Thai Immigration guidelines for inspection of foreigners on visa exempt entries.

[Sena Dave]

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I just got back from a weekend in BKK on my 5th visa exempt entry since Songkran holidays this year and no questions asked. I always have return airline tickets, hotel reservations and cash on hand, but have not been asked to show them in any of those 5 visits. FYI I live and work in Singapore, but enjoy a weekend once a month in BKK to catch up with old mates.

I'm the same as that , in and out of Thailand quite a lot , so far only a couple of questions on one occasions but not a grilling by any standard

[Maestro]

Removed an off-topic post about visas to other countries and the replies to it.

[JB300]

I just got back from a weekend in BKK on my 5th visa exempt entry since Songkran holidays this year and no questions asked. I always have return airline tickets, hotel reservations and cash on hand, but have not been asked to show them in any of those 5 visits. FYI I live and work in Singapore, but enjoy a weekend once a month in BKK to catch up with old mates.

Same here & coming up to my 5th visit to Thailand this year at the end of the month, not too concerned as I will have return ticket, pre-paid hotel voucher & 20,000 THB and can easily prove I live & work in Singapore but it will be interesting to see if I do get questioned given the new rules that came into effect today.

[ericthai]

Well this says this guy was refused as more than 3 visa exempt entries in a year and an earlier post noted that someone else was refused entry at a land border for 4 visa exempt entries in a year so it sure looks like something has changed.

Thousands of people cross borders every day on visa exempt. Hundreds are TV members. No problems reported except on a single occasion, but if you want I cant point you to multiple first hand reports of people that has crossed without issues. Where's the truth ?

I guess the truth in this situation is something of a moving target until the new/revised rules for visa exempt entries settle down and are understood by all (including the immigration officers themselves). As I say I am flying to Swampy on Friday with 4 visa exempt entries this year for a family holiday, and I am a genuine tourist so fingers crossed I have no issues. I will be truly cheesed off if my wife and family are allowed in for their holiday but I am refused entry and sent back to London. Fingers crossed I guess.

Trotski

If you are concerned then why don't you get a Tourist visa before coming here just to be safe.

[ericthai]

I am a 60 day Tourist Visa runner.

Call me cynical, but, in the next month or so, as people like me start coming off our 60 day tourist visas and/or 30 day extensions to those visas, there will be thousands, yes, thousands of people, all over Thailand, heading to neighbouring Thai Embassies, instead of just the closest land boarder or International Airport.

I can't believe this crack down is all about getting these people's $40US for a 60 day tourist visa, and a possible 1900 baht for their 1 month extension.

I, like so many others, spend 1 night in a hotel, pick up the passport the next day, and come straight back to Thailand, although, I sometimes hang around for a few days. This practice is blatantly "back to back."

This crack down acheives nothing but the Thai Government raising some extra revenue, at the expense of many visa run companies going out of business, if 60 day tourist visas are not part of, or become part of, the crack down.

As a high percentage of foreigners that were visa running for 30 day stamps, whether they were by land or air, move to the 60 day tourist visa, surely, in the near future, in the context of this visa crack down, and what it was deigned to do, the focus must change to the abuse of the 60 day tourist visas.

I fully expect it to do so, even if it's a short term media hyped up crack down. I'm surprised many others do not think this will happen.

Wow you still don't understand the crackdown. It's not about the money. Immigration has said many times this is about going after illegally workers. They stay here on visa exempt and work illegally. Yes, some people will get caught up in things. Immigration has tried several things over the years and nothing worked. They have always said they dont care how long you stay in Thailand, get the correct visa.

[ukrules]

I am a 60 day Tourist Visa runner.

Call me cynical, but, in the next month or so, as people like me start coming off our 60 day tourist visas and/or 30 day extensions to those visas, there will be thousands, yes, thousands of people, all over Thailand, heading to neighbouring Thai Embassies, instead of just the closest land boarder or International Airport.

I believe there are limits on the number of tourist visas you can get at each different embassy in the region. Some of them seem take 3 or 4 days to process visa applications as well unless you pay a bribe use a local agent.

What happens when you run out of embassies to travel to for the tourist visas ?

Visa run to Europe/US/Aus/NZ for a triple entry ?

