Penang To Impose Stricter Rules When Issuing Tourist Visas

[lapamita]

thailand is getting nuts!

they are loosing a lot of buissenes here due to many reason, it not afect thailand, but it afect the touristareas like pattaya,kosamui,phuket!

i already have a very bad thinking in my mind about thais, but no idea where to go! philippines ? for holiay ok, for sty no,malaysia to quiet, cambodia indiscutable, singapore YES , if i would be a multimillionaer.

but backk to visa............

i came 1991 to thailand, worked for an exportcompany in korea and thailand until 2000.

after

2000-2003 one year investmentvisa based on 3m baht with the guarantee of GRANDFATHERD

2003 taxsin introduced the 0% policy for savings on foreign AC

2004 no extentsion of visa on the old 3M baht rule, they want money stay on GOV.bank at 0%

2004-2006 1 yr visa based on money under the table from BKK

2006 no 1 yr visa more, various NON o and TR visas

2007 more strict TR visa in combination with 30 day stamp, stayed in thailand only 9 month

2008 hmmmm.....we see

i am not married and not working ( ohhh good save me!!! not to make any buissene here in thailand, because its a no win situatiion, and if i want to work i go to other country where can earn money)

why the thaigoverment not give any option to people under 50 if they are finance secured?????? for my part i have 2 condos here, offshore Ac ( since 2004 not more in thailand , bcs i feel not save since denied the one year visa and ever changing laws)

thailand is like a drug, thats maybe why i stay here.........................

[mel2surf]

Not sure what you mean. Whereas Thaivisa does an excellent job in telling people how to get the right visa for their particular circumstances, it also has topics like this one that tell people how to get a visa for which they don't qualify - i.e. "long-stayers" who pretend they are "tourists".

What I find strange is how many "normal" people who don't need tourist visas will chime in to tourist visa threads.

It's like they're a bunch of tourist police working for the Thai Immigration Department.

You would think that only people with visa concerns and in particular tourist visa concerns would enter and read this thread as it's so clearly titled as a thread concerning tourist visas.

Any chance of an explanation from one of you permanent residents without visa concerns? Is it purely out of boredom you reply to these threads, or is there some deeper reason?

Just my opinion:

They want to feel better about themselves,knowing that THEY too

are foreigners,and can be eradicated just as easily... makes them feel

superior.

[cali4995]

Maybe one day soon I will get a proper visa also. Then, I can slag off all the tourists and

30 day stampers and other various sub creatures in the kingdom. If we did not have these

lower classes of foreigners there would be no one for us to look down upon. It is necessary.

[tropo]

This thread has finally started to fizzle out after 455 replies.

[JetsetBkk]

This thread has finally started to fizzle out after 455 replies.

No it hasn't.

Not sure what you mean. Whereas Thaivisa does an excellent job in telling people how to get the right visa for their particular circumstances, it also has topics like this one that tell people how to get a visa for which they don't qualify - i.e. "long-stayers" who pretend they are "tourists".

What I find strange is how many "normal" people who don't need tourist visas will chime in to tourist visa threads.

It's like they're a bunch of tourist police working for the Thai Immigration Department.

I presume you're having a go at me. Pity you didn't quote what I wrote a few lines earlier:

[(You do realise that Thai immigration read this site, don't you? You're doing their job for them. )

And you're complaining about me acting like tourist police working for the Immigration Department?

You've got it totally back to front - I was warning you that discussing all these ways to stay here long term on tourist visas makes it so much easier for Immigration to find and close all the loop holes.

Up to you. Keep on talking about it - I'm sure Somchai at Immi. will be very interested to read all your ideas.

[rimbung]

This thread pretty much boils down to two factions...the legal and the worried.

As a long time legally employed journalist here in Asia (Thailand included) I can tell you that the government is embarrased by the 'sex tourism' tag. There are plans to eject/eliminate/refuse the typical farang who comes here with little money and lives off the back of poor girls from up country who work in bars.

