 30 days. Fly out and Return and get a new 30 days visa exempt, pressumably with needing another flight out within 30 days - At what point do you exercise your extension? Is it Just a choice between extending and hence wasting booked flight out or using 2nd flight out Instead rather than extending. I don't get the practical working of the extension unless it means not using a flight out that had to be bought for original visa exempt arrival?

 

Able to extend for 60 days? That's new info!

Edited January 2, 2020 by twix38

[ubonjoe]

5 minutes ago, twix38 said:

So you enter for 30 days  visa exempt and must already have a flight out booked on or before 30 days.

The airline might require the flight out but immigration seldom asks to see it.

You can buy a low cost one way flight to any nearby country from any airport here to show and not use it. 

[natway09]

Follow Uncle Joe's advice.

I have a ladyfriend doing the same thing, we just bought a cheap  1 way ticket to HK just in case.

They did look at it (just a glance).... No intention of using it

[BritTim]

The official rules on visa exempt entry have not changed for the last few years. However, there has been a growing tendency for immigration officials at some entry points (including both Bangkok airports) to exercise their discretion to deny visa exempt entry used to stay longer in Thailand than is compatible with normal tourism.

 

If you use visa exempt entries as in the past, the chances are high that immigration will not hassle you. The airline might or might not be satisfied with a return ticket dated several months in the future. They can demand an onward flight within 30 days. Really, I would suggest getting a single entry Non O visa to visit your Thai wife. This should be very easy to get, and eliminates the potential risks.

[DrJack54]

The airline will (almost 100%) ask for an onward ticket within 30 days if flying without a visa.

[twix38]

Many thanks.

 

But as it's set up,  then the extension can only ever be used if you've bought an outward flight departing within 30 days and decide to extend Instead of flying out and that's official immigration policy? An option to extend so long as you have already bought a flight out showing you dont need an extension and this is the actual immigration rule. We will extend so long as you first waste your money proving on entry you have a flight out before you qualify for the extension. Lol

Flight out within 60 days makes sense or no extension offer and just a visa exempt 30 days or otherwise get a tourist visa. 

Edited January 2, 2020 by twix38

[Olmate]

2 minutes ago, twix38 said:

Many thanks.

 

But as it's set up,  then the extension can only ever be used if you've bought an outward flight departing within 30 days and decide to extend Instead of flying out. You are offered an extension but need to already have booked a flight out on first entry so before you could ever extend and that's official immigration policy? An option to extend so long as you have already bought a flight out and this is the actual immigration rule. We will extend so long as you first waste your money proving on entry you have a flight out before you qualify for the extension. Lol

No, the flight is to get past check in,and then maybe you,ll be asked on arrival .Nothing to do with extending as I understand

[twix38]

If immigration rule made sense and was flight within 60 days then no airline problem. Its because Thai immigration stipulate flight within 30 days that makes the airline check for 30 days  and then also makes the extension part clash with having been forced to book an unnecessary flight within first 30 days for anyone planning to use the extension to stay for 30 + 30

 

Either change it to 60 days or scrap the extension and tell people to get a tourist visa.

 

It's complicating things and making things more difficult than is sensible imv I will give you an extension only if you promise and show me you will not need It lol

Edited January 2, 2020 by twix38

[Max69xl]

8 hours ago, steve187 said:

don't forget you can get a 60 day 'visit Thai wife' extension instead of the 30 day extension

What's wrong with a 60 days tourist visa from NZ, which is extendable another 30 days? 

[Olmate]

7 minutes ago, twix38 said:

If immigration rule made sense and was flight within 60 days then no airline problem. Its because Thai immigration stipulate flight within 30 days that makes the airline check for 30 days  and then also makes the extension part clash with having been forced to book an unnecessary flight within first 30 days for anyone planning to use the extension to stay for 30 + 30

 

Either change it to 60 days or scrap the extension and tell people to get a tourist visa.

 

It's complicating things and making things more difficult than is sensible imv I will give you an extension only if you promise and show me you will not need It lol

You,ve convinced me..now what?

[twix38]

Absolutely. We all try to plan our time and get the most suitable visa. 

 

It would appear a visa exempt and then extension would be great. As that comes with a ridiculous stipulation for an outward flight booked on first entry that you don't need and don't want then get a tourist visa and mention to Thai immigration that buying a useless flight to get admitted to Thailand as part of the official immigration rules is silly when an extension is offered but you've first had to show you don't need it!

[twix38]

Now I have convinced someone it's job done. From a previous thread I was beginning to think nobody could see anything even slightly off about this. You have restored my faith in thaivisa posters - finally!

