Penang To Impose Stricter Rules When Issuing Tourist Visas

[george]

Stricter rules on Tourist visas issued in Penang from February 1, 2008

BANGKOK: -- The Royal Thai Consulate in Penang is expected to impose stricter rules regarding the issuing of Tourist Visas.

Thaivisa.com have been advised that the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Penang as from TOMORROW, February 1 2008, will only issue Tourist Visas to those in possession of an air ticket departing from Thailand to an international destination not local in the same region. (i.e. not Vietnam, Malaysia or similar.)

It is believed that the reason for the tightening of the rules is to reduce the number of foreigners using tourist visas to stay long term in Thailand, and not for tourism purposes for which this visa is intended, therefore abusing the system.

Our source is from a reliable person, who normally provides us with accurate information, and we have no reason to doubt the accuracy of this information.

The new ticket rule is not officially confirmed as yet.

--thaivisa.com 2008-01-31

[Penkoprod]

It was only a matter of time before this hoop was added to the list of ones to jump through

Penkoprod

[JIP]

I saw this one coming a long way off... and it's only a matter of time before all Thai consulates and embassies have similar rules. That's why I'm headed to live in The Philippines at the end of this month: Up to 16 months on a single tourist visa without having to leave the country.

I'll be waiting for the rest of you to show up.

[corkman]

Just out of curiousity - why is the Thai Gouvernment so "Anti Long Stay Tourist" ...... I know alot of guys that work in the UK / Europe for 6 months during srping / summer, save up alot of cash, then go to Thailand for the autumn / winter (6 months) and spend all that cash...... I'm talking like 10 grand...... as in half a million Baht..... surely that is a good thing for the country? I can understand why they would want to stop foriegners buying up land & houses, pushing up prices etc., but what is wrong with people hanging around spending what is locally a hel_l of alot of money..... this money is filtering back up the entire country one way or another..... the typical long stay tourist is not exaclt a burden on the state?

Just seems pointless to me........... could some one fill me in?

[isaanbrit]

I totally agree.

This means that anyone wanting to live in Thailand has to be either working, studying or retired.

What about the independantly wealthy?

[robblok]

Just out of curiousity - why is the Thai Gouvernment so "Anti Long Stay Tourist" ...... I know alot of guys that work in the UK / Europe for 6 months during srping / summer, save up alot of cash, then go to Thailand for the autumn / winter (6 months) and spend all that cash...... I'm talking like 10 grand...... as in half a million Baht..... surely that is a good thing for the country? I can understand why they would want to stop foriegners buying up land & houses, pushing up prices etc., but what is wrong with people hanging around spending what is locally a hel_l of alot of money..... this money is filtering back up the entire country one way or another..... the typical long stay tourist is not exaclt a burden on the state?

Just seems pointless to me........... could some one fill me in?

I think they see it more as a way to combat foreigners working illigaly in Thailand. I think it should not be a problem for the ppl you are talking about they will get a double entry tourist visa in their country and then they can stay here for half a year (with extentions). Im happy that i changed my visa to a non O. I have only once had to get a tourist visa at penang it was easy. After that non O's

[lopburi3]

Just out of curiousity - why is the Thai Gouvernment so "Anti Long Stay Tourist" ...

Those people should have no problem obtaining two entry tourist visas or better and being able to stay six months so don't believe they are the target.

[JIP]

Just out of curiousity - why is the Thai Gouvernment so "Anti Long Stay Tourist" ...... I know alot of guys that work in the UK / Europe for 6 months during srping / summer, save up alot of cash, then go to Thailand for the autumn / winter (6 months) and spend all that cash...... I'm talking like 10 grand...... as in half a million Baht..... surely that is a good thing for the country? I can understand why they would want to stop foriegners buying up land & houses, pushing up prices etc., but what is wrong with people hanging around spending what is locally a hel_l of alot of money..... this money is filtering back up the entire country one way or another..... the typical long stay tourist is not exaclt a burden on the state?

Just seems pointless to me........... could some one fill me in?

