Back-to-back 30 Day Tourist Visas

[hasoo]

The new regulations regarding three or more back-to-back 30 Day Tourist Visas were slated to go into effect on July 10. I haven't seen any reports in this forum from those doing a visa run after their third visa had expired. I am left wondering. Maybe folks are too busy packing their bags.

[stevenjm]

yeh - i'm still waiting too.

I did two runs about a week ago from trat(last one on the 7th) and quized border guys on two different occasions and am yet to find anyone who knows anything about it at all - the border guys certainly knew nothing 3 days prior to the 10th and assured me I could keep getting 30 day stamps. So who knows? Keep going till theres a problem I guess.

[hasoo]

stevenjm, thanks for your input which helps a bit. Looks like you and I are alone here.

[The Gentleman Scamp]

I don't want to push my luck.

I've only done one so far but want to fly to Vientiene to get a 3 month next time.

[ovenman]

The new regulations regarding three or more back-to-back 30 Day Tourist Visas were slated to go into effect on July 10.

I'm not aware that there are any new regulations as of 10 July regarding the number of allowed back-to-back tourist entries. There have been change rumours periodically but I have seen no sign of any actual new rule(s).

[hasoo]

ovenman, perhaps you are right about it only being a matter of rumor, but quite a few people were concerned that immigration police had verbally confirmed such an upcoming change.

I recall someone on the forum saying that he at least three back-to-backs and had a visa run to make on July 10, promising that he would let forum members know what happened. I have done search after search, but cannot find his original post, let alone any follow-up.

Maybe I am dreaming.

[350torana]

I had my 7th 30 day in a row stamp on July 8 .Alot of them have been flying to Singapore and Dubai( 4 lovely strolls to scenic Poipet) . Not sure if the 30 day applies to walkers or flyers,or both . I assume that if u are flying in after a week or so in another country it shows u have more money and brings less suspicion of working in LOS. Which I have heard is the main reason for the crackdown on 30 days .

Oh well, am going back to Hobart this month for a week to get a 90 day visa. Tired of all the sweaty palms and paranioa every time i go through immigration cuz sooner or later there is gonna be a hassle.

[judge_giles]

Hey, read this yesterday and eagerly wait more info.. some people must know themselves or of others who have braved the border with pages full of 30 day stamps.. surely?

Well.. I am currently on over a months overstay, and sitting on maybe over a years back-2-back 30 day stamps, and plan to exit to Malay tomorrow or the next day.. so as you can imagine i am watching this space on an hourly basis! ha ha ha... gotta laugh about all this crap hey?

And if anyone did go.. were they checking anything like Credit Cards or bank books to see where your income is from? I heard that this may be an influencial point.... having said that, I've just got my trusty Bkk Bank passbook with my salary being credited monthly... which is def. NOT going to be something I will be taking! ha ha ha

Much appreciation in advance for input, Regards.

[Loose Cannon]

I went to Poi Pet Sunday to get a new 30 day stamp - probably about my 10th in a row. No problems at all - no questions asked.

[Loose Cannon]

Actually forgot to mention that the bus was pulled over by the police a few hundred meters before the border and a police officer came in the bus to check everyones passports. He just checked if we had any overstay on our current stamp (except for a Nigerian guy who he gave a hard time). I had a brief argument with him as he claimed it was the 12th whereas it in fact was the 11th and my stamp was okay. He apologised, the tour organiser greased the wheels a bit (I think) and we were off. It was Club Orange - the Korean tour from Asoke.

[hasoo]

I went to Poi Pet Sunday to get a new 30 day stamp - probably about my 10th in a row. No problems at all - no questions asked.

Now that's good news, Loose Cannon.

judge_giles, better do a search of the forum regarding overstaying. Do you have a "get out of jail free" card?

[judge_giles]

I think that answers my questions.. I will get on a bus and cross tomorrow or Friday....

If they are letting things go at Poi Pet, then that is an extra good sign too.. as that is the most commonly used border amongst farang providing a teaching service here without work permits...

Re the overstay.. that is usually just a form and fine, I have never once in ten years been quizzed on "Why?" - so, not exactly a "get out of jail free card" .. more a "get out of jail for 200 B a day card" lol

I will try to get back to this forum and let others know of my journey. Maybe not til Sunday though. Thanks all.. and good luck with your, hopefully, uneventful journeys!

Regards.

[Snapshot]

the bus was pulled over by the police a few hundred meters before the border and a police officer came in the bus to check everyones passports

Are you sure it was a Police Officer?

A few kilometers before the border, the Thai Military has a check point, where they check ID cards for Thais and passport for foreigners.

They also check every bus coming from the border/Aran. It happens to me every time I go there. I always go by public airbus, not the Mini-vans.

[ChiangMaiThai]

Hmm...seem to remember this same discussion nearly a year ago. Everyone waiting for the crackdown that never comes.

Dr. Pat Pong?

[Loose Cannon]

Almost sure it was a police officer. I know about the checkpoint but this was a parking lot almost at the border. They only pulled over busses, chatted to the driver/organiser a little and then came in the bus to check VISA STAMPS only - they did not check the ID page at all.

