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

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

In the past, as I recall, there were limits on the number of consecutive visa exempt entries a person could have... only X number per six months. And most people involved knew what the rule was, as promulated by Immigration.

Then later, I believe about the same time they switched the land entries to the shorter 15 day period, Immigration also stopped enforcing the former limits on back to back visa exempt entries.... at least as I recall it.

Now with the return to 30 day visa exempt land entries for passport holders of the designated countries, who knows what kind of procedure Immigration is going to follow... Time will tell.

[Maestro]

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.

There is a limit, but not expressed in numbers, according to a leaflet that some consulates handed out some years ago.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-aSr1lpqE0Bc/TomwmqkcioI/AAAAAAAAJVk/5Ui5k9UtU-o/s512/Tourist%2520visa%2520warning%2520announcement%2520Helsinki%252020091019.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-oieiWRCP6Mg/TomwkYT-uII/AAAAAAAAJVk/QGXnbbRvCSQ/s512/Tourist%2520visa%2520warning%2520announcement%2520Vientiane%252020090903.jpg

[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.

There is a limit, but not expressed in numbers, according to a leaflet that some consulates handed out some years ago.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-aSr1lpqE0Bc/TomwmqkcioI/AAAAAAAAJVk/5Ui5k9UtU-o/s512/Tourist%2520visa%2520warning%2520announcement%2520Helsinki%252020091019.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-oieiWRCP6Mg/TomwkYT-uII/AAAAAAAAJVk/QGXnbbRvCSQ/s512/Tourist%2520visa%2520warning%2520announcement%2520Vientiane%252020090903.jpg

Maestro, both of those notices relate to interpretations of Thailand Immigration law issued in the past (four years ago) relating to tourist visas...and people seeking repeat tourist visas when in fact their reasons for visitingThailand might have been non-tourist.

The issue here, as you know, doesn't involve visas at all...but rather... visa exempt entries. If memory serves, totally apart from the two documents you posted, there was until a couple years ago some actual limits on back to back visa-exempt entries. As I recall, a person had to be outside Thailand at least 90 days within every six month period. As Lopburi used to call it, "the visa exempt 90 day in six month rule." Then more recently, there's been no limit on back to back visa-exempt entries.

So in the past, Thai Immigration has handled visa-exempt entries by both imposing limits sometimes....and at another time not imposing any limits, but shortening the validity period for land entries to 15 days. I don't see how the above memos relating to tourist visas much inform how Immigration is going to handle this latest change in their policy.

Edited November 10, 2013 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[JLCrab]

778/2551 on visa exempt entries noting earlier 608/2549 with entry limits

http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/doc/temporarystay/policy778-2551_en.pdf

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Yes JL, that document shows the change from the prior rule with visa exempt entries, which included the 90 days in 6 months rule, to the current rule that no longer has that restriction.

But both of those are just Royal Thai Police/Immigration Orders. A new order could be issued at any time relating to the changes that are the subject of this thread.

However, barring any new such order, I'd agree that the current Immigration regulation re visa exempt entries does NOT include any limits on repeat/back-to-back entries. And AFAIK, Immigration hasn't been enforcing any such limits lately.

So unless they change their orders again, the new 30-day land border visa exempt stamps for the specified country passport holders would continue to not have any limit on repeat entries.

However, I don't believe we've seen the actual police order yet relating to the land border 30-day stamp change for U.S. and other large country passport holders. So who knows what kind of language it might include.

[ubonjoe]

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?

You would know you had reached the limit because you would of been warned on previous entry. They would not leave you stranded in any case but they could just give you a 7 day entry to leave the country;

[vtjforyou]

We still rule the world :-)

[FiestyFarang]

Maybe the mods can clarify here...

Is this just another announcement from Immigration on high that may or not be being honored at the border checkpoints?

Or is the change being confirmed by TV members who actually have gotten the new duration stamps already?

I know a British lady who this month says she received a 30 day stamp at Ranong so I think it is implemented.

[kimamey]

That's positive, good news!

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!

Nice to see a poster bringing their experience to bear on the subject.

As for the increase a good move. I've never understood the difference between an air and land border unless it's the level of immigration staff.

[Maestro]

In the context of this topic, the difference is that foreigners working illegally in Thailand and using back-to back visa-exempt border runs are considered to do their runs much more likely by land than by air. By doubling the number of necessary land border runs, immigration obviously hoped to prompt these foreigners to abandon Thailand as their base or to to arrange ways to work in Thailand legally.

