Holiday in Thailand could end for expats

[chrisinth]

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No gambling allowed in Yhailand, but I bet, Bangkok will drop to number 3-5 next year.

Reason: all visa runners, who entry on tourist visas, up to 12 time a year, they will simply dissapear.

 

Next, actually a lot bigger problem:

When spread, and I will help (!), the new passport rule, will scare millions away. Yes millions!

Simply think you like to visit Thailand, maybe for the first time. And you get the information, you (and your whole family) can face 2 years in jail, not bringing your passport to the beach, shopping in Bangkok or in the late night party

 

I bet ;-)

If this law rules, forget about tourists! Maybe a drop 20-30%! 

Anyone of the junta reading this, think this over ;-)

 

What are you talking about? What new passport rules?

 

You really need to stay up to speed on this. Unless it has changed again in the last 24 hours in which case I'm the tw@t who should keep up................

[jtb]

TV's current policy of trying to whip up hysteria in the news forum is becoming REALLY tiresome.

[chrisinth]

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No gambling allowed in Yhailand, but I bet, Bangkok will drop to number 3-5 next year.

Reason: all visa runners, who entry on tourist visas, up to 12 time a year, they will simply dissapear.

 

Next, actually a lot bigger problem:

When spread, and I will help (!), the new passport rule, will scare millions away. Yes millions!

Simply think you like to visit Thailand, maybe for the first time. And you get the information, you (and your whole family) can face 2 years in jail, not bringing your passport to the beach, shopping in Bangkok or in the late night party

 

I bet ;-)

If this law rules, forget about tourists! Maybe a drop 20-30%! 

Anyone of the junta reading this, think this over ;-)

 

And another 30% for the rule "no more than 6 months every 2 years"

If you have long winter holidays , because you have money to spend, you are unwelcomed in Thailand.

They don't want genuine tourists to come back or spend too much money, they want last minute tourists in an all-in 800 euros package, and never come back to Thailand.

If you have 20-30K euros to spend in 4-5 months winter holidays, you should pick another country, in Thailand they don't want you.

The only country in this planet where you are unwelcomed to come back as tourist. 

 

 

Oh my!! Max, please do me a favour and provide a link to that. The no more than 6 months in two years.

 

As you are adding 30% to the millions that will not come because of a passport ruling that has been returned to its normal state by Bkk immigration, I'm assuming that you are in the know about your 30% reduction in tourism numbers about people not being allowed in Thailand for more than 6 months in a two year period?

[Tiri]

CAN ANYBODY INFORM ME IF KIDS WITH ED VISA (REGULAR SCHOOL NOT LANGUAGE SCHOOL) FORGOT TO EXTEND THE VISA AFTER A YEAR DUE TO SOME REASONS... WILL BE AFFECTED WITH THE BAN TO ENTER THAILAND LAW????

 

[hawker9000]

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No gambling allowed in Yhailand, but I bet, Bangkok will drop to number 3-5 next year.

Reason: all visa runners, who entry on tourist visas, up to 12 time a year, they will simply dissapear.

 

Next, actually a lot bigger problem:

When spread, and I will help (!), the new passport rule, will scare millions away. Yes millions!

Simply think you like to visit Thailand, maybe for the first time. And you get the information, you (and your whole family) can face 2 years in jail, not bringing your passport to the beach, shopping in Bangkok or in the late night party

 

I bet ;-)

If this law rules, forget about tourists! Maybe a drop 20-30%! 

Anyone of the junta reading this, think this over ;-)

 

What are you talking about? What new passport rules?

 

You really need to stay up to speed on this. Unless it has changed again in the last 24 hours in which case I'm the tw@t who should keep up................

