22 minutes ago, BusyB said:

 

They're probably incompatible.

Like almost all the software systems here

6 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Link data bases... that would mean empires would have to share information... that would never do

Not empires - they are thiefdoms 

2 hours ago, breaky9973 said:

It's also unclear for the foreigners who live in Laos, and want or need to cross the border to Thailand more than 2 times per year. Most of these people only stay for a day or max a long weekend and they are back to Laos. There are a lot of confusing stories from the border. 

And TAT counts every single one of them as a 'tourist' that spends 50-60K Baht each. 

On 12/11/2025 at 7:43 AM, ikke1959 said:

and long stayers the time they require no extension possible and not allowed to enter with 90 days after leaving or so..Easy to check and to implement

So the married man with children is to be forcibly denied access to his family for 90 days after every exit ?

Methinks that there will be some very angry people if this idea were implemented

23 hours ago, it is what it is said:

On 12/11/2025 at 4:11 AM, sungod said:

Was asked where my arrival card was, showed the email on the phone and said its digital. The IO wanted a hard copy.......

 

if i remember rightly, the web site did ask for the arrival card to be printed. either way, any seasoned/experienced traveler will tell you, always have a hardcopy, because you never know, you may lose/have your phone stolen, then where would you be? 

And yet, on several threads on AN, people are saying that once you've applied for a TDAC that's it - the IO can see it on the system.

I plan to print my next TDAC and have it on my phone - "just in case"

 

As I've said elsewhere "better to have it and not need it than the other way around"

23 hours ago, ukrules said:

Airlines hate it when rules are not crystal clear - they did this before - some major airlines no longer fly to Bangkok - why is that?

 

What (major) airlines are we talking about???

1 hour ago, Jimjim1 said:

So the married man with children is to be forcibly denied access to his family for 90 days after every exit ?

Methinks that there will be some very angry people if this idea were implemented

Of course not. He coyld apply for a long stay visa. He is not a tourist

45 minutes ago, Kandinski said:

What (major) airlines are we talking about???

 

BA comes to mind immediately. When you can't predict who's going to be turned away by immigration and it is on the airline to return them to the country of origin that affects many things.

It's not the only reason they pulled out I'm sure but it definitely didn't help things.

On 12/11/2025 at 12:00 PM, Enoon said:

"limiting foreigners to two visa runs"

 

Are they sure about that?

 

Not complaining, but initial entry + 2 "visa runs" would give 180 days........just one extension alone would take it to 210.

 

 

 

That would be 3 entries. 

It is 2 entries BY LAND if you are coming in WITHOUT an actual visa. 

If you fly in they are a bit more lenient and if you arrive with an actual paid visa there's no issue.

On 12/11/2025 at 1:21 PM, Dan O said:

The systems aren't connected yet

Systems can't be connected until Brains are connected first !

7 minutes ago, trainman34014 said:

Systems can't be connected until Brains are connected first !

Well that makes it pretty inevitable that it won't happen in our lifetime

It is sad and annoying that many 'snow birds' (including me) are now facing problems spending around 4-5 months a year (nowadays 2 visa-exempt entries and maybe also an extension on one of them) just because a number of foreigners have been working illegally. We don't work in Thailand at all, and on the contrary, we spend quite a bit of money in Thailand during our 4-5 month stay each year.

 

Will the increasing strictness of the immigration authorities change ? Well, I guess this is anybody's guess. All we can say now is 'Time will tell'.

13 hours ago, ukrules said:

 

BA comes to mind immediately. When you can't predict who's going to be turned away by immigration and it is on the airline to return them to the country of origin that affects many things.

It's not the only reason they pulled out I'm sure but it definitely didn't help things.

Assume BA is British Airways and strangly their web site still show available flights 

32 minutes ago, Kandinski said:

Assume BA is British Airways and strangly their web site still show available flights 

 

They are making a move after many years of not being here.

Also, you're mostly seeing code share flights between LHR and the middle east although there might be one or two direct from Gatwick - not sure on that.

I think they partner with Etihad - so the BA - AUS routes are long gone and BKK is just a pipe dream for now.

You see BA used to run a massive operation between the UK and Australia - via Bangkok as a kind of hub. No more.
 

On 12/11/2025 at 5:11 PM, sungod said:

 

It would be saved on my cloud and able to access from any device, welcome to the digital age!!!!

 

IO: Show me your TDAC?

Me: It's on my phone but I've lost it.

IO: Did you save it to your cloud?

Me: Yes, I always do that.

