Crackdown On Back-to-back Tourist Visa Applications

[george]

Crackdown on back-to-back Tourist visa applications

Extended screening of visa applicants

BANGKOK (thaivisa.com): -- In a crackdown on the 60-days tourist visas, several Royal Thai Embassies and Consulates has announced increased screening of tourist visa applicants. We also have several reports on the Thaivisa Forum that this practice already has been enforced by some Embassies and Consulates.

The joint announcement reads: "As there has been a number of visa applicants having entered Thailand via tourist visa and misused it to illegally seek employment during their stay and, upon its expiry, sought to re-apply their tourist visas at the Royal Thai Embassy or the Royal Thai Consulate in neighboring countries, requests for visa renewal by such applicants are subject to rejection as their applications are not based on tourism motive, but to continue their illegal employment, which is unlawful.

This is in accordance with the Immigration Act, B.B. 2552 which stipulates that visa applicants are required to clearly express their real purpose of visiting Thailand. Should the case be found that the applicant’s real intention were concealed, the application will be rejected.

Please be informed that the intention of applicants to repeatedly depart and re-enter Thailand via tourist visa issued by the Royal Thai Embassy or the Royal Thai Consulate in neighboring countries in recent years upon its expiry, is considered as concealment of real purpose of visiting Thailand. Thus their visas applications will be rejected."

Foreigners living in Thailand are advised to obtain a Non-Immigrant visa, which can be extended up to one year by the Thai Immigration Bureau.

Thaivisa.com has today confirmed with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok, that the extended applicant screening will take effect immediately.

-- thaivisa.com 2009-09-11

Attached is an example of a Royal Thai Embassy Joint Announcement, courtesy of the embassy in Helsinki.

tvisa.PDF

[Jingthing]

Well people can still fly in and out every 30 days to use 30 day stamps.

[Changian]

The sky is falling, it's the end of the world as we know it and I'm packing my bags and on the next plane to a civilised country.

(Not really, just wanted to be the first to say that on this thread.)

[Who, me ?]

Another nail in the coff.........

This one will come soon too

[smokie36]

Interrogate the tourists. All part of their holiday experience. Maybe someone will write a book about it.

[stevehaigh]

these crackdowns seem to repost themselves every 6 months or so. maybe its just a bug in the BBS software?

[punkrock192]

finally ! was about time. i guess in your "civilized" country you welcome illegal workers with open arms...

[Guderian]

Another nail in the coff.........

This one will come soon too

And don't forget the perennial, "They hate us farangs, they really, really hate us...".

Maybe they're regretting giving the tourist visas for free now?

[lowbo]

oy vey... another crackdown... tisk, tisk. I'm hapy I have a Non-Imm-O....

[hazz]

So its going to be business as usual at the thai consulate in hk then

[jrincon17]

so how does one stay if he cant qualify for some visa's, like 200,000 baht or whatever it may take? i am moving to the philippines but rather live in Thailand. i dont want to travel every 30 days.

[PoorSucker]

finally ! was about time. i guess in your "civilized" country you welcome illegal workers with open arms...

Yes, who would do the "dirty" work.

Not the brats in northern Europe, better to go on welfare.

[Morris]

What's illegal about seeking employment? I thought only working with a tourist visa is illegal?

And I also thought that also a tourist 60 day visa can be applied for 3 times within a year only. No?

That means that you can never travel to Thailand to seek work unless you have been invited to do so, and have a letter that approves your non-B.

So a job in Thailand can only be found online or by connections with people that live in Thailand. Is that what it means ?

Then people have to provide you a non-b letter before your interview. And that is impossible! In some immigration offices they don't just ask you a letter, but all the information of the company. How will you ever get this when they haven't even hired you??

Yes I am aware of the huge amount of illegal workers in Thailand, people that will never get a pension, or maybe even drink so much that they cannot practically be alive at the time they cannot work anymore (and normally would receive a pension). What are they all doing here then....

All I can say is that Freedom does not exists in the world, and Thailand is a great country to learn this.

Thai Nationalism will make sure that you will always be and feel like an outsider, Thailand should favor you being here and the other way round, who cares!

What you favor about thailand is probably not the thing that Thailand is proud off, so everyone who will contribute to Thailand's bad reputation should go in the first place. Or you could do that job that illegal workers normally do, like the Burmese. Thai just want to make clear that Foreigners don't own this country, even if some think they do. Everything seems so easy, as if they can play gods. While this behavior is not possible anywhere in the world, why would anyone expect it from Thailand. Maybe they're not so fast, but they learn by mistake, that's all.

Edited September 11, 2009 by Morris

[thurgauer]

Personally I fail to see the problem. If someone is a genuine tourist they ahve nothing to fear. On the other hand if they are working on tourist visas tnen they only have themselves to blame.

Try pulling the same stunt in the EU, the US or Australia. Anyone caught doing that would be tossed out immediately and possibly be banned from the country for ever. It seems to me that despite all the crackdowns Thailand is still very generous at this stage and lots of people are abusing the system.

Incidentally an Australian I work with recently went to Canada on a tourist visa and she was interrogated for three whole hours. She thinks it may because she was born in Armenia. Who knows but it seems Thailand won't be the only country to interrogate some tourists.

