Will the crackdown on Tourist Visas render other visa classes unworkable?

[thaibeachlovers]

A quick comment about reference to my situation, (not wanting to take the post off-topic):

Your experience may differ...

When I first came to live in Thailand in 2002, it was very easy for me to get a 1-year B visa from Hull consulate (UK), on the basis that I owned a business in Thailand, but was not working in that business.

That all changed after the 2006 coup, when my applications were rejected on the basis that they would only issue me a B visa if I was actually working in that business with a WP

(Your experience may differ...)

I applied at Phuket Labour office on 2 separate occasions for a WP, but was rejected on both occasions because (informally advised to me by them), I refused to 'bribe' the officers 50,000 baht to do their job

So I then remained living in Thailand with my Thai family for many years on a variety of different visas (volunteer visa, ED visa, numerous back-to-backs etc).

I could not apply for a marriage extension because I was happily-divorced.

I could not apply for a support visa for my Thai son because I did not have full legal custody of him

(Your experience may differ...)

Despite these problems, I still considered Thailand to be my home and continued to invest in my family hotel businesses, 4 small hotels with a total of about 20 million baht investment from my business income from the UK.

After reaching 50 years old, I decided not to obtain a retirement visa because I was not yet retired (and have no intention ever to retire!). I would not legally be allowed to work as a volunteer on a retirement visa and - as far as I was concerned - I had my businesses in Thailand - it was simply the corruption that was stopping me from getting a WP to work as Manager in my businesses.

Over the past 3 years, I have spent a lot of time working legally outside Thailand as a teacher and Headmaster in Myanmar and Laos - never had any problems from the authorities to issue me with the correct visa and WP documents.

(Your experience may differ...)

Now I'm back at my home in Thailand and enjoying learning Chinese for a few months.

At the end of that period, I could try again for a WP for my businesses, but nothing has changed in the Phuket Labour office - they still require an ''extra" payment.

(Your experience may differ...)

It is quite likely that I will get the Easy Access Elite visa, and continue to live at my business/home and chat with my hotel guests. I am hopeful that the 'status' of that visa will ensure that no-one hassles me if I do volunteer work in Thailand.

(Your experience may differ...)

I would like to work as a teacher in Thailand, (I was offered a job yesterday by my language school), but the school cannot obtain a WP for that part-time work.

(Your experience may differ...)

My opinion? The visa and WP system needs a total overhaul, to 'streamline' the process and to ensure that Thailand can benefit from those foreigners who wish to stay in Thailand (or to visit long-term), and who will contribute to the country (taxes, investment, teaching English, volunteer work etc), whilst having a visa system in place that can exclude desirables without throwing out the baby with the bath water.

Oh, rose-tinted posters ==> YOUR EXPERIENCE MAY DIFFER

I can't imagine why you want to own 4 hotels in Thailand given the hassles that must entail, but to each his own.

However, with 20 million baht in funds, you could spend your time with your family and friends, hassle free using the visa alternative that you mention without owning anything in Thailand. At least you didn't give the bribes- good for you.

[Time Traveller]

Thailand has been kind enough to enable tourists to enjoy their country for reasonable periods of time,

without onerous amounts of paperwork. The US is not nearly as generous.

Does Thailand give out 10year tourist visas also?

[Mooner]

Ive had previous back to back tourist visas. Returned home recently and got a triple entry tourist visa. Havent used my first extension yet but I have a proof of onward travel after my 9 months are up and sufficient funds.

Will be interesting to see what happens when I hit the border. Guess it depends on the immigration officer!

[Shazdeb]

Can anyone help. have been coming here for 3 1/2 yrs staying most of the year on a TR 60 day double entry, with 2 30 day extensions it gave me 6 mths here and then forced me to go home ( Australia ) and catch up with family for a month or so, wrong thing to do apparently but in all the times I applied for these visas NO ONE ever pointed out that this was wrong. Yes before you say it I could have applied for a retirement visa but doing it this way suited me as It made me go home, with out the need I doubt I would ever leave this beautiful country and see my ageing parents, I never at any time meant to do the wrong thing. Any way I am now buying a small hotel so have started the process to get my work permit needed to own the company my problem stems from the fact that my son and his long time girlfriend live here with me also, not for as long periods as me they have spend a lot more time in Australia than me, I will get a work permit for my son as he will help me but don't really want to do one for his girlfriend as she is a dependent of his and will not work with us, what do I do about her ?? I like to do things lawfully, even though apparently I wasn't do so but just didn't realize. Any ideas would be appreciated

You might want to rethink buying the hotel at this time. Thai tourism should be in the dumps for as long as they keep blocking so many farang from entering and staying in the country. If Thailand loses 30000 baht per month each from thousands of farang at some point it will hurt the economy and add up to some real losses for those in the hotel/restaurant business.