Here is phase one http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstories/tops...s.php?id=125749

You might like to check this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_tourism

The tourist authority want to dump the sex tourist country tag as does the Thai government.

It ain't rocket science to see the image the country portrays through video shot in Patpong, South Pattaya and Patong.

There are quite a few who have posted and who are legally entitled to get a proper visa.

Most of the hits are from the worried.

In this global internet world it is hard to escape reality,

Enjoy Vientienne and Savanakhet while you can but take my advice. If you can marry a Thai

Edited February 6, 2008 by rimbung

[JetsetBkk]

Interesting links - best of luck to TAT in their campaign.

Enjoy Vientienne and Savanakhet while you can but take my advice. If you can, marry a Thai

But maybe best not to take out a 15,000,000 baht life insurance policy...

[jstumbo]

The tourist authority want to dump the sex tourist country tag as does the Thai government.

Stopping people from staying longterm on tourist visas is not going to get rid of the sex industry. There are plenty of tourists landing every day that will keep it going.

...entitled to get a proper visa.

A proper visa is whatever visa you can qualify for and that the government is willing to issue you.

[LivinLOS]

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.

Hey Oz,

Well the bottom line is farangs staying here on tourist visa's and/or 30-day-stay entry-stamps indefinately and - pardon my french and the illustration - exploiting the country's poor little cuties from Isaan (while "spending monny" surely but marginally, the ecomomic arguement of losers paying barfines and ST(D)s is quite rediculous, mate ), lil bit working as dodgy English teachers and boiler-room and time-sharing artists with Kao-San-certificates, are kinda being washed out, seems innit? "Oh shit they're on to us" I hear them blabber...

Let's not kid ourselves, the Thai are well aware of the mis-use of their own unintentinal flexibility on possibilities and all sorts of legal loop-holes for undesirables to stay here for no legitemate reason wiv no credentials/papers to show for it. There's nothing to worry about if you have a legitemate reason and actually contribute, u of all persons shud know that, Oz (i know you know, just abit ranting here).

I personally "exploit a little cutie from Isaan" myself (as she does exploit me), but me hav jobbie, company, paying tax in TH, WP + appropriate year visa, the permanent outlook, the works. So do you.

Tourists on Tourist Visas are at what they are, Tourists, and now have to keep it that way. Then they F off and save up monny from Farangland to haul back (yes, you can "stay" here, just plan 6 months brakes in, Dodos), and taz better for the economy, i say, or whatever.

Like so many others you consider your own position to be the only one..

What about the independently wealthy ?? Those that dont need to earn anything here and purely spend.

Edited February 7, 2008 by LivinLOS

[LivinLOS]

This thread pretty much boils down to two factions...the legal and the worried.

As a long time legally employed journalist here in Asia (Thailand included) I can tell you that the government is embarrased by the 'sex tourism' tag. There are plans to eject/eliminate/refuse the typical farang who comes here with little money and lives off the back of poor girls from up country who work in bars.

Here is phase one http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstories/tops...s.php?id=125749

You might like to check this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_tourism

The tourist authority want to dump the sex tourist country tag as does the Thai government.

It ain't rocket science to see the image the country portrays through video shot in Patpong, South Pattaya and Patong.

There are quite a few who have posted and who are legally entitled to get a proper visa.

Most of the hits are from the worried.

In this global internet world it is hard to escape reality,

Enjoy Vientienne and Savanakhet while you can but take my advice. If you can marry a Thai

If they are so worried about sex for sale.. Why not then actually do something about that !!!

Prostitution is illegal no ?? Well they sure had a good old fashioned clampdown on the yaba dealers a few years ago.. Why not actually do something about the sex scene instead of vague ineffective controls across whole sections of visa classes, that pretty much dont work anyway.

[sriracha john]

The tourist authority want to dump the sex tourist country tag as does the Thai government.

