30-days Border Runs Now Only 15 Days

[inthepink]

If they actually wanted to stop people living here by doing border runs, and not affect genuine tourists (whether they be backpackers or well heeled) then surely it would be much simpler just to insist that you had to stay out of the country for 12 or maybe 24 hrs once you left - i.e. not let you straight back in 5 minutes after you left. Nobody can seriously claim that a legitimate tourist would have a reason to want to visit a neighbouring country for less than 30 minutes so it should not affect them at all.

[Mario2008]

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.

and also doesn't affect Visa on Arrival. (wich is a type of visa used by people from countries that aren't visa exempt (Russia, India etc) and was already for 15 days.)

Russia is now visa exempt, under bilateral agreement.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Why does anyone think this is not an improvement?

Before people couldn't do visa-exempt stamps indefinitely. Now they can, provided they're not total paupers who can't afford a return ticket to KL on Air Asia. No more 90 day rule; anyone with some money can stay indefinitely.

The overland-thingy encourages people travelling throughout SE Asia to fly into BKK and not competing regional airports. Ergo, more money for Thailand.

[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

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.

The argument is not true all I did is present my US passport at Calais, France. I entered the EU through The Netherlands months earlier, not that it is at all relevant. They asked a few questions and stamped me in for 6 months. I did not apply for any visa. The UK is NOT a part of Schengen. How did I enter the EU through France? I EXITED the EU from France.

If you enter the UK from anywhere in the EU (I believe the exception to this is Ireland as they share border control duties) there is passport control. In the Schengen area you get 90 days under their visa waiver program. When I fly to The Netherlands from the Uk passports are also checked.

ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS: A UK visa/entry clearance is not required for tourist or business visits to the United Kingdom of less than six months in duration.

source: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1052.html

http://www.schengenvisa.cc/

I don't feel the need to scan my passport page with my 6 month visa waiver stamp and post it. Now we can please go back to the topic at hand please...

[WinnieTheKhwai]

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.

and also doesn't affect Visa on Arrival. (wich is a type of visa used by people from countries that aren't visa exempt (Russia, India etc) and was already for 15 days.)

Russia is now visa exempt, under bilateral agreement.

Oops, true. Ok, whichever countries are left then on the visa-on-arrival list. India, China I guess, places like Uzbekistan, possibly Eastern Europe.. Can't be bothered to look it up on the mfa.go.th site.

[BeauKarl]

If they actually wanted to stop people living here by doing border runs, and not affect genuine tourists (whether they be backpackers or well heeled) then surely it would be much simpler just to insist that you had to stay out of the country for 12 or maybe 24 hrs once you left - i.e. not let you straight back in 5 minutes after you left. Nobody can seriously claim that a legitimate tourist would have a reason to want to visit a neighbouring country for less than 30 minutes so it should not affect them at all.

I can see it already, all farangs sleeping over the Cambodian border for a day, campsites would be comming out of the ground

[inthepink]

You mention the weather, beaches, cost of living at legitimate reasons....so I would assume then that tourists coming to Thailand for the sole reasons of drinking the bars and partaking in the company of females are not legitimate reasons then to visit Thailand ?

I don't know about legitimate but it certainly isn't a legal reason to come here.

[zeusbheld]

i find it interesting how many people see every change in the visa rules as an opportunity to gloat when the people *they* look down on are getting screwed--in spite of the fact that they don't even know who these people they're looking down on are.

i guess everyone needs someone to look down on, and that must be really hard to find for some people, so they tie up their entire self esteem in their (obviously superior) visa situation. obviously *you* lot are vastly superior to visa runners, but you seem free to make up facts. you know what? you don't actually know who the people making these visa runs are. unless, of course, it's you.

hey i don't know who they are either. this change doesn't affect me. but the difference is i am aware that i don't know who they are or why they make border runs. why make stuff up? do you think it makes you look good somehow? so gloat away, but it only makes you look pissy, petty, and pathetic.

oh and i'm sure *your* morals are absolutely as impeccable as you lot seem to be saying they are. if any of you want to volunteer, i'll gladly follow you around with a camcorder for a month so you can prove it.

[anotheruser]

If they actually wanted to stop people living here by doing border runs, and not affect genuine tourists (whether they be backpackers or well heeled) then surely it would be much simpler just to insist that you had to stay out of the country for 12 or maybe 24 hrs once you left - i.e. not let you straight back in 5 minutes after you left. Nobody can seriously claim that a legitimate tourist would have a reason to want to visit a neighbouring country for less than 30 minutes so it should not affect them at all.

I can see it already, all farangs sleeping over the Cambodian border for a day, campsites would be comming out of the ground

haha a night in a tent outside the casino. LOL

[endure]

Posts containing flames or insults will be deleted without notice. If you want your post to remain, be civil. If you can't be civil, don't post.

[Tafia]

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

Most people can get into the UK...a friend asked me recently how was Udon Thani I said same ae Weymouth (UK) except they speak Thai instead of Polish

[zeusbheld]

Why does anyone think this is not an improvement?

