BREAKING NEWS 60-day visa exemptions are now unlimited at land borders

[DrJack54]

24 minutes ago, Caldera said:

Just the fact that the limit has been removed doesn't mean that an IO couldn't still challenge your claim that you're using visa exempt entries for the purposes intended.

This is the very point some posters are missing.

There is no limit on visa exempt entry via air, however many threads where folk are doing back to back visa exempt (few times) especially with little time out of Thailand.

Often questioned and warned or even denied entry.

 

Some folk think that this change to "unlimited land border visa exempt entries" is a Gold Pass.

It ain't. 

Reading the change too literally. 

[Presnock]

So, please advise the freedom of this visa - for example, can a person on retirement (any type) stop keeping 800,000 or a married guy

 (400,000) no longerr need to have that money in the bank and just go out of the country and walk back in on a 60-day every 2 months?  no more 90-day reports or tm.30's?  sounds weird to me.  I have been here a loooooooooong time

and just wondering.

 

[Tod Daniels]

30 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

This is the very point some posters are missing.

There is no limit on visa exempt entry via air, however many threads where folk are doing back to back visa exempt (few times) especially with little time out of Thailand.

Often questioned and warned or even denied entry.

 

Some folk think that this change to "unlimited land border visa exempt entries" is a Gold Pass.

It ain't. 

Reading the change too literally. 

VERY well said 👍 👍 👍

I too believe this "no limit 60 day by land" is a double edged sword, and now it'll be more like the airports comin' in and you will be at the mercy of the officer stamping you in as far as if they think you've been here too long milking time here on free stamp entries w/30 day extensions 😮 and turn you back at the border.. ..

At least before when it was a hard limit of two free stamp entries per calendar year, you knew if you got hassled at the airport flying in OR got denied entry you could just show up by land and get in without much trouble at all as long as you hadn't burned both free entries by land that year 🙂

Time will tell how 'unlimited' the program will actually be, at this time border bounce companies have no issue getting people back in on the new 60 day stamps (even people who flew in for 30 days, took a 30 day extension, then maxed out their two 30 day land entries w/30 day extensions <- meaning they'd been IN country SIX months by the time they bounced out and back, yet get stamped in without issue

Now is it because the company already greases the wheel to get people out/back the same day OR is it because there really is no limit on the land entry stamps, dunno honestly.  
 

[Tod Daniels]

1 hour ago, brianthainess said:

Are you an 'Agent' then ? 

nope I'm about as far from an agent as you can throw a stick and by all accounts am pretty "anti-agent" meaning that most people can "push their own paper" and get their own extensions, etc

I'm just someone who years ago didn't believe people who said "rules change all the time" "they're always different", "they're too hard to understand" 😮 I made it my "mission" (more a hobby) to learn about entry/visa/extension to thailand, by going to immigration offices and talking to officers, going to borders and seeing how the process worked there, and over the many years I've been here it's added up to hundreds of visits to immigration offices, check points etc.  

You seem like you just don't want to believe the fact that they discontinued the two free entry by land in a calendar year rule from Jan 1 2017, BUT they did, got confirmation from the Malay border and got confirmation from the Lao border that they're doing it  

Believe what I'm telling you or not, I broke the news, I backed it up with stamps, then I backed it up with MORE stamps, and other people weighed in that their borders said the same thing too.

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, Presnock said:

So, please advise the freedom of this visa - for example, can a person on retirement (any type) stop keeping 800,000 or a married guy

 (400,000) no longerr need to have that money in the bank and just go out of the country and walk back in on a 60-day every 2 months?

Do not do that. It will end in tears.

Continue with your annual extensions. 

You will not be able to live in Thailand on continuous visa exempt entries..

[Rob Browder]

4 hours ago, NanLaew said:

 

It was a "filter" for the cheap and otherwise undesirable who couldn't afford an airfare but could manage to scrape together a minivan fare.

 

Now it's a level playing field again, and the (fake) Louis Vuitton crowd can now save a bit of their hard-earned and rough it with the balloon-chasers.

