Out-in visa hoppers now being barred from entry to Thailand

[Rigby40]

I got a 3 entry tourist visa before I came here, is that going to be a problem now?? I'm due for my first trip out and back in, at the end of August, plan to stay 3-4 days and then come back in to activate my 2nd tourist visa stay.

Any foreseeable issues with that?

[DamienG]

I work in the mining sector and I visit Thailand every 4th or 5th week for 1 to 2 weeks on my R & R. I rent an apartment and my GF lives in it while I work overseas. I enter Thailand through Bangkok airport and have my passport stamped (not a visa) I will be flying into Bangkok on the 23rd July and my question is, what are my chances of being turned away at immigration?

I do not work in Thailand while I am there, genuine tourist only.

I don't think you're a genuine tourist, not with your girlfriend living here and this apparently your homebase.

But I don't see you having any problems at the border.

I thought that might be the case, thank you for your response. I will post on 23rd July if I have any issues at immigration at Bangkok.

[Sena Dave]

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I work in the mining sector and I visit Thailand every 4th or 5th week for 1 to 2 weeks on my R & R. I rent an apartment and my GF lives in it while I work overseas. I enter Thailand through Bangkok airport and have my passport stamped (not a visa) I will be flying into Bangkok on the 23rd July and my question is, what are my chances of being turned away at immigration?

I do not work in Thailand while I am there, genuine tourist only.

I don't think you're a genuine tourist, not with your girlfriend living here and this apparently your homebase.

But I don't see you having any problems at the border.

I thought that might be the case, thank you for your response. I will post on 23rd July if I have any issues at immigration at Bangkok.

Thats when I'm going , 8 30am .Maybe I'll see you in the Immigration interrogation room ;o)

[TheAceFace]

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I work in the mining sector and I visit Thailand every 4th or 5th week for 1 to 2 weeks on my R & R. I rent an apartment and my GF lives in it while I work overseas. I enter Thailand through Bangkok airport and have my passport stamped (not a visa) I will be flying into Bangkok on the 23rd July and my question is, what are my chances of being turned away at immigration?

I do not work in Thailand while I am there, genuine tourist only.

I don't think you're a genuine tourist, not with your girlfriend living here and this apparently your homebase.

But I don't see you having any problems at the border.

I thought that might be the case, thank you for your response. I will post on 23rd July if I have any issues at immigration at Bangkok.

Thats when I'm going , 8 30am .Maybe I'll see you in the Immigration interrogation room ;o)

I arrive on the 24th, save us a space in the interrogation room

[Sena Dave]

I'll put in a word for you but I will probably have been moved on to the Water-Boarding Room by then

[DoctorB]

Congratulations to the junta for trying to take out the trash.

Troll

Why…for an expressing an opinion that u obviously don't agree with?

For expressing a ridiculous opinion. Everyone visiting here frequently (say who wants to spend half the year here) who is under 50 and doesn't qualify for an existing long-term visa category is "trash", now? I'm not wedded particularly to Thailand myself, it's just probably the overall nicest/easiest country in the region and a good base for exploring all the rest of it, and certainly where I want to go for medical treatment, and it looks like that is going to get more problematic going forward.

I honestly would be greatly amused if the junta decided tomorrow to jack the retirement visa up to 65 and quadruple or quintuple the income requirement, given some of the attitudes on here. ...etc

Interestingly, Stickman (love him or loath him) said in his column last Sunday:-

"And now some Thai consulates in the UK are tightening up on non-immigrant O visas for retirement, only issuing them to those over 65, or those aged over 50 who can show they have a Thai bank account with a balance in excess of 800,000 baht........ Chins are now wagging about a possible increase in the eligibility age for retirement visas up to 65, although I don't see that happening."

You may get the last laugh yet.

Edited July 16, 2014 by DoctorB

[Expattaff1308]

I would wager that embassy and consulates are processing higher a than average number of lost passport requests in light of the visa crackdown... A clean passport gives you a clean start at the borders...

No,a new passport will NOT give you a clean start at the borders Thai immigration entered the digital world a decade ago.

You are right, AND wrong.

According to my country`s embassy today, I approached them with that "what if"-question.

They answered that they recently have had many examples that getting new passports are giving them clean sheets.

In their opinion, they do NOT have a working and good system in their data bases, so getting a new passport could be sufficient.

According to them.

