As Dr Jack pointed put previously I am confused. It's my usual state.

When someone applies for a Retirement or Marriage Visa there are all these steps to go through and the 90 day reports.

Not complaining mind you.

But if I come in with no visa, just stamped in (previously I thought it must be equivelant to a Tourist Visa, but wrong), I can be anyone, do anything and go anywhere with no checks. Is this about right?

If so, what happened about Good Guys In, Bad Guys Out?

 

11 minutes ago, carlyai said:

I can be anyone, do anything and go anywhere with no checks. Is this about right?

With a visa exempt entry there is no need to do anything.

No 90 day reports no TM30 etc. Nothing.

However the moment you need to have dealings with immigration there are requirements.

For example the 30 day stamp from visa exempt entry ..if you wish to obtain 30 day extension then most likely immigration will require you submit a TM30. 

There is some talk that visa exempt entry may be changed temporarily to 60 days. 

 

28 minutes ago, carlyai said:

If so, what happened about Good Guys In, Bad Guys Out?

Does this mean you want them to demand a criminal background check at every airport and border crossing?

1 minute ago, Gottfrid said:

Does this mean you want them to demand a criminal background check at every airport and border crossing?

No.

Just seems on one hand you have lots of checks and balances and on the other nothing.

Ahh wait...they do take finger prints with stamp on arrival.

5 minutes ago, carlyai said:

No.

Just seems on one hand you have lots of checks and balances and on the other nothing.

Ahh wait...they do take finger prints with stamp on arrival.

Yes, they do. See, they check after all. 🙂 

3 hours ago, carlyai said:

No.

Just seems on one hand you have lots of checks and balances and on the other nothing.

Ahh wait...they do take finger prints with stamp on arrival.

Fingerprints??????

4 hours ago, carlyai said:

Ahh wait...they do take finger prints with stamp on arrival.

 

Of course, fingerprinting is implemented at every point of entry nowadays, and regardless of your visa.

Respectfully submitted:

The TM-30 requirement is the section of the Thai Immigration law ( 1979 ) that REQUIRES the address registration of a foreigner VISITING or residing  in Thailand REGARDLESS of whether they are on holiday or living permanently. and is to be done WITHIN 24 hours - USUALLY by the hotel where you stay or a landlord  you rent from- some landlords do not do.

 

A foreigner CAN do their own TM-30 as HOUSE MASTER or POSSESSOR with the proper paperwork as I have done for myself and also have done TM-30's for visitors staying at my house.

A TM-30 makes stay extensions of any type easier and IS required to do a 90 day report if here that long.
BUT...ALL necessary paperwork depends on your LOCAL IO policies.

10 hours ago, carlyai said:

When someone applies for a Retirement or Marriage Visa there are all these steps to go through

... If so, what happened about Good Guys In, Bad Guys Out?

Good/Bad has nothing to do with it, and never did.  That phrase accompanied adding more hoops to jump through, for people submitting applications without an agent. 

 

All except the most basic requirements become "optional" with an agent-submitted application.  Basics are being over 50 for a retirement-extension, and currently married-to-a-Thai for a marriage-based extension. 

 

Some offices in the sticks don't do the agent-thing, but are stuck with all the crazy requirements, regardless.

2 hours ago, Rob Browder said:

Some offices in the sticks don't do the agent-thing, but are stuck with all the crazy requirements, regardless.

You cherry picked one unrelated comment from OP. 

Then "crazy requirements" 

Stick to OP

19 hours ago, edwardflory said:

A TM-30 makes stay extensions of any type easier and IS required to do a 90 day report if here that long.

 

Never filed a TM30 at my office and done about 40 90 day reports. Not all offices require it.

 

🙂

The TM-30 requirement is the section of the Thai Immigration law ( 1979 ) that requires the address registration of a foreigner visiting  or residing  Thailand REGARDLESS of whether they are on holiday or living permanently to be done WITHIN 24 hours.

 

I have seen many people that say they have NOT done a TM-30 for many years.

WHO do you think will get fined, IF caught, NOT your local IO

12 minutes ago, edwardflory said:

The TM-30 requirement is the section of the Thai Immigration law ( 1979 )......

You mean the law that was changed June 2020

Read para 2.2 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1169664-thai-immigration-announce-changes-to-tm30-reporting/

17 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

You cherry picked one unrelated comment from OP. 

Then "crazy requirements" 

Stick to OP

The "Good Guys / Bad Guys" myth / PR-Spin needs to be dispelled, and is the core of the OP - the so-often "But why ... doesn't make sense" we often hear.  When Westerners go to Immigration, they should know what they are really dealing with.  This will lead to less confusion and disappointment for foreigners.

 

It will, ironically, also make an easier time for the IOs, who won't have an applicant saying/asking things which are not applicable to how things work in Thailand govt offices.  A clued-in applicant won't argue about some made-up/whatever which blocks their application, because they know the score.  They will simply ask if there is a workaround, and if an envelope-solution is not offered directly, they know it's agent-time.

On 6/15/2024 at 3:04 AM, DrJack54 said:

You cherry picked one unrelated comment from OP. 

Then "crazy requirements" 

Stick to OP

My friend had his visa renewed in the sticks office easily with a, guess what, for years, sadly just passed away. 

11 hours ago, kiwikeith said:

My friend had his visa renewed in the sticks office easily with a, guess what, for years, sadly just passed away. 

If based on retirement, it is pretty easy.  There is no "district office" involved, which helps.  I am glad I am over 50 now.

 

If based on marriage in the sticks it can be an all-day affair, even if you have all the needed docs/pics.  I speak from past-experience.  The upside was, all Immigration personnel were polite - fellow rural folks, who did not treat me like a criminal, or my wife like a traitor, for being married.   Contrast to some other offices.