Tourist Visa Rejected

[tropo]

The qualification for obtaining this has already been posted.............but point No.6 may be of some concern.

I'm not too concerned about requirement No.6. An Elite Card is not an option for me anyway because I'd need 2 (another one for my GF) and I'm not about to pay 3 million baht for 5 years in Thailand...and still have to get visa extensions every 90 days. I may be wealthy, but I didn't get that way by throwing money away.

Looks like you are out of options then. Do the normal TV stuff.

I,m independently poor but at least I get to live here with no border runs.

I'm 50 in 18 months, so a retirement visa will become an option. At least with a retirement visa, a spouse can ride in on it (at present...can't predict the future).

Edited December 26, 2007 by tropo

[astor]

Sometimes this forum is very useful , but sometimes it makes alarmism, often unjustified.

4 pages of debate just because one person couldn’t get the visa.

Penang issues dozen of visas a day , many people go there every day and everybody can get their visa.

Of course may happen that in the multitude, some unfortunate get a nasty stamp, or a refusal.

It’s like a factory that produces thousands shoes a day. Not all of them comes out perfect, some defective pair exits.

And I think that also applies to the embassies that issues thousands of visas every day.

I know that there are not rules, and that of this is at the discretion of embassies ,but if a visa is refused is because the valid reasons exists. And not because you stay in Thailand like as a tourist for long term.

No law prohibits to live as a tourist for long term in Thailand.

If they afraid that there are foreigners working illegally , I suggest them to make come controls.

If they know that many farang working illegally ,why they don’t brought in ?

[robbiecia]

i have no doubt that Penang and many of the other consulates issue many visas each and everyday. In my case however, they did not. The reason for this is indeed speculation, but the fact remains that there is NO clear policy with regards to long-stay tourists and the tourist visas they are allowed.

As i mentioned before, i do not live in Thailand on tourist visas, but like to spend quality time here each year. However, it seems that there is a small limit to the number of visas we are allowed in any set period of time. In my case TWO in the past calender year.

[maxbentley]

Straight and simple they would prefer not to have these malingers, $30 a day cowboys

renting a cheap apartment and staying for ever. It does not bode well with real tourist seeing 10's of thousands

of foreigners trying to live on the cheap. Nothing more or nothing less.

Many retirees who would spend as they do back home are even turnd off by the de facto low income residents.

It is a privilege not a tourist right

Thailand defines it as 6 months of leisure living not homesteading!

Re:$30 a day?

In the north and north -east of Thailand locals live on 100-150 baht a day.That is a normal wage.Leisure living,as it were.

Near the Burmese border there are many Burmese working illegally for 40-60 baht per day in Thailand for Thais.Leisure living-again.

I have seen many of these' illegal aliens' sleeping on streets and stairways-in public view.Very poor,mistreated and malnourished.More leisure living.

Many Cambodians work in the Thai flesh trade or work Thai lands,etc..Believe me,they are not wealthy illegal aliens.Extreme leisure living.

Ditto for the Laotians and/or many ethnic peoples that live and work in Thailand,without residency and legitimacy,although born and raised in LOS.Permanent leisure living.

I am certain spending a mere $30 per day is not the real issue.It may be important to a certain portion of the wealth-afflicted.

Kaoh San was born and made on travellers spending far,far less than a $30 per day figure.

Where I come from in the western world $30 a day is conscidered a near normal wage.

We should all be so lucky to make $30 a day 'back home' so we could all be so fortunate to luxuriate in a country where the illegals make two bucks a day-if they are lucky.Do you see a pattern yet?

I find it interesting that a 'wealthy tourist' has divided other tourists into this interesting category of 'low income residents'.This really means, of course-'low income tourists'.

The wealthy make such better humans and representatives.

So much so that the rest of mankind should certainly aspire to,at all costs to all others,to reach this lofty level of perfection(wealthy tourist) and thus,exclude all other tourists(human beings) of any freedoms they may now immensely enjoy,despite wealth or privelidge.

This just stinks,pal.Get off your high horse and walka while with humanity.

[Khun ?]

I live on less than $30 a day.

If Thailand wanted to be a haven for foreigners that fall though the cracks as long term residents (travellers)

then they would not require anyone to leave the country at all for visas.

It is quite simple to get a proper visa.

Talking about stink, what type of person cannot get a proper visa in a country like thailand.

Amazing Thailand was not intended to mean the #1 attraction of foreign failures, creeps and losers.

[tropo]

Sometimes this forum is very useful , but sometimes it makes alarmism, often unjustified.

4 pages of debate just because one person couldn’t get the visa.

Penang issues dozen of visas a day , many people go there every day and everybody can get their visa.

