Final crackdown for border runners - New strict Immigration regulation in force from today

[Jonathan Fairfield]

BREAKING NEWS

Final crackdown for border runners - New strict Immigration regulation in force from today

BANGKOK: -- From today, foreign nationals residing in Thailand will no longer be able to exit and then re-enter the kingdom via a land border crossing in order to gain another 30 or 15 day stay in Thailand.

Thaivisa has been in contact with the Immigration Bureau who confirm the new regulation starts from today Saturday May 10, 2014.

This latest news follows reports from earlier in the week of an Immigration crackdown at the land border checkpoint in Ranong.

Non-Immigrant Visa or Tourist visa holders with remaining entries on their visa can exit and enter Thailand as before.

However, these new measures are targeting foreign visitors without a visa who are regularly entering and exiting the kingdom every 15 or 30 days as a way of extending their stay in Thailand.

From today visitors can only enter into Thailand via a land border once, after that they will be refused entry to the Kingdom and are advised to fly out and return with a visa obtained from a Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate in a neighbouring country or overseas.

The Immigration Bureau has also confirmed to Thaivisa.com that further restrictions are to be enforced from August 12, 2014.

It is understood that the new regulation is to prohibit back-to-back border runners who stay for an extended time in the country without a proper visa from a Consulate or Embassy abroad or an extension of stay granted by the Immigration Bureau in Thailand.

With regards to the new restrictions on land border crossing, which as mentioned above are effective as of today, a number of Thaivisa members have confirmed to us that these restrictions are being enforced at the Mae Sai border crossing in Chiang Rai province, with some members commenting they are stranded at the border unable to enter Thailand.

Keep up to date with the very latest from Mae Sai here.

The reports from Mae Sai have also been confirmed to us by Khun Tony, Managing Director of Puchlee Travel Company in Chiang Mai, who is a minibus service operator from Chiang Mai to the Mae Sai border.

Thaivisa will publish any further updates on this visa story as and when we get them.

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12th August further restrictions

Today the Immigration Bureau has posted the following notice, confirming the new regulations and upcoming changes to the regulations:

แนวทางปฏิบัติของ สตม.ในการตรวจคนเข้าเมืองของบุคคลสัญชาติเป้าหมาย เช่น เกาหลี ฯลฯ มีดังนี้

1.ห้ามมิให้ด่านชายแดนมีการอนุญาต Out-In ในลักษณะของ Visa run เพื่อให้ได้รับสิทธิในการอยู่ในราชอาณาจักรต่อเนื่องที่มิใช่เหตุผลเพื่อการ ท่องเที่ยว

2.กรณีเดินทางโดยอากาศยานหากตรวจพบว่าอาจเป็นการ Out-In ในลักษณะของ Visa run ให้ว่ากล่าวและแนะนำให้ผู้นั้นดำเนินการขอ Visa ให้ถูกต้องตามวัตถุประสงค์ของการเข้ามาในราชอาณาจักร แล้วอนุโลมให้เข้า ตั้งแต่บัดนี้จนถึงวันที่ 12 ส.ค.57 โดยทำเครื่องหมาย O-I ไว้บริเวณรอยตราประทับ และหลังจากวันที่ 12 ส.ค.57 เป็นต้นไป หากเจ้าหน้าที่ตรวจพบเป็นการ Out-In ให้ปฏิเสธการเข้าเมืองผู้นั้น

หมายเหตุ หากผู้ปฏิบัติมีข้อสงสัยหรือพบปัญหาติดต่อ พล.ต.ต.ชิษณุพงศ์ ยุกตะทัต หรือ พล.ต.ต.ณัฐธร เพราะสุนทร รอง ผบช.สตม. แล้วแต่กรณี

-- 2014-05-10

[sonnyt34]

Bravo to the administrators of this site for aiding in getting the best accurate info available I will direct others on my topic to this post.

[rucus7]

This will be a severe hardship for many Thai mini-bus drivers.

[Mario2008]

It will be hardship for a lot of people and a lot of people will have to adjust their vacation plans.

[alocacoc]

Great Service from Thaivisa. Thanks a lot for that.

[pinkpanther99]

This is big news that will affect a lot of people.

Kudos to Thai visa for getting the info out there.

I wouldn't fancy being a border runner right now - that said, going in and out of Thailand every 30 days means you aren't a tourist anyway and are probably milking the system.

Immigration seem to be on one at the moment!

[Spoonman]

About time this happened.

[Globeman]

Well... that day has finally come.

One wonders if immigration, in their usual farsightedness, has increased the capacity of neighbouring Thai consulates to deal with the huge influx of proper visa-seekers. Of course, each consulate has the autonomy to refuse to issue visas if the crowds prove too inconvenient for them. Expect chaos on your next visa run.

[Soutpeel]

About time this happened.

Yeap been a long time coming, one suspects the next step will be clamping down on over stayers, the days of paying a 20k fine slap on the wrist and coming back into Thailand the next day may we well and truly over as well...

its was going to happen one day that immigration would get fed up with people taking the P*ss of the system

[Pralaad]

From my understanding this applies to land crossings, what about air? If one was to fly out /in, does same apply?

[DP25]

Hopefully this crackdown will be like many others, short lived. A lot of people legitimately working, studying, living, or touring here, do border runs occasionally between visas. They should be able to differentiate between someone doing it a few times, and someone doing it for 5 years.

[naanaa]

So fly in and out every 30 days won't be affected?

[Hermes100]

changes nothing. I have friends who have been here years and have never once crossed any boarder for any visa extension.This is Thailand-have money- do as you please.This will only make those visa fixers a little more money and many local Thai vendors/businesses a little less.

