30-days Border Runs Now Only 15 Days

[Rajah]

I just visited the Chaing Mai Immigration Office (15 Dec 2008) to discuss the new 15 day visa extension. The official told me that you can get unlimited 15-day extensions,

Same report in Phuket Gazette:

At a press conference held late yesterday, Phuket Immigration confirmed that foreigners arriving without visas at any of Thailand’s non-airport immigration checkpoints will be granted permits-to-stay of only 15 days, half the former number.

The conference was led by Phuket Immigration Superintendent Chanatpol Yongbunjerd, who also confirmed that the former rule limiting foreigners entering on “visa exemptions” from staying more than 90 days over a 180-day period was no longer in effect.

As a result, foreigners from any of the 40 countries eligible for “visa exemptions” can now legally reside in Thailand year-round, provided they don’t mind making a “visa run” every 15 days (30 days if by air) and abide by all other laws and regulations.

Source:

http://www.phuketgazette.com/dailynews/ind...ef=200812161655

[jupiler]

Guys, its allmost cheaper to fly Air Asia, then take that train to Penang!

[coloradoone]

Last winter I had to do a border run because I could only get a 60 day visa from America. In years past I could always get a 90 day visa. Last year I made a border run and now I see that I will have to do two runs to get my extra 30 days. (I am staying for 90 days). Is there anyway around this? Perhaps not making a run but going to immagration in Bangkok or Pattaya and getting the extra 30 days there? I leave the states in two weeks.

[ubonjoe]

You can extend a 60 day tourist visa for 30 days at immigration. It will cost 1900 baht.

[rcys]

Why can't people just play nice and share what information that they have about the topic and shut up about what is wrong about all the non westerners in SE Asia because ALL _____ ARE _____ in your opinion. I think most people that read a topic entitled 30 days now 15 want to know how this new rule is going to affect them. I personally don't care about your opinion about anything. When I make a visa run, I'll tell you about how to do it, where to go, what I got, how long it took and how much it cost. Please can we start a new topic that is only for factual information on the new rule and just keep it to the facts as it is requested in the first posting of this topic.

My question is specifically, if I go to Victory Point (Burma) from Ranong how will my new 15 days be counted? For example, if I leave on Jan 6th and come back on Jan 6th when will I have to leave again? Is it Jan 20th or 21st? If I over stay by one day, will I be charged 500 Baht at this border? Has anyone done a border run to Victory Point in the last week or so.

Thanks for sharing your experience

[TaiTaihkt66]

In my opinion is the good idea. Is a way of stopping foreigners from working illegally in my country. And i don't understand why they don't apply a work permit on the right way than they don't have to do a visa run.

Every time Im so sick when i traveling to the island around my country i always saw many farang working for dive shop or real estate. Im not sure they have a right work permit or not. And don't understand why they are so easy to get a work in Thailand. I understood that some business have to use farang worker like the world wild business but what i saw is to much farang working in the small island for now.

Well, in be fore my country have to use farang to work for many reason. But for now, many of thais are hight educate and learning know how to stand by them leg.

I think only farang who work for professional job can work here in the future. Thailand is not easy for farang thinking to work and play any more. Anyway you will havn't problem because you are farang that your passport easy to entry to every country in the world without a visa.

Such when i applied a touris visa to usa. i have to paid 4000 Baht. free.!!!

So, if you think you will leave thailand and will not return back any more just because of a visa run reason, than is your problem.

I see my hotel manger who working in Phuket and once of factory manager for friend of mind who working in Lam Chabang,Chonburi both of them don't have to do a visa run. Well, what kind of work permit they got......

Good luck to get a better place in the world.

Thai girl who love farang and my country.

sorry my english not so prefect but i try the best.

[Maestro]

… And don't understand why they are so easy to get a work in Thailand...

It is strictly regulated by Thai laws and regulations and it is not so easy.

--

Maestro

[simon43]

rcys, I just got back today from a visa run to Andaman Club. At the pier, the immigration guy pointed out that I was on 1 day overstay! (I had misread the '16' for '18' - must get my eyes checked). But to pay the 500 baht fine requires that you go to the One Stop Shop in the centre of Ranong town. so I missed the 10.00am ferry but got the 11.30am ferry, returning at 12.30pm and receiving a 15 day stamp...