Stopping people from staying longterm on tourist visas is not going to get rid of the sex industry. There are plenty of tourists landing every day that will keep it going.

...entitled to get a proper visa.

A proper visa is whatever visa you can qualify for and that the government is willing to issue you.

:D

Edited February 7, 2008 by sriracha john

[koheesti]

Just to 2nd and 3rd the opinions already stated that if you want to stop the sex tourism, restricting visas is a moronic way of doing it. Clamp down on the girlie bars, "massage" parlors and brothels.

If they want to stop people without work permits, again, restricting visas is a moronic way of doing it. Clamp down on the bars, dive shops, etc and check for work permits.

It sounds to me like the consulate in Penang is either lazy and tired of the workload OR they're are hoping to supplement their income via bribes. Whatever it is, it has nothing to do with sex tourism or illegal workers.

[tropo]

This thread pretty much boils down to two factions...the legal and the worried.

As a long time legally employed journalist here in Asia (Thailand included) I can tell you that the government is embarrased by the 'sex tourism' tag. There are plans to eject/eliminate/refuse the typical farang who comes here with little money and lives off the back of poor girls from up country who work in bars.

Here is phase one http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstories/tops...s.php?id=125749

You might like to check this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_tourism

The tourist authority want to dump the sex tourist country tag as does the Thai government.

It ain't rocket science to see the image the country portrays through video shot in Patpong, South Pattaya and Patong.

There are quite a few who have posted and who are legally entitled to get a proper visa.

Most of the hits are from the worried.

In this global internet world it is hard to escape reality,

Enjoy Vientienne and Savanakhet while you can but take my advice. If you can marry a Thai

If they are so worried about sex for sale.. Why not then actually do something about that !!!

Prostitution is illegal no ?? Well they sure had a good old fashioned clampdown on the yaba dealers a few years ago.. Why not actually do something about the sex scene instead of vague ineffective controls across whole sections of visa classes, that pretty much dont work anyway.

We hear this waffle about the Thai government wanting to close down the sex trade quite often.

Recent report from Walking Street:

All the gogo bars were in full swing at 2am and most didn't close until 3am.

The sex trade is alive and well in Pattaya.

[007]

I can tell you that the government is embarrased by the 'sex tourism' tag..There are plans to eject/eliminate/refuse the typical farang who comes here with little money and lives off the back of poor girls from up country who work in bars..

Hear, hear.. But please remember that the tourist-oriented sex industry in Thailand is just a tiny fraction of Thailand's overall sex industry, worth hundreds of billions of baht, with most of the maidens from up-country actually working in brothels, massage parlors and karaoke bars and restaurants, tailored towards and mostly frequented by Thai males; billionaires as well as poor guys, old 'mocks' as well as teenage blokes.. The prostitution (big) business has hundreds (?) of years of tradition in Thailand, and as long as this culture is accepted there will be poor up-country catering to tourists too.

[zeusbheld]

TVers also make the same mistake referring to "prostitutes" as "girlfriends", and then intellectualize the money they pay the pro as "cab fare".

who are you referring to as "TVers"--people on this website (known as "Thai Visa") or people on Tourist Visas? either way, seems a rather sweeping generalization either way. and you DO seem to know an awful lot about this process you decry, it reads like an insider's point of view.

Edited February 7, 2008 by zeusbheld

[JetsetBkk]

I can tell you that the government is embarrased by the 'sex tourism' tag..There are plans to eject/eliminate/refuse the typical farang who comes here with little money and lives off the back of poor girls from up country who work in bars..

Hear, hear.. But please remember that the tourist-oriented sex industry in Thailand is just a tiny fraction of Thailand's overall sex industry

Yes, but I doubt if Thais blab about it so much on the Internet. And if they do, it probably isn't in English.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

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...

I fail to see the problem here.

You claim to be 'making a pile of money', so why is it not easy to return to your home country and apply for a Double or Triple entry Tourist visa?

