Tourist visa holders denied entry to Thailand and left stranded in Malaysia

[RTH10260]

It appears abundantly transparent that this is just the beginning of cleansing Thailand of undesirable foreigners.

• Next will be land bought with a shell company.
• WP holders that are not actually working.
• B Visa holders that have absolutely no business here in Thailand whatsoever.
• Retirement Visa's and those that never really had the money in the bank to qualify but paid under the table.
• Marriage visa holders that do not live with the wife anymore.

The list goes on and on.

There is a mass cleansing approaching this will effect not only the tourist visa runners but almost everyone regardless of what you read here not everyone is a squeaky clean as they make out....watch your back, your turn is coming.

Just picking one point, marriage to Thai wife. From what I read in different forums (fora?) this has been enforced on and of by chance. Have read of guys who made the extension regularly with wife in tow. On the other hand overheard a conversation in Jomtien/Pattaya of a guy living there married for twentyfive years and never needed proof, suddenly being asked to present the wife.

[RTH10260]

if one has obtained a non-O multiple-entry visa due to marriage/family, they are in no way "abusing" anything by leaving and re-entering the country multiple times.

They are following the rules in order to be able to stay with loved ones.

Look at this from the point of view of the immigration officer:

• John received a single-entry NON-O visa and then applied for 1-year extension of stay based on marriage, showing 400k baht in the bank.
• Bob received a multi-entry NON-O from Savannakhet with no funds requirements and does a border run every 90 days

Which one of these is the correct way of permanently staying with the Thai family?

I know 90-day border runs on multi NON-O visas have been tolerated for decades but surely the necessity of border runs is in itself a symptom of not quite complying with the intent of the law.

There is an extra twist to the multiple entry nonO on marriage.

Wife lives with me in Farangland, I visit Thailand and stay at her property. While I would also qualify based on retirement I am free of showing income to get the visa, a small technical point. As for using the multiple entries, I travel back home every so often within the year. As the wife still has a job in Farangland, not living permanently in TH, I don't qualify for extension based on marriage.

[AYJAYDEE]

no they are not available in my country . and as for scrapping a visa type, that has nothing to do with this discussion. Thailand has not scrapped anything. they are simply insisting that the visa provided be used in the way it was intended in the legislation. foreigners on retirement visas ARE using their visas in the way they were intended. two completely different situations.

Retirees running Bars/Restaurants, and I know a few, AREN'T using their visa the way it was intended. A tourist is granted a permission to stay for 90 days, he does not work, partakes only in recreational and leisure activities, he is using the visa the way it was intended. If he is granted another 90 days and again uses it for recreational purposes he is again using it the way it was intended. He hasn't abused his visa and he hasn't broken any laws. If there was a law on consecutive days allowed or days per year the he would have but there isn't.

Anyway it's amusing how you went from it isn't allowed in THEIR country so they shouldn't whine to never mind what is allowed in their country.

youre easily amused. like i said, if their country doesnt allow it i dont have sympathy for them complaining that thailand doesnt. feel free to show me where I would whine if thailand didnt allow retirement visas? and what makes you think they intended back to back tourist visas. many countries dont. why should thailand? every detail of every possible permutation of every situation cannot be covered in a written law. the government has decided to leave it to the ministry of immigration to decide what will be and will not be allowed. that is not unusual.

[slipperylobster]

Really scary.... I have at least 10 visas in my passport. I am flying to Vietnam for a short vacation/visa run on Wednesday.... Really sucks man.

Good luck. Hope to hear back from you, and that you made it back to Thailand. Will you be flying in on a Tourist Visa...or just flying in on 30 day exempt? It would be nice to have people report on their successes/failures for these situations. Perhaps sifting through all the input, we could make sense of it all.

[RTH10260]

Moreover, that card is valid today, but can be cancelled tomorrow with no refund.

It happened already with other Elite Cards in the past. Issued and than cancelled.

In fairness, that never happened.

No ? Do you remember the 2 million elite card issued during Thaksin government and than cancelled ?

Don't recall the details anymore, but didn't the Thai Supreme Court invalidate only the one point where Taksin originally promised real purchase of Thai land assets for personal use, rather than just a lease option?

[RTH10260]

While many have posted on this and other topics that the current 'crackdown' will have a major impact on Thai Tourism arrivals/expenditures, the data from 2012 is that average length of stay for ALL arrivals to Thailand is about 10 days with those from Europe staying an average of about 16 days. Those 'tourists' who stay for months or years may have a negligible impact on the overall tourism scene.