I work for my American company on the internet, and pump several million baht into Thailand every year. That's more than any tourist I know of... more than any several tourists I know of. I was willing to do the "fly-to-Penang" thing 4 times a year for the priviledge of living here, but hey... if Thailand doesn't want people who do that living here no matter how much money they put into Thailand, that's fine. Either Philippines or Cambodia will bend over backwards for people to come and contuously pump money into their economy.

The way I see it, Thailand is just too prickly about people coming here and living a good life when other countries (Europe, North America) make it so difficult to do the same thing.

[robblok]

I totally agree.

This means that anyone wanting to live in Thailand has to be either working, studying or retired.

What about the independantly wealthy?

Those independantly weatlhy can afford to fly to their home countries for new visa's. I think that is how they see it. I dont say that i agree.

[callipposhots]

[could some one fill me in?

they just don't like white people. Philippines is far more foreigner-friendly.

[pattaya_girl]

This news wont affect me, as i decided to get my new visa from the UK every year. It was only a matter of time before this came about, i think we were all expecting it anyway, and Penang isnt exactly a fantastic holiday destination. I bet there are not many foreigners in Penang as from tomorrow - i wouldnt be surprised if the consulate closes down also.

[jbaldwin]

Just out of curiousity - why is the Thai Gouvernment so "Anti Long Stay Tourist" ...... I know alot of guys that work in the UK / Europe for 6 months during srping / summer, save up alot of cash, then go to Thailand for the autumn / winter (6 months) and spend all that cash...... I'm talking like 10 grand...... as in half a million Baht..... surely that is a good thing for the country? I can understand why they would want to stop foriegners buying up land & houses, pushing up prices etc., but what is wrong with people hanging around spending what is locally a hel_l of alot of money..... this money is filtering back up the entire country one way or another..... the typical long stay tourist is not exaclt a burden on the state?

Just seems pointless to me........... could some one fill me in?

The simple reason is that they do not beleive that under 50's are actually retired. They beleive that a substantually number of people in this age group are working in Thailand illegally and do not see a way of distingishing between real early retired and illegal foriegn workers

[robblok]

Just out of curiousity - why is the Thai Gouvernment so "Anti Long Stay Tourist" ...... I know alot of guys that work in the UK / Europe for 6 months during srping / summer, save up alot of cash, then go to Thailand for the autumn / winter (6 months) and spend all that cash...... I'm talking like 10 grand...... as in half a million Baht..... surely that is a good thing for the country? I can understand why they would want to stop foriegners buying up land & houses, pushing up prices etc., but what is wrong with people hanging around spending what is locally a hel_l of alot of money..... this money is filtering back up the entire country one way or another..... the typical long stay tourist is not exaclt a burden on the state?

Just seems pointless to me........... could some one fill me in?

I work for my American company on the internet, and pump several million baht into Thailand every year. That's more than any tourist I know of... more than any several tourists I know of. I was willing to do the "fly-to-Penang" thing 4 times a year for the priviledge of living here, but hey... if Thailand doesn't want people who do that living here no matter how much money they put into Thailand, that's fine. Either Philippines or Cambodia will bend over backwards for people to come and contuously pump money into their economy.

The way I see it, Thailand is just too prickly about people coming here and living a good life when other countries (Europe, North America) make it so difficult to do the same thing.

If you do that what keeps you from setting up a company and getting a workpermit with an other visa ?. Then your here legit with no problems you do have to pay taxes.

[mobiryder]

so are the other neighboring countries OK? Singapore, KL?

[OzMan_Bkk]

I think they see it more as a way to combat foreigners working illigaly in Thailand

Very true Robbloc. Then again, are farang working illegally stealing jobs from Thais ? I haven't seen to many farang taxi drivers, policemen, etc. around town. These rules keep getting tighter due to paranoid law makers more than anything else.

Yes, don't let farang buy land and houses if you must but why scare away people who spend money here ? I can see the Philippine government smiling from here. It will only benefit them.

[pattaya_girl]

It only said Penang but i bet the other Asian destinations follow soon.

