Blowback begins about latest visa exemptions and DTV discretion

[webfact]

The Thai digital nomad visa seems less controversial than the other immigration-related changes.

It’s less than a month since the latest immigration-related changes were introduced. But Thai spokespeople are having some trouble swallowing the detail and repercussions. Sisdivachr Chweewarattanaporn, president of Thai Travel Agents, told the Bangkok Post, “The 60-days visa-free scheme for foreign tourists will allow more foreigners to work illegally in Thailand. Typically, those visiting Thailand for tourism tend to stay less than a month.”

 

By Barry Kenyon

The 60-days visa-exemption, which can be extended for 30 days more at local immigration, applies to 93 countries and covers the vast majority of tourists actually arriving at airports and border posts. Surawat Akaraworamat, vice-president of the Tourism Council of Thailand, said Thailand was now more vulnerable to illegal and nominee companies because of lax law enforcement, price-fixing and corruption. He quoted (just one example) of many Russians fleeing to Thailand specifically to work illegally here.

 

The new, five-year and multi-entry Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) also has its difficulties as some diplomatic posts seem unaware. Applicants must apply from their home-country embassy (or via the e-visa portal but not from within Thailand) but embassies have yet to catch up. The Thai embassy in London (one of many) appears to be silent on the DTV and still claims that Brits only get 30 days visa-free. The Thai embassy in Norway simply reprints the Thai foreign affairs ministry’s handout which leaves many questions unanswered. Very few, if any, embassies go further than that.

 

 

Full story: Pattaya Mail 2024-08-13

 

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[Mike Teavee]

If the President of Thai Travel Agents is speaking negatively about visa changes that make it easier for people to visit Thailand for longer, you have to wonder what the Head of Immigration thinks about them... 

 

I agree with the final sentence in the Pattaya Mail Article...   

 

It will be most surprising if the visa-free extensions and the DTV emerge unchanged after the current review period.  

 

Edited August 12 by Mike Teavee

[redwood1]

How can anyone keep up with all the new visas and constant drop of the hat visa rule changes? The U turns, flip flops  and rule changes are non stop......Its always been bad but now its worse than ever.....

 

The Embassys around the world stand no chance of keeping up....

[Toddunctious]

4 minutes ago, redwood1 said:

How can anyone keep up with all the new visas and constant drop of the hat visa rule changes? The U turns, flip flops  and rule changes are non stop......Its always been bad but now its worse than ever.....

 

The Embassys around the world stand no chance of keeping up....

Simply email a memorandum. This process works for thousands of MNC’s. It’s not rocket science in 2024 to have your ducks in a row. 

[Kerryd]

It's one thing that continues to baffle the mind.
In this day and age where a single person whines about something and an hour later it's "news" around the world, Thailand can't seems to co-ordinate anything within it's various bureaucrasies.

One would think if the Minister in charge of Immigration makes a decision, it would be sent to every border crossing/airport/Immigration Office in the country within minutes so that they all are on the same page - of the same book.

One would think if the Minister in charge of the Department of Land Transport sets down rules about Driver Testing that within minutes every single DLT office around the country would have the new rules - and be expected to follow them.

If the Minister in charge of the Royal Thai Police (or the General or whoever controls them, if anyone) makes a new rule about how to conduct roadside safety checks, you'd think that every Police Station in the country would have those rules within minutes. And be expected to follow them.

But so often it seems that each Immigration checkpoint and each Police Station and each DLT office all work on their own set of rules that may, or may not, quite be the same as the "big boss" has said they should be.

You'd think of the Minister of Foreign Affairs set out new Visa rules and conditions, within minutes every Embassy and Consulate around the world would have the exact same information.

And be expected to update their websites accordingly.

(Canada went the way of having all Embassy/Consulate "websites" on one gov't site so they will all have the same (general) information and format and any substantive changes can be made once instead of once per individual site.)

But perhap's the various Thai Embassy's and Consulates are waiting for the inevitable changes and amendments that are sure to follow in the near future so they don't have to keep changing, editing, amending and re-changing, re-editing and re-amending their sites every 2-4 weeks.

