Good news for holders of UK, USA, Japan, Germany, France, Canada and Italy

[sotsira]

Ok, that's great, thanks guys.

[sotsira]

Yeap - 10 Jan.

Hawker, did they ask to see an outbound airline ticket within the 30 day period?

[ubonjoe]

No border crossing asks to see tickets out within 30 days.

[sotsira]

Thanks ubonjoe,

Does that mean that they don't ask to see outbound tickets at all?

[ubonjoe]

That is correct. They don't ask for any tickets.

[BuckBee]

I can't recommend doing continuous border runs. It makes no sense to me because of the time and money wasted. One trip to Vientiane for a 2 entry visa gives almost 6 months with one border run and 2 trips to immigration for a 30 day extension.

The e-visa for Cambodia is a good option but you have to be sure and use the official website. http://evisa.mfaic.gov.kh/

is this for air arrivals only, or can eVisa be used fr land borders? Does it include a stamp fee?

It can be used at Poi Pet and Hat Lek border crossings (listed on website). These are the only crossings that accept e-visas.

You pay for the visa online. I don't know of any other stamp fee at the border,

I would suggest reviewing map for full info on borders equiped for evisa processing:

http://evisa.mfaic.gov.kh/Map.aspx

Edited February 23, 2014 by BuckBee

[ubonjoe]

I can't recommend doing continuous border runs. It makes no sense to me because of the time and money wasted. One trip to Vientiane for a 2 entry visa gives almost 6 months with one border run and 2 trips to immigration for a 30 day extension.

The e-visa for Cambodia is a good option but you have to be sure and use the official website. http://evisa.mfaic.gov.kh/

is this for air arrivals only, or can eVisa be used fr land borders? Does it include a stamp fee?

It can be used at Poi Pet and Hat Lek border crossings (listed on website). These are the only crossings that accept e-visas.

You pay for the visa online. I don't know of any other stamp fee at the border,

I would suggest reviewing map for full info on borders equiped for evisa processing:

http://evisa.mfaic.gov.kh/Map.aspx

Those are the only two that are on the Thai border with Cambodia.

[BuckBee]

Those are the only two that are on the Thai border with Cambodia.

I was thinking more of flight in to siam reap or Phnom Penh & perhaps returning via land is another option for those who may want make something of the trip rather than just border hopping, as well as saving a page it also makes for speedy processing through the immigration.

[ubonjoe]

Those are the only two that are on the Thai border with Cambodia.

I was thinking more of flight in to siam reap or Phnom Penh & perhaps returning via land is another option for those who may want make something of the trip rather than just border hopping, as well as saving a page it also makes for speedy processing through the immigration.

You can enter Cambodia by air or by land at one of the two crossings with e-visa and then depart from a crossing that accepts e-visa for departure only.

See the list here: http://evisa.mfaic.gov.kh/

[BuckBee]

Those are the only two that are on the Thai border with Cambodia.

I was thinking more of flight in to siam reap or Phnom Penh & perhaps returning via land is another option for those who may want make something of the trip rather than just border hopping, as well as saving a page it also makes for speedy processing through the immigration.

You can enter Cambodia by air or by land at one of the two crossings with e-visa and then depart from a crossing that accepts e-visa for departure only.

See the list here: http://evisa.mfaic.gov.kh/

All crossings are usable for exit it is just the entry handling of evisa that is limited.

[hawker9000]

Yeap - 10 Jan.

Hawker, did they ask to see an outbound airline ticket within the 30 day period?

Nope.

[arunsakda]

All at least fairly developed countries, and then Italy?? They might as well include Greece, Turkey or Russia, if Italy is included.

Sweden and Holland should have been included.

but they like the Italian restaurants... I haven't seen any Swedish restaurants while I have been here or Dutch...

There is a Dutch restaurant at the back end of Soi Cowboy.

[geriatrickid]

I apologize for asking what may be the obvious for you pros, but I am quite confused. One of my ex workmates is visiting with his wife, she is Japanese and he is Canadian, and travel on those passports, so both qualify as G-7. Both will be on 30 day tourist visas although they live and work in the EU. They want to go to Laos 7 days into their 30 day visas. It's a 1 day excursion. What happens? Do they get stamped out in the morning and then get a new 30 day visa when they cross back in the afternoon, or is the original 30 days still in effect since it is only a day trip?

They intend to stay another 3 weeks after the Laos visit as it is their belated honeymoon 10 years after the event. They asked me, and I am clueless on this.

Thanks.

