Immigration boss confirms the Out-In visa run is dead

[inthepink]

I've yet to meet any Ferang in 25 years on an Ed Visa who has a clue about Thai language apart from Bargirl Stuff they picked up. Just a Visa get out imo.... Perhaps Mac is just a fine Trader, who knows the Rouges that spoil it for Him. .

Perhaps if you stopped hanging around in bars you might meet a better class of Westerner.

[CiaranO]

The black list threat seems pretty horrible if it's just based on their "opinion" about a person. I can see that in case of an arrest and evidence proven. Imagine if it happened to you and it wasn't true especially if you are settled with lots of property here. This kind of hard core tactic should be really troubling to ALL foreigners here, no matter how totally legit you think you are. You might think this isn't about you, but to immigration you're just another SUSPECT, and don't forget that.

Good point. If you are "settled with lots of property here" then you are clearly not a tourist. You should not be in the country on a tourist visa. Seems to me these are exactly the sort of people who will end up being blacklisted if they do not get themselves onto the right kind of visa.

And, if not married, not working, not 50, no family, not in school, "settled" but without enough property or investment to satisfy those rules, what kind of visa is that exactly?

Then you dont qualify to live here, I wanted to live in the USA for many years but i couldnt get a proper visa for that so i couldnt go. If you dont me the criteria here there is nothing that can be done. Time to move on

[gigman]

 

Question:

On some occasions do visa runs from Laos to Thailand. I enter and exit Thailand on same day. I know several people in Vientiane who do same.

Will we be affected?

 

Please read previous posts.

I did only 1 time visa run and It will be as bad as many runs.

[thaibeachlovers]

Who does he think he is? The immigration boss.....

And did he consult with the politician responsible for tourism, the tourism boss, the head of the hotels association, the industry boss etc etc to see if they agreed, or did he just decide to be a little dictator and to hell with everyone else?

In a real democracy, heads of departments don't make it up without input from politicians, and given the political situation at the moment I doubt the politicians think it's a great time to be upsetting yet another apple cart.

No idea who he consulted. It's none of my business is it? I just thought it was stupid to ask who does he think he is, deciding how long visitors can stay in Thailand. He's the head of immigration, if he can't decide then who can?

Since when did civil servants make political policy in a democracy? It's his job to run the department and carry out the will of his political masters, not to be making political decisions. It's up to politicians to decide, NOT him.

[wolf5370]

SP....sorry for the confusion. I use to have a WP when I was based in our BKK office, I no longer have one as I am on rotation work from another district. When I got my WP I had to relinquish my married visa (not sure why?)..So ever since I been coming in a on a tourist visa every 40 days or so..

Sounds like you were sold a bad one - no reason you can't have a WP on a non-imm O for marriage visa or extension.

Sounds like you were sold a bad one as well - If you apply for a work permit as a journalist and have a non-imm-O for marriage, you do have to switch to a non-imm M and give up your marriage-visa.

That is incorrect. Some immigration guy may tell you that, but it is legally allowable to hold a WP under an No-Imm O for marriage (not OA or ED). Fact.

[inthepink]

Who does he think he is? The immigration boss.....

And did he consult with the politician responsible for tourism, the tourism boss, the head of the hotels association, the industry boss etc etc to see if they agreed, or did he just decide to be a little dictator and to hell with everyone else?

In a real democracy, heads of departments don't make it up without input from politicians, and given the political situation at the moment I doubt the politicians think it's a great time to be upsetting yet another apple cart.

No idea who he consulted. It's none of my business is it? I just thought it was stupid to ask who does he think he is, deciding how long visitors can stay in Thailand. He's the head of immigration, if he can't decide then who can?

Since when did civil servants make political policy in a democracy? It's his job to run the department and carry out the will of his political masters, not to be making political decisions. It's up to politicians to decide, NOT him.

I'm not privy to the workings behind the scenes, neither are you. If you can't see the funny side of asking who the head of Thai immigration thinks he is, deciding how long tourists can spend in Thailand, then I can't help you.

