Vientiane Double Visa: Three Strikes And You'Re Out!

[bangkokcitylimits]

Everyday a few hundred long staying foreigners get new visa in Vientiane, how about them ?

Strange story when it only happens to one person.

[Thunderbird4ever]

Tourists don't need 4 Tourist visas.

Good to see them cracking down on people illegally abusing the system.

Should really make it a limit of 2, not 3. Or even a limit of one in neighbouring countries.

I understand you are only posting to provoke people but to answer your idiotic post seriously:

first: you do understand that some people have 10 year passports and might come to thailand lets say 1-2 times a year for 1-3 months at a time needing a tourist visa each time? this could result in 10+ tourist visas in the 10 year passport for a genuine tourist

second: you do understand that there are people like myself who are under 50, have money, do not need to work (especially in thailand), are not married nor have a child with a thai? what visa would you suggest to me? as far as i know the only options for me to stay in thailand with legal visas are the on year non-immigrant visas from hull or back-to-back tourist visas. i guess i could study thai too but i am too lazy

third: sure, there are people who might be working on tourist visas and they should not be allowed to do so but to reject anyone from getting another visa only because they have 3 existing stickers is just plain retarded thai style decision making without thinking

The problem is that you dont accpet that you dont qualify for endless issues of tourist visa crossing the border and back. Just because someone has money does not qualify them for staying here year after year doing border runs. Tourist visas should be for tourists.

In most countries in the world you are not defined as being a tourist if your stay is over 6 months in that country. And ecause you have a stay of one day or one month outside of Thailand dont expect the Thai immigration or any other of the worlds immigration`s to accpet your tourist visa application similar to a first time tourist.

If you officially get a stronger connection to Thailand ie through a marriage, Thai child, studies or investment then you will be given visa choices in the non immigrant category.

In your case though it is little to complain about. As you say it yourself you`ve got the money and can get a one year from Hull. Just book a ticket then and go to Hull once a year and get this one year non immigrant.

If all the worlds citizens could work their way around with tourist visas to Eu countries the way foreigners living in Thailand does and Europe would have look`ed a heck of a lot different than it does today.

[Richard4849]

Passon, what would a Thai need to do to hang out in your civilized home country indefinitely?

Thank you for referring to my country as civilized, that's a good start to answering your question. Indefinitely is an unknown quantity, but to be specific, a second visa stamp in my civilized country entitles a Thai person to enter and exit the country for a period of ten years. My country also allows foreigners things like resident alien status, green cards and a path to citizenship. How does that match up to Thailand's alien resident program?

A) Thailand has resident alien status (I've had it), green cards (I've had one) and a path to citizenship (I've taken it, and am now a naturalized Thai citizen).

The ten-year visa you refer to is EXTREMELY difficult for an average Thai to get. More than 75% of applicants end up wasting $100 (and losing a lot of dignity) just for trying.

C) Also, the immigration officer on duty on arrival will certainly NOT let anyone holding it simply step over the border to renew their allotted stay (which can be anything from a couple weeks to six months, depending on their whim). In fact, if in their discretion it appears as if the holder is making a home, working, studying -- anything other than just visiting on occasion -- the visa will be revoked and they'll be on the next plane out.

Thailand has one of the most liberal visa regimes in the world. Why do you think it is the first overseas country most Chinese, Russians, Indians, etc. ever see? Why do you think you see farangs in every village in every province in the country these days? Anyone can get into Thailand, and most people can easily stay as long as they wish.

[tropo]

The truth is, as you will see from a lot of posters on here, it is not easy to stay here long term if you are under 50 and don't want to work, or study....and YES, admittedly it is probably impossible in any other country.

It seems easy for the Filipino crowd. They always score double entry visas one way or another.

For anyone who was paying attention, Phnom Penh is the new location for double entries and has been since early last year. I even made posts about this and offered an agent's number if PM'd last year but there was little interest - people were too busy whinging about the problems in Vientiane. There have been other guys posting about how easy it is to get visas there and how to go about it too - do a search.