[robblok]

I think they see it more as a way to combat foreigners working illigaly in Thailand

Very true Robbloc. Then again, are farang working illegally stealing jobs from Thais ? I haven't seen to many farang taxi drivers, policemen, etc. around town. These rules keep getting tighter due to paranoid law makers more than anything else.

Yes, don't let farang buy land and houses if you must but why scare away people who spend money here ? I can see the Philippine government smiling from here. It will only benefit them.

I think there are farang working illigal, i dont say that is a bad thing. I think usualy they dont steal jobs from Thai. Thai should just make it a bit easier for a farang to work here. Then they would get a lot of tax income. I think some rules are stupid.. like the you have to have 4 thais in your company rule before you can have a workpermit. They dont think that there is a lot of internet work beeing done. They should look if the job is threatening thais or not. If not hand out a work permit easy.

[Totster]

so are the other neighboring countries OK? Singapore, KL?

I would read this..

not local in the same region. (i.e. not Vietnam, Malaysia or similar.)

.. as no.

Totster

[ericB]

I work for my American company on the internet, and pump several million baht into Thailand every year. That's more than any tourist I know of... more than any several tourists I know of. I was willing to do the "fly-to-Penang" thing 4 times a year for the priviledge of living here, but hey... if Thailand doesn't want people who do that living here no matter how much money they put into Thailand, that's fine. Either Philippines or Cambodia will bend over backwards for people to come and contuously pump money into their economy.

The way I see it, Thailand is just too prickly about people coming here and living a good life when other countries (Europe, North America) make it so difficult to do the same thing.

Wrong mate.

I am in the very same situation as you, working online (as programmer) for an US company based in Florida, doing so since 2003. I never used tourist visa since I am here, but non B 3 month.

Mostly people are confused btw non-B 3 month delivered BEFORE you had an employement and a WP, non b one year obtained in a consulat (after you had already employement and WP), and NON -B 3 month extended by the Police immigration in Bangkok.

Many ways exist to go around and get the first kind of NON-B :

1) simply create a shadow company registred as Partnership Ltd. As you can use non materials goods as capital (such as clients name, original ideas.......) you can register with a correct capital that you will not have to pay in cash (you still will have some taxes to pay and fill the forms). Eventually you can pass a part of your earning as benefits and maybe be able to get a WP .... after a year or so.

2) If you know people running legitimate businesses here, you can also ask them to give you the documentation, as long as you provide them with a resignation letter dated before the day you go to ask for a visa, they should be covered.

Both way will simply allow you to get a NON-B 3 month, single entry. The hassle being you have to go there every 3 month.

Btw us I do so since ( I do have created a patnership Ltd) and never so far got problems in KL.

Hope it help

[UbonTaz]

If their intention is to crack down on those working illegally with a tourist visa they should just do random checks at the schools to check work permits and visas. If found working illegally, send them home and also take action against the school directors or president. That would do a lot to reduce what they consider a problem.

[JIP]

Just out of curiousity - why is the Thai Gouvernment so "Anti Long Stay Tourist" ...... I know alot of guys that work in the UK / Europe for 6 months during srping / summer, save up alot of cash, then go to Thailand for the autumn / winter (6 months) and spend all that cash...... I'm talking like 10 grand...... as in half a million Baht..... surely that is a good thing for the country? I can understand why they would want to stop foriegners buying up land & houses, pushing up prices etc., but what is wrong with people hanging around spending what is locally a hel_l of alot of money..... this money is filtering back up the entire country one way or another..... the typical long stay tourist is not exaclt a burden on the state?

Just seems pointless to me........... could some one fill me in?

I work for my American company on the internet, and pump several million baht into Thailand every year. That's more than any tourist I know of... more than any several tourists I know of. I was willing to do the "fly-to-Penang" thing 4 times a year for the priviledge of living here, but hey... if Thailand doesn't want people who do that living here no matter how much money they put into Thailand, that's fine. Either Philippines or Cambodia will bend over backwards for people to come and contuously pump money into their economy.

The way I see it, Thailand is just too prickly about people coming here and living a good life when other countries (Europe, North America) make it so difficult to do the same thing.

If you do that what keeps you from setting up a company and getting a workpermit with an other visa ?. Then your here legit with no problems you do have to pay taxes.