[LivinLOS]

Personally im an offshore worker I work 28days on/off rotation. On my off time I live with my gf & child(Thai) in a rented property. I have always been coming in on the 30 non visa entry. As I don't see what I do as a "visa run" because im out of the country every 2nd month. I'm wondering how this will effect me & the many more like me who have been doing this for years... as i dont work in the country ok i dont pay tax but I spend a considerable amount of money in the country(again like many in my situation) thus building the economy. Will I need to get a visa & if so what kind of visa does some1 get in my current situation?? Any help is much appreciated. Thanks

I am also in the same boat and would be interested to know the outcome. I fly back tomorrow and hoping they let me in

Will look into getting the family visa this time around too.

Its actually quite worrying the thought of getting turned away, im not back for another 3 weeks & your probably the same with ticketing as my company will get me a 1 way & i get my return the week before i fly back to the ship. This will probably be my 1st problem on re entry... What is the best option for a visa? is getting married an option to fast track a visa? its not ideal & wouldnt be my 1st choice... how does the family visa work? do i need to be marriede for this? Thanks for any advice.

As far as I know the family version of the non-immigrant O is granted in two situations only - either you are married to a Thai, or you are divorced and have full custody of a child with Thai nationality. Divorced with a Thai child but without custody is no good. Having a Thai gf with whom you have a Thai child is no good.

Obviously you have to fulfil the other requirements, eg 400,000 baht in a Thai bank, but those are the essentials.

If you send the child to a posh school, the school can give the child an ED visa (they dont need it but you do for the next step) and you can gain a dependant visa piggybacked off the child.. You do need to show funds for this, for my buddy they wanted to see 500k in the bank but I hear this is a per officers discretion number.

[jpinx]

Exactly.. The bangkok post article listed a Korean man who was denied entry as a tourist simply for being married.. The logic being if your married you cant be a tourist ???

--------

I'll put my flak-jacket on, because I haven't actually read that article, but there is usually some combination of factors that gets someone into that kind of a pickle

[paz]

If you had lots of property here why would you be dependant on the border runs every 30 days....before you invested wouldn't you at least make sure you had a correct visa.

There is no "correct visa" for just "owning" properties, unless it is worth at least 10 M bath and yet with many restrictions.

Owning here can only refer to free-hold condo, all other methods are just way to cirmvent the law.

[Neeranam]

Don't worry! Pattaya is and still will be full of many out-in and in-out services.

Of course, and who do you think benefits directly by these servives? Who gives the actual stamp.

[Soutpeel]

I've yet to meet any Ferang in 25 years on an Ed Visa who has a clue about Thai language apart from Bargirl Stuff they picked up. Just a Visa get out imo.... Perhaps Mac is just a fine Trader, who knows the Rouges that spoil it for Him. .

You haven't met me.

I am in my third year at a Thai language school. My Thai is slowly improving, but I find it very difficult. I have never missed a class. Yes, I am using this visa for a prolongued stay until i decide to retire here, and if I do so I will have a reasonable understanding of Thai. I have the strong belief that if you intend to make a foreign country your home, you should be able to speak the language. By the way, paasaa Thai korng khun bpen yang ngai baang na khrab?

This is the funny thing about all this, People go on about wanting to live in Thailand, "integrate", become Thaier than than Thai, experience the culture etc and one suspects being half decent in Thai will help your life here considerably and immigration even give you the avenue to stay on long term visa's and all you got to do is spend 4 hours in week in a classroom learning a language which will help you no end while living here...

but yet we have people on TV whinging on about Ed Visa's and how its xenophobic/discrimination because your going to be stopped border jumping because you want to live here "permanently" but don't want to get the correct paper work, but immigration are giving you a perfectly good vehicle to stay long term...If immigration was truly as xenophobic as people suggest, then they would cancel Ed Visa's to learn Thai, as the only demand for this comes from foreigners

The take away I get from a lot of the posts on this topic is one of a gang of whinging little babies with a sense of self entitlement..."I am a western foreigner with a few bob in my pocket, I demand to be treated better than this by the natives"

Edited May 13, 2014 by Soutpeel

[Timwin]

That pretty much spells it out -- good for them to take a stand. There is always some slippage here between the law and it's implementation, but it seems that the boss is going to be watching for a while

You must be naive fool. What makes you think the next "crackdown" will not affect you? Raising the retirement visa to 60 years and/or raising the monthly income/savings limits, for example.