They also said that they are not even fully coordinated with each other, the immigration offices, so the system is definitely not good enough and up to 2014 date.

The manually looking at one and each passport, is still the most important "tool" they have.

Some people also do a small change of names in their home country, to get a clean, new passport too. Seems a little desperate though.

I don't know wether all data is accesable to all Imm depts, All I can say is a few years back I applied for a re-entry permit at Nong Khai Imm and the Offr entered my current passport number and hit print, all my entries and exits from that and my previous passport was listed...make of it what you will!!

[SoFarAndNear]

I would wager that embassy and consulates are processing higher a than average number of lost passport requests in light of the visa crackdown... A clean passport gives you a clean start at the borders...

No,a new passport will NOT give you a clean start at the borders Thai immigration entered the digital world a decade ago.

You are right, AND wrong.

According to my country`s embassy today, I approached them with that "what if"-question.

They answered that they recently have had many examples that getting new passports are giving them clean sheets.

In their opinion, they do NOT have a working and good system in their data bases, so getting a new passport could be sufficient.

According to them.

They also said that they are not even fully coordinated with each other, the immigration offices, so the system is definitely not good enough and up to 2014 date.

The manually looking at one and each passport, is still the most important "tool" they have.

Some people also do a small change of names in their home country, to get a clean, new passport too. Seems a little desperate though.

I don't know wether all data is accesable to all Imm depts, All I can say is a few years back I applied for a re-entry permit at Nong Khai Imm and the Offr entered my current passport number and hit print, all my entries and exits from that and my previous passport was listed...make of it what you will!!

Probably you got a new passport and transferred the old visa to the new passport this automatically updates the database...

[max72]

I work in the mining sector and I visit Thailand every 4th or 5th week for 1 to 2 weeks on my R & R. I rent an apartment and my GF lives in it while I work overseas. I enter Thailand through Bangkok airport and have my passport stamped (not a visa) I will be flying into Bangkok on the 23rd July and my question is, what are my chances of being turned away at immigration?

I do not work in Thailand while I am there, genuine tourist only.

I don't think you're a genuine tourist, not with your girlfriend living here and this apparently your homebase.

But I don't see you having any problems at the border.

I thought that might be the case, thank you for your response. I will post on 23rd July if I have any issues at immigration at Bangkok.

Ok Mr. I know-everything. If he is not a genuine tourist, what is him ?

Nobody here seems a genuine tourist anymore.

If you want to come back every year to Thailand, you are considered a pariah or a potential criminal.

Very welcoming indeed !

[max72]

Reading this article

http://asiancorrespondent.com/124798/visa-enforcement-tightens-for-tourists-and-expats-in-thailand/

I read "in the past people could enter with a double visa"

Is that mean double visas have been abolished ??

Other details: by air you will hardly be refused if you have a tourist visa and an exit ticket. I think those guys at the Malaysian border (probably the strictest border) didn 't have an exit ticket, but nobody seems to know for sure.

My question is about double visas and extensions ....are they still valid....has anything changed about this ?

Because from that article it would seem double visas has been abolished.

[Pralaad]

Now we will here from all the cry babies who been living in Thailand with these tourist visa. Either get a proper visa or go home.

Any advice for someone under 50 that isn't married with no Thai children, that working outside of Thailand on a 6 week on 6 week off rotation, that wishes to spend his time off in Thailand??? Any suggestions???

Alternate with another country,

Thailand, Philippine, Nepal all have a great climate.

What's so special about Thailand?

I really don't understand the desperation foreigners have to stay in Thailand, it ain't that great a place.

There are dozens of countries that offer the same or more, for a similar price.

But those countries do not offer Gogo bars and cheap, pretty girls

[brewsterbudgen]

But those countries do not offer Gogo bars and cheap, pretty girls

Exactly. Why would anyone want to stay (or holiday) anywhere else!

[timmyp]

I just want to say that last week I left after my 3 year ED visa expired, and I got a double-entry extendable 60-day tourist visa in Vientiane. I re-entered by land at the Nong Khai border the following day without any problems. I am a bit worried about what will happen when I extend my 60-day visa to get another 30 days, and then what will happen when I exit Thailand for a few days and attempt to re-enter for another 60-days.

I legitimately studied Thai for 3 hours a day during my 3 years of ED visa, and I would now like to spend time traveling around Thailad for 6 months using the Thai I learned. It seems to me that this should be ok, but I fear that the immigration folks at the airports and land crossings are going to start rejecting everyone who wants to be a tourist for more than 3 months.