(2012 Thai Dept. of Tourism numbers)

Yes and those tourists from Europe staying 16 days. They spend more in those 16 days than the average border runner do in 5 months.

And the avarage border runner spend several times more then the avarage Thai national and usualy with money earned in an other country. Thailand will loose a lot of income if they want to have only "high end tourism".

Not all border runners are bums.

I know guys who are spending 10000 baht a day in partying and never did anything wrong.

Exactly for this kind of hi-so wannabes the Elite card was created. No border runs.

[AYJAYDEE]

if one has obtained a non-O multiple-entry visa due to marriage/family, they are in no way "abusing" anything by leaving and re-entering the country multiple times.

They are following the rules in order to be able to stay with loved ones.

Look at this from the point of view of the immigration officer:

• John received a single-entry NON-O visa and then applied for 1-year extension of stay based on marriage, showing 400k baht in the bank.
• Bob received a multi-entry NON-O from Savannakhet with no funds requirements and does a border run every 90 days

Which one of these is the correct way of permanently staying with the Thai family?

I know 90-day border runs on multi NON-O visas have been tolerated for decades but surely the necessity of border runs is in itself a symptom of not quite complying with the intent of the law.

There is an extra twist to the multiple entry nonO on marriage.

Wife lives with me in Farangland, I visit Thailand and stay at her property. While I would also qualify based on retirement I am free of showing income to get the visa, a small technical point. As for using the multiple entries, I travel back home every so often within the year. As the wife still has a job in Farangland, not living permanently in TH, I don't qualify for extension based on marriage.

are you sure you dont qualify because she works in farangland? I have never heard that. I have had many multiple entry non-o's and have applied for and received 60 day extensions based on marriage. not exactly the same as a 1 year extension I grant you but still.....?

[slipperylobster]

It is not that people do not understand Thai law, but rather they are in shock of the sudden, iron fisted clamp down....after years of utilizing loophole and these sly Visa Run companies. Perhaps the real problem lies therein. Big business money going into the hands of shady agencies who have been advertising easy one day services. It must have been difficult to for officials to watch these buses and vans pull up at the border, enmass, offloading long stayers/illegal workers, who would just run across the border for an hour, then get herded back up on the vans/buses. Perhaps, now that the system is cracking down (from the top) the border officials are enjoying their jobs more.

[RTH10260]

I come to Thailand every winter for 6 months from the UK for the last 10 years.I had non "O" 2times when it was easier and now use triple tourist visas.I work offshore so i can go away for 6 months and get away from the winter and have plenty of cash to spend in LOS.

I have used extensions a few times to stay extra months also.I will apply for the same visa this time when i come.I have 2 used triple visas in my newish passport with 1 extension.I use the Ranong crossing as it is near the island i stay at.

I understand the reason they are cracking down on 30 day exempt,but on the same hand border runners are not breaking any laws in that respect.If it was illegal it would not be allowed,but it is not illegal.

If i stay 2 months and do a run for the 2nd and 3rd entry and return on the same day that is also not illegal as the visa allows it.If i want to extend it for 30 more days that is also not illegal as they allow it and inform us on their consulate sites that it is ok to do that.

There seems to be no consistency in their administry of the new rules.They should limit the multiple exempt to just one 30 day entry.They should ask for more evidence of funds when issuing the tourist visa in our home countries,or only issue single entry 60 day visas and not allow another until 30-60 days after it has expired.Plenty of people who work in their own country often go away for the winter months to be in a better climate to relax and have fun.Not everyone is in LOS to work illegally or stay illegally.

All i ask is for the rules to be consistent and clear so we can all abide by the rules.

Not so much to ask is it?

100% understand you but effectively your living half you life in Thailand and not a tourist as such.

Easy fixed, get legal

get legal ?

He is already legal.

A tourist.

He would be illegal if he used visas others than tourist.

Illegal are the people with work permits who are not working.

Legal tourists are those that stay up to 60 days a time and then disappear, normally to home Farangland, for longer than 24 hours.

[krislarter]

People need to understand 1 thing.The IO said "you are only tourist for 30 days" because the guy had the 30 day exempt visa and not a tourist or other type.Maybe if he had a single entry he would of said "you are only tourist for 60 days".

He did not have a 60 day tourist visa or multiple entry.

