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

[gk10002000]

I heard of this two days ago. today I made a visa run to Poi Pet from Bangkok. I am a USA citizen. I did get 30 days on the land crossing exit and entry. Pattaya agencies I had talked to yesterday were not aware of the change that took effect November 1.

Used BBTS and spoke with a wonderful lady named Tanya. She has other staff also. I paid in person the night before, but most of the people apparently just sent her an email or a text message, showed up at the pickup spot with their passports and photos and 2200 baht. very friendly and convenient.

We met at Sukhumvit Center, Korea Town right next to Soi 12 off of sukhumvit. Between the Asok and Nana BTS station.

http://www.bangkokbuddy.com/

Edited November 7, 2013 by lopburi3
email/advertising quotes removed.

[sunny and hot]

who 've been to Satun since the 1st of november? I've been overthere on the 4th and they only gave me 15 days...

I have not been but will go soon, I will keep you updated on it.

[bbbrobin]

FWIW: Nov 6, Mae Sai, Canadian, 15 days

[ubonjoe]

FWIW: Nov 6, Mae Sai, Canadian, 15 days

Strange because there is a report of a UK citizen getting a 30 day entry there yesterday.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?/topic/679408-Oops#entry7008016

[uptheos]

Now, if they could just extend the 90 day visa check in to 6 months or a year so it wouldn't feel like a visit to your probation officer!

Or get rid of it altogether - like they did before.

Ah but we'll all disappear into the undergrowth.

[Pattaya46]

FWIW: Nov 6, Mae Sai, Canadian, 15 days

Strange because there is a report of a UK citizen getting a 30 day entry there yesterday.

Is Canada part of the UK now ?

[ubonjoe]

FWIW: Nov 6, Mae Sai, Canadian, 15 days

Strange because there is a report of a UK citizen getting a 30 day entry there yesterday.

Is Canada part of the UK now ?

The UK is included in the 30 day deal is why I mentioned it.

The person who got the wrong stamp could possibly go to immigration and try to get the 15 days he didn't get.

[PREM-R]

FWIW: Nov 6, Mae Sai, Canadian, 15 days

Strange because there is a report of a UK citizen getting a 30 day entry there yesterday.

Is Canada part of the UK now ?

The UK is included in the 30 day deal is why I mentioned it.

The person who got the wrong stamp could possibly go to immigration and try to get the 15 days he didn't get.

That is the problem with these multi page threads, some people just read the last few posts and 'jump in' with a reply.

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.

[newcomer71]

That is the problem with these multi page threads, some people just read the last few posts and 'jump in' with a reply.

That is why I rarely post. Too much people is judgmental, despite they even did not read the thread since the start.

[Sojuncoke]

uh oh bad news for visa running companies

[ozyjon]

I can speak a bit of Italian,,, i would love 30 days at Nong Kai, make my visa runs much easier.

[paulchiangmai]

I hold UK and Australian passports, visa is always in Australian passport, would I qualify by showing both passports?

If you have a "visa" why look for a 30 day visa exempt entry.

If you wish to change the passport being used I suspect it will be necessary to fly out and return .......changing the passport at the time of re-entry.

I go to Australia every 15 months so I do not bother with the extension, preferring to pop up to Mae Sai every 90 days. Sometimes a few more days could be useful to get different departure dates. I am not clear what you mean by changing passports on entry back to Thailand as the visa is always in my Australian passport, can I get the visa put in my UK passport at the Thai consulate I visit in Australia? This would help resolve the issue of my Australian passport filling up before it's expiry date.

If you have a multi entry visa why would you need a 30 day entry?

You could always try to have your next visa placed in the UK passport

At present I make my one year multi o visa last for 15 months, sometimes it might be more convenient to stay for 16months in which case a trip to Mae Sai would give me that extra month.

[Maestro]

who 've been to Satun since the 1st of november? I've been overthere on the 4th and they only gave me 15 days...

Not everybody gets 30 days. What is your nationality?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[thaiexpat21]

I hold UK and Australian passports, visa is always in Australian passport, would I qualify by showing both passports?

If you have a "visa" why look for a 30 day visa exempt entry.

If you wish to change the passport being used I suspect it will be necessary to fly out and return .......changing the passport at the time of re-entry.

