8 minutes ago, oldcpu said:

Doing multiple visa runs / border bounces is no fun.  And I hope that those affected by these tighter rules find an appropriate way forward.

Exactly. 

Personally never had to do that as on retirement extensions from the start. 

Thing is my first 7 years in Thailand I obtained four 3 month multi entry visas to Vietnam (oz need visa no visa exempt option. USA also) 

So to the point... I could stay all year in Vietnam for ~ $300usd. 

Easy peasy. 

Next Friday I fly to Saigon. Visa process ultra simple. No flights, accom proof etc. 4 day process. 

From a local lawyer who deals with these kinds of border runs, well, they are out for now, so no mo more 60+30 do a border run

and expect the same over and over again, as the advice from a Pattaya lawyer who deals with these kinds of run, it is out,

for how long? anyone guess as to how long it will last, will be as good asg as anyone else guess.. TIT. 

3 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Well done Imm ... ❤️

 

Stop abusing the system.  Want to reside here, get a non -0- visa 😎

 

...and still get a 2-hour "grilling" when they do their housecall. That right @transam?

1 hour ago, TaoNow said:

To me, the question is why would a non-Thai citizen want to live long-term in Thailand if (1) They do not have a work permit; (2) Do not have a Thai spouse; and/or (3) Are not retired and age over 50 with the requisite retirement income/money in the bank?

 

Anyone?

I wouldn’t been here without my wife. I would most likely been somewhere else complaining about not being in Thailand, and that place would most likely had been Brazil which was my original plan. 

 

You see how Brazil is now? Quite happy being here partly now 

20 minutes ago, ezzra said:

From a local lawyer who deals with these kinds of border runs, well, they are out for now, so no mo more 60+30 do a border run

and expect the same over and over again, as the advice from a Pattaya lawyer who deals with these kinds of run, it is out,

for how long? anyone guess as to how long it will last, will be as good asg as anyone else guess.. TIT. 

How does a Pattaya lawyer"deal with these kinds of runs"? Why would anyone doing border runs need a lawyer?

5 hours ago, transam said:

I had an immigration visit on Sunday, it took about 2 hours.............😬

 

Some really strange questions for us and our witnesses................🫢

 

One who spoke great English (but not one of the team) said things are changing, delving deep into farangs relationship with a Thai national, something about actual 'relationship'...........🤔

Can you provide any other information. You are a long time resident but still have an inspection?

Now don't they just love it here to fuss and make life difficult for the foreigners who bring in good money to Thailand ?

 

Keep in mind that even if a foreigner does a overstay, he is still spending his money here. 

 

If immigration in Thailand has some smart policy makers, they would bring up say a 5 year multiple entry visa granted to any home owner in Thailand (lease or freehold). 5 year e-visa given only on requesting to show the land leasehold document or the condo purchase. And maybe a statement of pension or monthly revenue. And that's it. NO more absurd documents asked. 

 

Because many quality foreigners are leaving Thailand and spending the long winter months in other countries in Asia or elsewhere. 

 

All to the loss of Thailand. Sorry. Thank you. 🙏

Trolling posts removed

17 minutes ago, Hummin said:

You see how Brazil is now? Quite happy being here partly now 

 

Brazil sounds great. Would love to go there for half a year, or so, maybe even travelling around South America a bit...

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

Stay tuned for the next back flip on poorly thought though rules. 

 

Even if they did a back flip, or two again, I like to plan ahead, so with this nonsense they have lost me as a resident for good. Too many alternatives to "Amazing" Thailand... 😁 

Just now, StayinThailand2much said:

 

Even if they did a back flip, or two again, I like to plan ahead, so with this nonsense they have lost me as a resident for good. Too many alternatives to "Amazing" Thailand... 😁 

 

Too true....amazing Skegness for starters.

10 minutes ago, StayinThailand2much said:

 

Brazil sounds great. Would love to go there for half a year, or so, maybe even travelling around South America a bit...

Brazil is great, but he'll of alot less trouble travelling around in Thailand hassle free and safe, even the roads and traffic in mind.

 

I do not regret one sec, and the visa trouble some finds difficult, is not that complicated if you above 50. 