[Keng11]

What about new Non Immigrant O visas, do they still have multiple entry as before?

Sent from my GT-N7105T using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Spoonman]

Hopefully this crackdown will be like many others, short lived. A lot of people legitimately working, studying, living, or touring here, do border runs occasionally between visas. They should be able to differentiate between someone doing it a few times, and someone doing it for 5 years.

One would hope that those who are studying or working here are doing so on the appropriate visa.

[sonnyt34]

This is big news that will affect a lot of people.

Kudos to Thai visa for getting the info out there.

I wouldn't fancy being a border runner right now - that said, going in and out of Thailand every 30 days means you aren't a tourist anyway and are probably milking the system.

Immigration seem to be on one at the moment!

I just came to thailand for 3 months not milking the system leaving next month, coming back for longer stay with an ed visa in september

[Spoonman]

changes nothing. I have friends who have been here years and have never once crossed any boarder for any visa extension.This is Thailand-have money- do as you please.This will only make those visa fixers a little more money and many local Thai vendors/businesses a little less.

This has nothing to do with visa extensions but is all about those who do not have a visa and are doing border runs every 15/30 days to get another visa exempt entry. the time has come to sort their ........... and get a proper visa.

Lets face it. doing a border run every 15/30 days is costly, why not fly to a neighboring country for 2 days and get a proper tourist visa.

[Soutpeel]

Hopefully this crackdown will be like many others, short lived. A lot of people legitimately working, studying, living, or touring here, do border runs occasionally between visas. They should be able to differentiate between someone doing it a few times, and someone doing it for 5 years.

It is understood that the new regulation is to prohibit back-to-back border runners who stay for an extended time in the country without a proper visa from a Consulate or Embassy abroad or an extension of stay granted by the Immigration Bureau in Thailand.

One suspects the legitimate people you mention would already have a proper visa ?....this is to stop people who work/live here without a proper visa living here long term jumping the border every 15/30 days, a legitimate tourist/some one touring would have little problem with this

[ClutchClark]

This is big news that will affect a lot of people.

Kudos to Thai visa for getting the info out there.

I wouldn't fancy being a border runner right now - that said, going in and out of Thailand every 30 days means you aren't a tourist anyway and are probably milking the system.

Immigration seem to be on one at the moment!

I know many people who rely on the border runs; however, I don't believe any of them were attempting to milk the system. They were unaware what they were doing was illegal. It seems odd that there is such an industry set up to support this practice andwhich advertise their services openly if, in fact, it was against the law.

This crackdown is actually advantageous to tourists on extended stays since it is much cheaper to apply for and receive a Visa than to make the monthly border runs.

[Mario2008]

What about new Non Immigrant O visas, do they still have multiple entry as before?

Sent from my GT-N7105T using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Depends where you apply and for what reason.

[ClutchClark]

So fly in and out every 30 days won't be affected?

It will be effected in August 2014.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

What about new Non Immigrant O visas, do they still have multiple entry as before?

Sent from my GT-N7105T using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

This apparent policy change has nothing to do with people holding Non-O visas. No impact whatsoever.

It's only pertaining to those attempting back-to-back visa-exempt (meaning with NO visa) land border crossings.

[Mario2008]

So fly in and out every 30 days won't be affected?

It will be effected in August 2014.

Correct.

It seems that as of 12 August border runs by air will also no longer be allowed.

[ubonjoe]

What about new Non Immigrant O visas, do they still have multiple entry as before?

Sent from my GT-N7105T using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

No change for those with visas.

It is only for those that do not have visas.

[pinkpanther99]

If you go in and out of Thailand every month for say a period of a year - the only purpose being to get 30 days at the border, then I am sorry but you are not a tourist.

Go and fill out all the reams and reams of paperwork and jump through all the hoops like the rest of us had to be able to say here legally long term.

[naanaa]

But fly out and fly in in 2 days won't be affected?

So fly in and out every 30 days won't be affected?

It will be effected in August 2014.

Correct.

It seems that as of 12 August border runs by air will also no longer be allowed.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

What about new Non Immigrant O visas, do they still have multiple entry as before?

Sent from my GT-N7105T using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Depends where you apply and for what reason.

Mario, that strikes me as not quite a clear answer....

If someone is holding a current Non-O visa, AFAIK, this policy/enforcement change should have no impact on them, whatsoever.

If you or Keng are addressing a different question of whether the various Consulates will also be tightening their visa issuance policies for new/future applicants, it seems those policies are changing and varying all the time from place to place.

But AFAIK, there's nothing in this current policy announcement that bears on that issue.

[apiwan]

Like I said the laws regarding immigration here change often.

Keep an eye on TV before making plans.

That said it's amazing how the law changes suddenly

And the only warning is when you get to the border.

Could of gave people 2 weeks a month notice of this.

Also seems other visas are getting harder to get nowadays .

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[DP25]

Hopefully this crackdown will be like many others, short lived. A lot of people legitimately working, studying, living, or touring here, do border runs occasionally between visas. They should be able to differentiate between someone doing it a few times, and someone doing it for 5 years.

One would hope that those who are studying or working here are doing so on the appropriate visa.

They are. But visas run out, people change jobs, change schools, move to different parts of the country, etc. It affects people who are between visas. Many do border runs for a couple months, while waiting for new paperwork.

[KhunKevin]

I had a triple entry tourist visa issued in the UK because i was just coming over for a few months as i expected to back to the UK within that time for work, the work has not yet started, there fore i am having to 'Milk' the system until my job starts.

Now in that period of time i have bought a house and spent over 400,000 baht here in Thailand, does that sound to you like milking the system or Thailand milking me of my hard earned cash?

Enough said!