I didn't do that least of all because my employer asked me not to. More importantly, I never made the decision to live forever in Thailand... I was going to move on eventually to other places (When you work on the internet, why not see the world?), so I didn't feel it necessary to "put down roots." The Thai government more or less made up my mind for me.

It's no problem for me to move on, and I'm not bummed out about it — and I will be back to visit often — but I think this is a case of over-reaction on their part.

I won't argue that I most certainly could be defined as one of the people Thailand is aiming to chase out of here: I'm an American making a pile of money on the internet, and not paying any Thai taxes, and I don't begrudge Thailand the right to ask me to leave — or make it too difficult for me to stay — and I'm perfectly happy to move on, but other than the Thai government feeling like they are somehow more in control of their immigrant population, I don't see how this benefits Thailand in general.

[Guest madcow]

I'll be waiting for the rest of you to show up.

:D

Not me mate , I,ve got a taste of Cambodia ......... and it tastes pretty dam good

[thaikahuna]

Just out of curiousity - why is the Thai Gouvernment so "Anti Long Stay Tourist" ...... I know alot of guys that work in the UK / Europe for 6 months during srping / summer, save up alot of cash, then go to Thailand for the autumn / winter (6 months) and spend all that cash...... I'm talking like 10 grand...... as in half a million Baht..... surely that is a good thing for the country? I can understand why they would want to stop foriegners buying up land & houses, pushing up prices etc., but what is wrong with people hanging around spending what is locally a hel_l of alot of money..... this money is filtering back up the entire country one way or another..... the typical long stay tourist is not exaclt a burden on the state?

Just seems pointless to me........... could some one fill me in?

I think they see it more as a way to combat foreigners working illigaly in Thailand. I think it should not be a problem for the ppl you are talking about they will get a double entry tourist visa in their country and then they can stay here for half a year (with extentions). Im happy that i changed my visa to a non O. I have only once had to get a tourist visa at penang it was easy. After that non O's

That is hitting the nail directly on the head. The Thai government has been trying to stop illegal working for years and may have just found a way to do that. They want the tax revenue for folks who have been running dive shops, bars and mini-marts illegally and been living on a VOA for years. These folks for the most part have not been paying their share into the Thai coffers.

[rdg_john]

The Philippines has some way to go in catching up with Thailand for the overall living experience, but it seems that the Thai Govt. is doing all it can to help redress the balance.

What's next?

[robblok]

Just out of curiousity - why is the Thai Gouvernment so "Anti Long Stay Tourist" ...... I know alot of guys that work in the UK / Europe for 6 months during srping / summer, save up alot of cash, then go to Thailand for the autumn / winter (6 months) and spend all that cash...... I'm talking like 10 grand...... as in half a million Baht..... surely that is a good thing for the country? I can understand why they would want to stop foriegners buying up land & houses, pushing up prices etc., but what is wrong with people hanging around spending what is locally a hel_l of alot of money..... this money is filtering back up the entire country one way or another..... the typical long stay tourist is not exaclt a burden on the state?

Just seems pointless to me........... could some one fill me in?

I work for my American company on the internet, and pump several million baht into Thailand every year. That's more than any tourist I know of... more than any several tourists I know of. I was willing to do the "fly-to-Penang" thing 4 times a year for the priviledge of living here, but hey... if Thailand doesn't want people who do that living here no matter how much money they put into Thailand, that's fine. Either Philippines or Cambodia will bend over backwards for people to come and contuously pump money into their economy.

The way I see it, Thailand is just too prickly about people coming here and living a good life when other countries (Europe, North America) make it so difficult to do the same thing.

If you do that what keeps you from setting up a company and getting a workpermit with an other visa ?. Then your here legit with no problems you do have to pay taxes.

I didn't do that least of all because my employer asked me not to. More importantly, I never made the decision to live forever in Thailand... I was going to move on eventually to other places (When you work on the internet, why not see the world?), so I didn't feel it necessary to "put down roots." The Thai government more or less made up my mind for me.

It's no problem for me to move on, and I'm not bummed out about it — and I will be back to visit often — but I think this is a case of over-reaction on their part.