[NHJ]

i'm glad to have a three years non-B!

[punkrock192]

Personally I fail to see the problem. If someone is a genuine tourist they ahve nothing to fear. On the other hand if they are working on tourist visas tnen they only have themselves to blame.

Try pulling the same stunt in the EU, the US or Australia. Anyone caught doing that would be tossed out immediately and possibly be banned from the country for ever. It seems to me that despite all the crackdowns Thailand is still very generous at this stage and lots of people are abusing the system.

Incidentally an Australian I work with recently went to Canada on a tourist visa and she was interrogated for three whole hours. She thinks it may because she was born in Armenia. Who knows but it seems Thailand won't be the only country to interrogate some tourists.

exactly...

[ianh68]

Well people can still fly in and out every 30 days to use 30 day stamps.

Do you always have to let us know how rich you are? The day I see you on a Baht bus sitting next to me I'll buy you a drink.

[Viper]

I completely agree with this rule - - Although if you have a tourist visa and your looking for work there is no harm in that.

Then when you find a job you switch to a Non-B using the relevant paperwork provided by your employer. However i think

in most cases people are using Thailand to buy cheap goodies set up a little side line selling and exporting back to home lands.

The first thing a Thai person mostly asks me when i meet them is how can you stay in Thailand long time? Its seems somewhat

of a surprise to them.

[jrincon17]

so how does one stay if he cant qualify for some visa's, like 200,000 baht or whatever it may take? i am moving to the philippines but rather live in Thailand. i dont want to travel every 30 days.

oh yeah im not over 50 and i have an internet business

[alaninkarachi]

i'm glad to have a three years non-B!

Exactly. We read here time and time again about how hard it is to get a tourist visa to UK if you are a Thai. They, the Thai Government are more than reasonable here. If you are here on 'business' well just do it right, get the right visa.

And you all have a good weekend!

[ERICPHUKET]

It is easy follow the law and you have no problems.Try to get a visa for europe as Thai people and you will see were it is the most difficult.

If you work get a workpermit like in every decent country in the world and you get a 1 year renewable visa.If you are retired put 800.000 baht in a thai account and you get also the same visa.The people who complain are those who are doing monkey business and think that as foreigner all is allowed.Dont forget we are guest here no local people.

[twister]

Does anyone know why it is written in Helsinky or is that normal?

[dantilley]

Personally I fail to see the problem. If someone is a genuine tourist they have nothing to fear. On the other hand if they are working on tourist visas then they only have themselves to blame.

Agree with this, nothing's saying that you can't get 2 tourist visas back to back as long as you're a genuine tourist. Try getting a 3rd or 4th, though, and you'd have a hard time convincing them you're on holiday for a year.

[CosmicSurfer]

i'm glad to have a three years non-B!

Is this something new???

CS

[punkrock192]

i'm glad to have a three years non-B!

Exactly. We read here time and time again about how hard it is to get a tourist visa to UK if you are a Thai. They, the Thai Government are more than reasonable here. If you are here on 'business' well just do it right, get the right visa.

And you all have a good weekend!

i guess the people are just scared of the paperwork or talk their heads hot about visas over several beers. panic guaranteed. why not check the list at http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/ba...hp?page=service ? i did it and NEVER had any problems getting my non-B visa. don't get confused by the nov2004 in the URL, it's always up to date...

[craig123]

The sky is falling, it's the end of the world as we know it and I'm packing my bags and on the next plane to a civilised country.

(Not really, just wanted to be the first to say that on this thread.)

Thailand's government and consulates and immigrations really are doing whatever they can to make it difficult for people to stay in the country!

Foreigners are the ones bringing in all the money! So why are they trying to kick and drive all the foreigners away??

How stupid!! They would cut their notse off to spite their face as the saying goes!!

Unbelievable...

[swain]

Are there a lot of jobs that are being taken by illegal frangs, that Thai nationals would get if they were not here? I am not sure what the problem is. Or is this like the USA .. . keep the Mexicans out because they are stealing our jobs... jobs we wouldn't do even if they were available.

[punkrock192]

The sky is falling, it's the end of the world as we know it and I'm packing my bags and on the next plane to a civilised country.

(Not really, just wanted to be the first to say that on this thread.)

Thailand's government and consulates and immigrations really are doing whatever they can to make it difficult for people to stay in the country!

Foreigners are the ones bringing in all the money! So why are they trying to kick and drive all the foreigners away??

How stupid!! They would cut their notse off to spite their face as the saying goes!!

Unbelievable...

what is the policy in your own country ? if you are tourist, BE a tourist. if you want to stay and work, get a non-B or non-O. you want to benefit from this country and not give anything in return ? well, i guess that's why are you unhappy with this solution...

[unsuredebra]

Foreigners living in Thailand are advised to obtain a Non-Immigrant visa, which can be extended up to one year by the Thai Immigration Bureau.

The above statement taken from the main thread.. could anyone please tell does this apply to the Non Immigrant O Multiple Tourist visa? as did not realise this could be done as I am wondering do the immigration bureau know this as could they be picky and just say no.. I am in Phuket

Kind regards

[yabaaaa]

finally ! was about time. i guess in your "civilized" country you welcome illegal workers with open arms...

Yes we do then after a few years we give them an amnesty and let them stay(Uk)