Of course may happen that in the multitude, some unfortunate get a nasty stamp, or a refusal.

It’s like a factory that produces thousands shoes a day. Not all of them comes out perfect, some defective pair exits.

And I think that also applies to the embassies that issues thousands of visas every day.I know that there are not rules, and that of this is at the discretion of embassies ,but if a visa is refused is because the valid reasons exists. And not because you stay in Thailand like as a tourist for long term.

No law prohibits to live as a tourist for long term in Thailand.

If they afraid that there are foreigners working illegally , I suggest them to make come controls.

If they know that many farang working illegally ,why they don’t brought in ?

You can continue with your head-in-the-sand attitude if you like. Other people like to know what is going on thereby reducing their chances of going all the way to Penang for a tourist visa for nothing.

The reasons for Penangs toughening up are well documented on this forum in many threads. I suggest you do some reading before you start comparing the Penang Consulate with a shoe factory.

[tropo]

I live on less than $30 a day.

If Thailand wanted to be a haven for foreigners that fall though the cracks as long term residents (travellers)

then they would not require anyone to leave the country at all for visas.

It is quite simple to get a proper visa.

Talking about stink, what type of person cannot get a proper visa in a country like thailand.

Amazing Thailand was not intended to mean the #1 attraction of foreign failures, creeps and losers.

Here we go again. We all know why you are in Thailand don't we...living on $30 a day. You're a failure back home where they don't have as much tolerance for bigots.

$30 a day wouldn't even cover my rent and electricity.

Perhaps you're working for peanuts pretending to teach English because you couldn't afford tourist visas.

[mike_rad]

Who are you assuming lives on $30 a day?

My Aussie mate does - that's what his government pension is.

IOW, if he were in Oz, he'd be expected to live on it.

[tropo]

Who are you assuming lives on $30 a day?

My Aussie mate does - that's what his government pension is.

IOW, if he were in Oz, he'd be expected to live on it.

I'm sure there are plenty who get by on that. The point is really that he should not assume that just because he scrapes by on $30 a day doesn't mean that everyone does...and far from it.

I would guess that perpetual visa runners are not as hard pressed for money as he is. Doing the visa run/border run shuffle costs more than $1000 a year for most. I suspect that a lot of the cheap tourists have already left, or they are overstaying. There are better deals elsewhere for budget minded tourists.

[tropo]

Who are you assuming lives on $30 a day?

My Aussie mate does - that's what his government pension is.

IOW, if he were in Oz, he'd be expected to live on it.

Sure, in Oz the basic government pension is what many live on, but don't forget all the free medicine and other perks of being retired in Oz....and they don't have to fork out for visas either. An expat living so close to the wire in Thailand would be in real trouble if he got seriously ill...and of course being a pensioner, it's only a matter of time.

[mike_rad]

I'm sure there are plenty who get by on that. The point is really that he should not assume that just because he scrapes by on $30 a day doesn't mean that everyone does...and far from it.

His doesn't scrape by. He's only got himself to support and says he saves (banks) at least 2,000 baht a month.

An expat living so close to the wire in Thailand would be in real trouble if he got seriously ill...

Howzat, with banking 24,000 baht minimum every year, not counting other savings???

[Beavis and Butthead]

I'm sure there are plenty who get by on that. The point is really that he should not assume that just because he scrapes by on $30 a day doesn't mean that everyone does...and far from it.

His doesn't scrape by. He's only got himself to support and says he saves (banks) at least 2,000 baht a month.

An expat living so close to the wire in Thailand would be in real trouble if he got seriously ill...

Howzat, with banking 24,000 baht minimum every year, not counting other savings???

My my, sounds like he's got a real windfall there

[tropo]

I'm sure there are plenty who get by on that. The point is really that he should not assume that just because he scrapes by on $30 a day doesn't mean that everyone does...and far from it.

His doesn't scrape by. He's only got himself to support and says he saves (banks) at least 2,000 baht a month.

An expat living so close to the wire in Thailand would be in real trouble if he got seriously ill...

Howzat, with banking 24,000 baht minimum every year, not counting other savings???

Howzat?

I spent one night in hosptal ealier this year and it cost me over 10,000 baht... and that's not including the doctor. That was at PIH, if I went to Bangkok Pattaya Hospital it would have cost more....1 night.

I stand by my original assessment that your friend would be in trouble if he got really sick...that would be the time he should return to Oz. He is living very close to the wire.

[thaiman]

Amazing Thailand was not intended to mean the #1 attraction of foreign failures, creeps and losers.

How do you know what Amazing Thailand was intended for? Are you Thai? Who are you?