 

You're correct - the Bangkok Deputy Commander did make a "clarification" that (at least in Bangkok) passports need NOT be carried 24/7.  BUT, what you're missing is that it's pretty easy for that little bit of 'good news' to get lost in the avalanche of alarms & warnings & cautions and rumors that have been filling the Thailand news niche since before the military takeover.  A huge number of travelers WILL (probably already have) come to the conclusion that it's probably easier to just stay away and go somewhere else where they don't have to have concerns about whether or not immigration is going to let them (and their families!) through, whether customs is going to be searching & taxing their stuff, whether gestapo are going to be demanding to see their passports & demanding money on every streetcorner, whether they have some report they have to file with immigration or the police in each new province they enter or everyplace they stay, foreigners are being forced out, etc. etc. etc. etc.   It all adds up, and there's been so much of it lately that I can easily imagine it having an effect.  Don't say it, I know - most of the above isn't quite true or particularly relevant even WRT true casual travelers.  That's not the point.  It's all founded in some new enforcement regime that actually IS taking place, and the average traveler who hears anything about it might easily get the impression that it's an unfriendly, anti-foreigner climate and something he simply doesn't want to get caught up in.

[Tiri]

CAN ANYBODY INFORM ME IF KIDS WITH ED VISA (REGULAR SCHOOL NOT LANGUAGE SCHOOL) FORGOT TO EXTEND THE VISA AFTER A YEAR DUE TO SOME REASONS... WILL BE AFFECTED WITH THE BAN TO ENTER THAILAND LAW????

[Christie Paul]

Ever been to a disco in a five star hotel? Ever wondered, why no matter how much they spend on lighting and decore - it never takes off? They can have the most popular DJ and dang, the place still has the vibe of a cafeteria. Why? Because the hotel guests get preferential treatment - even when their tedious. The groovers who make a place and give it an edge are not going to compete with gross people. Therefore you have a fabulous nightclub with marvellous facilities and its as dull as ditch water and half empty.  

 

What’s this got to do with Thailand?

 

The eclectic vibe that Thailand has, attracts diverse people from all over. Lets face it, this place is crazy and that’s why, whether we realise it or not, why so many of us are attracted to it. It’s the ambiance. I never go to Soi Cowboy, but I’d be sad to see it go, because its an integral part of a colourful and diverse environment and so are the fruity and crazy people, this place attracts.

 

So get rid of the undesirables, the illegal English teachers, those working on line, those small traders on the edge, the cheap back packers, those who use this place as a hub as they wiz around Asia. Replace them with bus loads of Chinese tourists, Japanese golfers and well funded retirees. If you want to know what that will look like, visit a discotheque in a five star hotel. You won’t have to que to get in.

[starcatcher]

Well, we don't accept it either when immigration rules are abused or exploited in our home countries, there's no reasons Thailand should be more lax.

 

Well, our countries are not emerging countries.

 

Well, at our countries foreigners can buy land

 

Well, at our countries foreigners are not that much underprivileged at court, police etc.

 

Well, at my country, i.e (Germany), foreigners with no money will participate from the social systems under many circumstances: unemployment benefits, child benefits, relief, free health insurance etc. We´re also in Thailand?

 

Well, I can go somewhere else, I don´t need Thailand - like many other people, too. Thailand also not need tourists and money coming into the country?

 

All kind of visas for Thailand are connected with pretty much money. But what do I get back from this country? I can tell you: for example being treated from many Asians like a second class human and a walking atm. Wow... great...

 

Always those unrealistic comparsions with western countries.

 

I live now nearly 10 years in Southeast Asia without leaving the area. And I made those experiences everywhere in SEA. Not with every Asian. But with many. Btw, that´s the reason, why I will leave next year. I want to have back at least some basic rights... and not fall down on my knees to beg for a visa therefore, I spend between $3,000 and 7,000 every month.

[nicolas18]

For the past month or so, I've been reading some pretty idiotic comments on TV (and some great ones as well), regarding the new visa regulations, so I'd just like to add my two cents to the discussion:

 

- People who immigrate to Western countries automatically receive healthcare, unemployment and housing benefits. People who immigrate to Thailand receive... zilch, nada, nothing. So, any attempt to compare any Western country's immigration laws to Thailand's is pointless. All immigrants in Thailand, by default, bring additional income into the country, especially Westerners. I say, especially Westerners, because, unlike other ethnic groups (say, Filipinos, for example), Westerners do not usually send home the money they make in Thailand.