Filipinos aged in their 20's are getting them all year long. Do you think these Filipinos are independently wealthy and vacationing in Thailand all year long??? If you really need to know how to stay in Thailand get with this group because they always find a way.

PS Don't PM me for agents. I no longer have the contacts. If you search around you will find agents who can do visa runs to Cambodia.

[Thunderbird4ever]

I can also confirm that the Vientiane Thai immigration are thightening the rules about this. One Canadian citizen I met both days inside the immigration and who applied for a double entry tourist visa was denied.

He was only given a single entry tourist visa.

When the female immigration officer was checking his papers the first day of application she quickly removed his double entry request telling him; you only get a single entry, you travel to much in and out of many countires.

The fact was that this guy had not been once in Thailand for the last 13 months.

When he then started question this female officer about why and why not, she quickly got angry and started pushing all the papers back out through the window saying something like; ok you dont want visa, then take your papers and leave.

This happened in the beginning of January this year

Edited February 7, 2011 by Thunderbird4ever

[Thunderbird4ever]

The problem is not with the Thai system or imimgration but within the people who are complaining. It is YOU who are defining yourself as long time tourists. The truth is that you are not. A tourist willl most likely have the definition of someone staying here from anything from 1 day to 30 days and probably a long time tourist up till 60 days. The double entry tourist visa was never made with the intension that everyone "should" stay 60+30 then crossing border and then 60+30 again. It was made with the intension for people/tourists applying for visas back home and traveling the SEA region for a longer period of time and so they could easy travel in and out of Thailand and then back in without having to go to any consulate or embassy to get a new visa.

So if staying here longer than 6 months you are actually living here. In any country around the world you must qualify to do so and its up to each country to decide what the qualifications should be.

[thaical]

You're confirming what I've been saying all along. They don't have time to analyse the length of periods between visas, where they were issued and total time spent in Thailand. They are too busy and just quickly count the stamps. They were doing that in Penang too.

Of course people want to know how many they can get? No clear answer has ever come.

Perhaps in March after the free period ends things may change.

Please don't anyone hold their breath - the revival of the Tourist visa charges are nothing if not "nebulous" - there's no guarantee that they will come back into service next month.

[barney42bb]

Tourists don't need 4 Tourist visas.

Good to see them cracking down on people illegally abusing the system.

Should really make it a limit of 2, not 3. Or even a limit of one in neighbouring countries.

I understand you are only posting to provoke people but to answer your idiotic post seriously:

first: you do understand that some people have 10 year passports and might come to thailand lets say 1-2 times a year for 1-3 months at a time needing a tourist visa each time? this could result in 10+ tourist visas in the 10 year passport for a genuine tourist

second: you do understand that there are people like myself who are under 50, have money, do not need to work (especially in thailand), are not married nor have a child with a thai? what visa would you suggest to me? as far as i know the only options for me to stay in thailand with legal visas are the on year non-immigrant visas from hull or back-to-back tourist visas. i guess i could study thai too but i am too lazy

third: sure, there are people who might be working on tourist visas and they should not be allowed to do so but to reject anyone from getting another visa only because they have 3 existing stickers is just plain retarded thai style decision making without thinking

Go Back to Uk ...Or even Australia...get another Visa..If you are 50 and have Money...you can get a retirement visa....The system and rules are easy enough to follow.Remember you are a tolerated guest in Thailand...Obey the rules or sod off.

[Thunderbird4ever]

what a great country it is everything about money here

24hours a day a thai think only about money.

i am no ATM machine ok.i am a human being

they should be happy that foreigners come to visit or stay in thailand and spend money doesnt matter how much thats not up to a thai to tell me how much money i must spent every single day here.or rising up the food prices and the thai pay less.bullshit

thats up to me its my money my life i behave myself good and i have a good attitude but most of the thais dont have it.they must learn.be always polite and friendly as long as they can.yeeaah surely there are some crazy and bad foreigners here around too .no doubt but there are more bad thai people here around so thats make it not even and sometimes dangerous to stay in this country.it is important with who i gonna share my time here and with who i wanna talk and share my private time.this i decide by myself.i wanna meet nice and good people.i did.but somedays you dont no who i gonna meet what kind of people.

