Visa Rules Explanation

[bangkokrick]

I picked this leaflet up at the immigration entry desk in the airport a few days ago. It's the first time that i have seen this information, so i thought that i may be useful to some of you.

Cheers Rick

[sriracha john]

8.1 is one you don't hear too much about....

by that figure, I probably owe around 30 million baht by now...

Edited April 3, 2007 by sriracha john

[SWP]

Hi,

I just heard yesterday that Bkk airport immigration are refusing foreigners with back to back tourist visas that have accumilated more than 90 days from last October. Wonder if anybody else has? I'm due for a run to Penang (fly) this week and feeling rather apprensive. Any news...??

[LivinLOS]

Seems a buddy of mine has had his tourist visa counted as being part of his 90 days in 180 also.. Coming back from Cambodia.

All in all this issue is being interpreted every way on all variables.. Total shambles..

[bangkokrick]

8.1 is one you don't hear too much about....

by that figure, I probably owe around 30 million baht by now...

You and me both mate.

Could be worth getting an APEC card though?

[astral]

Hi,

I just heard yesterday that Bkk airport immigration are refusing foreigners with back to back tourist visas that have accumilated more than 90 days from last October. Wonder if anybody else has? I'm due for a run to Penang (fly) this week and feeling rather apprensive. Any news...??

There is nothing to support this view.

The limit is on 30 day Visa Exemption stamps, limited to a total of 90 days in any 180 day period.

[Simmo]

"International tourment hosted by Thai Government" .. perhaps a Freudian slip?

[jaiyen17]

Here is the information they handed to me when I encountered my entry snafu last friday at the airport immigration counter in chiang mai. If interested my post is still quite active titled canadian given only five days with 72 out of 90 in 180 day period.

They handed me this tiny piece of paper about 2 inches long and one inch wide (obviously cut out by hand)

that reads.

(and this is their english not mine )

Permit to stay in Thailand for 30 days per each visit. And the toatl duratation not exceed 90 days witin a period of 6 months. Count from first entry. Valid on 1st October 2006. ? any question : www.imm.police.go.th

I just looked at them and said but I only have 72 days..... they said yes but six month period finished April 3rd ... you need go out burma come back April 4th for new six month... not possible go out come back same day.... must spend night....

anyway here I am in Luang Prabang... I'm going to play it safe and fly back to Bangkok on the 5th and hope for the best. (my knees will be shaking I'm sure as I just don't trust anything right now.... it's a huge mess!!!!!

[bangkokrick]

Here is the information they handed to me when I encountered my entry snafu last friday at the airport immigration counter in chiang mai. If interested my post is still quite active titled canadian given only five days with 72 out of 90 in 180 day period.

They handed me this tiny piece of paper about 2 inches long and one inch wide (obviously cut out by hand)

that reads.

(and this is their english not mine )

Permit to stay in Thailand for 30 days per each visit. And the toatl duratation not exceed 90 days witin a period of 6 months. Count from first entry. Valid on 1st October 2006. ? any question : www.imm.police.go.th

I just looked at them and said but I only have 72 days..... they said yes but six month period finished April 3rd ... you need go out burma come back April 4th for new six month... not possible go out come back same day.... must spend night....

anyway here I am in Luang Prabang... I'm going to play it safe and fly back to Bangkok on the 5th and hope for the best. (my knees will be shaking I'm sure as I just don't trust anything right now.... it's a huge mess!!!!!

The mind boggles its a different story everyday.

Good luck on your return trip. I hope it all goes well at immigration.

Cheers, Rick

[LivinLOS]

OK I have been exchanging messages with my mate..

He first came in Oct 13th..

Spent 43 days in total on 4 visa free entry stamps.

Spent 60 days and a 30 extension on a Tourist visa.

Came back through BKK and was given only 22 days entry stamp taking him to April 12th.

That makes another definite.. He thought it was somehow counting stamps oir counting his Tourist visa days.. Only now exchanging messages and getting him to check his end date confirmed the 6 months period.

Full info in this thread.. http://www.phuket-info.com/forums/expats/2...html#post311996

The mind boggles.

[sjaak327]

"He first came in Oct 13th..

Spent 43 days in total on 4 visa free entry stamps.

Spent 60 days and a 30 extension on a Tourist visa.

Came back through BKK and was given only 22 days entry stamp taking him to April 12th.

"

Utterly ridiculous, I mean theoratically a tourist could come in for a three weeks holiday, starting february 1st. and come back end of july. The will then get stamped in untill his "period" ends. which is say the 31st of july. So he only gets a few days instead of the full 30, and has to do a border run to continue his holiday.

Surely unworkable for tourists. For visa runners, it's just something you can take into account.

[jeebusjones]

Surely unworkable for tourists. For visa runners, it's just something you can take into account.