I disagree. If it is true, as they say, that the vast majority of western tourists come here only for a few days on visa exempt entry, and do not return ( ie on a HOLIDAY ), it should theoretically make no difference at all. However, if the western media cotton onto this story, it could result in a major downturn of western tourists.

I doubt it will affect Chinese and other Asian tourists at all, so perhaps Shazdeb should angle to cater for the Asian market.

[Shazdeb]

Can anyone help. have been coming here for 3 1/2 yrs staying most of the year on a TR 60 day double entry, with 2 30 day extensions it gave me 6 mths here and then forced me to go home ( Australia ) and catch up with family for a month or so, wrong thing to do apparently but in all the times I applied for these visas NO ONE ever pointed out that this was wrong. Yes before you say it I could have applied for a retirement visa but doing it this way suited me as It made me go home, with out the need I doubt I would ever leave this beautiful country and see my ageing parents, I never at any time meant to do the wrong thing. Any way I am now buying a small hotel so have started the process to get my work permit needed to own the company my problem stems from the fact that my son and his long time girlfriend live here with me also, not for as long periods as me they have spend a lot more time in Australia than me, I will get a work permit for my son as he will help me but don't really want to do one for his girlfriend as she is a dependent of his and will not work with us, what do I do about her ?? I like to do things lawfully, even though apparently I wasn't do so but just didn't realize. Any ideas would be appreciated

You might want to rethink buying the hotel at this time. Thai tourism should be in the dumps for as long as they keep blocking so many farang from entering and staying in the country. If Thailand loses 30000 baht per month each from thousands of farang at some point it will hurt the economy and add up to some real losses for those in the hotel/restaurant business.

I disagree. If it is true, as they say, that the vast majority of western tourists come here only for a few days on visa exempt entry, and do not return ( ie on a HOLIDAY ), it should theoretically make no difference at all. However, if the western media cotton onto this story, it could result in a major downturn of western tourists.

I doubt it will affect Chinese and other Asian tourists at all, so perhaps Shazdeb should angle to cater for the Asian market.

I must admit I am concerned about the Tourist situation I cant believe that I finally found a hotel I love and everything is so unclear at this time, Typical. At the moment the Resort caters to only Russians and is very run down, I really think ( hope ) apone fixing it up and catering to a different clientele It can be saved, I actually was planning to go the Asian countries route in 12 mths when the work is done. However although the paper report that Tourism will and is recovering I am concerned as the rent on the Resort is rather high I consider. I have done my sums and am sure I can turn it around IF Tourism either stays stable or increases, How many others feel that Tourism will dip and/or fall ??

[JLCrab]

To those who say that Thailand should have a provision for the well-heeled under 50 to obtain long-term stay in Thailand:

Visa & Immigration policy is not just a matter of economic policy but of social policy and -- at least to-date -- it seems that the Thai Officialdom has deemed that allowing such persons to remain long-term in Thailand has a social downside that exceeds the economic upside.

[ubonjoe]

This topic is certainly drifting off topic. Discussion of the new tourist visa rules is not on topic.

Edit: Every post after this warning has been removed but one. Please read the OP and stay on topic.

[MrWorldwide]

My experience getting the retirement extension, and I accept that it's as much good luck as anything else:

- entered Thailand late May 2014 with a Tourist Visa from Penang

- extended that Tourist Visa at Jomtien Immigration about 40 or so days into my initial 60-day stay

- did the rounds of the banks - the only Thai bank manager who would even talk to me was at Krung Thai so I opened an account with them

- saw early warnings re the crackdown, forcing me to bite the bullet and apply for the extension of stay after transferring the 800K into my KT FCD account

- return to Jomtien at some stage in early September by which time my funds should be seasoned - failing that, I will have until 30 Sept to leave the country

OP, at no stage have I had to leave Thailand, although I accept that things would have been different if I hadnt been allowed in with that initial Tourist Visa (no back-to-back exemptions but I'll concede that Immigration are in 'hair-trigger' mode atm). If it wasnt for this forum and folk like ubonjoe who give so much of their time to advise others, I could well be in the position many others are in now - I didnt make the decision to transfer almost 30K AUD into a Thai bank account 2 weeks after a military coup lightly.