Minivan + visa-cost to Laos or Cambodia - hardly a difference vs short-haul round-trip flight to Malaysia or Singapore, where most of us get visa-free entry.  

 

We used land-borders, including with our Tourist Visas, because the airports were taken-over by a clan which required pre-arrangement with an agent to enter the country unmolested.  Only "occasional" or "brief visit" folks could use the airports without worry. 

 

I used to fly direct to Penang, get my Tourist-Visa, then train back across the border into Thailand, then fly home out of Hat-Yai, domestic, to avoid flying into an airport-checkpoint. 

 

The "undesirables" you speak of were the illegal workers from neighboring countries, who flooded across those entry-points, and never had a limit put on them.

Edited July 22 by Rob Browder

[wisemonkey]

This is great news. I was wondering what I was going to have to do now that my Non-Imm O has expired.

 

Just a question, my Non-Imm O has expired, but Im currently on the last entry with it (went and did a boarder run right before it ended) So got another 90 days.

Because its expired, am I alright just doing a boarder run and then coming back in and they will issue the tourist for 60 days? I dont have to go to immigration and get things cancelled right due to it already being expired? Cheers

[Caldera]

20 minutes ago, wisemonkey said:

This is great news. I was wondering what I was going to have to do now that my Non-Imm O has expired.

 

Just a question, my Non-Imm O has expired, but Im currently on the last entry with it (went and did a boarder run right before it ended) So got another 90 days.

Because its expired, am I alright just doing a boarder run and then coming back in and they will issue the tourist for 60 days? I dont have to go to immigration and get things cancelled right due to it already being expired? Cheers

 

Yes, you can exit Thailand and then re-enter visa exempt. 

[DrJack54]

30 minutes ago, wisemonkey said:

I dont have to go to immigration and get things cancelled right due to it already being expired?

Your ME Non O has expired.

You currently have a permit with "admitted until" date. 

When you exit prior to that date it's done.

Just bounce back into Thailand for visa exempt entry 60 days. 

[wisemonkey]

1 minute ago, DrJack54 said:

Your ME Non O has expired.

You currently have a permit with "admitted until" date. 

When you exit prior to that date it's done.

Just bounce back into Thailand for visa exempt entry 60 days. 

 

Thats great! Thanks for info, only concern now is if they complain about the 2 prior land entries, but that looks to be being overlooked by IO for the time being. Appreciate it!

[DrJack54]

1 minute ago, wisemonkey said:

 

Thats great! Thanks for info, only concern now is if they complain about the 2 prior land entries, but that looks to be being overlooked by IO for the time being. Appreciate it!

Start of this thread Tod referred to guy obtaining 60 stamp visa exempt stamp and that guy had two prior visa exempt this calendar year.

Thinking you are right to go. 

[Rob Browder]

1 hour ago, wisemonkey said:

 

Thats great! Thanks for info, only concern now is if they complain about the 2 prior land entries, but that looks to be being overlooked by IO for the time being. Appreciate it!

Land-entries on a Non-O-ME Visa would not count as "visa exempt entries," regardless - so your "visa exempt entry by land border" count is currently zero - not two.

[Maestro]

On 7/20/2024 at 7:48 AM, Liquorice said:

I have the translation of the regulation as posted in the Royal Gazette 2016 ......... in PDF format only, which can't be posted.   😭

 

Working away for the weekend with limited access.

I'll copy and paste it into an odt word doc on Monday and PM across.

 

@Liquorice  Thank you very much for the text of the English translation of the Ministerial Regulation you sent me.

 

I have now converted it to a PDF file and uploaded it to my Google Drive, where it can be viewed and downloaded with this link: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w9wFbmPC_ByBKrcoe7oQHWJ8RQyPKDDg/view?usp=sharing

 

This is the crucial sentence and as you have mentioned, it remains to be seen whether this rule will be officially amended or rescinded:

Quote

Those who enter the Kingdom temporarily for tourism in accordance with
Paragraphs 3 by crossing Immigration check points at land borders are entitled
to enter the Kingdom in this way no more than two times per calendar year,
except for Malaysian citizens or citizens of other countries, as specified by
the minister.