Or they start examining are you "really" married to that Thai girl! One wrong answer while immigration officer having a bad day and it is bye bye time for you!

Or you having a successful business and a competitor complains about you. Then they bribe an official and "found" something in your business offices and then you will be deported.

These kinds of absolute powers for blacklisting to be given to border officials are NEVER good! Especially if there are no ways to file an appeal. It is basically inviting all kinds of abusive behaviour.

Edited May 13, 2014 by Timwin

[ebonykap]

Studying Thai, while having a visa based on that is not a loophole.

In the same way that retiring in Thailand and getting a visa based on that isn't, or getting a job in Thailand (God forbid. ) and getting a visa based on that isn't a loophole.

Seems there's a lot of people hating on a rich, successful person making money with their business here.

Probably because they haven't the ability to.

For a Person to get an ED Visa in Thailand requires 4 hours per week of study. For a Thai to get an ED Visa in USA requires 18 hours per week of classroom study

I believe a student in the US is also permitted to work the rest of the time with no restriction on the type of work he can do as long as it is legal.

And foreigners on ED visas in Australia can work 20 hours per week, and during school holidays they can work full time.

[paz]

I'm not privy to the workings behind the scenes, neither are you. If you can't see the funny side of asking who the head of Thai immigration thinks he is, deciding how long tourists can spend in Thailand, then I can't help you.

Let me help you understand then, he is an non-elected cop with (relatively) limited power, exploiting a power gap to introduce regulations not officially published in any body of law, at the time someone above him will think different he will be quietly back at his desk polishing his medals and working the best posts bids paid by his subordinates.

[ukrules]

Another confusing article - many references to tourist visas rather than visa exempt arrivals. Are they now saying that even on a double entry tourist visa you are not allowed to do an 'in-out'?

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I believe the inevitable outcome of this will be the end of people using back to back entries on tourist visas as well as visa exempt entries.

If what this guy says is true then this is going to be the end of long term tourism before retirement option which many people choose, even with multiple entry tourist visas. I'd give it a year and it will all be over if he sticks to it.

[isawasnake]

Just curious as to what are the visa running tourists doing in Thailand? Are they just living here on a foreign income or working illegally?

This is news to a lot of people, for the life of me I have never been sure why.... but listen to this: people can save money, and even invest money (wow), and live off of that money for sometimes years. People don't have to be working all the time. Repeat, all human beings do not have to work every day of their lives. Corollary: you don't have to have income every day of your life. It is really something, isn't it. Who would have thought. Wait, is this where you tell me to get a job so I can be like you?

[Yahooka]

Never to come back again, wow people really need to start getting the correct visas then or say bye bye to thai !

Thailand don't want the tourists like you. We need quality tourists.

You should "up" the quality of the country if you want those ...............................

[Soutpeel]

Studying Thai, while having a visa based on that is not a loophole.

In the same way that retiring in Thailand and getting a visa based on that isn't, or getting a job in Thailand (God forbid. ) and getting a visa based on that isn't a loophole.

Seems there's a lot of people hating on a rich, successful person making money with their business here.

Probably because they haven't the ability to.

For a Person to get an ED Visa in Thailand requires 4 hours per week of study. For a Thai to get an ED Visa in USA requires 18 hours per week of classroom study

I believe a student in the US is also permitted to work the rest of the time with no restriction on the type of work he can do as long as it is legal.