If he had numerous exempt stamps that would have gone against him,

Also as these new laws come it practice in the next month,there will be confusion at first on all sides.Immigration,consulates and travelers alike.It will smooth out one way or the other over the next high season then we will know to a better degree what is acceptable.

[krislarter]

I come to Thailand every winter for 6 months from the UK for the last 10 years.I had non "O" 2times when it was easier and now use triple tourist visas.I work offshore so i can go away for 6 months and get away from the winter and have plenty of cash to spend in LOS.

I have used extensions a few times to stay extra months also.I will apply for the same visa this time when i come.I have 2 used triple visas in my newish passport with 1 extension.I use the Ranong crossing as it is near the island i stay at.

I understand the reason they are cracking down on 30 day exempt,but on the same hand border runners are not breaking any laws in that respect.If it was illegal it would not be allowed,but it is not illegal.

If i stay 2 months and do a run for the 2nd and 3rd entry and return on the same day that is also not illegal as the visa allows it.If i want to extend it for 30 more days that is also not illegal as they allow it and inform us on their consulate sites that it is ok to do that.

There seems to be no consistency in their administry of the new rules.They should limit the multiple exempt to just one 30 day entry.They should ask for more evidence of funds when issuing the tourist visa in our home countries,or only issue single entry 60 day visas and not allow another until 30-60 days after it has expired.Plenty of people who work in their own country often go away for the winter months to be in a better climate to relax and have fun.Not everyone is in LOS to work illegally or stay illegally.

All i ask is for the rules to be consistent and clear so we can all abide by the rules.

Not so much to ask is it?

100% understand you but effectively your living half you life in Thailand and not a tourist as such.

Easy fixed, get legal

get legal ?

He is already legal.

A tourist.

He would be illegal if he used visas others than tourist.

Illegal are the people with work permits who are not working.

Legal tourists are those that stay up to 60 days a time and then disappear, normally to home Farangland, for longer than 24 hours.

Not true.

Why offer extensions and multiples then if that is the case.Why do they not just sell 60 day visas and be done with it?

[RTH10260]

Illegal are the people with work permits who are not working.

I think those people are very hard to find, but do you mean by any chance "people with No work permits who are working" ?

Sent from my iPad so Please excuse any typos

I really mean people who gets work permit but they don;t work, they have friends who make them the favor (the permanent tourists will pay them the expenses of course and something more) to issue them work permits but in fact they are permanent tourists.

I know few of those... but I am not a spy.

Those ones are breaking the rules , not people like me who just want to spend long holidays and don't need to work.

I wonder how that one works out in practice. Dear Friend may give them a job on paper and needs to pay salary, plus paperwork, and must run a large business to comply with number of Thai workers per expat. And the WP must somehow come from the Labour Departement (tea money?). And the taxman hovering somewhere?

[paz]

Legal tourists are those that stay up to 60 days a time and then disappear, normally to home Farangland, for longer than 24 hours.

So what is reason to be for the 3 entries tourist visa allow up to 270 days? And the 30 days extensions to a 60 days Tourist Visa ?

Are these legal loopholes exploited without shame by cynical foreigners? Inconsistencies of the past that now the mighty junta will swiftly proceed to eliminate for the supreme good of the Kingdom? Excessively generous attitude by Immigration offices during the last 40 years ?

We will see in the due time. You know, "he who laughs last laughs best".

[JLCrab]

He who laughs last was maybe slow to get the joke.

[firestar]

no they are not available in my country . and as for scrapping a visa type, that has nothing to do with this discussion. Thailand has not scrapped anything. they are simply insisting that the visa provided be used in the way it was intended in the legislation. foreigners on retirement visas ARE using their visas in the way they were intended. two completely different situations.

Retirees running Bars/Restaurants, and I know a few, AREN'T using their visa the way it was intended. A tourist is granted a permission to stay for 90 days, he does not work, partakes only in recreational and leisure activities, he is using the visa the way it was intended. If he is granted another 90 days and again uses it for recreational purposes he is again using it the way it was intended. He hasn't abused his visa and he hasn't broken any laws. If there was a law on consecutive days allowed or days per year the he would have but there isn't.

Anyway it's amusing how you went from it isn't allowed in THEIR country so they shouldn't whine to never mind what is allowed in their country.

youre easily amused. like i said, if their country doesnt allow it i dont have sympathy for them complaining that thailand doesnt. feel free to show me where I would whine if thailand didnt allow retirement visas? and what makes you think they intended back to back tourist visas. many countries dont. why should thailand? every detail of every possible permutation of every situation cannot be covered in a written law. the government has decided to leave it to the ministry of immigration to decide what will be and will not be allowed. that is not unusual.

