Chiang Mai Visa-Runners Beware -Crackdown Now Effective

[Mapguy]

A major daily Bangkok news source today published news of a crackdown with immediate effect on so-called "visa-runners." Those who have made immediate plans for "runs" should read the news and review their plans.

[Mapguy]

Just saw this VERY brief summary of the Bangkok news media article, which should be read.

http://www.chiangmaicitynews.com/news.php?id=3823

[sticklee]

Go somewhere else, you are not welcome or wanted here. Said with a smile and a wai, of course.

[Ned]

Go and get a legit tourist visa. What's the problem?

[brommers]

Ned, I agree totally. What is so difficult or expensive about going about getting a correct visa? Indeed if these people were to add up the time and money used in repeated visa runs they would find it much less demanding to get it right the first time. The real problem is that Thai Immigration has been too lenient and not thorough in closing loopholes that arise from uncoordinated regulations added over time. These characters should just try and pull the same tricks with the UK, US or EU immigration authorities and see what happens.

As for being not wanted and not welcome, it is patently obvious that these are people are chancers. Thailand does not need any more, it has enough home grown ones.

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[heybruce]

Just saw this VERY brief summary of the Bangkok news media article, which should be read.

http://www.chiangmaicitynews.com/news.php?id=3823

The article states:

"With this new regulation in place, foreigners can only enter Thailand by a land border just once, after which they will be refused entry into the Kingdom of Thailand."

but then states:

"It should be noted that Non-Immigrant Visa or Tourist visa holders with remaining entries on their visa can exit and enter Thailand as before."

There's a conflict here. I have a one year Non-Immigrant Visa, and I went to MaeSai/Thakjilek in April and plan to return later this year. Can I "exit and enter Thailand as before" or is this not an option because I "can only enter Thailand by a land border just once"?

I suspect the law says I can exit and enter as before, so the real question is what the MaeSai immigration people think.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Sounds like it's a tweak of the visa exemption rule, so nothing to do with people on any kind of visa. And then visa exemptions are only available to select (mostly Western) nationalities, so that's also not applicable to all foreigners.

This news magazine is going downhill so rapidly it's really not funny anymore. If they keep it up they'll enter The Nation territory.

[trainman34014]

Just saw this VERY brief summary of the Bangkok news media article, which should be read.

http://www.chiangmaicitynews.com/news.php?id=3823

The article states:

"With this new regulation in place, foreigners can only enter Thailand by a land border just once, after which they will be refused entry into the Kingdom of Thailand."

but then states:

"It should be noted that Non-Immigrant Visa or Tourist visa holders with remaining entries on their visa can exit and enter Thailand as before."

There's a conflict here. I have a one year Non-Immigrant Visa, and I went to MaeSai/Thakjilek in April and plan to return later this year. Can I "exit and enter Thailand as before" or is this not an option because I "can only enter Thailand by a land border just once"?

I suspect the law says I can exit and enter as before, so the real question is what the MaeSai immigration people think.

With a 12 month 'NON O' you can continue as you did before, no change to the rules.

[Loaded]

Sounds like it's a tweak of the visa exemption rule, so nothing to do with people on any kind of visa. And then visa exemptions are only available to select (mostly Western) nationalities, so that's also not applicable to all foreigners.

This news magazine is going downhill so rapidly it's really not funny anymore. If they keep it up they'll enter The Nation territory.

Their heading is very misleading. It's criminally incorrect.

"Mae Sai Border Crossing Closed for Visa Runs: Burma for a 15 or 30 Day Visa to Stay Within Thailand is No Longer an Option"

The 'crackdown' is nothing to do with visas. It only covers 15 and 30-day visa exempt permission to stays. If the author of this story is confusing visas with visa exemptions, they really shouldn't be 'writing' for a living.

[PostmanPat]

Shock and horror!! Finally, Thailand is making an attempt to rid itself of Foreigners who dont or cant qualify for a proper Visa and try to get by on a tourist exempt entry followed by strings of ins and outs every so many days to avoid addressing the concept of achieving legitimacy here by getting themselves a proper Visa.