One way or another, I believe this is a watershed moment for many of us, and may be the motivation that some have been looking for to explore other options. Well before the coup or the crackdown, the voices of discontent on this board seemed to be getting louder - might be time for some of those folk to put up or shut up, at least until things get back to 'normal', There are only so many posts you can make telling people that you're leaving town before someone wants a postcard from your destination.

Edited July 17, 2014 by MrWorldwide

[62strat]

I came on a dual entry tourist visa from the US, intending to take the time to get married to my girlfriend and get everything ready for a marriage visa.I was denied the 2nd part of the 'dual' entry at Mesai border getting instead a 15 day stamp (that gave me a in/out stamp) then had too little time to get everything together, so had to go to Loas to get a tourist visa..then back again to get my type 'O'... my advance planning all would have worked fine, except the border immigration control can do as they please and you have no recourse ... it worked out for me although I did end up with an in/out which would now be a problem inder the new strict enforcement. Proper planning assumes you know what rules will be applied to you.Currently some have been penalised for previous in/out visa runs (which were fine and legal) and denied entry after getting a proper tourist visa, something no one here would have predicted.

Why were you denied an entry on your tourist visa and given a visa a 15 day visa exempt entry instead.. I suspect your visa had expired.

Why were you denied an entry on your tourist visa and given a visa a 15 day visa exempt entry instead.. I suspect your visa had expired.

This happened when the rules were just changed to the 15 day visa excemption for walk-ins (from the 30 day) also the same week as a new immigration boss took over that post.It was a bad day for me.I met a few others at the border that time who had a similar experience, I was able to deal with it, just more money and time wasted.

Some who are having problems now or about to have problems are not just stupid,inept,or worthless people who brought this on themselves, but perhaps even people like your esteemed self being blind sided by changing rules and uneven enforcement. IMHO

[Local farang]

I have had a B visa for 5 years as a Yacht Captain, the boat is foreign registered and stays in Thailand at the owners request. Upon B Visa renewal London Thai Embassy said no, Phuket town Immigration said I have to have B visa from Embassy abroad Not tourist visa in order to extend customs clearences but will not write a letter to the embassy stating this requirements.

What is next ? Move the boat to Langkawi and only come back to Thailand when we want to !!

[nick02]

same for me , i have son and him mother no stay thailand , she stay german .i can use only tourist visa for stay .i have 600 to 700 euros everymonth from french but them say no in half , i can get only tourist visa ...even you have children them only interested about how much you get from our country.him must stay thailand can t out because him mother don t want and she have power alone in thailand but she only come 2 month for 1 year..

when i found job it s only about 20 or 30 000 bath for month and no work permit (to dificult for make)..anyway for get work permit must have salary 50 000 bath so ????????

it s ok leave them do chit again , i think them get many overstay , i funny i stay here longtime and i see number 1 make black job (exept : vietnam, cambodia , lao , correan etc ...) foreigner have retirement visa , them open many bisness with name girl friend or wife ...them make alot black job and to many no have in half income but them paie office visa who paie imigration ( ahahhaha coruption )...

them kik cambodia , vietnam but who want make chit job same them or small money ??? thai??? i don t think so >>>

them use them longtime for make many thing down and chit in thailand and now them kik them same dogs...

them no chise ?????

so leave them do stupid again and no longtime them see what hapen in them economic and them change rule again...

thailand only like this , want take money from us but don t want make easy for us.

now them kill them country again , many thai loose job and bisness closed sure .

them must understand in the world never have country perfect and thai very far to be perfect country ...have many thing bad...

everything bullshit and lie ..

them leave longtime can stay with tourist visa , many foreigner have house , car or rent home etc ....

now them give 7 days for clear and go ????how can sale and clear every thing in 7 days ?????? stupid...

in my case , what i do ???????

leave my son alone , kik my dogs in street and throw everything?????

i ask imigration what i do if i can t stay ?????? leave my son and even dogs (yes i have dogs too)...

imigration answer me : no problem thailand (<deleted> stupid man)

them want only tourist really ..ahahahahaah

we not wrong , them do and we use but of course them never wrong ..

this is thailand ...i don t know why we come in this country because them no like us and them see us only for money....

now leave them kill them country and after them change rules again ...

them can do only this up and down

my thinking maybe i wrong ...

can write longtime about what them do bad and stupid.