IO: Good. Here's my phone, can you can log into your cloud and show me?

Me: Great, thanks.

A few minutes later...

Me: Here it is.

IO: OK, thanks. Welcome to fantasy land.

33 minutes ago, ukrules said:

Also, you're mostly seeing code share flights between LHR and the middle east although there might be one or two direct from Gatwick - not sure on that.

Currently 6 direct BA flights per week from LGW, reduces to 3 from April '26.  The codeshare flights are with Qatar.

On 12/11/2025 at 10:08 AM, webfact said:

file photo

 

Amid increasing cases of travellers being denied entry to Thailand, tourism operators are urging the government to consistently publicise updated rules and enhance pre-screening measures, as the nation clamps down on multiple visa runs.

 

Recently, the Immigration Bureau launched four strategies to stop foreigners from entering as tourists while engaging in unlawful activities, including cybercrime and money laundering. Restrictions on multiple 90-day visa-exempt entries have been tightened, limiting foreigners to two visa runs, with excess runs leading to denial of entry.

 

Thienprasit Chaiyapatranun, president of the Thai Hotels Association, highlighted incidents where guests were turned away under visa-free privileges, with similar reports surfacing on social media. Such occurrences could lead to confusion among potential tourists planning to visit Thailand.

 

Thienprasit stressed the need for clear communication of these updated rules to ensure tourists entering under the visa-free scheme are informed.

 

To alleviate any misconceptions, agencies must clarify why certain social media cases resulted in entry denial. "The situation now leads to speculations about tourists inadvertently breaking rules or potential exploitation by officials," said Thienprasit. He criticised the current random screening methods and suggested implementing pre-screening and automated immigration gates, similar to those used in other countries, according to a report by the Bangkok Post.

 

The Thai government is exploring a pre-approval system for visa-free travellers, akin to South Korea's model, which the private sector supports as a way to improve entry procedures and assure smooth travel. With the Thailand Digital Arrival Card already in use, these adjustments could streamline the process. As of December 7, Thailand has welcomed 30.2 million foreign visitors, a decrease from the previous year, with the majority arriving from Malaysia, China, and India.

 

Key Takeaways

 

• Calls intensify for Thailand to publicise entry rule changes.
• New measures limit visa runs, aiming to reduce illegal activities.
• Tourism sector supports improved screening for seamless travel.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Bangkok Post 2025-12-11

 

 

 

Was at Suvarnabhumi 2 days ago and many Chinese and Indian and what looked like Malaysian or similar. 

Not many European maybe a handful maybe a sign of the future tourists for Thailand. 

Certainly will affect the economy if this becomes the norm. 

I totally understand the part where they are simply enforcing the rules. Phuket immigration recently clarified these and it was a story here was it not? The tourism vibe on the ground at the moment is dismal and over run by russians pretending to be tourists or cheap indians and arabs. You could pick something negative about every nationality but when they are saturated like they are it really makes a difference.

Cleaning up fake tourism and people abusing the system I understand.

However, harassing people who did everything by the book and paid—often thousands—for a long-term visa is a misstep. It creates unnecessary anxiety. Taking people’s money for a visa and then undermining it later through vague or shifting rules feels borderline dishonest. If people who followed the rules and paid good money still don’t feel secure, it’s hard to blame anyone for thinking twice about staying or applying at all.

Referring to a growing number of stories like this:

 

 

On 12/11/2025 at 2:05 PM, impulse said:

 

I don't understand why they don't flag potential denials when we apply for TDAC.  They have our passport number, and the computer has our travel history tied to that passport. 

 

I'd rather find out before I hop on the plane than after I land. 

 

 

Just like other countries have been doing or plan. UK , USA ESTA, EU EITAS  Such pre-clearance - is coming.

Plus another application fee...you can guarantee that 

Advanced Passenger Processing has been around for decades with some countries. Pax lists from check- in are forwarded to the arrival country for checking and in some cases for arrival processing. The lists would normally be sent after take off. Too late to de-plane bad guys that are identified as such with their basic IDs

Check in staff at departure airports are obviously  not able to interview, search, or make decisions about right of travel.  That type of  processing is done by Customs and Immigrtion at the arrival port. 

At one stage Australia had a program where Immigration Officers were based at common departure airports (mainly S/pore) and were  paid by an airline (Qantas), to assist check-in staff with visas, etc., They could make uplift decisions if documents were bogus. 

 

I'm guessing the people who want to be able to stroll into the country without hassel are the same ones who scream blue murder and deport! when a bad guy turns up in the community.

