30-days Border Runs Now Only 15 Days

[george]

30-days border runs now only 15 days

BANGKOK: -- In order to limit the amount of foreigners using "back-to-back" border runs, Thai Immigration has issued a new regulation regarding the 30 days tourist exemption.

Effective immediately, travellers without visa will get only 15 days of stay if they are arriving via a land border checkpoint from a neigboring country.

Passengers arriving via an international airport will obtain a 30 days stay, and for them there is no change.

Travellers with Malaysian passports will obtain a 30 days stay.

This police order number 778/2551 is today confirmed by Royal Thai Police, Immigration Bureau, in Bangkok.

-- thaivisa.com 2008-12-04

Attached: Royal Thai Police order (Thai language)

RTP778_2551.pdf

Attached: Royal Thai Police order (English language)

National_Police_Order_778_2008.pdf

New Regulations For Extensions Of Non-immigrant Visas

Police Order 777/2551 dated Nov 25, 2008

Read here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Regulations-...ig-t227532.html

[george]

OTE: Please keep this thread civil. No discussion about politics or off topics, please.

Off topic posts will be deleted.

[Tolley]

Are you still only allowed three of these visas in a six month period?

[ubonjoe]

From the rough translation that was posted it appears that the 90 days in 6 months has been taken out.

If it is still there it would be take 6 entries to reach the max.

[LPCustom69]

I guess that I'm not totally surprised.

From the rough translation that was posted it appears that the 90 days in 6 months has been taken out.

If it is still there it would be take 6 entries to reach the max.

[JR Texas]

From the rough translation that was posted it appears that the 90 days in 6 months has been taken out.

If it is still there it would be take 6 entries to reach the max.

Extraordinarily stupid move! This will only hurt tourism and the economy more. Thailand's reputation as a tourist/expat friendly country is going down the drain. Hope that is civil enough for Thaivisa.

And, for the record, I do not have a visa problem, so this does not impact me personally.

[CockneyGit]

Great idea in principal. If you want to work in Thailand, get the correct visa, work permit and pay your taxes.

Finally, immigration is clamping down. I hope they stick to their guns.

[ezside]

OK, I'll leave, but I won't come back. I'lljust spend my money elsewhere.

[Maverell]

As the number of tourists decline by 50 % it is only natural that border runs need to go up 50% so they are not out of pocket.....if you see what I mean.

[grantbkk]

Could it be that they are in some way trying to benefit the crippled airline industry? This is Thailand you know.

[Mario2008]

Can't be sure of if the 90 day rule is abolished. We don't have a complete translation yet of the whole document. I must say it seems that way, but I'm not sure if this new police order is replacing the 90 day police order. It does look that way, but can someone who can read Thai confirm it replaces police order 608/2549?

[CockneyGit]

OK, I'll leave, but I won't come back. I'lljust spend my money elsewhere.

If you're a tourist, get a tourist visa from your Thai consulate at home for 60-90 days travel.

Not rocket science!!

[mjcl]

I think that Thailand wants to get rid of what it sees as the riff raff falangs. Those who cannot be bothered or just cannot get the right visa. If you have a legitimate visa there is no problem in staying here.

[goski]

If you read the attached PDF-file it would have to have been a clairvoyant police general since it was ordered the 25th of November.

[CockneyGit]

I think that Thailand wants to get rid of what it sees as the riff raff falangs. Those who cannot be bothered or just cannot get the right visa. If you have a legitimate visa there is no problem in staying here.

Well said Sir!

This is a particular beef with me the "border runners" working here illegally.

[goski]

Mario, this short one talks somewhat of it but I am unfamiliar with the first clause of the 608/2549.

Edited December 4, 2008 by goski

[Phil Conners]

I don't think it's a great loss for Thailand - big spenders generally don't do visa runs but get proper long term multiple-reentry tourist or non-o visas in their home countries.

[wildpikey]

Ok so the on thing i don't get yet is. If you are on a Non immigrant visa, or a proper tourist visa obtained from a Thai embassy abroad, are u still only entitled to a 15 day stamp when doing your 90 day border run? or is the fact that you have a proper visa mean you are still entitled to a 90 day pass when doing overland border stamps? Will non immigrant and multi entry tourist visa holders now have to fly for every visa stamp ?

is the 15 day stamp only relevent to Visa on arrival?

Anyone know this yet?