 

- The only cases where a Western immigrant has a negative impact on Thailand is when he or she takes a job that could easily be performed by a Thai, or when he or she is committing crimes. If it is the latter, it's simple enough: arrest them and put them on trial. Now, about the expats who are working illegally. We all know that there are a lot of expats here who are indeed working illegally, either because they do not have the qualifications to get a proper visa (teachers, for example), or because they have a job which is on the list of occupations reserved for Thais (waiters, tour guides, etc...). Sometimes, these people even operate in broad daylight. Just walk around in Phuket or Pattaya and you will see Westerners working in shops and restaurants, in jobs for which it is impossible to get a proper work permit. Unfortunately, it is because of people like these that visa rules are being tightened. 

 

- So, my own personal suggestion would be, instead of tightening the rules for everybody, why not simply go after the people who work illegally? I have not heard of a single raid against those people who work in broad daylight. Let offshore workers, freelance workers who deal with foreign companies and young retirees live in peace, and go after the ones who are clearly breaking the rules.

 

Just my two cents here.

Edited August 2, 2014 by nicolas18

[tetleythedog]

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Bangkok was ranked the world's most visited city with nearly 16 million people travelling to the Thai capital, ahead of London and Paris

 

 

sorry but London had 28 millions visitors and Paris 26 millions ..... I wonder where they got their information .

 

You forget that the Thais cannot be wrong............ever

 

[Tanlic]

Good news travels fast. 2 friends are due to come to Bangkok in Septemeber for a 10 day holiday.

 

One called me on Skype on Saturday afternoon and without me metioning a thing he asked me what all this nonsense was about putting people in jail for 5 years if they don't have their passport on them.

 

Reminded me of the guy who broke his finger at one end of the street and by the time the story got to the other end of the street he had lost his arm.

 

The military may well mean well but it's not the way outsiders see it and when we get more articles like this one it only serves to make things worse.

 

7 pages in less than 24 hours tells me a lot of people who live in Thailand or visit Thailand are talking about it.

 

The problem with people is what they don't know they make up and that scares others away that may well have come to Thailand otherwise.

 

Riots, bomb,  military coup's and now visas, good or bad Thailand is slowly killing its tourist business and those considering retiring here.

 

Sadly, it will take more than "buy one get one free" to bring it back up ro scratch.

 

 

[SiggiCM]

Let me give you an example of running a business in Thailand under the radar. My sons were recently on a diving holiday in Phuket and stayed at a really nice apartment in Karon booked through. AirbnB. This is a global website designed to let you avoid hotel costs by booking apartments.

This condo with sea view was one of three owned by a Russian woman. The stay cost less than half what a high end hotel would charge and as the booking took place in cyberspace no funds ever entered Thailand.

However to manage the apartments the Russian owner needs to stay in Thailand on tourist visas doing regular runs.

That loophole is now closed.

The same applies to all the Farangs running bars etc .

Very few countries in the world will allow visa abuse and Thailand is closing the door and rightly so.

 

this is not illegal!! everybody can buy condos by law and it is also not against the law to rent it out, so why it is right that the owners of condos have problem to get to their propertys? Anyway if somebody owns a condo on his name they cant block him from entering Thailand, only if they can prove that the person brake the law, like working illegal or connected with crimes. 

easy court case, sue thailand for breaking investors rights, 

[Enjoyurlife]

Whining about the laws again?

 

Really, commenters.

 

Don't like it is this country enforces it's own laws?

 

Go home.

 

Finally I found it! The quality post this thread was missing!

[bangkoklasse]

"The crackdown is meant for those foreign visitors who abuse the visa exemption scheme for working illegally in Thailand,"

 

I did not, could not read past that , YES there are farangs working ONE man/woman businesses because Thailand does NOT give this.

A VISA and WORKPERMIT = 2 Million baht + 4 Thai workers (whom are useless)

 

Most one man/woman businesses do NOT need 2 MB or 4 Thai useless people.

 

MORE IMPORTANT and REALITY, MOST FARANGS just want to live in Thailand and spend their money.

Most pensions are NOT enough to get to 800.000Baht, but most are nice old people who live here, in Thailand, off maybe 300.000 baht a year.