[paz]

I believe there are limits on the number of tourist visas you can get at each different embassy in the region. Some of them seem take 3 or 4 days to process visa applications as well unless you pay a bribe use a local agent.

What happens when you run out of embassies to travel to for the tourist visas ?

That you get a new passport and start again. Consulates only look at stamps they do not keep or bother to check records.

[trotski]

Well this says this guy was refused as more than 3 visa exempt entries in a year and an earlier post noted that someone else was refused entry at a land border for 4 visa exempt entries in a year so it sure looks like something has changed.

Thousands of people cross borders every day on visa exempt. Hundreds are TV members. No problems reported except on a single occasion, but if you want I cant point you to multiple first hand reports of people that has crossed without issues. Where's the truth ?

I guess the truth in this situation is something of a moving target until the new/revised rules for visa exempt entries settle down and are understood by all (including the immigration officers themselves). As I say I am flying to Swampy on Friday with 4 visa exempt entries this year for a family holiday, and I am a genuine tourist so fingers crossed I have no issues. I will be truly cheesed off if my wife and family are allowed in for their holiday but I am refused entry and sent back to London. Fingers crossed I guess.

Trotski

If you are concerned then why don't you get a Tourist visa before coming here just to be safe.

I cant, I dont live in the mainland UK and will only be there for a few hours on my way to Thailand. The London Embassy do not do same day Visas so would need to be in London for 2 days prior to leaving for BKK which is not possible at such short notice.

Trotski

[NamKangMan]

I am a 60 day Tourist Visa runner.

Call me cynical, but, in the next month or so, as people like me start coming off our 60 day tourist visas and/or 30 day extensions to those visas, there will be thousands, yes, thousands of people, all over Thailand, heading to neighbouring Thai Embassies, instead of just the closest land boarder or International Airport.

I can't believe this crack down is all about getting these people's $40US for a 60 day tourist visa, and a possible 1900 baht for their 1 month extension.

I, like so many others, spend 1 night in a hotel, pick up the passport the next day, and come straight back to Thailand, although, I sometimes hang around for a few days. This practice is blatantly "back to back."

This crack down acheives nothing but the Thai Government raising some extra revenue, at the expense of many visa run companies going out of business, if 60 day tourist visas are not part of, or become part of, the crack down.

As a high percentage of foreigners that were visa running for 30 day stamps, whether they were by land or air, move to the 60 day tourist visa, surely, in the near future, in the context of this visa crack down, and what it was deigned to do, the focus must change to the abuse of the 60 day tourist visas.

I fully expect it to do so, even if it's a short term media hyped up crack down. I'm surprised many others do not think this will happen.

Wow you still don't understand the crackdown. It's not about the money. Immigration has said many times this is about going after illegally workers. They stay here on visa exempt and work illegally. Yes, some people will get caught up in things. Immigration has tried several things over the years and nothing worked. They have always said they dont care how long you stay in Thailand, get the correct visa.

Wow, you still don't understand Thailand - it's ALL about the money.

"Immigration has said many times this is about going after illegally workers. They stay here on visa exempt and work illegally." - but they DON'T stay here on 60 day Tourist Visas - really?

"Yes, some people will get caught up in things." - there will be a lot more people NOT working illegally caught up in this, than people working illegally.

"Immigration has tried several things over the years and nothing worked." - strange, they are currently considering free 60 day Tourist Visas for Europeans.

"They have always said they dont care how long you stay in Thailand, get the correct visa." - yes, they have, they have just not created a visa class for someone under 50 years of age, single and self funded. Maybe you can suggest the "correct visa" for these people.

[NamKangMan]

I am a 60 day Tourist Visa runner.

Call me cynical, but, in the next month or so, as people like me start coming off our 60 day tourist visas and/or 30 day extensions to those visas, there will be thousands, yes, thousands of people, all over Thailand, heading to neighbouring Thai Embassies, instead of just the closest land boarder or International Airport.

I believe there are limits on the number of tourist visas you can get at each different embassy in the region. Some of them seem take 3 or 4 days to process visa applications as well unless you pay a bribe use a local agent.

What happens when you run out of embassies to travel to for the tourist visas ?

Visa run to Europe/US/Aus/NZ for a triple entry ?

