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

[amarka]

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For every 1,000 falang in thailand, how many have visa's and how many just do in/out border runs?
...
Are we looking at 10% on in/out border runs? 20%? more?

The very big majority of farangs are tourists on short term trips (2 or 3 weeks)
so I would think we talk about not even 1% of them...

Sorry, but to be clear I meant people living in Thailand, not tourists

[lovelaos]

It would be reasonable to say that a true tourist is one who stays in the home country the majority of the time, making occasional and brief forays into other countries. Back to back tourist visas don't fit that profile.

Try pulling that b2b stunt in the UK or US for example and see what happens. Quit whingeing... what's source for the goose.

This is not the US or the UK, who have always strictly enforced their policies, so your comparison is moot. And how many "true tourists" belong to a website forum aptly named Thai Visa?? Lets face it, anyone reading or posting to this site has a long term plan for staying in Thailand either with or without a long term visa. Some people have planned for years to retire to Thailand at the advise of countless news and web articles recommending it. Some have done just that and are now faced with an unforeseen dilemma. Yes, I am all for booting the hippies and the so called English teachers who are basically extending the college life as long as possible and bleeding Thailand of opportunities for Thais. I am however opposed to booting financialy independent, responsible, law abiding adults that don't qualify for a retirement extension based entirely on their age who's sole crime is that they contribute heavily to the Thai economy. It's easy to sit perched on your high horse with your marriage visa or retirement extension because your over 50 and make snide insults. It's far better to contribute helpful insight and information or remain silent.

I read this forum. I am concerned because Imm has not indicated what the max number of visa waivers allowed per year shall be, or the minimum interval between visa exempt arrivals.

I'm a FIFO overseas worker and up to now I have relied on visa exemptions to enjoy the 5 or 6 times a year I come to spend time in my condo . I don't think a tourist visa is appropriate for me because my length of stay is always fairly short (7-21 days max). 4 years left to 50, not getting married to a Thai, and have no time to study Thai because I am too busy working outside Thailand and earning a very good income. Last thing I want to do whilst in Thailand is teach English for a few baht, I can hardly be bothered to get out of bed before noon. That being said in 2014 I have already arrived 3 times and have spent about 5 weeks in Thailand total, and I am worried about getting hassled or knocked back even though all I do here is spend overseas earned income. In all the years I have been flying in I have never been asked a single question at the Imm counter. Hopefully Immigration can continue to tolerate my visits. The only other option I can see is the Elite card, which is money I would rather not spend if I can keep doing what I have been doing.

I live and work in Laos, very close to the border. Most weekends I go over the border to play golf and do a bit of shopping. Last weekend I had a chat to the Thai IO about this.

He said I will have no problems, as it is clear that I do not 'live' in Thailand and therefore I do not work illegally in Thailand. That is all they are concerned about. I imagine you will be fine as you too do not 'live' in Thailand.

[thaitakeaway]

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?

You only need 40K/month for a visa based on marriage or a kid. Even an English teacher makes that.

the number's now 65K/month or 800K in the bank or any combo equating to that. Starting English teachers *might* get half that, but then they'd already have a WP ...wouldn't they!!

Ah Thailand, Land of Perplexities

65K/month or 800K in the bank, that is the figures for retirement not for marriage or kids.

If only it were THAT simple PoorSucker. As confirmed by phoning an immig lawyer in BKK just now to clear up my own confusion from googling the topic, it's evident that different Thai consulates/embassies tweak the rules. Hence:

* if applying within Thailand, you must satisfy the 40K/month rule

* if applying from the UK, expect to cough up 65K/month or have 800K in the bank

* and for Aussies, like me, it's FREE to obtain this so-called marriage visa if applying from my country.

[Pattaya46]

If only it were THAT simple PoorSucker. ...

But it is that simple !

If you already are in Thailand, you just have to get an Extension in Thailand,

and if needed you first make a short trip in a nearby country to get a non-O.

Why going back in your country where it may be more difficult to get such visa ?

[Iumentum]

the number's now 65K/month or 800K in the bank or any combo equating to that. Starting English teachers *might* get half that, but then they'd already have a WP ...wouldn't they!!

Ah Thailand, Land of Perplexities

65K/month or 800K in the bank, that is the figures for retirement not for marriage or kids.

If only it were THAT simple PoorSucker. As confirmed by phoning an immig lawyer in BKK just now to clear up my own confusion from googling the topic, it's evident that different Thai consulates/embassies tweak the rules. Hence:

* if applying within Thailand, you must satisfy the 40K/month rule

* if applying from the UK, expect to cough up 65K/month or have 800K in the bank

* and for Aussies, like me, it's FREE to obtain this so-called marriage visa if applying from my country.