Reasonable post. I've seen more "take it or leave it" comments directed towards people asking for clarification than whining in this thread though.

[AYJAYDEE]

Legal tourists are those that stay up to 60 days a time and then disappear, normally to home Farangland, for longer than 24 hours.

So what is reason to be for the 3 entries tourist visa allow up to 270 days? And the 30 days extensions to a 60 days Tourist Visa ?

Are these legal loopholes exploited without shame by cynical foreigners? Inconsistencies of the past that now the mighty junta will swiftly proceed to eliminate for the supreme good of the Kingdom? Excessively generous attitude by Immigration offices during the last 40 years ?

We will see in the due time. You know, "he who laughs last laughs best".

the government has not said anything about eliminating double and triple entry visas or extensions. they are legit visa options and no one has suggested touching them.

[RTH10260]

i stop being suprised here years ago.... ..buy a legal visa from a THAI consul (WHO HAVE THE POWER TO REFUSE) and then be refused entry at teh border...idiotic to say the least

It's again worth remembering that possession of a visa doesn't guarantee the holder admission to a country, it's the Immigration Officer at the Border that has the final say, this applies to most countries in the World, including the likes of the UK, the Schengen Area and the United States of America.

A cold fact that apparently needs to be repeated ad infinitum since some people seem incapable of understanding it.

Exactly now put yourself in the shoes of someone who requires (or wants) a TV to visit. Let's see go pay money at consulate in my country, book flights, hotels and hope and pray that some guy is not having an off day.....

Which is what I did. I am leaving to Thailand next week with my fresh two entry visa. Wondering if I'm going to get bent over when I try to use that second entry flying into DM airport from Cambodia.

Sounds that you are the typical bonafide tourist, having stayed at least one night outside of Thailand, touring Cambodia.

[AYJAYDEE]

no they are not available in my country . and as for scrapping a visa type, that has nothing to do with this discussion. Thailand has not scrapped anything. they are simply insisting that the visa provided be used in the way it was intended in the legislation. foreigners on retirement visas ARE using their visas in the way they were intended. two completely different situations.

Retirees running Bars/Restaurants, and I know a few, AREN'T using their visa the way it was intended. A tourist is granted a permission to stay for 90 days, he does not work, partakes only in recreational and leisure activities, he is using the visa the way it was intended. If he is granted another 90 days and again uses it for recreational purposes he is again using it the way it was intended. He hasn't abused his visa and he hasn't broken any laws. If there was a law on consecutive days allowed or days per year the he would have but there isn't.

Anyway it's amusing how you went from it isn't allowed in THEIR country so they shouldn't whine to never mind what is allowed in their country.

youre easily amused. like i said, if their country doesnt allow it i dont have sympathy for them complaining that thailand doesnt. feel free to show me where I would whine if thailand didnt allow retirement visas? and what makes you think they intended back to back tourist visas. many countries dont. why should thailand? every detail of every possible permutation of every situation cannot be covered in a written law. the government has decided to leave it to the ministry of immigration to decide what will be and will not be allowed. that is not unusual.

Reasonable post. I've seen more "take it or leave it" comments directed towards people asking for clarification than whining in this thread though.

i havent

[max72]

People need to understand 1 thing.The IO said "you are only tourist for 30 days" because the guy had the 30 day exempt visa and not a tourist or other type.Maybe if he had a single entry he would of said "you are only tourist for 60 days".

He did not have a 60 day tourist visa or multiple entry.

If he had numerous exempt stamps that would have gone against him,

Also as these new laws come it practice in the next month,there will be confusion at first on all sides.Immigration,consulates and travelers alike.It will smooth out one way or the other over the next high season then we will know to a better degree what is acceptable.

What ?

It is written that all these people who were refused HAD TOURIST VISAS issued at Penang or Khota Bharu.

They had valid tourist visas (60 days) and they were refused. People from Italy, USA, Russia etc

[AYJAYDEE]

People need to understand 1 thing.The IO said "you are only tourist for 30 days" because the guy had the 30 day exempt visa and not a tourist or other type.Maybe if he had a single entry he would of said "you are only tourist for 60 days".

He did not have a 60 day tourist visa or multiple entry.

