I live near Nong Khai and once a month I do my usual visa run across the frienship bridge to Laos and then return to Thailand to get my 1 month tourist visa. I have been doing this for over a year now but I'm getting worried that I will not be able to do this for much longer as I have recently heard from various people that the law for this visa has changed or is going to change. They say that you may only be allowed to cross the border six times and then you will be given a stamp to say that you will have to leave the country for 6 months before being able to enter again.

I am 29, have a Thai girlfriend and am just enjoying a long vacation over here with her. I have no intention of getting married yet and I'm too young to retire so I can't apply for any other type of visa and I'm getting worried that I will have to leave because of a possible new law.

Does anyone know if what I heard is correct or is it just a misunderstanding? Any help would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

you could read posts of some people saying, "i have been doing it for 10 years" all the way to "i was denied at the border" and everything in between with warnings from an immigration officer, "this is your last one".

entry into thailand is always up to the immigration officer

you should bite the bullet and go get a multi entry tourist visa from the thai embassy in laos since you live near the border. i'm not sure what the maximum entries/months available is right now from laos, but that will give you piece of mind.

you could read posts of some people saying, "i have been doing it for 10 years" all the way to "i was denied at the border" and everything in between with warnings from an immigration officer, "this is your last one".

entry into thailand is always up to the immigration officer

you should bite the bullet and go get a multi entry tourist visa from the thai embassy in laos since you live near the border. i'm not sure what the maximum entries/months available is right now from laos, but that will give you piece of mind.

People with what the Tha Embassies in Laos and Cambodia consider too many ' real ' tourist visa's ( 60 day TR visa's are already having trouble getting more tourist visa's. Read postings on here over the last few days, and make your own mind up. To me, the end is in sight for what I term ' walkers ' on a 30 day basis. There are few countries in the world that permit unlimited access to visitors.

Thanks for your posts Dr P & Huski, I guess you could be right, what I dreaded may come true and there could be an end in sight for the unlimited 30 day visas. To be honest I knew it was kind of illegal as they aren't really permitted to let you enter without an onward ticket out of Thailand, but to this day I've never been asked.

I will have to consider another alternative visa or get ready to make my way back to the UK.

Are there any other options for a person who wishes to stay in Thailand for a long period of time or do I have to get married to be able to stay?

Any help as always will be greatly appreciated.

Regards,

GR

Are there any other options for a person who wishes to stay in Thailand for a long period of time or do I have to get married to be able to stay?

Perhaps you could find work to provide a work permit/visa?

Perhaps you could invest to obtain visa?

Perhaps you could set up a business?

Perhaps you could return to home country, where your word is good, and obtain a longer visa?