[Pattaya Pat]

I have had a B visa for 5 years as a Yacht Captain, the boat is foreign registered and stays in Thailand at the owners request. Upon B Visa renewal London Thai Embassy said no, Phuket town Immigration said I have to have B visa from Embassy abroad Not tourist visa in order to extend customs clearences but will not write a letter to the embassy stating this requirements.

What is next ? Move the boat to Langkawi and only come back to Thailand when we want to !!

Sound like you're shafted mate. Not good, is it.

[ubonjoe]

I came on a dual entry tourist visa from the US, intending to take the time to get married to my girlfriend and get everything ready for a marriage visa.I was denied the 2nd part of the 'dual' entry at Mesai border getting instead a 15 day stamp (that gave me a in/out stamp) then had too little time to get everything together, so had to go to Loas to get a tourist visa..then back again to get my type 'O'... my advance planning all would have worked fine, except the border immigration control can do as they please and you have no recourse ... it worked out for me although I did end up with an in/out which would now be a problem inder the new strict enforcement. Proper planning assumes you know what rules will be applied to you.Currently some have been penalised for previous in/out visa runs (which were fine and legal) and denied entry after getting a proper tourist visa, something no one here would have predicted.

Why were you denied an entry on your tourist visa and given a visa a 15 day visa exempt entry instead.. I suspect your visa had expired.

Why were you denied an entry on your tourist visa and given a visa a 15 day visa exempt entry instead.. I suspect your visa had expired.

This happened when the rules were just changed to the 15 day visa excemption for walk-ins (from the 30 day) also the same week as a new immigration boss took over that post.It was a bad day for me.I met a few others at the border that time who had a similar experience, I was able to deal with it, just more money and time wasted.

Some who are having problems now or about to have problems are not just stupid,inept,or worthless people who brought this on themselves, but perhaps even people like your esteemed self being blind sided by changing rules and uneven enforcement. IMHO

The 30 day entries for those from the G7 countries did not end. If your visa was still valid they probably just made a mistake when they stamped you in.

[ubonjoe]

Comments about moderation have been removed.

There are many topics running about the "crackdown" that can be posted on. No need to discuss it on this topic.

[ubonjoe]

same for me , i have son and him mother no stay thailand , she stay german .i can use only tourist visa for stay .i have 600 to 700 euros everymonth from french but them say no in half , i can get only tourist visa ...even you have children them only interested about how much you get from our country.him must stay thailand can t out because him mother don t want and she have power alone in thailand but she only come 2 month for 1 year..

when i found job it s only about 20 or 30 000 bath for month and no work permit (to dificult for make)..anyway for get work permit must have salary 50 000 bath so ????????

it s ok leave them do chit again , i think them get many overstay , i funny i stay here longtime and i see number 1 make black job (exept : vietnam, cambodia , lao , correan etc ...) foreigner have retirement visa , them open many bisness with name girl friend or wife ...them make alot black job and to many no have in half income but them paie office visa who paie imigration ( ahahhaha coruption )...

them kik cambodia , vietnam but who want make chit job same them or small money ??? thai??? i don t think so >>>

them use them longtime for make many thing down and chit in thailand and now them kik them same dogs...

them no chise ?????

so leave them do stupid again and no longtime them see what hapen in them economic and them change rule again...

thailand only like this , want take money from us but don t want make easy for us.

now them kill them country again , many thai loose job and bisness closed sure .

them must understand in the world never have country perfect and thai very far to be perfect country ...have many thing bad...

everything bullshit and lie ..

them leave longtime can stay with tourist visa , many foreigner have house , car or rent home etc ....

now them give 7 days for clear and go ????how can sale and clear every thing in 7 days ?????? stupid...

in my case , what i do ???????

leave my son alone , kik my dogs in street and throw everything?????

i ask imigration what i do if i can t stay ?????? leave my son and even dogs (yes i have dogs too)...

imigration answer me : no problem thailand (<deleted> stupid man)

them want only tourist really ..ahahahahaah

we not wrong , them do and we use but of course them never wrong ..

this is thailand ...i don t know why we come in this country because them no like us and them see us only for money....

now leave them kill them country and after them change rules again ...

them can do only this up and down

my thinking maybe i wrong ...

can write longtime about what them do bad and stupid.

