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

[Mousehound]

The fact is that the Australians and to a slightly lesser degree the Dutch have been excluded to protect the ego of whining poms and delusional yank expats. It is well known that we Ausies and our Dutch friends have heavy mojo and you other mingers can't handle the competition. As a result you have connived to keep us out. If only for a few days. By the way, if Australia was filled with convicted criminals it was because we didn't rat on all the crooked poms left behind. And the fatal shot: the only half decent thing to come out of England in the last fifty years was Margaret Thatcher.

PS. And Brit TV comedy - brilliant.

[Zemran]

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...

[Gentmartin]

Just wanted to confirm, Russia already gets 30 days on a land crossing FACT, part of an agreement which means thai tourists can visit Russia for tourism purposes without needing a visa.....

[SchuetzRob]

What about the Commonwealth of Australia? Home to the most civilised and cultured people on the planet!

[ayayay]

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...

I take it you have never been to Phuket? Every other restaurant is a Swedish restaurant.

[JLCrab]

So now for some the annual visa cost to remain in Thailand is the cost of 12 visas to Laos or some other exit/entry point?

Surely no one should be allowed to do this indefinately ?? Must be a limit of 2-3 surely ?

Currently, they are not allowed to but I fail to understand why you think that they should not be. Thailand complains about the farang and then complains that when they leave they take their money with them. Most of the people that you are asking about bring a lot of money into Thailand. Thailand needs that, all countries want money to come in. The xenophobes curry favour with the red shirts to get votes by introducing anti farang policies but most of the people that want Thailand to do well are busy trying to make foreigners welcome in the hope that they will invest more money.

I'm not going drag in TAT statistics but I think you over-estimate the impact on the Thai economy by the long-term visitors vs. the majority of Thailand visitors for whom the average length of stay is less than 10 days and the average expenditure is in the 4000 baht per day range.

[Thai at Heart]

Finally some sense

[ThePinkPanther]

Typical!! This is NOTHING else than BLATANT DISCRIMINATION. We are ALL equal in life, no matter where we were born. So EVERYBODY should be treated 100% exactly equally the SAME.

[thaiexpat21]

Typical!! This is NOTHING else than BLATANT DISCRIMINATION. We are ALL equal in life, no matter where we were born. So EVERYBODY should be treated 100% exactly equally the SAME.

Delighted that you are going to support/start a campaign to allow all Asian people free entry to your country of origin !

Edited November 6, 2013 by thaiexpat21

[davejones]

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.

The countries are all members of G7. Greece, Turkey, Russia, Sweden, Holland are not. I assume other will be added over time. Maybe they want to see how this works out first.

[wilcopops]

To be sure someone is a racist is to see how often they deny they are and then call "others" racist too.

[davejones]

So now for some the annual visa cost to remain in Thailand is the cost of 12 visas to Laos or some other exit/entry point?

No. If you want to stay for a year, then just apply for a 12-month visa. No need to keep leaving and returning. Yet another example of ThaiVisa posters trying to make a mess out of something simple.

[davejones]

When will they inform their officers at the land borders? Sometime next year?

Typical stupid comment from someone who has no idea about what's going on. Officers have already been told, so why are you making out that they haven't?Probably the first negative thing that popped into your head, so may as well say it whether true on not. Don't let facts get in the way of your comments.

[Felt 35]

Good to see some minor changes/improvements for some people. Am surprised though that this has happened considering the huge amount of tourists that are (supposedly) currently visiting Thailand. Guess it gives the high-end tourists more time to spend their money in the hotels and golf resorts. Shame very little of that money however gets in the pockets of the ordinary Thai's.

Supposedly is the word. There are signs around which at least people living here easily can spot (if want to see them) that in spite of heavy traffic , many establishment is not as filled with tourist as it should be to make a good profit.

[dorlemon]

And whats about Switzerland ???

[Maestro]

And whats about Switzerland ???

Nothing about Switzerland. For travellers with a Swiss passport, the situation remains unchanged.

[Bender]

hum hum, i will sound cynical, but what they give in one hand , well they might take it from the other hand...