[stevemiddie]

I'm sure there are plenty who get by on that. The point is really that he should not assume that just because he scrapes by on $30 a day doesn't mean that everyone does...and far from it.

His doesn't scrape by. He's only got himself to support and says he saves (banks) at least 2,000 baht a month.

An expat living so close to the wire in Thailand would be in real trouble if he got seriously ill...

Howzat, with banking 24,000 baht minimum every year, not counting other savings???

Howzat?

I spent one night in hosptal ealier this year and it cost me over 10,000 baht... and that's not including the doctor. That was at PIH, if I went to Bangkok Pattaya Hospital it would have cost more....1 night.

I stand by my original assessment that your friend would be in trouble if he got really sick...that would be the time he should return to Oz. He is living very close to the wire.

I spent 3 nights at Bangkok Pattaya.............but my health insurance covered that.

I take it you have NO insurance?

[astor]

Sometimes this forum is very useful , but sometimes it makes alarmism, often unjustified.

4 pages of debate just because one person couldn’t get the visa.

Penang issues dozen of visas a day , many people go there every day and everybody can get their visa.

Of course may happen that in the multitude, some unfortunate get a nasty stamp, or a refusal.

It’s like a factory that produces thousands shoes a day. Not all of them comes out perfect, some defective pair exits.

And I think that also applies to the embassies that issues thousands of visas every day.I know that there are not rules, and that of this is at the discretion of embassies ,but if a visa is refused is because the valid reasons exists. And not because you stay in Thailand like as a tourist for long term.

No law prohibits to live as a tourist for long term in Thailand.

If they afraid that there are foreigners working illegally , I suggest them to make come controls.

If they know that many farang working illegally ,why they don’t brought in ?

You can continue with your head-in-the-sand attitude if you like. Other people like to know what is going on thereby reducing their chances of going all the way to Penang for a tourist visa for nothing.

But many people continue to go there ,and a most of them for a t.v.

The reasons for Penangs toughening up are well documented on this forum in many threads.

I suggest you do some reading before you start comparing the Penang Consulate with a shoe factory.

With all due respect, this forum is not a bible. I draw some informations also from the real life, and not only from the virtual one.

The example of the shoe factory was only a metaphor.

[Khun ?]

I live on less than $30 a day.

If Thailand wanted to be a haven for foreigners that fall though the cracks as long term residents (travellers)

then they would not require anyone to leave the country at all for visas.

It is quite simple to get a proper visa.

Talking about stink, what type of person cannot get a proper visa in a country like thailand.

Amazing Thailand was not intended to mean the #1 attraction of foreign failures, creeps and losers.

Here we go again. We all know why you are in Thailand don't we...living on $30 a day. You're a failure back home where they don't have as much tolerance for bigots.

$30 a day wouldn't even cover my rent and electricity.

Perhaps you're working for peanuts pretending to teach English because you couldn't afford tourist visas.

I am not in Thailand and my per diem rate is more than $200 a day plus house provided as well as food if I want.

After many years of visiting Thailand about 20, I sold the house I bought for retirement, which I never lived in

as I would prefer not to live in place that is turning into a low income foreign ghetto.

I have to applaud the thais for finally realizing the standards of long term foreign residents should be of decent

means. That does not mean marrying off their poor to the bottom 30% of farangland who need to live on the cheap

to make ends meet.

Just a observation I have seen taking place for a large number of foreigners in the last 10 years.

[mel2surf]

As for living here long-er term on TV,why don't you ask the good regular Thai folks working in

the neighborhood if they mind us long term tourists helping them keep food on their tables.

As stated earlier,there's no law preventing long term tourists staying here.We aren't saviours,but

we DO offer SOME economic support to keep the local economies humming do we not?

And to refer to us as some kind of "losers" is laughable...who are YOU to judge,especially if you're not

even Thai. This thread,and this entire website was intended to help us with productive and helpful info.

Happy Holidays!

[dr_Pat_Pong]

And certain groups are up in arms in the UK as we wish to restrict it to 90 days instead of 180

Surely 90 days is long enough for a holiday (vacation).

A bit of tit for tat from the UK, perhaps? Not that I think they had Thailand in mind.

Probably a continent a little nearer home??

Immigration to other nations is becoming more difficult.............

I must say like the idea of the sponsor deposit for family members visiting.

Exactly what the Australians do.

and it really works.

[Khun ?]

As for living here long-er term on TV,why don't you ask the good regular Thai folks working in

the neighborhood if they mind us long term tourists helping them keep food on their tables.

As stated earlier,there's no law preventing long term tourists staying here.We aren't saviours,but

we DO offer SOME economic support to keep the local economies humming do we not?