 

[wisemonkey]

Ive just gone to book a visa run based on information in this thread, but the company I went to book with in Chiang Mai, said that the Chiang Khong Border officers havent received the memo that they need to let people do unlimited runs and are still not allowing people who have already done two land border runs, so much so that the company is reluctant to take people who have already done two. Has anyone done two land border runs at the Chiang Khong into Laos? Since the passing of this new rule?

 

They suggested that my best bet is to go to Nong Khwai border to Vientane in Laos which is quite a distance further.

[DrJack54]

29 minutes ago, wisemonkey said:

Ive just gone to book a visa run based on information in this thread, but the company I went to book with in Chiang Mai, said that the Chiang Khong Border officers havent received the memo that they need to let people do unlimited runs and are still not allowing people who have already done two land border runs

Read @Rob Browder post above.

Seems you had a ME non O ? 

You have done zero visa exempt entries this calendar year.

What is your visa run company on about. 

 

BTW: Another option is mini holiday to eg CM_Saigon and reenter Thailand visa exempt via air (CNX) for 60 day stamp. 

[wisemonkey]

Thats right, my last two land border runs were done whilst I was travelling under my Non-O Multi-Entry. I think Ill just take the risk and be the guinea pig, I trust the experience on this forum, if I dont get through Ill let people know.

[Pattaya57]

14 minutes ago, wisemonkey said:

Thats right, my last two land border runs were done whilst I was travelling under my Non-O Multi-Entry. I think Ill just take the risk and be the guinea pig, I trust the experience on this forum, if I dont get through Ill let people know.

You're not listening to what people are telling you. There's no risk for you as the two land border crossing rule is only if you used visa exempt, which you didn't.

 

Edited July 23 by Pattaya57

[wisemonkey]

I do get it, but as they say This is Thailand, Im getting opposing info, and it might be discretion of the IO who might not understand, who knows. 

[bubblegum]

19 hours ago, Maestro said:

 

@Liquorice  Thank you very much for the text of the English translation of the Ministerial Regulation you sent me.

 

I have now converted it to a PDF file and uploaded it to my Google Drive, where it can be viewed and downloaded with this link: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w9wFbmPC_ByBKrcoe7oQHWJ8RQyPKDDg/view?usp=sharing

 

This is the crucial sentence and as you have mentioned, it remains to be seen whether this rule will be officially amended or rescinded:

 

So what did the minister specify?

[bubblegum]

On 7/22/2024 at 11:12 AM, DrJack54 said:

Do not do that. It will end in tears.

Continue with your annual extensions. 

You will not be able to live in Thailand on continuous visa exempt entries..

So now you are the expert? My extension is up this September. I've been doing them since 2007. Now I'm going to Cambodia and see what they will say. One can always go back to retirement visa extension during the 60 days.

[JimTripper]

I don't buy it. If that were really true there would not be a need for a visa. All you would need is 4 border hops a year.

[DrJack54]

10 minutes ago, bubblegum said:

Now I'm going to Cambodia and see what they will say. One can always go back to retirement visa extension during the 60 days.

What does Cambodia have to do with anything.

With no limit on visa exempt land border entries means little for continuous living in Thailand.

Read the entire thread to try and understand what it's discussing. 

 

BTW you would not be "changing back to extensions" You would need to apply for new non O visa and subsequent 12 month extension 

[JensenX]

On 7/19/2024 at 1:32 AM, Bday Prang said:

Well as I said before, a link to the law is  one thing and will no doubt exist somewhere , but a link to  an official  announcement as to how the law might be applied , especially regarding repeated entries , along with any unofficial guidelines about  limits is unlikely to ever surface it will remain "up to them"

Yes, you're spot on. People keep referring to "The Law" when all that counts is how specific immigration offices, border posts and airport entry points apply the law. The law gives them wide-ranging power to apply policy as they see fit.

