Visa crackdown risks stranding Phuket expats in Myanmar

[drand11]

Honestly...take a flight, go see the world. Its not too much more money and its a great experience. Cambodia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Vietnam...all great 3 day trips.

[unanimosity]

I find it a good thing... If us honest working people have to do all this then those who think they can find a way around the law should be punished. Getting a visa is easy. Just get one for the right reasons... Retirement starts at age of 50, or get and education visa and learn something which is good for a year and renewable up to 3 years. Or GET A JOB or invest in the country... And if you don't make the requirement for a marriage visa which is 400.000 baht then you seriously did something wrong in life if you don't have 9500 euros on your savings account... It just shows you are in Thailand for all the wrong reasons. Wish we were more stricter in Europe. It would keep the scum out that is draining our countries

i'm here as a longterm *tourist* and i'm not pretending/aiming anything else. i already speak 6 languages including much better thai than the average longtermer married to a thai so i'm not much interested in "learning" on a ED visa. i'm here for my own reasons (not the women and definitely not to work!); keywords are hammock, book, sea, peace of mind. i'm as honest as you are. there seems to be a lot of bitterness towards farang in thailand who are still young, DON'T have to work, DON'T have to buy a house in the name of the wife, DON'T have to support inlaws, etc.... and the argument that it will keep scum out is pure nonsense.

I'm in a similar situation. My partner and I (she's not Thai) have been visiting Thailand regularly for several years on tourist visas, spending maybe six months out of every 12 in Thailand and the rest of our time travelling in the region. Now, after a seven month tour of Europe, we'd like to settle for a while (and my partner would like to attend university in Bangkok, so we'd be looking at a four year spell).

Neither of us can live in the other's home country long term due to cost and visa reasons, and we chose Thailand as our loose base of operations because of the relaxed visa requirements, along with all its other charms. She'll be able to obtain a legitimate ED visa when she enrols in school, but I'll be forced into the uncomfortable (and legally questionable) limbo of multiple back-to-back tourist visas. I'm self employed (income sourced in the US) and more or less retired, so I'm not interested in finding a job in Thailand (and to do so would take away from the time I need to maintain my overseas income, so it would defeat the purpose). I'm too young for a retirement visa and obviously not interested in marrying a local, which doesn't leave me with many options to stay long term within the law. I am, however, a model citizen in all other respects, law abiding and with a clean criminal record, and since I spend every penny of my considerable earnings in Thailand I'm unquestionably an asset to the country (economically, at least).

It's a common complaint of people who earn their money online that visas can be a pain in the ass, since immigration law hasn't really caught up with the idea that it's possible to earn a living in a country other than the one in which you live. I'd like to spend the next few years relaxing in a hammock, enjoying the beautiful weather and bringing a decent sum of money into the Thai economy while my partner studies, but I'd love to be able to do so legally and without wondering when the other shoe will drop.

Unfortunately it is always the case that some of the good suffer under rules to prevent the unwanted from entering/working.

Does anybody actually believe that foreign criminals are making visa runs?

[Carrerakiss]

It wasn't that many years ago that the "crackdown" introduced was that you could only use tourist visa runs for six months out of any twelve month period. After that, you had to leave and get a "proper" visa. I guess that crackdown fell by the wayside after a while and now this is the latest.

At least counting up to three (visits) is easier than counting up 180 days from multiple visits. Before I moved here and got my retirement visa, I lived in Singapore and visited for about a year, on long weekend trips. Towards the end it was quite cmical to see immigration officers trying to add up how many days my accumulated trips added up to.

The assumption has to be this crackdown will fade as they usually do, but it is a very easy one to enforce, so maybe it will hang around a little longer than most.

[DGIE]

when will all this stop ,we marry thai lady ,build house here come and live ,most of cause no problems ,we support there parents,educate there children ,then get hard time from the government ,visa runs ,our thai wife can come to the west get visa for life without any investment ,can start new life with no problems from the government /work,in the UK free health care ,,about time thailand ,gave as old gents little respect for our efforts ,for sure marrying a thai lady is better than ending up in a OAP home ,well maybe ,and well maybe cheaper

funny of you mate! but I think marrying a Thai is not cheaper

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Why would a criminal bother with a VISA at all?

