Madison blue Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 I've purchased tickets to exit Thailand with a non imm B visa (90 day check ins, recently discovered i cannot renew) on August 19th and return to Thailand on August 21st with a single entry tourist visa. I've been on my non imm B visa for one year now. prior, I had multiple back to back tourist visas; as well as a couple non imm O visas. I was told by an agent in Malaysia that I would have no problem acquiring a single entry (60 day) tourist visa due to the fact that my current visa is non imm B. I explained that I'm American and can therefore add multiple pages to my passport, hence, my passport is at least an inch thick with years of prior back to back tourist visas. I am under 50 and financially secure so I've never needed to earn money in Thailand, or elsewhere. my question: should I re-schedule my flights and hotel reservations so as to be able to re-enter Thailand BEFORE August 12th??? (despite hours of reading and research, I remain confused...) thank you very much for any accurate advice and information you can provide! please help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madison blue Posted July 29, 2014 Author Share Posted July 29, 2014 ummmm... UbonJoe is in the know but, if any others have accurate advice or information; I would be very pleased to hear from the many other knowledgeable experts here! thank you very much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ukrules Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 I'm sure you will be able to keep going on tourist visas for a while but eventually they might clamp down on what you're doing. You're going to have to tour the consulates / Embassies of Asia getting more and more visas as time goes on until you run out of options as each one has limits in place on how many visas they will issue. I was in a similar situation, my plan was to go back to the UK and get a triple entry tourist visa and then do two 90 day out/ins which would cover 9 months followed by getting a single entry tourist visa somewhere in Asia which would complete a year. Then I would repeat this each year. That's a lot of travelling just to stay current on a visa. Then I found out about the Thailand Elite Easy Access visa so I got one of them. 5 year visa, 1 year entrance stamps and extensions. 500k Baht all in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slipperylobster Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 I'm sure you will be able to keep going on tourist visas for a while but eventually they might clamp down on what you're doing. You're going to have to tour the consulates / Embassies of Asia getting more and more visas as time goes on until you run out of options as each one has limits in place on how many visas they will issue. I was in a similar situation, my plan was to go back to the UK and get a triple entry tourist visa and then do two 90 day out/ins which would cover 9 months followed by getting a single entry tourist visa somewhere in Asia which would complete a year. Then I would repeat this each year. That's a lot of travelling just to stay current on a visa. Then I found out about the Thailand Elite Easy Access visa so I got one of them. 5 year visa, 1 year entrance stamps and extensions. 500k Baht all in. If they ever cut the price on the Elite card to about 150,000....they could actually make it viable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ukrules Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 I'm sure you will be able to keep going on tourist visas for a while but eventually they might clamp down on what you're doing. You're going to have to tour the consulates / Embassies of Asia getting more and more visas as time goes on until you run out of options as each one has limits in place on how many visas they will issue. I was in a similar situation, my plan was to go back to the UK and get a triple entry tourist visa and then do two 90 day out/ins which would cover 9 months followed by getting a single entry tourist visa somewhere in Asia which would complete a year. Then I would repeat this each year. That's a lot of travelling just to stay current on a visa. Then I found out about the Thailand Elite Easy Access visa so I got one of them. 5 year visa, 1 year entrance stamps and extensions. 500k Baht all in. If they ever cut the price on the Elite card to about 150,000....they could actually make it viable. Well it's 100k per year at the moment for both of the popular options with different levels of membership benefits but you have to pay the whole lot in advance. If they launched a one year mmbership card and charged 150,000 for the year I suspect a lot of people would go for it, especially if they're not prepared to commit to 5 or 20 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BKKSnowBird Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 If you are not working then how do you have a "b" visa? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madison blue Posted July 29, 2014 Author Share Posted July 29, 2014 thanks ukrules! I appreciate your reply very much! I've been residing in Thailand year round for over 14 years now. I, too, recently heard about the elite card but I'm uncertain if I actually wish to remain in Thailand another five years at this moment. when I decide, I'll go for it! hassle free pleases me! ..in the meantime, I'm still unclear regarding if it would be best to change my flight so I return to Thailand prior to August 12th versus August 21st??? (and now to add to the confusion is another unconfirmed D day of "I dunno what?" on August 25th...!) my head hurts... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ukrules Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 You can get a B visa if you're doing business with Thai companies in Thailand. From what I understand some companies used to sell them by way of providing letters of invitation but I believe this is not happening so much lately. I suspect there's a lot of people living here full time on year long B visas without work permits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paz Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 If you are not working then how do you have a "b" visa? One does not need to work to have a B visa. It is enough to conduct business with a company in Thailand, also depends on the consulate. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ukrules Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 thanks ukrules! I appreciate your reply very much! I've been residing in Thailand year round for over 14 years now. I, too, recently heard about the elite card but I'm uncertain if I actually wish to remain in Thailand another five years at this moment. when I decide, I'll go for it! hassle free pleases me! ..in the meantime, I'm still unclear regarding if it would be best to change my flight so I return to Thailand prior to August 12th versus August 21st??? (and now to add to the confusion is another unconfirmed D day of "I dunno what?" on August 25th...!) my head hurts... It's only 11 days, if I were you I'd go and return a couple of days before the 12th then relax and watch whatever happens on or around the 12th of August unfold knowing that it won't affect you at all. By the time you need to do it again I suspect things will be much clearer. That's just me though, I like to plan ahead and don't leave things to chance, that's why I went out and got the TE visa as soon as I realised the 5 year option was available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madison blue Posted July 29, 2014 Author Share Posted July 29, 2014 thanks ukrules! I appreciate your feedback, as well as the reply from dear Paz! it was my original intention to return to Thailand PRIOR to August 12th but flights were difficult and I suddenly found myself booking out on 19th and back in on 21st... then panic struck! "eeeek! what have I done? should I try changing flights and reservations, or is it unnecessary?!? eeeek!" so, I thought Obiwan-I mean UbonJoe-was my only hope for a definitive answer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lamyai3 Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 Similar story here so I'll jump in on your thread if you don't mind! I've got a few days to KL booked returning 14 August... I'd be using the 3rd entry of a triple entry visa, I also have two previous triple entry visas from the UK so there's about 10 entries in my current passport since it was renewed early last year. I'm aware I can't stay here on these visas in the future and I plan to sign up for a language school later this summer, but I'm concerned about what might happen when I try to reenter Don Muang on the 14th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ukrules Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 Similar story here so I'll jump in on your thread if you don't mind! I've got a few days to KL booked returning 14 August... I'd be using the 3rd entry of a triple entry visa, I also have two previous triple entry visas from the UK so there's about 10 entries in my current passport since it was renewed early last year. I'm aware I can't stay here on these visas in the future and I plan to sign up for a language school later this summer, but I'm concerned about what might happen when I try to reenter Don Muang on the 14th. The crackdown is supposed to only affect visa exempt entries but I don't think many people believe this for one minute. You might just be asked some tough questions like are you really a tourist, please show your itinerary and hotel bookings, how can you justify staying here for so long, are you working illegally, prove your source of income, etc. The fact is nobody really knows exactly what will happen on or around August 12th and exactly how back to back entries will be handled. We know people on tourist visas have been hassled already and been outright refused entrance at southern land borders with Malaysia, they were told to fly to Bangkok. Maybe the airport situation will be completely different to the land border situation and nobody on a valid tourist visa will have a problem, I guess it's a risk. It's not a risk I'd be prepared to take but each to there own. I would avoid arrivals on or shortly after Aug 12th if you have a whole bunch of visa exempt or tourist visas entries in your passport for this reason alone. You might have no problems whatsoever if it's only visa exempt entries that are being targeted, however if they decide to come down hard and include tourist visas as well then who knows what will happen. Whatever happens all will be known in about 2 weeks time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 Just get your tourist visa and enter the country. The 12th is only for out/in visa exempt entries not tourist or any other visa entries. People have made a lot more of this than it is 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madison blue Posted July 30, 2014 Author Share Posted July 30, 2014 (edited) thanks ubonjoe!I appreciate you taking the time to answer me! I feel much better reading your reply. you, and several others, have been extremely helpful to so many people trying to sort out fact from fiction and scaremongering at this time of change-with rumors galore-in the lovely Kingdom of Thailand! thanks for all your time, patience, and all the help you've given to many people here! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Edit: Topic closed at OP's request. Edited July 30, 2014 by ubonjoe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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