No more Thai visa runs: Immigration will not let visa runners return after Aug 12

[lostsoul49]

This is so frustrating. I have a girl (not married) and we have a little boy. I am the sole provider for both, I am here on a year long multiple entry visa and usually just do a visa run every 3 months and then after the 12 months go back to Australia and get another year long multiple entry visa. This is going to make things very difficult for me, I just want the best for my little boy..

When you say 'year long' multi entry'.... What classification is your visa?

Non imm O or Non imm B?

I didn't know you could get one as a tourist.

You do know this is just for tourist visas don't you???

Up to now that is.

[pattayapip]

What about Guys working 4 weeks on and 4 weeks off ? Lots of entry exit stamps all on visa waiver on arrival ?

[Sena Dave]

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This is so frustrating. I have a girl (not married) and we have a little boy. I am the sole provider for both, I am here on a year long multiple entry visa and usually just do a visa run every 3 months and then after the 12 months go back to Australia and get another year long multiple entry visa. This is going to make things very difficult for me, I just want the best for my little boy..

You should be alright mate

[stevenl]

The 64,000 dollar question is:

What is the minimum amount of time a suspected visa-runner should stay out of the kingdom to avoid the dreaded O-I stamp?

Will it be 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours, or is it going to be another arbitrary decision based on the whim of each border agent?

Off-topic side note: This past week I have been inundated with requests to teach or tutor English. Requests are coming from all directions. I say no because I am not a qualified English teacher. Are a lot of undocumented English teachers packing up and leaving?

That will never be clear and can not be made clear. It will depend on many factors, number of visits, time spend abroad, country of origin, type of visa used in the past, appearance, etc.

[Squigy]

What makes me use a Tourist Visa is that there is no other visa that suits my purpose (that I am aware of).

I spend about 8 months of the year outside of Thailand working and the other 4 months I spend in Thailand with my kids.

I would like to hear from members if you Immigration have a visa for that purpose.

Cheers

B

[callaway]

I was hassled at immigration at Suvarnibhumi airport last month coming back. I work in Africa on a one month/ one month cycle and I had a return ticket 26 days later. They tried to say I was working here. This time I will have pay slips for the preceding 3 months to show my income comes from elsewhere, return ticket to Tanzania and a letter stating I work for the drilling company for the last month and one staing I will be working for them the following month. I still envisage problems as I have many Thai stamps in my passport. Spoke to a friend at Kap Choeng that is in charge there and he said I am all legal but cannot guarantee I will not have issues. Can anyone see problems with entering the kingdom?

[Sena Dave]

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What about Guys working 4 weeks on and 4 weeks off ? Lots of entry exit stamps all on visa waiver on arrival ?

That would apply to me , I have my kids in Thailand and work in Malaysia and am home for a long weekend every month and for a couple of weeks about every 4 or 5 months. I have residency of Malaysia so that helps a bit , I'm just a bit concerned when the IO who must use his discretion, see's the worlds supply of Thai entry stamps when he looks in my passport. A cursory look would see me getting backed , but if they take the time to investigate the length of stay for each one I would be ok. That is the part that frightens me , a Government official using discretion

[Bostonbound]

Thank younfor that reply 96tehtarp! New to the site and may be reply incorrectly. Much appreicated,

[alanrchase]

Did anybody read this line in the story: "Visa runners are those who leave Thailand and return immediately for the purpose of extending their stay."

Seems pretty clear to me.

Not really. Maybe for visa exempt....

But it also explicit mentioned tourist visas. Those that get tourist visas in locations like Laos and Cambodia spend multiple days applying and receiving the visa. So a tourist visa runner at Vientenne for example might be 2-3 days as "immediate" whereas visa exempt would be the same day.

Hence the confusion regarding the precise period to avoid being labelled Out/In

Wouldn't that be considered a "back to back visa" which apparently is considersd to be unacceptable?

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

[Bostonbound]

Thank younfor that reply 96tehtarp! New to the site and may be reply incorrectly. Much appreicated,

[PoorSucker]

What about Guys working 4 weeks on and 4 weeks off ? Lots of entry exit stamps all on visa waiver on arrival ?

As it's not back to back visas or entries they are not affected.

[kannot]

Wonder what will happen to all those foreigners that are married, have children, but don't have enough money to get a Non-Imm visa based on marriage.

Will Immigration start splitting up families?

dont have kids if you cant afford them, ditto marriage

[PoorSucker]

What makes me use a Tourist Visa is that there is no other visa that suits my purpose (that I am aware of).

I spend about 8 months of the year outside of Thailand working and the other 4 months I spend in Thailand with my kids.

I would like to hear from members if you Immigration have a visa for that purpose.

Cheers

B

You get a non- immigrant O visa based on your children.

That gives you 90 days on entry that can be extended by 60 days at immigration.