i met some crazy thais and foreigners too before.but i just stayed away from these crazy people.

i dont want to meet fuc_ked up crazy yaa baa thais or foreigners.no way.i wanna have a nice time here and thats the point.i gonna stay out of trouble here.thats it.

i like thailand it is nice to stay for a while specially when it is cold and dark in my country.but i hope the thai people and the thai government will change into the good way and think positiv of foreigners.when i go to a thai embassy outside my country and sometimes i have to go for a new visa in some thai embassys they are nice and friendly but most of the officers are unfriendly and rude.like money suckers only care about the money.

treating me like a criminal sometimes i was thinking to myself why they do this.i am no criminal and i bring money in this country yeah.believe me sometimes i thought if this officer visit my country normal i should kick ass but i am polite and a good guy so i wouldnt do the same i wouldnt go down to the same low level like some thai people.

anyway live and let live and enjoy life and peace to the world.

about the visa rules i dont no.it could be better.like in malaysia i can enter the country without a visa and can stay 90 days without a need of a visa but i only have to show a return ticket that i leave the country again.nothing more no bank account book or something like this.

no problem.90 days are plenty enough for FREE.you see thailand it is possible.

mai pben rai or nevermind hahahahahahahahahahahahaaa.

i mind

Borat.. is it you?

Welcome to Thailand caantry

[pkspeaker]

Everytime there is a thread about possible restrictions on people running to the border and endlessly applying for tourest visa's I see this stuff about how important tourits are to the Thai economy after all it's 7% as you mentioned..

of that 7%, what % of that you think is attributable to these border runners? people who go by land to the border don't have that much money, they are here living for cheap doing or getting whatever to get by make no real difference to the economy,restrictions are a big threat because they can't afford to stay any other way...

most of that 7% are the rich, I see rich Asian's, Koreans, Chinese, rich Arabs, rich farang retirees and well to do tourists all over bangkok, especially at shopping areas from mbk to siam paragon.. those people don't care what the law is concerning border runs; they'll just get the appropriate visa or fly to singapore or back home they need another 90 day tourest visa.. so lets cut the "Thailand better not make it hard for me to do border runs or they'll lose all this money because they need people like me.." crap . . they don't need bottom feeders; if there are less of these people it might even do the local population good because it might lower cheap rental fees and might even make more jobs available to lower income thai professionals assuming someone will have to do these lower paying jobs that these foreigners are doing, who knows.. it's fortunant they let us stay here as much as they do.. i mean is it this easy to live in vietnam? if you can't get a non-imm. (which isn't that hard) then just fly home and get another 2 entry tourest visa; that will give you another 6 months, a trip after that to singapore and you get another 3 months, i mean get creative..

Tourists don't need 4 Tourist visas.

Good to see them cracking down on people illegally abusing the system.

Should really make it a limit of 2, not 3. Or even a limit of one in neighbouring countries.

That sounds like a Pad Thai Iron curtain. Tourists bring money into Thailand. The longer tourists stay the more money they spend.

What abuse are you referring too? Abuse means something that goes beyond the normal and that harms people or property.

Isn't enough that Thais have discriminatory practices: one price for Thais and another price for foreigners? If Thais were discriminated that way in any of the Western countries will you condone it or be in favor of it?

That attitude kept China isolated for centuries. The result was a culture that rejected any values, technology or knowledge that was not Chinese.

If Thailand continues exacerbating that nationalistic pride it will regress until it becomes our of step with the rest of the world.

If these crack downs have been planned the same way of the new airport and the rail link, it will produce likewise results.

Tourists account for about 7% of the total GDP.

I understand that in schools a stern nationalism is taught to the students from an early age. That has lead to the current state of affairs in which tourists are reluctantly tolerated as long as they pay higher prices.

Spain had a boom in tourism for many years (over 45 million each year consistently) and they began to developed such tendencies. Eventually, they had to beg tourists to return when these got tired of the underlying disdain and predatory practices. Currently Spain, which is an industrialized country, is on the verge of bankrupcy. They had the goose that laid gold eggs and their unbriddled nationalistic pride and lack of common sense and fairness killed it.

