Thailand Holds Off on 30-Day Visa-Free Change Decision

[Harrisfan]

On 3/22/2025 at 3:27 PM, Nick Carter icp said:

It would be nice if Thailand could just decide what the rules are and keep those rules .

   The rules are constantly changing or they are thinking about changing rules or are about to change those rules or have actually changed the rules and they haven't yet come into effect .

   Visa exempt was 15 days , then 30 days , then 60 days and they aren't sure what it will be next .

   Just make your mind up and stick to it 

Was 30 days for decades for many. 

[DonniePeverley]

6 hours ago, jas007 said:

People always talk about foreigners taking jobs away from Thais by working illegally.  What jobs, exactly, would someone do "illegally"?  What foreigner would want to work for 400 baht a day as a security guard or a clerk at a convenience store?  

 

And whatever the Russias are doing here, how is that taking away jobs from Thai people?  What jobs, exactly?

 

It seems to me that, if there is a problem, that problem should be addressed by the Thai police, not at the immigration counter.   

 

 

Not all jobs are 400 Baht a day. The Russian Hair dresser in Karon charges 400 Baht for a mens haircut. That's even more than my haircut in the UK at my local barber. Bendirom Brit tours around the islands - they are charging some 2k UK pounds to take them around for a week - i know completely absurd. I've seen another British guy doing photography for companies around Phuket, and another Brit making banners for clubs - again these are jobs they are not meant to be doing. 

 

 

[Rob Browder]

On 3/22/2025 at 8:02 AM, webfact said:

However, this extended stay is suspected of facilitating illegal work and business activities among some foreign visitors who exploit the visa-free options.

...

Authorities are therefore contemplating an adjustment to deter unintended exploitations

So, they won't change the policy for countries where the pay-rate is multiples of that in Thailand, right?  Only change the policy for those with a MOTIVE to work-illegally in Thailand?   This would be the sane policy.

[StayinThailand2much]

On 3/22/2025 at 8:37 AM, Tropicalevo said:

No mention of those that do come to Thailand for 60 - 90 days every year.

I have friends who come every year to get away from the cold weather.

 

Spot on. How can one plan a (longer) holiday with such flip-flops in tourism policy? Starts already with a flight out of the country. When to book it; after 30, 60, or 90 days? (And will I later, at the check-in counter on the way to Thailand, get into trouble with such return-ticket?)

[ThailandGuy]

On 3/23/2025 at 12:17 AM, Boedog said:

1900 baht at immigration for extension not a drama

is there a immigration office everywhere?

[TheFishman1]

This government does more flip-flops than any government I’ve ever seen I hope they do their flip-flop which is wanting to tax ex-pats how ridiculous is that anyways I hope they hold off until after I renew my yearly extension TIT

[donx]

On 3/22/2025 at 8:58 PM, zzzzz said:

so u buy a $10 onward ticket to satisfy airlines check in!!
much ado about nothing

Where can I find a $10 onward ticket? Where does such a ticket take me? I'm a US citizen and some destinations such as Laos require that I obtain a visa as well as a ticket that costs at least $100. And I'm travelling with my family of 4.

[zzzzz]

10 hours ago, donx said:

Where can I find a $10 onward ticket? Where does such a ticket take me? I'm a US citizen and some destinations such as Laos require that I obtain a visa as well as a ticket that costs at least $100. And I'm travelling with my family of 4.

takes u nowhere,  
laos VOA  $40,  you do NOT need a visa in advance 

the ticket satisfies the airlines that require an onward ticket if u dont have a visa in advance 


https://bookonwardticket.com/

[Karlik Pu]

On 3/23/2025 at 8:24 AM, Karlik Pu said:

 

It would be a smart decision of Thai government to limit 60 visa free entries to 30 visa free entries  for nationals of some countries like Russia, India and China  who violate Thai immigration laws most by

working illegally in major resorts of Thailand taking jobs from Thais and threatening Thai national security.!

Particularly Putin-russians  are a major concern for Thailand  with very high level criminality  and corruption in Pattaya and Phuket., easy opening condos in Thai banks and getting thai driving licenses to avoid world sanctions due to Putin regime aggression to Ukraine.

Most of those russki mafia thugs  get 1 year student visa  and they start  operate illegally in Thailand .

They  run  for example money exchange companies across Thailand dealing with billions of money laundering  and converting huge amounts of rubles from Russia  that  currently under world sanctions into Thai baht and then in US dollars. which they later successfully invest in real estates companies offering to Russian  tourists Russian languages -luxury villas and condominium across Thailand .

.Putinists feel also free in Thailand  to control russian prostitution  and  sex escort services ,

They (open and run not only restaurants with Thai proxy owners but even numerous Ganja/ Cannabis shops across Pattaya and  Phuket ,control  rent a car a bike companies, working illegally as travel agents and tour guides, some of them even working illegally as Bolt drivers with fake certificate.

Russian hookers use pocket WiFi routers with specific names of public hotspots offering sexual servisers to farangs.

 

Many of puti russians work for criminal Putin regime and  have opened fake Thai import companies to purchase military equipment via Korea,  Japan , China and  Hong-Kong which is needed for Putin thugs  to continue  barbaric war towards Ukraine..

So this is a real threat to Thai national security and visa restriction should be imposed as soon as possible!

 

[Karlik Pu]

Its no secret  why and who create special visa rules for dictator Putin admirers

It’s Thai business lobby advocate longer stay of Putin-Russians in Thailand . High level of. Irruption is similar …

 Bitds of a  feather flocks  together

 

[DonniePeverley]

13 hours ago, Karlik Pu said:

Its no secret  why and who create special visa rules for dictator Putin admirers

It’s Thai business lobby advocate longer stay of Putin-Russians in Thailand . High level of. Irruption is similar …

 Bitds of a  feather flocks  together

 

 

 

 

Must be the same for Indians. They've turned Pattaya into an Indian city. 