[ubonjoe]

They will both get a new 30 day visa exempt (it is not a visa) entry upon their return to Thailand. It does not matter if they are out of the country for only a few minutes or days.

They will need to get a Lao visa on arrival. They will need photos and funds for the visa.

[blackion]

I'm an Israeli and two days ago I came from Laos to Thailand and I was stamped 30 days. I couldn't find anywhere that Israel is included for the new 30 days over land entry rule, so I assume the immigration officer might have been mistaken?

Will I be getting into troubles when I'll exit Thailand? Like to be charged 500baht for every day beyond 15 days?

[ubonjoe]

I'm an Israeli and two days ago I came from Laos to Thailand and I was stamped 30 days. I couldn't find anywhere that Israel is included for the new 30 days over land entry rule, so I assume the immigration officer might have been mistaken?

Will I be getting into troubles when I'll exit Thailand? Like to be charged 500baht for every day beyond 15 days?

He probably picked up the wrong stamp. Chances are it would not be noticed on departure from the country. You can go to immigration and have it corrected if you want to,

[blackion]

Well, I'm wondering if I won't get it corrected, will in your opinion the immigration charge me for overstay in case they will notice it?

[baboon]

Well, I'm wondering if I won't get it corrected, will in your opinion the immigration charge me for overstay in case they will notice it?

At the crush to leave Suvarnabhumi, I seriously doubt they will notice.

[blackion]

Well, I'll be leaving via a land border, sometimes it's rushy, sometimes it is not. I understand that the chances it will be noticed are not high. I just wanted to get a second opinion on a what might happen if it will be noticed. A likely scenario.

I'm not overly anxious about it, just would like to hear opinions.

Edited March 15, 2014 by blackion

[hawker9000]

As I read it, you should have gotten only 15d at a land crossing. So, the way I see it, there are three possibilities at departure:

1. The officer won't notice anything unusual at all and just stamp you out.
2. The officer will notice (that you SHOULD have only gotten 15 days), but because it's there in your passport just stamp you out anyway, with or without even bringing it up.
3. The officer will notice and decide to ding you even though the 30-d stamp is in your passport.

If #3 happens, and I don't think that's likely, you can either just pay up & grin (I'm certain there'll be no "blacklisting" or anything; just the fine), OR seek to escalate it to their supervisor (which you can probably do just by politely not acquiescing until you are taken aside or the supervisor wanders over to see what's up).

I give #1 or #2 about a 95% chance. If #3 and you escalate, I think the odds are in your favor that the supervisor will overturn the counter officer's decision. Continue smiling, be polite, (hopefully not be dressed like a slob) and I really doubt you'll have a problem.

But it IS Thailand. Anything is possible. Stories do occasionally circulate about mistakes being made at immigration and coming back to bite the traveler who was supposedly expected to catch the mistake and return to immigration to have it corrected. If you're the type that likes to be prepared for absolutely anything, you might want to have the cash on you just in case...

[blackion]

I see it in the same way. I was also thinking, could it be that Israel got added to the list of the countries that get 30-days over land borders, and we just don't know it?

We have a relatively large number of people from Thailand who are working in Israel mostly in agriculture sector, perhaps that could be a reason, or any other reason.

[Mario2008]

Well, I'm wondering if I won't get it corrected, will in your opinion the immigration charge me for overstay in case they will notice it?

In such case immigration will normally consider it an overstay and charge you the usual fine.

[blackion]

Are you sure? My entry to the country and it's length is determined by the immigration officer. Can I be really charged for overstay if I haven't overstayed the period that I was granted?

(15 days and 30 days aren't laws, they are internal instructions within the Immigration Department. They are designated for the immigration officers, and I'm not required to know them, but to follow them.)

For example, if I'm a citizen of G7, and I would be granted 15 days instead of 30 days, and I wouldn't fix it and would stay for 30 days, certainly that would be an overstay.

[Mario2008]

Reports are that immigration will fine for overstay.

[thepool]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Are you sure? My entry to the country and it's length is determined by the immigration officer. Can I be really charged for overstay if I haven't overstayed the period that I was granted?

(15 days and 30 days aren't laws, they are internal instructions within the Immigration Department. They are designated for the immigration officers, and I'm not required to know them, but to follow them.)

For example, if I'm a citizen of G7, and I would be granted 15 days instead of 30 days, and I wouldn't fix it and would stay for 30 days, certainly that would be an overstay.

It is a personal responsibility to ensure that what is stamped in a passport is , in fact, correct.

Immigration Officers are not automatons and do, occasionally, make errors.

