Outstanding questions remain about new visa rules for Thailand

[webfact]

The interior minister has now signed off on the latest immigration rules which will permit citizens of 93 countries to obtain a visa-exempt 60 days on entering Thailand by land, air and sea. This includes all the countries which provide significant tourist numbers including the traditional markets of UK, mainland Europe, the USA and Australia. The formal introduction date is Monday July 15, but reports from newly arrived visitors suggest the doubling of 30 days to 60 is already in place.

 

In the past, visa-exempt tourists with 30 days stamped into their passports had to apply at local immigration to extend another month. They had to pay a visa fee of 1,900 baht and provide evidence that their hotel, condominium or host had registered them with immigration (the famous TM30 address confirmation form). Now that visa-exempt visitors have two months on arrival, they are spared that additional bureaucracy.

What is not clear is whether these tourists can extend their 60 days by visiting local immigration and obtaining a further 30 days: a total of 90 days. Another ambiguity is whether visa-exempt tourists do a border run to repeat the whole exercise once again. If so, tourists without any visa could be based in Thailand for longer than the 180 days in a calendar year required for tax residency purposes. That possibility raises all sorts of questions as a tourist becomes an expat.

 

The interior minister also confirmed the introduction of the multiple entry, five-year DTV or Destination Thailand Visa which will enable stays of 180 days plus one extension of six months more.

 

The latest Thai immigration rule changes are the biggest in 20 years.

 

By Barry Kenyon

 

Full story: The Pattaya Mail 2024-07-15

 

For more information about any visa types, please enquire:

 

 

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[redwood1]

Start with the...

 

 multiple entry, five-year DTV or Destination Thailand Visa

 

180 Days

 

After 180 days.

 

 Do a border run get 60 days  then get a extension  30  days  then another border run 60 days plus another extension for 30 day

 

Then back to the five-year DTV or Destination  Visa for another 180 days

 

Keep doing this for 5 years...

 

Then get a new  five-year DTV or Destination  Visa ......Lol

[Karma80]

Nobody is the least surprised that absolute chaos ensues. A 5 year resident visa, providing you exit every 6 months, for learning to cook pad thai with a tax exemption, if you would believe any of the "government" presentations to date on DTV. But at the same time reform tax by a process of unoffical announcements and intent by RD top officials. And, then on the ground the situation is likely entirely different anyway.

 

I have no idea why I am bothering with a Non-B and WP at this point. Should just be gaming the system like half the people seem to be.

[ikke1959]

Thailand shows again they have no clue what tourists are... Most tourist come to visit the country for 2 /3 weeks, and than return home as they have to work or have  other things. They will not need a 60 days visa.. Who will benefit from it?? in fact nobody as the ones who are looking for a longer stay could obtain a 90 days visa already at the Embassy. Now this is not needed anymore it will cost the Government  money. And the question remains why are people want to have a 60 day visa?? Nobody gets a clue, nobody has control anymore But as usual the Government makes decisions without proper investigations

[george]

Arrival stamps at a land border this morning. 30 days.

 

(Thanks Tod Daniels for sharing this with us!)

[george]

Don Mueang arrival this morning: 

30 days

 

(Thanks Tod Daniels for sharing!)

[mstevens]

Why am I not surprised that despite all the talk of it being 60 days from today that people are still being stamped in for 30 days?!

[george]

 

[george]

I just got a PM that travelers had pushed to their flight 2 days so they could come here today Monday and get 60 days. BKK immigration gave them 30 days. Confusion at the airport today.

[Robert Paulson]

Why do we have words that mean the same thing?

 

Is it outstanding?

or is it, you know, outstanding? 

[Robert Paulson]

44 minutes ago, george said:

Don Mueang arrival this morning: 

30 days

 

(Thanks Tod Daniels for sharing!)

For their next trick they will probably start stamping some with 60 and some with 30. Female officers giving only 30min my guess

[Robert Paulson]

1 hour ago, ikke1959 said:

Thailand shows again they have no clue what tourists are... Most tourist come to visit the country for 2 /3 weeks, and than return home as they have to work or have  other things. They will not need a 60 days visa.. Who will benefit from it?? in fact nobody as the ones who are looking for a longer stay could obtain a 90 days visa already at the Embassy. Now this is not needed anymore it will cost the Government  money. And the question remains why are people want to have a 60 day visa?? Nobody gets a clue, nobody has control anymore But as usual the Government makes decisions without proper investigations

Actually 60 days is nice. There’s this annoying thing with Airbnb to book 30 days, then u pay and you can’t even get all your days due to visa worries. 
 