Simon

[Maestro]

…My question is specifically, if I go to Victory Point (Burma) from Ranong how will my new 15 days be counted? For example, if I leave on Jan 6th and come back on Jan 6th when will I have to leave again? Is it Jan 20th or 21st?

The formula is [date of arrival] + 15 - 1 = [latest date of departure]

--

Maestro

[tracer]

ok, whole problem doesnt seem to impact me as I am retired and if necessary can fly in and out.

BUT it would by GREAT to get rid of the timeshare conman..

They pay 1000 baht or so to stay legal... per day...

Obviously there are other groups using similar ways (g) but they donot bother me if they end up making pants and Tshirts...

[cali4995]

Last winter I had to do a border run because I could only get a 60 day visa from America. In years past I could always get a 90 day visa. Last year I made a border run and now I see that I will have to do two runs to get my extra 30 days. (I am staying for 90 days). Is there anyway around this? Perhaps not making a run but going to immagration in Bangkok or Pattaya and getting the extra 30 days there? I leave the states in two weeks.

Exactly. simply applying for a 90 day visa in your home country doesn't necessarily mean that's what

they'll give you. They may only give you a single-entry tourist visa in which case if you wish to stay

longer than 60 days you will need to get ext. or do subsequent border runs anyway. This is the problem

with the argument "just get a longer-term visa in your home country", the left hand doesn't seem to

know what the right hand is doing in this system. Various embassies and then local immigration staff

often appear at odds with whatever it is they are trying to accomplish.In fact, I'm not sure they know.

[texasfarang]

I guess the only annoying bit is that they did not go out of their way to publicize the information. When I was in Shanghai I would have gladly gotten a tourist visa (I am here for an extended vacation between jobs). I don't mind jumping through hoops it would be nice to know which hoops are needed to jump through. Now the only question is can I get a toursit visa in Cambodia? Or are the tourist visas also 15 days also (this question has been answered a few times but I got confused by all the non-answers thrown in)

[ubonjoe]

I guess the only annoying bit is that they did not go out of their way to publicize the information. When I was in Shanghai I would have gladly gotten a tourist visa (I am here for an extended vacation between jobs). I don't mind jumping through hoops it would be nice to know which hoops are needed to jump through. Now the only question is can I get a toursit visa in Cambodia? Or are the tourist visas also 15 days also (this question has been answered a few times but I got confused by all the non-answers thrown in)

Cambodia is not a good choice to get a tourist visa.

Vientiane Laos is best place to get it. You will still get 60 days per entry that can be extended at immigration for 30 days. You can get a 2 entry visa that would give you a total of 90 days twice by making a border run after the first 90 days. If you need more than 6 months you can then make another trip to Vientiane and get another 2 entry visa.

IMHO it has never been wise to depend upon visa exempt entries if you expect to stay longer than 30 days. Make it part of your planning to get some type of visa from a Thai consulate before arriving.

Edited December 18, 2008 by ubonjoe

[sunholidaysun1]

I guess the only annoying bit is that they did not go out of their way to publicize the information. When I was in Shanghai I would have gladly gotten a tourist visa (I am here for an extended vacation between jobs). I don't mind jumping through hoops it would be nice to know which hoops are needed to jump through. Now the only question is can I get a toursit visa in Cambodia? Or are the tourist visas also 15 days also (this question has been answered a few times but I got confused by all the non-answers thrown in)

Cambodia is not a good choice to get a tourist visa.

Vientiane Laos is best place to get it. You will still get 60 days per entry that can be extended at immigration for 30 days. You can get a 2 entry visa that would give you a total of 90 days twice by making a border run after the first 90 days. If you need more than 6 months you can then make another trip to Vientiane and get another 2 entry visa.

IMHO it has never been wise to depend upon visa exempt entries if you expect to stay longer than 30 days. Make it part of your planning to get some type of visa from a Thai consulate before arriving.

Ok . Let me Clarify .

Fly in to Thailand with No visa and you will be given a 30 day tourist stamp .

Come into Thailand by a land border , you will get a 15 day stamp.

After your 15 or 30 days are up , go back to the closest border , leave and re enter and you will get another 15 days.

If you go to Laos for a :

Single entry = 60 days

Double Entry = 60 days then leave Thailand and re-enter again for the 2nd 60 days = 120 days .

You can get a 30 day extension after the first 60 days making it 90 days , the cost for the 30 day extension is 1,900 bht .