If you are the legal father of a Thai you can get a multiple entry non-o visa without financial proof in Savannakhet Laos.

With just you name on the birth certificate of you child you can get a single entry non-o visas and 60 day extensions at immigration with no financial proof.

[kovaltech]

I totally agree this is a SERIOUS problem. I don't think people are overreacting. I know when I was getting set up in Thailand it was basically NECESSARY to play the tourist visa/30 day stamp thing for quite some time. Then there are transition periods, where you need time to settle matters here, if you're leaving. There are multiple totally innocent scenarios where legit long term people really need transition periods and the tourist visas/30 day stamps have been ESSENTIAL.

I'm with you JT. I am not scaremongering. I do not see how the other visa classes can function when In/outs are limited to one per person AND entry on a valid and legally obtained tourist visa may also be refused.

Everyone uses the tourist visa as a patch. Everyone. Because the current system is so hopelessly innefficient.

And thanks for pointing out that the Tourist visa patch is also used when transitioning OUT of Thailand. I only thought about those coming in. Of course many use the Tourist visa to come back to settle on a property sale. However, that may not now be possible. Heavens knows what is going to happen to those properties and other assets such as cars, motorbikes, share, mutual funds, physical gold...etc.

And leaving the talk of assets to one side...what of the families that are going to be ripped apart?

I agree that's not easy, but...

depending your goals and final intentions, you can apply for any visa at your home country, prior to entering Thailand...

Info at: http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/123/15398-Issuance-of-Visa.html

After your first Visa you can decide your next steps...

Info at: http://bangkok.immigration.go.th/intro1.html

every story has a beginning... starting with an tourist visa and not wanting to leave Thailand is not the easiest way...

Long time planning ahead is the keyword...

[Issangeorge]

Can somebody explain how investment visa works? My understanding that buying real estate (e.g. condo) does not qualify... IMHO what is going on right now is not a result of any kind of thought through deliberate policy. This is what is happening when a small group of people gets absolute power and start making arbitrary decisions without any checks and balances. I wonder whether retirees and other long-term residents are safe... And I would definitely not go along the elite card path...

This policy was planned before the coup, they are just making sure it is enforced. Anyone on Thailand legally or can make themselves legal should be okay. The ones that may be affected most are the offshore workers. However they usually show a distinct pattern of one month in and one month out, and since all entries are left up to the individual immigration officer, I like to think most would be smart enough to know what these guys are doing and let them in. A misplaced ฿1,000 left in their passport might help.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 6 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[nick02]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

same for me , i have son and him mother no stay thailand , she stay german .i can use only tourist visa for stay .i have 600 to 700 euros everymonth from french but them say no in half , i can get only tourist visa ...even you have children them only interested about how much you get from our country.him must stay thailand can t out because him mother don t want and she have power alone in thailand but she only come 2 month for 1 year..

when i found job it s only about 20 or 30 000 bath for month and no work permit (to dificult for make)..anyway for get work permit must have salary 50 000 bath so ????????

it s ok leave them do chit again , i think them get many overstay , i funny i stay here longtime and i see number 1 make black job (exept : vietnam, cambodia , lao , correan etc ...) foreigner have retirement visa , them open many bisness with name girl friend or wife ...them make alot black job and to many no have in half income but them paie office visa who paie imigration ( ahahhaha coruption )...

them kik cambodia , vietnam but who want make chit job same them or small money ??? thai??? i don t think so >>>

them use them longtime for make many thing down and chit in thailand and now them kik them same dogs...

them no chise ?????

so leave them do stupid again and no longtime them see what hapen in them economic and them change rule again...

thailand only like this , want take money from us but don t want make easy for us.

now them kill them country again , many thai loose job and bisness closed sure .

them must understand in the world never have country perfect and thai very far to be perfect country ...have many thing bad...

everything bullshit and lie ..

them leave longtime can stay with tourist visa , many foreigner have house , car or rent home etc ....

now them give 7 days for clear and go ????how can sale and clear every thing in 7 days ?????? stupid...

in my case , what i do ???????

leave my son alone , kik my dogs in street and throw everything?????

i ask imigration what i do if i can t stay ?????? leave my son and even dogs (yes i have dogs too)...

imigration answer me : no problem thailand (<deleted> stupid man)

them want only tourist really ..ahahahahaah

we not wrong , them do and we use but of course them never wrong ..

this is thailand ...i don t know why we come in this country because them no like us and them see us only for money....

now leave them kill them country and after them change rules again ...

them can do only this up and down

my thinking maybe i wrong ...

can write longtime about what them do bad and stupid.