From Police order 777/2551

2.24 In the case of an alien visiting a Thai spouse or child:

Permission will be granted for a period of not more than 60 days at a time.

(1) Proof of relationship.

(2) In the case of a spouse, their marital relationship shall be de jure (legitimate) and de facto.

[John1thru10]

I'm on double entry tourist visa spending a week in Vietnam and arriving back to Thailand on 14th for second half of my visa.

Wonder how this will go. I don't have any back to back visas in my passport, and I don't have any visa exemptions. I do have multiple double entry tourist visas over many years. Visa was acquired from home country, not a border country in Asia.

you'll be fine. youre not doing an Out/In

How do you define Out/In though? I'll be in Vietnam for 7 days. Is Out/In about people who cross back the same day? 1 day? 3 days? 1 week?

I wish the immigration rules were clearer.

I was given a very hard time entering last month through Sawanabhumi, after being in EU for 7 months - that was referred to as O/I by the agent at the time (and very angrily at that). Other friends have zipped over the Singapore for a day, and then said they had no problem re-entering. This is part of the confusion - it is very much determined by a roll of the dice.

[Oziex1]

Looks like a lot of foreigners are either leaving or will have to get married, have a child or get a retirement visa.

condos will be selling for peanuts soon

I don't believe many will give up their life and assets in Thailand in lieu of getting an appropriate visa.

[Sena Dave]

 

What about Guys working 4 weeks on and 4 weeks off ? Lots of entry exit stamps all on visa waiver on arrival ?

As it's not back to back visas or entries they are not affected.

 

Thanks Global Mod , I got a bit of hassle at Don Muang a few weeks back , I think initially the amount of stamps prompted this , but on investigation when they see 5 and 6 day stays 4 or 5 weeks apart , they were ok

[gdringjr]

Here's a workaround:

1. Leave Thailand.

3. Loose your passport.

4. Apply for and receive replacement passport at your embassy.

5. Apply for and recieve multiple entry tourist visa.

6. Rinse, repeat.

[ilocos]

Here's a workaround:

1. Leave Thailand.

3. Loose your passport.

4. Apply for and receive replacement passport at your embassy.

5. Apply for and recieve multiple entry tourist visa.

6. Rinse, repeat.

Good idea, add to this go in disguise. I have found these embassy staff have very good memories.

[Mario2008]

Here's a workaround:

1. Leave Thailand.

3. Loose your passport.

4. Apply for and receive replacement passport at your embassy.

5. Apply for and recieve multiple entry tourist visa.

6. Rinse, repeat.

Which is illegal (destroying government property in most cases and leads to all sorts of problems in getting a new paspsort if it happens often).

Secondly, immigration has a database and is not only dependend on seeing your passport to see how many entries you made.

[Maroon Watcher]

So schools and businesses will not employ foreigners before they arrive in Thailand.

(Saying they [foreigners] don't arrive is an excuse! The few that don't turn up,
are probably not worth hiring or more likely have problems with incorrect paperwork, excuse!)

Foreigners leave businesses/schools, because the foreigners make mistakes.(Cover-up/Excuse)

(So they have to employ Thais, at a lower rate - because they "Don't have the budget: [for foreigners?])

(Excuse)

The businesses/ schools hire a foreigner, then hire another/or a Thai, at a lower rate.

(Using an Excuse to Not refund the "sign on fee"/visa costs)

Businesses/schools change contracts at the last minute, forcing foreigners (And Thais?)
to accept lower rates and/or higher hours?

Or don't inform of contract changes until it's "too late" [to apply for a renewal visa]

Or there is a "mistake" in the visa application, so the foreigners have to do a Visa run.............

ALL of the above is a summary of the things I have read in Tv or from Personal/friends experience.

ALL of the above excuses are the biggest "losing face" I have ever heard of...

[overherebc]

Here's a workaround:

1. Leave Thailand.

3. Loose your passport.

4. Apply for and receive replacement passport at your embassy.

5. Apply for and recieve multiple entry tourist visa.

6. Rinse, repeat.

Great, then all you have to do is hack into the Thai Imm' computer and erase your history of visits.

Last time I looked it was 2014 !!!!!!

[96tehtarp]

Here's a workaround:

1. Leave Thailand.

3. Loose your passport.

4. Apply for and receive replacement passport at your embassy.

5. Apply for and recieve multiple entry tourist visa.

6. Rinse, repeat.

"3. Loose your passport."

On many levels this is really very very bad advice.

Nobody should intentionally lose their passport for any reason.

The lost/damaged passport's number is always stated clearly in the replacement passport's notations/observation page.

[alien365]

So what happens if we change jobs here in Thailand, we must leave the country at present to get a new visa in order to stay. If someone is having a bad day in Vientiane and turns down your 90 day non-b because of not having 1 document in a million, would we be allowed back in the country?

