28/28 rotations: is there a maximum of 30 day visa on arrivals per year?

[sandrew33]

Now obvious this is rubbish. Backpackers?
There is no way they would state an arbitrary limit
of less than 5 entries per annum as this would bar the
Sino-tycoons who fly in from Singapore to play golf, and other things,
almost every weekend.

For what it's worth the Thai Consul Office in Perth, Australia told me yesterday that they had been told that more than 4 Visa Exempt entries in a year "could be a problem". This is not back to backs, I was very clear in my use of them on a sort of 28:28 type rotation and was told that I'd be taking a risk with more than 4 and would be safer getting tourist visas ...

[Franky Bear]

 

Not sure if you can find a persons quotes simply by there name on this site,,

 

but i already know of one guy who was denied entry "bald eagle" and my mates reading his post put me onto this whole saga otherwse i would have been non the wiser..so there's at least 1 confirmed then there are many others who dont use the site.or use the internet other than to check there emails and facebook,,

 

 

 

In the topic you refer to, Bald Eagle pretended to be posting from the transit area of Suvarnabhumi airport when in pact he was posting from the UK.

 

Cheers for letting us know that

[griffer]

just came though Swampy...I work around 60 days with Visa ..come back to Thailand for 1-2 weeks..British Passport

 

usually just get VEE (visa exempt entry)...was looking for 4th one this year,,,

 

got asked if I had a visa.. I explained I was only staying 9 days and was hoping for a 30 day VEE

 

Got the stamp and came in......never been asked this before...

 

I come through VIP/ Dip area.....

 

So in..no real problem.. apart from the unusual question.

[paz]

 

got asked if I had a visa.. I explained I was only staying 9 days and was hoping for a 30 day VEE

 

Got the stamp and came in......never been asked this before...

 

Not strange. They may have been told to enforce the case where people that have a visa, it must be used instead of visa exempt entry. So she asked to make sure.  

[griffer]

ah.. you misunderstand ..my visa is to work in Indonesia.....I have no visa for Thailand.

[paz]

ah.. you misunderstand ..my visa is to work in Indonesia.....I have no visa for Thailand.

 

I understood what you wrote. When Thai immigration ask if you have a visa, they are referring to a Thai visa. Or did she ask you if you have a visa for other countries ?

[Enjoyurlife]

just came though Swampy...I work around 60 days with Visa ..come back to Thailand for 1-2 weeks..British Passport
 
usually just get VEE (visa exempt entry)...was looking for 4th one this year,,,
 
got asked if I had a visa.. I explained I was only staying 9 days and was hoping for a 30 day VEE
 
Got the stamp and came in......never been asked this before...
 
I come through VIP/ Dip area.....
 
So in..no real problem.. apart from the unusual question.

I guess the officer was afraid he may have overlooked you had a visa so asked to make sure. Indeed nothing out of the ordinary, nor should there have been as you did nothing illegal

[griffer]

I leave the visa section blank on immigration card,,, as I have done for numerous years

 

never been asked if I had a visa before.

[stailmanki]

Arrived Thursday,8 years passport full of exemption stamps & have been on short rotations 14/28,side trips to Malaysia etc VIP lane.scrutinised for 5 minutes and stamped without a word. I'm uncertain whether I should keep doing this or get a "proper" visa. Looked at all non immigrant visas, does not appear to be one that I could use. Not interested in paying 500k for elite card

[Maestro]

You are not being targeted by the new crackdown.

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[stailmanki]

Passport full exemption stamps 25 day stays in Thailand Scrutinised 5 minutes or so SVP, nothing said, still uncertain what kind or if I should get a "Visa"

[Maestro]

Regardless whether your rotation is 28 days work outside Thailand and 14 days rest and recreation in Thailand or vice versa (you didn't say which), you are most eminently qualified for visa exempt entry for all your visits to Thailand. Any immigration officer who would want to dispute that would need to be sent to a reeducation camp.

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[sandrew33]

Came in last evening. Many years worth of Visa exemptions. I tend to do roughly 14/14 rotations, so minimum of 12 visa exemptions per annum. With side trips often 15 or 16.

Arrived business class, so went through VIP, they did spend a lot more time than normal flicking through my passport, he wrote a few things down on some paper - that seemed like him adding up trips - spent a good 2 mins looking at his computer .. All up maybe 5 or so mins v the usual 1 minute.. I asked, in Thai, if there was a problem - he just looked up, smiled and said "new system, slow, sorry". Stamped and through.

Id add that 2 of the 3 immigration areas were closed due to being "full" and had immigration officers directing us to other arrival areas - there did seem to be longer than if have expected delays. I guess if one spent 5 mins v the usual 1 on each passport that might be a reason.

I'd expect longer than usual delays post 12 August.