If you are the legal father of a Thai you can get a multiple entry non-o visa without financial proof in Savannakhet Laos.

With just you name on the birth certificate of you child you can get a single entry non-o visas and 60 day extensions at immigration with no financial proof.

yes i m legal father , my name is on birth certificat thai but him mother don t want give me....so ????what doing???

someone know where i can get new thai birth certificat ?

thanks

[OMGImInPattaya]

There is another thread about teachers in a similar position. Some were refused entry and ended up going home. I think it will depend on how previous entries you have had.

Didn't you mean to write: A group of teachers, holding tourist visas, were trying to enter Thailand for work purposes, in direct contravention of the employment prohibition, explicitly stated on their visa, for this type of visa, and were stopped from doing so by vigilant Thai immigration authorities, who refused them entry to The Kingdom.

[MrWorldwide]

if you have never been to thailand before and only allowed 1 tourist visa is that enough to commit 800,000 to a thai bank? for me it would need a much longer appraisal of the bank in question. and a much longer appraisal of the country as a whole.

on current trends, i wouldnt be going forward with the cash transfer. too much uncertainty to much sudden unannounced change. looks to me as though new retirees are going to be be few and far between. going to take a long time to restore any semblance of confidence.

retirees dont go looking for this type of precarious existence.

Not sure how many are going to make that sort of call on their first trip to Thailand but there is nothing in the new rules that says you cant come back every 6 or so months as I did for many years prior to retiring here. There are other options for those who want to spend more time here, but they've already been extensively discussed on this forum over the last 2 weeks so I'll leave it there. I dont view my existence here as any more precarious than it would have been in Malaysia, my initial choice and I still consider personal safety (even in Pattaya) to be less of an issue here than it would have potentially been in the PI. Several have speculated that the financial impact of this crackdown could spur a marked increase in the crime rate - like much of the speculation of recent weeks, I guess we all wait with bated breath to see how that pans out.

[liddelljohn]

Problem is that the Non Immigrant O based on marriage is now also under threat ,,,, even if u have all the correct requirements its no longer a 100% slam dunk ,, actually my wife has been making investigations at Immigration and with politicians and it seems that a major crackdown on ''mafia '' using Thai marriage as a way into Thailand is also a major concern and will entail big changes to the way this visa is run in future ,,

she is angry as she realises how our decent family may be affected by this problem until it is all sorted out ????

[stevenl]

Problem is that the Non Immigrant O based on marriage is now also under threat ,,,, even if u have all the correct requirements its no longer a 100% slam dunk ,, actually my wife has been making investigations at Immigration and with politicians and it seems that a major crackdown on ''mafia '' using Thai marriage as a way into Thailand is also a major concern and will entail big changes to the way this visa is run in future ,,

she is angry as she realises how our decent family may be affected by this problem until it is all sorted out ????

Is it?

[ubonjoe]

Problem is that the Non Immigrant O based on marriage is now also under threat ,,,, even if u have all the correct requirements its no longer a 100% slam dunk ,, actually my wife has been making investigations at Immigration and with politicians and it seems that a major crackdown on ''mafia '' using Thai marriage as a way into Thailand is also a major concern and will entail big changes to the way this visa is run in future ,,

she is angry as she realises how our decent family may be affected by this problem until it is all sorted out ????

What you are writing is perhaps at least 2nd or 3rd hand info with no proof to back it up. There are just to many baseless rumors going around without starting another one..

I can see greater attention being made to first time applicants but those that already have extensions I can't see them cahnging anything.

[OMGImInPattaya]

I've been here 20 years, previously on Non B and WP, over the last 10 yrs it's been WP and marriage Non O 1 yr extension. The longer I've been married, the harder the extenstions get I find it humiliating presenting photos showing the two of us in our bedroom. There is no need to change laws to make things harder, it's just up to the officer. As I understand it they can refuse without giving a reason. The first year I got the marriage extension it was easy, after a quick interview in Thai, they smiled and gave the visa. In the last 3 years we've been knocked back twice on very small technicalities.

