Immigration Crackdown On Border Runners

[anon467367354]

"so why did you overstay for so long"? "because they said I couldn't leave". If the overstay charge is less than the visa run fees, then <deleted>? If the idea here is to have more of the rich foreigners, and they are all rich as we all know, use the more expensive Thai form of transportation known as flying, then so be it, just stay put. I don't understand the hostility toward the foreigners. We eat, spend money, buy Thai goods. The only people I ever see in a gold shop are foreigners and Thai women shopping for rings. IF this is a way to heal the country's economic problems, then I would say that regressive therapy has taken on a whole new meaning.

[russianrobert]

I know of no other country in the world where you can run to the border and get another stamp therefore allowing you to stay in the country practically indefinitely.

The authorities are only doing what they should have done years ago.

[webfact]

Thiks like they dont want us any more !

They dont need our $$$ ars !

They have sized mld from Thaksin,

its enough for the moment 1

After next election again !

farang

wrong -

They don't want us

they want our $$$!

a logistical problem - how to handle that...?

Edited June 1, 2009 by webfact

[anon467367354]

Visas for Thailand are easy if you are british and you want to come for holiday no problem if you want to stay longer then get the correct Visa If you cant afford the correct Visa then get back to where you came from. Try getting a Visa for UK or USA if you are a Thai and then maybe you will see how easy it is for Brits to get visas for Thailand

I think that's comparing apples to oranges. Just because the US gov't has turned into a major dipsh!t, doesn't mean everybody has to follow suite. How suite it is. I don't think the US needs the tourist industry as much as Thailand does. Thailand is still a developing country, and what it's developing into is not looking good right now.

[anon467367354]

Thiks like they dont want us any more !

They dont need our $$$ ars !

They have sized mld from Thaksin,

its enough for the moment 1

After next election again !

farang

this looks interesting, could someone translate this please?

[jboras]

So what's new! Everything changed way back in 2000 when Thaksin came in didn't it? From easy walks over the border.. to pay and pay...maybe even get shot for being a "suspected" drug runner going in and out of the border so much!

Hey guys you don't like don't complain... there are lots of Countries near Thailand with friendlier Immigration and just as friendly GIRLS!!!!

Or have you all invested too much with your panayas and hate the thought of loosing it?

[Mosha]

When they clamped down on the 30 day runs, I was talking to a Dutch couple. Every year they came to Thailand, travelling the country, they didn't bother with a visa, although they would come for 3 months. They made sure that their travels got them near a border at the end of 30 days, and maybe spend some time in the next door country. The rules changed 2 days before their flight, and the travel agent didn't tell them, possibly as the agent didn't know. After 30 days, and they were in Ranong, and went over to Burma/Myanmar. They were shocked to only get 15 days. They told me that after their holiday was over, Thailand was out for their next holiday.

The only people this will effect as the other changes are the legal stayer. The overstays just carry on and never seem to get caught, and as we seem to be from cultures where you don't rat on people. Well enough said.

Edited June 1, 2009 by Mosha

[inthepink]

I agree 100% and to the guy thats 3 years overstay, its because of tw*ts like you that this has happened. I get a non-b from Hull each year and abide by the visa rules, if you can't then you shouldn't be here. IMHO

And you are genuinely here on business trips are you? Year after year, all year long?

Where in the post did I say I stay all year long?

That was an assumption on my part.

Can you honestly say that every year, you come here for genuine business trips then? I only ask because it's obviously very easy to obtain a non-imm 'b' from Hull, but that doesn't mean that all the people doing so are actually doing what they say they are in Thailand. People with longer term visas tend to get rather sanctimonious when these topics are discussed, but they aren't all whiter than white by any stretch.

I don't think someone overstaying their visa by 3 years has any bearing at all on the regulation changes. They are clamping down on people who do these border runs, not those who don't. If new regulations were aimed at long-term overstayers, don't you think they would do something more direct like remove the ceiling from the fine?

Edited June 1, 2009 by inthepink

[rogeraee]

it is not good what the immigration and the country is doing to the foreigners.

first they make all the tourist visas free and now they are making border runs short to stay.

as to before they were 3 months and now they only give two months.

what will happen next???

Well any foreigner in Thailand should be happy, at least you can get in to Thailand, I am British and have an adopted Thai son and they will not even let him into the UK. Think yourselves very lucky.

R

[crocodilexp]

I thought tourist visas were free for some time and not so expensive even if you have to pay for it.

Tourist visas are indeed very expensive, even if you don't need to pay the consulate for one.

Best case is if you have a friendly Thai consulate in your town -- then you'd waste 5+ hours filling out the papers, taking photos, commuting, picking up the visa. For most people with real jobs in the west, that's over $150 (USD) right there for a *free* visa. If you mail in, it's a bit less, but takes time and is uncertain.