Lets be straight here. There is no legitimate argument against what Thailand is doing here.

I know of people here who have lived here for years with no Visa, and, I have reason to believe no passport either as it has expired. Those of us who do the right thing every year, every quarter, etc in following the rules should have no sympathy for these people. Doing the right thing visa wise is both time consuming, bureaucratic, and can be expensive, so why should those bleating about the Immigration department expect even an ounce of sympathy?!

[heybruce]

Thanks for the replies. It appears this new "crackdown" only affects those trying to make tourists visas last indefinitely. The Chiang Mai News article muddied the water somewhat, it could have been better written.

However it's not the rules you have to worry about, it's how the official you are dealing with interprets the rules. I won't go to Mae Sai again for some time, but I'll do a final check before I do.

[uptheos]

You're only about 200,000 views late on this topic.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/725053-final-crackdown-for-border-runners-new-strict-immigration-regulation-in-force-from-today/

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/725773-immigration-boss-confirms-the-out-in-visa-run-is-dead/

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/725037-mae-sai-not-allowing-visa-runs-as-of-today/

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/725592-thailand-visa-missing-mh370-behind-visa-run-crackdown-fingerprints-next/

Edited May 13, 2014 by uptheos

[bristolgeoff]

they will be a knock one effect now from the mini vans companys to the shops in the border area.they will all lose out.soon enough they will be complaining to someone about this issue and no tourist to buy our product

[MartinBKK]

Over 50 countries have a travel warnings out for Thailand and the political situation looks like it could develop into something very serious with the very real possibility of more violence.

I am taking a trip to Bangkok next week and i was looking at hotel prices today and i have never seen them as cheap in my whole time in Thailand. I can only assume that there are hardly any tourists at all at the moment so the whole visa crackdown seems to be very strange timing indeed. I hope they know what they are doing as many Thai people are going to suffer as a result including hotel workers, drivers, vendors at the border markets, taxis and tour guides etc. Some of these businesses are going to be wiped out overnight, literally.

I understand what they are trying to do but it seems like a lot of discretion is being being given to the immigration officers on how to interpret the rules. As soon as we have a few incidents at the airports where people are refused entry and there is confusion with the airlines as to who is paying for these people to fly straight home. Personally, i think these changes are going to last about as long as the 3 stamp rule did last time.

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[Ulysses G.]

Personally, i think these changes are going to last about as long as the 3 stamp rule did last time.

I have seen these crackdowns over and over again since I've been here and none have ever lasted long. You might be right.

Edited May 14, 2014 by Ulysses G.

[CMHomeboy78]

The consequences of this crackdown will most likely be an increase in the number of foreigners living here illegally.

The marginal characters who reside on 30 day border passes are low on the ladder as it is - just one rung above illegal aliens.

If they lose their grip and slip down to that lower level, perhaps the change would be seen by them to be for the better. That is, if they're oldish and don't want to travel anymore.

Living is cheap, Thais are welcoming, and it's always summertime here.

I remember a few months after arriving in 1978, hearing about two blacks, ex-USAF guys, who had stayed on, living with their Thai families in Saphan Kwai for over ten years... visas? we ain't got no stinkin' visas!

Then there was the farang running a Chiang Mai guesthouse where a tourist was murdered. He didn't do it, but it was found that he had been living here illegally for a long time.

How difficult could that kind of existence be compared to the harried life of a low-level visa-runner?

Chiang Mai once had a very diverse and often reprobate farang presence, until they were crowded out by more law-abiding and less colourful types.

There will always be self-righteous cries of "Out with the scum", but the old rogues were, for the most part, an interesting lot. Albeit not the sort of people to be fully trusted or relied on. They certainly weren't the all-too-common kind of meddling control-freaks that I was always glad to leave behind in my own country.

The traditional easy-going Chiang Mai culture is what I like. Much has been lost but a lot still survives "...like the resonance of a gong" in Paul Bowles words.

[Mapguy]

Eloquently expressed, Homeboy!

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