Or - and this almost seems to be the most likely case - they simply haven't been sent the information through "official channels" yet. Seeing an article in a newspaper about some changes happening isn't "official notification".

Maybe someone simply forgot to send an email through "official channels" to pass on the information. Or missed a few addresses.

Or decided that it wasn't that important and just didn't bother sending any emails at all.

[Presnock]

47 minutes ago, Toddunctious said:

Simply email a memorandum. This process works for thousands of MNC’s. It’s not rocket science in 2024 to have your ducks in a row. 

You say that yet look at all those on this forum that have gone to the Thai Revenue dept and found that they have no idea yet about anything.  As another aside on a different issue but same problem - immigration officers having "personal" adaptations of the rules and requirements for the expats.  With rampant corruption at so many levels, it is difficult to find nationwide acceptance and impementation of every rule.  My opinion anyway.  Have a good day!

[ikke1959]

This is Thailand... every immigration office has its own explanation of rules, every amphur has its own rules, every body thinks they can make their own rules in every place...Embassies as an example now, It sounds unbelievable that short term tourists come here to work illegally,because who will hire someone for a few weeks?? Overstaying yes but that was to expected 

[Presnock]

Just now, ikke1959 said:

This is Thailand... every immigration office has its own explanation of rules, every amphur has its own rules, every body thinks they can make their own rules in every place...Embassies as an example now, It sounds unbelievable that short term tourists come here to work illegally,because who will hire someone for a few weeks?? Overstaying yes but that was to expected 

Exactly like the trade with China bit - who in their right mind would think that the Chinese would not have as reported here "a SURGE of poor-quality merchanise" pouring into Thailand and underselling the Thai sellers?  Everything seems "Knee-jerking"  here starting with elections and then dropping the leading candidates and parties and even wiping them out for 10 years!  Tomorrow we may have a "NEW" government.  

 

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

“The 60-days visa-free scheme for foreign tourists will allow more foreigners to work illegally in Thailand. Typically, those visiting Thailand for tourism tend to stay less than a month.”

The majority who come here get 60 days and go home, some like it and want to see more will opt for the 30 day extension, a minority go underground and become illegal, funding their stay by nefarious ways.

 

[Peabody]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand was now more vulnerable to illegal and nominee companies because of lax law enforcement, price-fixing and corruption.

None of which is due to new visa rules. This is all on money-grubbing Thais.

[freeworld]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Sisdivachr Chweewarattanaporn, president of Thai Travel Agents, told the Bangkok Post, “The 60-days visa-free scheme for foreign tourists will allow more foreigners to work illegally in Thailand.

Haha, so the same foreign tourists entering on 30 days and extending for 30 days (total 60 days) did not allow for those same foreigners to work illegally in Thailand?

Edited August 13 by freeworld

[schweizer]

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

The majority who come here get 60 days and go home, some like it and want to see more will opt for the 30 day extension, a minority go underground and become illegal, funding their stay by nefarious ways.

 

And that minority don't care how long the visa is they would have gone underground anyway, so no change there

[trainman34014]

9 hours ago, Kerryd said:

It's one thing that continues to baffle the mind.
In this day and age where a single person whines about something and an hour later it's "news" around the world, Thailand can't seems to co-ordinate anything within it's various bureaucrasies.

One would think if the Minister in charge of Immigration makes a decision, it would be sent to every border crossing/airport/Immigration Office in the country within minutes so that they all are on the same page - of the same book.

One would think if the Minister in charge of the Department of Land Transport sets down rules about Driver Testing that within minutes every single DLT office around the country would have the new rules - and be expected to follow them.

If the Minister in charge of the Royal Thai Police (or the General or whoever controls them, if anyone) makes a new rule about how to conduct roadside safety checks, you'd think that every Police Station in the country would have those rules within minutes. And be expected to follow them.

But so often it seems that each Immigration checkpoint and each Police Station and each DLT office all work on their own set of rules that may, or may not, quite be the same as the "big boss" has said they should be.