I can understand that it may inconvenience those on a tight budget, but you claim to be well off.

I certainly don't feel unwelcome.

There are far too many ne'er-do-wells and rapscallions hanging around in the region.

It's laughable that they think that they should be allowed to stay because they are using money. Lowlife is lowlife, whether cash is attached or not.

I wouldn't let a criminal into my home just because he was dripping in gold.

Of coursr I am not suggesting that you are all criminals.

[LivinLOS]

The sex trade is alive and well in Pattaya.

Hold the presses !! Are you sure ???

[bkk_mike]

Well! just how easy isit to get a long term turist visa in EU for a thai citizen? Or in US? I'm sure of that it can't be done by going in and out of the border. The visa rules in Thailand are indeed very generously compared with EU and US.

Irrelevant. Totally different stages of economic development.

My mother-in-law (Thai) has a 10-year tourist visa for the US and a 2 year tourist visa for the UK.

Both allow her to arrive and stay for 6 months at a time (max 6 months in any one year), without going over a border.

Thailand doesn't even issue 2 year tourist visas, let alone 10 year ones, and you can't stay for 6 months at a time.

Possibly Thailand should simply add the restriction that other countries have - If you're genuinely a tourist, you have no need to be there for more than 6 months of the year.

However, if they ever do that, they'll have to sort out the other visas so that there's something that peole can actually apply for.

i.e. My company has twice looked at employing me officially out of the Thai office, and twice said it was far easier to simply carry on paying me abroad as I have nothing business-wise to do with the Thai office (which meant problems obtaining a work permit as I wouldn't be on the org chart, and the latest reason from HR was that Thailand would complain about the loss of Corporation Tax from me being expensed out of the Thai legal entity, when I have no business case for being attached to the Thai office. (not just salary, but travel expenses, etc. etc. which , combined would be a noticeable expense).

(What it basically means is that, as I'm paid abroad, Thailand doesn't get any income tax from me as where I am paid has a double-taxation agreement with Thailand. And it's all because of Thailand's own crappy rules.)

[bangkokgas]

Rimbung and others who seem to to have a predisposition towards long stayers here.

//flame removed// Yes, we all know there are undesirables abusing the visa system/s as have been, but why do you put everyone in the same " I've said it before and will say it now -there are a lot of "tourists who can afford to stay here forever if they so wish but are frustrated by the fact that one has to go home, make an excuse, open a worthless bank account,lie, whatever -just to prove they have the means to stay here. When the Thai authorities close all the loopholes, I, as will every other "undesirable" will take necessary action to stay here if we so wish. Do not think for a moment that all t.v. tourists just want to abuse the Thai visa system. If you do so, you are deluding yourself, and moreover, come across as having something to hide OVER the aforementioned people. There are reasons that people like myself want to stay here, have money, don't want to open a bogus company, marry a Thai, break the law and so on. Let's just keep this forum for what it is supposed to be - an information service regarding visas. Not a "you,and we know who,what you are, beware because....//flame removed//

[TAWP]

There are plans to eject/eliminate/refuse the typical farang who comes here with little money and lives off the back of poor girls from up country who work in bars.

Really?

I always thought it was the other way around. Have many farangs guys have you meet that live of their girls trade versus how many thai guys?

Tourists or some long stayers might buy girls - but rarely have I heard about any of them to live off them...but there is a first for everything I suppose...

[kleik]

well, if penang only issue the tourist visa for people with a airplane ticket, we just need to fund an airplane compagny how give a open ticket for 10 years hahaha...

seriousely become a joke this governement...

Philippines... hmmm... lets think about.

[mel2surf]

The PI lookin better every week.

[stevemiddie]

The PI lookin better every week.

Until you taste the food.

[tropo]

Not sure what you mean. Whereas Thaivisa does an excellent job in telling people how to get the right visa for their particular circumstances, it also has topics like this one that tell people how to get a visa for which they don't qualify - i.e. "long-stayers" who pretend they are "tourists".