If he had numerous exempt stamps that would have gone against him,

Also as these new laws come it practice in the next month,there will be confusion at first on all sides.Immigration,consulates and travelers alike.It will smooth out one way or the other over the next high season then we will know to a better degree what is acceptable.

not true, they had tourist visas

[max72]

Illegal are the people with work permits who are not working.

I think those people are very hard to find, but do you mean by any chance "people with No work permits who are working" ?

Sent from my iPad so Please excuse any typos

I really mean people who gets work permit but they don;t work, they have friends who make them the favor (the permanent tourists will pay them the expenses of course and something more) to issue them work permits but in fact they are permanent tourists.

I know few of those... but I am not a spy.

Those ones are breaking the rules , not people like me who just want to spend long holidays and don't need to work.

I wonder how that one works out in practice. Dear Friend may give them a job on paper and needs to pay salary, plus paperwork, and must run a large business to comply with number of Thai workers per expat. And the WP must somehow come from the Labour Departement (tea money?). And the taxman hovering somewhere?

Yes, they refund all these expenses of course. I don;t know all the details because I am not doing that, but I have a friend who has a company with 500 employees (mostly Thais, but some qualified foreigner too) who did the favour to a couple of friends to give them work permit for his companies, but those guys are not really working with him. They are lounging around Sukhumvit partying all year. They have money,they are young and they don't want to leave. I didn't ask every detail. But trust me, they have been around for about 10 years....

I don't spy because they are friends, but I wouldn't do that, because I spend only few months in Thailand (mostly Nov-Mar)

[RTH10260]

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I have been legitimately visiting Thailand on 30 day entries and/or tourist visas for years. I retired young and have plenty of money and for years I have been coming to Thailand three times a year and staying for one or two months each time, with periods of 2-4 months in between back in my home country. I come here because I like the place and have plenty of friends here to hang out with. I do not work while in Thailand.

I don't seem to fall into the category of people they are trying to keep out, but they are casting such a wide net that I'm afraid on my next trip I might have trouble.

I wonder when the TAT is going to chime in on this issue? Only after "legitimate" tourists start cancelling their trips en masse and start going elsewhere?

You have been abusing the system - time to get an Elite card or investment visa. TAT will be happy to help you -- they don't want system abusers either, no matter you're a millionaire

Please tell me how I have been abusing the system. I am a tourist. I do not work in Thailand, just spend money on things like hotels, food, beer. I just happen to have the ability to come more often than most people because of hard work and a significant measure of good luck. The Elite card is an overpriced scam invented by a disgraced former PM that the current government is trying to make sure never soils the country again by his influence. I am surprised it hasn't been cancelled yet. I am not investing in a business in Thailand because I am retired. I am just spending my money here four months a year. Where is the abuse on my part?

I don't want to get ahead of myself here. The Thai immigration authorities may very well not have a problem allowing me to enter the country on this basis, but the somewhat arbitrary nature of this crackdown makes me wonder. My point is that a lot of people who are not "system abusers" might get caught up in this net, and Thailand's reputation as a welcoming destination might be tarnished. Time for the TAT to start paying attention and asking immigration to calm the hell down.

No abuse on your part, you are long enough out of the country between visits. It doesn't qualify as a back-to-back visa run.

[RTH10260]

As the news of this spreads, more and more people will likely put of trips here as the confusion reigns.

^I seriously doubt this.

What it will do however is stop these people that have exploited a system that was not strictly enforced as it should have been. I support it 100%. I am glad those multi visa runners were displaced. I doubt they will be let back in from the airport

Either you are a tourist occasionally or you live here with a retirement, Marriage or Work visa.

I expect more borders to follow suit soon.

I hope you are correct - wouldn't fancy being in a tourist related business at the moment. I find it hard to understand why if the so called undesireables were such, how come the Embassy issued them a visa in the first place? The brakes should have been put on right there IMO.

it's probably a logical next step, especially if people start going back to complain and in numbers

You can complain as much as you like but the Thais running the Thai Consulates abroad are no different to the Thais in Thailand. They will not give a monkey's cuss no matter how many 'farang' complain. In the UK we might be able to get something done as they could be breaking UK Trading Standards Law if they are selling invalid tourist visas.

Embassies and consulates are extraterritorial diplomatic entities and not subject to local laws.

Apart the visa fee is nonrefundable for the local processing of the paperwork. Even if the consulate itself already refuses a visa application.