Easy to stay here, no VISA, no 90 day report.

[Maestro]

Removed a troll post and the four replies to it.

[Yahooka]

It wasn't that many years ago that the "crackdown" introduced was that you could only use tourist visa runs for six months out of any twelve month period. After that, you had to leave and get a "proper" visa. I guess that crackdown fell by the wayside after a while and now this is the latest.

At least counting up to three (visits) is easier than counting up 180 days from multiple visits. Before I moved here and got my retirement visa, I lived in Singapore and visited for about a year, on long weekend trips. Towards the end it was quite cmical to see immigration officers trying to add up how many days my accumulated trips added up to.

The assumption has to be this crackdown will fade as they usually do, but it is a very easy one to enforce, so maybe it will hang around a little longer than most.

I don't hope they're planning on reintroduce that scheme again........ Running out of colours to mark in your passport was probably the reason why they scrapped it

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited May 5, 2014 by Yahooka

[Maestro]

I'd happily pay for a long term visa. I'm under 50 and not married. Which type of visa is it I need...?

The type of visa a foreigner should apply for depends on the purpose of his trip to Thailand.

http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/123/15398-Issuance-of-Visa.html

For example, if the purpose of your trip is tourism, apply for a tourist visa, if it is work, apply for a non-B visa and after your arrival in Thailand for a work permit and for extensions of stay for the reason of employment.

[stevenl]

i'm here as a longterm *tourist* and i'm not pretending/aiming anything else. i already speak 6 languages including much better thai than the average longtermer married to a thai so i'm not much interested in "learning" on a ED visa. i'm here for my own reasons (not the women and definitely not to work!); keywords are hammock, book, sea, peace of mind. i'm as honest as you are. there seems to be a lot of bitterness towards farang in thailand who are still young, DON'T have to work, DON'T have to buy a house in the name of the wife, DON'T have to support inlaws, etc.... and the argument that it will keep scum out is pure nonsense.

I'm in a similar situation. My partner and I (she's not Thai) have been visiting Thailand regularly for several years on tourist visas, spending maybe six months out of every 12 in Thailand and the rest of our time travelling in the region. Now, after a seven month tour of Europe, we'd like to settle for a while (and my partner would like to attend university in Bangkok, so we'd be looking at a four year spell).

Neither of us can live in the other's home country long term due to cost and visa reasons, and we chose Thailand as our loose base of operations because of the relaxed visa requirements, along with all its other charms. She'll be able to obtain a legitimate ED visa when she enrols in school, but I'll be forced into the uncomfortable (and legally questionable) limbo of multiple back-to-back tourist visas. I'm self employed (income sourced in the US) and more or less retired, so I'm not interested in finding a job in Thailand (and to do so would take away from the time I need to maintain my overseas income, so it would defeat the purpose). I'm too young for a retirement visa and obviously not interested in marrying a local, which doesn't leave me with many options to stay long term within the law. I am, however, a model citizen in all other respects, law abiding and with a clean criminal record, and since I spend every penny of my considerable earnings in Thailand I'm unquestionably an asset to the country (economically, at least).

It's a common complaint of people who earn their money online that visas can be a pain in the ass, since immigration law hasn't really caught up with the idea that it's possible to earn a living in a country other than the one in which you live. I'd like to spend the next few years relaxing in a hammock, enjoying the beautiful weather and bringing a decent sum of money into the Thai economy while my partner studies, but I'd love to be able to do so legally and without wondering when the other shoe will drop.

Unfortunately it is always the case that some of the good suffer under rules to prevent the unwanted from entering/working.

Does anybody actually believe that foreign criminals are making visa runs?

Dopes anybody actually believe this is about foreign criminals.

I am glad to see no-one has mentioned 'farang' yet, since this will have a much bigger impact on the Korean/Japanese/Chinese guides, teachers etc. than it will on the farang expats.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

I am glad to see no-one has mentioned 'farang' yet, since this will have a much bigger impact on the Korean/Japanese/Chinese guides, teachers etc. than it will on the farang expats.