Having worked at the border for many years I can confirm that international flights always have the possibility of carrying criminals and other low life forms into your country. They can rarely be identified at check-in.

 

Thailand is obviously coming down on expats using the tourist visa/ exempt systems to live here long term. It's up to the person to adapt to the new reality not whinge and expect Thailand to suddenly exhibit standardisation and clarity.

8 hours ago, NanLaew said:

 

IO: Show me your TDAC?

Me: It's on my phone but I've lost it.

IO: Did you save it to your cloud?

Me: Yes, I always do that.

IO: Good. Here's my phone, can you can log into your cloud and show me?

Me: Great, thanks.

A few minutes later...

Me: Here it is.

IO: OK, thanks. Welcome to fantasy land.

 or i could just show it on my laptop or ipad, welcome the the real world. Not as clever or funny as you think you are.

 

Duh…….

1 hour ago, sungod said:

 or i could just show it on my laptop or ipad, welcome the the real world. Not as clever or funny as you think you are.

 

Duh…….

 

Triggered

On 12/12/2025 at 5:12 PM, ukrules said:

 

BA comes to mind immediately. When you can't predict who's going to be turned away by immigration and it is on the airline to return them to the country of origin that affects many things.

It's not the only reason they pulled out I'm sure but it definitely didn't help things.

 

BA, like many other airlines, stopped their non-stop BKK services in 2020 due to the pandemic.

 

Nothing whatsoever to do with hoardes of British fake tourists in late 2025.

5 hours ago, NanLaew said:

 

Triggered

another attempt at being clever? 

On 12/11/2025 at 4:19 AM, StayinThailand2much said:

Yes, please. Thailand wants to limit entries per year, or length of consecutive visits, please publish clear rules and guidelines. 

Yes, look at FB reports, of which I only believe half. 
Thailand getting a very bad reputation with * tourists* slagging the country and its lack of rules, blaming immigration for being denied.

These *tourists  * have a high sense of entitlement , and also an egotistic view that they can do what they like , come and go as they like. 
Many real tourists are getting worried . The Thai government, or whoever , should make these rules clear, plain, and understandable. And publish them at embassies, airports, land borders and agencies.

Is that so hard ? 

On 12/13/2025 at 5:16 AM, Old Croc said:

Advanced Passenger Processing has been around for decades with some countries. Pax lists from check- in are forwarded to the arrival country for checking and in some cases for arrival processing. The lists would normally be sent after take off. Too late to de-plane bad guys that are identified as such with their basic IDs

Check in staff at departure airports are obviously  not able to interview, search, or make decisions about right of travel.  That type of  processing is done by Customs and Immigrtion at the arrival port. 

At one stage Australia had a program where Immigration Officers were based at common departure airports (mainly S/pore) and were  paid by an airline (Qantas), to assist check-in staff with visas, etc., They could make uplift decisions if documents were bogus. 

 

I'm guessing the people who want to be able to stroll into the country without hassel are the same ones who scream blue murder and deport! when a bad guy turns up in the community.

Having worked at the border for many years I can confirm that international flights always have the possibility of carrying criminals and other low life forms into your country. They can rarely be identified at check-in.

 

Thailand is obviously coming down on expats using the tourist visa/ exempt systems to live here long term. It's up to the person to adapt to the new reality not whinge and expect Thailand to suddenly exhibit standardisation and clarity.

Not so much the expats , they are generally real. Its since these new visa options, Nomad etc. that these self important people think they can do as they like. By the way, they call themselves Travelers.

On 12/12/2025 at 8:07 AM, impulse said:

 

I was actually kind of hoping that someone would know when they'll link up the databases and bring it to fruition.  If ever...

When they start charging an entry.

They can't publicise the entry rules because they know they might change it all again in a few months as they like to do in Thailand. Probably go back to have as many as you want (visa waivers) come low season. they only changed  it round about july of this year  to you could have as many waivers as you wanted, and then changed it back to only 2 a year just as they're about to enter high season. just pure coincidence though that is 

On 12/13/2025 at 12:29 AM, ukrules said:

 

They are making a move after many years of not being here.

Also, you're mostly seeing code share flights between LHR and the middle east although there might be one or two direct from Gatwick - not sure on that.

I think they partner with Etihad - so the BA - AUS routes are long gone and BKK is just a pipe dream for now.

You see BA used to run a massive operation between the UK and Australia - via Bangkok as a kind of hub. No more.
 

British Airways partner with Qatar. 

4 minutes ago, mlkik said:

British Airways partner with Qatar. 

Your point?