[max72]

People need to understand 1 thing.The IO said "you are only tourist for 30 days" because the guy had the 30 day exempt visa and not a tourist or other type.Maybe if he had a single entry he would of said "you are only tourist for 60 days".

He did not have a 60 day tourist visa or multiple entry.

If he had numerous exempt stamps that would have gone against him,

Also as these new laws come it practice in the next month,there will be confusion at first on all sides.Immigration,consulates and travelers alike.It will smooth out one way or the other over the next high season then we will know to a better degree what is acceptable.

not true, they had tourist visas

Do you understand why i am confused ?

It is confusing indeed. I don't think It is myself who i am stupid.

Anyway, maybe he meant these guys entered with a 30 day exempt visa first , than they left to Malysia to get a tourist visa ?

It would be strange....

That's why i asked so many times if anybody knows if those guys had AN EXIT TICKET OR NOT.

I think this is very important to know.

Because if you have a exit ticket within the terms of your valid visa and they still refuse to let you in.....so....I would say we tourists are all &lt;deleted&gt;...ed !

valid visa+confirm return ticket+ credit cards+ money......what else do we &lt;deleted&gt;...ing need ??

Are we criminals ? Breaking any law ? teaching english ? Oooh maybe, while speaking with Thais on the street, we are teaching English to them...

But ...wait...I speak Thai...so I am not teaching...but If i can speak Thai it means i am not a tourist....so, ok, I break the law, you won and I am out

;-)

[krislarter]

People need to understand 1 thing.The IO said "you are only tourist for 30 days" because the guy had the 30 day exempt visa and not a tourist or other type.Maybe if he had a single entry he would of said "you are only tourist for 60 days".

He did not have a 60 day tourist visa or multiple entry.

If he had numerous exempt stamps that would have gone against him,

Also as these new laws come it practice in the next month,there will be confusion at first on all sides.Immigration,consulates and travelers alike.It will smooth out one way or the other over the next high season then we will know to a better degree what is acceptable.

not true, they had tourist visas

All of them?

If so my bad.

20 refused,8 had visas from home countries.

[krislarter]

I quote this from trip advisor:

"Help! Denied Tourist Visa at Thai embassy in Singapore

14 October 2013, 5:57

Today I was denied a Tourist visa at the Thai embassy in Singapore because they said I am not allowed to stay in Thailand for more than 90 days within a 6 months period. During 2013 I have stayed in Thailand close to 5 months, basically I had two 30 days visa on arrival, went back home to Sweden for 2 months and then I got a Thai Tourist visa (stayed 90 days) which just expired."

[slipperylobster]

I come to Thailand every winter for 6 months from the UK for the last 10 years.I had non "O" 2times when it was easier and now use triple tourist visas.I work offshore so i can go away for 6 months and get away from the winter and have plenty of cash to spend in LOS.

I have used extensions a few times to stay extra months also.I will apply for the same visa this time when i come.I have 2 used triple visas in my newish passport with 1 extension.I use the Ranong crossing as it is near the island i stay at.

I understand the reason they are cracking down on 30 day exempt,but on the same hand border runners are not breaking any laws in that respect.If it was illegal it would not be allowed,but it is not illegal.

If i stay 2 months and do a run for the 2nd and 3rd entry and return on the same day that is also not illegal as the visa allows it.If i want to extend it for 30 more days that is also not illegal as they allow it and inform us on their consulate sites that it is ok to do that.

There seems to be no consistency in their administry of the new rules.They should limit the multiple exempt to just one 30 day entry.They should ask for more evidence of funds when issuing the tourist visa in our home countries,or only issue single entry 60 day visas and not allow another until 30-60 days after it has expired.Plenty of people who work in their own country often go away for the winter months to be in a better climate to relax and have fun.Not everyone is in LOS to work illegally or stay illegally.

All i ask is for the rules to be consistent and clear so we can all abide by the rules.

Not so much to ask is it?

100% understand you but effectively your living half you life in Thailand and not a tourist as such.

Easy fixed, get legal

get legal ?

He is already legal.

A tourist.

He would be illegal if he used visas others than tourist.

Illegal are the people with work permits who are not working.

Legal tourists are those that stay up to 60 days a time and then disappear, normally to home Farangland, for longer than 24 hours.

That is not a correct definition...legal tourists may extend 30 days as well...so thats 90. They may also leave the country on a double or triple and do it again. These tourists are still legal. Eventually they go home/back to work...but some are students with long summer breaks/intermission...even skipping a year of college to travel.