And foreigners on ED visas in Australia can work 20 hours per week, and during school holidays they can work full time.

but your not in Aussie...

[jpinx]

That pretty much spells it out -- good for them to take a stand. There is always some slippage here between the law and it's implementation, but it seems that the boss is going to be watching for a while

You must be naive fool. What makes you think the next "crackdown" will not affect you? Raising the retirement visa to 60 years and/or raising the monthly income/savings limits, for example.

Or they start examining are you "really" married to that Thai girl! One wrong answer while immigration officer having a bad day and it is bye bye time for you!

Or you having a successful business and a competitor complains about you. Then they bribe an official and "found" something in your business offices and then you will be deported.

These kinds of absolute powers for blacklisting to be given to border officials are NEVER good! Especially if there are no ways to file an appeal. It is basically inviting all kinds of abusive behaviour.

I have lived in countries with much more difficult and flaky immigration regimes. Thailand is relatively easy and this latest crackdown is nothing new -- just increased enforcements. There are no new rules being brought in......

[John1thru10]

All very confusing. "In and out", yes but what time-limit? I give an example, I am planning a 6-7 week holiday in November. There is a good chance I would not stay all the time in the Kingdom. My plan is after 2 weeks, to do a tour in Burma/Myanmar, for 6 days. Then go back less then 30 days to Thailand. Could that already put me in "trouble"?

If I just apply for a tourist-visa and stay in the Kingdom all the time, that would be no problem.

Just explain all that when you apply for your double entry tourist visa in the Thai embassy/consulate in your country.

A Single entry Tourist Visa is appropriate for that itinerary, as you get permission for 30 days on your return.

If he wants to leave Thailand and come back after a week or so -- he needs a double entry

No he wouldnt because he can use one visa exempt entry (allowed) and one single tourist visa..

------------

I take your point, but I believe the Permit-to-Stay given on entry will depend on a travel plan, tickets and funding, which might fall foul of the "plan" to get a visa in an adjoining country - which may or may not be granted..

Well here, you not agree already. I done this, last year, first a week in Thailand, 5 days in Philippines, then back to Thailand, leaving then before next 30 days were over. No problem at all.

So why should it be a problem now? If I remember well, in and outs, keeping the 30 days stay without visa, as long as the total days not exceed a certain amount per year.

EDIT : This confirms my way of thinking :

Furthermore, foreigners who enter the Kingdom under this Tourist Visa Exemption Scheme may re-enter and stay

in Thailand for a cumulative duration of stay of not exceeding 90 days within any 6-month period from the date of

first entry. - See more at: http://www2.thaiembassy.be/consular-services/qa/#sthash.xAQNOzqo.dpuf

The letter of the law is one thing. And one can understand it. What worries me, is the spirit of the law. For example: I was recently in Europe for 7 months, and returning the other day (with a US passport) the officer accused me a of back-to-back visas. In fact, I'm outside of Thailand for at least 6 months of each year. She simply saw I'd been to Thailand many times, and then found a very short overstay (about 1 month) from several years ago, which I paid the fine for and was told with a laugh that it was no problem whatsoever. Suddenly, this officer was grilling me about 'why you overstay!' and 'why you come here!'. I have no criminal record of any kind, and was being treated as if I was the worst kind of person imaginable. I looked completely presentable, and was not rude to her at all. This is not about the rules of in and out, when on the ground in front of an official at this time. This, in my experience and opinion, is about something else - and not just 'criminal' activity. It is, I feel, very much related to an unstable political situation, and infighting about whether foreigners are welcome in general. That is worrying, because one is truly at the mercy of anyone in uniform whom they happen to encounter. I would advise any friends (as well as myself) to avoid Thailand for a while, until things settle down again. The letter of the law on on a website somewhere, seem to mean very little on the ground at this time.

