Kota Bharu: No Visa For Un-real Tourist

[UnRealTourist]

I went to the Thai Consulate in Kota Bharu on the 15th of June 2009 to get my 2 entry tourist visa.

The girl there first said: "we give only 1 entry now", then after flipping briefly trough my passport, she handed me this paper:

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The Announcement of the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Kota Bharu

It is appeared that some of applicants for tourist visa for working in Thailand is not real tourist.

To be informed that such doing is illegal, therefore, if the fact appears that the applicant who ever applied for tourist visa and enter Thailand for working in the period of three consecutive years, comes to apply for tourist visa at the Royal Thai Embassies and the Royal Thai Consulate-General in the neighbouring countries of Thailand after the period of stay in Thailand expired. It would be held that the said applicant doesn't have the purpose of visit to Thailand as a Real Tourist. The Royal Thai Consulate in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, will deny the receipt of said person's visa applicantion.

The Announcement will be effective from the 1st June 2009

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i guess what they want to say is:

if you stayed in Thailand on tourist visas for 3 years, they just assume you are illegaly working in Thailand and therefore will give you no more tourist visas.

I was prepared for a fight when i went to pick up my passport the next day. I got my 60 day visa, but with a hand written notice on it (in Thai) that they had given me the "Announcement of the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Kota Bharu"

I then asked her what kind of visa she would recommend for me, i'm not yet 50 years old and can't get a retirement visa.

She said i should bring a "early retirement certification" from the swiss embassy and a bank statement.

I didn't ask anything more and left (i was just happy to have my visa and i wouldn't come to Kota Bharu anymore anyway, as they have now stopped to hand out double entry visas)

my questions are now:

1. Is it really possibly to get a retirement visa even if you're not yet 50 at all (somebody out there who has done it ? )

2. Do other Thai Consulates also hand out this "Announcements" ? Is there trouble ahead for all of us "un-real tourists" ?

even if we don't do anything illegal (i have a house in Thailand and i really don't work)

[meelousee]

The regulations change with the wind.

Neighboring countries all have their slip of paper and say more or less the same thing.

Solutions include, going home getting a new passport and a 1 year multiple entry, going to the Phillipeans and gettting a one year ME. Hong Kong is the easiest.

One thing to remember is the endorsement from Kota Baru is like a knife that cuts into your ability to get visas. I have one experience with this.

I got a new passport in the PI and new 1 year visa as well. No more stupid questions by immagration and no more 'why you stay Thailand' or 'where you go' and so on...

[ubonjoe]

This is the only report we have had of any consulate doing it. I don't think it will occur at others any time soon.

Three years is a long time on tourist visas so thats not much of tightening up.

For non immigrant O visas a consulate has some flexability when it comes to issuing them. If they are of the opinion that it falls under category O which means other they can issue it. An example is the consulates that issue them to visit friends.

[robbiecia]

I second that any endorsements or warnings given in your passport when applying for a tourist visa, will affect future applications.

Not sure about home country applications, but locally you can and will have problems

[ubonjoe]

Lots of people got stamps from consulates in the past telling them not to come back and then went to another consulate the next time and got a visa.

The note that they put on his visa sticker only says that they gave him a notice and does not say what the notice said. It will mean nothing to another consulate.

[ubonjoe]

The regulations change with the wind.

Neighboring countries all have their slip of paper and say more or less the same thing.

Solutions include, going home getting a new passport and a 1 year multiple entry, going to the Phillipeans and gettting a one year ME. Hong Kong is the easiest.

One thing to remember is the endorsement from Kota Baru is like a knife that cuts into your ability to get visas. I have one experience with this.

I got a new passport in the PI and new 1 year visa as well. No more stupid questions by immagration and no more 'why you stay Thailand' or 'where you go' and so on...

I have seen no recent reports for any consulate giving out those slips.

I don't know how long ago you got a multiple entry visa in Manila but you will not get one there now. The same it true for Hong Kong. Neither one will even issue tourist visas wth more than one entry.

Manila has even refused single entry tourist visas and even one report of a single entry ED visa with all the supporting documents needed. They are not friendly at all.

You won't get a multiple entry visa at any nearby consulate unless you have a valid reason such as marriage to a Thai or have a Thai child and etc.

[antony77]

I went to the Thai Consulate in Kota Bharu on the 15th of June 2009 to get my 2 entry tourist visa.

The girl there first said: "we give only 1 entry now", then after flipping briefly trough my passport, she handed me this paper:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Announcement of the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Kota Bharu

It is appeared that some of applicants for tourist visa for working in Thailand is not real tourist.

To be informed that such doing is illegal, therefore, if the fact appears that the applicant who ever applied for tourist visa and enter Thailand for working in the period of three consecutive years, comes to apply for tourist visa at the Royal Thai Embassies and the Royal Thai Consulate-General in the neighbouring countries of Thailand after the period of stay in Thailand expired. It would be held that the said applicant doesn't have the purpose of visit to Thailand as a Real Tourist. The Royal Thai Consulate in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, will deny the receipt of said person's visa applicantion.

The Announcement will be effective from the 1st June 2009

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

i guess what they want to say is:

if you stayed in Thailand on tourist visas for 3 years, they just assume you are illegaly working in Thailand and therefore will give you no more tourist visas.

I was prepared for a fight when i went to pick up my passport the next day. I got my 60 day visa, but with a hand written notice on it (in Thai) that they had given me the "Announcement of the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Kota Bharu"

I then asked her what kind of visa she would recommend for me, i'm not yet 50 years old and can't get a retirement visa.

She said i should bring a "early retirement certification" from the swiss embassy and a bank statement.

I didn't ask anything more and left (i was just happy to have my visa and i wouldn't come to Kota Bharu anymore anyway, as they have now stopped to hand out double entry visas)

my questions are now:

1. Is it really possibly to get a retirement visa even if you're not yet 50 at all (somebody out there who has done it ? )

2. Do other Thai Consulates also hand out this "Announcements" ? Is there trouble ahead for all of us "un-real tourists" ?

even if we don't do anything illegal (i have a house in Thailand and i really don't work)

Most countries will only let you stay 6 months in a year unless you apply for permanent residence and then you will be subject to income tax.

If you have been living in Thailand for 3 years as a "tourist" it would appear that you are doing this to avoid paying any income tax and therefor not contributing to your share of the costs of running the country. Permanent residents pay tax in Thailand on their overseas income, so why should others who live here as a "permanent tourist" not do so, I think that this is what the Thai immigration is trying to stop. They also perhaps are curious as to how you can live here with no job and opposed to a retiree with a pension.

[Norrad]

Most countries will only let you stay 6 months in a year unless you apply for permanent residence and then you will be subject to income tax.

If you have been living in Thailand for 3 years as a "tourist" it would appear that you are doing this to avoid paying any income tax and therefor not contributing to your share of the costs of running the country. Permanent residents pay tax in Thailand on their overseas income, so why should others who live here as a "permanent tourist" not do so, I think that this is what the Thai immigration is trying to stop. They also perhaps are curious as to how you can live here with no job and opposed to a retiree with a pension.

That's news to me, unless you count giving money to the extended family as tax.

Edit: Sorry, misread it as including people who stay on marriage extensions.