anyone got a 60 day visa exempt yet?

[visarunner]

Early morning Thai Immigration still stamped 30 days at Airport/Land borders. Afternoon around 16:00 news spread that PM signed order with immediate effect and Airport/Land borders started to stamp 60days.

This 60days visa exempt works like a Tourist visa, it can be extented and changed to another visa category inside Thailand.

Some members have pointed out that some countries appear on both list, this is possible as Thailand has not changed the respective agreements with the other country, example Russia is on VOA and on 30days Bilateral Agreement (increased to 60days up to 31st October) and now appear on this 60 days visa exempt. 

Remark: the limit of two border run in a calendar year (1.1-31.12) still remain in effect, meaning if you used up your allowance already earlier this year you need to, either,  fly in or get a visa or wait until next year to come in via Land border.  

[Maestro]

8 hours ago, Bvor said:

Bangkok Post reports that the PM said he will sign off on Monda

 

It's usually the Minister of the Interior who signs off announcements on immigration matters.

 

If something was signed today, it will hopefully show up in the next issue of the Govt Gazette which should come out this Wednesday.

[Pattaya57]

5 minutes ago, Maestro said:

 

It's usually the Minister of the Interior who signs off announcements on immigration matters.

 

If something was signed today, it will hopefully show up in the next issue of the Govt Gazette which should come out this Wednesday.

 

You're a little behind. Apparently 60 day visa exempts have been issued since 4pm today and this post said DTV has been gazetted today as well

 

2 hours ago, tarheeldan said:

It's in the Royal Gazette now:

https://ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/documents/37565.pdf

[shdmn]

6 minutes ago, Maestro said:

 

It's usually the Minister of the Interior who signs off announcements on immigration matters.

 

If something was signed today, it will hopefully show up in the next issue of the Govt Gazette which should come out this Wednesday.

It is already in the Gazette.  Someone beat me to it in the post above.

 

 

[Maestro]

8 hours ago, zzzzz said:

...Apart from that, under the Ignite Thailand vision, we are granting a 180-day visa for digital nomads and those traveling to Thailand to take courses in Muay Thai and Thai cuisine, as well for seminar, organizing music festival and art exhibition, and medical treatment purposes...

 

Another government official, this time the Prime Minister, staying "visa" when he means permission to stay.

[Maestro]

8 hours ago, Lorry said:

Aha.

"Soon".

 

Precisely. He got at least this right.

[Maestro]

8 hours ago, Lorry said:

The 2 lists of countries are overlapping.

Russia, Saudi, Taiwan are on both lists. 

Mai pen rai, can get a visa exemption on arrival,  VEoA, form TM555

 

 

Once the new 60-day visa exempt stay is implemented, let's see if the  MFA update the list of countries for the visa on arrival.

[still kicking]

So, Iam from OZ I never ever applied for a visa, but I do normally stay a few weeks but this time I like to stay let's say 60 days how do I find out what the rules are? Which keeping changing day by day?

[Pattaya57]

3 minutes ago, still kicking said:

So, Iam from OZ I never ever applied for a visa, but I do normally stay a few weeks but this time I like to stay let's say 60 days how do I find out what the rules are? Which keeping changing day by day?

 

 And yet?

 

On 7/14/2024 at 10:51 PM, still kicking said:

Just hang on I moved to LOS about 2009 

[still kicking]

4 minutes ago, Pattaya57 said:

 

 And yet?

 

Yes, but I moved back to OZ and just come here with my Thai wife for holidays she is dua citizen but Iam Aussie 

[Maestro]

2 hours ago, visarunner said:

Early morning Thai Immigration still stamped 30 days at Airport/Land borders. Afternoon around 16:00 news spread that PM signed order with immediate effect and Airport/Land borders started to stamp 60days...

 

That's good news. Implementation of new immigration rules based on news media reports and the bamboo telegraph. Should help save some face.

[michael888]

23 minutes ago, Pattaya57 said:

Are you seriously still posting thinking 60 day visa exempt hasn't already started at 4pm today. Do you not read any posts responding to you?

 

Not a good look posting as a "red named" mod in the visa forum when based on your numerous posts above you obviously have no clue what's going on

 

Has it started already? 100%?  All airports and land borders?  I've only seen a couple of photos of random stamps (could be country that always has gotten 60 days).  Not too many positive reports.   