For most people, you need to make a visa trip that's 2 days with travel / lodging (e.g. $150 to Laos) + lost time on the order of $500 or more (assuming your time is valued at only $10/h).

Anybody can see this, that's why "free visa" is nothing more than a gimmick.

[Arkady]

I suppose they have every right to crack down on border runners and they most see the overland ones as the bottom of the barrel that they really don't want here. Most countries don't allow foreigners to stay permanently on transit visas. The problems I see are:

1) The 15 day visa is very inconvenient for genuine backpackers who want a one off 30 day visa to see the country and the government should be encouraging these tourists as all their money spent goes to locals and they are likely to come back again throughout their lives and recommend Thailand to others, if they enjoy their visit.

2) The alternatives are getting tougher. The investment visa has gone. Work permits and non-imm B2 visas have never been all that easy and involve a lot of bureaucracy. Permanent residence has become much more difficult. Citizenship has never been easy to obtain. The elite card is hanging by a thread (I saw two rather arrogant elite card holders hauled off by immigration at Suwarnaphum for having the gall to insist their valid five year visas were valid - the immigration officers were telling each other in Thai they had never heard of a five year visa and thought it might be forged LOL!).

They really need to decide who they want here in a constructive way and make it much easier for them, while finding ways to keep out those who can't or won't get proper visas without turning away genuine tourists. Investment visas again and three year combined work permit/visas without the need for 90 day reporting would be a good start and what about making permanent residence a bit easier and making it like a green card that gives the right to work with no need for an annual re-entry visa. If pigs could fly.

[Hanzkneez]

Thiks like they dont want us any more !

They dont need our $$ ars !

They have sized mld from Thaksin,

its enough for the moment 1

After next election again !

farang

can someone please translate this for me?

[topsecret]

it is not good what the immigration and the country is doing to the foreigners.

first they make all the tourist visas free and now they are making border runs short to stay.

as to before they were 3 months and now they only give two months.

what will happen next???

It serves them right. No one should be staying in Thailand doing 15 day border runs. Go and buy a bloody visa, it can't be any easier.

If you can't afford to buy a visa then you are exactly the type of foreigner Thailand does not want....or need.

[sassienie]

Great News!

More dross made to hit the road.

Hopefully they will terminate these visa runs altogether, that seems to be on the cards.

Also police have begun tagging Farangs all over Thailand, including the towns and in the country.

For those dregs hiding out without visas, or into iffy activities, keep looking over that shoulder, as living in the towns or out in the sticks is no longer a surety that you wont be detected.

[MJo]

I thought tourist visas were free for some time and not so expensive even if you have to pay for it.

Tourist visas are indeed very expensive, even if you don't need to pay the consulate for one.

Best case is if you have a friendly Thai consulate in your town -- then you'd waste 5+ hours filling out the papers, taking photos, commuting, picking up the visa. For most people with real jobs in the west, that's over $150 (USD) right there for a *free* visa. If you mail in, it's a bit less, but takes time and is uncertain.

For most people, you need to make a visa trip that's 2 days with travel / lodging (e.g. $150 to Laos) + lost time on the order of $500 or more (assuming your time is valued at only $10/h).

Anybody can see this, that's why "free visa" is nothing more than a gimmick.

Excatly my point, if you can not afford to spend couple of hundred bucks on visa i do not see how your stay contributes the thai economy. In any case that's a kind of money you spend having a proper night out in Bangkok.

So skip one outing around the town and you have your visa covered. Not that expensive i still say.

[Mosha]

Great News!

More dross made to hit the road.

Hopefully they will terminate these visa runs altogether, that seems to be on the cards.

Also police have begun tagging Farangs all over Thailand, including the towns and in the country.

For those dregs hiding out without visas, or into iffy activities, keep looking over that shoulder, as living in the towns or out in the sticks is no longer a surety that you wont be detected.

Sotty to contradict you, but I say the overstayers are immune to these crackdowns.

[webfact]

Great News!

More dross made to hit the road.

Hopefully they will terminate these visa runs altogether, that seems to be on the cards.

Also police have begun tagging Farangs all over Thailand, including the towns and in the country.

For those dregs hiding out without visas, or into iffy activities, keep looking over that shoulder, as living in the towns or out in the sticks is no longer a surety that you wont be detected.

please enlighten me and provide the source of this information

Thx

[inthepink]

Well done. That is Economics at it's best... 3 Year Overstay < 3 Year Non Imm. "O" $$$ The penalty for overstay is now capped.. so the more you overstay the cheaper your stay becomes... Good One! If you are lucky they might even give you a discount when you exit...!!!

I don't know if that was directed at me in particular, but I'm not on an overstay. I was just supposing that if overstayers were the real target, then surely they could do something more direct.