Get a married visa and you only need 400.000baht, REALLY????

Having a Thai woman is more expensive and should be 4.000.000 (an extra zero)

 

I am single and have a legal visa, but I ONLY spend about 25.000Baht a month for living (accommodation, food, drink, fun).

Sometimes extra for other stuff, but that is where the savings come in, because I make more then 25.000baht a month (NOT working in Thailand, just commission from sold previous business back home of which I get %%%%%%

I don't know where you come from. But either it must be a very poor country. Or a country with really low pensions. 300k a year in pension!!! In my home country no person that have been working have a pension that low. Not even a alcoholic or bum that never have worked. Even if you flipp burgers at McDonalds or work in 7eleven your your whole life you will get 700-800 k a year in pension

[bangkoklasse]

You DO NOT need to work in a country to make money while you stay there

 

MANY PEOPLE make money from the internet

 

But 90% of this forum is old people that have just learned the term "troll" so they think they are internet wise and can make comments based on a small minority of tourists that abuse the system

 

here is a new term for you OLD FARTS - its called a DIGITAL NOMAD - it is people that make money from the internet and enjoy traveling around the world. There is no available VISA for someone that makes money on the internet and enjoys Thailand - so either get married (NO THANKS), teach english for 600 dollars a month (NO THANKS) or leave the country

 

Great thinking 

 

Maybe you should learn the term also. If you are a Nomad and like to travel around the world. Then you don't like to live in one country (Thailand)

[JLCrab]

Just a note to #162 above they cant block him from entering Thailand, only if they can prove ...

 

If Immigration wants to block someone from from entering Thailand, they don't have to prove anything.

[TypeApersonality]

As much as I love my Thaivisa news letter, Even though "Al Jazeera" is reporting this, I never put much faith in anything they have to say, there not a credible news source, a very sketchy and Bias news organization .

[Guest]

Citizens of most countries are concerned about the proliferation of people exploiting the immigration rules of their government , why would Thailand be any different, as a person who lives in Thailand under a visa that entitles me to stay there I respect the rules of my new country and I have little time for anyone who breaks these rules, as I would have in my old place of residence, so I don't see the need for all the sputtering about facing the penalties for breaking these rules.

[Guest]

 

 

 

Well, we don't accept it either when immigration rules are abused or exploited in our home countries, there's no reasons Thailand should be more lax.

 
speak for yourself I would like to see all immigration rules scrapped worldwide - that way populations could migrate to areas better able to support them - and it would level out the disparity of wealth between people in different countries.   I dont believe that any government should have the right to tell anyone where they can or cannot live - I would rather consider myself a citizen of the world

Absolutly. I demand also the free world. We live in times of globalisation, a smaller world were one can say something on the internet and the whole world can read and answer instantly. The internet is 2014, but the whole visa bs worldwide is absolutly stoneage. I hope we free and independent thinkers in the world win one day against the visa nazis.

 

Love and peace bro

 

 

Yes great guys then we would have all the 'western weathly nations ' populated with millions and millions of people who have nothing to offer and then the ' wealthy western nations ' would be your new third world, great system
 

[Maggusoil]

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Expats live here, so not a holiday.

A expat is on Holiday , if the person don't have the correct visa or abuse the law to stay here long term

 

 

Actually, if an expat living in Thailand was on holiday, would he/she not be somewhere else?

 

Yes, nothing like a bit of logic is there? 

 

What would also be truly inestimable, despite the physical travel is the money, hundreds of thousands of holiday(ers)/ expats/ visitors/ husbands/ fathers/ tourists whatever send to Thailand every week, every month of every year.

I have not been back for 18 months at this point and will be entering shortly on a one year family visit, however the flow of money has never stopped. Every month. Like clockwork. 7 years now. Every month, sometimes every week.

I wonder how many do that. Nobody would know.

[media]

Im glad that Thailand is in control of its Immigration but they need to think carefully before upsetting everyone and coming across as a CLOSED country with a dictatorship government.

[saroq]

or retirement visas if they are over 50 years old and can prove they have adequate finances.