[Maestro]

5 hours ago, jellybunny said:

Noticed this..

'Admitted ผ.60 ม.17'

ผ.60 is referred to a Tourist Visa Exemption Scheme, period of stay 60 days (unlike ผผ.14/30/90 which is referred to bilateral agreement 14/30/90 days) and ม.17 is referred to IMMIGRATION ACT, B.E. 2522 (1979), Section 17: In a special case, the Minister, by the approval of the Council of Ministers, may permit any alien or any group of aliens to enter and remain in the Kingdom under certain conditions, or may grant exemption from complying with this Act in any case.

This new expansion of the visa-free scheme (93 countries) is enforeced by IMMIGRATION ACT, B.E. 2522 (1979), Section 17.

 

Thank you for this highly interesting information.

 

If I understand this correctly, technically and legally speaking, ม.17 does not replace ม.30. Instead, the countries in the ม.30 list plus many additional countries are added to a ม.17 list. I guess the upcoming official publication of the announcement will shed light on this.

[Georgealbert]

Official announcement in Royal Gazette.

 

[Georgealbert]

My translation of the Royal Gazette announcement, I have not include the full lost of countries

[Chivas]

I watched a Visa agent video couple days ago and I'll choose my words very carefully as to what was said

 

Under the new 60 day visa exempt entry this will only be available twice by calender year by air or land borders but WILL be extendable by 30 days

 

This will be the main difference over the SETV whereby no limit is set (albeit you could still be questioned upon arrival)

 

This was the point I was trying to previously clarify. Thailand simply couldnt have 2 identical entry processes whereby one was free (60 day visa exempt) as opposed to the SETV which cost monies up front but both did the same job

 

The difference is the amount of times it can be utilised even by air

[jellybunny]

11 hours ago, Maestro said:

 

Thank you for this highly interesting information.

 

If I understand this correctly, technically and legally speaking, ม.17 does not replace ม.30. Instead, the countries in the ม.30 list plus many additional countries are added to a ม.17 list. I guess the upcoming official publication of the announcement will shed light on this.

ม. stands for the section(s) in Immigration Act. BUT ผ. stands for Tourist Visa Exemption Scheme condition (Visa-Fee) which has the number of period of stay after the letter ผ. i.e. ผ.30 (visa exemption for 30 days) or ผ.60 (visa exemption for 60 days)

----------------
ม.17 (section 17) and ม.30 (Section 30)  are two different types of clauses

ม.17 is under Entering and Exiting the Kingdom Chapter
ม.17 is reffered to Section 17: In a special case, the Minister, by the approval of the Council of Ministers, may permit any alien or any group of aliens to enter and remain in the Kingdom under certain conditions, or may grant exemption from complying with this Act in any case.

-----------------
ม.30  is under Conveyance Chapter
ม.30 is referred to Section 30: In a case where there is a reasonable suspicion that a violation of this Act has taken place, the competent official shall have power to order the owner or the person in charge of the conveyance to stop the conveyance or to take the conveyance to any place necessary for inspection. The order under paragraph one may be made by a signal or any other understandable means.

-----------------
BUT...

ผ. stands for Tourist Visa Exemption Scheme (Free-Visa) condition, which was for 57 countries/territories that had period of stay for 30 days (including Russia for 60 days (1st May -31st Oct 2024)). 
for example, on the immigration stamp when you enter to Thailand, would have ผ.30 written to display the condition of your stay and period of your stay (in days) which in this case, would allow you to stay 30 days, under Toursit Visa Exemption Scheme condition. 

 

ผผ. Stands for Bilateral Agreement  condition, which has 3 types of peroiod of stay for 14/30/90 days 

 

Now, with this Annoucement of the Misnistry of Interior, dated 15th July 2024  for the List of the Countries and Territories entitled for Visa Exemption to Thailand (in a special case, section 17), the Ministry of Inerior added the expansion period of stay from 30 days to 60 days for those 57 countries/territories and another 36 countries/territories whom 1.) previously were in Visa On Arrival (VOA) category (13 countries/territories), 2.) previously were in Bilateral Agreement category (6 countries) AND 3.) the new 17 countries/territories whom just added into VOA category that will now get the period of stay for 60 days according to the announcement.