[Pralaad]

I've yet to meet any Ferang in 25 years on an Ed Visa who has a clue about Thai language apart from Bargirl Stuff they picked up. Just a Visa get out imo.... Perhaps Mac is just a fine Trader, who knows the Rouges that spoil it for Him. .

You haven't met me.

I am in my third year at a Thai language school. My Thai is slowly improving, but I find it very difficult. I have never missed a class. Yes, I am using this visa for a prolongued stay until i decide to retire here, and if I do so I will have a reasonable understanding of Thai. I have the strong belief that if you intend to make a foreign country your home, you should be able to speak the language. By the way, paasaa Thai korng khun bpen yang ngai baang na khrab?

This is the funny thing about all this, People go on about wanting to live in Thailand, "integrate", become Thaier than than Thai, experience the culture etc and one suspects being half decent in Thai will help your life here considerably and immigration even give you the avenue to stay on long term visa's and all you got to do is spend 4 hours in week in a classroom learning a language which will help you no end while living here...

but yet we have people on TV whinging on about Ed Visa's and how its xenophobic/discrimination because your going to be stopped border jumping because you want to live here "permanently" but don't want to get the correct paper work, but immigration are giving you a perfectly good vehicle to stay long term...If immigration was truly as xenophobic as people suggest, then they would cancel Ed Visa's to learn Thai, as the only demand for this comes from foreigners

The take away I get from a lot of the posts on this topic is one of a gang of whinging little babies with a sense of self entitlement..."I am a western foreigner with a few bob in my pocket, I demand to be treated better than this by the natives"

, nailed it.

On so many threads, you have so many Thai experts, who know all about REAL Thailand, married to hi-so lawyers, own latest vehicles, build houses etc etc etc

Yet, once 15/30 visa runs are no longer an option, all those experts whine and cry, pages and pages of cries.

One would assume so many with so much knowledge and money would have proper visa's of some sort.

[John1thru10]

Just curious as to what are the visa running tourists doing in Thailand? Are they just living here on a foreign income or working illegally?

This is news to a lot of people, for the life of me I have never been sure why.... but listen to this: people can save money, and even invest money (wow), and live off of that money for sometimes years. People don't have to be working all the time. Repeat, all human beings do not have to work every day of their lives. Corollary: you don't have to have income every day of your life. It is really something, isn't it. Who would have thought. Wait, is this where you tell me to get a job so I can be like you?

For myself, I'm a touring artist - American, but most all of my work is in Europe. I started coming to Thailand to stay in between tours, and was always very welcomed by Thailand before this time, in order to not overstay in Europe. Returning all the way to America repeatedly was far more expensive, and simply less interesting to me. I've always worked hard to stay legal in Thailand, and respect their culture in all ways. I'm not a drunk, or certainly not stealing passports, and I never even try to work here, because I wouldn't feel right about taking a job from a Thai person somehow. And yet recently, all of a sudden after 5 years of thinking of Thailand as a place where I was safe and welcomed, suddenly I'm being spoken to like a criminal of some kind. I'm never given a chance to explain myself, or have an actual converstaion, for that matter. The people in Bangkok (while still lovely people) don't seem to smile very easily anymore. I feel a bad and angry spirit is taking this country, and I feel blamed without question for the bad actions of some others who have nothing to do with me.

[LivinLOS]

SP....sorry for the confusion. I use to have a WP when I was based in our BKK office, I no longer have one as I am on rotation work from another district. When I got my WP I had to relinquish my married visa (not sure why?)..So ever since I been coming in a on a tourist visa every 40 days or so..

Sounds like you were sold a bad one - no reason you can't have a WP on a non-imm O for marriage visa or extension.

Sounds like you were sold a bad one as well - If you apply for a work permit as a journalist and have a non-imm-O for marriage, you do have to switch to a non-imm M and give up your marriage-visa.

That is incorrect. Some immigration guy may tell you that, but it is legally allowable to hold a WP under an No-Imm O for marriage (not OA or ED). Fact.