My opinion is they made a big mistake by allowing over 80 countries that never qualified for any sort of visa-exemption before, to get on the 60-day visa exempt charabanc.

 

That was a desperate measure to keep tourist numbers up against regional competition. The reality is Thailand's halcyon days of tourism were already fading before covid pissed on everyone's parade.

 

As the wording in the official immigration notice suggests, the only ones who are really abusing the system are criminals and others snared in transnational crime. Anyone else is just low-hanging fruit.

11 minutes ago, StayinThailand2much said:

Even if they did a back flip, or two again, I like to plan ahead, so with this nonsense they have lost me as a resident for good

If you are living in Thailand ongoing as you describe yourself as a resident, then most likely on annual extensions so then this "news" Would be irrelevant to your situation in Thailand. 

10 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

If you are living in Thailand ongoing as you describe yourself as a resident, then most likely on annual extensions so then this "news" Would be irrelevant to your situation in Thailand. 

 

Well, I wouldn't believe them that, e.g., retirement extensions are 'set in stone' for long-term tourists. Who says that they won't go after retirees, or married expats next?

4 minutes ago, StayinThailand2much said:

Who says that they won't go after retirees, or married expats next?

Just my opinion. Ridiculous statement. 

The changes that the thread is about relates, to visa exempt entry. 

17 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Just my opinion. Ridiculous statement. 

The changes that the thread is about relates, to visa exempt entry. 

 

True, it's about visa-exempt entries and extensions thereof. Just had a chat with a mate who got the third-degree at Nong Khai this morning. Eventually allowed in but told to get a visa.

 

But as @transam has already experienced, an extraordinarily long home visit from local immigration for a guy who's been happily and legally living in Ubon for about 18 years?

There must be a large group of people, me being one , who want to spend the 5 winter months away from the cold weather, but don't want to keep 800 k in a Thai bank account permanently. 

There doesn't seem to be a convenient visa for this group. 

14 minutes ago, persimmon said:

There must be a large group of people, me being one , who want to spend the 5 winter months away from the cold weather, but don't want to keep 800 k in a Thai bank account permanently. 

There doesn't seem to be a convenient visa for this group. 

NON-O from your home country, and then one border bounce or a holiday to a neighboring country and then back on a visa exempt entry. Or NON-OA from your home country and a border bounce/holiday. Or the DTV. Or Elite ...

28 minutes ago, persimmon said:

There must be a large group of people, me being one , who want to spend the 5 winter months away from the cold weather, but don't want to keep 800 k in a Thai bank account permanently. 

There doesn't seem to be a convenient visa for this group. 

You should be able to do it on what has already been described. The 60+30, then one more entry of 60 within a calendar year. That's nearly 5 months. Isn't the LTR digital nomad the best route for long-stayers who aren't old enough to get a retirement visa and aren't married? I also wonder how many younger people of working age could afford to be here long term 'without' working. Seems to me to be the calculated guess the Imm office is working on, and seems to me to be a reasonable assumption too.

4 hours ago, GreasyFingers said:

Can you provide any other information. You are a long time resident but still have an inspection?

 I was also very surprised he had a 2-hour-long inspection as a married expat on a marriage extension, after 18 years. Perhaps they wanted to check if he was still in a real marriage, as they couldn't believe any expat could be married to a Thai lady for that long.

7 hours ago, JensenZ said:

 I was also very surprised he had a 2-hour-long inspection as a married expat on a marriage extension, after 18 years. Perhaps they wanted to check if he was still in a real marriage, as they couldn't believe any expat could be married to a Thai lady for that long.

 

In lieu of @transam's response, it's possible that like myself, over the past 18 years, he hasn't consistently been on a marriage extension? Personally, I have used 1-year multi-entry non-O, marriage extensions, retirement extensions and visa-exempt entries with several extensions, most of them during covid.

 

In the same way as Thai immigration insists that anyone using the monthly income method must show the same amount deposited on or about the same day each month without  allowing for bank holidays and weekends, maybe the Ubon immigration office expects a foreigner married to a local to exclusively use marriage extensions and any variation from that is suspicious?

30 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

 

In lieu of @transam's response, it's possible that like myself, over the past 18 years, he hasn't consistently been on a marriage extension? Personally, I have used 1-year multi-entry non-O, marriage extensions, retirement extensions and visa-exempt entries with several extensions, most of them during covid.