Lucky for me, I have two passports, and alternate between them, and the various Thai Embassies in the region, so, it appears I'm not a regular visa runner to a particular Embassy, every 90 days.

That said, I'm still concerned that each passport will show I am living in Thailand for 6 months of each year, and may raise some problems for me.

[NamKangMan]

I believe there are limits on the number of tourist visas you can get at each different embassy in the region. Some of them seem take 3 or 4 days to process visa applications as well unless you pay a bribe use a local agent.

What happens when you run out of embassies to travel to for the tourist visas ?

That you get a new passport and start again. Consulates only look at stamps they do not keep or bother to check records.

Yes, I can see a spike in lost, stolen and damaged passports in the near future.

[ukrules]

I believe there are limits on the number of tourist visas you can get at each different embassy in the region. Some of them seem take 3 or 4 days to process visa applications as well unless you pay a bribe use a local agent.

What happens when you run out of embassies to travel to for the tourist visas ?

That you get a new passport and start again. Consulates only look at stamps they do not keep or bother to check records.

Yes, I can see a spike in lost, stolen and damaged passports in the near future.

Maybe people will just renew them, you don't have to pretend to have lost it - that will cause you much more trouble than it's worth.

[NamKangMan]

I believe there are limits on the number of tourist visas you can get at each different embassy in the region. Some of them seem take 3 or 4 days to process visa applications as well unless you pay a bribe use a local agent.

What happens when you run out of embassies to travel to for the tourist visas ?

That you get a new passport and start again. Consulates only look at stamps they do not keep or bother to check records.

Yes, I can see a spike in lost, stolen and damaged passports in the near future.

Maybe people will just renew them, you don't have to pretend to have lost it - that will cause you much more trouble than it's worth.

Ahhhh, not sure what the Embassies of various "tourists" living here are going to think about a guy wanting a passport renewal on a passport that's only 1 year and only its first few pages are full of 30 day tourist exemption stamps and/or 60 day tourist visas.

[ukrules]

Ahhhh, not sure what the Embassies of various "tourists" living here are going to think about a guy wanting a passport renewal on a passport that's only 1 year and only its first few pages are full of 30 day tourist exemption stamps and/or 60 day tourist visas.

I'm not sure it matters what they think. If I pay the fee I should think that I can get a new passport regardless of what they think.

They sure as hell don't care what we think. Maybe I want to renew a two year old passport to have a long term visa inserted into it, they won't know why.

I recently had a 5 year visa inserted into my passport, if there was less than 5 years left on my passport I would have renewed it before the visa was inserted.

[kriswillems]

In the end any way out that people will find will last for not long.

It looks like immigration really means it this time.

The fact that they are changing the ED-visa rules exactly at the moment they forbid the 30 day visa runs says it all.

Also renewing your passport is not very useful because immigration uses computers.

The combination of name/nationality/birth date/place of birth/picture is stored in the computer.

[baboon]

Ahhhh, not sure what the Embassies of various "tourists" living here are going to think about a guy wanting a passport renewal on a passport that's only 1 year and only its first few pages are full of 30 day tourist exemption stamps and/or 60 day tourist visas.

Probably 'Great! More revenue!'

[ericthai]

I am a 60 day Tourist Visa runner.

Call me cynical, but, in the next month or so, as people like me start coming off our 60 day tourist visas and/or 30 day extensions to those visas, there will be thousands, yes, thousands of people, all over Thailand, heading to neighbouring Thai Embassies, instead of just the closest land boarder or International Airport.

I can't believe this crack down is all about getting these people's $40US for a 60 day tourist visa, and a possible 1900 baht for their 1 month extension.

I, like so many others, spend 1 night in a hotel, pick up the passport the next day, and come straight back to Thailand, although, I sometimes hang around for a few days. This practice is blatantly "back to back."

This crack down acheives nothing but the Thai Government raising some extra revenue, at the expense of many visa run companies going out of business, if 60 day tourist visas are not part of, or become part of, the crack down.

As a high percentage of foreigners that were visa running for 30 day stamps, whether they were by land or air, move to the 60 day tourist visa, surely, in the near future, in the context of this visa crack down, and what it was deigned to do, the focus must change to the abuse of the 60 day tourist visas.

I fully expect it to do so, even if it's a short term media hyped up crack down. I'm surprised many others do not think this will happen.