 

 

yeah try and get a non O visa in the UK now...without a STATE pension ........not an easy route, you are now requested to apply for a NON O-A with police clearance certificates and in many cases a personal interview , so much for get the right visa they are easy

 

Applying for a visa is not a guarantee of being granted a visa.  Every country has the right to impose whatever selection criteria and conditions it deems fit.  Thailand is not different.
 

[Bernard Flint]

 

 

Well, we don't accept it either when immigration rules are abused or exploited in our home countries, there's no reasons Thailand should be more lax.

Exactly.

The large Russian community running business's in Phuket was a prime example of tourist visa abuse.

Thailand has tens of thousands of Farangs working under the radar and using so called visa runs.

For them the end is near and they do not have my sympathy.

Get the correct visa and you will have no problem with immigration.

Then rather than abolish entry stamps for the majority of people who are simply frequent visitors who like come to Thailand and stay in hotels and spend money and contribute to the economy and do nothing that isn't good for the country, why not just pay a visit to Russian businesses and demand to see work permits? Same goes for other illegal workers.

Talk about throwing out the baby with the bath water, but this crackdown is just plain dumb. Most people are perfectly legitimate, I know lots of people who visit many times a year and do nothing wrong. If they don't stay long enough to need a tourist visa, I.e., entry stamps are appropriate, then what exactly is the problem with that? I wish somebody would just say something half way sensible as an answer...just partially intelligent would do.

These people who visit several times a year on entry stamps didn't force the immigration officer to stamp their passport, that's what Thailand provides to short term visitors and there is no rule or guideline that says you can only have a certain number of these before you become branded as some kind of undesirable.

And by the way on the entry card that you fill out on the plane, tourism is the only appropriate answer I can see. I don't come on business, to work, to attend meetings, to get married. I stay in hotels, I go to restaurants, I go to bars, I go shopping. I do that several times a year in Thailand. So what is it that makes doing that once great, twice great, three times fine, four times fantastic, but suddenly, at five, say, or six, it becomes a terrible abuse?

How is it that if I visit, say, four times a year for 4 weeks each time I'm a tourist contributing to Thai GDP, but as soon as it becomes 5 or 6 times I'm no longer a contribution to the Thai economy's and instead am an abusive and undesirable criminal? Can someone answer that....in an intelligent way....by the way "just get the correct visa" isn't intelligent, before another dim wit says it.







Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

 

Well tell them lots of people to get the correct visa to come

[Liquorice]

terryp, on 02 Aug 2014 - 11:34, said:

or retirement visas if they are over 50 years old and can prove they have adequate finances.

 

 

yeah try and get a non O visa in the UK now...without a STATE pension ........not an easy route, you are now requested to apply for a NON O-A with police clearance certificates and in many cases a personal interview , so much for get the right visa they are easy

 

It's very easy to get a 90 day Non Imm O from any of the Consulates or the Thai Embassy in the UK. The only requirement is a valid passport and proof of funds, via a copy of your bank statement. On arrival in Thailand you can then apply for a 12 month extension based on Retirement (over 50) or Marriage provided you meet the fund requirements. 800,000bt for retirement or 400,000bt for marriage. The funding can be achieved by means of personal income, savings, or a combination of the two.

[jpeg]

 

terryp, on 02 Aug 2014 - 11:34, said:

or retirement visas if they are over 50 years old and can prove they have adequate finances.

 

 

yeah try and get a non O visa in the UK now...without a STATE pension ........not an easy route, you are now requested to apply for a NON O-A with police clearance certificates and in many cases a personal interview , so much for get the right visa they are easy

 

It's very easy to get a 90 day Non Imm O from any of the Consulates or the Thai Embassy in the UK. The only requirement is a valid passport and proof of funds, via a copy of your bank statement. On arrival in Thailand you can then apply for a 12 month extension based on Retirement (over 50) or Marriage provided you meet the fund requirements. 800,000bt for retirement or 400,000bt for marriage. The funding can be achieved by means of personal income, savings, or a combination of the two.

 

 

In a THAI bank account for two months. 