That's the key... These rules will cause huge problems for legitimate tourists. But visa runners will always be able to find a way around the rules...

[bangkokrick]

Surely unworkable for tourists. For visa runners, it's just something you can take into account.

That's the key... These rules will cause huge problems for legitimate tourists. But visa runners will always be able to find a way around the rules...

If they don't clarify things i can see there being a huge reduction in tourism. As you quite rightly say there will always be a 'work around' for visa runners.

[Estrada]

Here is the information they handed to me when I encountered my entry snafu last friday at the airport immigration counter in chiang mai. If interested my post is still quite active titled canadian given only five days with 72 out of 90 in 180 day period.

They handed me this tiny piece of paper about 2 inches long and one inch wide (obviously cut out by hand)

that reads.

(and this is their english not mine )

Permit to stay in Thailand for 30 days per each visit. And the toatl duratation not exceed 90 days witin a period of 6 months. Count from first entry. Valid on 1st October 2006. ? any question : www.imm.police.go.th

I just looked at them and said but I only have 72 days..... they said yes but six month period finished April 3rd ... you need go out burma come back April 4th for new six month... not possible go out come back same day.... must spend night....

anyway here I am in Luang Prabang... I'm going to play it safe and fly back to Bangkok on the 5th and hope for the best. (my knees will be shaking I'm sure as I just don't trust anything right now.... it's a huge mess!!!!!

I had a simlar problem coming in on Saturday 30th March. They said that my first 6 months period ends on 4th April and I had too many entries already (I work in Libya on 10/2 rotation but have to go to KL each time to get my Libyan Visa, so two entries each trip).

Anyway, I explained that I only had 47 days of my 90 days entitlement used, but the officer was not sure how to count the days so she took me to a more senior officer. She said I would have to leave on 4th April as my first 6 month period would expire then! Coincidently, this is the very day I have an important meeting at which the former head of Immigration Khun Chumpon, was expecting my presence, and I told her that he would not be pleased. They then asked me if I know the Regulation and I stated that I did and that it is intended to be 90 days total in a 6 month period, and also that it was a rolling 6 month period, meaning that I do not need to leave on 4th April and start again. They must count the days, which they did. Then after to speaking to a more senior officer they gave me 30 days. They also said they were very sorry, and they were very confused and over worked as they have no computer system that automatically works out the cumulative days. And could all the Farangs complain to the higher ups as they have no power to complain about their problems in counting the entry and tracking the entry days.

But I did get the impression that had I not known the Law and the Head of Immigration, I would have been refused entry or only given 5 days!

Edited April 3, 2007 by Estrada

[sigmondfreed]

My American wife and I (also from the U.S.) returned about 30 days ago from Kuala Lumpur, where we were sent as a good place to get my wife's required out-of-country non-immigrant student visa. She is a full-time Master's student at a local Chiangmai university, so she got her student visa with no problem.

I was originally given a 1 year student-dependent non-immigrant visa from the Thai Embassy in Denver, Colorado, which we did just fine on in 90 day increments, as per the rules, no problem.

We were unpleasantly surprised at KL when the very over-worked embassy employee told us that 'only students, not members of their families are now being given student visas'. She took it to her supervisor who heard our sob story (but they told us at the Chiangmai Immigration office that...) and agreed to give me a 60 day non-immigrant tourist visa, which, he correctly informed me could be extended for an additional 30 days at Chiangmai.

In Chiangmai, indeed I got the 30 day extension (giving me a total of 90 days from the date of arrival from KL). I asked the immigration supervisor what should I do after the 90 days? He politely told me that I "...could try to do the land border crossing for 3 30 day entry permits", but that, most likely, I would only be given "...one 'free' 30 day entry permit and then be required to leave for at least 90 days."

I asked him if I could return to KL and get another 60 day non-immigrant tourist visa and follow on with the 30 day extension and repeat this until my wife graduates. Later she told us that he and his staff had been informed that 'back to back tourist visas would be granted at the discretion of each of the Thai embassies' but, in all likelihood, another visa would be denied given that I would have been in longer than 90 days in any 180 day period.

Sooo, it sounds like, to me, back to back non-immigrant tourist visas are even a shot in the dark.

What's an unemployed, husband of a university student supposed to do to stay with his farang wife!?

P.S., the KL embassy personnel we dealt with were very polite, very over-worked and finally, the supervisor openly stated, "Probably your best option is to go back to Denver and get another one-year student visa."

[jdinasia]

My American wife and I (also from the U.S.) returned about 30 days ago from Kuala Lumpur, where we were sent as a good place to get my wife's required out-of-country non-immigrant student visa. She is a full-time Master's student at a local Chiangmai university, so she got her student visa with no problem.

I was originally given a 1 year student-dependent non-immigrant visa from the Thai Embassy in Denver, Colorado, which we did just fine on in 90 day increments, as per the rules, no problem.