I think the Airbnb rules are ridiculous personally. Leave it to govt to just make some <deleted> up when they are losing 

[mokwit]

22 minutes ago, Robert Paulson said:

There’s this annoying thing with Airbnb to book 30 days

Minimum to avid breaking the law. A condo is not a hotel, actually. Hotels are set up for short stay guests, condos are not. Most condos have rules of minimum stay of 6 months and don't want AirBnB people, not even for one day.

[Caldera]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

What is not clear is whether these tourists can extend their 60 days by visiting local immigration and obtaining a further 30 days: a total of 90 days.

 

The MFA announcement says it CAN be extended by up to 30 days at the discretion of immigration, same as before.

[redwood1]

14 minutes ago, Caldera said:

 

The MFA announcement says it CAN be extended by up to 30 days at the discretion of immigration, same as before.

 

They would have to do a extension on a 60 day....Or a 60 day visa with no extension would be almost exactly like a 30 day with a 30 day extension......

[mokwit]

Just now, redwood1 said:

 

They would have to do a extension on a 60 day....Or a 60 day visa with no extension would be almost exactly like a 30 day with a 30 day extension......

Except you wouldn't have to que up at Imm having first obtained a TM30 to avoid leaving disappointed.

[sikishrory]

I doubt some immigration staff will be happy with this. Less bureaucracy means less extensions, less processing, less visa runs, less cash for their pockets.

[Classic Ray]

Probably some tension within Immigration about who will make up the extension fees of 1900 baht that will no longer be required if the allowance is 60 days visa exempt.

[AAArdvark]

2 hours ago, george said:

Don Mueang arrival this morning: 

30 days

 

(Thanks Tod Daniels for sharing!)

The 60 day stamp is on order

[LudwigK]

Must be Published in the Royal Gazette!!!!

[thjames88]

and this is why there is confusion!   click bait says 60d not in place then in first paragraph it says it is!!!   if you dont know (the law/facts)  why confuse readers either way   or write a confusing header/story     everyone quick to blame the govt  when policies not in place as described by "reporters"  when in fact its the reports that do little or no homework to verfy anything.

[Homburg]

Outstanding questions remain about new visa rules for Thailand

 

 

So surprising!

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, Robert Paulson said:

For their next trick they will probably start stamping some with 60 and some with 30. Female officers giving only 30min my guess

You rarely get in the package what's written on the label... if you get my drift.

[Hakuna Matata]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The interior minister has now signed off on the latest immigration rules which will permit citizens of 93 countries to obtain a visa-exempt 60 days on entering Thailand by land, air and sea

 

Scrap this plan before it is too late.

 

It was not wise. Scrap it altogether.

 

 

[kwilco]

2 hours ago, george said:

 

 

[kwilco]

Just now, kwilco said:

 

But some countries already have 60 or 90 days entry...so the 180 day situation is already running for some.

[transam]

This all sounds quite normal for this country, you know, the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing...........

[redwood1]

4 minutes ago, transam said:

This all sounds quite normal for this country, you know, the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing...........

 

This is almost as good as the covid days when the visa rules changed by the hour...

[cjinchiangrai]

Another premature announcement trying yo push the MFA. They really need to control their messaging better.

[DPKANKAN]

4 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

Thailand shows again they have no clue what tourists are... Most tourist come to visit the country for 2 /3 weeks, and than return home as they have to work or have  other things. They will not need a 60 days visa.. Who will benefit from it?? in fact nobody as the ones who are looking for a longer stay could obtain a 90 days visa already at the Embassy. Now this is not needed anymore it will cost the Government  money. And the question remains why are people want to have a 60 day visa?? Nobody gets a clue, nobody has control anymore But as usual the Government makes decisions without proper investigations

I know many people who have retired who still live in their own Country but come here a few times a year and want 60 days plus!!!! It's a no brainer for simplicity!!!!