[tranquillize]

I don't know why people are making such a bg deal about this, if you want to stay here for a length of time simply get a visa. They are not difficult to acquire.

I understand why Thailand is doing this, too many people have been getting freebee stays by doing the constant border runs, Thailand wants to cash in on everyone that comes here, making people get visas is a way to do that.

[inthepink]

Tourist visas are indeed very expensive, even if you don't need to pay the consulate for one.

Best case is if you have a friendly Thai consulate in your town -- then you'd waste 5+ hours filling out the papers, taking photos, commuting, picking up the visa. For most people with real jobs in the west, that's over $150 (USD) right there for a *free* visa. If you mail in, it's a bit less, but takes time and is uncertain.

For most people, you need to make a visa trip that's 2 days with travel / lodging (e.g. $150 to Laos) + lost time on the order of $500 or more (assuming your time is valued at only $10/h).

Anybody can see this, that's why "free visa" is nothing more than a gimmick.

No idea of the process in the States but in the UK you can apply by post, so it takes no more than a few minutes out of your life, and you don't need to be living anywhere near the consulate.

[bangkokrick]

The economy in the West has pretty much collapsed over the past few month and the recovery will be long term. I think that Thailand is now aiming for tourists from their neighbouring countries, where the economy's are not yet so badly affected and due to their geographical location and flights are cheaper.

They are not so dependant on Westerners nowadays because like it or not many more Asians can afford to travel from their developing countries.

There will be many more Chinese and Indians arriving here and I have seen evidence of this at the airport.

I talk to my mates in the UK and money is tight, so they will go to nearer destinations if they can afford a holiday at all.

Cheers, Rick.

[touseefashfaq]

it does not effect to me at all.. not before it was free visa for my nationality and not now..

what i was thinking, for those all who really running away giving such only 150$ then how they live in Thailand to afford their stay.

sorry to say my question is.. why poeple love to live in thailand only why? not cheap..come on.. its old things now that thailand is cheap.. but when you living long in the thailand no income in $$$ so you become same as locals suffering with low income and easy going life..but still love to stay.. GIRLS? is that GIRLS?

[norwayeagle]

I know of no other country in the world where you can run to the border and get another stamp therefore allowing you to stay in the country practically indefinitely.

The authorities are only doing what they should have done years ago.

It is not easy to compare Thailand to any other country in the world.Thailand is unique in its own way and have had its own experiences regarding tourism. Therefore....

[2xthaiequals2thai]

Someone enlighten me. I don't get. Used to be 2-30 day extn's with border exit/entry. Now it 4 -15 day extn's. What's the diff other than money? What new rule? You can stay 90 days max. Right? Signed; Confused Easily.. LOL

[JR Texas]

This rule change is another blow to tourism and the economy. It does nothing to enhance security.

Why they don't make it easy for tourists to stay in the country and spend money is a mystery to me.

All they have to do is introduce a pay-to-stay visa system...no need for border runs...no leaving the country to get a visa.

Both Cambodia and the Philippines are way ahead of Thailand in terms of visa rules and regulations.

[ubonjoe]

Also police have begun tagging Farangs all over Thailand, including the towns and in the country.

.

please enlighten me and provide the source of this information

Thx

You can find a topic I have on this forum.

The quoted post is stretching it a little.

I was asked to report to the police to register. No problem to it because I was legal. Also reports of people being asked to fill out forms in Suring and Chiang Mai.

Not a big deal really.

[beechguy]

Tourist visas are indeed very expensive, even if you don't need to pay the consulate for one.

Best case is if you have a friendly Thai consulate in your town -- then you'd waste 5+ hours filling out the papers, taking photos, commuting, picking up the visa. For most people with real jobs in the west, that's over $150 (USD) right there for a *free* visa. If you mail in, it's a bit less, but takes time and is uncertain.

For most people, you need to make a visa trip that's 2 days with travel / lodging (e.g. $150 to Laos) + lost time on the order of $500 or more (assuming your time is valued at only $10/h).

Anybody can see this, that's why "free visa" is nothing more than a gimmick.

No idea of the process in the States but in the UK you can apply by post, so it takes no more than a few minutes out of your life, and you don't need to be living anywhere near the consulate.

It's the same. A few minutes to complete the application, get a few photos, I get extra because I travel alot, and off to the post office. Anyway, it's probably less than $100.00 for a tourist visa and extension so one can stay 90 days. If one can't afford that then, maybe it's a good idea to stay home and work instead of taking a holiday.

[bangkokrick]

I thought tourist visas were free for some time and not so expensive even if you have to pay for it.

Tourist visas are indeed very expensive, even if you don't need to pay the consulate for one.