Koreans get 90 days at the border, can't imagine it will affect them much.

[louse1953]

when will all this stop ,we marry thai lady ,build house here come and live ,most of cause no problems ,we support there parents,educate there children ,then get hard time from the government ,visa runs ,our thai wife can come to the west get visa for life without any investment ,can start new life with no problems from the government /work,in the UK free health care ,,about time thailand ,gave as old gents little respect for our efforts ,for sure marrying a thai lady is better than ending up in a OAP home ,well maybe ,and well maybe cheaper

You have done the hard yards,what's so hard about 1year visa and extentions.

[louse1953]

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

Get a year visa. AINT HARD

how do you get a year visa?

marry a Thai, get a job here, retire here are among a few ways.

Many farangs don`t want to marry their girlfriend. Marrying just for getting a one year visa, is definitely a wrong reason.

Many of us are also under the age of retirement, and some people doesn`t meet the money aquirements for that kind of visa.

So many people fall between chairs here, so it isn`t that easy.

Educate yourself or bye bye

[fonsboy]

Anyone over 50 on a half decent pension can live here very comfortably . If you cannot afford to live here tango sierra go back to your country of origin .

[pokerspiv]

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

Get a year visa. AINT HARD

how do you get a year visa?

marry a Thai, get a job here, retire here are among a few ways.

All those things sound pretty hard. Especially the retirement one for people under 50.

In actuality getting a 1 year visa is very difficult. So the guy who said it "ain't hard" is a tool.

[pokerspiv]

Peoples who may be called " long-term tourist " should be able to get a proper visa and such visa runs are not legal at all.

If there are not able to do a proper visa without visa runs it means there are not honest for me.

i come here with triple TR visa that allows me to stay up to 9 months including 3 extensions at 1900 thb (5700THB) and then add several ranong-runs in order to stretch my stay with a 1,5 months till i fly back to home for a quick state of affairs ? what exactly is dishonest about that ?

This means you're living here on a tourist visa, which is not hoe they were meant to be used. Which is why triple entry tourist visa are already much more difficult to get.

Right. What I should be on is a retirement visa. I am retired and all my income is from investments. But I cannot get a retirement visa because I'm not 50 yet.

So, pray tell, which visa should I apply for?

[pokerspiv]

I find it a good thing... If us honest working people have to do all this then those who think they can find a way around the law should be punished. Getting a visa is easy. Just get one for the right reasons... Retirement starts at age of 50, or get and education visa and learn something which is good for a year and renewable up to 3 years. Or GET A JOB or invest in the country... And if you don't make the requirement for a marriage visa which is 400.000 baht then you seriously did something wrong in life if you don't have 9500 euros on your savings account... It just shows you are in Thailand for all the wrong reasons. Wish we were more stricter in Europe. It would keep the scum out that is draining our countries

i'm here as a longterm *tourist* and i'm not pretending/aiming anything else. i already speak 6 languages including much better thai than the average longtermer married to a thai so i'm not much interested in "learning" on a ED visa. i'm here for my own reasons (not the women and definitely not to work!); keywords are hammock, book, sea, peace of mind. i'm as honest as you are. there seems to be a lot of bitterness towards farang in thailand who are still young, DON'T have to work, DON'T have to buy a house in the name of the wife, DON'T have to support inlaws, etc.... and the argument that it will keep scum out is pure nonsense.

I'm in a similar situation. My partner and I (she's not Thai) have been visiting Thailand regularly for several years on tourist visas, spending maybe six months out of every 12 in Thailand and the rest of our time travelling in the region. Now, after a seven month tour of Europe, we'd like to settle for a while (and my partner would like to attend university in Bangkok, so we'd be looking at a four year spell).

Neither of us can live in the other's home country long term due to cost and visa reasons, and we chose Thailand as our loose base of operations because of the relaxed visa requirements, along with all its other charms. She'll be able to obtain a legitimate ED visa when she enrols in school, but I'll be forced into the uncomfortable (and legally questionable) limbo of multiple back-to-back tourist visas. I'm self employed (income sourced in the US) and more or less retired, so I'm not interested in finding a job in Thailand (and to do so would take away from the time I need to maintain my overseas income, so it would defeat the purpose). I'm too young for a retirement visa and obviously not interested in marrying a local, which doesn't leave me with many options to stay long term within the law. I am, however, a model citizen in all other respects, law abiding and with a clean criminal record, and since I spend every penny of my considerable earnings in Thailand I'm unquestionably an asset to the country (economically, at least).