I go to Australia every 15 months so I do not bother with the extension, preferring to pop up to Mae Sai every 90 days. Sometimes a few more days could be useful to get different departure dates. I am not clear what you mean by changing passports on entry back to Thailand as the visa is always in my Australian passport, can I get the visa put in my UK passport at the Thai consulate I visit in Australia? This would help resolve the issue of my Australian passport filling up before it's expiry date.

If you have a multi entry visa why would you need a 30 day entry?

You could always try to have your next visa placed in the UK passport

At present I make my one year multi o visa last for 15 months, sometimes it might be more convenient to stay for 16months in which case a trip to Mae Sai would give me that extra month.

In that case you will need to make two trips if using an Australian PP

[biplanebluey]

Must be the first positive change in the visa law in ages. I hope other countries will follw as I'm not a citizen of any of the mentioned above...

Neither am I ----- I'm a Kiwi but I got 30 days when I went to Lau a couple of weeks ago at Thong Mek

[wilcopops]

It is all speculation until the next Police Order is published but my guess -- as earlier posted -- is that the main beneficiary of all this is intended to be the group tour bus operators who take persons to Luang Prabang and/or Angkor and thus re-enter Thailand via a land border and not those who are desirous of staying long-term in Thailand without the need to apply for a Tourist or non-IMM visa.

Interesting point - there are certainly people coming back with 30 days (check out Thorn Tree.

But it looks like there are still a lot of "expats" who want to abuse the system.

There always has been. This is the reason they went to the 15 day visa exempt from 30 day land crossing back in 2007.

Duh?

[johnlandy]

Must be the first positive change in the visa law in ages. I hope other countries will follw as I'm not a citizen of any of the mentioned above...

We used to get 90 days on arrival and all the 'hoes' started flocking to capitalize on the reciprocal deal and it was cut back to 30 days. Oh well!

[ubonjoe]

I thought this topic was about 30 day exempt entries not the OZ economy.

[JLCrab]

When the new Police Order is eventually issued on the revised 30 day visa-exempt land-border entry, it may very well contain the language from the Police Order 608/2549 that: In addition, within a period of six months from the date of the first entry into the Kingdom, the total period of temporary stays shall not exceed ninety days.

... simply because that was from a Tillike & Gibbins translation of 608/2549 copyrighted 2009 for which the Immigration Department has already paid for or made other permission-type arrangements with T&G for its reproduction on the Immigration website.

[mickjn]

Whats a visa do you have to have one???

[lopburi3]

Off-topic posts removed - do not continue such.

[freedomnow]

UK national here. I got the 30-day overland at Mae Sai after the 30-day extension of stay on my 60-day consulate issued tourist visa finished early November as I wanted to stay for Loy Kratong or however you spell it and was expecting the 15-day one that has been in effect for 5+ years for land crossings.

Officer said to guy in front (Indian national) " No more land visas here as this is your 4th (back-to-back I assume... she circled 4 previous land crossings in his passport on 2 pages) ...you must get an embassy visa no visa exempt next time at this crossing."

Sorry I cannot offer any more guesses on back-to-back rules for other nationals, that was just what I witnessed with the Indian guy clogging up the queue and her dealing with him through those stupid tiny windows at belly height at Mae Sai !

Edited November 8, 2013 by freedomnow

[ubonjoe]

UK national here. I got the 30-day overland at Mae Sai after the 30-day extension of stay on my 60-day consulate issued tourist visa finished early November as I wanted to stay for Loy Kratong or however you spell it and was expecting the 15-day one that has been in effect for 5+ years for land crossings.

Officer said to guy in front (Indian national) " No more land visas here as this is your 4th (back-to-back I assume... she circled 4 previous land crossings in his passport on 2 pages) ...you must get an embassy visa no visa exempt next time at this crossing."

 

Sorry I cannot offer any more guesses on back-to-back rules for other nationals, that was just what I witnessed with the Indian guy clogging up the queue and her dealing with him through those stupid tiny windows at belly height at Mae Sai !

The 4 entry rule is normal at Mae Sai for everybody.

He must of not had an Indian passport because they do not get visa exempt entries.

[freedomnow]

UK national here. I got the 30-day overland at Mae Sai after the 30-day extension of stay on my 60-day consulate issued tourist visa finished early November as I wanted to stay for Loy Kratong or however you spell it and was expecting the 15-day one that has been in effect for 5+ years for land crossings.

