30-days Border Runs Now Only 15 Days

[CroBiker]

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.

Agreed. Good move by Thai authorities.

[goski]

They probably will, when something like this starts more is bound to happen.

[WorldwideALOHA]

The people who never get their papers straight in order to live here have always annoyed me too.

However, in the tourism business, we get a lot of people who backpack around for months at a time. This was a really strange concept for me being from Hawaii you get 2 weeks if your lucky. Anyway, most backpackers I meet are from Europe / Australia and they are on these mega journeys of 2-6 months AND they have MONEY - lots of it. I have no idea where all the dough comes from, but they have it and it definitely contributes to the tourism industry here.

These backpackers think of themselves as adventure travellers and planning out visas and exact dates detracts from the point of a loose adventure. They come and go and often times spend weeks in just one location before moving on to the next.

A typical family on holiday here in Thailand will spend as much as these backpackers in a week. BUT the backpackers spend the same amount - just over a longer period of time!

With the country image tarnished by recent events and less affluent people wanting to "risk" travel here right now - backpackers might become the norm again.

It's a shame there isn't a way to punish the illegals working and living here without affecting the travellers that contribute to many others salaries and bottom lines.

Aloha

[Soutpeel]

As for a "real" visa, what makes one believe that those rules couldn't change the same way?

Believe reading in another post that the rules for "real" visa's (extension of stay) have been changed...

[Tolley]

I doubt that the new rules will cause many hardships or worry hard core Thailand residents.

For those that are determined to stay in Thailand they will go to a neighbouring country and get a tourist visa enabling then to stay 90 days OR they will just overstay their visas and take the odds that they wont get caught.

It certainly wont clear out the riff raff as some posters here believe.

It is more likely to affect your average bigger spending tourist who take side trips to Cambodia and then re enter Thailand and suddenly find that they only have two weeks legally permitted stay in Thailand or your avergae back packer who wants to visit different countries in the region.

As usual not much thought in the rule and for those determined to stay not really any significant deterrent.

[insideleft]

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

[grantbkk]

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.

As I do read the original post if you use the donkey vans to the border you get a 15 day stamp. If you re-enter Thailand at an airport you get 30 days.

[CHAIYES]

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.

Crack down on perpetual tourists..... name one country that will tolerate misfits that abuse immigration procedures.. Who needs them anyway.

[Mario2008]

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

Hope this helps:

police order 608/2549: http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/2notice/rtp608EN.pdf

The long PDF regards the anual extension of stay, not the visa exempt entry:

http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/ba...;section=notice (Thai only)

[NHJ]

i don't see any trouble in this rule, who was stupid enough to go out every month instead of buying the appropriate visa?

[NarcissusRIP]

Where is this going?...

In the future you can only enter thailand with a tourist visa from a thai embassy abroad?

And without possible extension?

A few years ago it was much easier, I'll bet they lost tourism because of that, and they lose more with these new rules.

Or was that the intention

Edited December 4, 2008 by NarcissusRIP

[anotheruser]

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

Edited December 4, 2008 by anotheruser

[dasy]

The people who never get their papers straight in order to live here have always annoyed me too.

However, in the tourism business, we get a lot of people who backpack around for months at a time. This was a really strange concept for me being from Hawaii you get 2 weeks if your lucky. Anyway, most backpackers I meet are from Europe / Australia and they are on these mega journeys of 2-6 months AND they have MONEY - lots of it. I have no idea where all the dough comes from, but they have it and it definitely contributes to the tourism industry here.

These backpackers think of themselves as adventure travellers and planning out visas and exact dates detracts from the point of a loose adventure. They come and go and often times spend weeks in just one location before moving on to the next.

A typical family on holiday here in Thailand will spend as much as these backpackers in a week. BUT the backpackers spend the same amount - just over a longer period of time!

With the country image tarnished by recent events and less affluent people wanting to "risk" travel here right now - backpackers might become the norm again.

It's a shame there isn't a way to punish the illegals working and living here without affecting the travellers that contribute to many others salaries and bottom lines.

Aloha

[bernie66]

Wow, I am married but still get a feeling of impending doom from this. How long until they choke me out too? I understand why they do it but we never see a better deal for those of us who stay with legitimate reasons. Married or with children... ect, ect. I only see a shrinking gap between their legitimate and illegitimate children. I hope I will see some grey area that I will be able to fall into someday. As I will never have a pension I am sure I am running on borrowed time.

[NarcissusRIP]

Or is it all about collecting visa and extension fees..

[wildpikey]

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.

Reason. is. Ive just run out of my NON O. Im trying to go ahead and get a tourist visa from Lao because i dont weant to return home to get another NON O till march.

If i go overland and come back and they give me a 15 day stamp, i will fly instead to get a 60 day stamp.

If anyone can confirm for sure please get back ASAP as i need to book my route today.

[sunray69]

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?

If you get a VISA this rule does not apply to you.

[Indo-Siam]

Let's see:

Start by taking the number of all foreign tourists.

Subtract all Malaysians. (0.5% of total ?)

Subtract all tourists who will stay in Thailand for less than 15 consecutive days (75% of total ?).

Subtract all tourists who will stay in Thailand longer than 15 days, who enter Thailand by air (20% of total ?).