I will not be surprised if now they limit the enter by land to 2 times ...

Edited November 6, 2013 by Bender

[Papadragon]

Is it good news ? Only for those that can't go back to their own country.

Or those who, for many reasons, can't or won't apply to legally stay in Thailand

People who apply for extensions based on marriage or retirement, pay the fees and deposit funds won't benefit at all.

It's bad news for the airlines as many more visa runners will go by road.

It's bad news too for the bus companies and minivan drivers - more runners but half the trips.

and the people who were going to stay up to 15 days anyway - they won't benefit at all either.

So tell me - Where's the Good News ?

Please extract your head and take a look around you sometime. Not many people have 4/800,000 Baht and most of those that do have more sense than to leave it lying around in a Thai bank account. So most people who live here come up against this at some point and will benefit.

I'll ignore your opening sentence which should have been noted by a Global Moderator as Flame and removed.

For your information you don't need 4/800.000 Baht although it's an option which, I agree with you, is a pretty daft thing to do.

You just have to pay the fees and prove 40,000/65,000 pm income either from legimate earnings or a pension.

You can draw your own conclusions as to why anyone would choose the 30 day visa run route, I know I have !

However it seems to me that these people are the only ones who will benefit from this new initiative apart from the Immigration officers' who's workload stamping passports will be reduced !

The doss houses and bars in Chulia Street Penang will suffer as well as the Thai minibus services in Hat Yai - their business will halve overnight

Edited November 6, 2013 by Papadragon

[wilcopops]

Good to see some minor changes/improvements for some people. Am surprised though that this has happened considering the huge amount of tourists that are (supposedly) currently visiting Thailand. Guess it gives the high-end tourists more time to spend their money in the hotels and golf resorts. Shame very little of that money however gets in the pockets of the ordinary Thai's.

Supposedly is the word. There are signs around which at least people living here easily can spot (if want to see them) that in spite of heavy traffic , many establishment is not as filled with tourist as it should be to make a good profit.

Sounds like a Pattaya expat's viewpoint...try getting out of town.

Edited November 6, 2013 by wilcopops

[Maestro]

Removed an off-topic post about Thaksin.

[bristolgeoff]

30 days is better than 15 days in anyone,s book.some are lucker than others

[Maestro]

Prior to Thaksin being ousted the land border visas were always 30 days.

Once Abhisit got in power the visa's were lowered to 15 days. Glad to

see em back at 30...now if Immig. can do this for others it would be a

welcome improvement for those needing these visas.

Question: When did Abhisit become prime minister?

Answer: "Abhisit was appointed Prime Minister of Thailand on 17 December 2008"

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abhisit

Question: When was the National Police Order that reduced to 15 days the visa-exempted period of permission to stay granted at land border entry points signed?

Answer: This National Police Order was signed on 25 November 2008.

Source: English translation of National Police Order 778/2551 dated 25 November 2008

Police order 778-2551 visa-exempt entry EN.pdf

Question: Was Abhisit prime minister when the Police Order reducing the visa-exempt entry period to 15 days entered into force?

Answer: No.

Source: Vide supra.

[peecee]

What about the Commonwealth of Australia? Home to the most civilised and cultured people on the planet!

Pass me another tinny while I follow through & throw up mate!

Edited November 6, 2013 by peecee

[ubonjoe]

I think a lot of people are not aware of what the rules were before the 15 days.

It was a total of 90 days on 30 day visa exempt entries maximum in a180 day period by land or air. After you reached the 90 day total you could not enter the country again without a visa or until the 180 days ended.

[peecee]

When will they inform their officers at the land borders? Sometime next year?

Typical stupid comment from someone who has no idea about what's going on. Officers have already been told, so why are you making out that they haven't?Probably the first negative thing that popped into your head, so may as well say it whether true on not. Don't let facts get in the way of your comments.

Maybe he's just having a quip about Thai bureaucracy as well as catching a bite from the thin skinned among us!

[ToddWeston]

A friend just returned from Poi Let (Canadian) 30 days. He was thinking about going the route of an ED visa not anymore.