There has been growing resentment of farang since 97, conservative elements would like all of us to leave, whether we are supporting families or employing Thais is irrelevant. A friend was given custody of his Thai son, however there is no longer a provision to grant a non O based on supporting Thai offspring.

Let's wait and see, but I'm not optimistic.

Not good to hear that it isn't just a formality to extend your marriage visa even when everything is in order.

Are you 50 yet? If so, maybe switching to retirement is the better option.

Care to re-read the post...everything WASN'T in order; when it was, the extension was issued.

[ubonjoe]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

If you are the legal father of a Thai you can get a multiple entry non-o visa without financial proof in Savannakhet Laos.

With just you name on the birth certificate of you child you can get a single entry non-o visas and 60 day extensions at immigration with no financial proof.

yes i m legal father , my name is on birth certificat thai but him mother don t want give me....so ????what doing???

someone know where i can get new thai birth certificat ?

thanks

You can get a certified copy of it at the Amphoe where your child's birth was registered.

You will also need a copy of their house book.

[Sirbergan]

4. Need to open bank account and wait out period for seasoning for 400K for a spouse visa...only available solution...tourist visa run

- that's not true, you can get as many back to back 3 month marriage visas you'd like these days, no need to show any funds in the bank for that. The one year marriage visa is a different story, though.

[JohnThailandJohn]

It seems more people are interested in spreading their misery in life that sharing anything useful and informative here. A simple solution is if Thailand is so bad then stop coming here because whining and complaining and telling half truths about about incidents and exaggerating other serves no purpose. It really kills me that these same people are the ones constantly moaning about the freedoms people have enjoyed here because of the lack of enforcement of laws by offices ... now they are seeing enforcement and whining and once again exaggerating and playing chicken little when in reality the Sky is Not Falling. And now like most places planning needs to be done if you want to stay in a foreign country for long periods.

What is frustrating is things are not completely clear on how certain things will be enforced but their intentions have been made crystal clear and those who spend a lot of time in Thailand via border runs and back to back tourist visas need to be concerned and find a proper way to stay in the country.

Looks like Thailand is becoming more modern and catching up to more advanced countries as so many people say they wanted ... now that is it happening they don't want it.

[nick02]

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If you are the legal father of a Thai you can get a multiple entry non-o visa without financial proof in Savannakhet Laos.
With just you name on the birth certificate of you child you can get a single entry non-o visas and 60 day extensions at immigration with no financial proof.

yes i m legal father , my name is on birth certificat thai but him mother don t want give me....so ????what doing???
someone know where i can get new thai birth certificat ?
thanks

You can get a certified copy of it at the Amphoe where your child's birth was registered.

You will also need a copy of their house book.

i can go alone ?only with my passport?him mother don t want give a birth certificate and sure she no give me house book too :-(

thanks for info

[Goonar]

Listen , the main point is and the Thai authorities will get this really soon. Should anyone find it difficult to remain in Thailand , people will simply look else where! Thailand is not the only country in Asia , and as they make it more difficult , people will stop coming , people stop coming and the Thai gross tourist economy drops! Tourist economy drops , employment rises , employment rises , Thai government relax visa terms for tourists to come back to Thailand ! Cambodia is making it very easy for farangs to stay there! The last thing Thailand wants , is to lose out , which if they keep putting the pressure on farangs , who spend a lot of money in Thailand to stay there, will move to Cambodia !! Simples !! Who loses Thailand !! I just wish all the BS would stop from all areas , re visa , like we all going to die , if we don't get an extension or am not allowed back to Thiland . The only people who will lose in the run , is the Thai who rely on tourism !

[slipperylobster]

I do think that many potential visitors/retirees/teachers are looking long and hard at the current situation in Thailand.

While I do admire the current attempts to correct deficiencies in enforcement and crack down on improprieties (mafia, illegal workers, transportation and rice scams), somebody looking in from outside the fishbowl might develop anxieties about traveling here for the purpose of lengthy vacations, courting potential partners and awaiting their visas (I did that for over a year and we got turned down by my own country), and even retirement. Teaching here in Thailand for wanna-be/under-qualified adventurers is going to become next to impossible.

Studying, Retirement, Marriage...........all still possible. Only thing is, a past record of back to back border/visa runs is going to also become an obstacle in correcting one's visa status. It may mean getting turned back on the next entry? Possibly... but not a hundred percent.