[smilealot]

i did the poipet visa run (4th 30 day back to back) on tuesday 13th, happy to say there were no problems and i did not see anyone who looked like they had been refused entry either.

hope this will stop some rapid hair loss amongst the forum .....i know i lost 1 of the 3 i have left worrying about the rumours!!

Cheers!.... Smilealot

[hasoo]

Happy to Hair that, smilealot, as others surely are, too.

Hoping for a report from someone who's recently crossed at Friendship.

[unbiasbob]

Hey, read this yesterday and eagerly wait more info.. some people must know themselves or of others who have braved the border with pages full of 30 day stamps.. surely?

Well.. I am currently on over a months overstay, and sitting on maybe over a years back-2-back 30 day stamps, and plan to exit to Malay tomorrow or the next day.. so as you can imagine i am watching this space on an hourly basis! ha ha ha... gotta laugh about all this crap hey?

And if anyone did go.. were they checking anything like Credit Cards or bank books to see where your income is from? I heard that this may be an influencial point.... having said that, I've just got my trusty Bkk Bank passbook with my salary being credited monthly... which is def. NOT going to be something I will be taking! ha ha ha

Much appreciation in advance for input, Regards.

Sounds like you are a straight shooter. Are you aware that you are precisely the type of person that immigration is seeking to stop? You are pretty bold to post all of that here. Sorry but I can in no way back you up. You deserve deportation

[unbiasbob]

I think that answers my questions.. I will get on a bus and cross tomorrow or Friday....

If they are letting things go at Poi Pet, then that is an extra good sign too.. as that is the most commonly used border amongst farang providing a teaching service here without work permits...

Re the overstay.. that is usually just a form and fine, I have never once in ten years been quizzed on "Why?" - so, not exactly a "get out of jail free card" .. more a "get out of jail for 200 B a day card" lol

I will try to get back to this forum and let others know of my journey. Maybe not til Sunday though. Thanks all.. and good luck with your, hopefully, uneventful journeys!

Regards.

Why do you come to this forum and boast about working w/o a work permit? I hope that you get nailed myself for you ruin it for the rest

[unbiasbob]

the bus was pulled over by the police a few hundred meters before the border and a police officer came in the bus to check everyones passports

Are you sure it was a Police Officer?

A few kilometers before the border, the Thai Military has a check point, where they check ID cards for Thais and passport for foreigners.

They also check every bus coming from the border/Aran. It happens to me every time I go there. I always go by public airbus, not the Mini-vans.

If judge giles goes to poipet for visa run, he should have fun with the pre border check with his 1 month overstay

[BronzeRider]

This is the 15th of July. Has anyone encountered a problem with multiple 30 days stamps?

[Snapshot]

If judge giles goes to poipet for visa run, he should have fun with the pre border check with his 1 month overstay

The military boys who check the passports and Thai ID cards does probably not have authority (or interest) in causing you a problem so close to the border, they know you are there for visa run, HOWEVER, at this particular checkpoint there is also local Police stationed (and they have the Authority to arrest you) ... and with 1 month overstay, I would certainly be worried, if they got to know about this ...

[g0blin]

Those military guys are mostly looking for Cambodians who are trying to enter Thailand illegally, i think. That is because Cambodia is a piece-of-shit country compared to Thailand, so many Cambodians (and Burmese for that matter!) try to get into Thailand in illegal ways. When i left Aran, going to BKK by public bus, the soldiers walked through the bus without even requesting to see my passport (nor anyone else's either). However, there was a sign in the bus, stating in Thai language "if you see an alien in the bus, please alert the driver". It's obvious what the word "alien" referred to. It was not farangs.

[LivinLOS]

There seems to be a lot of confusion on this...

Thai Immigration.com have stated that this back to back issue will be in place when the new computer system is up and operational later this year.

The July 10th date was for the new amounts of money needed for nion imm O visa's (retirement and marriage) and min wage for Non B visas. I have never heard from anyone official that the July 10th date had any connection with the back to back checking system which will be dependant on thier new computer passport scanning setup.

[organic]

So why do they need a computer system for this? If you do multiple b2b's, the evidence is there in your passport? Or is it too much trouble for the immigration officers to look at more than 1 page? Yes, you can 'lose' your passport to hide the evidence, but i should think your embassy would get a wee bit annoyed issuing a new one every 3 months.

[unbiasbob]

I think that there has been a lot of smoke about the back to back thing but no fire. I have never seen an issue so debated where there is no evidence of an issue other than rumor and speculation

[chingy_]

you guy worry to much, there is only 2 option,

if you can't get the first( crossing every 30days )

take the second( go get a visa )

[thaitom]

I've been doing 30 day visa for the last nine years never had any trouble , immigration officers have always been nice. I have been legally married just over two years never bothered to change my routine. You should see my passport it is quite a mess .

[350torana]

Wow, nine years, u must have a pretty thick passport or gone through a few of them in your journeys. The only trouble i have with doing visa runs to Cambodia is the size of thier bloody visas, taking up a whole page!!

[Mr_Pedantic]

If I believed most of the scaremongering on these forums I'd be old beyond my years. I believe the people who tend to get most of the problems are the people with poor attitudes when face to face with officialdom and don't bother to dress smartly. A smile goes a long long way also.