30-days Border Runs Now Only 15 Days

[freitag1]

It doesnt bother me but the timing is just stupid.

[Bangyai]

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

Food for thought ? There may be some truth in this. The new rule probably kills a few birds with one stone. Stimulates air traffic ( maybe ? ) , encourages people to obtain proper visas from Thai embassies which will have to be paid for. Helps the Thai authorities scrutinise more closely the coming and going of foreign nationals. Discourages less wealthy tourists from lingering too long....etc etc.

Nonetheless, the timing of this is a bit strange since any kind of tourism will probably be welcomed next year when the tourist industry really starts to feel the pinch, as if it isn't hurting enough already.

[astral]

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

Nor will tourists.

If I remember rightly the statistics show that the average tourist only stays 7-10 days.

Most arrive by air and will get the 30 day stamp.

For longer stay tourists there is the Single (60 days) or Double Entry (120 days) Tourist Visa from an Embassy/Consulate,

longer if you utilise extensions.

So the affect on the Tourism Industry will be minimal.

It is not tourists who are being targeted here.

[IMA_FARANG]

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

Thank You

[oceano]

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.

MISUSE???? hey, the rule was, 30 days, they allow for two more such periods within a year no? Why did they make that in the first place? how is deciding to stay longer and re-entering abusing that rule? how does this get rid of the "riff raff". This point always seems like crap to me as if planning ahead means you are golden. Like criminals don't plan. All this seems to do is penalize ppl who decide their stay is good and want to extend it another month. Unless they have the money to fly out and back in huh? So riff raff is ppl who are not rolling in it?

NOOOOOOOOOOO i want follow the rules and the costume of thai !!!!!!!!!!!

So how many shop and small and medium business pay the tax in thailand?????????????????????????????????

How many of that have a company?

How many workers have a contract and pay the tax on that????????

Answer to yourself.

Edited December 4, 2008 by oceano

[thaireg]

Wow! Somebody up there likes me.

My wife runs a travel company specializing in mini-bus trips from Had Yai to Sadao. About 80% of our customers are farangs on visa exempt entries. Most passengers enjoy the trip and look upon it as a shopping trip once a month. A spot poll so far indicates that nobody objects to making 2 trips a month instead of one, just more money to be spent in Malaysia that would have been spent in Thailand, not just by the trippers but also by their friends on stuff brought back.

Of course, in practise, some trippers will decide that the time has come to visit Penang and get a 'proper' visa, but I'm sure they will be in the minority and the number of trippers making 2 trips per month instead of one will more than cover them.

TAT also gains because each tripper has twice as many visits to Thailand, more visitors to show in their stats.

So its winners all round, apart from the shops in Had Yai who will lose some business, but that's life!

Thank you immigration, now to investigate buying another mini-bus.

[stingray]

I think it's the perfect idea to clear out all the cheap charlie tourists and back packers. It's time for them. They anyway not spend money in the country, looking for 150 Baht gesthouses in the Kaosan Road or Soi Sri Bumpen, looking for free f...kc and consume only "Green Stuff". It's time that the immigration making tighter rules now. Good Move!!!

[pattayabuggy]

May I ask, what is the definition of a "Riff Raff Ferang"? It is a working class person or what? You people obviously think very highly of your own value in the world, just like

 our hosts!

 

[oceano]

I think it's the perfect idea to clear out all the cheap charlie tourists and back packers. It's time for them. They anyway not spend money in the country, looking for 150 Baht gesthouses in the Kaosan Road or Soi Sri Bumpen, looking for free f...kc and consume only "Green Stuff". It's time that the immigration making tighter rules now. Good Move!!!

Yes and also 1.600.000 bath in your bank for your non-imm, and the minimum of 3 milion put in one bank from the company for make one work permit....ecc dont worry....the time will be also for you.

Are you racist? clear out all the cheap charlie tourists and back packers!!!!

wow and then? clear all the black people and the muslim from soi3 in sukunvit in bangkok?

Why not the cambodians in pattaya and malaise people from puket!!!???

Come on go buy your next ferrari rich man and live us poor people in the ghetto!!!!!!

Want the address of a good car vendor in pattaya????

