Immigration Thai PM Tackles Overstaying Tourists with Visa-Free Scheme Revamp

[Aussie999]

1 hour ago, DonniePeverley said:

 

 

Reducing the visa stay to 30 days will ensure tourists can still come through, but give alerts to authorities for those who are using it long term to live, and those who are here to exploit working illegally. The current system is too long and allows very few checks. 

 

It won't stop everything, but will reduce those working and living here illegally. 

 

The real thing they neeed to adddress is the DTV. This needs toughening up. 

 

Finally to clean up tourism they need to address which countries have been given visa free access. Vietnam in my opinion has a good system, which allows Indians visitors .... but they need a visa first, and on that visa you must ensure you have accomodation booked in your name, return ticket, etc This ensure quality visitors. 

At the moment you have indians with little funds, rocking up to Thailand sharing rooms with 10 others in a room (i have seen this personally).

 

The crux is Chinese are here working illegally, and exploiting Thailand. 

 

Reducing the number of days, to 30, is not mentioned in this article, besides, overstayers will overstay, illegal business's will still open.

[ChaiyaTH]

A lot of people were being taken to new setup interview desks at CM airport when I arrived today. They gave a lot of people that were entirely valid problems, so the razzia's started again. It starts to be very very tiring, I wonder if they realize that the last time they did this, they lost almost all digital nomads they try to get today.

The arrival stamps are still 60 days for now, also no arrival cards or anything yet. They really are aiming for the last nail in the coffin... So in 9 months we will read again how desperate they are and how they will want to make it easier.

[ChaiyaTH]

10 minutes ago, Aussie999 said:

Reducing the number of days, to 30, is not mentioned in this article, besides, overstayers will overstay, illegal business's will still open.

Yeah like you expect more quality tourists in a prostitute street like Patong Phuket, and fighting to magically stop, when it is not 60 days.... Besides the fact I used to see a lot more fights in the old days (10-12 years ago) it is just that everyone posts it online nowadays, as of brainless journalism.

 

It's kind of to be expected every busy night in bar plaza's, to have at least one little fight or issue. That's a police and law enforcement issue, not a immigration issue. The word immigration is funny to begin with as virtually nobody ever even really gets residence.

[NativeBob]

9 minutes ago, Aussie999 said:

overstayers will overstay, illegal business's will still open

+100. My guess every second kindergarten in the town near Bangkok employs illegal native speakers. Summer camps at Cha-Am - same, how they could change it if Thais are abusing it? 

Besides, that super-duper electric database of arrivals and departures - does it really work? 

[Chris Daley]

Working illegally.  So how does that work exactly?  The school accidentally interviews you and the school accidentally doesn't look at your passport or your visas and the immigration offices accidentally take bribes and stamp the documents?

[DonniePeverley]

4 hours ago, Chris Daley said:

Working illegally.  So how does that work exactly?  The school accidentally interviews you and the school accidentally doesn't look at your passport or your visas and the immigration offices accidentally take bribes and stamp the documents?

 

The illegal workers are mainly Chinese i believe. And often the work is not out upfront, but behind the scenes in factories, call centres, scamming, etc 

 

You do get Russians and some Europeans working, but they stand out like a saw thumb. 

Eg, you have a guy from China who pops in and out of Thailand to carry out his work. He is not a tourist. He just stays a few months before his time runs out and then repeats this all year. They need stronger checks to ensure this can't happen. So a 30 day reduction will rack up 12 stamps and stand out. Hopefully for Chinese it is reverted back to visa required. 

 

But the big mess is the DTV. All well and good you want high earners to stay long term - but this isn't attracting high earners. It's attracting criminals and dross.

 

The digital nomads in Thailand are backpackers with laptops or criminals.