But as he correctly points out the only visa class for a freelance journalist is the M media visa.. So if his work permit was as indicated for freelance journalism.. He would need to change.

For regular working I agree.. But I think you missed that it was an M visa ??

[jpinx]

All very confusing. "In and out", yes but what time-limit? I give an example, I am planning a 6-7 week holiday in November. There is a good chance I would not stay all the time in the Kingdom. My plan is after 2 weeks, to do a tour in Burma/Myanmar, for 6 days. Then go back less then 30 days to Thailand. Could that already put me in "trouble"?

If I just apply for a tourist-visa and stay in the Kingdom all the time, that would be no problem.

Just explain all that when you apply for your double entry tourist visa in the Thai embassy/consulate in your country.

A Single entry Tourist Visa is appropriate for that itinerary, as you get permission for 30 days on your return.

If he wants to leave Thailand and come back after a week or so -- he needs a double entry

No he wouldnt because he can use one visa exempt entry (allowed) and one single tourist visa..

------------

I take your point, but I believe the Permit-to-Stay given on entry will depend on a travel plan, tickets and funding, which might fall foul of the "plan" to get a visa in an adjoining country - which may or may not be granted..

Well here, you not agree already. I done this, last year, first a week in Thailand, 5 days in Philippines, then back to Thailand, leaving then before next 30 days were over. No problem at all.

So why should it be a problem now? If I remember well, in and outs, keeping the 30 days stay without visa, as long as the total days not exceed a certain amount per year.

EDIT : This confirms my way of thinking :

Furthermore, foreigners who enter the Kingdom under this Tourist Visa Exemption Scheme may re-enter and stay

in Thailand for a cumulative duration of stay of not exceeding 90 days within any 6-month period from the date of

first entry. - See more at: http://www2.thaiembassy.be/consular-services/qa/#sthash.xAQNOzqo.dpuf

The letter of the law is one thing. And one can understand it. What worries me, is the spirit of the law. For example: I was recently in Europe for 7 months, and returning the other day (with a US passport) the officer accused me a of back-to-back visas. In fact, I'm outside of Thailand for at least 6 months of each year. She simply saw I'd been to Thailand many times, and then found a very short overstay (about 1 month) from several years ago, which I paid the fine for and was told with a laugh that it was no problem whatsoever. Suddenly, this officer was grilling me about 'why you overstay!' and 'why you come here!'. I have no criminal record of any kind, and was being treated as if I was the worst kind of person imaginable. I looked completely presentable, and was not rude to her at all. This is not about the rules of in and out, when on the ground in front of an official at this time. This, in my experience and opinion, is about something else - and not just 'criminal' activity. It is, I feel, very much related to an unstable political situation, and infighting about whether foreigners are welcome in general. That is worrying, because one is truly at the mercy of anyone in uniform whom they happen to encounter. I would advise any friends (as well as myself) to avoid Thailand for a while, until things settle down again. The letter of the law on on a website somewhere, seem to mean very little on the ground at this time.

-----------------------------

As has been said many times in this thread and others .. it is the same situation when you try to enter any country. Have you tried to enter USA as a 3rd world-er through LA -- that's a scary experience even for europeans

[Timwin]

...Suddenly, this officer was grilling me about 'why you overstay!' and 'why you come here!'. I have no criminal record of any kind, and was being treated as if I was the worst kind of person imaginable. I looked completely presentable, and was not rude to her at all. This is not about the rules of in and out, when on the ground in front of an official at this time...

This is exactly what I am talking about, the abusive behaviour started already. It could easily spread to other visa holders too...

Edited May 13, 2014 by Timwin

[PepeLePew]

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The black list threat seems pretty horrible if it's just based on their "opinion" about a person. I can see that in case of an arrest and evidence proven. Imagine if it happened to you and it wasn't true especially if you are settled with lots of property here. This kind of hard core tactic should be really troubling to ALL foreigners here, no matter how totally legit you think you are. You might think this isn't about you, but to immigration you're just another SUSPECT, and don't forget that.