Before people couldn't do visa-exempt stamps indefinitely. Now they can, provided they're not total paupers who can't afford a return ticket to KL on Air Asia. No more 90 day rule; anyone with some money can stay indefinitely.

The overland-thingy encourages people travelling throughout SE Asia to fly into BKK and not competing regional airports. Ergo, more money for Thailand.

from what i've seen a) there has been no mention that any change has been made to the rule that you need a ticket out of asia to board a plane to thailand without a visa (it won't affect you if you have a visa, if they're still doing it the same way) and i haven't seen it clarified that the 90 day rule is eliminated. just that border stamps are 15 days for people without a visa.

maybe i missed where those points are clarified, though.

it won't keep me up at night as it doesn't affect me, i just seem to have an inordinate fondness for knowing what the visa rules are at any given time. hopefully this won't persist after i leave Thailand but who knows. strange hobby.

[thelegend]

Cambodia looks nice !!!!

[anotheruser]

I have never been asked for an onward ticket ever to board a plane to Thailand.

[block2]

Has anyone mentioned the border run minibus companies,?, oh dear, looks like they will be out of work soon,.

On the contrary, they'll be driving people every 2 weeks now instead of 30 days cos the 90 days rule doesn't count anymore.

This new law/rule is useless, they do it mainly to get the 'bad' farangs out but that won't help because the 90 day rule is scrapped.

They won't get any extra money out of it that's worth all the changes because the 90 day rule is scrapped.

the big winners are the visa companies doing the runs.

So if the 90 day rule as been scrapped, does this mean you can do unlimited 15 day border runs???????

I usually do loas...double entry tourist, after 1st 60 days...30 day extension Bankok....maesot...for my 2nd 60 days, further 30 day extension bankok then 3 x 30 days back to maesot then repeat the procedure...have been doing this for the last 3 years...to be honest I would save money on unlimited 15 day border runs to Maesot.

All feedback apriciated not just by me but many memebers of Thai Visa...Fanxs in advance.

Block

[BWPattaya]

If the exchange rate goes down to 1GBP = 55 Baht I am out of here.

We are at 51 Bt to the pound today.

[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

BRAVO Couldn't agree more!!

Yes, you are right, indeed it is vey difficult for Thai people to enter any of the European countries.

Why should that be, you think.

Maybe, just maybe, the EU countries found out that a lot of Thai people enter the country on a visa, and then disappear.

Most come to the EU with a financial guarantee from someone in the EU, and most don't bring much money with them.

Now, the farang going to Thailand, nobody needs to guarantee him, he spends his money, is ripped off most of the time, wants to stay some longer or forever, and cannot do that.

Because of the immigration laws.

You see the difference?

I do!

If you spend money while being a tourist, money from abroad, one way or another you benifit the country you visit.

If you go to atcountry with no money, with a guarantee, you do not benifit the country you visit.

Simple

Provided you do not engage in employment illegally any money spent be a foreigner during travels is a net gain for the perspective country.

[Roachiebkk]

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.

Millions of foreigners DID come to Thailand for legitimate reasons.....who knows what the fall out of the recent fun and games will bring

You mention the weather, beaches, cost of living at legitimate reasons....so I would assume then that tourists coming to Thailand for the sole reasons of drinking the bars and partaking in the company of females are not legitimate reasons then to visit Thailand ?

I would have assumed that drinking in bars and partaking in the comppany of females is a legitimate reason for coming here. What are you on?

[LittleTina]

Posts containing flames or insults will be deleted without notice. If you want your post to remain, be civil. If you can't be civil, don't post.

Well as someone posted before get a ED(education visa) 15 month visa with only one visa run and can be extended for 1-10 years , there is no age limit, you can get medical insurance and a driving licence, there are several schools that do this but my boyfriend who is on the 3rd year of this visa and as only ever done 1 visa run went to TLS Language School as they were the cheapest and he got a extra 50 hours of lessons than what other schools were offering, my boyfriend insists that this is the best visa to have made his life comfortable.

[space666x]

The whole notion of visa control on where people can and cannot live is archaic - allowing the world's population free movement wherever they wish is the only way to slowly share the wealth of the world more evenly. At the moment it is all about money and has nothing to do with peoples rights - if you are comparatively rich enough you can go to a poorer country and live like a king - if you are poor, then you are stuck where you are! Of course while people still believe that "nationality" is a good thing then each country will selfishly continue to cherry pick who they share their wealth with.

I agree 100 %

[syd barrett]

It is no big deal. Doing border runs is a waste of money and time anyway when double entry visas are available in Laos.

When they invented the 90 day in 180 rule, border-runs were only any use as a one-off.

I can't understand everyone getting worked up about it. One trip to Laos can provide six months in Thailand.

What is the panic?

[Akkamon]

I think that is not a problem. I normally entered Thailand with a tourist visa or a non immigrant visa. I always used the service of Siamese Visa. They are professional.

