The 15 Day Rule: A Potential Cat Amongst The Pigeons...

[ThaiRack]

Hi folks.

I've been a casual obsever on here over the years. I'm well versed in all things South East Asia and I've always been bang up-to-date with all this visa exemption stamp malarkey. Been across the borders of Thailand countless times over the years.

Anyways, 28 pages is a lot to take in on the big thread about this new change to the visa exemption rule. I've scan read it a couple of times and I've got a handle on the new rules from elsewhere anyway, and there now seems to be some consistency across various websites about the new rules. Great news.

That said, I had an interesting Skype conversation a few hours ago with a friend in Nong Khai who told me that when he re-entered Thailand the day before yesterday at Poipet/Aranyaprathet, he got given a 30 day stamp because he could prove he was leaving in 30 days time (29 days time, actually). Interesting. Like I say, I don't know if this has already been mentioned, but thought I'd add it to the fray on a new thread in case it muddies the water more for those folks who aren't familiar with the visa exemption rules. It may be a teething issue with the new rules, in that they were applied incorrectly by the officer who let him in, or it may mean that the officers are allowed to apply an element of discretion in situations like that. Who knows. They could've been told to go easy on the rule for the first month-or-so, to be fair to tourists who've had this rule change sprung on them without notice. I'm speculating here, obviously.

I've not laid my eyes on a translation of the new rules since hearing this from my mate (he's been living in Nong Khai for the past year), so not sure of it's covered off in there.

Anyone?

Oh, and he also spoke to an immigration officer at Aranyaprathet who said that the 90 in 180 day rule has now been abolished, so that's one more bit of evidence to back that bit of uncertainty up.

Apologies if this has been discussed eslewhere.

[Lite Beer]

obviously.

I've not laid my eyes on a translation of the new rules since hearing this from my mate (he's been living in Nong Khai for the past year), so not sure of it's covered off in there.

No mention of this in the new rule.

[bjhabal]

I do not know if your friend was so lucky or there were some other reasons that allowed him to get the 30 days stamp.

I have entered from the same border on the same day, and had a long conversation with one of the officers who I knew for the past 5 years; at the end of this chatting I asked him if he could grant me 22 days stamp in order not to do another border run after 15 days as my reservation out of Thailand will only be due by the end of this month, but the answer was a nice apologies mixed with some sorry feelings; however he promised to bring this issue to his superiors and see if they can do something about it in the future.

Let's hope that someone up there in the immigration office thought about it and came up with the common sense, that this is what should be done.

Bishop

[astral]

Possibly just a slip up.

It is not unknown for Imm officers to pick up the wrong date stamp......