But for me, a very very frequent visa exemption guy, no real drama yet

[sandrew33]

Regardless whether your rotation is 28 days work outside Thailand and 14 days rest and recreation in Thailand or vice versa (you didn't say which), you are most eminently qualified for visa exempt entry for all your visits to Thailand. Any immigration officer who would want to dispute that would need to be sent to a reeducation camp.

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Might not be wise to tell them that though while arguing with an overly officious one :p

[Franky Bear]

Came in last evening. Many years worth of Visa exemptions. I tend to do roughly 14/14 rotations, so minimum of 12 visa exemptions per annum. With side trips often 15 or 16.

Arrived business class, so went through VIP, they did spend a lot more time than normal flicking through my passport, he wrote a few things down on some paper - that seemed like him adding up trips - spent a good 2 mins looking at his computer .. All up maybe 5 or so mins v the usual 1 minute.. I asked, in Thai, if there was a problem - he just looked up, smiled and said "new system, slow, sorry". Stamped and through.

Id add that 2 of the 3 immigration areas were closed due to being "full" and had immigration officers directing us to other arrival areas - there did seem to be longer than if have expected delays. I guess if one spent 5 mins v the usual 1 on each passport that might be a reason.

I'd expect longer than usual delays post 12 August.

But for me, a very very frequent visa exemption guy, no real drama yet

Good to read. Cheers

[arunsakda]

Came in last evening. Many years worth of Visa exemptions. I tend to do roughly 14/14 rotations, so minimum of 12 visa exemptions per annum. With side trips often 15 or 16.

Arrived business class, so went through VIP, they did spend a lot more time than normal flicking through my passport, he wrote a few things down on some paper - that seemed like him adding up trips - spent a good 2 mins looking at his computer .. All up maybe 5 or so mins v the usual 1 minute.. I asked, in Thai, if there was a problem - he just looked up, smiled and said "new system, slow, sorry". Stamped and through.

Id add that 2 of the 3 immigration areas were closed due to being "full" and had immigration officers directing us to other arrival areas - there did seem to be longer than if have expected delays. I guess if one spent 5 mins v the usual 1 on each passport that might be a reason.

I'd expect longer than usual delays post 12 August.

But for me, a very very frequent visa exemption guy, no real drama yet

Did not know I could access a VIP lane at Swampy

 

Do you just have to show your Business class boarding card stub?

[stailmanki]

Regardless whether your rotation is 28 days work outside Thailand and 14 days rest and recreation in Thailand or vice versa (you didn't say which), you are most eminently qualified for visa exempt entry for all your visits to Thailand. Any immigration officer who would want to dispute that would need to be sent to a reeducation camp.

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Work 14 on 28 off,,,, but on call, part time arrangement. No evidence yet of guys in my situation actually being denied entry but the uncertainty is there. I have sent an enquiry to one of the sponsors of this forum to see if they can help with a visa that allows me to come & go without the necessity of having visa exempt stamps.

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[Stocky]

Did not know I could access a VIP lane at Swampy
 
Do you just have to show your Business class boarding card stub?

They usually give you a 'Fast Track' pass when you check in, or with the landing cards on-board before arrival. It depends on the airline. Emirates sometimes don't have any, or are only handing them out to First Class, on those occasions I've gone through Fast Track and just shown them my boarding card stub and said they'd run out of passes - no problems.

The Fast Track entrance is between the East and West immigration halls.

[sipidan]

G'day

I normally arrive in Bangkok & get a visa exempt stamp every month & sometimes if I stay longer than 30 days I go to the nearest immigration & fill out a TM.7 form for a 60 day visa that's when you have a child born here in Thailand!

I was wondering if I was to carry all the required paperwork(child birth cert.etc) can you apply for this visa on arrival at Bangkok airport?

Does anyone know?

Just wondering if anyone else has done it already?

That info could help a few of us out after next month!


I've got 5 exempt stamps already this year & many for last year too!

No questions asked to me last Tuesday tho, so that was good!

When I leave I leave for 4 weeks so I wouldn't class myself as an I/O but who knows??

No one yet reading on most forums.



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Hi 

Today i went into Phutthamonthon Immigration to purposely inquire about my/our situation.

 

He said "it doesn't matter how many stamps that you have in your passports & if i come back in again for my 6th exemption stamp this year it will not be a problem"
 

He even said i can guarantee it won't be a problem!!! 

 

Again he said their looking for people who stay 30 days and then return the same day at a border crossing or only exit for one night!!

 

Basically visa runners/workers in Thailand!!

So if your flying oversea's or exiting for numerous days for work out of Thailand.