It's a common complaint of people who earn their money online that visas can be a pain in the ass, since immigration law hasn't really caught up with the idea that it's possible to earn a living in a country other than the one in which you live. I'd like to spend the next few years relaxing in a hammock, enjoying the beautiful weather and bringing a decent sum of money into the Thai economy while my partner studies, but I'd love to be able to do so legally and without wondering when the other shoe will drop.

Unfortunately it is always the case that some of the good suffer under rules to prevent the unwanted from entering/working.

Because people over 50 don't work illegally right?

[louse1953]

Peoples who may be called " long-term tourist " should be able to get a proper visa and such visa runs are not legal at all.

If there are not able to do a proper visa without visa runs it means there are not honest for me.

i come here with triple TR visa that allows me to stay up to 9 months including 3 extensions at 1900 thb (5700THB) and then add several ranong-runs in order to stretch my stay with a 1,5 months till i fly back to home for a quick state of affairs ? what exactly is dishonest about that ?

This means you're living here on a tourist visa, which is not hoe they were meant to be used. Which is why triple entry tourist visa are already much more difficult to get.

Right. What I should be on is a retirement visa. I am retired and all my income is from investments. But I cannot get a retirement visa because I'm not 50 yet.

So, pray tell, which visa should I apply for?

A Cambodian one.

[stevenl]

i come here with triple TR visa that allows me to stay up to 9 months including 3 extensions at 1900 thb (5700THB) and then add several ranong-runs in order to stretch my stay with a 1,5 months till i fly back to home for a quick state of affairs ? what exactly is dishonest about that ?

This means you're living here on a tourist visa, which is not hoe they were meant to be used. Which is why triple entry tourist visa are already much more difficult to get.

Right. What I should be on is a retirement visa. I am retired and all my income is from investments. But I cannot get a retirement visa because I'm not 50 yet.

So, pray tell, which visa should I apply for?

None. According to the intention of the rules you are not eiligible to live in Thailand.

[stickylies]

Honestly...take a flight, go see the world. Its not too much more money and its a great experience. Cambodia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Vietnam...all great 3 day trips.

i prefer to land-border-cross those countries since they are neighbouring countries except for vietnam which is not far away either. nevertheless flying won't change much either. those working illegally here *can* afford some cheapo air asia flight and get another 30 days... if they work here and cannot afford a flight where the **** are these people working then? on a fisherboat with burmese ???

[stevenl]

i'm here as a longterm *tourist* and i'm not pretending/aiming anything else. i already speak 6 languages including much better thai than the average longtermer married to a thai so i'm not much interested in "learning" on a ED visa. i'm here for my own reasons (not the women and definitely not to work!); keywords are hammock, book, sea, peace of mind. i'm as honest as you are. there seems to be a lot of bitterness towards farang in thailand who are still young, DON'T have to work, DON'T have to buy a house in the name of the wife, DON'T have to support inlaws, etc.... and the argument that it will keep scum out is pure nonsense.

I'm in a similar situation. My partner and I (she's not Thai) have been visiting Thailand regularly for several years on tourist visas, spending maybe six months out of every 12 in Thailand and the rest of our time travelling in the region. Now, after a seven month tour of Europe, we'd like to settle for a while (and my partner would like to attend university in Bangkok, so we'd be looking at a four year spell).

Neither of us can live in the other's home country long term due to cost and visa reasons, and we chose Thailand as our loose base of operations because of the relaxed visa requirements, along with all its other charms. She'll be able to obtain a legitimate ED visa when she enrols in school, but I'll be forced into the uncomfortable (and legally questionable) limbo of multiple back-to-back tourist visas. I'm self employed (income sourced in the US) and more or less retired, so I'm not interested in finding a job in Thailand (and to do so would take away from the time I need to maintain my overseas income, so it would defeat the purpose). I'm too young for a retirement visa and obviously not interested in marrying a local, which doesn't leave me with many options to stay long term within the law. I am, however, a model citizen in all other respects, law abiding and with a clean criminal record, and since I spend every penny of my considerable earnings in Thailand I'm unquestionably an asset to the country (economically, at least).