Wow you still don't understand the crackdown. It's not about the money. Immigration has said many times this is about going after illegally workers. They stay here on visa exempt and work illegally. Yes, some people will get caught up in things. Immigration has tried several things over the years and nothing worked. They have always said they dont care how long you stay in Thailand, get the correct visa.

Wow, you still don't understand Thailand - it's ALL about the money.

"Immigration has said many times this is about going after illegally workers. They stay here on visa exempt and work illegally." - but they DON'T stay here on 60 day Tourist Visas - really?

"Yes, some people will get caught up in things." - there will be a lot more people NOT working illegally caught up in this, than people working illegally.

"Immigration has tried several things over the years and nothing worked." - strange, they are currently considering free 60 day Tourist Visas for Europeans.

"They have always said they dont care how long you stay in Thailand, get the correct visa." - yes, they have, they have just not created a visa class for someone under 50 years of age, single and self funded. Maybe you can suggest the "correct visa" for these people.

If it was all about money then they would not have a visa exempt and make everyone get a visa that they have to pay for. if it was all about money then why are they thinking about offering free visas? maybe you have not been living here long enough. Several year ago i think around 2006-2007 they tried to do a 180 day thing, but this became too much of a problem for immigration offices to try and go through a passport and count all the days, causing big delays.

If you are under 50 and have money, your can get a:

1) Elite visa

2) investment visa

3) open a company

3) get a job

So there are some options.

I agree with you there should be an option for the under 50, but appears immigration does not. maybe in the future once they clean things up.

As for your question about them not using Tourist visa, i'm sure some of the illegal workers do use them and it will be just a matter of time before they crack down on those. i have a family member and a good friend in immigration and they both told me the object is for long term stay to get the right visa and to stop the people working illegally.

[ukrules]

If it was all about money then they would not have a visa exempt and make everyone get a visa that they have to pay for. if it was all about money then why are they thinking about offering free visas? maybe you have not been living here long enough. Several year ago i think around 2006-2007 they tried to do a 180 day thing, but this became too much of a problem for immigration offices to try and go through a passport and count all the days, causing big delays.

If you are under 50 and have money, your can get a:

1) Elite visa

2) investment visa

3) open a company

3) get a job

So there are some options.

I agree with you there should be an option for the under 50, but appears immigration does not. maybe in the future once they clean things up.

As for your question about them not using Tourist visa, i'm sure some of the illegal workers do use them and it will be just a matter of time before they crack down on those. i have a family member and a good friend in immigration and they both told me the object is for long term stay to get the right visa and to stop the people working illegally.

Apparently the investment visa is no longer available at the moment.

[attrayant]

His ticket back to work.

10 - 20K THB or equivalent currency.

If he rents, a letter or contract from landlord.

Foreign work contract.

I've often wondered about this strange requirement to flash your cash at the immigration officer. With so many different international currencies coming in, the officer must have a rate board handy to figure out whether or not the traveller has the required amount.

[NamKangMan]

Ahhhh, not sure what the Embassies of various "tourists" living here are going to think about a guy wanting a passport renewal on a passport that's only 1 year and only its first few pages are full of 30 day tourist exemption stamps and/or 60 day tourist visas.

I'm not sure it matters what they think. If I pay the fee I should think that I can get a new passport regardless of what they think.

They sure as hell don't care what we think. Maybe I want to renew a two year old passport to have a long term visa inserted into it, they won't know why.

I recently had a 5 year visa inserted into my passport, if there was less than 5 years left on my passport I would have renewed it before the visa was inserted.

My understanding is it's somehow an anti-terrorism thing.

If you have a stamp or visa from a certain county - other countries want to know you have been there.

Whilst Thailand isn't high up the list of these high risk countries, an individual's Embassy may question their motives for and ealy renewal with plenty of pages left.

[NamKangMan]

In the end any way out that people will find will last for not long.

It looks like immigration really means it this time.

The fact that they are changing the ED-visa rules exactly at the moment they forbid the 30 day visa runs says it all.

Also renewing your passport is not very useful because immigration uses computers.

The combination of name/nationality/birth date/place of birth/picture is stored in the computer.

I believe that's why they simply can't leave the 60 day Tourist Visas alone. They are going to have to restrict how many back to back 60 day tourist visas one may have, before it's considered they are living here on them. Same as the 30 day stamps and Ed Visas.

