Longer visa exemption extensions begin August 29, 2014

[OumarhindaOunsingha]

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A change every week. Let's see what next week brings.

Hahahahaha! Yess! TIT!

[RTH10260]

I feel much better after this news today. I was almost going to leave the country but now feel confident getting another tourist visa. But there are still no clear guidelines to follow so there will still be a certain amount of stress and guesswork ahead.

It is a shame the authorities have caused a lot of confusion and stress for tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of tourists, by not providing us with clear guidelines. They haven't even been able to provide their own immigration officers with clear guidelines, which has resulted in people wrongly being turned away on tourist visas. Whoever is in charge of this fiasco should be sacked from their position, it stinks of incompetence.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Very possible that officials started to float the new concept to first see some reactions, observe the initial fallout and collateral damage, before fine tuning the final rules on the initial experience.

[sustento]

You're still going to need to get a tourist visa if you want to stay (for example) 40 days as I can't see the airlines letting you fly without a valid visa.

you evidently have not read the OP

I have read the OP. I'm saying that even though Thai immigration may now have the ability to give you a 30 day extension it doesn't necessarily mean that airlines are going to let you board their aircraft unless you have a visa that is valid for the length of your stay.

I flow in on May 2nd on a Jet Airways, India plane with only a one-way ticket, no visa & only 3,500 Baht in my pocket, I was never asked about onward travel plans or how I would support myself during my stay, that throws your statement out the window if you ask me....

Go and look up the meaning of the words 'may' and 'doesn't necessarily mean'.

[harrry]

A very positive move and nice to see a real attempt to communicate to people. It is good to see they are considering standardisation around the country as uncertainty in regard to whether we can stay or not and what documents are needed is one of the worst things of the present system,. It may be that different officers see their role differently and act accordingly in good faith but something like this does need standardisation

Another very positive thing the country is doing lately.

[smedly]

well just to add a complication - I fly return from Thailand and I did this last time on a tourist visa that had 4 days left - Bangkok - home country - Bangkok, Etihad - stayed in my home country 2 weeks

as already stated it depends on the airline and even at that if you think you are going to have an issue then contact them before travel and get clearance - it has nothing to do with the airport - security - boarding gate or anything else - clear it with checkin and call beforehand

[Lipee]

Do I get these extra 30 days if I arrive over sea and have my normally 15 days exemption?

[mikosan]

Thank you Scott, very helpful. I look forward to your next videos on this subject.

Edited July 20, 2014 by mikosan

[faxx]

whats the point of a tourist visa if after 29 Aug you can get 30 days on arrival and then extend for 30 days ..?

You don't have to go to an Immigration Office.

And you have an option to extend your 60 days for another 30 days having tourist visa.

and it is much cheaper.

[SiggiCM]

I may have misunderstood, but my question would be: will airlines allow somebody to board a flight for Thailand if their return ticket is more than 30 days ahead and they have no visa? in other words: will the airlines place any weight on the fact that a 30 day visa exemption extension is possible? If the position is unclear then tourists who fancy a stay of six weeks or so will probably still want a tourist visa.

I never got ask for a visa if flight back was after 30 days, i dont know about 1 way ticket but for EU citizen not have any problem with boarding even with a return ticket of 1 year

[SiggiCM]

whats the point of a tourist visa if after 29 Aug you can get 30 days on arrival and then extend for 30 days ..?

You don't have to go to an Immigration Office.

what I also am getting at it makes whats going on now quite over the top, as all that have been refused entry over the past 2 weeks will in effect on 29 Aug be allowed into thailand for a possible 60 days...so i just think they has messed up big time ..toughened up the immigation requirements when most of the border have forgotten them. it is very clear on the 10 year over stay that some one has reminded thailand of human rights issues..if they have children of married to a thai national..then ban them for life?

you even can not ban them for 1 year, you can fine them if they work illegal, prison time or fine, but if somebody want to visit wife or children you cant ban!