Is that what you wish for Thailand?

[Scubadude770]

What happenned to the 90 / 180 day rule ? Before I got my O visa the rule was that in a 180 day consecutive calendar day period you could only be on a tourist Visa for 90 of the 180 consecutive days. Not a bad policy if the immigration officer take the time to count it up ( as they did with me on more than once occassion I came in one time with only 6 days allowed.

[OzMick]

May I point to this post:

My Thai girlfrind has just got off the phone to the Thai embassy in Vientiane. According to them, there is NO rule in force at that embassy saying 3 strikes and you are out...

They said that if you ring them up before making the trip and tell them exactly what the status of your past visas in your passport, they will tell you to either come up or don't bother.

The exact details of the double entry restrictions are 3 in a rolling 12 month period.

If your last 3 double entries extend beyond 12 months, then you are entitled to another one.

When you call, you must get the person's name who you talk to and make sure that they take a record of your name and passport number. This will ensure that you will be given one and your trip is NOT wasted. This is of course only applicable if they said you are clear to come.

Full post from today here: http://www.thaivisa...._gopid__4202842

If this post is true, and I have no reason to doubt it, then it is quite possible to live in Thailand on double-entry tourist visas only, if you re canny enough to do an extension or two, and don't get caught out with the expiry date (marked as "Must use before") which occurs 3 months from the date of purchase.

So who is affected by this policy? People who come and go to neighbouring countries, otherwise known as tourists.:(

[MILT]

I take it you or your family are not in the tourist business.

Tourists don't need 4 Tourist visas.

Good to see them cracking down on people illegally abusing the system.

Should really make it a limit of 2, not 3. Or even a limit of one in neighbouring countries.

[NanLaew]

I'm replying to my own post cos after trying 3 times to remove the stupid Smiley which i didn't insert in the first place, i've given up - the Smiley's not there. ok ? Anyone know why a Smiley resists all Delete operations ?

Because you used the character b with a ) right next to it, which creates

If you want to avoid that in the future, try inserting a space between them like b ) See? No smiley.

Another way is to make future posts shorter, ie make your point under a)

I am with appropriate and richard4849 btw, there's no problem with the current visa structure. So, they are limiting the amount of multi-tourist visas issued locally. Who does that inconvenience most? Not any genuine tourist, that's for sure.

To get the appropriate visa for your intended stay, you get the required support docs together, go back to your home country, go to Thai Consulate or Embassy and apply and pay for it. It's the lazy cheap <deleted> that make most noise followed by those dodgy 'internet business for myself' characters.

As for torin, the newbie who claims to 'have a biz' with a hotel in Cha-am, it sounds like the Labour Office did you a great favour. The 'business' was never yours, you bailed out a Thai owner who was breaking his own laws and if you had stayed any longer, who knows what else you would have lost. Your beef aint with Thai Immigration, the Labour Office or even your shady business partner, it's with your poor investment choice.

[MaxYakov]

If this post is true, and I have no reason to doubt it, then it is quite possible to live in Thailand on double-entry tourist visas only, if you re canny enough to do an extension or two, and don't get caught out with the expiry date (marked as "Must use before") which occurs 3 months from the date of purchase.

So who is affected by this policy? People who come and go to neighbouring countries, otherwise known as tourists.:(

I resemble this remark. Been in Thailand almost 2 years on 4 double-entries and an initial, extended 15 days VOA. Going for my 5th double entry soon. Don't consider the 30 day extensions (requisite to squeeze the 6 months out of a double-entry) to be 'canny', just part of the deal. Never hesitated long enough to encounter the 'Must Use Before' gotcha. On Phnom Penh/Vientiane runs, you get maybe one day of hesitation ... unless one wants to linger in Cambodia/Laos for some reason (and defer the paid-in-advance transportation back to BKK).