"The combination of name/nationality/birth date/place of birth/picture is stored in the computer." - and this is probably what will eventully catch up with me. Also, if/when Thailand get fingerprint scanners, similar to Malaysia. It's only a matter of time.

[NamKangMan]

I am a 60 day Tourist Visa runner.

Call me cynical, but, in the next month or so, as people like me start coming off our 60 day tourist visas and/or 30 day extensions to those visas, there will be thousands, yes, thousands of people, all over Thailand, heading to neighbouring Thai Embassies, instead of just the closest land boarder or International Airport.

I can't believe this crack down is all about getting these people's $40US for a 60 day tourist visa, and a possible 1900 baht for their 1 month extension.

I, like so many others, spend 1 night in a hotel, pick up the passport the next day, and come straight back to Thailand, although, I sometimes hang around for a few days. This practice is blatantly "back to back."

This crack down acheives nothing but the Thai Government raising some extra revenue, at the expense of many visa run companies going out of business, if 60 day tourist visas are not part of, or become part of, the crack down.

As a high percentage of foreigners that were visa running for 30 day stamps, whether they were by land or air, move to the 60 day tourist visa, surely, in the near future, in the context of this visa crack down, and what it was deigned to do, the focus must change to the abuse of the 60 day tourist visas.

I fully expect it to do so, even if it's a short term media hyped up crack down. I'm surprised many others do not think this will happen.

Wow you still don't understand the crackdown. It's not about the money. Immigration has said many times this is about going after illegally workers. They stay here on visa exempt and work illegally. Yes, some people will get caught up in things. Immigration has tried several things over the years and nothing worked. They have always said they dont care how long you stay in Thailand, get the correct visa.

Wow, you still don't understand Thailand - it's ALL about the money.

"Immigration has said many times this is about going after illegally workers. They stay here on visa exempt and work illegally." - but they DON'T stay here on 60 day Tourist Visas - really?

"Yes, some people will get caught up in things." - there will be a lot more people NOT working illegally caught up in this, than people working illegally.

"Immigration has tried several things over the years and nothing worked." - strange, they are currently considering free 60 day Tourist Visas for Europeans.

"They have always said they dont care how long you stay in Thailand, get the correct visa." - yes, they have, they have just not created a visa class for someone under 50 years of age, single and self funded. Maybe you can suggest the "correct visa" for these people.

If it was all about money then they would not have a visa exempt and make everyone get a visa that they have to pay for. if it was all about money then why are they thinking about offering free visas? maybe you have not been living here long enough. Several year ago i think around 2006-2007 they tried to do a 180 day thing, but this became too much of a problem for immigration offices to try and go through a passport and count all the days, causing big delays.

If you are under 50 and have money, your can get a:

1) Elite visa

2) investment visa

3) open a company

3) get a job

So there are some options.

I agree with you there should be an option for the under 50, but appears immigration does not. maybe in the future once they clean things up.

As for your question about them not using Tourist visa, i'm sure some of the illegal workers do use them and it will be just a matter of time before they crack down on those. i have a family member and a good friend in immigration and they both told me the object is for long term stay to get the right visa and to stop the people working illegally.

"If you are under 50 and have money, your can get a:" - I said I was under 50 years of age, single and self funded. That doesn't mean I am going to be pushed into being ripped off by the Thai Government.

It's no problem for me to reside elsewhere, in fact, I'm preparing for the day, although I have a feeling the crack down will fade away, like the 180 day fiasco you mentioned. I remembered the same panic around for that crack down. It all just went away.

1) Elite visa - I have no faith in the Thai Government. Well, Thailand hasn't even got a proper Government at the moment. The scheme may be canceled in the future. In any case, for me personally, I don't see the value in the product, mainly due to the risk in purchasing it.

2) investment visa - as another member mentioned, may no longer be available. Possibly another canceled scheme.

3) open a company - I believe it's illegal to open a company that doesn't actually do anything. Very popular for foreigners trying to own land here.

3) get a job - my skills are in the occupations reserved for Thai's only, so, that leaves teaching English, and even these people can't have their employer orgnise documents for their work permits, so they will be having similar problems.