Best case is if you have a friendly Thai consulate in your town -- then you'd waste 5+ hours filling out the papers, taking photos, commuting, picking up the visa. For most people with real jobs in the west, that's over $150 (USD) right there for a *free* visa. If you mail in, it's a bit less, but takes time and is uncertain.

For most people, you need to make a visa trip that's 2 days with travel / lodging (e.g. $150 to Laos) + lost time on the order of $500 or more (assuming your time is valued at only $10/h).

Anybody can see this, that's why "free visa" is nothing more than a gimmick.

Excatly my point, if you can not afford to spend couple of hundred bucks on visa i do not see how your stay contributes the thai economy. In any case that's a kind of money you spend having a proper night out in Bangkok.

So skip one outing around the town and you have your visa covered. Not that expensive i still say.

This rule change is another blow to tourism and the economy. It does nothing to enhance security.

Why they don't make it easy for tourists to stay in the country and spend money is a mystery to me.

All they have to do is introduce a pay-to-stay visa system...no need for border runs...no leaving the country to get a visa.

Both Cambodia and the Philippines are way ahead of Thailand in terms of visa rules and regulations.

They do make it easy. Just get a visa from your own country before you travel. They are not difficult to get if you are a legitimate tourist. Every year I have to ' break a leg' to get my Thai wife a visa for the UK, even though we are only going there for 2 weeks to see my family.

Cheers, Rick

[TVmonitor]

On reading the topic headline my fist thought was that this was a very OLD topic that had somehow got re-emailed.

first they get rid of 30 days unlimited then 30 day border crossings but re-allow unlimited crossings and now re-introduce a limit.

THis is NOT good policy not good organisation, not though out planning, its just plain tinkering and it is totally worthless. the ill-considered decisions seem to be based more on prejudice than anything else - who exactly are they trying to get at - are border-runners - whoever they are, such a problem??

from a practical point of view this may well screw up some plans of genuine tourists who want to pop in and out of Thailand over a period visiting the neighbouring countries.

If you think about it, it might even "force" some people NOT to leave for Ankhor Wat etc. as they don't want the hasssle of being denied re-entry - once you've got here, they don't want you spending your cash in neighbouring country.

at the end of theday it sends the wrong signals internationally, whether to tourists, those wanting to stay long term and those wanting to invest.

Ten there's the 150 baht ATM fees, changes in bar closing, strange anti free-speech laws...the list just gets bigger and bigger, and to what avail????

how long will it be before they start tinkering withother long-term stayers.... visas - oh wait - they have haven't they!

From thailand you can enter Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia via land border crossings. So they have think this out, you can still fly to Thailand, visit all neighbouring countries including Angkor Wat and fly out from Thailand.

How many tourists "invest" here. Let's call it what it is. They want people to stop abusing their system and get proper tourist visas if they wish to stay longer. Nothing wrong with that and highly unlikely there is a UN resolution condemning their actions on this.

That is about as blinkered a rsponse as the initial Thai ruling.

just because you can think of a way to go in and out it doesn't mean you can predict every holidaymakers plans - there's 14 million of them.

They introduce these ideas with little or no research, or consultation and then sit back and watch bth chaos until someone has another "bright idea"

[beechguy]

I thought tourist visas were free for some time and not so expensive even if you have to pay for it.

Tourist visas are indeed very expensive, even if you don't need to pay the consulate for one.

Best case is if you have a friendly Thai consulate in your town -- then you'd waste 5+ hours filling out the papers, taking photos, commuting, picking up the visa. For most people with real jobs in the west, that's over $150 (USD) right there for a *free* visa. If you mail in, it's a bit less, but takes time and is uncertain.

For most people, you need to make a visa trip that's 2 days with travel / lodging (e.g. $150 to Laos) + lost time on the order of $500 or more (assuming your time is valued at only $10/h).

Anybody can see this, that's why "free visa" is nothing more than a gimmick.

Excatly my point, if you can not afford to spend couple of hundred bucks on visa i do not see how your stay contributes the thai economy. In any case that's a kind of money you spend having a proper night out in Bangkok.

So skip one outing around the town and you have your visa covered. Not that expensive i still say.

This rule change is another blow to tourism and the economy. It does nothing to enhance security.

Why they don't make it easy for tourists to stay in the country and spend money is a mystery to me.

All they have to do is introduce a pay-to-stay visa system...no need for border runs...no leaving the country to get a visa.

Both Cambodia and the Philippines are way ahead of Thailand in terms of visa rules and regulations.

Jeez JR, do you think the Thais should throw in free airfare too? How much easier does it need to be?

The fact is, it's already very easy to come here as a tourist. At least 36 countries have visa exempt entries available for 30 days, another 9 countries for upto 90 days. Tourist visas are easily available and not very expensive. From an immigration standpoint, I just don't see anything obstructing someone for coming here.