Now please stop talk about people like this and please moderator then dont say we are not polite if we answer in ...bad manner to some people.

tks

Edited December 4, 2008 by oceano

[astral]

OK guys, enough about a particular group, who are usually young tourists with low resources.

Any more posts and official warnings will be issued.

[hungryhippo]

Well, I'd expect them to be a bit more accomodating, I was allowed to buy (30 year lease) house for over 5 million baht, bought a car in my name but still am not allowed to live here legally!

You could try taking over an airport and protesting. That works well for Thai people, but then getting farangs to co-operate for a protest is a bit like herding cats. Some don't care because it doesn't effect them, others are too drunk..

[Soutpeel]

Wow! Somebody up there likes me.

My wife runs a travel company specializing in mini-bus trips from Had Yai to Sadao. About 80% of our customers are farangs on visa exempt entries. Most passengers enjoy the trip and look upon it as a shopping trip once a month. A spot poll so far indicates that nobody objects to making 2 trips a month instead of one, just more money to be spent in Malaysia that would have been spent in Thailand, not just by the trippers but also by their friends on stuff brought back.

Of course, in practise, some trippers will decide that the time has come to visit Penang and get a 'proper' visa, but I'm sure they will be in the minority and the number of trippers making 2 trips per month instead of one will more than cover them.

TAT also gains because each tripper has twice as many visits to Thailand, more visitors to show in their stats.

So its winners all round, apart from the shops in Had Yai who will lose some business, but that's life!

Thank you immigration, now to investigate buying another mini-bus.

After all the doom and gloom postings....its true.... every cloud has a silver lining....

[rafval]

I think it's the perfect idea to clear out all the cheap charlie tourists and back packers. It's time for them. They anyway not spend money in the country, looking for 150 Baht gesthouses in the Kaosan Road or Soi Sri Bumpen, looking for free f...kc and consume only "Green Stuff". It's time that the immigration making tighter rules now. Good Move!!!

and those 150B guest houses in Kao San Rd dont provide any income for Thais?

[oceano]

OK guys, enough about a particular group, who are usually young tourists with low resources.

Any more posts and official warnings will be issued.

Tanks

ciao

[vespajw]

If I remember rightly the statistics show that the average tourist only stays 7-10 days.

Most arrive by air and will get the 30 day stamp.

For longer stay tourists there is the Single (60 days) or Double Entry (120 days) Tourist Visa from an Embassy/Consulate,

longer if you utilise extensions.

So the affect on the Tourism Industry will be minimal.

It is not tourists who are being targeted here.

The overall length of stay is around 9 days. But what the TAT never shares with us is the actual distribution of that data. What must be suspected is that if the average is 9 days, this actually represents something like 19 true tourists staying 8 days each and 1 pseudo-tourist staying 30 days. It's that final 5% that Thailand has apparently decided it can live without. And they are justified in doing so as the tourism-oriented visa waiver stamp was never intended as a means to enable semi-permanent residence in the Kingdom.

[Soutpeel]

Yes and also 1.600.000 bath in your bank for your non-imm, and the minimum of 3 milion put in one bank from the company for make one work permit

Its actually two million and its 2 million capitalisation, not 2 million cash in the bank...

[JimCA2]

there isnt a clause in there if you arrive from a neighboring country on your own transportation is there.

I just completed a 21 day motorcycle ride crossing at had lek and returning to cambodia thru chong sa ngam. I was required to get the bike out with in 30 days same as my tourist visa.

If not I will let the local riding community know they will have to get a visa at the local embassy in Phnom Penh.

FYI in light of recent events, the embassy in Phnom Penh has been a little more kind and pleasant, not to mention less busy.

thanks.

JimCA2

[OriginalPoster]

May I ask, what is the definition of a "Riff Raff Ferang"? It is a working class person or what? You people obviously think very highly of your own value in the world, just like

our hosts!

Ahh.. that's the proverbial question. It's a question like "what is the definition of pornography?" It's one of those things that is difficult to define but you know it when you see it.

[delboy]

No, we have detailed statistics with all international arrivals (air, land, sea).

http://www.tourism.go.th/index.php?option=...0&Itemid=25

Three things struck me from first reading these stats.

For 2006 compared to 1997

1. Each visitor spends, on average, an extra 3 hrs 19 mins in Thailand. This must be due to the extra time needed at airports for check-in, security etc.