Subtract all tourists who will stay in Thailand longer than 15 days, who enter Thailand at ground border, and who have a tourist visa (4% of total ?).

What's left to be affected by this rule? 0.5% of total. Who are they - are they high-end tourists? Or will they mostly be "dodgy guys"?

How bad will loss of 100% of this 0.5% segment affect Thailand?

If this 0.5% is effectively expelled, what percentage of Thailand's "problematic foreigners" departs as a result?

My estimates may be off - so you can use your own best guess. But the calculation template is accurate. The damage that this change will do to Thailand is minimal, at worst.

[likewise]

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.

Really? Then tell me how a 37 year old who's been here for 12 years with enough money to live on, most cash is in in a thai bank can get the right visa, not married, no intention of doing so either and no business???

Please elaborate.

[whatawonderfulday]

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

Quite agree. Could never understand why any country does not have "back to back" visa regulations. That way it works both ways and if one country makes it onerous for Thai's to visit then it is reciprocated and that particular country's residents have similar onerous conditions imposed on them also to visit Thailand. I support the Brazilians because when the Americans started to fingerprint everybody entering the States then Brazil imposed the same conditions on Americans entering Brazil - good on 'im. Mind you guess there are far less riff raff and itinerant back packers wanting to go to Brazil when they can come to Thailand.

Edited December 4, 2008 by whatawonderfulday

[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.

As I do read the original post if you use the donkey vans to the border you get a 15 day stamp. If you re-enter Thailand at an airport you get 30 days.

People that are now doing border runs for 30 day entries are not going to pay at least 5000 baht for a round trip flight just to get 30 days. Better to use that money and get a visa.

[BeauKarl]

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.

I'm a border runner like you say, I spend as much time here with my family (wife and daughter)that I can.

Due to my work I sometimes don't have enough time to get 2 month visas from the embassy abroad as I travel on a last minute base. Does this make me riff raff????

Some professions just can't get a wp here. Sometimes understandable, sometimes not.

In 2 months time I'm getting married so I could get 1 year multiple entries, but looking at the way it goes, this might soon end aswell.

If they really wanted us here, they could simply ask bankbooks and let us go to the immigration office every 2 weeks with 2000 thb to get a stamp. The gouverment would get the money from the border runs straight in their pocket and it would be easy to check who stays here.

But that's IF they wanted us here.

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.

There's big spenders from all kinds, short time tourists AND border runners

[Soutpeel]

Crack down on perpetual tourists..... name one country that will tolerate misfits that abuse immigration procedures.. Who needs them anyway.

The UK, expect they call them refugee's, hey they even give them cash and houses...

Isnt the simplest solution just to do away with visa waiver system all together and require everyone to get a visa

This appears to work in India for backpackers where there is no visa waiver system.

[mgjackson69]

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?

Not "visa on arrival"...visa exempt stamp is what has changed from 30 to 15 days

[SnareBear]

I just came back from Mae Sai yesterday and I can confirm this. Only 15 days.

This new rule makes sense to get some riff raff and leechers out of Thailand. But its also gonna hurt those who have good cash but not a proper visa, like me. But Im leaving Thailand pretty soon anyway, so it doesnt affect me much.

[grantbkk]

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.

As I do read the original post if you use the donkey vans to the border you get a 15 day stamp. If you re-enter Thailand at an airport you get 30 days.

People that are now doing border runs for 30 day entries are not going to pay at least 5000 baht for a round trip flight just to get 30 days. Better to use that money and get a visa.

I totally agree with you. The concept of boarder runs is a loophole many have abused for years. What I find more interesting is the timing of this rule. Immigration officials ran from their posts like a bunch of French soldiers just a week or so ago and now they want to get all aggressive. Very funny, at least for those of us use alternate methods to live here in Thailand.

[BeauKarl]

If Thais book a package holiday to the UK they have no problem getting a visa, one of the main reasons that the UK is so strict on Thais is people traficking and prostitution.

But they let ervey other f***er in to work and let them do every job no matter what.

[Tolley]

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.

Really? Then tell me how a 37 year old who's been here for 12 years with enough money to live on, most cash is in in a thai bank can get the right visa, not married, no intention of doing so either and no business???

Please elaborate.

Well you are not really entitled to a permanent visa under Thai rules.

As with many countries in the world you may not be able to stay infinitum if you don't fit into their visa rules.

However seeing as you have plenty of money you definitely have plenty of options to stay by using the current rules and getting visas but there will be some inconvenience and it will cost you some money but what do you really expect?

[Soutpeel]

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.

Really? Then tell me how a 37 year old who's been here for 12 years with enough money to live on, most cash is in in a thai bank can get the right visa, not married, no intention of doing so either and no business???

Please elaborate.

Thai Elite card...

[ubonjoe]

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.

Reason. is. Ive just run out of my NON O. Im trying to go ahead and get a tourist visa from Lao because i dont weant to return home to get another NON O till march.

If i go overland and come back and they give me a 15 day stamp, i will fly instead to get a 60 day stamp.

If anyone can confirm for sure please get back ASAP as i need to book my route today.

No change for any visa. Non immigrant visas will get the 90 days. Tourist visas will get 60 days.

This change only applies to visa exempt entries.