[bikerlou47]

Someone please explain to me that this hurts tourism?

If you travel by air you get 30 days. If you are a tourists how long is your vacation?

If you happen to be some lucky bastard that get more than 30 day vacation go get a visa in your home country.

I see no problem here, lets weed out the farang that says he is a tourist but he is really hiding away!

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

[PhilHarries]

If they actually wanted to stop people living here by doing border runs, and not affect genuine tourists (whether they be backpackers or well heeled) then surely it would be much simpler just to insist that you had to stay out of the country for 12 or maybe 24 hrs once you left - i.e. not let you straight back in 5 minutes after you left. Nobody can seriously claim that a legitimate tourist would have a reason to want to visit a neighbouring country for less than 30 minutes so it should not affect them at all.

Appreciate what you are saying but what about the people travelling around the region by road or rail? This is by far the best way to see any country but now when they arrive at the Thai border they only get 15 days. That is not much if you are travelling by road and want to stop off as many places as possible. 30 days was just about right and no less open to abuse than the 15 now in force.

Say someone is touring and has entered Thailand from Cambodia (having visitted Veit Nam and Laos along the way) having spent 3 or 4 weeks there. They've seen all they want to see, done all they want to do and now they want to do similar in Thailand. But they'll only get 15 days and then will have to leave the country just to re-enter and get another 15. They don't want to go back to Cambodia or Laos and may have ethical reasons to avoid Burma. That leaves a long trip down to Malaysia and back. Chances are they'll think sod it we'll stay in Malaysia especially as they quite likely qualify for 90 days visa exempt entry.

I know that all things can be resolved by getting the requisite visa but some people, particularly when on holiday, want to have the freedom to travel as much as they can. Whilst other countries are making it easier Thailand is making it more difficult.

[mojaco]

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?

The new rule clearly says the Article 3 of police order 608/2549 established on 8 September 2549 has been discontinued and replaced with a new Article 3 of Police Order 778/2551 of 25 November 2551. So the 90 days in six months rule has been discontinued officially by the new order which does not have the 90 day rule in it at all.

The 90-days-in-180-days rule is re-listed in the new law.

Guess we will have to wait for a full translation then.

That is true. Article 2.4 in the new overall law (to be fully translated later today I understand?) has some 90 day language but it doesn't say 90 days in what period of time! It says for tourists "will allow (entry) each time of not more than 30 days but not to exceed altogether a total of 90 days counting from the day of entry into the Kingdom". It doesn't read like the visa-exempt old law of "90 days total in six months." Confusing at best. Looks like it will be a lawyer's field day!!!

[anotheruser]

The whole notion of visa control on where people can and cannot live is archaic - allowing the world's population free movement wherever they wish is the only way to slowly share the wealth of the world more evenly. At the moment it is all about money and has nothing to do with peoples rights - if you are comparatively rich enough you can go to a poorer country and live like a king - if you are poor, then you are stuck where you are! Of course while people still believe that "nationality" is a good thing then each country will selfishly continue to cherry pick who they share their wealth with.

I agree 100 %

I also agree with that sentiment. I am not so much in favor of these new laws despite some of the things I said earlier. I am in favor of them actually dealing with the "bad" Farang they use as an excuse for these stupid laws. From reading the entire thread it becomes clear this is just the latest retarded game they are playing.

[LittleTina]

I think that is not a problem. I normally entered Thailand with a tourist visa or a non immigrant visa. I always used the service of Siamese Visa. They are professional.

When i tried to get a visa to go with my boyfriend to England, they were not exactly very accomodating, after the 3rd attempt i was allowed to visit. I was shocked at the way foreigners were treated at the airport and made to wait while all uk citizans cleared customs. Not 1 foreigner moved through customs in over 40 min, my boyfriend was not happy at the way we were treated and when he complained was told to go and sit down, foreigners never have that trouble at our airports

[skorchio]

I guess now is the time to buy shares in Thai Air Asia.....

[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?

The new rule clearly says the Article 3 of police order 608/2549 established on 8 September 2549 has been discontinued and replaced with a new Article 3 of Police Order 778/2551 of 25 November 2551. So the 90 days in six months rule has been discontinued officially by the new order which does not have the 90 day rule in it at all.

The 90-days-in-180-days rule is re-listed in the new law.

Guess we will have to wait for a full translation then.

That is true. Article 2.4 in the new overall law (to be fully translated later today I understand?) has some 90 day language but it doesn't say 90 days in what period of time! It says for tourists "will allow (entry) each time of not more than 30 days but not to exceed altogether a total of 90 days counting from the day of entry into the Kingdom". It doesn't read like the visa-exempt old law of "90 days total in six months." Confusing at best. Looks like it will be a lawyer's field day!!!

Thanks for the clearification.

[lapamita]

they have less tourist here,,and now they want people crossing by AIR,,,so the international arrivals would be increased,,and the goverment can say wowow we not lossing tourists, we have more international arrivals.

good for the statistics and the A.O.T. pcl