2. Each visitor spends, on average, 376.35 baht per day more. Considering inflation since 1997 this must represent a big drop in real terms.

3. I was unaware that when spending money in Thailand a visitor was having the amount added to his personal total. How else can they calculate to a single satang how much each visitor spends? (on average)

[thaibear1]

In fact no comment on this silliness. Thailand is enough sensibilisated for future Tourism. Maybe a return so Thailand tourist can't easy visit Ankor Wat in Cambodia, the Wat Thailand would like own.

Instead 15 days could be reasonalble, 30m days again if return not earlier then 24 hours. It would be humain and wise.

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

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

[wornoutcowboy]

Well, slap me stupid!

I live in Vientiane and just sat down at the Internet cafe and once again made a series of airline reservations. An event I seem to be doing a lot of being I did get caught up in the BKK airport closure.

After making all the reservations I decided to check ThaiVisa in regards to information regarding getting a refund from Thai International and then I saw the new 15 day rule in regards to the VOA.

Now, I am fine with that really. I do believe the Thais have their own country and they can do what they want with it. My issue is there was no warning at all. I crossed the Friendship bridge by international bus and arrived in Udorn Thani the day after the airport closed. I had no idea it was closed. I guess I really need to pay more attention to things but then again I was hardly expecting a bunch of old ladies oddly wearing these funny yellow shirts and waving these strange yellow plastic hands to sit down on the floor of what is suppose to be a main hub of international travel and all appear to be having a picnic. A picnic which disrupted so many things for so many people. I had to cancel my travel plans and headed back to Laos. Oh and there was no mention of the airport closing at the bridge either and I guess it wouldn't be realistic of me to expect to be told by my tuk tuk driver who drove me from the Udorn bus station to the airport to tell me. He did happen to mention it upon arrival at the Udorn airport and therefore was able to get a round trip fare out of me.

Anyway, back to the issue at hand. When I crossed the bridge the day after the big picnic started at the BKK airport there were no signs up warning of the new rule. This was about 10 days ago. The old sign was up saying tourist were allowed 90 days in a 180 day period. Also I was at the Thai embassy here in Vientiane attempting to help an elderly couple from Australia stranded due to the airport closure and I didn't see any notices there either. I just checked the TAT site also and there is no news there.

Now why is it I have to depend on a website ran by expats in Thailand to get any information about Thailand?

So, as it stands I have a flight tomorrow to Pakse in Southern Laos and then had planned to cross over to Ubon to catch the Air Asia flight to Bangkok after a few days I have another ticket from BKK to Krabi and on to KL later. I had planned to have the dream 3 week beach holiday and I was counting on a 30 day VOA being there has been no notice anywhere it seems and the Thai immigration seemed to pull the new rule out of a hat or something. Really, I wouldn't have minded at all of going to the embassy here in VTE and getting a visa if I had known I would need one for what will be a 28 stay in Thailand.

Well, at least I bought travel insurance this time on the Air Asia flights. Something I didn't do when I had set this trip up before and I may be out of pocket on all the flights. The jury is still out on that.

So, I have a flight tomorrow and I have no time to get a Thai tourist visa and there isn't a consulate in Pakse. I am not sure if this will be grounds to get a refund on Air Asia tickets.

It seems there are a huge amount of real tourist and I include myself in that group being I don't live in Thailand who are getting screwed left and right recently. Due to the recent situation and with so many real tourist whose plans got aborted couldn't the Thai immigration have given us all a little warning about this new rule? Am I being unreasonable or something?

Anyway, I will fire off a complaint letter to TAT and see if that goes anywhere and perhaps you other real tourist on the board could do the same. The TAT site now is all about balloons and birthdays and they don't seem to be doing a great job at keeping us tourist informed. So, all you real tourist out there do me a favor and fire off a letter of complaint to the TAT at www.tourismthailand.org and maybe we can get at least a 30 day grace period before the rule is enforced.

Okay, so slap me stupid for not checking on the ThaiVisa site before booking all of these flights.

And thanks Thaivisa for being the only real source of information out there. Really, all I want is to go to the beach for a while. Is Thailand open to tourism or not?

[oceano]

Yes and also 1.600.000 bath in your bank for your non-imm, and the minimum of 3 milion put in one bank from the company for make one work permit

Its actually two million and its 2 million capitalisation, not 2 million cash in the bank...