There is no limit on 60 days per year...or within six months....none.

[ericthai]

Refusing entry to all people with tourist visas, how can you obtain a visa and then be denied entry to the country unless you fly into it?

Classic Thailand

You must have read a different article to me . . . they are not refusing entry to "tourists", they are refusing entry to people who consistently abuse the Tourist Visa, i.e. "visa runners", and with all the recent reporting on this subject, why are you surprised or shocked about this?

As per the article:

"All of the foreigners who were denied entry had a previous history of multiple visa exempt entries or back to back tourist visas."[/size]

Thailand is currently undergoing some fairly major changes, reducing corruption and following the law a lot more closely. I have no idea how long this will last for, but the message is clear . . . we're trying to do things better, and you (foreigners) need to follow the law as it is written now.

Although the visa situation here isn't easy, simple or convenient, most of us manage to stay here for years at a time by doing things "properly" . . . I suggest some of these others start to do the same, and perhaps, just perhaps, when they see that we can do things correctly, they might just make it easier for us doing it properly to stay here even longer/easier at some future point in time.

They were NOT abusing the system.

That is the system that has always been in place in Thailand for years, signed, sealed and delivered by none other than the immigration Bureau of Thailand.

You went to an embassy, they gave you a visa, sometimes they deny you a double entry and stick you with a single entry, but THEY issued the visas.

You wanted an extension, you went to immigration and THEY extended it for you... simple as that.

As a matter of fact, up until these new xenophobic changes, this is the very website where people came for advice on how to stay in Thailand long term on tourist visas and were helped by scores of members of all the tricks of the trade. Nobody used to chime in saying 'shame on you' or 'you are not a tourist, stop abusing the system'...

Yet most of you lot probably found your way onto this website in the first instance by looking for the very same info for your own needs.

I reckon there is a lot of hypocrisy in this thread coming from people who themselves have done their own fair share of visa runs, as a matter of fact I don't think I know many farang here who haven't and I have met many many farang in my time.

It is Thailand that has brought this culture of visa runs, and as far as I am concerned, no visa running farang has ever abused a system put in place by immigration themselves.

Well I guess you have not done enough reading to find out exactly what is going on and what Immigration as said many times over the years. The reason for this crack down is there are many people living full time and working in Thailand illegally. This is what they want to stop. Immigration has always said if you want to stay long term in Thailand get the correct visa. They feel the people that are doing visa runs each month are working illegally. Now we all know this is not true for all the visa runners but unfortunately they are going to get caught up in this mess. I admit I have done a few visa runs in the last 20 years when I was in between jobs. I think Immigration needs to come up with another category for guys under 50 that are retried and dont need to work. These are the guys it will hurt. The normal tourist has nothing to worry about.

[AYJAYDEE]

I quote this from trip advisor:

"Help! Denied Tourist Visa at Thai embassy in Singapore

14 October 2013, 5:57

Today I was denied a Tourist visa at the Thai embassy in Singapore because they said I am not allowed to stay in Thailand for more than 90 days within a 6 months period. During 2013 I have stayed in Thailand close to 5 months, basically I had two 30 days visa on arrival, went back home to Sweden for 2 months and then I got a Thai Tourist visa (stayed 90 days) which just expired."

go to laos and get one there. the 90 day in 6 months is not in effect. singapore just pretends it is

[max72]

I quote this from trip advisor:

"Help! Denied Tourist Visa at Thai embassy in Singapore

14 October 2013, 5:57

Today I was denied a Tourist visa at the Thai embassy in Singapore because they said I am not allowed to stay in Thailand for more than 90 days within a 6 months period. During 2013 I have stayed in Thailand close to 5 months, basically I had two 30 days visa on arrival, went back home to Sweden for 2 months and then I got a Thai Tourist visa (stayed 90 days) which just expired."

Was this posted on 14 Oct 2013 ?

So they still enforce that 90 days in 6 months rule ?

Or it is 6 months in a year ?

The truth my plan is to go to Thailand with a double visa, stay 2 months, go to Australia for holiday few days and go back 2 more months with the second entry.

What will happen ? Will I refuse entry at the airport because 2 more months would make 4 months in total ?

I don t want to go with a single visa +an extension, I wanted my halfway holiday in Australia, coz I am a tourist.

I see real tourists are not welcomed anymore . It doesn't look that Swedish guy is a criminal or an english teacher...