I hope foreigners entering Thailand on a tourist visa for extended travel (i.e., travelling for more than 3 months and therefore re-entering a double-entry 60-day tourist visa) will post their experience passing through immigration after the new rules are implemented in mid-August.

[Briggsy]

A hypothetical case.

A Belgian spends 4 and a half months in Thailand then 1 and a half months in Belgium and repeats this cycle over and over. He covers his 4 and a half months in Thailand with a double entry tourist visa each time.

How would this be viewed by immigration?

(Assume said Belgian is 38 years old, not married to a Thai, has a rental property and 100,000 Euros of investments in Belgium which provide an income).

[phirho]

A hypothetical case.

A Belgian spends 4 and a half months in Thailand then 1 and a half months in Belgium and repeats this cycle over and over. He covers his 4 and a half months in Thailand with a double entry tourist visa each time.

How would this be viewed by immigration?

Spending 9 months each year in Thailand using tourist visas? This looks exactly like a kind of guy this crackdown is targeted at (from the point of view of an immigration officer who doesn't know about your investments etc.)

[max72]

A hypothetical case.

A Belgian spends 4 and a half months in Thailand then 1 and a half months in Belgium and repeats this cycle over and over. He covers his 4 and a half months in Thailand with a double entry tourist visa each time.

How would this be viewed by immigration?

(Assume said Belgian is 38 years old, not married to a Thai, has a rental property and 100,000 Euros of investments in Belgium which provide an income).

Hmmm I think it could be more suspect than me.

I spend 4-5 months (Nov-March) mostly in Thailand, but than I stay out half a year. I think it's clear i am not working in Thailand. I hope so.

You also don't look to be working in Thailand, if you stay 3 months outside, but if they apply the rule (?) 180 days every 360 days, you are burnt, because you spend more time in Thailand than abroad.

The problem it is not clear, there are no numbers and cases like yours are in that grey area.

However if you always have exit tickets and never go to neighbour countries by land, your chances to be considered tourist increase.

But It is possible you would be forced to spend more time abroad and little bit less time in Thailand.

Let's see after 12 August what happen and try to stay in touch with the Thai Embassy in Belgium.

[happysanook]

I would wager that embassy and consulates are processing higher a than average number of lost passport requests in light of the visa crackdown... A clean passport gives you a clean start at the borders...

Not true at all. When they scan a passport, the history comes up. In fact a blank passport book is probably going to be under even further scrutiny.

[mataleo]

I would wager that embassy and consulates are processing higher a than average number of lost passport requests in light of the visa crackdown... A clean passport gives you a clean start at the borders...

Not true at all. When they scan a passport, the history comes up. In fact a blank passport book is probably going to be under even further scrutiny.

Thai scan system is not very good.

Databases are not well connected. Someone spoke to office about it here already...

There is a chance with new passport.

[Briggsy]

A hypothetical case.

A Belgian spends 4 and a half months in Thailand then 1 and a half months in Belgium and repeats this cycle over and over. He covers his 4 and a half months in Thailand with a double entry tourist visa each time.

How would this be viewed by immigration?

(Assume said Belgian is 38 years old, not married to a Thai, has a rental property and 100,000 Euros of investments in Belgium which provide an income).

Hmmm I think it could be more suspect than me.

I spend 4-5 months (Nov-March) mostly in Thailand, but than I stay out half a year. I think it's clear i am not working in Thailand. I hope so.

You also don't look to be working in Thailand, if you stay 3 months outside, but if they apply the rule (?) 180 days every 360 days, you are burnt, because you spend more time in Thailand than abroad.

The problem it is not clear, there are no numbers and cases like yours are in that grey area.

However if you always have exit tickets and never go to neighbour countries by land, your chances to be considered tourist increase.

But It is possible you would be forced to spend more time abroad and little bit less time in Thailand.

Let's see after 12 August what happen and try to stay in touch with the Thai Embassy in Belgium.

Thanks for the answers.

Let's continue with this. Belgian flies in from Brussels with a new double entry tourist visa after 1 and a half months in Belgium. If the Immigration Officer is not really happy, what might happen?

[lostsoul49]

I would wager that embassy and consulates are processing higher a than average number of lost passport requests in light of the visa crackdown... A clean passport gives you a clean start at the borders...