No...capitalisation means at one moment you must have money and propierty for 2 milions...or the 25% and make only on the paper that 2 milions...so i said to you....the time will be than they want see the cash in the bank like...the photo of yours employee......wait dont worry not long time.

Edited December 4, 2008 by oceano

[Soutpeel]

Yes and also 1.600.000 bath in your bank for your non-imm, and the minimum of 3 milion put in one bank from the company for make one work permit

Its actually two million and its 2 million capitalisation, not 2 million cash in the bank...

No...capitalisation means at one moment you must have money and propierty for 2 milions...or the 25% and make only on the paper that 2 milions...so i said to you....the time will be than they want see the cash in the bank like...the photo of yours employee......wait dont worry not long time.

Not trying to be rude or going to start getting off topic even debating this, but its very apparant you do not have a clue about what you are talking about..

[deeveloper]

I was thinking of doing my first ever visa run, due to delays in flight schedules, a change in my work circumstances (i.e currently no work permit - but i was in the process of arranging one from a prospective business that wanted my services).

An extra 30 days would have seen me through.. but 15 days is a joke.

For 30 days I will now NOT be giving my foreign money to:

a) my thai landlord

thai visa run business

c) local thai food stalls

d) thai telecommunications companies

e) laundry services

f) thai water companies

g) thai power companies

h) thai operated taxis (and in turn petrolium companies)

i) my thai girlfriend and her friends ...

j) Thai Alcohol Companies

etc

This will likely kick back on an alredy troubled economy, and for all those that think losing freedoms and privilidges is ok...

you so easily forget what others have had to do to bring you these priviledges in the first instance.

Why no advance notice of the change?

Thanks a lot.

[growe237]

There is a need to change the way foreigners can enter the country to work under the premise of a stamp on arrival intended for tourism purposes.

This amendment is to limit workers from neighboring countries getting 90 days, not to make life hard for visa runners.

Well regardless of the intent, the result IS to make life harder for those of us who have planned trips to be around 90 days - that's a lot of visa runs every 15 days this winter. Next year, will obviously get a different kind of visa.

[oceano]

Yes and also 1.600.000 bath in your bank for your non-imm, and the minimum of 3 milion put in one bank from the company for make one work permit

Its actually two million and its 2 million capitalisation, not 2 million cash in the bank...

No...capitalisation means at one moment you must have money and propierty for 2 milions...or the 25% and make only on the paper that 2 milions...so i said to you....the time will be than they want see the cash in the bank like...the photo of yours employee......wait dont worry not long time.

Not trying to be rude or going to start getting off topic even debating this, but its very apparant you do not have a clue about what you are talking about..

no sorry is my english that is very ....you know the word.

in 6 yrs i open 3 company in thailand so i know very well...i wrong in english...sorry again

[stingray]

I think it's the perfect idea to clear out all the cheap charlie tourists and back packers. It's time for them. They anyway not spend money in the country, looking for 150 Baht gesthouses in the Kaosan Road or Soi Sri Bumpen, looking for free f...kc and consume only "Green Stuff". It's time that the immigration making tighter rules now. Good Move!!!

Yes and also 1.600.000 bath in your bank for your non-imm, and the minimum of 3 milion put in one bank from the company for make one work permit....ecc dont worry....the time will be also for you.

Are you racist? clear out all the cheap charlie tourists and back packers!!!!

wow and then? clear all the black people and the muslim from soi3 in sukunvit in bangkok?

Why not the cambodians in pattaya and malaise people from puket!!!???

Come on go buy your next ferrari rich man and live us poor people in the ghetto!!!!!!

Want the address of a good car vendor in pattaya????

Now please stop talk about people like this and please moderator then dont say we are not polite if we answer in ...bad manner to some people.

tks

I'm not a rich guy too. I have to work for my income. but there are many cheap peaple come overhere, no have money at all, or very limited, who don't work, get goverment support from their home country, lazy to work, try to borrow money from other farangs everywhere. I saw this all in my 15 years i living here. And if the goverment will changes to a 1.6 million option for a WP or 3 Million for a company, so what? I don't have the money in cash either. So i will move, not a big deal. I Can living back in Europe or somwhere else why not? See the opposite way: How difficult for a Thai Person to get a Visa to Europe or US? They need show money in their account and income. They need sombody guarrantee for them and sometime they not even qualify for a Visa. Werstern countries have much tighter rules against Thailand. Is this not racism???