Am I a tourist? I call it a 'survey'. There are other candidates for retirement on his planet and I've decided to avoid the invasion of privacy and/or the 800K THB deposit requirements for the retirement visa while I perform my 'survey'. I see there are a few self-righteous commenters on this forum who are attempting to define 'tourist' (in terms of the number of tourist visas) for both visitors and Thai immigration. Would they care to define 'survey' for me and how many visas of which type are proper to accomplish it?

For those who will accuse me of staying in Thailand on 'my terms', let me remind you that, with the exception of an accidental 2-day overstay (for which I paid the fine), all of these visas have been issued by Thai Immigration so, implicitly, they are agreeing to these terms, are they not?

[crazydrummerpauly]

I'm replying to my own post cos after trying 3 times to remove the stupid Smiley which i didn't insert in the first place, i've given up - the Smiley's not there. ok ? Anyone know why a Smiley resists all Delete operations ?

Because you used the character b with a ) right next to it, which creates

If you want to avoid that in the future, try inserting a space between them like b ) See? No smiley.

Another way is to make future posts shorter, ie make your point under a)

I am with appropriate and richard4849 btw, there's no problem with the current visa structure. So, they are limiting the amount of multi-tourist visas issued locally. Who does that inconvenience most? Not any genuine tourist, that's for sure.

To get the appropriate visa for your intended stay, you get the required support docs together, go back to your home country, go to Thai Consulate or Embassy and apply and pay for it. It's the lazy cheap <deleted> that make most noise followed by those dodgy 'internet business for myself' characters.

As for torin, the newbie who claims to 'have a biz' with a hotel in Cha-am, it sounds like the Labour Office did you a great favour. The 'business' was never yours, you bailed out a Thai owner who was breaking his own laws and if you had stayed any longer, who knows what else you would have lost. Your beef aint with Thai Immigration, the Labour Office or even your shady business partner, it's with your poor investment choice.

Ah! - thanks - didn't even occur to me that my 'b' with-a-bracket would insert a smiley on a platform that has the pictogram smileys ! But i am old now you know... As for the focus of this thread - i was merely reporting a bunch of depressed travellers tales relating to problems getting back across the 'friendship bridge' - i am about to return to my own green and pleasant land to apply for my 3rd Cat 'O' one-year stamp - but as i mentionned, there is increasing worry that consulates have come under pressure to make those also tougher to get, as another therad on TV testifies. As for your general hostile tone - don't see the point of that - live and let live, so long as it doesn't harm others.

[crazydrummerpauly]

If this post is true, and I have no reason to doubt it, then it is quite possible to live in Thailand on double-entry tourist visas only, if you re canny enough to do an extension or two, and don't get caught out with the expiry date (marked as "Must use before") which occurs 3 months from the date of purchase.

So who is affected by this policy? People who come and go to neighbouring countries, otherwise known as tourists.:(

I resemble this remark. Been in Thailand almost 2 years on 4 double-entries and an initial, extended 15 days VOA. Going for my 5th double entry soon. Don't consider the 30 day extensions (requisite to squeeze the 6 months out of a double-entry) to be 'canny', just part of the deal. Never hesitated long enough to encounter the 'Must Use Before' gotcha. On Phnom Penh/Vientiane runs, you get maybe one day of hesitation ... unless one wants to linger in Cambodia/Laos for some reason (and defer the paid-in-advance transportation back to BKK).

Am I a tourist? I call it a 'survey'. There are other candidates for retirement on his planet and I've decided to avoid the invasion of privacy and/or the 800K THB deposit requirements for the retirement visa while I perform my 'survey'. I see there are a few self-righteous commenters on this forum who are attempting to define 'tourist' (in terms of the number of tourist visas) for both visitors and Thai immigration. Would they care to define 'survey' for me and how many visas of which type are proper to accomplish it?

For those who will accuse me of staying in Thailand on 'my terms', let me remind you that, with the exception of an accidental 2-day overstay (for which I paid the fine), all of these visas have been issued by

Thai Immigration so, implicitly, they are agreeing to these terms, are they not?

Bravo ! Don't like self-righteousness or word-fascism either - and they are bound to go together

Edited February 7, 2011 by crazydrummerpauly

[jacko45k]

I don't know why we had to be told she was a lawyer, but she should get the correct visa type.