It might be free to obtain the visa, but my guess is that to extend the visa after the first 60 or 90 days after obtaining it, the same rules will apply for you as anyone else. There is a difference in obtaining the visa and to make the 1 year extension.

[MJCM]

<snip>

If you are that wealthy as you say (already have 3 condos and thinking of buying another one) why don't you spend the 500K to get the Thailand Elite Easy Access Card ? Or is that too expensive ?

Yeah because Thaksin's Elite Card system worked so well didn't it!

I almost bought one of those, but fortunately I didn't, but my comment was directed towards the Guy who has the money to buy 3-4 condo's but is complaining that he can't get a Visa and for him a good solution is the NEW Thailand Elite Easy Access Card. Just do a search on the Forum.

[thaibeachlovers]

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.

So what about those with O visas doing a "visa run"? They don't say "except those with O and B visas".

Just as well I'm having a week in Penang or I'd be stressing now.

[MJCM]

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.

So what about those with O visas doing a "visa run"? They don't say "except those with O and B visas".

Just as well I'm having a week in Penang or I'd be stressing now.

Also in the OP it says

The Immigration Bureau has already instructed officials to deny entry to foreigners doing visa runs as a measure to stop the exploitation of tourist visas and visa exemptions to live or work here.

So O's are not affected it seems

[thaibeachlovers]

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.

So what about those with O visas doing a "visa run"? They don't say "except those with O and B visas".

Just as well I'm having a week in Penang or I'd be stressing now.

Also in the OP it says

The Immigration Bureau has already instructed officials to deny entry to foreigners doing visa runs as a measure to stop the exploitation of tourist visas and visa exemptions to live or work here.

So O's are not affected it seems

But they don't SAY that, and we all know how literal some immigration officials can be.

[Iumentum]

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.

So what about those with O visas doing a "visa run"? They don't say "except those with O and B visas".

Just as well I'm having a week in Penang or I'd be stressing now.

The directive does state it's concerning tourist visa!

[MJCM]

<snip>

But they don't SAY that, and we all know how literal some immigration officials can be.

Agreed, but I sincerly doubt they going to target those kinds of Visa's maybe they will start limiting the number of entries to push people towards Extensions of Stay. But that is of course PURE speculation.

[kaobang]

i have a been a tourist in thailand for about 3 years,the last 3 years.i won lottery(or sort of) so i could stay long time with ordinary stamps(30 days) or 2 entries tourist visas(180 days) and i did not need to work

i rented an apartment in bangkok and when i was bored i went somewhere else,few days or 1 week or so(i went everywhere in thailand)

i am too young for retirement i am 33.i like to be single and having fun.sometime i went out of thailand(Bali,Hcm city,Tokyo or Vientiane) few days to apply for a tourist visa or just a 30 days stamp

i took a flight (nok air promotion) from don muang to hua hin i was the only passenger haha i had a short talk with the cabin crew about it

me " what the.."

cabin crew "we think our boss made a mistake"

the transfer from hua hin airport to town was free lol

anyway,i thought to take 1 more year holiday or so from october/november

but i cant do that anymore,right?the immigration will see my passport and assume i am an illegal worker

Edited July 15, 2014 by kaobang

[fish fingers]

I guess they might relax the law once they have got rid of a few people

Edited July 15, 2014 by fish fingers

[Pattaya46]

The directive does state it's concerning tourist visa!

Where?

I just read about the "Visa Exemption scheme"...

[Thai at Heart]

After going through the same thing in the UK and my wife being apart from kids for some time, splitting up families is utterly immoral.

Of course it is immoral to split families, but it's also utterly irresponsible to have family here and not get a proper visa which will secure the stay here. You shouldn't be living in Thailand on tourist visa, specially not with kids. Just because the rules has not been uphold, doesn't make it ok to do so, because the rules have been saying that you can maximum be tourist for 180 days per year, and has been like that a very long time. So those who would get issues because of this crackdown has been irresponsible, and should have had plenty of time to find a proper solution.

I wasn't doing anything of the sort.

I returned to the UK, was looking for a decent job, not just one to earn 18,600 to pass the qualification, living at no cost to myself with famiky , funding ourselves 100%.

The application for the visa was 3 months with many problems. I still am at a loss how if ones visa states no recourse to public funds that one can obtain them.

Now that the essence of family assistance has been removed it makes repatriating without a job in place very difficult indeed.

[RTH10260]

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.

youre 7 days and using an airline. dont worry. they are targeting the same day folks and the back to back visas.