[jpeg]

 

 

Well, our countries are not emerging countries.

 

And if this country was deemed 'emerging' before, it is certainly not now it's regressing to Third World. Name one country being run by a military dictatorship that isn't Third World?

[johnarth]

The title of the article should read "Holiday in Thailand could end for expats who VIOLATE Visa laws"    I say more power to the government in enforcing its visa laws, those expats who do not abide by them should be kicked out of the country   I just wish that the U.S. had leadership that would enforce our visa/immigration laws

I agree, when I read the headline I thought OMG are they going to kick all of us out? But when I read article I Thought thank god for that, nothing new here.

[smotherb]

The thing I find so arbitrary about so much of this, is the fact that if you just so happen to have just gotten a new passport, you are free to do what you want? It just seems so ridiculous, like such an arbitrary way to judge someone's travel records. 

 

Then, just get a new passport, if you think that is a stroke of luck, but how long do you think that will solve the problem?
 

[Liquorice]

bangkoklasse, on 03 Aug 2014 - 04:03, said:

 

ronthai, on 02 Aug 2014 - 23:41, said:

"The crackdown is meant for those foreign visitors who abuse the visa exemption scheme for working illegally in Thailand,"

 

I did not, could not read past that , YES there are farangs working ONE man/woman businesses because Thailand does NOT give this.

A VISA and WORKPERMIT = 2 Million baht + 4 Thai workers (whom are useless)

 

Most one man/woman businesses do NOT need 2 MB or 4 Thai useless people.

 

MORE IMPORTANT and REALITY, MOST FARANGS just want to live in Thailand and spend their money.

Most pensions are NOT enough to get to 800.000Baht, but most are nice old people who live here, in Thailand, off maybe 300.000 baht a year.

Get a married visa and you only need 400.000baht, REALLY????

Having a Thai woman is more expensive and should be 4.000.000 (an extra zero)

 

I am single and have a legal visa, but I ONLY spend about 25.000Baht a month for living (accommodation, food, drink, fun).

Sometimes extra for other stuff, but that is where the savings come in, because I make more then 25.000baht a month (NOT working in Thailand, just commission from sold previous business back home of which I get %%%%%%

I don't know where you come from. But either it must be a very poor country. Or a country with really low pensions. 300k a year in pension!!! In my home country no person that have been working have a pension that low. Not even a alcoholic or bum that never have worked. Even if you flipp burgers at McDonalds or work in 7eleven your your whole life you will get 700-800 k a year in pension

 

 

Dream on @ Bangkoklasse.

 

A UK state pension is on average £140 a week. Working on 50bt=£1, that's an annual pension of 364,000bt.

[JDGRUEN]

Good news travels fast. 2 friends are due to come to Bangkok in Septemeber for a 10 day holiday.

 

One called me on Skype on Saturday afternoon and without me metioning a thing he asked me what all this nonsense was about putting people in jail for 5 years if they don't have their passport on them.

 

Reminded me of the guy who broke his finger at one end of the street and by the time the story got to the other end of the street he had lost his arm.

 

The military may well mean well but it's not the way outsiders see it and when we get more articles like this one it only serves to make things worse.

 

7 pages in less than 24 hours tells me a lot of people who live in Thailand or visit Thailand are talking about it.

 

The problem with people is what they don't know they make up and that scares others away that may well have come to Thailand otherwise.

 

Riots, bomb,  military coup's and now visas, good or bad Thailand is slowly killing its tourist business and those considering retiring here.

 

Sadly, it will take more than "buy one get one free" to bring it back up ro scratch.

 

 

 

You are on to something there... just multiply the broken finger story by millions of times done in 24 hours via the Internet.   One would not believe the questions I am asked and comments that are made on my Facebook page ... no matter what I say many of my FB friends and relatives think I am in a restrictive war zone... I send them photos of the luxury place where I stay and street scenes ... but it does little good for some...  

In America it has been my experience that women (girlfriends and wives - sometimes both :) make vacation (holiday) decisions for the couple - and these women will not risk a spoiled trip due to information (a.k.a. rumors) they hear.