 

In the same way as Thai immigration insists that anyone using the monthly income method must show the same amount deposited on or about the same day each month without  allowing for bank holidays and weekends, maybe the Ubon immigration office expects a foreigner married to a local to exclusively use marriage extensions and any variation from that is suspicious?

Nah, they always visit for the first marriage extension.

Many of us were doing Multi entry Non-O, then COVID finished that for most of us, then the E-VISA stopped all the rest last year,

2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Nah, they always visit for the first marriage extension.

Many of us were doing Multi entry Non-O, then COVID finished that for most of us, then the E-VISA stopped all the rest last year,

 

They never visited me for my first ME in Pattaya OR Udon and I doubt @transam just filed his first ME either. Some offices are all over it like a rash, others don't bother. Maybe that's going to change with this official notice for their officers to maybe do a bit more due diligence, but somehow I doubt it.

 

But I agree, the 1-year MENO was a superb option while it lasted.

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

They never visited me for my first ME in Pattaya OR Udon and I doubt @transam just filed his first ME either. Some offices are all over it like a rash, others don't bother. Maybe that's going to change with this official notice for their officers to maybe do a bit more due diligence, but somehow I doubt it.

A multi entry Non O is (previously) obtained outside of Thailand. 

Nothing to do with a Non O that has an under consideration period and in some/many offices has a home visit. 

For every one report of intrusive home visit there would be 50 where reports were zero issue with the home visit. 

Might add that the thread is not even about this. 

6 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

A multi entry Non O is (previously) obtained outside of Thailand. 

Nothing to do with a Non O that has an under consideration period and in some/many offices has a home visit. 

For every one report of intrusive home visit there would be 50 where reports were zero issue with the home visit. 

Might add that the thread is not even about this. 

 

Yes, you might. But, from the translation of the immigration notice posted by @ThaiVisaCentre on the previous page,

 

On 11/14/2025 at 1:40 PM, ThaiVisaCentre said:

Check notifications of residence of foreigners submitted by house owners, heads of households or possessors of premises or hotels that accommodate foreigners under section 38, especially in units located in tourist areas or in areas with a large number of foreign residents. These inspections must be carried out strictly and continuously. Where possible, online notifications of residence in the TDAC system shall be compared with the foreigners actually staying at the premises, in order to increase the effectiveness of inspection and law enforcement.

 

Another member raised it and I responded, that's all.

18 hours ago, simon43 said:

So how does it work if only 2 entries into Thailandy by air/year, and you are transiting by air from Don Mueng to Swampy?

 

When I fly from my 'base' in Luang Prabang to Yangon, I usually fly to Don Muang, and then either transit at that airport, or (if it's Bangkok Airways etc), I need to enter Thailand for a few hours to transit via Swampy.

 

Will these new rules affect transit passengers who must briefly enter Thailand to go between airports?  IMHO, they need an 'airside' transit bus between the 2 airports.  Perhaps they already offer this?

its back to back visa exempt entries  
ie staying the whole 60 days+30 m, exiting and returning right away

U will not have any trouble as its obvious to immigration what ur doing

12 hours ago, NanLaew said:

 

True, it's about visa-exempt entries and extensions thereof. Just had a chat with a mate who got the third-degree at Nong Khai this morning. Eventually allowed in but told to get a visa.

 

But as @transam has already experienced, an extraordinarily long home visit from local immigration for a guy who's been happily and legally living in Ubon for about 18 years?

. After 18 years it could happen they didn’t even live together anymore, and just had a paper marriage. I know a few who never bothered to divorce from their thai spouse after many years separation. 

 

One is even living in the house on the land of his wife, with a new gf. 

Not really new rules as much as new guidelines. They always had the option to refuse entry for border bouncers. Get the right visa and you will not need to worry about it. Support it with legitimate documentation and life will be easy.

28 minutes ago, Hummin said:

. After 18 years it could happen they didn’t even live together anymore, and just had a paper marriage. I know a few who never bothered to divorce from their thai spouse after many years separation. 

 

One is even living in the house on the land of his wife, with a new gf. 

 

Report them!

 

Deport them!!

 

(joking)