The OP post actually quotes "any type of transport" so for the time being that leaves a gray area as to the number of days out of country. I guess several shorthaul flights out and back in to a nearest airport (Penang eg) with no prolonged stay there may trigger the suspicion of an IO.

[arunsakda]

I read this forum. I am concerned because Imm has not indicated what the max number of visa waivers allowed per year shall be, or the minimum interval between visa exempt arrivals.

Imm did not indicate the max number because they did not put any limit

There are rich guys from China or Singapore who come in Thailand

to play golf nearly every week-end using visa exemption.

Do you think Thai Imm wants to limit them at 2 or 3 week-ends a year ?

So who is more the genuine tourist?

A Sino-Tycoon who hits Thai Golf courses almost every weekend (2 or 3 daysx45~) or a condo owner who comes every couple months (7-21days x5~)?

We shall see..

Edited July 15, 2014 by arunsakda

[Iumentum]

i have a been a tourist in thailand for about 3 years,the last 3 years.i won lottery(or sort of) so i could stay long time with ordinary stamps(30 days) or 2 entries tourist visas(180 days) and i did not need to work

i rented an apartment in bangkok and when i was bored i went somewhere else,few days or 1 week or so(i went everywhere in thailand)

i am too young for retirement i am 33.i like to be single and having fun.sometime i went out of thailand(Bali,Hcm city,Tokyo or Vientiane) few days to apply for a tourist visa or just a 30 days stamp

i took a flight (nok air promotion) from don muang to hua hin i was the only passenger haha i had a short talk with the cabin crew about it

me " what the.."

cabin crew "we think our boss made a mistake"

the transfer from hua hin airport to town was free lol

anyway,i thought to take 1 more year holiday or so from october/november

but i cant do that anymore,right?the immigration will see my passport and assume i am an illegal worker

You could consider spending your holiday studying a bit thai, and get a 1 year ED visa which will be around 30.000 baht for both visa and school. I won't recommend to get ED visa for studying thai, and skip school though, because they does sometimes check up on you if you attend your class or interview you when you make your 90 day report.

[stevenl]

I read this forum. I am concerned because Imm has not indicated what the max number of visa waivers allowed per year shall be, or the minimum interval between visa exempt arrivals.

Imm did not indicate the max number because they did not put any limit

There are rich guys from China or Singapore who come in Thailand

to play golf nearly every week-end using visa exemption.

Do you think Thai Imm wants to limit them at 2 or 3 week-ends a year ?

So who is more the genuine tourist?

A Sino-Tycoon who hits Thai Golf courses almost every weekend (2 or 3 daysx45~) or a condo owner who comes every couple months (7-21days x5~)?

We shall see..

I don't think you'll see who's more welcome, since both will be very welcome.

[larsjohnsson]

You get a double or multiple entry and leave to come right back in its a NO GO as THAT IS BACK TO BACK that means your holiday winters are out and your condo is only useable for 30 days and NOT that lovely multiple entry visa you were issued back home...

You understand that ALL multiple entry visas if used back to back either by land or an airport can now be refused and very possibly will be ... with all your stuff stuck in Thailand and poss your air ticket home or route out of swampy too

If you take extended hols here, say retired and have a condo your now stuffed if you have a family you spend time with for any more than 30 days your stuffed unless you leave and go tour around another country while out here... yea great use of the time when your here to spend your winters or dont get to see family every year so do a 6 weeker or more. How about your family coming to spend the winter with you or a few months on a multiple entry which btw is LEGAL and carries no info on back to back ? they are also stuffed now... think about it you people who think its so great they "enforcing things" they really are messing this one up. ... or maybe you dont have any family who want to spend more than 30 days with you..

Parties over unless your on a work visa or retirement or a married visa...an ED or a package or 30 day max stay... anything else and your winging it.... ive sent this thread and another to all people I know... I suggest you do the same before some get badly caught out and maybe worse, stranded at some border.

So you are saying that people with multiple non O-A and non O visas will be stopped if used back to back. No way I belive that

[takkatan in the land]

I am not going to say do visa run it's the proper way to extend your stay in thailand, personally I've never done it because I don't like the idea of leave the decisson of allow me to enter or not in hands of a thai officer there in the border, I know how thais are and I don't like take this kind of risk

but we have here now one more nonsense of thais, they are punishing now "the visa run business" which is itself a thai invention, nowhere else in the world can you live for a several years on a tourist visa just here in the land, nowhere else in the world so many people got the amounts of money like they got in thailand with this business, nowhere else in the world can you find in the net, in the press or even brochures in your language school of companies who are advertising this services, nowhere else some many van fulfilled of foreigners have been traveled to the border like in the land

But faithful to their hypocresy thais realise now about it and no longer to admit it was his fault by issuing all this irregular visas for years they are now blaming foreigners who do it

thai hypocresy once more

[MANICMINER]

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.

