New Visa Restrictions?

[baboon]

There is a new rumour [and I do say RUMOUR] doing the rounds down here that in the near future ALL Thai missions in neighbouring countries will no longer issue any class of visa to non nationals of that country.

This sounds highly implausable to me, but I would be interested to know if anyone else has heard similar.

[Prakanong]

There is a new rumour [and I do say RUMOUR] doing the rounds down here that in the near future ALL Thai missions in neighbouring countries will no longer issue any class of visa to non nationals of that country.

This sounds highly implausable to me, but I would be interested to know if anyone else has heard similar.

I would not put it past them

I would also not put it past them to have no exceptions ie people who are not natinals of say Malaya but can prove they are resident there!

Like a national from a country requiring a Thai visa but with PR in working in say Singapore in a senior banking position not being able to get a Biz visa to vist his staff n BKK without getting the visa rom his home country.

Then there is the whole issue of tourists - they could argue they should plan ahead but even the countries with strict visa controls allow you to get a visa in a 3rd country.

But - as of now it is a rumour

[Crossy]

Philippines (Manila) and Cambodia (Phnom Phen) already practice this (actually they use the term 'non-residents' rather than 'non-nationals' so someone with a residents permit is fine)

EDIT Try to get a UK visa in a country in which you are non-resident, not going to happen.

Edited May 25, 2007 by Crossy

[baboon]

By the way, the source of this rumour is a Thai who runs a bar/guesthouse/restaraunt catering to foreigners and apparently is quite knowledgeable about this kind of thing as he would need to be.

I hope he is wrong or a lot of lives including his are about to become very miserable.

[Prakanong]

Philippines (Manila) and Cambodia (Phnom Phen) already practice this (actually they use the term 'non-residents' rather than 'non-nationals' so someone with a residents permit is fine)

EDIT Try to get a UK visa in a country in which you are non-resident, not going to happen.

If it was non-residents then I can not see too much wrong in that.

[ludosiam]

Philippines (Manila) and Cambodia (Phnom Phen) already practice this (actually they use the term 'non-residents' rather than 'non-nationals' so someone with a residents permit is fine)

EDIT Try to get a UK visa in a country in which you are non-resident, not going to happen.

If it was non-residents then I can not see too much wrong in that.

Would not surprise me at all! It's more or less common practice in many countries already. I had a business trip planned to Bangladesh and needed a proof of residence to issue a visa here in Bangkok. They accepted my work permit though.

[Prakanong]

Philippines (Manila) and Cambodia (Phnom Phen) already practice this (actually they use the term 'non-residents' rather than 'non-nationals' so someone with a residents permit is fine)

EDIT Try to get a UK visa in a country in which you are non-resident, not going to happen.

If it was non-residents then I can not see too much wrong in that.

Would not surprise me at all! It's more or less common practice in many countries already. I had a business trip planned to Bangladesh and needed a proof of residence to issue a visa here in Bangkok. They accepted my work permit though.

It seems sensible though.

I am literally just off the phone to my pal. He had a friend from Thailand come to Singapore last week for a visa.

I have been told by our visa agents, have read it on the web and my secretary has been tld by the Thai embassy here - they do not issue multi entry non-imm b here no matter how big the company

My pal swears his friend got a multi -entry non-imm b here last week and he has seen it hmmmm I have my doubts.

This was given to a girl with supposedly years of tourist visa's back to back!!!

[The Dan Sai Kid]

EDIT Try to get a UK visa in a country in which you are non-resident, not going to happen.

That's true, but is tourism the main industry in the UK

[Ned]

I can imagine the Thai authorities applying this new, at least rumoured rule at Thai embassies and consulates in neighbouring or regional countries. But can you imagine a situation where say an Aussie tourist in the UK is denied a Thai tourist visa for a stopover on his way home because he's not a UK resident??.....No I don't think so. Penang, Phnom Penh or Vientiane......yeah I could see it happening there.

[The Dan Sai Kid]

If it's the case then it would have a massive impact on the teaching profession in Thailand.

[jeebusjones]

EDIT Try to get a UK visa in a country in which you are non-resident, not going to happen.