[haroldcane]

...As for the increase a good move. I've never understood the difference between an air and land border...

1. thailand's land borders are closed hermetically over night

2. therefore it never was 30/15 days, because the border-run-date itself counts as 2 days

3. a regular border runner was counted as 13 tourists before & doubled as 26 tourists after the halving from 29 down to 14 days only

Edited November 15, 2013 by Maestro
Deleted off-topic part of post

[thaidallover]

This is great news. I have taken time to read all the thread and have noticed positive reports at some borders like piopet etc. .

Is there anybody out there who can confirm recent border crossings in Hat lek - Klong Yai were they received the new 30 day visa exemption,

I'm about to set of on motorcycle next few day so this , any info would be appreciated

thanks.........

[ubonjoe]

I have not seen any reports yet. But you can feel confident that you will get 30 day since there have been reports for Aran/Poi Phet because they are both within the same immigration region.

[gk10002000]

That's positive, good news!

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!

Nice to see a poster bringing their experience to bear on the subject.

As for the increase a good move. I've never understood the difference between an air and land border unless it's the level of immigration staff.

There were lots of theories on why the visa periods changed and were made different between land and air borders. Take your pick. Airline industry lobbied for it so that it might "force" more people to fly. Immigration and other ministries had plausibly ideas on how this might limit abuses of the intent of short-term visa on arrival by making it more difficult for people to stay in Thailand, forcing them to get work visas, tourist visas, retirement visas, Ed visas etc. as appropriate for longer stays

[steve3774]

Some good news at last, I'm just at the end of a Non-B visa and to be honest didn't feel like sorting it out before the new year, so now all I have to do is two land crossings and sort the marriage visa out in January. Lovely.

what are the criteria for a marriage visa,apart from the obvious being married ?

[beechguy]

Some good news at last, I'm just at the end of a Non-B visa and to be honest didn't feel like sorting it out before the new year, so now all I have to do is two land crossings and sort the marriage visa out in January. Lovely.

what are the criteria for a marriage visa,apart from the obvious being married ?

It depends on where you are going to apply. An "O" Visa usually isn't very restrictive, but some Consulates try to impose some of the one year extension of stay requirements. Plenty of threads discusing both, usually on a daily basis. You should be able to find info in the Pinned Topics or using the search function.

Edited November 18, 2013 by beechguy

[ubonjoe]

Bump to top of page.

[OJAS]

Might it be worth pinning this thread?

[gk10002000]

I did the land border visa run to PoiPet from bangkok last month on Nov 7 and it worked great and I got 30 days. Has anybody done a land visa run from Pattaya and gotten the 30 days? When I checked with a few Pattaya companies and the ones here in Phuket where I am now, they seem to still be unaware of it. The lady here in Phuket says Burma only 15 days, but I know she did not look into the matter.

[ubonjoe]

I think it is everywhere now.

[SUSHI SHOGUN]

I did the land border visa run to PoiPet from bangkok last month on Nov 7 and it worked great and I got 30 days. Has anybody done a land visa run from Pattaya and gotten the 30 days? When I checked with a few Pattaya companies and the ones here in Phuket where I am now, they seem to still be unaware of it. The lady here in Phuket says Burma only 15 days, but I know she did not look into the matter.

Do not worry! I got 30days stamp at Ranong-Burma

[ubonjoe]

Thanks for the info.

[Metapod]

wonder how many you could do in a row lol

[ubonjoe]

At some border crossings there is a limit of four15 day entries. At others there is no limit.

[hawker9000]

At some border crossings there is a limit of four15 day entries. At others there is no limit.

30-day entries... THIRTY days now. (G7)

[ubonjoe]

I am aware of 30 day entries. I was using 15 days as an example in reply to the previous post.

[wilcopops]

At some border crossings there is a limit of four15 day entries. At others there is no limit.

So has anyone from the countries mentioned received only 15 days?

[ubonjoe]

At some border crossings there is a limit of four15 day entries. At others there is no limit.

So has anyone from the countries mentioned received only 15 days?

The 15 day reference is just an example of entries being limited. We will not know anything about 30 day entries for a while.

[gk10002000]

Has anybody done the land crossing from Pattaya to Cambodia and gotten the 30 day stamp coming back?

[ubonjoe]

Yes

I am sure there have been many that have done it.