[george]

Ok so the on thing i don't get yet is. If you are on a Non immigrant visa, or a proper tourist visa obtained from a Thai embassy abroad, are u still only entitled to a 15 day stamp when doing your 90 day border run? or is the fact that you have a proper visa mean you are still entitled to a 90 day pass when doing overland border stamps? Will non immigrant and multi entry tourist visa holders now have to fly for every visa stamp ?

is the 15 day stamp only relevent to Visa on arrival?

Anyone know this yet?

These does not affect travelers with Non-Immigrant or Tourist visas.

[Mario2008]

Mario, this short one here only talks about the 30 days exemption. The longer PDF about all the changes probably would say something, but I don't have that link now.

Thanks. But the short pdf about the 30 day rule is making a comparison with police order 608/2549 (the 90 day rule). Does it say anywhere that the new 30/15 rule replaces 608/2549. If it does en there is no more mention of the 90 day rule it will mean it is demolished. If it doesn't replaces 608/2549 then the 90 day rule is still in place.

[MobileContent]

Great idea in principal. If you want to work in Thailand, get the correct visa, work permit and pay your taxes.

Finally, immigration is clamping down. I hope they stick to their guns.

I got to agree with you. Everyone should have a correct visa and not misuse Thailand's visa policies. We should be happy that they let us in for two weeks if we don't have a visa (Thai's need a visa to travel to my country). I always have the correct visa but if I do come in on a 30 days stamp, I normally don't stay longer then one week and use Thailand only for shopping and to buy cheap tickets.

[ChiangMaiMike]

Extraordinarily stupid move! This will only hurt tourism and the economy more. Thailand's reputation as a tourist/expat friendly country is going down the drain. Hope that is civil enough for Thaivisa.

When did Thailand have an expat friendly reputation?

I think "semi- expat tolerant" would be the Offical designation...

[CockneyGit]

Ok so the on thing i don't get yet is. If you are on a Non immigrant visa, or a proper tourist visa obtained from a Thai embassy abroad, are u still only entitled to a 15 day stamp when doing your 90 day border run? or is the fact that you have a proper visa mean you are still entitled to a 90 day pass when doing overland border stamps? Will non immigrant and multi entry tourist visa holders now have to fly for every visa stamp ?

is the 15 day stamp only relevent to Visa on arrival?

Anyone know this yet?

Non-Immigrant visas not affected, "proper" tourist visas not too sure. I suspect getting just a border stamp after a tourist visa you'd only get 15 days.

Edited December 4, 2008 by CockneyGit

[goski]

Yes, this regards the 30 day visa exemption. Which is not the same as Visa on arrival. If you have a proper tourist Visa etc, things seems to be the same. Extending your tourist visa for one month would be the same. And going across the border to trigger the second part of your tourist visa would be the same. After that, 15 days.

Edited December 4, 2008 by goski

[ubonjoe]

Could it be that they are in some way trying to benefit the crippled airline industry? This is Thailand you know.

How is it going to help the airlines?

How many people that are now doing border runs will be switching to flights out and back. There might be some going to places that have a consulate and getting tourist visas.

I think most will be making visa runs to Vientiane by ground transport.

Others will make the trip to Penang or Kota Bharu the same way.

[german73]

plain simple... the expat is going to pay the mess

[McLovin]

I don't think it's a great loss for Thailand - big spenders generally don't do visa runs but get proper long term multiple-reentry tourist or non-o visas in their home countries.

How wrong you are. Big Spenders usually only come here for a couple of weeks and spend up big in 5 star hotels. A lot of which filters off overseas. Visa runners spend their money at local hole in the walls and support the local economy at grass roots levels.

[Shotime]

It sounds like a smart move. It doesn't affect the guy who wants to come here and party for a couple weeks. They're the ones who spend. I guess they don't want those that are content with a 30-day with 2 border runs, Get a vise before you come. There does seem to be a clamp down on tourists who have expired visas.

[ezside]

OK, I'll leave, but I won't come back. I'lljust spend my money elsewhere.

If you're a tourist, get a tourist visa from your Thai consulate at home for 60-90 days travel.

Not rocket science!!

No problem, I'll just hop on a plane, fly 1500 miles to the nearest Thai consulate & pick one up. No problem, just a day (or two) & 500-700 USD.

BTW, this probably won't really effect me much since I regularly leave the country for 2-4 weeks at a time & so far always by air (I work elsewhere & spend my money here); it's just annoying to have the rules change massively with no warning. As for a "real" visa, what makes one believe that those rules couldn't change the same way?

[CockneyGit]

plain simple... the expat is going to pay the mess

Expats living here long term should have necessary documentation which allows for a Non-Imm visa and therefore shouldn't be affected.