Wrong... when they scan your passport at the border they can see on their screen the amount of entries you have. The new passport number links to the old lost passport number in the international database.

Everything is recorded on the database, a new passport won't get around the system.

You are fooling yourself... just try it and see.

[sometimewoodworker]

I have two passports. Been going in and out Thailand on visa exemption for almost a year now. Mostly is because I come to stay with my mom and have to go out when the 30-days are up. I have a Thai passport, obtained it while I was staying here. Never used the Thai passport because I belive the immigration won't let me in because I don't have any exiting thailand stamp. But now because of the clamp down, I am thinking to use my Thai passport. Anybody can help me with this please?

This is never a problem; simply explain that the Thai Passport was issued overseas - hence no Exit stamp.

In any case if you hold a Thai Passport Thailand cannot deny you entry (even with an expired Thai Passport you cannot be denied entry).

Also, before you ask, Thailand has no problems with people holding another Nationality / Passport in addition to Thai - although a junior Immigration Officer may not know that and give you some problems, if that happens ask, politely, to speak to a more Senior Officer and he will certainly know the situation..

Patrick

Hi.. Thanks for the reply. You mentioned to tell them the passport was issued overseas. But i had my passport issued here in Thailand, at the Charng Wattana office. Will that be an extra problem? Thanks.

If it is modern chiped passport you will have no need to explain anything to anybody as you can go through the electronic gate so no official and no stamp in the passport

[lostsoul49]

Now we will here from all the cry babies who been living in Thailand with these tourist visa. Either get a proper visa or go home.

Any advice for someone under 50 that isn't married with no Thai children, that working outside of Thailand on a 6 week on 6 week off rotation, that wishes to spend his time off in Thailand??? Any suggestions???

Alternate with another country,

Thailand, Philippine, Nepal all have a great climate.

What's so special about Thailand?

I really don't understand the desperation foreigners have to stay in Thailand, it ain't that great a place.

There are dozens of countries that offer the same or more, for a similar price.

Most have found a way to make a living I guess no flocks of Russians or divers in the other countries. I have been to the Philippines and it doesn't hold a candle to Thailand and Nepal your joking right

Everyone laughing at Nepal are the ones who haven't ever been there.

I have been heaps of times and is my fave country out of over 30 I have visited and the same for my Thai wife too.

It is not cold either unless you are up a mountain which is really only for mountaineers anyway...

Pokhara is a great place, cheap with good western food availabilty and the Nepalese food is much higher quality to Thai food.

It is also a much more beautiful country and the locals friendlier that Thais, also the service in bars and restaurants is far superior to Thais and the beer is better all round.

The basmati rice is also far superior to Thai rice.

If you are entrepreneurial, Nepal has vast amounts of opportunities to make a lot of easy money as there are shortages of just about everything and almost zero competitors.

It is also a far easier country to stay in long term with little or no questions asked and accommodation is far cheaper than Thailand.

If I could get the wife away from her family, I would move there tomorrow.

[Larry001]

Seadoo2511, on 15 Jul 2014 - 19:01, said:

Mango Bob, on 15 Jul 2014 - 18:49, said:

Now we will here from all the cry babies who been living in Thailand with these tourist visa. Either get a proper visa or go home.

Any advice for someone under 50 that isn't married with no Thai children, that working outside of Thailand on a 6 week on 6 week off rotation, that wishes to spend his time off in Thailand??? Any suggestions???

I think you will find 6 weeks on 6 weeks off is okay. The people they are trying to stop are those that do 30 days in 1 hour off

[Flipguy]

Now we will here from all the cry babies who been living in Thailand with these tourist visa. Either get a proper visa or go home.

Any advice for someone under 50 that isn't married with no Thai children, that working outside of Thailand on a 6 week on 6 week off rotation, that wishes to spend his time off in Thailand??? Any suggestions???

Alternate with another country,

Thailand, Philippine, Nepal all have a great climate.

What's so special about Thailand?

I really don't understand the desperation foreigners have to stay in Thailand, it ain't that great a place.

There are dozens of countries that offer the same or more, for a similar price.