Officer said to guy in front (Indian national) " No more land visas here as this is your 4th (back-to-back I assume... she circled 4 previous land crossings in his passport on 2 pages) ...you must get an embassy visa no visa exempt next time at this crossing."

Sorry I cannot offer any more guesses on back-to-back rules for other nationals, that was just what I witnessed with the Indian guy clogging up the queue and her dealing with him through those stupid tiny windows at belly height at Mae Sai !

The 4 entry rule is normal at Mae Sai for everybody.

He must of not had an Indian passport because they do not get visa exempt entries.

Oh right, not been keeping up with the visa rules recently. Is that 4 visa-exempts BTB max in a year or just 4 visa-exempts BTBacks in your passport ?

For instance, could you get a double tourist visa from a consulate (effectively 6 months with extensions of 30 days in Thailand) and then do 3x BTB's after the expiry of the last extension and leave for 3 months and do that the sequence the next year ? I won't be enduring March-May next year so that would suit me fine vs an ed.visa !

Edited November 8, 2013 by freedomnow

[ubonjoe]

 

UK national here. I got the 30-day overland at Mae Sai after the 30-day extension of stay on my 60-day consulate issued tourist visa finished early November as I wanted to stay for Loy Kratong or however you spell it and was expecting the 15-day one that has been in effect for 5+ years for land crossings.

Officer said to guy in front (Indian national) " No more land visas here as this is your 4th (back-to-back I assume... she circled 4 previous land crossings in his passport on 2 pages) ...you must get an embassy visa no visa exempt next time at this crossing."

 

Sorry I cannot offer any more guesses on back-to-back rules for other nationals, that was just what I witnessed with the Indian guy clogging up the queue and her dealing with him through those stupid tiny windows at belly height at Mae Sai !

The 4 entry rule is normal at Mae Sai for everybody.

He must of not had an Indian passport because they do not get visa exempt entries.

 

 

Oh right, not been keeping up with the visa rules recently. Is that 4 visa-exempts BTB max in a year or just 4 visa-exempts BTBacks in your passport ?

For instance, could you get a double tourist visa from a consulate (effectively 6 months with extensions of 30 days in Thailand)  and then do 3x BTB's after the expiry of the last extension and leave for 3 months and do that the sequence the next year ? I won't be enduring March-May next year so that would suit me fine vs an ed.visa !

 

Back to back only. A visa entry would reset the count. So you could do 4 back to back.

You could possibly get a 3 entry tourist visa that would give almost 9 months while back home.

[Maestro]

Removed an off-topic post and the three replies to it. In this topic, any mention of somebody of unknown nationality getting a visa-exempt entry of only 15 days at a land border on an unknown date is meaningless and off-topic.

[gk10002000]

I made a mini van border run from Bangkok to Poi Pet on Nov 7 and I had a one day overstay also. Paid the 500 baht, signed the receipt, got 30 day visa stamp. I previously had 15 day border run the end of October. I am a USA citizen.

The Thai officials were very pleasant and it was about 0815 in the morning so we were about the first in line. One Thai man in uniform was very lean and I pointed to my round belly and offered to give him some of my "poom pui". He and a Thai lady official chuckled. They were quite talkative and then the Thai lady asked why Thais can't get into USA so easily. I said I would let them but I am not the authority.

I note that the day before I had called several Pattaya travel companies and they were not aware of any changes. I did stop into one other visa agency in Bangkok and they were not aware of the 30 day change. But the lady picked up her phone, talked to somebody and after a few minutes agreed that yes there was a change. The other staff in the office were listening very intently to her conversation. So check with your agency and which border crossing they use.

Edited November 10, 2013 by gk10002000

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

It will be interesting to see, now that the 30 day permission rule is back in effect, whether there will be any limit on back-to-back land border entries/stamps.

I guess we'll start finding out in two to three months from now.

[gk10002000]

It will be interesting to see, now that the 30 day permission rule is back in effect, whether there will be any limit on back-to-back land border entries/stamps.

I guess we'll start finding out in two to three months from now.

Yeah. What happens if they do limit it but you have already exited Thailand and are standing over in the Cambodia transit area? Do they give you a few days in Thailand just to get back out of town? Do you get stuck in Cambodia but your luggage is back in your Thai hotel?

[iideslee]

How many times can visa run by land border?

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand