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

[apiwan]

TBH i think we've got it easy here.

Try doing what your doing in another country .

Tourist visa 60 days then extension for £50

The married ones non O visa £125 per year.

The saga one for over 50's

Try going to the UK and getting a visa for over 50's and saying I want to stay here on buttons.

And for those talking about Beauracrats .you think there's no beaurocracy in the west. ?

Get the right visa and paperwork and be happy

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

[Emster23]

Does the left hand (tourism authority) ever talk to the right (immigration) here? Admittedly both are sucking from the public teat, so have no experience with real world Thais who depend on those dollars from foreigners. Numbers are down significantly. Very brave of them to prevent people from coming back in and spending more money (?). A baht is a baht, and those whose livlihood depends on those baht don't care if from 'real" tourists or visa run tourists.

[DP25]

I don't like this new policy. Even though it won't affect me now, it would have adversely affected me in years prior, as it would have been stone drag for many posters here (years ago), who now (that they've got annual visas) are callous toward younger crowd.

This new law will make things difficult for younger folks. It will turn them and their dollars/euros over to Laos and other more decent destinations. Already, most backpackers only come through Thailand quickly and prefer to spend the lion's share of their time in neighboring countries. I know, because I meet hundreds of backpackers each year - who use Thailand as a stepping stone to better destinations.

Thai officialdom and ThaiVisa old fogies probably think; "So what. They're grubby, they don't spend much, they dress badly, etc." Well, besides being our sons and daughters, they are spending every day. An average backpacker might spend $1,000/month (or twice that, if plane tickets are included). So if Thailand turns away 500,000 backpackers, that's $5 to $10 billion spent elsewhere, outside of Thailand.

More important: Today's backpackers are tomorrow's middle class and rich folks. If they have a good memory of Thailand, it's likely they'll come back to visit when they've got more spending money, and they might bring their kids with them.

TAT is always going to favor big spending tourists, and TAT spends billions of baht each year to cater to them, via golf courses, promotions, publications, etc. It's like Thaksin's Elite Card. For every dollar they spend to promote it, they might make 50 cents.

You do know this new enforcement of the existing laws is not actually targeting legitimate visitors to Thailand don't you.

Myself, I would not consider a backpacker that is using Thailand as a stepping stone to better destinations (your words) to be an actual legitimate tourist in Thailand. not sure why you do to be honest.

Why on earth not ??

What the F, is a "legitimate" tourist in your opinion??

From responses to this thread, it seems some members think the only 'legitimate' foreigners are elderly sexpats on retirement visas. They certainly don't have any problems with this rule, and are happy to see young male foreigners get a load of new expense and hassle.

[devaram]

Looks like visa on arrival could soon be history.

People have to get a visa which makes more money for the bent officials.

Does anyone know how much a visa is these days?

People such as oil and gas guys wont want to waste their valuable time off travelling to an embassy in another country then waiting for a visa just so they can have their month off. These blokes will be lost to other countries such as Cambodia and The PI who still have sane and workable visa policies. Their departure will be a enormous financial blow to Phuket.

wont be back to back will it ...as there will be a 2 week or one month break when they are working so if they are 2 week on 2 week off there is no continuence

Impossible to say at this stage, who knows what ludicrous requirements will be imposed in August on the fly out fly in visa exemptions.

I can almost guarantee it will not be enforced at airports that would reduce tourist numbers in half and what will they do with thousands of non visa arrivals? Lock them up? It wont happen!

What they should do however is offer a two month visa on arrival that would solve that problem.

No arrival without visa would put Thailand into the same group as India China Vietnam not likely.

[tigergrl]

understand there are people milking the system.. but there are 1000s or 10s of 1000s

of thai people who are dependent on tourism and pretending like they aren't isn't going

to help the tourism economy.. less money in the pockets all around.. less economic

growth.. less for everyone. thinking that the shortfall is going to be made up by a smaller

wealthier grade of tourist is not the answer. they've just pulled the rug out from under

a great deal of thais.. not just foreigners going to be affected.

[OJAS]

You say that with all the unctuousness of someone who is unaffected by the situation and has no sympathy for genuine travellers whose plans will be seriously disrupted by this move.

My wife and I will be travelling to Thailand in December. The plan is to stay 8-10 weeks, as she has to have an operation which she wishes to have done in a Thai clinic. So how do I extend my stay beyond 30 days now? We will be in Ubon Ratchathani, and the plan was to pop over to Pakse once or twice, which is an easy trip. Now I will have to fly to Viengchang or Penang or Phnom Penh (two flights each way) with no idea how long it will take me to get a tourist visa when I get there. With the changes in the situation, I would imagine it will be bedlam at those embassies, with hordes of visa applicants.

"Oh", I hear you say, "get a tourist visa before you leave".

Well I live on a Greek island, and to get a visa from the Thai Embassy in Athens will entail a flight to Athens, plus at least one night in a hotel there, plus other expenses (local transport, eating etc) of being away in a city. I wouldn't see much (if any) change out of €500 just to get a tourist visa. And that's if I went to Athens on my own and left my wife at home.

You should be able to apply for your visas by mail. You may be able to qualify for non immigrant o visas based upon getting medical care.

I could give you more info but the embassy website http://www.thaiembassy.org/athens/en/home is down until late Tuesday here because it runs on the MFA servers that are down until then.

Thanks, I didn't realise that it was possible to apply by post. I'll get my wife to call them and see what the options are. It's only me that needs the visa - my wife was born and brought up in Ubon.

In that case you may also be eligible for a single-entry 90-day non-imm O visa based on marriage, which should more than cover you for your planed 8-10 weeks stay.

[khunbillmex]

I have a 35 day trip starting next week so no time to get a visa. I could simply pay the overstay but at 4am I am worried about how much time it will take [a few years ago Immigration was so slow I missed my flight to Yangon]- I'm traveling with twin 3 year olds [who have Thai passports]. My plan was to go to Nong Khai and spend a couple of days in Vientiane while my wife, kids and family kept themselves busy in Udon.

So from this statement "From today visitors can only enter into Thailand via a land border once," does that mean for someone in my situation I can exit and return once before getting refused? Sorry for being so dense about what would seem to be obvious.

Thanks for any up to date info on crossings at Nong Khai.

btw I'm using a US passport

[alanrchase]

I have a 35 day trip starting next week so no time to get a visa. I could simply pay the overstay but at 4am I am worried about how much time it will take [a few years ago Immigration was so slow I missed my flight to Yangon]- I'm traveling with twin 3 year olds [who have Thai passports]. My plan was to go to Nong Khai and spend a couple of days in Vientiane while my wife, kids and family kept themselves busy in Udon.

So from this statement "From today visitors can only enter into Thailand via a land border once," does that mean for someone in my situation I can exit and return once before getting refused? Sorry for being so dense about what would seem to be obvious.

Thanks for any up to date info on crossings at Nong Khai.

btw I'm using a US passport

Why do you need to spend a couple of days in Vientiane? My understanding is that you would get 30 days exempt on entering and pop acriss the Iaos border, come back and get 14 days. If you time it right 35 days will be covered.

Still unsure about the couple of days away from the wife in Vientiane?

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[icare999]

good news I for one am fed up with cheap sex tourists who contribute little to developing this wonderful country and other countries adopt same. HIgh time they stopped this nonsense of people using 30 day transit visas to stay here. IT is not difficult to get a proper 3 month or longer tourist visa at home for genuine tourists and for expats if they have funds no problem. I would also say they should like other neighbouring countries make a visa charge for tourists on arrival of say 20 us$ or say 50us$ and include free entry to national parks. They could also allow 1 reentry on border crossing but say charge 100 us$ or genuine tourists can fly.

I really hope this time they mean it and while it might hurt doe heap charlie types its all for good.

Just my humble opinion. Its time Thailand stopped being seen as brothel of world and if I had my way id totally bulldoze pattaya.

[Hermes100]

"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"

again-not really.All a western person need do is change their name obtain passport in that new name( its very easy for UK subjects who can do it in 1 day and as many times as they please)-and then return. I visit people in prison here and get all the inside info. There is no blacklist that can blacklist anybody.Also, those fingerprint devices- simply do not work.One prisoner told me how easy it was to defeat and there are even websites on it ( which perhaps I should not put name here). No, quite honestly from what I see all these procedures are next to useless and are simply a waste of time and no inconvenience at all to many

[madmitch]

I don't like this new policy. Even though it won't affect me now, it would have adversely affected me in years prior, as it would have been stone drag for many posters here (years ago), who now (that they've got annual visas) are callous toward younger crowd.

This new law will make things difficult for younger folks. It will turn them and their dollars/euros over to Laos and other more decent destinations. Already, most backpackers only come through Thailand quickly and prefer to spend the lion's share of their time in neighboring countries. I know, because I meet hundreds of backpackers each year - who use Thailand as a stepping stone to better destinations.

Thai officialdom and ThaiVisa old fogies probably think; "So what. They're grubby, they don't spend much, they dress badly, etc." Well, besides being our sons and daughters, they are spending every day. An average backpacker might spend $1,000/month (or twice that, if plane tickets are included). So if Thailand turns away 500,000 backpackers, that's $5 to $10 billion spent elsewhere, outside of Thailand.

More important: Today's backpackers are tomorrow's middle class and rich folks. If they have a good memory of Thailand, it's likely they'll come back to visit when they've got more spending money, and they might bring their kids with them.

TAT is always going to favor big spending tourists, and TAT spends billions of baht each year to cater to them, via golf courses, promotions, publications, etc. It's like Thaksin's Elite Card. For every dollar they spend to promote it, they might make 50 cents.

You do know this new enforcement of the existing laws is not actually targeting legitimate visitors to Thailand don't you.

Myself, I would not consider a backpacker that is using Thailand as a stepping stone to better destinations (your words) to be an actual legitimate tourist in Thailand. not sure why you do to be honest.

Of course they are legitimate tourists and often give more money to local small businesses than the high end tourist that stays in the 5 star hotels and eats in the expensive restaurants. Many backpackers do visa runs and it's now going to make things very difficult for those in Phuket/Krabi/Samui etc as the other side of Ranong isn't exactly inviting.

The instant application of these rules is poor. There should have been at least a month's advance warning to enable genuine tourists to get a proper visa before coming here.

A final thought: tourist visa on arrival as opposed to visa exempt. Let people have the option without having the hassle of visiting embassies or consulates. Or at least modernise the system to allow online applications.

[baboon]

TBH i think we've got it easy here.

Try doing what your doing in another country .

Tourist visa 60 days then extension for £50

The married ones non O visa £125 per year.

The saga one for over 50's

Try going to the UK and getting a visa for over 50's and saying I want to stay here on buttons.

And for those talking about Beauracrats .you think there's no beaurocracy in the west. ?

Get the right visa and paperwork and be happy

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

All well and good, until some grumpy official turns down your valid application as he / she is in a bad mood, doesn't like the look of you, etc.. Edited May 10, 2014 by baboon

[ukrules]

I have a 35 day trip starting next week so no time to get a visa. I could simply pay the overstay but at 4am I am worried about how much time it will take [a few years ago Immigration was so slow I missed my flight to Yangon]- I'm traveling with twin 3 year olds [who have Thai passports]. My plan was to go to Nong Khai and spend a couple of days in Vientiane while my wife, kids and family kept themselves busy in Udon.

So from this statement "From today visitors can only enter into Thailand via a land border once," does that mean for someone in my situation I can exit and return once before getting refused? Sorry for being so dense about what would seem to be obvious.

Thanks for any up to date info on crossings at Nong Khai.

btw I'm using a US passport

There is a simple solution for you. On the last day of your 30 day stamp's validity go to immigration and apply for a 7 or 30 day extension. This will be rejected and they will grant you an additional 7 days due to the rejection. It doesn't matter that you arrived on a visa exemption. I have done this back to back a couple of times this year already on a UK passport. It's important to do it on the last day of your current stamp assuming immigration is open as the 7 days start from the day you apply !

I do this when my travel plans didn't quite align with my visa expiration days and I've confirmed that there's no negative implications with doing this - the message that came back from the immigration officer when I asked about it was 'one stamp per entrance'. So you can do this every time you come to Thailand if you want to.

Edited May 10, 2014 by ukrules

[Evilbaz]

Will Thai Immi create a new category for " Border boarders "?

[lemonjelly]

Walen School can help you with your ED visas if you need help. Very reliable service and fair price for the quality of work we do. We have 11 branches in Thailand so there is one probably near where you live. You can also PM me.

I wouldn't be surprised if the ED visa scam is the next to come under the microscope. Not the genuine ED learners but the people who use it - ahem - shall we say - flexibly.

Possibly a Thai language test at regular intervals. That would sort the chaff from the wheat so to speak.

There are a lot of visa schools. You can usually tell by the price, if price is very cheap means no lessons or so bad nobody even expects u to attend, maybe 2-3 classrooms only, very few staff, opened recently, this kind of thing. Walen School has 11 branches, it is certainly not a scam so you don't have to worry about us. If you need quality teaching and reliable visa assistance come to Walen School!

shouldn't that post be in the 'classifieds'?..... lol

[Razakall]

Ok so you can't do the return visa run now? But how long do you have to stay in the other country before you come back? (Via land) Ie can I go by land to siem reap, stay one night and return to Thailand the next day? (On a standard 30 day visa) Or are all the visitors to Thailand via a land crossing only allowed one entry in their lifetime?

[alanrchase]

TBH i think we've got it easy here.

Try doing what your doing in another country .

Tourist visa 60 days then extension for £50

The married ones non O visa £125 per year.

The saga one for over 50's

Try going to the UK and getting a visa for over 50's and saying I want to stay here on buttons.

And for those talking about Beauracrats .you think there's no beaurocracy in the west. ?

Get the right visa and paperwork and be happy

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

All well and good, until some grumpy bureaucrat turns down your valid application as he / she is in a bad mood, doesn't like the look of you, etc..

Yeah, jing jing. Valid?

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[cms22]

Thai Visa. Well done. Excellent news of value.