[SiggiCM]

Wouldn't it just be simpler to make the visa exemption 60 days instead of having to extend it?

so you want to pay 1900 baht when you come for 5 days?

[hawker9000]

If the airline is going to require you to have a return, or at least onward, ticket within the 30d window, then what good is a 30d extension option? Someone's heart was in the right place I guess, but yet more uncertainty and confusion.

[SiggiCM]

So what should I do? I'm only going for 3 weeks. I have flight ticket back to UK

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE 7.5A using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

If you're only going for 3 weeks you'll get a 30 day visa exemption just like all the other tourists from the UK do.

Yea I'm reading so many things and it's just confusing me, even though I've got single entry and double entry visas in my passport. I'm going to be ok?

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE 7.5A using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

As in the case of the 28/28 rotation oil workers etc who have been mentioned several times.. if the immigration officer is counting previous stamps in the passport, then quite a lot is going to rest on whether the immigration officer feels it is credible that a person can be a genuine tourist in Thailand several times a year simply because they have the money to do so. Further complicated if the tourist keeps a rented condo because it is more convenient and cheaper than paying for a hotel every day.

It may be logical to us that such perpetual tourists do exist, but may not be in the eyes of the immigration officer....

How they want to handle the people who own a Condo in thailand, or may be more Condos? they cant refuse them enter Thailand,

All this people have the right to check their propertys or to live in their Condo,

They may be have to leave every 30/60 days but they have the right to enter Thailand again.

Or Thailand will break international contracts and agreements and the country will have to pay compensation!

Thy can not change the rules for Investors, and if they only try then it will be a huge impact of the building bussines in Thailand, ghosttowns in Phuket and attaya

[SiggiCM]

If the airline is going to require you to have a return, or at least onward, ticket within the 30d window, then what good is a 30d extension option? Someone's heart was in the right place I guess, but yet more uncertainty and confusion.

there is no requirement, there is only a requirement for a return of forward ticket

[Pattszero]

If the airline is going to require you to have a return, or at least onward, ticket within the 30d window, then what good is a 30d extension option? Someone's heart was in the right place I guess, but yet more uncertainty and confusion.

I made a point earlier about this and was supposedly undone by an ancient link.

I know for a fact that AirAsia and Emirates airlines do not rely upon IATA for their information.

We are at the point of regarding these airline executives as morons if we believe that to be the case.

The airlines that fly into Thailand are more than aware of the sometimes shambolic nature of government websites.

It is ridiculous to suppose that the airlines are not following these announcements.

It is they that have the most to lose if the eff it up.

And I am of the opinion that they will allow people to arrive on a sixty day ticket in the expectation that they will extend.

Before you all start dancing about like demented frogs on heat -

I've already had this conversation with both of the airlines mentioned.

Maybe instead of endless speculation, you should just call your airline and ask them.

[Pattszero]

ps - I should add when I said "I'm of the opinion," it was due to the fact that while both airlines said they were aware of the announcement - they couldn't commit to a policy until they had received official notification.

[SiggiCM]

Even with this seemingly good news it baffles me to read posts that call people who utilized the in place - functioning Thai immigration system of the very recent past - and for nearly 10 years prior - ABUSERS. A system that allowed most anyone (tourists) to perform border runs and visa runs to obtain more 'staying' time in Thailand... No one was abusing anything ... Border runs to get extensions of 15-30 days were ALLOWED... and not just allowed - they were facilitated by Thai Border Immigration officers.

Even if one was 'working' in Thailand - the act of working in Thailand without the proper visa was/is a violation of Thai Law ... BUT the act of making border runs to get extra staying time in Thailand was not a violation of law nor an abuse - no trickery - no subterfuge was utilized - no false papers were presented, (fake passports - fake visa stamps, etc.). None of this was necessary - because crossing the border with the minimum of credentials was allowed and facilitated by agents of the Thai Government.

Abusing a system - which rarely questioned an extension of a exemption or tourist visa was an ABUSE ? Laughable.