[brewsterbudgen]

10 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

 

 

 

Must be the same for Indians. They've turned Pattaya into an Indian city. 

More Indian restaurants then?  Hopefully, I love Indian food.

[DonniePeverley]

4 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

More Indian restaurants then?  Hopefully, I love Indian food.

 

Indian restaurants. Indian tour groups. Indian hotels. Indian nightclubs. Indian restaurants. Everything set up for them. 

 

How much of that is going back into the local economy - only they will know. But it's crazy how much of an influx into one city it has become.

 

Even middle class indians i know are appalled. 

[Tomtomtom69]

On 3/22/2025 at 11:16 AM, DonniePeverley said:

They won't make any changes because it would be an admission they made mistakes. 

 

The sheer volume of Russian and Chinese visitors working (when you stray beyond the tourist path) is astonishing. The Chinese visitors especially are just piliging Thailand for everything. 

 

The 60 day rule, with an extension - essentially allows you to stay non stop with the odd flight back to reset. To go back to 30 day, will highlight those abusing the system. It won't stop illegals working, but it will greatly reduce it. 

 

WIll they do it? No. Because it's the current administration that has basically opened the borders with it's ridiculous easy entry to the whole world, esentially making Thailand an open border to the world - something no other country has done - politics of the playground not real world.

 

The results have been a disaster - with an increase of low rent visitors, crime risen, cheap tourists who spend low, the mass turn off of quality high spending tourists, and open hostility growing from locals (which will only increase if you see what is happening in European tourist spots and Japan). If you allow visitors to stay long term in Thailand (with little checks) they will seek income - it's obvious, and they will take local jobs that should be protected for Thais.

 

You have videos of indian tourists sleeping 20 to a small room, never mind the horrific worldwide viral videos of them sleeping on beaches. The sexual predatory nature of their visits to Pattaya. A visa on arrival would have ensured every India visitor had a hotel booking in their name. But nope this adminstration just threw everything out, including visa outs with a sheer lunacy stimulus. Irony being India doesn't even let Thai's in visa free, despite a much worst economy per person. Vietnam, Malaysia all have checks and balances (including return tickets and accomdoation checks with their visas for Indians). 

 

As i say, other countries may offer an increased amount of stay for certain nationalities - but they also mix in greater controls on certain nationalities. For example, Vietnam ensures Indians obtain a visa before arrival, and ensure every visitor has a hotel booking and return ticket. Thailand has no such checks.

 

The real issue is the extreme lax in the implentation of the DTV. It needs reviewing immediately. 

 

The goal may have been to increaase tax revenues from foods and goods, and help the struggling real estate market. But all that's happened is cheap tourists who don't spend alot per head flood the country, pile pressure on infrustructure, and increase crime, and take jobs from local Thais. The real estate market has become decimated by the short term rental as potential buyers fear a shiny new condo will become a short term rental hub flooded by horrific tourists. 

 

The issue with short term rentals and has priced out local Thai's  - forcing them to move to the outskirts as visitors take up more space. In countries that are still developing it's dangerous to begin to use homes as investment opportunities. The Thai population still need protecting. 

 

Policing has become soft, with fears for putting of tourists - ironically having the opposite effect, as visuals on social media show the growing volume of crime and violence in Thailand, fuelled by drugs and alcohol. There should be a no nonsense approach to the hoardes of Bendirom British and drunk Russians misbehaving. 

 

Thai solution is to add more cheap visitors into this mix is beyond parody. Thailand is bordering on nearly 40 million tourists, and now mix into that you have a set that are staying long term. No other country is having such a huge influx of visitors like this. Countries like Singapore, Malaysia seek out quality tourists with higher spends per net. Singapore offers no free entry to Indian visitors for example. To simply say 'Singapore offers so many days more' is misleading. 

 

The enviromental and physical impact with mass increase in visitors on the country is startling. Go see the impact on Phuket and the horrific over development as a result. Beautiful islands wrecked by over tourism. 

 

There needs to be an immediate return to a 30 day visa programme. 

Implentation of visa on arrival protocols for certain nationalities (like India) to ensure there are return tickets, and each person has a hotel booking in their name. 

The DTV has to be stopped, and a more easier to obtain version of the Elite visa implemented (that isn't ridiculous expensive and impossible to obtain, but stronger than DTV). 

 

 

Nothing will change. The only ones to gain are 7/11 shops and cheap tourists spending money on cheese toasties. 

 

 

 

Nonsense. Thailand can and will change and I'm fairly sure they'll go back to 30 days visa free fairly soon.

 

Thailand is all about changing rules with little notice given.

 

Thailand doesn't like foreigners anyway, why would they want to keep the horrible situation that you described going? 

[stoutfella]

They used to be indecisive but now they're not so sure.

[DonniePeverley]

You open the papers .... all you ever hear from adminstrators is 'we have to do this to booost tourism'. 

 

It's literally every little thing - BOOST TOURISM. 

 

40 million visitors, crumbling infrustructure, awful behaviour all round - and they just seek boosts. How much more boosting can they do ?!

 

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOST

[mlkik]

On 3/22/2025 at 11:17 PM, Boedog said:

1900 baht at immigration for extension not a drama

If the 60 days on entry was reduced to 30 then it would be a drama as the Airlines would not allow you to board the outbound flight.