 

You and me will be fine

Edited July 29, 2014 by ubonjoe
moved reply from quoted text

[Franky Bear]

It's about 10/12 days since this started. I've still to yet hear of anyone on rotation getting refused at Swampy. In this last 12 days there will have been a minimum of 2000 rotational wokers come in, yet not one pip about a knock back

[Enjoyurlife]

It's about 10/12 days since this started. I've still to yet hear of anyone on rotation getting refused at Swampy. In this last 12 days there will have been a minimum of 2000 rotational wokers come in, yet not one pip about a knock back

 

Are you still worried about this? the "crack-down"  is for visa runners. Even that may not really be illegal, however the perception is that they live here and/or work here, which is illegal on a visa exempt. There is nothing else to it. Being out of the country for 28 days each time like you are, defintely qualifies you as not being a visa runner.

[HP4]

A lot of stories circulating at the moment.

My mate has just come back from Vientiane and said the queues were horrendous. A lot of people were being refused visas , meaning they could not get back into Thailand.

I came back from work 2 days ago and the immmigration officer spent a good 5 minutes scouring my passport. Luckily I have a 1 year mutiple 'O' visa. The visa was issued by the Thai Consulate in London. Hull no longer issues visas.

I have been living in Thailand for 11 years now and , happily , married for 8 years. Built a house , numerous cars , motorbikes and boats but unable to obtain a marriage visa. Spent a long time gathering all relevant , and irrelevant , paperwork. I was given the wrong info by the officer at immigration and went back 5 times. Found out in the end that you can only apply in the last month of your 3 month 'chop'. I was told that it may take 4 - 6 weeks further to process. 3 1/2 months off of work??

Very frustrating but a small price to pay for this lifestyle.  I would suggest getting a multiple 'O' visa if you can.

[Offshorebudd]

Just came through swampy from west africa. Breezed through immigration. I've only been coming to thailand since december but my schedule has been wonky cuz i switched companies. I had 4 existing 30 day exempts and a 90 day tourist visa. One overstay of 3 days on my last stay here. Absolutely the exact same treatment ive gotten every other time. Didnt have to show cash, contracts or hotel reservations but had them all ready of course. I know august 12th is coming but for now things are good!

[jonnyscot]

Good to hear you got thru ok, how long were you out of the country before you returned?
Also a bit off topic, but coming from west Africa, just wondering whether they had you visit the clinic before passing immigration (Ebola check?),
I'm starting up with a new employer this week so hopefully my years of rotating between LOS and W Africa have ended for the foreseeable future


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[Yahooka]

Good to hear you got thru ok, how long were you out of the country before you returned?
Also a bit off topic, but coming from west Africa, just wondering whether they had you visit the clinic before passing immigration (Ebola check?),
I'm starting up with a new employer this week so hopefully my years of rotating between LOS and W Africa have ended for the foreseeable future


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Just keep the Yellow Fewer vaccination card ready.....been asked for it twice.

[jonnyscot]

Ok, I've never been asked in Los for yellow fever book in approx 5 years of rotating from west Africa, but last arrival from Africa was in May, so maybe that was before this Ebola became more of an international concern, been asked on most arrivals going the other way in Lagos, Angola and Congo,
what the yellow fever book has to do with Ebola I've no idea, I hope this isn't the thai health officials answer to minimising the spread of Ebola in Thailand

quote name="Yahooka"
Just keep the Yellow Fewer vaccination card ready.....been asked for it twice.


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[Offshorebudd]

Out for about 32 days. No ebola check, was coming from Gabon though, no ebola there ....yet! Just a stamp and a smile that said "There ya go big rigger, go spend some o' that dirty, dirty oil money!"

[Offshorebudd]

Out for about 32 days. No ebola check, was coming from Gabon though, no ebola there ....yet! Just a stamp and a smile that said "There ya go big rigger, go spend some o' that dirty, dirty oil money!"

[Enjoyurlife]

Usually you do need a yellow fever bookie if you enter the country from Africa. You need to go to the health office just before you enter the big immigration hall where they check your book and stamp the white card for approval. You could be sent back (to that health office) by the immigration officer if he does check that you came in from Africa. This is as old as the middle ages and has absolutely nothing to do with Ebola of course.

[jonnyscot]

Looks like I've been a very lucky chappie for the last few years then, there was once a year or 2 back I was sent back from imm queue to the health screen counter, at the time I think some health issue with one country I transited through, can't remember which, but still no yellow fever book asked for, only a yes/no questionaire to fill in before getting an all clear,
anyway apologies for straying off topic guys.

quote name="Enjoyurlife" Usually you do need a yellow fever bookie if you enter the country from Africa. You need to go to the health office just before you enter the big immigration hall where they check your book and stamp the white card for approval. You could be sent back (to that health office) by the immigration officer if he does check that you came in from Africa. This is as old as the middle ages and has absolutely nothing to do with Ebola of course.


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