New rule limiting the number of 30 day visa exemption entries to six only

[arunsakda]

OK let's consider this tropic closed. As I mentioned I have a solution but now reassured that it has actually happened to other people and I am not going crazy.

Looking forward to the (now deleted) offer of a free Elite membership. Or was that just one too many breakfast Leos talking?

I meant I would be springing for an Elite visa for myself, in case such a policy was to be enforced.

Last nights' Beefest ended promptly at midnight by the way.

[mrtoad]

Working in IT I suspect that what has happened is that they have analysed entry records and tagged people who look like visa runners.

It would certainly make sense for the computer to be flagging up someone with more than six visa-exempt entries as not a normal tourist. After all, a Thai passport only last 5 years. However, unless refusal of entry would be devastating, I think it makes sense to do nothing until we here of more cases.

I suggest this thread be kept open in case there are more cases. If entries before a certain date are being ignored, it may take time for the six entries to be accumulated. Of course, there may be local instructions on not paying a lot of heed to what the computer says in this matter, and they might not have been promulgated at Don Mueang.

12 years ago i used to travel every 3 weeks into Thailand for a week.I was a high spending tourist. Nothing else.

[Suradit69]

Rubbish

Do you mean I am talking rubbish or that I was told rubbish?

You're spreading it.

[Richard W]

It would certainly make sense for the computer to be flagging up someone with more than six visa-exempt entries as not a normal tourist.

12 years ago i used to travel every 3 weeks into Thailand for a week.I was a high spending tourist. Nothing else.

You weren't a normal tourist. You merited special treatment - such as "Welcome back!".

[paz]

You're spreading it.

Too many reports for being rubbish. Something is going on.

[Pattaya46]

Do you mean I am talking rubbish or that I was told rubbish?

Isn't the result the same for TV readers ?

[rakman]

If this is true, maybe it's just an attempt to have tourists buy more visas instead of getting waivers. Come visit on your first waivers, then if you really like it, buy the visa for subsequent stays.

Would really cut down on border runners and raise revenue, and help ensure the tourists aren't afraid of spending money, i.e. "high class" tourists.

[OZEMADE]

Another TV Lurker with nothing better to do than be a pedant. I arrive, they stamp my passport and after the words "Visa class" the immigration officer hand writes "30". To my uneducated self that means I got a 30 day visa on arrival!

Note: This post in response to the post by Hathairat2711

I flew into the old Don Mueang Bangkok Airport and they also stamped my passport after the words "VISACLASS W.30"

Plus as ubonjoe posted http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_id=291834

This should be self explanatory.

Edited November 8, 2014 by OZEMADE

[Ulic]

While anything is possible in Thailand it is possibly a misinterpretation of a guideline. If you had a new 10 year

passport and came on vacation yearly you would be denied entry to the Kingdom in six years. If you travelled

around South East Asia on you trips in and out of Thailand you could exceed the six visa exempt allowed entries

in 2-3 trips/years. Since Thailand's tourist numbers are in decline I find such a rule unlikely and think in more probable

that a low level bureaucrat as misinterpreted a memo somehow.

[Richard W]

While anything is possible in Thailand it is possibly a misinterpretation of a guideline. If you had a new 10 year

passport and came on vacation yearly you would be denied entry to the Kingdom in six years. If you travelled

around South East Asia on you trips in and out of Thailand you could exceed the six visa exempt allowed entries

in 2-3 trips/years. Since Thailand's tourist numbers are in decline I find such a rule unlikely and think in more probable

that a low level bureaucrat as misinterpreted a memo somehow.

According to Since-the-august-crackdown-date-what-reports-of-problems-are-there?, the trigger is more than six in a single year. As we don't know when the counting started, we don't really know what's happening with 14-day off/14-day on rotation workers. What's happening to the weekend golfers, though?

Contrary to what I said earlier, it looks as though this thread is redundant.

[zxzoomy]

Just to support the misinterpretation theory, lots of outdated information remains on websites. For example, one Thai embassy website includes this below, which I gather was changed some time ago:

"Foreigners who enter Thailand under the Tourist Visa Exemption category and would like to leave and re-enter may only stay for a cumulative duration which does not exceed 90 days and is within a 6-month period from the date of first entry."

[paz]

Just to support the misinterpretation theory, lots of outdated information remains on websites. For example, one Thai embassy website includes this below, which I gather was changed some time ago:

"Foreigners who enter Thailand under the Tourist Visa Exemption category and would like to leave and re-enter may only stay for a cumulative duration which does not exceed 90 days and is within a 6-month period from the date of first entry."