[Maestro]

I removed a post that was an uniformed rant and off topic, and the reply to it.

[Hawkman]

Is it good news ? Only for those that can't go back to their own country.

Or those who, for many reasons, can't or won't apply to legally stay in Thailand

People who apply for extensions based on marriage or retirement, pay the fees and deposit funds won't benefit at all.

It's bad news for the airlines as many more visa runners will go by road.

It's bad news too for the bus companies and minivan drivers - more runners but half the trips.

and the people who were going to stay up to 15 days anyway - they won't benefit at all either.

So tell me - Where's the Good News ?

Please extract your head and take a look around you sometime. Not many people have 4/800,000 Baht and most of those that do have more sense than to leave it lying around in a Thai bank account. So most people who live here come up against this at some point and will benefit.

I'll ignore your opening sentence which should have been noted by a Global Moderator as Flame and removed.

For your information you don't need 4/800.000 Baht although it's an option which, I agree with you, is a pretty daft thing to do.

You just have to pay the fees and prove 40,000/65,000 pm income either from legimate earnings or a pension.

You can draw your own conclusions as to why anyone would choose the 30 day visa run route, I know I have !

However it seems to me that these people are the only ones who will benefit from this new initiative apart from the Immigration officers' who's workload stamping passports will be reduced !

The doss houses and bars in Chulia Street Penang will suffer as well as the Thai minibus services in Hat Yai - their business will halve overnight

But this will have zero impact for you, why should you care? Why worry about what visas people have or are not on?

Yes you are right it might be of benefit to some dodgy geezers avoiding their own country, but it also might benefit some who are not great financially at the moment or want to stay a little longer than 15 days. It's their choice, of no bother to me.

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[Maestro]

I think a lot of people are not aware of what the rules were before the 15 days.

It was a total of 90 days on 30 day visa exempt entries maximum in a180 day period by land or air. After you reached the 90 day total you could not enter the country again without a visa or until the 180 days ended.

It is a good idea to look a little at the history of visa-exempt entry permissions.

At the beginning, at a time when nothing could happen without a visa, on a date unknown to me but many decades ago, Thailand introduced the concept of "tourist visa exemption". This allowed travellers from a number of countries wishing to visit Thailand for the purpose of tourism to enter and stay in the country for 30 days without the need of obtaining a tourist visa. This visa-exempt country list was modified from time to time, the changes usually being in the form of adding countries, rather than deleting any.

Source: http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/123/15396-Tourist-Visa-Exemption.html (not reflecting the latest changes)

On 8 September B.E. 2549 (2006) the Commissioner General of the Royal Thai Police signed National Police Order 608/2549, which left the 30 days per visa-exempt entry unchanged but introduced a limit of 90 days of visa-exempt stay within a period of six months.

Source: Police order 608-2006 visa-exempt stay limitation EN.pdf

On 25 November 2008 the Commissioner General of the Royal Thai Police signed Police Order 778/2551, which abolished the limitation of visa-exempt stay to 90 days within six months and introduced the limitation to 15 days per entry for the nationals of all countries on the visa-exemption list except Malaysia.

Source: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_id=239478

With effect from 1 November 2013 another seven countries are exempted from the reduction to 15 days per entry. These countries are, in alphabetical order, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, UK, USA.

Source: OP of this topic, based on confirmation received by ThaiVisa verbally from the chief of a Thai immigration office. Presumably, this new change is again in the form of a National Police Order and will be published on the website of the Immigration Bureau if and when the competent officials see fit to do so. Several members from various of these seven countries made since November confirm that the new rule for these countries is implemented by land border entry points.

[shout]

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.

what an ignorant and classist comment ...

if Italy is in the G7 is obviously because, in spite of the economical recession is still a more developed country not only of Turkey and Greece, but also of your Country that i guess is Sweden ... the G7 is composed by the seven developed wealthiest countries on Earth, as national net wealth

numbers are numbers .... your comment is just based on your personal racist steretypes typical of somebody that all what knows of Italy is The Sopranos on TV....