And to refer to us as some kind of "losers" is laughable...who are YOU to judge,especially if you're not

even Thai. This thread,and this entire website was intended to help us with productive and helpful info.

Happy Holidays!

This is quite simple, I am one of thee and who better to judge, isn't that what a longer term than normal

stay in Thailand is all about. I know poor village people are very good at judging foreigners and guess that is why each of them has their own visa stamps they can provide you with. Silly me to think otherwise!

The fact is they are means testing after 6 months of stay for further periods

in the country. Actually their requirements are quite low just on a income basis.

How many could live on a income of 400K a year in their own country with a family and 800K baht is quite reasonable

for a retiree.

What is so wrong with requiring foreigners to have the bare minimum they would need in their own country.

Kind of clears out some of the riff raff don't it. The standards they are requiring are very low at best in ones own country.

Now how can you complain about this unless you are just a dead beat!

Laughable would be, not be able to meet one of these low standards and not understand it.

The same type that they are turning away.

[Tolley]

As for living here long-er term on TV,why don't you ask the good regular Thai folks working in

the neighborhood if they mind us long term tourists helping them keep food on their tables.

As stated earlier,there's no law preventing long term tourists staying here.We aren't saviours,but

we DO offer SOME economic support to keep the local economies humming do we not?

And to refer to us as some kind of "losers" is laughable...who are YOU to judge,especially if you're not

even Thai. This thread,and this entire website was intended to help us with productive and helpful info.

Happy Holidays!

This is quite simple, I am one of thee and who better to judge, isn't that what a longer term than normal

stay in Thailand is all about. I know poor village people are very good at judging foreigners and guess that is why each of them has their own visa stamps they can provide you with. Silly me to think otherwise!

The fact is they are means testing after 6 months of stay for further periods

in the country. Actually their requirements are quite low just on a income basis.

How many could live on a income of 400K a year in their own country with a family and 800K baht is quite reasonable

for a retiree.

What is so wrong with requiring foreigners to have the bare minimum they would need in their own country.

Kind of clears out some of the riff raff don't it. The standards they are requiring are very low at best in ones own country.

Now how can you complain about this unless you are just a dead beat!

Laughable would be, not be able to meet one of these low standards and not understand it.

The same type that they are turning away.

You are making a value judgement here based on income only.

I suggest that the term 'riff raff' is not solely related to income rather it comes down to a character judgement.

There are many ways to circumvent the current holiday visa regulations legally if you have the desire and really want to stay in Thailand long term.

Thailand is a booze and girls cheap tourist destination and that is not going to change anytime soon.

Cheap flights from the UK, Europe and Australia will maintain that trend.

Those who come on short trips who really want to stay longer term don't need to do too much additonal planning to get visas to stay long term in Thailand despite what you might read in the visa section of this forum.

So if you think that there is going to be a cleaning out of the riff raff whatever that may be i can assure you it isn't going to happen anytime soon.

[Khun ?]

I agree it is only costing them a couple grand to fly home and get another multi visa.

Mainly the ones that cry about not being able to meet the standards seem to be the same ones who

cannot afford the flight home!

I do not have much sympathy for the ones that come from advanced countries that cannot meet these low standards.

Maybe it would be wise for advanced countries to send their welfare society to live in Thailand. They might just learn to eat bugs and whatnot and cut down on taxes on the many that work hard for their living.

How many times have we heard about these poor buggers that need to live in Thailands climate because of their

ailments while we work extra years to pay their share of taxes.

In a way these rules help us a bit by not allowing these low income insurance, gov health scams.

The ones that seem to be able to do anything and party hardy but not work and pay taxes.

[tropo]

I spent 3 nights at Bangkok Pattaya.............but my health insurance covered that.

I take it you have NO insurance?

Always the bright spark. You took it correctly. I'm a tourist on a tourist visa not sure how long I'll be able to remain here. My bags are always half packed.

I take it you have health insurance.

How much did it cost you? How much coverage do you get?

[tropo]

Just a observation I have seen taking place for a large number of foreigners in the last 10 years.

Do you realise that the funds a 30 day visa exempt visitor requires (if asked) are 10,000 baht.

What that means is that Thailand is quite happy to entertain short term tourists on $10 a day.

Explain that one Mr Khun.

[abdulrahman]

Do you realise that the funds a 30 day visa exempt visitor requires (if asked) are 10,000 baht.

What that means is that Thailand is quite happy to entertain short term tourists on $10 a day.

Short term tourists!You come to Thailand,spend your 10K Baht and fly home.Simple,isn't it?