They simply need to create a visa class for self funded under 50's, along similar requirements as the retirement visa. Would not be difficult at all, just simply remove the "Must be 50 years of age" from the criteria.

[damole]

I've read a lot of these threads and something I'd like to know is, is there a difference under Thai law between being employed in Thailand and working as in being a digital nomad or whatever? To me they are obviously different things as one could have a detrimental effect on the opportunities for local people and potentially the Thai economy if the money earned was taken out of Thailand on the other hand the other would only have a positive effect on the Thai economy as the person, working, whilst in Thailand would be spending money in the local economy. Are these two considered the same when considering the meaning of "employment prohibited"? Has "working" been explicitly defined by the Thai authorities? If I was in charge of setting policy I'd want all the digital nomads I could get as they would just be effectively long term tourists in terms of their contribution to the Thai economy and if they paid tax on top of that then even better. On the UK government website it says that taking paid or unpaid work is something you can't do on a tourist visa which to me implies taking up work in the UK so I wonder is that the same for Thailand.

[jspill]

I've read a lot of these threads and something I'd like to know is, is there a difference under Thai law between being employed in Thailand and working as in being a digital nomad or whatever? To me they are obviously different things as one could have a detrimental effect on the opportunities for local people and potentially the Thai economy if the money earned was taken out of Thailand on the other hand the other would only have a positive effect on the Thai economy as the person, working, whilst in Thailand would be spending money in the local economy. Are these two considered the same when considering the meaning of "employment prohibited"? Has "working" been explicitly defined by the Thai authorities? If I was in charge of setting policy I'd want all the digital nomads I could get as they would just be effectively long term tourists in terms of their contribution to the Thai economy and if they paid tax on top of that then even better. On the UK government website it says that taking paid or unpaid work is something you can't do on a tourist visa which to me implies taking up work in the UK so I wonder is that the same for Thailand.

It hasn't been explicitly defined in law yet but on a radio show an immigration spokesman agreed that if online work didn't have an influence in Thailand it would be acceptable http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/473613-working-legally-in-thailand-immigration-and-labour-departments-speaks-out/

The issue is more the difficulty of staying long term with TR / ED / TE visa doing this, as to pay taxes a work permit is required and for a work permit employing 4 Thai nationals is required. No freelance work permit exists as yet.

[ATF]

Round and round and round we go. There is no working visa for under 50's accept it!

Or go to Somalia or somewhere.

Just because you have discovered how not to do a 9-5 job and make your living off the internet it doesn't mean Thailand wants you.

ericthai gives the main options in post #137 above.

[jspill]

Round and round and round we go. There is no working visa for under 50's accept it!

Or go to Somalia or somewhere.

Just because you have discovered how not to do a 9-5 job and make your living off the internet it doesn't mean Thailand wants you.

ericthai gives the main options in post #137 above.

The question is on the list to be posed by TV to the immigration commander so spare the vitriol for now Dad. Off topic for this thread anyway.

[ATF]

Round and round and round we go. There is no working visa for under 50's accept it!

Or go to Somalia or somewhere.

Just because you have discovered how not to do a 9-5 job and make your living off the internet it doesn't mean Thailand wants you.

ericthai gives the main options in post #137 above.

The question is on the list to be posed by TV to the immigration commander so spare the vitriol for now Dad. Off topic for this thread anyway.

I eagerly await his reply. However I do have a suspicion he's not going to be too happy.

[DrTuner]

Work permits are not immigration's ballpark, so it really doesn't matter what they say.

[Maestro]

Apparently the investment visa is no longer available at the moment.

See here: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/751043-investment-visa-when-buying-a-condo-or-bonds/#entry8235558

[NamKangMan]

Round and round and round we go. There is no working visa for under 50's accept it!

Or go to Somalia or somewhere.

Just because you have discovered how not to do a 9-5 job and make your living off the internet it doesn't mean Thailand wants you.

ericthai gives the main options in post #137 above.

So, someone who is 49 years and 6 months of age, single and self funded, is not welcome in Thailand, because he must be working illegally, but, as soon as he turns 50, he is welcome to reside here on a retirement visa.

Even a young man, if married, is welcome to reside here.

Typical Thai logic.

Thailand's visa classes need a review. It's their outdated visa classes that has caused this crack down.