Crackdown On Back-to-back Tourist Visa Applications

[Lite Beer]

Wrong. You can arrive in Thailand with any visa or even without a visa, look for work, get signed up for a job and apply for a work permit. It is to receive the work permit, once it has been approved, that you need a non-immigrant visa.

--

Maestro

That's incorrect : you need a non-B to apply for work permit.

Legally you're not even allowed to look for a job while on a tourist visa, although that's hardly enforceable.

Wrong. Maestro is correct.

[DerringDo]

All the old chestnuts rolled out I see. Try and go to the UK, USA, mainland Europe etc. etc. Thailand has the right to do what it likes... UN charter notwithstanding.

If you want people to take your argument seriously then compare like for like.

I for one like living/visiting/working here depending on my work cycle and would not change it one iota. Certainly don't want it to turn out like "The West."

[Mario2008]

Wrong. You can arrive in Thailand with any visa or even without a visa, look for work, get signed up for a job and apply for a work permit. It is to receive the work permit, once it has been approved, that you need a non-immigrant visa.

--

Maestro

That's incorrect : you need a non-B to apply for work permit.

Legally you're not even allowed to look for a job while on a tourist visa, although that's hardly enforceable.

You can look for work without a non-B. Looking for work is not working.

Labour will not issue a work permit without a non-immigrant visa. If you don't have one, but a tourist visa for example, they will not give you a work permit but a WP-3 receipt. This form shows that you will get your work permit, once you have your non-immigrant visa.

[spongeman]

Phew, we had got to Friday without the weekly crackdown and I was starting to get worried, but it finally arrived.

[cyclone6]

What exactly qualifies as "working in Thailand"? I've been visiting Thailand on and off for over 15 years, and have occasionally done some remote work at my office in the US - while in Thailand. My pay is in US$ (unfortunately!) and I pay US taxes.

I always assumed the work laws were meant to prevent you from taking a job in Thailand, not from simply doing remote work for a foreign based firm.

Is there an easy answer as to what is allowable and not allowable?

[trianglechoke]

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)

Yabaaa. even worse in Belgium: we regularise their illegal stay (by 20,000 units at a time) and give them a Belgian passport so that they can re-unite with their Marokkan or Turkish family in Belgium (NOT in Marokko or in Turkey) and that their family also can obtain the Belgian Nationality after 9 months... After that they all vote for the socialist or Christian Democrat party as compensation for their Belgian passport...

So really we ARE civilized....

lies are so bad ,you can lie in europe not in here . It's is not easy as you are telling , anyway thailand is right to kick usless people from it's land .

I agree in essence but........... how do you workout if they are useless???? Are you suggesting 40% of the teenage male population of Khlong Toei be removed from Thailand?? I live there and can assure you many are useless.

Are you going to state a degree will do this.........mmmmmmmmmm..... I know guys with degrees who shouldn't be let near young people whilst I know non-degree holders who are absolute professionals crapping themselves every month, some with a wife and kid who would be fuc_ked without them. Make it easier to get a permit maybe,

Edited September 11, 2009 by trianglechoke

[zaxusa]

I have a child with a Thai woman, but we are separated.

I would like to continue to stay in Thailand to be close to my daughter.

I have been here on a tourist visa.

With all the changes I am becoming worried, and also tired of doing Visa runs every 90 days.

I am under 50 and have a good income from a US business...

What are my options for a long term visa???

Any help would be great, thanks..

[Leesoi2]

What exactly qualifies as "working in Thailand"? I've been visiting Thailand on and off for over 15 years, and have occasionally done some remote work at my office in the US - while in Thailand. My pay is in US$ (unfortunately!) and I pay US taxes.

I always assumed the work laws were meant to prevent you from taking a job in Thailand, not from simply doing remote work for a foreign based firm.

Is there an easy answer as to what is allowable and not allowable?

That is a good question. It seems that most everything it not allowed when you look at the list of prohibited jobs. The list is meant to protect Thai labor. I personally cannot see how what you are doing would take anything away from Thai workers. Furthermore I wonder what damage could possibly be done to Thais by an earlier post complaining about exporting rags??!!! Is that really being done? Whatever the foreigners are exporting on the internet to other foreigners it would seem the Thais could not easily take that position anyway. The money paid by foreigners to other foreigners does not seem like any business of Thailand but maybe I am missing something.

From what I have seen here it would benefit the Thai work force to add some foreigners into the mix. There is much that can be learned from more advanced countries and the Thais are fantastic at copying whatever they see. Best regards, Lee

[Maestro]

...He got his retirment visa in less than an hour......he is 36 years old so did not meet the 800,000b requirment when you hit 50...

I doubt that he has a visa that has written “retirement” on it. Look at it again and see what it really says.