You'd think of the Minister of Foreign Affairs set out new Visa rules and conditions, within minutes every Embassy and Consulate around the world would have the exact same information.

And be expected to update their websites accordingly.

(Canada went the way of having all Embassy/Consulate "websites" on one gov't site so they will all have the same (general) information and format and any substantive changes can be made once instead of once per individual site.)

But perhap's the various Thai Embassy's and Consulates are waiting for the inevitable changes and amendments that are sure to follow in the near future so they don't have to keep changing, editing, amending and re-changing, re-editing and re-amending their sites every 2-4 weeks.

Or - and this almost seems to be the most likely case - they simply haven't been sent the information through "official channels" yet. Seeing an article in a newspaper about some changes happening isn't "official notification".

Maybe someone simply forgot to send an email through "official channels" to pass on the information. Or missed a few addresses.

Or decided that it wasn't that important and just didn't bother sending any emails at all.

Wishful thinking if ever there was.    How are all these 'Top Men' supposed to find the time to do things properly when there are other more pressing factors to take care of; like playing Golf, taking one or more Concubines out for Lunch, figuring out when the next Overseas Trip paid for by the Tax Payer is coming up, how to get ones finger in the pie of the next Corrupt 'share out' etc etc....it's a busy life for these Guys !

[Stargeezr]

Unless a majority of tourists are crooks and criminals, like the overstayers are, I would assume that most tourists

are honest people on holidays. Just as i assume that most expats living in Thailand are honest people, I try to think positive 

about other people. i also leave my 2 pieces of jewelry at my home in a safe, when i travel abroad.

[paulikens]

On 8/13/2024 at 12:10 AM, webfact said:

but embassies have yet to catch up. The Thai embassy in London (one of many) appears to be silent on the DTV and still claims that Brits only get 30 days visa-free. The Thai embassy in Norway simply reprints the Thai foreign affairs ministry’s handout which leaves many questions unanswered.

Just the way of the world these days..  Everyone is so lazy these days and can't be arsed to do any actual work and do their actual job. They just wanna look at their phones all day.  The world has become so lazy.    

[NoshowJones]

On 8/13/2024 at 7:01 AM, Kerryd said:

It's one thing that continues to baffle the mind.
In this day and age where a single person whines about something and an hour later it's "news" around the world, Thailand can't seems to co-ordinate anything within it's various bureaucrasies.

One would think if the Minister in charge of Immigration makes a decision, it would be sent to every border crossing/airport/Immigration Office in the country within minutes so that they all are on the same page - of the same book.

One would think if the Minister in charge of the Department of Land Transport sets down rules about Driver Testing that within minutes every single DLT office around the country would have the new rules - and be expected to follow them.

If the Minister in charge of the Royal Thai Police (or the General or whoever controls them, if anyone) makes a new rule about how to conduct roadside safety checks, you'd think that every Police Station in the country would have those rules within minutes. And be expected to follow them.

But so often it seems that each Immigration checkpoint and each Police Station and each DLT office all work on their own set of rules that may, or may not, quite be the same as the "big boss" has said they should be.

You'd think of the Minister of Foreign Affairs set out new Visa rules and conditions, within minutes every Embassy and Consulate around the world would have the exact same information.

And be expected to update their websites accordingly.

(Canada went the way of having all Embassy/Consulate "websites" on one gov't site so they will all have the same (general) information and format and any substantive changes can be made once instead of once per individual site.)

But perhap's the various Thai Embassy's and Consulates are waiting for the inevitable changes and amendments that are sure to follow in the near future so they don't have to keep changing, editing, amending and re-changing, re-editing and re-amending their sites every 2-4 weeks.

Or - and this almost seems to be the most likely case - they simply haven't been sent the information through "official channels" yet. Seeing an article in a newspaper about some changes happening isn't "official notification".

Maybe someone simply forgot to send an email through "official channels" to pass on the information. Or missed a few addresses.

Or decided that it wasn't that important and just didn't bother sending any emails at all.

This is just another BIG BIG case of "This is Thailand".