The reasons are obvious, AnotherOneAmerican, it's all because of the Thai women or Thai men or Thai ladyboys, lots of sex and good, really good sex at that, Chang Beer or Leo Beer or Singha Beer, and cheap prostitutes, and of course, the men who aren't noticed in their own countries, in Thailand, they are special, it's like they indeed arrived in Paradise! As long as they keep their Thai women, or men, or ladyboys with money, all is good!!

[Pralaad]

Now we will here from all the cry babies who been living in Thailand with these tourist visa. Either get a proper visa or go home.

Any advice for someone under 50 that isn't married with no Thai children, that working outside of Thailand on a 6 week on 6 week off rotation, that wishes to spend his time off in Thailand??? Any suggestions???

Alternate with another country,

Thailand, Philippine, Nepal all have a great climate.

What's so special about Thailand?

I really don't understand the desperation foreigners have to stay in Thailand, it ain't that great a place.

There are dozens of countries that offer the same or more, for a similar price.

But those countries do not offer Gogo bars and cheap, pretty girls

[lostsoul49]

It's official.

I have just rung the farang owner of a bar I regularly use who told me last night he was getting his wife to call immigration at Poipet to ask what they consider 'too long' The IO told her more than six months of tourist visas in your passport over the last 2 years and you will be questioned.

That is the order that came from the bosses in BKK and being circulated around all border points as the official guide rule.

They don't consider anyone to be a tourist of more than 6 months across the past 2 years, and you have to be good to prove you are.

Secondly he also confirmed that second visits on double entry visas are not considered. You will still be turned away at the border regardless.

That is official from the horse's mouth.

[ukrules]

It's official.

I have just rung the farang owner of a bar I regularly use who told me last night he was getting his wife to call immigration at Poipet to ask what they consider 'too long' The IO told her more than six months of tourist visas in your passport over the last 2 years and you will be questioned.

That is the order that came from the bosses in BKK and being circulated around all border points as the official guide rule.

They don't consider anyone to be a tourist of more than 6 months across the past 2 years, and you have to be good to prove you are.

Secondly he also confirmed that second visits on double entry visas are not considered. You will still be turned away at the border regardless.

That is official from the horse's mouth.

Well this will include a lot of the regular tourists who come to Thailand to escape the cold winter in parts of the US and Europe, they appear to stay for 4-6 months each winter.

Those who came last year for the full winter will in theory be refused entry if they do a visa run half way through their holiday this winter, perhaps even on their first entry if they stayed for a full six months last year.

I suspect many of them who have a bad experience (refusal of entry) with immigration will never return in the future, I know I wouldn't.

[sometimewoodworker]

I got a 3 entry tourist visa before I came here, is that going to be a problem now?? I'm due for my first trip out and back in, at the end of August, plan to stay 3-4 days and then come back in to activate my 2nd tourist visa stay.

Any foreseeable issues with that?

Everything here is speculation. However it all depends on your previous visa history.

1) If no visas then no problem for all of the three entry's and or extensions.

2) If previous visas but separated by significant periods of time then the same as 1)

3) if previous visa exempt stamps but separated by significant periods of time then the same as 1)

4) if a history of a combination of tourist visas (may be others as well but no concrete info yet) and or visa exempt stamps with very short times out or back to back entry's you could be refused entry.

There is currently no concrete information other than for no. 4) where people have been refused entry at the Malaysian border and told to fly in

4) seems to be the target.

So far nothing I've seen is targeting double or triple entry tourist visas with enough time out of Thailand to demonstrate that the holder isn't workin in the LOS

[Gonzo the Face]

I would wager that embassy and consulates are processing higher a than average number of lost passport requests in light of the visa crackdown... A clean passport gives you a clean start at the borders...

But don't they have a history for each people in the inmigration computers ?

Don't you know .... " This is Thailand " Why are you entering logic into the program....

I am sure they have access to the records, just do they want to take the time to look it up.

[khwaibah]

It's official.

I have just rung the farang owner of a bar I regularly use who told me last night he was getting his wife to call immigration at Poipet to ask what they consider 'too long' The IO told her more than six months of tourist visas in your passport over the last 2 years and you will be questioned.

That is the order that came from the bosses in BKK and being circulated around all border points as the official guide rule.

They don't consider anyone to be a tourist of more than 6 months across the past 2 years, and you have to be good to prove you are.

Secondly he also confirmed that second visits on double entry visas are not considered. You will still be turned away at the border regardless.

That is official from the horse's mouth.

It a rumor until ThaiVisa can confirm. But its a very good rumor.