It's a common complaint of people who earn their money online that visas can be a pain in the ass, since immigration law hasn't really caught up with the idea that it's possible to earn a living in a country other than the one in which you live. I'd like to spend the next few years relaxing in a hammock, enjoying the beautiful weather and bringing a decent sum of money into the Thai economy while my partner studies, but I'd love to be able to do so legally and without wondering when the other shoe will drop.

Unfortunately it is always the case that some of the good suffer under rules to prevent the unwanted from entering/working.

Because people over 50 don't work illegally right?

People over 50 can get a retirement extension, and I would say yes, they work far less frequent illegal than younger people.

[NamKangMan]

It won't affect you so the rule is a farce? I would say far from that, since it will working illegally much, much more difficult. Which is IMO a very good thing.

oh really and how exactly? those working illegally will simply FLY out. what's that gonna change? upon arrival they get another 1 month and continue to work illegally. go fool someone else.

They'll close that loophole as well. Want to bet on it. On top of that, teachers, diveinstructors and others working illegally don't have the money to fly out every month.

They might close that loophole, but they do get 800 baht airport exit tax to fly out. Multiply that by 12 months, and then by the thousands of fly out / fly in visa runners and it's a good earner, not to mention good business for the airports and airlines.

The visa exemption stamp is basically for free - so why not push visa runners onto planes and collect their 800 baht and also create business/employment for Thai airlines.

Edited May 5, 2014 by NamKangMan

[connda]

Myanmar will obviously become the new tourist hotspot after Thailand kicks them out. I don't care.

[DekDaeng]

"was aimed at catching foreign criminals staying in Thailand."

Why not just check w' Interpol?

Southern neighbours can show you how.

Well, now they can.

[pokerspiv]

i come here with triple TR visa that allows me to stay up to 9 months including 3 extensions at 1900 thb (5700THB) and then add several ranong-runs in order to stretch my stay with a 1,5 months till i fly back to home for a quick state of affairs ? what exactly is dishonest about that ?

This means you're living here on a tourist visa, which is not hoe they were meant to be used. Which is why triple entry tourist visa are already much more difficult to get.

Right. What I should be on is a retirement visa. I am retired and all my income is from investments. But I cannot get a retirement visa because I'm not 50 yet.

So, pray tell, which visa should I apply for?

None. According to the intention of the rules you are not eiligible to live in Thailand.

The rules are intended to allow people with foreign income sources to retire here. I am such a person.

[stoneyboy]

The rules are intended to allow people with foreign income sources to retire here. I am such a person.

The same people who are ending up homeless in Pattaya,I believe there is a thread highlighting this current problem.

[VeggieBurger]

I wonder, do you guys think this is only for Ranong or all border locations?

[bender92]

Well it's about time. "Expats" are staying a long time so should have the correct visa extension. They aren't tourists.

[fauxie]

Are they cracking down in general? I'm soon to apply in the UK for my 1 year multi entry 'O' visa and I'm sweating a bit. When I left I managed to get deported for a 1 year overstay (it's complicated, didn't really happen that way, but on advice of the British Embassy I had to go with it) and now have a nice deportation stamp in my passport (but am not, it seems, blacklisted). That was about a year and a half ago that I came back to the UK. I've been told that overstays are no big deal and that ppl sometimes get let back in even after several overstays. The embassy in London said it'd be fine. Birmingham said it might not. I'm confident they'll give me the visa, but worry someone will cause trouble when I get to passport control at swampy.

Edited May 5, 2014 by fauxie

[benny1616]

very good. thailand should kick out all farangs working here without a work permit and never let them back again.

[NamKangMan]

Well it's about time. "Expats" are staying a long time so should have the correct visa extension. They aren't tourists.

What "correct visa extension" would you suggest for someone who is under 50 years of age, self funded, not married to a Thai and has no desire to go to school here????