I won't argue that I most certainly could be defined as one of the people Thailand is aiming to chase out of here: I'm an American making a pile of money on the internet, and not paying any Thai taxes, and I don't begrudge Thailand the right to ask me to leave — or make it too difficult for me to stay — and I'm perfectly happy to move on, but other than the Thai government feeling like they are somehow more in control of their immigrant population, I don't see how this benefits Thailand in general.

Of course they have the right to ask you to leave if you dont want to pay taxes in Thailand or pay US taxes. I would love working here and not paying taxes as would most Thais with high salaries.

[JIP]

I'll be waiting for the rest of you to show up.

Not me mate , I,ve got a taste of Cambodia ......... and it tastes pretty dam good

Indeed, Madcow: I gave Cambodia a long hard look, but my girlfriend is Filipina, and we're going back to her town to live for a while. But, Cambodia isn't bad either: Last I heard, 1-year visas were $200, renewable at the nearest immigration office.

[ovenman]

The Thai government has been trying to stop illegal working for years and may have just found a way to do that. They want the tax revenue for folks who have been running dive shops, bars and mini-marts illegally and been living on a VOA for years. These folks for the most part have not been paying their share into the Thai coffers.

Assuming that any number of these people pack up and leave Thailand, they will then be paying nothing into the Thai coffers.

[Jingthing]

Thailand, hub of killing the goose (or buffalo if you will) that laid the golden egg. Crazy!!!!!!

[thaibkk]

so what's next ?

they really don't want farang here spending their money ...

first they ask to leave the country for a STUPID re-entry stamp out/in the country... totally pointless/useless

do illegal working people, and I do not speak about poor Lao or Burma people, care about rules like this ?

it will not stop people working illegaly, just annoy people who do it by the book

flying home is a 24 hours trip just going there ... find the thai embassy overthere (no car, as useless and sold overthere)

getting some stamps and paying 6000 baht for it, waiting off course a few days as giving a sticker is muchhhhhhhh work, oh yeah

and then heading back overhere .... why bother so much trouble you may ask, right...

happens that my wife is thai, children have gotten thai nationality...

so what do they expect, that I leave my children behind ???

I lot of crap to annoy farang spending their money in the thai economy ...

Are they (Thai) so enourms jealous that some farang can come here without working, even not being retired ?

I got an internet business back home ... provides more money that an average Thai family man earns to support his family, but its just not enough for immigration... As my country charges extremely high taxes on everything ...

Foreigners in Thailand, its time to unite and fight against these stupid immigration laws

Guess the admin here will just delete my post ...

[JIP]

I didn't do that least of all because my employer asked me not to. More importantly, I never made the decision to live forever in Thailand... I was going to move on eventually to other places (When you work on the internet, why not see the world?), so I didn't feel it necessary to "put down roots." The Thai government more or less made up my mind for me.

It's no problem for me to move on, and I'm not bummed out about it — and I will be back to visit often — but I think this is a case of over-reaction on their part.

I won't argue that I most certainly could be defined as one of the people Thailand is aiming to chase out of here: I'm an American making a pile of money on the internet, and not paying any Thai taxes, and I don't begrudge Thailand the right to ask me to leave — or make it too difficult for me to stay — and I'm perfectly happy to move on, but other than the Thai government feeling like they are somehow more in control of their immigrant population, I don't see how this benefits Thailand in general.

Of course they have the right to ask you to leave if you dont want to pay taxes in Thailand or pay US taxes. I would love working here and not paying taxes as would most Thais with high salaries.

That's absolutely true: I get a $20,000 check every year from the IRS for living in Thailand and not paying taxes here. (Thank you America for the Overseas Tax Credit.) I'm not saying it's right, legal, or acceptable to Thailand... but Thailand let me do it up until now. Theoretically, I still could do it if I was willing to do visa runs to Prague, or go back to America and get 1-year visas like a sensible fellow, but my goal isn't to stay in Thailand anyway. These new visa rules are just what it takes to get me up and out, and I'm sure that is just what they wanted. Like I said though... no problem with me.