Have you more to spend?Buy a tourist visa,one entry,or multiple entry,you can spend more(and have a better time,10$ a day doesn't buy much in today Thailand).After the holiday:go home!

[mike_rad]

I stand by my original assessment that your friend would be in trouble if he got really sick...that would be the time he should return to Oz. He is living very close to the wire.

Well, he keeps getting retirement extensions, so he's obviously convincing immigration to the contrary.

[tropo]

Do you realise that the funds a 30 day visa exempt visitor requires (if asked) are 10,000 baht.

What that means is that Thailand is quite happy to entertain short term tourists on $10 a day.

Short term tourists!You come to Thailand,spend your 10K Baht and fly home.Simple,isn't it?

Have you more to spend?Buy a tourist visa,one entry,or multiple entry,you can spend more(and have a better time,10$ a day doesn't buy much in today Thailand).After the holiday:go home!

Wrong on all counts. You're allowed 90 days on 30-day visa free exemptions. After that a person could get a double entry TV in Laos and with extensions stay another 6 months, and then 3 more border runs...amazing isn't it? A year as a tourist without returning home.

Simple isn't it? Some people just don't want to go home..

There quite a number of people such as yourself that just can't handle the fact that some people can holiday for long of periods of time. I haven't been home for 5 years.

The resent and envy runs deep in all tourist visa threads. You're about the 10th person on this thread alone suggesting that we should go home.

KISS MY .....

[tropo]

I stand by my original assessment that your friend would be in trouble if he got really sick...that would be the time he should return to Oz. He is living very close to the wire.

Well, he keeps getting retirement extensions, so he's obviously convincing immigration to the contrary.

Talking about missing the point. This has nothing to do with immigration. We're talking about a person living close to the wire on a meagre pension. One that he can save a whopping 2,000 baht a month on if budgeting to the extreme. I wouldn't envy your friend's postion as an elderly pensioner.

[maxbentley]

Khun?

I am not in Thailand and my per diem rate is more than $200 a day plus house provided as well as food if I want.

I live on less than $30 a day.

If Thailand wanted to be a haven for foreigners that fall though the cracks as long term residents (travellers)

then they would not require anyone to leave the country at all for visas.

It is quite simple to get a proper visa.

Talking about stink, what type of person cannot get a proper visa in a country like thailand.

Amazing Thailand was not intended to mean the #1 attraction of foreign failures, creeps and losers.

I would tend to both agree and say you are wrong khun?.

Having never been to Pattaya I would imagine it has every type of human represented-Thai and foreign,both.

Many of the humans you describe as being 'foreign failures,creeps and losers' are entertained in Thailand.

Parts of Thailand was made for them-was it not? Physically constructed? Bottom up.

That means the Thais are enabling and represented in your grouping of humanity.

After all.it takes one to know one.

I am led to believe a segment of Thailand is trying to rid itself of immigrants that are a threat to their power structure-travellers

and those that live on lower incomes are a threat to absolutely nobody.Period-whatever you believe it looks like from where you sit.

Some of these 'immigrants or tourists or retirees' would be wealthy and powerful.

Repatriating some of these that are protected would be a way out for the Thai authorities to have a thorny problem solved without

a loss of face or associated blame.

I have an experience of meeting a Californian man-Thai born-who was wanted in California as his activities with Chinese associations

there were described as the fringe or extreme of society.

As I sat with him for hours he told me of the wealthy,very wealthy,who can come and go from Thailand and hide out for

whatever length of time is necessary.

He told me Thailand is able to accomadate his peers and that many have businesses and contacts that enable them to remain.

My inkling is that the implementation of visa regulations is not intended for the regular tourist for the most part.

If that were the case much more strict requirements would have been put in place to begin with.

This is a gentle way of being able to enforce immigration laws that may enable Thailand to further protect itself.

The poor are always targeted and used but rarely the problem,as has been amply demonstrated here within this forum.

[mike_rad]

Talking about missing the point. This has nothing to do with immigration.

No, I think you've missed it. The fact he gets extensions means he must be using the income/bank balance method of presenting 800,000 baht. That means he must have a reasonable amount in that bank account, which of course, can be used for medical emergencies.

We're talking about a person living close to the wire on a meagre pension.

30,000 baht a month is not meager in Thailand. Most of the entire population wouldn't earn anywhere near that.

One that he can save a whopping 2,000 baht a month on

I don't know how much he manages to put away but I'm pretty sure he said minimum and not average.

if budgeting to the extreme.

It comes down to lifestyle. He doesn't drink/smoke, he lives in a cheaper part of the country, and is into yoga, meditation, natural therapy and the like, so you can't call it "budgeting to the extreme". His lifestyle simply means that he doesn't have to spend much money.