[OzMick]

If this post is true, and I have no reason to doubt it, then it is quite possible to live in Thailand on double-entry tourist visas only, if you re canny enough to do an extension or two, and don't get caught out with the expiry date (marked as "Must use before") which occurs 3 months from the date of purchase.

So who is affected by this policy? People who come and go to neighbouring countries, otherwise known as tourists.:(

I resemble this remark. Been in Thailand almost 2 years on 4 double-entries and an initial, extended 15 days VOA. Going for my 5th double entry soon. Don't consider the 30 day extensions (requisite to squeeze the 6 months out of a double-entry) to be 'canny', just part of the deal. Never hesitated long enough to encounter the 'Must Use Before' gotcha. On Phnom Penh/Vientiane runs, you get maybe one day of hesitation ... unless one wants to linger in Cambodia/Laos for some reason (and defer the paid-in-advance transportation back to BKK).

Am I a tourist? I call it a 'survey'. There are other candidates for retirement on his planet and I've decided to avoid the invasion of privacy and/or the 800K THB deposit requirements for the retirement visa while I perform my 'survey'. I see there are a few self-righteous commenters on this forum who are attempting to define 'tourist' (in terms of the number of tourist visas) for both visitors and Thai immigration. Would they care to define 'survey' for me and how many visas of which type are proper to accomplish it?

For those who will accuse me of staying in Thailand on 'my terms', let me remind you that, with the exception of an accidental 2-day overstay (for which I paid the fine), all of these visas have been issued by Thai Immigration so, implicitly, they are agreeing to these terms, are they not?

Totally agree - if some-one makes rules and asks you to abide by them, they have no right to bitch when you do so.

The double-entry tourist visa is a piece of crap designed to confuse and annoy genuine tourists. Tourists do not buy a visa the day they depart, and if they extend their 1st stay, exit for a week or two in a neighbouring country, their second entry is on an expired visa. "Must Use Before" is ambiguous - the required meaning is "Expires On" which should occur after 6 months, not 3

[Chupup]

It does not matter who you really are - if you look like a backpacker and you have three stamps - they will most likely let you in but anyone else 'trying it on' who may be casually dressed and are doing border runs on back to back - what would you expect? If you have an APEC card you can come and go as many times as you please - so the $200 for three years is a great bonus but each time also gives 90 days. Then you have legit like Non Imm B and Non Imm O all of which initially require 90 day Immigration Dept extension thereafter the first year - gets to be annually.

But the immigration people at the borders must be fairly tired of doing all this paperwork and now simply add up stamps! Can you blame them when it is fairly obvious most of the renewals are not tourism?

I don't think you have anything to complain about. And in the origination of this blog - it was a lawyer who complained this was probably working thus tourism visa does not apply ? Assumption of course....

So, what is an APEC card please, and where do i get one

[snamos]

The long term farangs do not count as tourists. They should be considered 'immigrants'. Thai should allow long term visa for these immigrants, so they do not disrupt the neighboring countries.

What about off shore workers like myself who work 3 months on 3 months off?...there are a hell of a lot of us long term tourists

[cup-O-coffee]

Just read this and most of the posts. It sounds to me, and confirms my suspicions, that only lone rangers are being singled out: as usual. Go with a tour company and you will never be bothered. The tour companies always check your passport for flaws, errors, etc. If they give you a thumbs up to ride in their minivan, then it is a fair guess that your passport will make it through the backdoor process when the passengers are herded like cattle through the turnstiles.

This lawyer? I suspect she had a chip on her shoulder, as well as being a lone ranger. She probably also has a mouthy, better than you attitude, and gave the border official an earful of law and regulation and what the official can and can not do.

I have never heard of any case where a passenger traveling with a tour company was ever refused, with the exception of simply being a wanke_r.

In my experience, and it is certifiably qualified in this matter, the only times this issue has come up is with lone rangers, and people who act like morons to the officials. Oh; dressing like a bum and having poor hygiene will earn you their scorn as well when you have to deal with any Thai official. Dress presentable, smile, and don't wave your hands and arms in their face is a good rule of thumb to live by.