[Maestro]

The problem being that what is correct is not always published and thus not available for the information of travellers to Thailand. Even many Thai consulates apparently do not provide correct information about the visa-exempt entry rules, nor does the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

MFA visa exemption.pdf

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Maestro, just to be clear, the MFA pdf you've posted above is out-of-date, yes?

It doesn't reflect the recent change, the subject of this thread, to grant 30-day visa exempt stays for land border crossings of passport holders from the US, UK, etc, as listed in this thread. That's still in effect, yes?

Although, there was this recent news report in a different thread, and I'm not sure how to reconcile the two different notions involved: This thread talking about longer 30-day visa exempt land border entries for certain nationals, and the other more recent thread below talking about shorter, back to 15-day land border visa exempt entries.

These guys seem to be swerving back and forth more than drunken pickup truck drivers on the Song Kran holidays...

PHUKET: -- Immigration is to bring in a new rule soon aimed at discouraging repeat visa runs by visitors to Thailand who get visas on arrival and then extend their stays by doing visa runs.

Currently, visitors who come from countries on Thailand’s list of nationalities that may arrive with no visa and receive a visa on arrival can also hop out of Thailand into a neighbouring country and back, and get another 30 days. Some repeat this indefinitely.

Now, however, Immigration has announced that anyone arriving in Thailand across a land border will receive only 15 days. This will not apply to the first arrival in Thailand, whether by land or air, but will apply for subsequent arrivals by road or rail.

The number of back-to-back visa runs may also be limited.

The main aim is to discourage foreigners from staying long-term in Thailand by doing multiple back-to-back tourist visa runs.

Immigration has attempted before to discourage visa hoppers. The most recent attempt was when it was announced that no one would be able to spend more than 90 days total in Thailand on multiple visa runs. This has apparently been applied selectively, and will continue to be used this way, along with the new 15-day rule, in cases of people recognised as serial visa-hoppers.

A Phuket Immigration officer told The Phuket News they knew about the new rule, but that it is not yet being applied, and they are not sure just when it will be.

Source: http://www.thephuket...-runs-45216.php

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/711815-clampdown-coming-on-multiple-tourist-visa-runs/

[ubonjoe]

I have found no official documentation for the 30 days on entry for the G7 countries anywhere.

The information is that news article has not been confirmed nor has it gone into effect. Until it is confirmed by an official announcement from immigration it would be best to just ignore what is written there.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

30 days for holders of passports from UK, USA, Japan, Germany, France, Canada and Italy

BANGKOK: -- Royal Thai Immigration Bureau has confirmed to Thaivisa.com that holders of passports of UK, USA, Japan, Germany, France, Canada and Italy are since November 1, 2013 given 30 days at land borders instead of previously only 15 days.

I have found no official documentation for the 30 days on entry for the G7 countries anywhere.

The information is that news article has not been confirmed nor has it gone into effect. Until it is confirmed by an official announcement from immigration it would be best to just ignore what is written there.

Thanks for that update, Joe. I wasn't aware the original OP report was illusory.

So, 14 pages into this thread, we end up with yet another mistaken/false/premature Immigration policy change announcement??? The thread headline and topic visibly survives, but the fact it's false gets lost.

Unfortunately, there have been too many of these kinds of things, especially where ThaiVisa is the original "news" source of some supposed Immigration policy changes that, in the end, turn out to be simply not true.

Edited March 22, 2014 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[khwaibah]

30 days for holders of passports from UK, USA, Japan, Germany, France, Canada and Italy

BANGKOK: -- Royal Thai Immigration Bureau has confirmed to Thaivisa.com that holders of passports of UK, USA, Japan, Germany, France, Canada and Italy are since November 1, 2013 given 30 days at land borders instead of previously only 15 days.

I have found no official documentation for the 30 days on entry for the G7 countries anywhere.

The information is that news article has not been confirmed nor has it gone into effect. Until it is confirmed by an official announcement from immigration it would be best to just ignore what is written there.

Thanks for that update, Joe. I wasn't aware the original OP report was illusory.

So, 14 pages into this thread, we end up with yet another mistaken/false/premature Immigration policy change announcement??? The thread headline and topic visibly survives, but the fact it's false gets lost.

Unfortunately, there have been too many of these kinds of things, especially where ThaiVisa is the original "news" source of some supposed Immigration policy changes that, in the end, turn out to be simply not true.

Its true at the Chong Chom Border Crossing. All G 7 members are getting 30 day visa exempt by land.

Edited March 22, 2014 by khwaibah