[Penkoprod]

May I ask, what is the definition of a "Riff Raff Ferang"? It is a working class person or what? You people obviously think very highly of your own value in the world, just like

our hosts!

You will NEVER get a proper answer from them. All they do is pop their heads up, chant the same thing and then crawl back into their holes.

They remind me of THIS character:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgKYRaYk5PY

Penkoprod

Edited December 4, 2008 by Penkoprod

[dudemeister]

Oh, you know, the visa rules in my home country and here in Britian, where I live now, are far more demanding then Thailand's rules.

In Australia, forget just arriving on a plane.

In the UK, unless your from the EU, which makes you a conditional citizen of the UK, you must get a visa. Getting these visas is no simple matter - some of the Thai people I know here have to prove, in part by paying for expensive language courses, that they are here for legitimate purposes.

I'm not sure about the US, but I do know they've tightened up lately.

It saddens and surprises me that I regularly hear from some disgruntled Australian's, Briton's and American's that the Thai's are 'so bad' to us.

It is problematic that the visa laws do cause such inconvenience, but we 'can' get into Thailand, all of us!

Many Thai's cannot get into my country at all, not for any reason.

How welcoming is your country to Thai's?

Are you really benefiting Thailand by being there, as some suggest, or are you self-seeking benefits, but using the 'I'm benefiting Thailand' cliche in misrepresented, but, self-serving cliches?

etr

I am an American that crossed from France to the UK. I get 6 months automatically. I didn't aply for any visa nor am I a resident of the EU. You may have other points but your argument about the UK border policy just isn't true

The argument is true ...

You entered into the EU via France .... once in the EU you can travel anywhere in the EU (shengen visa) ... if you entered to the UK first you would have to present your visa and from there you may go anywhere in the shengen zone.

Hmmm,

Millions of foreigners come to Thailand for legitimate reasons of holiday, weather, beaches, cost of living etc. I've never seen millions of Thais wanting to go the other way, if that was the case I am sure the respective governments would eventually change their visa rules when considering the income it would bring.

Hmmm..... but surely millions of foreigners (not just Thai) visit UK each year (same goes for most other EU countries)

[oceano]

I think it's the perfect idea to clear out all the cheap charlie tourists and back packers. It's time for them. They anyway not spend money in the country, looking for 150 Baht gesthouses in the Kaosan Road or Soi Sri Bumpen, looking for free f...kc and consume only "Green Stuff". It's time that the immigration making tighter rules now. Good Move!!!

Yes and also 1.600.000 bath in your bank for your non-imm, and the minimum of 3 milion put in one bank from the company for make one work permit....ecc dont worry....the time will be also for you.

Are you racist? clear out all the cheap charlie tourists and back packers!!!!

wow and then? clear all the black people and the muslim from soi3 in sukunvit in bangkok?

Why not the cambodians in pattaya and malaise people from puket!!!???

Come on go buy your next ferrari rich man and live us poor people in the ghetto!!!!!!

Want the address of a good car vendor in pattaya????

Now please stop talk about people like this and please moderator then dont say we are not polite if we answer in ...bad manner to some people.

tks

I'm not a rich guy too. I have to work for my income. but there are many cheap peaple come overhere, no have money at all, or very limited, who don't work, get goverment support from their home country, lazy to work, try to borrow money from other farangs everywhere. I saw this all in my 15 years i living here. And if the goverment will changes to a 1.6 million option for a WP or 3 Million for a company, so what? I don't have the money in cash either. So i will move, not a big deal. I Can living back in Europe or somwhere else why not? See the opposite way: How difficult for a Thai Person to get a Visa to Europe or US? They need show money in their account and income. They need sombody guarrantee for them and sometime they not even qualify for a Visa. Werstern countries have much tighter rules against Thailand. Is this not racism???

my country have Lampedusa.....so i know very well...but also to them we give free medical assistance, free food,free house ecc ecc....

try you if someone stolen your pocket and nobody send to you money to try have help from someone here.

Im sure governament help you.

good luck