Thanks 

[DrJack54]

10 minutes ago, twix38 said:

If immigration rule made sense and was flight within 60 days then no airline problem. Its because Thai immigration stipulate flight within 30 days that makes the airline check for 30 days  and then also makes the extension part clash with having been forced to book an unnecessary flight within first 30 days for anyone planning to use the extension to stay for 30 + 30

 

Either change it to 60 days or scrap the extension and tell people to get a tourist visa.

 

It's complicating things and making things more difficult than is sensible imv I will give you an extension only if you promise and show me you will not need It lol

That is fanciful. What requirement for onward flight is saying is that if you have flight out in say 59 days then that's clearly your intention. We provide a visa for 60 day stay. Namely setv.

The extensions I imagine were for various things that would need some extra time. 

It's the visitors that have exploited the visa exempt. Most nearby countries need visa and do not have visa exempt.

Anyway pointless ping pong. Option is to buy cheap onward flight. As has been mentioned. Rarely is onward flight requested by Thai passport control. It's requested by airline.

[NoshowJones]

10 hours ago, jackdd said:

No change. But upon checking in for your flight to Thailand you might be asked for a ticket out within 30 days, see this thread for details:

Doing the border run at a land border is no problem (just avoid the Poipet crossing, other crossings are fine)

I am a bit curious here, I keep reading here about how bad the Poipet crossing is, who is to blame for this and why is it not sorted out? Are the people who run it making it hard for people by themselves, or is it orders from above?

[steve187]

20 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

What's wrong with a 60 days tourist visa from NZ, which is extendable another 30 days? 

that would be a 60 day extension, but looking at the op, there is no mention of getting any visas

[twix38]

It's ONLY requested by airline because it's required by Thai immigration. That's obvious!

 

If Thai immigration made it 60 days the airline would also change.

 

If the rules were sensible then I'd have no problem. The problem comes from a naff extension offer where, so long as you have deparyed thailand on a flight beforehand or wasted buying it. If the rule was sensible then everything else including airport checks would follow suit. The extension part is not currently a sensible element unless it were 60 day flight out ticket. All the issues and checks flow from current poor thinking on visa exempt extension resulting in making the tourist visa the best option for stays over 30 days but only because of the half baked exemption and 30 day flight requirement. If they simply made it 60 days flight requirement or scrapped the extension and said if you want 60 days get a tourist visa, id say fair enough.

Edited January 2, 2020 by twix38

[Sheryl]

Why not just get a Tourist visa? Won't cost much more than r/t flight to neighboring country and save you a lot of hassle and uncertainty. You get stamped in for 60 days and can extend another 30.

[cornishcarlos]

You could also buy a cheap bus ticket out of the country, doesn't have to be a flight..

[Suradit69]

3 hours ago, twix38 said:

 

Able to extend for 60 days? That's new info!

A 60 day extension  to visit your Thai wife may be new to you, but it is hardly something new.

[twix38]

Yes, i would get a tourist visa precisely because of the flight requirement versus extension issue, if I didn't.

 

The visa exempt and then an extension sounded really good up until it became apparent that it only works well for the visa exemption part. In terms of any planning to possibly stay for over 30 days its best to obtain a tourist visa. Pity though, as with just a small tweak to a 60 day flight requirement this would be a super tourist advertisement for Thailand. 

 

Perhaps talk of attracting more tourists isn't worthy of this small sensible adaption in removing the need for a pre 30 day flight out to a 60 day or seen as making the tourist visa too unattractive, which it then would for some, like me.

 

Thanks

Edited January 2, 2020 by twix38

[jimn]

I am a bit confused the OP @retoohs asks a question and it gets highjacked by @twix38 who is answering like he is the OP. I think @twix38 you should open a new thread and apologise to the OP?

[KhaoYai]

Would the OP not be entitled to apply for a single entry Non O giving him 90 days? He is married to a Thai (whether she lives in Thailand or not) and would no doubt be visiting her family - which through marriage is also his family.

Edited January 2, 2020 by KhaoYai

[NoshowJones]

Was an answer to my post #18 been deleted? I cannot find it.

[Alex2554]

17 hours ago, twix38 said:

It's ONLY requested by airline because it's required by Thai immigration. That's obvious!

 

If Thai immigration made it 60 days the airline would also change.

 

 

There is no ticket requirement in Thai immigration law.

Airline is not sure whether you are eligible for a visa exempt, if not, airline must pay for you return flight

[ubonjoe]

28 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

Was an answer to my post #18 been deleted? I cannot find it.

Do you mean this post. https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1141312-have-visa-exempt-rules-changed/?do=findComment&comment=14918254

 

[NoshowJones]

2 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Do you mean this post. https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1141312-have-visa-exempt-rules-changed/?do=findComment&comment=14918254

 

Yes, I answered a post from Lamyai and gave a thanks emotican to it, I thought long and hard about it, then tried to find it again so I could post my answer, but could not so I thought it may have been deleted.