So what about those with O visas doing a "visa run"? They don't say "except those with O and B visas".

Just as well I'm having a week in Penang or I'd be stressing now.

I think you need to read the whole thing and not just extract a single sentence. It clearly states they are targeting visa-exempts and tourist visas. it also states they want people on 'proper' visas, which can only mean non immigrant visas. I think the recent events on the southern borders was a blessing in disguise, because it gives us a clear indication of what will come on 12th August, and give people the opportunity to make other plans - can you imagine the confusion on 12th august, if we did not get this warning. People refused entry were all visa exempts and tourist visas.

[easybullet3]

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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

I wouldnt be so sure!

the other thaivisa article (recently) stated clearly that people with VALID 60 day tourist visas were refused entry in the south of thailand.

even if a consulate gives you a VALID visa,,, the immigration officials may not let you in.

it says above that immigration is warning all foreigners to get the correct visa!!! but this is a stupid Catch22 situation where you get a CORRECT VALID VISA from a Thai Embassy and then you are refused entry with this CORRECT AND VALID VISA!!!!

-- completely bad!! its the Thai Embassys job to NOT issue a visa in the first place!!! the government should make more effort to communicate to their embassies throughout the world of this new rule!!!

i'm sure its just ONE email that needs to be sent as a group message to all their embassies. so why on earth hasnt this been done? why dont foreigtn thai embassies know this rule? why are they issuing visas to people that are not allowed visas?

or,, is it the immigration checkpoints that are misunderstanding this rule?

if the cut off date is in August,, then why are people getting stopped today and yesterday?????

this is VERY BAD and costly to people... immigration is NOT following its own rules!!!

i personally (kind of) understand the rules and I am trying to make the necessary changes. I am happy to play their game.. but they have to abide to the rules!! its really so bad for them to not follow the rules.

[kaobang]

i have a been a tourist in thailand for about 3 years,the last 3 years.i won lottery(or sort of) so i could stay long time with ordinary stamps(30 days) or 2 entries tourist visas(180 days) and i did not need to work

i rented an apartment in bangkok and when i was bored i went somewhere else,few days or 1 week or so(i went everywhere in thailand)

i am too young for retirement i am 33.i like to be single and having fun.sometime i went out of thailand(Bali,Hcm city,Tokyo or Vientiane) few days to apply for a tourist visa or just a 30 days stamp

i took a flight (nok air promotion) from don muang to hua hin i was the only passenger haha i had a short talk with the cabin crew about it

me " what the.."

cabin crew "we think our boss made a mistake"

the transfer from hua hin airport to town was free lol

anyway,i thought to take 1 more year holiday or so from october/november

but i cant do that anymore,right?the immigration will see my passport and assume i am an illegal worker

You could consider spending your holiday studying a bit thai, and get a 1 year ED visa which will be around 30.000 baht for both visa and school. I won't recommend to get ED visa for studying thai, and skip school though, because they does sometimes check up on you if you attend your class or interview you when you make your 90 day report.

why i should give money to a school i am not goin to attend?i want to be a tourist and having fun,not going to school.then even if i get that type of visa,maybe the immigration guard at the border with malaysia(or any border) will see my stamps and not let me in.i may be rich,but i am not goin to waste 30000 baht

look what happened to the guys in malaysia they got valid visas but at the border the immigration assumed they were illegal workers.what if that happens with valid ed visas

Edited July 15, 2014 by kaobang

[cocopops]

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?

I hope so.

Very special. I hope that one day you are free from whatever has caused you to become like this...

Edited July 15, 2014 by cocopops

[jonaz]

I have a triple entry tourist visa of which my 1st entry is due to expire. I am due to go to the border this Thursday to activate the 2nd entry. I have 2 previous back to back tourist visas in my passport. I had planned on doing the Bangkok visa run to the Cambodian border.

Are they already enforcing this at the Northern borders or just in the South. Or will this begin only after August 12th?

In short...am I likely to be refused re-entry at the land border this Thursday, given my situation or will I be ok this time around?

[Iumentum]

After going through the same thing in the UK and my wife being apart from kids for some time, splitting up families is utterly immoral.

Of course it is immoral to split families, but it's also utterly irresponsible to have family here and not get a proper visa which will secure the stay here. You shouldn't be living in Thailand on tourist visa, specially not with kids. Just because the rules has not been uphold, doesn't make it ok to do so, because the rules have been saying that you can maximum be tourist for 180 days per year, and has been like that a very long time. So those who would get issues because of this crackdown has been irresponsible, and should have had plenty of time to find a proper solution.