After the 2nd 60/90 days of your double entry visa , you can get another 30 day extension , cost 1,900 bht , so in all you can stay a maximum on a single entry is 90 days , Double entry =180 days

Then go to the border and leave the country , pay 500 bht (burma/Myanmar ) entrance fee , return the same day to Thailand , re enter and you will get 15 days .

If you choose not to get a Tourist visa , single or Double Entry , then you can just keep crossing the border every 15 days, open door !!

If you over stay , miss your exit date and overstay by lets say 1 day , you will be charged 500 bht per DAY.

My suggestion is not to buy the extensions to your single or double entry visa , basically its not worth paying the 1900 bht .

If you just use your single (60 days) leave and you will get 15 days on re-entry ,leave again after the 15 days and re-enter and you will get another 15 days (30 days) cost at Myanmar 500 bht x 2 = 1,000. You save 900 bht .

Double entry visa , just leave and re-enter after your first 60 days are up and re enter for your 2nd 60 days and even though you wont get 2 x 1 month extensions , you will save 3,800 bht . If you want the extra 60 days = 2 x 1 month , it means you have to cross the border every 15 days (total 4 times ) Cost for that is 500 bht x 4 = 2000 bht , saving you 1,800 bht.

I hope thats clear enough , Any questions , please ask !!

[ubonjoe]

If you choose not to get a Tourist visa , single or Double Entry , then you can just keep crossing the border every 15 days, open door !!

If you over stay , miss your exit date and overstay by lets say 1 day , you will be charged 500 bht per DAY.

My suggestion is not to buy the extensions to your single or double entry visa , basically its not worth paying the 1900 bht .

Not everybody can just make runs to Burma.

Others have to go to Cambodia or Laos and the cost is much higher for thsoe trips.

If a person wants to waste an entire day and pay the costs for the runs (including Burma) that is fine.

It is up to you/them what you/they decide to do.

I only make suggestions.

[bdenner]

This was reported on Udonmap.com this morning??

I must be lucky. I just did a run across the bridge and back expecting a 15 day stamp. They gave me the full 30 days!

There is another post where a guy's Lao GF received 30 days.

Thread

[sunholidaysun1]

If you choose not to get a Tourist visa , single or Double Entry , then you can just keep crossing the border every 15 days, open door !!

If you over stay , miss your exit date and overstay by lets say 1 day , you will be charged 500 bht per DAY.

My suggestion is not to buy the extensions to your single or double entry visa , basically its not worth paying the 1900 bht .

Not everybody can just make runs to Burma.

Others have to go to Cambodia or Laos and the cost is much higher for thsoe trips.

If a person wants to waste an entire day and pay the costs for the runs (including Burma) that is fine.

It is up to you/them what you/they decide to do.

I only make suggestions.

UbonJoe, it looks like many foreigners are moving to be closer to the borders, 4 years ago there were about 50 living in Chiang Rai , now theres about 500. Maybe thats the best solution, move ?

[siamjj]

So let me think about this. I can drive to the Malaysia border, get an automatic 90 day entry visa in order to return and get a 15 day visa or I can go to Penang and buy a 60 day Thai visa for 1500 baht.

Hmmm... My plan is to move to Penang and buy a house there and then drive to the Thai border to get a 15 day visa so that I can return to Malaysia with a 90 day entry visa if I don't otherwise apply for a 6 month visa or even a 10 year MM2H visa. I figure they are more interested in having me than the Thais are.

you will run into problems doing visa runs on an ongoing basis in malaysia.my friend did,it took a year and a bit.he said screw it and moved back to canada with his malay wife,money wasn't an issue,the issue was why he was staying malaysia so loog.

[cali4995]

Another poster had mentioned the fact that requiring folks to make more frequent trips to

the border will "bolster" the on-arrival figures. I realize it's all a smoke-and-mirrors show

but upcoming statistics will be showing more tourists visiting even with less people here.

[Maestro]

I felt that the breaking news about the double-entry tourist visa now being obtainable also in Phnom Penh deserved a separate topic of its own and I split the posts relating to it into this new topic:

Double-entry tourist visa now available in Phnom Penh

--

Maestro

[Tigs]

In my opinion is the good idea. Is a way of stopping foreigners from working illegally in my country. And i don't understand why they don't apply a work permit on the right way than they don't have to do a visa run.

Every time Im so sick when i traveling to the island around my country i always saw many farang working for dive shop or real estate. Im not sure they have a right work permit or not. And don't understand why they are so easy to get a work in Thailand. I understood that some business have to use farang worker like the world wild business but what i saw is to much farang working in the small island for now.