The Thai Government created by default the system that was in place for many years - so they are now enforcing laws that they did not want to enforce in years before ... but some people abused a system that was not abusedable - IT WAS ALLOWED!

FINALLY SOMEBODY WROTE THE TRUES

[hawker9000]

If the airline is going to require you to have a return, or at least onward, ticket within the 30d window, then what good is a 30d extension option? Someone's heart was in the right place I guess, but yet more uncertainty and confusion.

there is no requirement, there is only a requirement for a return of forward ticket

Say what? There IS a requirement for, and the airline (if they're checking) WILL REQUIRE, a return or onward ticket within the 30-day window (of the visa exemption program). If you don't have one WITHIN that 30d window, they will (again, if they're checking, which I expect is becoming more universally the case now...) not give you a boarding pass. (Unless you have a visa, of course.) Maybe that will change now that this extension is available, but I expect that it will instead result in less consistency and more uncertainty on the part of the airline check-in personnel, at the expense of the traveler.

[SiggiCM]

This is Thailand, a little money fixes everything.

Go say that to the owners of the many clubs and discos currently closed in Pattaya. An extremely rich owner of the Lucifer Disco is said to have proposed to pay " a fortune" to reopen his club closed for 60 days... but the club remained closed!

it is not 60 days yet and they are operating Club 888

[SiggiCM]

They can still abuse the system, but that will cost a lot, because the have to change flight every time..

Good thinking of the immigration, and the alarm bell will ring for abusing

Which cost, which changes? It's just an eTicket printout (some worthless piece of paper)

that they 'pre-announced" to be asking. And many not even bother to check.

Except that if this rule is applied,

it means that everyone leaving Thailand while on a 30-days extension must exit from Thailand by plane!

A direct consequence could be: people on this extension are refused to exit at a land border...

you can leave the country at any border what is open, you cant refuse people to leave thailand

[jack19201]

Well done George,very helpful info.keep up the good work.take care.

[sustento]

Wouldn't it just be simpler to make the visa exemption 60 days instead of having to extend it?

so you want to pay 1900 baht when you come for 5 days?

The visa exemption is free at the moment. Why would it not continue to be free?

[sustento]

How they want to handle the people who own a Condo in thailand, or may be more Condos? they cant refuse them enter Thailand,

All this people have the right to check their propertys or to live in their Condo,

They may be have to leave every 30/60 days but they have the right to enter Thailand again.

Or Thailand will break international contracts and agreements and the country will have to pay compensation!

Thy can not change the rules for Investors, and if they only try then it will be a huge impact of the building bussines in Thailand, ghosttowns in Phuket and attaya

The can do anything they want. They are the law. They can refuse anyone entry without giving any reason at all. There is no 'international contract or agreement' which requires them to let anyone in that they choose not to. You have the rights that they decide to grant you.

[Maestro]

well just to add a complication - I fly return from Thailand and I did this last time on a tourist visa that had 4 days left - Bangkok - home country - Bangkok, Etihad - stayed in my home country 2 weeks

Flying on a return ticket from Thailand, you are telling immigration that you are living in Thailand. Neither the tourist visa exemption scheme nor the tourist visa is really designed for this purpose.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Maestro]

Removed an off-Tic post about "90 day reporting BS"

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[jacko45k]

whats the point of a tourist visa if after 29 Aug you can get 30 days on arrival and then extend for 30 days ..?

You don't have to go to an Immigration Office.

what I also am getting at it makes whats going on now quite over the top, as all that have been refused entry over the past 2 weeks will in effect on 29 Aug be allowed into thailand for a possible 60 days...so i just think they has messed up big time ..toughened up the immigation requirements when most of the border have forgotten them. it is very clear on the 10 year over stay that some one has reminded thailand of human rights issues..if they have children of married to a thai national..then ban them for life?

So he just gets banned for just 10 years......... still rather a burden for the family life.