Just my two bits.

[Thunderbird4ever]

The long term farangs do not count as tourists. They should be considered 'immigrants'. Thai should allow long term visa for these immigrants, so they do not disrupt the neighboring countries.

What about off shore workers like myself who work 3 months on 3 months off?...there are a hell of a lot of us long term tourists

This is the problem. You define yourself as being a tourist. So tell us, if you work offshore for 3 months, then stay here every 3 month you have your off period and are only a tourist when you are here.

The we all want to know, if you are only tourist here where do you then live in the world??

As far as I know one year is only 12 months. The truth is that you are living here. Here is where you spend your time when you have your off time. You dont have to go public with it on the forum, just think about what answer you give your best friends when they ask you where you live. The pretty much gives the correct answer of where you live.

One of the definitions to all countries immigrations weather a foreign alien is living in their country is based on months per year. This is not something special for Thailand. There is no doubt that the tourist visa system is abused here. Its easy to get the correct papers to live here. If you cant get all the papers they require then you dont qualify. Is that unfair. No.

Just becauce someone "like" or "love" Thailand is not enough to stay forever.

PS! Offshore workers can easily obtain a one year visa here from consulates or embassies abroad. I have a good friend that does so. Also as offshore worker or a seaman you can require one more passport from your government so one can be used to obtain visa to various countries while the other one stays with you.

Edited February 8, 2011 by Thunderbird4ever

[ianbaggie]

Breath-taking, the number of foreigners who think it is their right to inhabit someone else's country on their terms.

Its probably because our own countries are so lax on foreigners - we have 300,000 illegal immigrants in UK many whove been shipped over from France and our taxpayers pay for every one of them. Indians come to England they get a house a car a temple built for them and a job or a corner shop as they wish while our own people live on unemployment benefit, as well as this they get laws to protect them that dont protect natve citizens - I suppose thats what you get for having democracy and equality!! But thats what makes westerners at lease expect a short stay and a VISA in another country. The rights which Chinese communities enjoy all over the world FAR outweigh what westerners have or would expect to have in Thailand (or China for that matter)!! So PLEASE DONT accuse westerners of not having the right to a VISA when they give so much to the third world.

[appropriate]

What about off shore workers like myself who work 3 months on 3 months off?...there are a hell of a lot of us long term tourists

So you live here for 6 months of the year and you don't have any local friends that you like to visit??

Edited February 8, 2011 by appropriate

[Mario2008]

Visiting friends is not a reason to get a visa.

But someone who is in Thailand for 3 months and than out again for 3 months should not have a problem with getting a tourist visa.

[Arkady]

Offshore workers who are continuously employed and take their leave periods in Thailand, seem to have no problem getting one year non-imm visas from embassies and consulates in their home countries with company letters explaining their employment situation. But remember that, if you spend more than 180 days in Thailand in a tax year (same as calendar year), you are tax resident in Thailand and need to pay tax on any income earned offshore that is remitted to Thailand within 12 months of earning it.

[cbc]

Simple soultion. Get a new passport. Americans can renew there passport even if the old one is not expired. New passport + blank pages = no stickers to count.

Sorry Thairich but you are wrong with your solution.When you get a new passport all of the stamp's and visa's are transferred from the old passport to the new one.I just experienced this as i recently renewed my passport.

Anyway,it is their country and their rules and we are only guests here so,simple follow the rules or try another country with visa rules that suit one.I can't imagine what anyone would do staying here for months or years upon end unless one is retired here.Once you've seen the sites here the only thing to do is hang around in the bar's and drink.And one can't work unless you have the proper visa,not a tourist visa.

[appropriate]

Visiting friends is not a reason to get a visa.

http://www.whereisdeniss.com/thai-blog/how-i-got-my-1-year-thai-visa-without-any-problems

[Mario2008]

Visiting friends is not a reason to get a visa.

http://www.whereisde...ut-any-problems

http://www.thaivisa....siting-friends/

The consulate in Hull recently stopped issuing based on visiting friends in Thailand. The embassy in the UK never did issue based on friends.