That's true, but is tourism the main industry in the UK

Tourism is not the main industry in Thailand, either. It accounts for roughly 5% of the Thai economy.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thailand#Economy)

And I would think that the majority of tourists do get their visas in their home country / country of residency.

Edited May 25, 2007 by jeebusjones

[Mid]

my $'s is on the majority of tourists being eligible for visa free entry ....................................

[jeebusjones]

my $'s is on the majority of tourists being eligible for visa free entry ....................................

Exactly... So combining the new rumored "rule" with the 90 day limit of visa exemption, Thailand will have purged itself of the so-called "undesirables" and truly closed any loophole for living here as a perpetual tourist.

[Prakanong]

my s is on the majority of tourists being eligible for visa free entry ....................................

Exactly... So combining the new rumored "rule" with the 90 day limit of visa exemption, Thailand will have purged itself of the so-called "undesirables" and truly closed any loophole for living here as a perpetual tourist.

And so if it is true it is towards its stated aims anyway?

Ie getting rid of the perpetual tourists.

I think the girl in my post above had been told to get herself a proper visa after 5 years of perpetual tourism radng between the lines of my conversations with her friend.

[The Dan Sai Kid]

EDIT Try to get a UK visa in a country in which you are non-resident, not going to happen.

That's true, but is tourism the main industry in the UK

Tourism is not the main industry in Thailand, either. It accounts for roughly 5% of the Thai economy.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thailand#Economy)

And I would think that the majority of tourists do get their visas in their home country / country of residency.

Sorry, but you'll need to list something a little more substantial than wikipedia to convince me of that fact...

There's no evidence on that page to back that up.

[farangsay]

EDIT Try to get a UK visa in a country in which you are non-resident, not going to happen.

That's true, but is tourism the main industry in the UK

Tourism is not the main industry in Thailand, either. It accounts for roughly 5% of the Thai economy.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thailand#Economy)

And I would think that the majority of tourists do get their visas in their home country / country of residency.

Sorry, but you'll need to list something a little more substantial than wikipedia to convince me of that fact...

There's no evidence on that page to back that up.

http://www.thailandoutlook.com/thailandout...issues/tourism/

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3666515.stm

http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=488464

Three sources quoting 6%

[The Dan Sai Kid]

Cheers for that Joe - wikipedia is sort of the internet equivalent of barstool facts!

[tropo]

I'm surprised that the moderators have allowed this thread to continue.

It's a totally unsubstantiated rumour at a time when people are starting to report 4 tourist visas in a row from Penang.

[mopenyang]

I'm surprised that the moderators have allowed this thread to continue.

It's a totally unsubstantiated rumour at a time when people are starting to report 4 tourist visas in a row from Penang.

Disagree.

A whole lot of what has come to pass began as "unsubstantiated rumours" reported on this board and others.

The ostriches among us didn't want to believe any of them.

They were wrong.

Very, very wrong.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I can imagine the Thai authorities applying this new, at least rumoured rule at Thai embassies and consulates in neighbouring or regional countries. But can you imagine a situation where say an Aussie tourist in the UK is denied a Thai tourist visa for a stopover on his way home because he's not a UK resident??.....No I don't think so. Penang, Phnom Penh or Vientiane......yeah I could see it happening there.

It will not happen Ned. It's a late night booze inspired, baseless rumour.

[jeebusjones]

It will not happen Ned. It's a late night booze inspired, baseless rumour.

I hope you're right, Dr Pat Pong. And since the source of this rumor is a "guesthouse/bar owner," I think you probably are.

[LivinLOS]

EDIT Try to get a UK visa in a country in which you are non-resident, not going to happen.

I fail to understand this point.. It was far far easier for my Thai GF to get a UK visa in Holland than it was in Thailand for the same visa.. The English embassy in wireless Rd even told us it would be and advised us to go this route as we were time limited in BKK.

Edited May 27, 2007 by LivinLOS

[astor]

And then the embassies in Laos and Cambodia will close. Because I want to see how many cambodians and laotian will ask for the visa for came in Thailand.

[baboon]

It will not happen Ned. It's a late night booze inspired, baseless rumour.

Dont judge us all by your standards!

It was actually an early afternoon, lemon juice inspired rumour. Baseless or not, I do not know.