--

Maestro

[Maestro]

...now : somebody tell me pls. can i stay with this visa 9 months now (back to back) with my triple tourist visa which i already have in my passport..

or not ?? ( with extentions )...

No problem, as far as I can see. At most, they can ask you to show that you have 10,000 Baht to support yourself when you arrive in Thailand.

--

Maestro

[Maestro]

It's not always nefarious. I have to do the b2b because my husband (we're both from America, sorry) is on retirement visa but I don't qualify, since I'm not yet 50 (or even 40). I hope they don't crack down on me!

If your husband gets an annual extension of stay for retirement you can also get an annual extension as his dependent. Go and talk to the immigration office about it.

--

Maestro

[Maestro]

This gets even weirder, see this from Helsinki Thai Embassy, especially number FIVE!

"Tourist Visa: (Category “TR”)

Purpose of visit: for tourism purpose only .

...

Required documents( updated 9.9.2009):

...

5. 1 copy of bank statement showing a deposit at the amount not less than 400 euro/person or 800 euro/family

- can be printed out from the internet bank...

That requirement has existed for ages but is not implemented most of the time by many consulates. See here on the website of the Thai Ministry of foreign Affairs:

http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2482.php?id=2489

2. TOURIST VISA

1. REQUIREMENT

This type of visa is issued to applicants who wish to enter the Kingdom for tourism purposes .

2. DOCUMENTS REQUIRED

- Passport or travel document with validity not less than 6 months

- Visa application form completely filled out

- Recent( 4 x 6 cm.) photograph of the applicant

- Evidence of travel from Thailand (air ticket paid in full)

- Evidence of adequate finance (10,000 Baht per person and 20,000 Baht per family)

- Consular officers reserve the rights to request additional documents as deemed necessary

--

Maestro

[tropo]

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.

have you been to the philippines? the girls are lovely and all speak english

HAHAHAHAHa Eer seen a picture of worlds champion Shoekeeper aka Imelda

Speak English a few minutes at Grenwich fast food will disabuse u or a glimpse at Tugalot crap on Dynasat

Aprt fromthe robbery theft Yankie sleaze Angles city their unsafe ferries keep sinking

If I evr want to die in a Jeepney pile up with spitting unwashed chicken clutching peasants and be covered in Volcanic ash befor the Moro facists ransom me for loot Ist choice

manila stuff it in anenvelope returned to sender and enjoy LOS Lies on Sleaze the real Macoy

PS no dispespect to your gf there must be one charming damsel in 300 island

<deleted>??!!!!

<deleted>??!!!! x 2. What is this guy on?

[CrossBones]

I think hes been reading Irvin Welsh books, or comes from another planet

[moe666]

People cont. to complain about how Thais run Thailand, how about get a grip and realize it works for them and happens to be their country and can do what they want and what they consider best for their country.

Move, move, move if you can't handle it here.

[KarenBravo]

deleted

Edited September 11, 2009 by KarenBravo

[cobra]

Is not a NON IMM O still basically a tourist at the end of the day??

Exactly,

[moe666]

I believe this is about back-to-back tourist visa.

[a99az]

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

Non - Imm is next to have the crack down.

[chiangdan]

With the restriction put upon them by our countries we are lucky that they do not treat us the way we treat them. This might have something to do with why my Nigerian friends get 1 year tourist visas and Thai residence when married. It would take me more than a month just to get a tourist visa for my wife to go visit my family in the states. And the bastards can deny it just because they ran out of sugar in the coffee room or they are just tired of dealing with people that day. Our countries treat the Thais and their spouses like sh!t. If the Thais were as lax as the majority of you wish them to be. Inflation would be through the roof, Burmese and alcoholic white people would be sleeping in the alleys, and gangs from Africa would be collecting entrance fees at every bar in Bangkok. As I see it they are on the verge of being over run by people entering the country under false pretence and are doing what needs to be done. Sounds like some of you think you should be given some kind of special treatment because you are from the U.S, Europe, or AUS. Maybe our complaints should be sent to our own consulates about their restrictions put upon the Thais.

Edited September 11, 2009 by chiangdan

[mrdome]

Personally I fail to see the problem. [...]

There may still be cases of teachers who can get p/t hours only, without being eligible for a work permit. I was in that position from 2001 - early 2003 and again in 2004.

[Oberkommando]

This crackdown have nothing to do with the genuine tourist, they are not affected at all by this. 993.9 % of all tourist spend their 10 or 20 day's holliday here and go back home.

I can only suggest you are out of touch or misinformed as many genuine tourists have already been affected by the 3 x 30 day rule, then the shortening of the on arrival stamps at land borders to 15 days, then the 3 x 15 day rule.