A step in the right direction, or a demonstration that the previous changes were not well thought out.

Watch this space... the rules may change between take-off and landing!

[Mudcrab]

Even with this seemingly good news it baffles me to read posts that call people who utilized the in place - functioning Thai immigration system of the very recent past - and for nearly 10 years prior - ABUSERS. A system that allowed most anyone (tourists) to perform border runs and visa runs to obtain more 'staying' time in Thailand... No one was abusing anything ... Border runs to get extensions of 15-30 days were ALLOWED... and not just allowed - they were facilitated by Thai Border Immigration officers.

Even if one was 'working' in Thailand - the act of working in Thailand without the proper visa was/is a violation of Thai Law ... BUT the act of making border runs to get extra staying time in Thailand was not a violation of law nor an abuse - no trickery - no subterfuge was utilized - no false papers were presented, (fake passports - fake visa stamps, etc.). None of this was necessary - because crossing the border with the minimum of credentials was allowed and facilitated by agents of the Thai Government.

Abusing a system - which rarely questioned an extension of a exemption or tourist visa was an ABUSE ? Laughable.

The Thai Government created by default the system that was in place for many years - so they are now enforcing laws that they did not want to enforce in years before ... but some people abused a system that was not abusedable - IT WAS ALLOWED!

The border run was certainly allowed, that is not in dispute.

However when re-entering the person will state that he/she is entering Thailand for the purpose of tourism.

This is where the abuse can/has set in.

Any thinking person will understand that the serial border runners were/are not bona fide tourists but people who wish to stay long term for whatever personal reason they may have.

As well as being fraught with danger - knowingly and willingly stating false information on an official document - it also leads to a more stringent official focus, with the result being the situation now currently being experienced.

[iancnx]

Even with this seemingly good news it baffles me to read posts that call people who utilized the in place - functioning Thai immigration system of the very recent past - and for nearly 10 years prior - ABUSERS. A system that allowed most anyone (tourists) to perform border runs and visa runs to obtain more 'staying' time in Thailand... No one was abusing anything ... Border runs to get extensions of 15-30 days were ALLOWED... and not just allowed - they were facilitated by Thai Border Immigration officers.

Even if one was 'working' in Thailand - the act of working in Thailand without the proper visa was/is a violation of Thai Law ... BUT the act of making border runs to get extra staying time in Thailand was not a violation of law nor an abuse - no trickery - no subterfuge was utilized - no false papers were presented, (fake passports - fake visa stamps, etc.). None of this was necessary - because crossing the border with the minimum of credentials was allowed and facilitated by agents of the Thai Government.

Abusing a system - which rarely questioned an extension of a exemption or tourist visa was an ABUSE ? Laughable.

The Thai Government created by default the system that was in place for many years - so they are now enforcing laws that they did not want to enforce in years before ... but some people abused a system that was not abusedable - IT WAS ALLOWED!

Absolute nonsense post. Get the correct visa my dear chap!

[noendtoit]

Well if Immigration is following ThaiVisa, I have a message for Immigration: "How about giving longtime married expat residents of Thailand, who have demonstrated good citizenship, a reasonable pathway to permanent residency at a reasonable cost?"

A 100,000 baht non-refundable application fee is not reasonable; it is gambling. Also, selling a five year permit to stay for a 2 million baht fee via the new Elite Card is not reasonable. Other countries have a reasonable road to permanent residency; why not Thailand?

[chrisinth]

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Well if Immigration is following ThaiVisa, I have a message for Immigration: "How about giving longtime married expat residents of Thailand, who have demonstrated good citizenship, a reasonable pathway to permanent residency at a reasonable cost?"

A 100,000 baht non-refundable application fee is not reasonable; it is gambling. Also, selling a five year permit to stay for a 2 million baht fee via the new Elite Card is not reasonable. Other countries have a reasonable road to permanent residency; why not Thailand?

I think you need to look at your figures again before ranting at immigration............................