[lemonjelly]

Ok so you can't do the return visa run now? But how long do you have to stay in the other country before you come back? (Via land) Ie can I go by land to siem reap, stay one night and return to Thailand the next day? (On a standard 30 day visa) Or are all the visitors to Thailand via a land crossing only allowed one entry in their lifetime?

Methinks you ask questions that Thai Immigration do not yet know the answer...... it's going to be chaos at the border crossings, neighbouring consulates will be in meltdown ( but cashing in, none the less )......... I wonder if they'll ease up on the number of back to back tourist visas....... potential cash cow if they do.

[ukrules]

Ok so you can't do the return visa run now? But how long do you have to stay in the other country before you come back? (Via land) Ie can I go by land to siem reap, stay one night and return to Thailand the next day? (On a standard 30 day visa) Or are all the visitors to Thailand via a land crossing only allowed one entry in their lifetime?

This is not clear at this time. Give them a few days to make something up and I'm sure they will clarify the situation.

[istinspring]

I just asked my gf to translate, she told that they talk about Koreans. Hm i doubt.

Just call my Comrade who doing Border-Run business. He called migration control officer and he told that they got instruction to carefully check migration cards and that's all. It's true somehow but probably for some popular points.

Edited May 10, 2014 by istinspring

[surfinglife]

Finally! Let's hope it lasts.

[wilcopops]

"From today visitors can only enter into Thailand via a land border once, after that they will be refused entry to the Kingdom"

Can this be right?

If you are a tourist staying in Thailand and you make a trip to Siam Reap pop back, and then go to Laos for a couple of days, you won't be able to come back into the kingdom??????

[apiwan]

TBH i think we've got it easy here.

Try doing what your doing in another country .

Tourist visa 60 days then extension for £50

The married ones non O visa £125 per year.

The saga one for over 50's

Try going to the UK and getting a visa for over 50's and saying I want to stay here on buttons.

And for those talking about Beauracrats .you think there's no beaurocracy in the west. ?

Get the right visa and paperwork and be happy

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

All well and good, until some grumpy bureaucrat turns down your valid application as he / she is in a bad mood, doesn't like the look of you, etc..

Yeah, jing jing. Valid?

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Can't argue with you on this one mate.

Because it happened to me in London . Everything they needed has set out on their website . Then refused and told to get more paperwork .

Didn't tell me which papers though.

But it's not the end of the world .

Where there's a way etc.

Apart from the nutters battling for power. It's bloody easy here.

Damned good country.

The ones who find it difficult are the ones with champagne taste and lemonade pockets

Be lucky

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

[robmais]

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!

Doesn't look to me like Thailand is milking you. They never forced you to come here and spend your money, that has all been your own choice. If you are not happy with it this way you should maybe be living in a different country. Enough said!

[Yahooka]

good news I for one am fed up with cheap sex tourists who contribute little to developing this wonderful country and other countries adopt same. HIgh time they stopped this nonsense of people using 30 day transit visas to stay here. IT is not difficult to get a proper 3 month or longer tourist visa at home for genuine tourists and for expats if they have funds no problem. I would also say they should like other neighbouring countries make a visa charge for tourists on arrival of say 20 us$ or say 50us$ and include free entry to national parks. They could also allow 1 reentry on border crossing but say charge 100 us$ or genuine tourists can fly.

I really hope this time they mean it and while it might hurt doe heap charlie types its all for good.

Just my humble opinion. Its time Thailand stopped being seen as brothel of world and if I had my way id totally bulldoze pattaya.

You need to lighten up IMHO .......................

[wilcopops]

I suppose ed visas will be stopped next?

[banglassie]

I just asked my gf to translate, she told that they talk about Koreans. Hm i doubt.

Just call my Comrade who doing Border-Run business. He called migration control officer and he told that they got instruction to carefully check migration cards and that's all. It's true somehow but probably for some popular points.

The only thing they mention about Koreans is that Koreans ETC. Which in other words means next to all aliens except perhaps the ASEAN neighbors.

[moe666]

How about ending the crackdown on crackdowns? Thai immigration are moving the goal post

every time and any time they feel like, a country with 10's of millions of visitors a year should

have a better and easier visa rules and regulations that make sense and easy to obtain and

renew.....

Most of the visitors are really tourist who only stay for 7 to 10 days, they have no need to do multiply border runs while working on the internet from there room in CM, Bangkok, Koi Samui, Pattaya and where ever else they decide to reside. Yes some people who have a legitimate reason for making border runs but say thanks to those who have played the system

[alanrchase]

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!

Doesn't look to me like Thailand is milking you. They never for...ced you to come here and spend your money, that has all been your own choice. If you are not happy with it this way you should maybe be living in a different country. Enough said!

Khun kevin

Have no idea about what you do, how old you are or your financial situation. How do you work out that Thailand has milked you out of cash on multiple entry "tourist visas? ". In theory you are just a tourist so why buy a house? You sound like the milk maid.

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