I meet genuine tourists regularly in Cambodia and Vietnam that have been affected by these rules, and this one will be no different.

Thailand's loss of the backpacker and long-term tourists will be other countries' gain, there's already disatisfaction among the long-term tourists I speak to and it looks set to continue.

[Beachresort]

What is the purpose of the crackdown?

A understand there are millions of illegal workers in

Thailand from Burma, laos etc, many dont even have passports.

Many are not even registered in any country.

But most ppl on TV keep talking about European

english teachers... ?

They are trying to get rid of 100 teachers

and keep millions of illegal non thai asian workers?

[cmiuc]

I don't know if its been mentioned...

but this problem also lies with some of these cheap schools... They don't want to do WP's and Visa's...so they send out the foreigners accross the borders in order for them to keep the money in their pockets.. or have pizz off the imigration dept with faulty paperworks, and therefore rack in the cash and leave the foreigner hanging.

I know a lot of times, Filipinos get caught up in this mess... they need the job, so they do like that for the schools... (private schools are notorious for that... panyasak was very guilty of this way)

So while they are cleaning up this problem, they also ought to get the name of the school they are 'not working for' and the immigration police ought to make some visits there and do some cleaning house too...

I think a lot of the foriegners get caught in this pretty much(those without wp & visas)

[NanLaew]

Think of Thailand as a huge house with lots of rooms. For years people have been coming in and out the many doors (as well as sneaking in through the windows) and some have decided to mostly stay inside, regardless of their visa, age, vocation, marital status, etc.. The old landlord never really gave a sh!t about who came, went or stayed as long as the rent was paid.

The new landlord of this huge house wants to increase the rent and also really wants to know who is actually making all the bloody noise in his house, but he has a problem. There's ony two lines on the arrivee's TMS card that shows an address, probably incorrect at best, bogus at worst. There's also an arcane and poorly enforced 'registration' paper trail that only really works with hotels and guest houses. So the only real way to find out who's inside is to ask them to leave through the front door where they have a proper book for noting these people's bona fides. Make them do it on a regular basis and the less ardent, less honest and less desirable lodgers will give up and take their happy <deleted> to a flop house where the landlord is more like the old Thai one.

[thaibreaker]

To get this straight, if I want to stay on a legit visa up to one year, what is my option?

I don`t work, am not married, and under 50. However I dont want to show a monthly income.

And for those who compare me with a bum or loser, you have no clue. I never get into trouble, spend my own money, and respect the laws here as well as any. I should have the same right to be here as you.

I can apply for a multiple non O visa at Kuala Lumpur, right? And get max. 15 months, with borderruns every 90 days?

What are their demands at KL, how much money do I need to show in my thai bank? 100.000 bath?

That should do it? Just show them my thai bankbook? And the other usual papers of course?

Would a bank statement from my home country do it?

Thanks for answering.

This long thread confuses me, and I really appreciate an answer.

Thanks people

[aglae4]

Crackdown on back-to-back Tourist visa applications

Extended screening of visa applicants

((cut)).[/i]

...Can somebody confirm if I can stay more than 180 days a year with only tourists visas? Thank you!

Nobody can say that. But you can change from a tourist visa to non immigrant and then extend for retirement inside Thailand with proof of 800k in Thai bank for 2 months, or 65k income by Embassy letter or a combination to meet the 800k amount. No police check or medical required.

I'll try that. Thank you.

[KarenBravo]

I can only suggest you are out of touch or misinformed as many genuine tourists have already been affected by the 3 x 30 day rule, then the shortening of the on arrival stamps at land borders to 15 days, then the 3 x 15 day rule.

The 3 x 30 rule does not apply if you arrive by air from another country.

As another poster has already pointed out, you can do as many visa runs back to back as long as you fly.

[rrose070]

We, too, believed I could piggy-back on my husband's retirement visa. Denied at CM immigration - they told us to go to BKK. So we made a special trip there - BKK immigration basically laughed in our faces. It seems like a classic case of the right hand not knowing...

[Lite Beer]

We, too, believed I could piggy-back on my husband's retirement visa. Denied at CM immigration - they told us to go to BKK. So we made a special trip there - BKK immigration basically laughed in our faces. It seems like a classic case of the right hand not knowing...

This is the Official Rule that covers this. Many people do apply successfully.

2.20 In the case of a family

member of an alien who has been permitted temporary

stay under clauses 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6,2.7, 2.10, 2.12, 2.13,2.4, 2.15, 2.16, 2.17,

2.21, 2.22,2.26,6.29 of this Order (applicable only to parents, spouse, child, adopted child or child of

his/her spouse):

Permission will be

granted for a period of

not more than 1 year at a time.