I hope this information is useful.

[jellybunny]

Source: Royal Thai Embassy, Washington, D.C. website, Royal Thai Embassy, Kuala Lumpur website.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Pattaya57]

3 hours ago, Chivas said:

I watched a Visa agent video couple days ago and I'll choose my words very carefully as to what was said

 

Under the new 60 day visa exempt entry this will only be available twice by calender year by air or land borders but WILL be extendable by 30 days

Where's the source for such a statement (I don't mean the agent video). Of the Embassies Ive seen currently promoting the 60 day visa exempt, none have said can only use two times a year by air.

 

Sounds like agent may just want to fill their border run vans by taking 'air' out of the options

 

[kwilco]

4 minutes ago, Pattaya57 said:

Where's the source for such a statement (I don't mean the agent video). Of the Embassies Ive seen currently promoting the 60 day visa exempt, none have said can only use two times a year by air.

 

Sounds like agent may just want to fill their border run vans by taking 'air' out of the options

 

Embassies are notorious for getting it wrong.

 

What if someone wants to do 3 or 4 visits of say 35 days?

[Pattaya57]

20 minutes ago, kwilco said:

Embassies are notorious for getting it wrong.

 

What if someone wants to do 3 or 4 visits of say 35 days?

I've done 3 or 4 visits of 60 days per year in last 2 years (using 30 day visa exempt + 30 day extensions) so imagine it will be the same, no problem for most

 

[kwilco]

10 minutes ago, Pattaya57 said:

I've done 3 or 4 visits of 60 days in last 2 years so imagine it will be the same, no problem for most

On what passport?

 

THe topic is the new 60 visa exempt.

I'm guessing you must have either got a 30 day extension or a tourist visa - so quite a different matter.

[DrJack54]

17 minutes ago, kwilco said:

On what passport?

Australian.

As was stated,. 30 day visa exempt entry+ 30 day extension 4 times

[Bvor]

4 hours ago, Chivas said:

The difference is the amount of times it can be utilised even by air

please substantiate with link to official rule/regulation - what was source of visa agents "assertion"?

[Caldera]

5 hours ago, Chivas said:

I watched a Visa agent video couple days ago and I'll choose my words very carefully as to what was said

 

Under the new 60 day visa exempt entry this will only be available twice by calender year by air or land borders but WILL be extendable by 30 days

 

That's incorrect information.

 

The limits remain unchanged by the ministerial order that went into effect yesterday and that has been published for all to see.

 

So as before, there's a hard limit of two overland visa exempt entries per calendar year, and no official limit for visa exempt entries by air.

[GypsyT]

This the best news for me in 6 years and I've changed my plans thanks to it.

I'll spend more time and money in Thailand!

 

You guys have been very good cutting through the BS and misinformation. Thanks for it!

 

[DrJack54]

18 minutes ago, GypsyT said:

This the best news for me in 6 years and I've changed my plans thanks to it.

I'll spend more time and money in Thailand!

This increase to 60 days may be temporary and if so will change very little for you ongoing.

Curb your enthusiasm. 

[shdmn]

 

2 hours ago, Caldera said:

 

That's incorrect information.

 

The limits remain unchanged by the ministerial order that went into effect yesterday and that has been published for all to see.

 

So as before, there's a hard limit of two overland visa exempt entries per calendar year, and no official limit for visa exempt entries by air.

 

It doesn't matter what the official limits are.  Immigration can and does harass people all the time for overusing the waiver on arrival.  If they harassed people for spending too much time in Thailand on the 30 day, they will still harass them with the 60day, it will just take less entries before they do it now.

[Pattaya57]

15 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

This increase to 60 days may be temporary and if so will change very little for you ongoing.

Curb your enthusiasm. 

Where has it been stated it's temporary? Previous increases to 45 days were clearly temporary as they had a published start and end date, whereas this doesn't. Also Royal Gazette would have said temporary if it was?

 

[DrJack54]

2 minutes ago, Pattaya57 said:

Also Royal Gazette would have said temporary if it was?

No.