What I find strange is how many "normal" people who don't need tourist visas will chime in to tourist visa threads.

It's like they're a bunch of tourist police working for the Thai Immigration Department.

I presume you're having a go at me. Pity you didn't quote what I wrote a few lines earlier:

Not in particular.

I'm having a go at all people who harp on about others apartently "abusing" the system and "pretending to be tourists".

I'm having a go at people who turn simple information threads into discussions about what is "right" and what is "wrong".

I come to this room to get information about the current state of affairs, not to wade through 100's of replies discussing immigration morality.

Just for the records, I'm one of those "abusers" pretending to be a "tourist".

[tropo]

The PI lookin better every week.

Until you taste the food.

Home cooking dude.

[JetsetBkk]

Just for the records, I'm one of those "abusers" pretending to be a "tourist".

I think most of us guessed that already, mate.

Do you think there will ever come a time when you will accept that there is no visa - or sequence of different visas - that will allow you to stay here full time, both within the rules and within the spirit of the rules? Surely, that day is not far off.

[tropo]

Just for the records, I'm one of those "abusers" pretending to be a "tourist".

I think most of us guessed that already, mate.

Do you think there will ever come a time when you will accept that there is no visa - or sequence of different visas - that will allow you to stay here full time, both within the rules and within the spirit of the rules? Surely, that day is not far off.

Just wanted to make sure you knew.

Let me tell you, I've been here for 2 years now and ever since the big rule change on October 1, 2006 I've never been confident about being able to stay, and quite frankly not sure if I even wanted to stay. I've had my bags half packed the entire time I've been in Thailand.

I'm 50 next year. You could call my tourist visa stay a "try before you buy" stay.

I use this forum to find out the current state of affairs. It's the very reason I first joined this forum. I find discussions over what is "right" and "wrong" distracting and irrelevant.

Edited February 8, 2008 by tropo

[JetsetBkk]

Let me tell you, I've been here for 2 years now and ever since the big rule change on October 1, 2006 I've never been confident about being able to stay, and quite frankly not sure if I even wanted to stay. I've had my bags half packed the entire time I've been in Thailand.

I'm 50 next year. You could call my tourist visa stay a "try before you buy" stay.

I use this forum to find out the current state of affairs. It's the very reason I first joined this forum. I find discussions over what is "right" and "wrong" distracting and irrelevant.

I've been here over 5 years and haven't put down roots. The ever changing visa/government situation has ensured that.

But your problems will be over soon - as soon as you get to the magic 50. It's the younger guys who have no valid reason to be here - other than they like it here - that I don't understand. 30-day stamps, border runs, tourist visas and extensions, loop-holes being closed... what a way to live! Thailand will still be here when they're 50 - why not earn some real money back home and then come back at age 50 with some solid finances?

[kopite]

Let me tell you, I've been here for 2 years now and ever since the big rule change on October 1, 2006 I've never been confident about being able to stay, and quite frankly not sure if I even wanted to stay. I've had my bags half packed the entire time I've been in Thailand.

I'm 50 next year. You could call my tourist visa stay a "try before you buy" stay.

I use this forum to find out the current state of affairs. It's the very reason I first joined this forum. I find discussions over what is "right" and "wrong" distracting and irrelevant.

I've been here over 5 years and haven't put down roots. The ever changing visa/government situation has ensured that.

But your problems will be over soon - as soon as you get to the magic 50. It's the younger guys who have no valid reason to be here - other than they like it here - that I don't understand. 30-day stamps, border runs, tourist visas and extensions, loop-holes being closed... what a way to live! Thailand will still be here when they're 50 - why not earn some real money back home and then come back at age 50 with some solid finances?

so what valid reason have you got for being here? Your old?

a few trips to laos a year and 30 minutes down at immigration really isnt that bad. good times were had up in laos.

but i admit your a far superior farang than me. well done

Edited February 9, 2008 by kopite