I wasn't doing anything of the sort.

I returned to the UK, was looking for a decent job, not just one to earn 18,600 to pass the qualification, living at no cost to myself with famiky , funding ourselves 100%.

The application for the visa was 3 months with many problems. I still am at a loss how if ones visa states no recourse to public funds that one can obtain them.

Now that the essence of family assistance has been removed it makes repatriating without a job in place very difficult indeed.

I didn't mean you in person, i meant parents in general.

I personally haven't had much problems getting and extending my visa, but of course papers had to be in order. Also, it didn't take long to create the visa, took a few days in Singapore, and for the extensions it's been taking 1 month. What made my case somewhat difficult to begin with, is that i am not married. So i had to go to court and get joint custody so i could get a non o (guardian) visa.

I do understand that for quite some people, money can be an issue, and make it difficult to extend such visa. I also had my headaches, but it was something i had to find a solution for, so i can be with my daughter and take care of her which is my responsibility.

My point to begin with was just that i think it's irresponsible to think that you can stay and live in Thailand on tourist visa, specially if there is kids involved, because it has always been a matter of time, because it has by law not been ok to do so for a very long time, so every trip over the border is a risk.

[ilocos]

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It is harsh on the kids though.

It is, but still irresponsible to caught up in this crackdown if you have kids in Thailand as foreigner.

You cannot blame the country to actually finally start to enforce the rules/laws. You can only blame the parent who has got himself in visa trouble by doing continuously border running to be able to stay here, even though the law has been quite clear for a long time, that you can maximum be tourist for 180 days per year.

I think you are a few years out of date on the 180 days per year.

This was policy of previous military government. Who runs the government. Only the blind can not see its going to be 90 days in 90 days out ruthlessly enforcement. It's just starting gently. Soon again the repeat of 90 day rule will be announced.

[Iumentum]

i have a been a tourist in thailand for about 3 years,the last 3 years.i won lottery(or sort of) so i could stay long time with ordinary stamps(30 days) or 2 entries tourist visas(180 days) and i did not need to work

i rented an apartment in bangkok and when i was bored i went somewhere else,few days or 1 week or so(i went everywhere in thailand)

i am too young for retirement i am 33.i like to be single and having fun.sometime i went out of thailand(Bali,Hcm city,Tokyo or Vientiane) few days to apply for a tourist visa or just a 30 days stamp

i took a flight (nok air promotion) from don muang to hua hin i was the only passenger haha i had a short talk with the cabin crew about it

me " what the.."

cabin crew "we think our boss made a mistake"

the transfer from hua hin airport to town was free lol

anyway,i thought to take 1 more year holiday or so from october/november

but i cant do that anymore,right?the immigration will see my passport and assume i am an illegal worker

You could consider spending your holiday studying a bit thai, and get a 1 year ED visa which will be around 30.000 baht for both visa and school. I won't recommend to get ED visa for studying thai, and skip school though, because they does sometimes check up on you if you attend your class or interview you when you make your 90 day report.

why i should give money to a school i am not goin to attend?i want to be a tourist and having fun,not going to school.then even if i get that type of visa,maybe the immigration guard at the border with malaysia(or any border) will see my stamps and not let me in.i may be rich,but i am not goin to waste 30000 baht

look what happened to the guys in malaysia they got valid visas but at the border the immigration assumed they were illegal workers.what if that happens with valid ed visas

For a very long time, it has not been ok by law to be tourist for a whole year. So what you are asking for is not to be tourist, and just folly.

I was just giving a suggestion for how you could stay for a year, and attend to class a few hours 2 times a week, and actually stay here 1 year without being concerned about anything. For the issue here, it's about tourist visa border run, not ED visa. Also, with ED visa, you do not have to go to Malaysia to get a stamp, you make your 90 report at the immigration office. So in the end, using 30.000 on such visa wont be that much more expensive that the money used making visa runs.

[MANICMINER]

I have a triple entry tourist visa of which my 1st entry is due to expire. I am due to go to the border this Thursday to activate the 2nd entry. I have 2 previous back to back tourist visas in my passport. I had planned on doing the Bangkok visa run to the Cambodian border.

Are they already enforcing this at the Northern borders or just in the South. Or will this begin only after August 12th?

In short...am I likely to be refused re-entry at the land border this Thursday, given my situation or will I be ok this time around?

I don't think there has been any reports of problems on the northern borders, so i think you will be ok before 12th August.