We were unpleasantly surprised at KL when the very over-worked embassy employee told us that 'only students, not members of their families are now being given student visas'. She took it to her supervisor who heard our sob story (but they told us at the Chiangmai Immigration office that...) and agreed to give me a 60 day non-immigrant tourist visa, which, he correctly informed me could be extended for an additional 30 days at Chiangmai.

In Chiangmai, indeed I got the 30 day extension (giving me a total of 90 days from the date of arrival from KL). I asked the immigration supervisor what should I do after the 90 days? He politely told me that I "...could try to do the land border crossing for 3 30 day entry permits", but that, most likely, I would only be given "...one 'free' 30 day entry permit and then be required to leave for at least 90 days."

I asked him if I could return to KL and get another 60 day non-immigrant tourist visa and follow on with the 30 day extension and repeat this until my wife graduates. Later she told us that he and his staff had been informed that 'back to back tourist visas would be granted at the discretion of each of the Thai embassies' but, in all likelihood, another visa would be denied given that I would have been in longer than 90 days in any 180 day period.

Sooo, it sounds like, to me, back to back non-immigrant tourist visas are even a shot in the dark.

What's an unemployed, husband of a university student supposed to do to stay with his farang wife!?

P.S., the KL embassy personnel we dealt with were very polite, very over-worked and finally, the supervisor openly stated, "Probably your best option is to go back to Denver and get another one-year student visa."

You could try Perth or Melbourne ... not crazy expensive for RT air ... contact the consulates firth though

[LivinLOS]

My American wife and I (also from the U.S.) returned about 30 days ago from Kuala Lumpur, where we were sent as a good place to get my wife's required out-of-country non-immigrant student visa. She is a full-time Master's student at a local Chiangmai university, so she got her student visa with no problem.

I was originally given a 1 year student-dependent non-immigrant visa from the Thai Embassy in Denver, Colorado, which we did just fine on in 90 day increments, as per the rules, no problem.

We were unpleasantly surprised at KL when the very over-worked embassy employee told us that 'only students, not members of their families are now being given student visas'. She took it to her supervisor who heard our sob story (but they told us at the Chiangmai Immigration office that...) and agreed to give me a 60 day non-immigrant tourist visa, which, he correctly informed me could be extended for an additional 30 days at Chiangmai.

In Chiangmai, indeed I got the 30 day extension (giving me a total of 90 days from the date of arrival from KL). I asked the immigration supervisor what should I do after the 90 days? He politely told me that I "...could try to do the land border crossing for 3 30 day entry permits", but that, most likely, I would only be given "...one 'free' 30 day entry permit and then be required to leave for at least 90 days."

I asked him if I could return to KL and get another 60 day non-immigrant tourist visa and follow on with the 30 day extension and repeat this until my wife graduates. Later she told us that he and his staff had been informed that 'back to back tourist visas would be granted at the discretion of each of the Thai embassies' but, in all likelihood, another visa would be denied given that I would have been in longer than 90 days in any 180 day period.

Sooo, it sounds like, to me, back to back non-immigrant tourist visas are even a shot in the dark.

What's an unemployed, husband of a university student supposed to do to stay with his farang wife!?

P.S., the KL embassy personnel we dealt with were very polite, very over-worked and finally, the supervisor openly stated, "Probably your best option is to go back to Denver and get another one-year student visa."

Not trying to knock you or be hyper critical but this post is very confused in details..

You say you were given a 60 day non immigrant visa.. There is no such thing.. You then describe non immigrant tourist visa's.. Thats a contradiction in terms..

I am guessing you mean to say they refused you non immigrant visa and offered you a tourist visa as a substitute.. This would make some sense based on the rest of your post.

[sigmondfreed]

Oops, yes, you are correct...I was offerred the 60 day tourist visa (sorry about the confusion)...got my terms confused.

Thanks for setting me straight.

[sriracha john]

The 6 month period from October 1 has now come and it's created a mass of confusion and chaos amongst people on both sides of the Immigration counter.

The uniqueness of so many different people's situations.... eg. an off-shore worker working 10/2 rotations, a dependent of a student, a bonafide tourist making long-separated trips, etc. befuddles the system even further.

Best of luck to all concerned as we attempt to collectively weather this storm.

[sriracha john]

They handed me this tiny piece of paper about 2 inches long and one inch wide (obviously cut out by hand)

that reads.

(and this is their english not mine )

Permit to stay in Thailand for 30 days per each visit. And the toatl duratation not exceed 90 days witin a period of 6 months. Count from first entry. Valid on 1st October 2006. ? any question : www.imm.police.go.th

Actually, it's another example of Immigrationese:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?s=...t&p=1233022

[PeaceBlondie]

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...14167&st=45

is another discussion, the main one, on this subject. Let's close some of these smaller threads. Thanks for the input.