Correct, that was repealed in 2008.

http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/doc/temporarystay/policy778-2551_en.pdf

[zxzoomy]

And here is the quote from the August crackdown thread about a 'limit of 6 visa exemptions in a single year':

"A mate of mine, British, who runs a business outside Thailand in UK/China was "hassled" by immigration at Swampy last night on arrival from HK.

He has been into BKK 8 times this year variously from 6 days to 26 days for a total of about 80 days for the year - so he's kinda like a fly in/fly out oil and gas worker. He was told last night by immigration that he's allowed only 6 visa exempt entries per annum and he's over that, so next time he comes without a visa he'll be refused. It appears though that nothing was written in his passport."

Six in a year is very different from 6 in the life of a passport.

[HidyHo]

In 2014 alone I have entered Thailand with 30 day visa on arrival more than 20 times, I speak Thai well and have never been told what the OP was told. My last entry was 6 Nov......nothing said!

I have USA passport and live/work in Singapore. I should have 30+ stamps (visa exemption) in my passport as I come to BKK once (sometimes twice) per month for 5 to 10 days (whenever my work schedule allows) since 2012 (on current passport).

I fly in to Suvarnabhumi every time and have never ever been stopped or asked anything (except look at the camera). My last entry/exit was Oct 17 to 27.

[jacksam]

Might be simplistic....but two alternatives would be nice.

Make the rules for visa exempt stamp known to all including io or just do away with visa exempt stamps.

I love playing sport, even darts, but I like to know the rules and have every umpire apply them according to the written rules

Edited November 9, 2014 by jacksam

[MacWalen]

Very confusing when we don't know what the exact rules are. There are certainly less tourists but that is apparently due to Marshall law and not being able to get travel insurance to Thailand. Hopefully there is no limit on the number of tourist visas.

[steve187]

Very confusing when we don't know what the exact rules are. There are certainly less tourists but that is apparently due to Marshall law and not being able to get travel insurance to Thailand. Hopefully there is no limit on the number of tourist visas.

Whats this 'can not get travel insurance to Thailand'?

[mngmn]

I was born sixty years ago and have woken up every day since then. Just don't believe it when I hear about people who die in their sleep.

But wait! Personal experience does not equate to universal experience. F*** that means I could die in my sleep any time.

[ExPratt]

Are you married to a Thai and did you tell them ?

[Namplik]

What is your nationality @ mngmn?

[ubonjoe]

A post commenting about moderation and a reply to it has been removed.

A post was removed yesterday that contained abusive language.

[chaawlepcha]

I take OP's information as real. On 4 October, I had related experiences. at DMK airport.

At first, a female young officer seemed to give me stay permit without hassle. But the mood changed and she then started asking questions.
"You come Thailand many times. How long do you stay ?" I answered 27 days.
If I remember correctly, she then started countig entry stamps and said "You come Thailand many times." I answered nothing because I waited for her disclosing of her way of counting. Again she said "You come Thailand many times." I answeded nothing and waited.
Then she changed contents of questions and finnaly give me the 5th visa exempt enty in a year (previouslr I had 4 visa exempt enty and 1 TR visa entry).

Later I checked my passport and realized that she at first mistakenly gave me 60-stay permit although my TR visa that I got at Vientiane early August was not valid (at that time I did not know much about visa things and I took single only. Unfortunatlly, that was used). She realized her own mistake and then started questions.

It seems to me that I now understand her way of counting, given information above.

I am guessing now that a group of officers at DMK airport are trying to directi frequent visitors that are matching to working-illeagally-suspect profiles out of visa exempt stream into visa satream.

Profiling criteria might be:
- the number of visa exempy entries exceeding 6 times in a year;
- each stay last roughly 4 weeks or more;
- looks young enough for working;
- has appearrance of white collar office worker type.

[mngmn]

I take OP's information as real. On 4 October, I had related experiences. at DMK airport.

At first, a female young officer seemed to give me stay permit without hassle. But the mood changed and she then started asking questions.

"You come Thailand many times. How long do you stay ?" I answered 27 days.

If I remember correctly, she then started countig entry stamps and said "You come Thailand many times." I answered nothing because I waited for her disclosing of her way of counting. Again she said "You come Thailand many times." I answeded nothing and waited.

Then she changed contents of questions and finnaly give me the 5th visa exempt enty in a year (previouslr I had 4 visa exempt enty and 1 TR visa entry).

Later I checked my passport and realized that she at first mistakenly gave me 60-stay permit although my TR visa that I got at Vientiane early August was not valid (at that time I did not know much about visa things and I took single only. Unfortunatlly, that was used). She realized her own mistake and then started questions.

It seems to me that I now understand her way of counting, given information above.

I am guessing now that a group of officers at DMK airport are trying to directi frequent visitors that are matching to working-illeagally-suspect profiles out of visa exempt stream into visa satream.