Someone settled with lots of property isn't technically a tourist though......

Edited May 13, 2014 by PepeLePew

[paz]

The take away I get from a lot of the posts on this topic is one of a gang of whinging little babies with a sense of self entitlement..."I am a western foreigner with a few bob in my pocket, I demand to be treated better than this by the natives"

, nailed i

On so many threads, you have so many Thai experts, who know all about REAL Thailand, married to hi-so lawyers, own latest vehicles, build houses etc etc etc

Yet, once 15/30 visa runs are no longer an option, all those experts whine and cry, pages and pages of cries.

One would assume so many with so much knowledge and money would have proper visa's of some sort.

Oh, so you kept count and statistics about who posted what and when, to relate to the posting in this thread? Hard to believe, but if you did that's just kid of sad.

Other than that there is nothing to see in the arrogant posting you've quoted but an high dose of contempt for anyone that doesn't do or think alike Suddenly, they become all the same fuzzy bunch.

Edited May 13, 2014 by paz

[LivinLOS]

If what this guy says is true then this is going to be the end of long term tourism before retirement option which many people choose, even with multiple entry tourist visas. I'd give it a year and it will all be over if he sticks to it.

I think this is what so many people are missing..

In the young professionals set, many many of my friends and associates are legally working outside of Thailand on contract work, hopping in and out of the country constantly. Sometimes coming back just for the weekend, sometimes staying as much as a couple of weeks up to a month. Add in the oil guys on rotation and you have masses of people, the kind of people who spend well north of a million a year, some of them 2 or 3 mil a year, but who are not tourists, cant study language due to time away, dont have the time to go to a 3rd country each trip for a new tourist visa as the visit itself is only for days.

These younger professional people are big spenders in Thailand, they spend like a 'quality tourist' but do so maybe 100 days per year not 10.. They rent the villas, buy the ducatis and bmws, pour money into hotels and trips.. etc etc.. Many lease land and villas, many employ servants and maids, etc etc.. These are not barflys, penny pinchers, or whatever a few on retirement visas want to categorize them as. They probably outspend those 'full time resident' expats by a factor or 3 or 5 to 1.

Sure some may be married.. And now will have to chase that option.. But many are not.

These guys are now being told theres no way their high spending lifestyle is compatible with Thai visa regulations. Thats very strange.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

One more reason that my next stay in 6 weeks will be my last stay.

Selling off my household goods and the scooter, the rental contract is already cancelled...

Why?

As too young for a retirement visa but living close to 6 month a year in Thailand I don't have a tourists plan which would be sufficient for the immigration. And with only some goods owned it's better to sell off now than to try it from abroad.

Bye,

Derk

I'm sure the visa regime is not your issue.

I have no problem using Tourist Visas for that amount of time....as I'm a Tourist.

You will not have a problem if you have a visa. A double or triple entry Tourist visa allows for your kind of stay.

[ukrules]

But what happens if u r respectable, owning property etc., with a triple entry tourist Visa, which I use, to come every Winter? If they now start asking questions on re-entry at the border and u tell the truth about staying at property u own or rent with your 'girlfriend', or even renting a property alone, can they legitimately say: "Well that means u r not a tourist then", and refuse re-entry. Is it legal for a 'tourist' to rent a property in Thailand.? Are we, to be safe, going to have to be dishonest and give a false itinery or hotel address?

AFAIK, this whole debacle is NOT about people with tourist visas. It's about people doing VISA-EXEMPT (no-visa) entries.

It's the VISA-EXEMPT people they're talking about scrutinizing.

If you're holding a legitimate tourist visa, you shouldn't have any problem with Immigration.

However, depending on the Thai Embassy/Consulate on where you obtain your tourist visa, they have varying policies about how many/how often they're willing to issue them, especially at some of the countries bordering Thailand. But if you're getting the tourist visa at your home country outside Asia, I'd say it's unlikely to be a problem there either.

For a while at least.