[Maejo Man]

What I find unbelievable is their statement that stopping the visa run people will reduce crime! Personally, I doubt very much that any of the visa run people are criminals.

The ones that are working illegally are breaking the law, hence criminals. Have you ever noticed the thousands of Russian "ladies of the night" plying theit trade in Pattaya, Phuket and up and up and down Sukhumvit? They are criminals in the eyes of Thai law. If they are stopped from entering Thailand, they have achieved their goal.

[Tomtomtom69]

I'm on double entry tourist visa spending a week in Vietnam and arriving back to Thailand on 14th for second half of my visa.

Wonder how this will go. I don't have any back to back visas in my passport, and I don't have any visa exemptions. I do have multiple double entry tourist visas over many years. Visa was acquired from home country, not a border country in Asia.

you'll be fine. youre not doing an Out/In

How do you define Out/In though? I'll be in Vietnam for 7 days. Is Out/In about people who cross back the same day? 1 day? 3 days? 1 week?

I wish the immigration rules were clearer.

I agree that they are a bit unclear. According to some officials at the southern border with Malaysia, they requested that some people stay in Malaysia a minimum of 1-2 nights. That is not a difficult thing to do and one would think if you are going all the way to a border crossing you would actually be staying in that country for a couple of days? If that's all it takes...a couple of days then I think a lot of people can breathe a sigh of relief. However, the impression I'm getting is that may not be enough if you've spent 350 days in Thailand on back-to-back tourist visas and/or visa exemptions and only 1-3 days in between visa/border runs. A clearer directive would certainly be welcome. In any case I fortunately do not fit the profile of a visa runner and always stay a few days, a week or two outside of Thailand between each entry I've made. Generally I have legitimate business reasons for doing so, but even in the rare case I had to leave to extend my stay, I spent some time outside of Thailand before returning. I've only ever done one in-out border run at a small crossing, which I had some trepidation at doing, but I knew I'd only be doing it once before going for a visa. That was shortly after my job and work permit ended so I was pretty OK.

[ilocos]

Here's a workaround:

1. Leave Thailand.

3. Loose your passport.

4. Apply for and receive replacement passport at your embassy.

5. Apply for and recieve multiple entry tourist visa.

6. Rinse, repeat.

Which is illegal (destroying government property in most cases and leads to all sorts of problems in getting a new paspsort if it happens often).

Secondly, immigration has a database and is not only dependend on seeing your passport to see how many entries you made.

I think they don't want people living year round on tourist visas lol. If it gives you so much stress to attempt to beat the system perhaps it's better to find another early retirement location.

[Paulzed]

Does anyone know what the age restrictions are for work visas????

[DaveinAsia]

Immigration is going to be making many many 20k overstay's. Perhaps that's their intention

Edited July 15, 2014 by DaveinAsia

[wilcopops]

This isn't just a move to enforce old regulations...it is a new interpretation. The aim can only be part of a wider policy to restrict the movement of foreigners and tighten Thai borders.

Why they want to do this can be found in some of K.Prayuth's own writings.

[ilocos]

I'm on double entry tourist visa spending a week in Vietnam and arriving back to Thailand on 14th for second half of my visa.

Wonder how this will go. I don't have any back to back visas in my passport, and I don't have any visa exemptions. I do have multiple double entry tourist visas over many years. Visa was acquired from home country, not a border country in Asia.

you'll be fine. youre not doing an Out/In

How do you define Out/In though? I'll be in Vietnam for 7 days. Is Out/In about people who cross back the same day? 1 day? 3 days? 1 week?

I wish the immigration rules were clearer.

I agree that they are a bit unclear. According to some officials at the southern border with Malaysia, they requested that some people stay in Malaysia a minimum of 1-2 nights. That is not a difficult thing to do and one would think if you are going all the way to a border crossing you would actually be staying in that country for a couple of days? If that's all it takes...a couple of days then I think a lot of people can breathe a sigh of relief. However, the impression I'm getting is that may not be enough if you've spent 350 days in Thailand on back-to-back tourist visas and/or visa exemptions and only 1-3 days in between visa/border runs. A clearer directive would certainly be welcome. In any case I fortunately do not fit the profile of a visa runner and always stay a few days, a week or two outside of Thailand between each entry I've made. Generally I have legitimate business reasons for doing so, but even in the rare case I had to leave to extend my stay, I spent some time outside of Thailand before returning. I've only ever done one in-out border run at a small crossing, which I had some trepidation at doing, but I knew I'd only be doing it once before going for a visa. That was shortly after my job and work permit ended so I was pretty OK.

trying to be helpful. If you've spent long amounts in Thailand prepare to be out for 3 to 6 months. I was out for 9 months and the many tourist visa made immigration hesitate to give me an exempt entry. They are serious now. If you've been here too long it's time for you to leave permanently is the impression I get.