[JensenX]

3 hours ago, wisemonkey said:

Thats right, my last two land border runs were done whilst I was travelling under my Non-O Multi-Entry. I think Ill just take the risk and be the guinea pig, I trust the experience on this forum, if I dont get through Ill let people know.

A word to the wise. If you're exiting from a Non-O visa, changing to visa-free 60-day entry stamps at a border post, you'll likely have an extra fee to pay someone. I've been quoted 2000 baht at 2 different visa-run companies. I'm heading to the border this week. I asked the agent who I need to pay, to which he replied "You'll know when you get there". The other agent wanted me to pre-pay this extra fee.

[JensenX]

On 7/22/2024 at 9:26 AM, NanLaew said:

 

It was a "filter" for the cheap and otherwise undesirable who couldn't afford an airfare but could manage to scrape together a minivan fare.

 

Now it's a level playing field again, and the (fake) Louis Vuitton crowd can now save a bit of their hard-earned and rough it with the balloon-chasers.

I don't agree with it being a cheap alternative, but the best option. For example, a trip to the airport, checking in, waiting to board and flying out, then repeating that at the other end is a lot more messing around, more time-consuming, and of course more expensive than a quick half-day trip to the border. Just the return trip to the airport, at a good price, would cost me 3000 baht (taxi), and up to 2 hours each way (from Pattaya). Of course, comparisons will vary a lot depending on where the people live.

Edited July 23 by JensenX

[JensenX]

1 hour ago, bubblegum said:

So now you are the expert? My extension is up this September. I've been doing them since 2007. Now I'm going to Cambodia and see what they will say. One can always go back to retirement visa extension during the 60 days.

This is a good point. Previously you had to start your Non-O visa application as soon as you returned as they needed most of the 30 days for the application. Now you have a month to decide what you want to do. I'm not sure if the 60-day entry is long enough to season the 800k funds, so an agent would be a good option.

[bubblegum]

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

What does Cambodia have to do with anything.

With no limit on visa exempt land border entries means little for continuous living in Thailand.

Read the entire thread to try and understand what it's discussing. 

 

BTW you would not be "changing back to extensions" You would need to apply for new non O visa and subsequent 12 month extension 

Well... Cambodia has a border with Thailand. so if I go to Cambodia and return to Thailand I will do it on a visa exemption. While I'm in Thailand I can change that to retirement . Understand me now? And do not say this cannot be done because I have done it multiple times!

[DrJack54]

Just now, bubblegum said:

Well... Cambodia has a border with Thailand. so if I go to Cambodia and return to Thailand I will do it on a visa exemption. While I'm in Thailand I can change that to retirement . Understand me now? And do not say this cannot be done because I have done it multiple times!

None of your posts make sense.

Yes you can border bounce to any land border and reenter visa exempt.

What does that achieve.

Your non O would be killed off and you could apply for non O based on retirement at local immigration office using TM87.

Subsequently you could apply for 12 months extension.

What is the point of your posts

[Pattaya57]

7 minutes ago, JensenX said:

This is a good point. Previously you had to start your Non-O visa application as soon as you returned as they needed most of the 30 days for the application. Now you have a month to decide what you want to do. I'm not sure if the 60-day entry is long enough to season the 800k funds, so an agent would be a good option.

A non-imm O (Retirement) needs a minimum 15 days left on permission of stay to apply, so day 44/45 of your 60 day visa exempt will be fine (or day 74/75 if you get a 30 day extension) You then seed your 800k for first 2 months of your 90 Day non-imm O

[JensenX]

2 minutes ago, Pattaya57 said:

A non-imm O (Retirement) needs a minimum 15 days left on permission of stay to apply, so day 44/45 of your 60 day visa exempt will be fine (or day 74/75 if you get a 30 day extension) You then seed your 800k for first 2 months of your 90 Day non-imm O

Cool! even better!