Profiling criteria might be:

- the number of visa exempy entries exceeding 6 times in a year;

- each stay last roughly 4 weeks or more;

- looks young enough for working;

- has appearrance of white collar office worker type.

Thanks for sharing your experience and your worthwhile speculation on what is possibly going on.

Your proposed criteria are interesting in my case.

- Certainly exceed 6 times a year and probably have for the past 20 years!

- The duration of my stays are all over the place. Minimum is an overnight stay all the way to a maximum of 30 days +1 day overstay last August (wonder if it was that 1 day overstay which triggered the problem? Although I have entered several times with no problems since August)

- Average stay would probably be 14 days

- Average gap between stays would probably be 2-4 weeks with one 2 day gap last year

- I will tell anyone who will listen that I am a very young looking 60 but realistically age is beginning to show

- Normally on a Friday evening I would fly in wearing my work clothes but this time I changed into shorts and casual shirt at KL airport - can't normally be bothered

- Have often wondered about appearance. Better to dress smartly but create the appearance you might be coming to work? Dress more like a slob and create the appearance that you will need to work to survive? Of course many millionaires dress like slobs but Thai culture expects you to flaunt it if you've got it

As we know, fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD) are a great technique for controlling a group of people. Maybe they are just picking random samples at immigration and then monitoring TV to see what sort of storm it kicks up

[stevenl]

Since we're speculating anyway now, I think they are trying to get people arriving on visa exempt to convert to non-immigrant visa. The reasoning is probably that these people are entering often and are living in Thailand, so should be on non-immigrant, not visa exempt.

[Namplik]

If I remember correctly, she then started countig entry stamps and said "You come Thailand many times." I answered nothing because I waited for her disclosing of her way of counting. Again she said "You come Thailand many times." I answeded nothing and waited.

Two mistakes by you, why didn't you answer the Immigration Officer??

There you should put on a big smile and say that you love Thailand and its people, and I love to come here for my holidays.....

[winnerinsix]

If I remember correctly, she then started countig entry stamps and said "You come Thailand many times." I answered nothing because I waited for her disclosing of her way of counting. Again she said "You come Thailand many times." I answeded nothing and waited.

Two mistakes by you, why didn't you answer the Immigration Officer??

There you should put on a big smile and say that you love Thailand and its people, and I love to come here for my holidays.....

Sometimes it is way better to stay quiet..... unless asked a direct question... Just answer the question and don't offer anything more... imo

[Soutpeel]

Are you married to a Thai and did you tell them ?

And what will happen one suspects they will tell you to go and get a proper visa/extension in this case

[Pattaya46]

Since we're speculating anyway now, I think they are trying to get people arriving on visa exempt to convert to non-immigrant visa. The reasoning is probably that these people are entering often and are living in Thailand, so should be on non-immigrant, not visa exempt.

An easier way then would be to come back to the old

"No more than 180 days/years in Thailand without an non-Imm visa"

[mngmn]

Are you married to a Thai and did you tell them ?

And what will happen one suspects they will tell you to go and get a proper visa/extension in this case

Sorry thought the original comment by EPratt was in response to my sarcastic comment about "dying in my sleep".

On the whole don't think it would be a good idea to tell them I was married to a Thai - especially as I am not . There is a visa available for partners of Thais which has quite reasonable income requirements etc . I believe the Thai partner can also contribute to the income.

I am normally reluctant to emphasise any special connection with Thailand at immigration. For example, I would normally never speak Thai to an immigration officer. Maybe a touristy "kawp khun kap" but nothing more. Seems a bit stupid to emphasise that I have actually spent so much time in their country I have learnt to speak their language. In the situation described in my original post, the immigration officer really couldn't speak a word of English and it was obvious there was a problem with my entry that she couldn't explain to me. Never got to assess the supervisor's English as she never offered to switch from Thai. Impossible now to tell if speaking Thai went against me or not.

In a similar vein my travelling companion was Thai and came back to find out what was going on but I didn't ask them to intervene. The immigration officer would probably have made all sorts of unsavoury assumptions about our relationship and simply repeated what she told me anyway.

In my opinion, having a Thai wife, speaking Thai, owning a condo etc will just reinforce in the immigration officer's mind that you are actually living here and should get a proper visa.

[Namplik]

Since we're speculating anyway now, I think they are trying to get people arriving on visa exempt to convert to non-immigrant visa. The reasoning is probably that these people are entering often and are living in Thailand, so should be on non-immigrant, not visa exempt.

An easier way then would be to come back to the old

"No more than 180 days/years in Thailand without an non-Imm visa"

Easier way for us yes, but not for the IO. Thats why they stopped it....