Well, in be fore my country have to use farang to work for many reason. But for now, many of thais are hight educate and learning know how to stand by them leg.

I think only farang who work for professional job can work here in the future. Thailand is not easy for farang thinking to work and play any more. Anyway you will havn't problem because you are farang that your passport easy to entry to every country in the world without a visa.

Such when i applied a touris visa to usa. i have to paid 4000 Baht. free.!!!

So, if you think you will leave thailand and will not return back any more just because of a visa run reason, than is your problem.

I see my hotel manger who working in Phuket and once of factory manager for friend of mind who working in Lam Chabang,Chonburi both of them don't have to do a visa run. Well, what kind of work permit they got......

Good luck to get a better place in the world.

Thai girl who love farang and my country.

sorry my english not so prefect but i try the best.

Just to set the record straight.

First this has all been a good move in the long run by Thai Immigration.

TaiTaihkt66

I am sorry you feel so bad about farang working illegally in your country, but do you have any idea how many thai people are working illegally in the UK, who pay no tax at all. They apply for student visas to study, and go to London and work 7 days a week, 16 hours a day in thai restaurants or supermarkets. There are thousands in London. I live here now, however prior to coming here I lived in central London with my Thai wife and I knew the Thai social scene. Everyone was working illegally. Underground, secret basement bars and gambling dens serving bottles of whiskey from 10pm till 7am, no tax, no licence, and every night they were packed with Thais after the british pubs close. The problem of foreigners working illegally is not exclusive to Thailand, it is everywhere.

[JR Texas]

Just a note about border runs and the perceived desire to increase them.........that is way off. The changes over the past 8 years have had the impact of greatly reducing border runs and cash flows to immigration and their buddies in the transport and restaurant businesses that catered to expats making the runs.

If they want to increase the border runs, all they need to do is reverse the clock 8 years.

They have all but destroyed what was a great deal for them.

[GungaDin]

Reason for edit: Deleted unnecessary multiple nested quotes - Maestro

Thank you....... it's my pet hate.

[cali4995]

JRTexas, I wish you could clarify your statement a little further? What I've seen in the last two

years is the reduction of ext's from 15 days to 7 days (on a stamp) and increase in fees from

500 baht to 1,900 baht? Income will certainly be up for Laos, Cambodia and Burma although I

agree with you that Thai immigration never benefitted substantially from visa runs per se.

Maybe if the Thai embassy in Pnom-Penh is in fact opening it's doors to at least tea-money

contributing visa-run companies it will alleviate the ever constricting bottleneck? Guess we'll

have all the gritty details soon enough about what is actually transpiring in Pnom-Penh?

[visarunner]

This was reported on Udonmap.com this morning??

I must be lucky. I just did a run across the bridge and back expecting a 15 day stamp. They gave me the full 30 days!

There is another post where a guy's Lao GF received 30 days.

Thread

Laotians will always get 30days as they have a bilateral agreement with Thailand.

[BigSnake]

Yep, a few extras baht for the coffins, goodnes knows the govrnment can use it. stay short, spend more, leave quickly, maybe that is what they want from the short term Farangs.

[kitty9]

I think Thai government do the right thing too many dirty poor nasty farangs in Thailand making too much troubles now is time to get rid off them!! I've met quite a few farangs living in Thailand with no visa for years ridiculous!

[Jingthing]

I think Thai government do the right thing too many dirty poor nasty farangs in Thailand making too much troubles now is time to get rid off them!! I've met quite a few farangs living in Thailand with no visa for years ridiculous!

These rule changes have nothing to do with people living here illegally. That is called enforcement. I can feel the hate from your post. Scary.

[ubonjoe]

I think Thai government do the right thing too many dirty poor nasty farangs in Thailand making too much troubles now is time to get rid off them!! I've met quite a few farangs living in Thailand with no visa for years ridiculous!

I am not sure you have a lot of room to talk.

Not so long ago you were looking to get around paying for an overstay. Even asking about bribing your way out at the border.

[GungaDin]

I think Thai government do the right thing too many dirty poor nasty farangs in Thailand making too much troubles now is time to get rid off them!! I've met quite a few farangs living in Thailand with no visa for years ridiculous!

You're not a jilted, Malaysian bar girl, are you?

Edited December 20, 2008 by GungaDin