Visa Rules Will Be Tightened To Stop Abuse

[Erwin1011]

And then, consider what options a Thai national in the same situation has in your home country.

---------------

Maestro

It can open a bank account with the same interest rates as the nationals. It can buy a house, a piece of land to own in it's own name. It can set up a business, that it can own 100%, no need for nationals to have the majority...

[Bunnigal]

Let's just wait & see what more info. they are going to throw our way...

No use fighting over the truth now

Cheers!

xx Bunnigal xx

[ThailandTony]

I must be missing something.....I am not working or running a business, I am not married to a Thai, I am not over 50, I do not want to deposit 3 million Baht in a Thai bank account, I am also not on the run from anyone or in hiding, I spend over 100,000 Baht per month in Thailand......I am 36 and financially stable, to my knowledge the only non-tourist visa available to me is an Elite card which I have to pay $25,000 up front to get a 5-year visa....even if I don't want to stay 5 years.....whats that all about?

[Maestro]

I think that you'll find that in most Western countries being married to someone from that country actually counts for something and would make you eligible for residency.

Did the totally confusing and probably mostly inaccurate newspaper report say anything about foreigners married to a Thai wife?

An if a Thai man married to a national of your Western country lives with his wife in your country and works there to earn his living, does he not have to pay income tax? I know that the confusing and inaccurate newspaper report also said nothing about foreigners working illegally in Thailand, but could the whole story not be about that, really?

---------------

Maestro

[ThailandTony]

TOURIST VISA EXEMPTION

- According to the Interior Ministerial Announcements dated 1 October B.E. 2545 (2002), 20 December B.E. 2545 (2002) ,18 October B.E. 2547 (2004) and 6 May B.E. 2548 (2005) , passport holders from 40 countries and Hong Kong SAR do not require a visa when entering Thailand for tourism purposes and will be permitted to stay in the Kingdom for 30 days.

- Please note that Tourist Visa Exemption does not apply to foreigners holding Travel Document for Aliens issued by these 40 countries.

- Foreigners entering Thailand under Tourist Visa Exemption must possess means of living expenses at the amount of 10,000 Baht per person and 20,000 Baht per family accordingly.

1. Australia : Commonwealth of Australia

2. Austria : Republic of Austria

3. Belgium : Kingdom of Belgium

4. Brazil : Federative Republic of Brazil (****)

5. Bahrain : State of Bahrain

6. Brunei Darussalam : Negara Brunei Darussalam

7. Canada

8. Denmark : Kingdom of Denmark

9. Finland : Republic of Finland

10. France : French Republic

11. Germany : Federal Republic of Germany

12. Greece : Hellenic Republic

13. Hong Kong : Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

14. Iceland : Republic of Iceland

15. Indonesia : Republic of Indonesia

16. Ireland : Republic of Ireland

17. Israel : State of Israel

18. Italy : Republic of Italy

19. Japan

20. Korea : Republic of Korea (****)

21. Kuwait : State of Kuwait

22. Luxembourg : Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

23. Malaysia

24. Netherlands : Kingdom of the Netherlands

25. New Zealand

26. Norway : Kingdom of Norway

27. Oman : Sultanate of Oman

28. Peru : Republic of Peru (****)

29. Philippines : Republic of the Philippines

30. Portugal : Republic of Portugal

31. Qatar : State of Qatar

32. Singapore : Republic of Singapore

33. Spain : Kingdom of Spain

34. South Africa : Republic of South Africa

35. Sweden : Kingdom of Sweden

36. Switzerland : Swiss Confederation

37. Turkey : Republic of Turkey

38. United Arab Emirates

39. United Kingdom : United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

40. United States of America

41. Vietnam : Socialist Republic of Vietnam

[VanZam]

Before I gained a legal non-imm visa here I was restricted to 30 day visa runs.. I would have to dissagree with many posters claiming that a lot are working illegally etc. The bulk of the people I came accross were young and wealthy, just wanting to have an extended holiday (beyond the 3 months max for a tourist visa).

The definitions need to be cleared up a bit to avoid confusion.. A visa is the sticker in your passport used to travel to a country, you are then given a PERMIT on arrival in accordance with the visa restrictions. The 30 day stamp is a PERMIT not a VISA.

If Thailand goes ahead and enforces these changes, then tourisim in this country is as good as finished.(or at least seriously reduced with the 3 x permit per year rule)

-Getting more and more expensive with new stupid laws every day.

-Crackdown on buying property

-Crackdown on visas and permits with limited other options.

I wonder if these people understand how much money tourism brings every year, most other countries would be bending over backwards to get people to return.

The answer is to target the areas that are most affected by illegal workers, enforce the law at schools with random checks of work permits/visas etc thus avoiding hurting the entire tourisim industry.

[cclub75]

I must be missing something.....I am not working or running a business, I am not married to a Thai, I am not over 50, I do not want to deposit 3 million Baht in a Thai bank account, I am also not on the run from anyone or in hiding, I spend over 100,000 Baht per month in Thailand......I am 36 and financially stable, to my knowledge the only non-tourist visa available to me is an Elite card which I have to pay $25,000 up front to get a 5-year visa....even if I don't want to stay 5 years.....whats that all about?

Well said Tony. You are not welcomed here, because you are totally free (which is utterly unacceptable nowadays) and because thai officials can't not put you into the proper box.

Sorry.

[ThailandTony]

VISA ON ARRIVAL

- According to the Interior Ministerial Announcements, passport holders from 20 countries may apply for visas at the immigration checkpoints for the purpose of tourism for the period of not exceeding 15 days.

- The applicant must possess means of living expenses at the amount of 10,000 Baht per person and 20,000 Baht per family accordingly.

- The applicant must present full paid ticket which is usable within 15 days since the date of entry

- Visa on arrival is provided at 23 designated international checkpoints and applicants should submit the application form duly filled out and to which his/her recent photograph (2 ½ inches) is attached. The application fee is 1,000 Baht.

- Visitors who enter the Kingdom with Visa on Arrival generally cannot file an application for extension of stay except in special cases such as illness which prevents them from travelling, etc. They can submit an application at the Office of Immigration Bureau , Immigration Division 1, Soi Suan Plu, South Sathorn Road, Bangkok 10120. Tel. 02 287-3127 or 02 287-3101-10 ext. 2264-5 or at website http://www.immigration.go.th

List of 20 countries is as follows :

1. Bhutan : Kingdom of Bhutan

2. China : People’s Republic of China (including Taiwan)

3. Cyprus : Republic of Cyprus

4. Czech : Czech Republic

5. Estonia : Republic of Estonia

6. Hungary : Republic of Hungary

7. India : Republic of India

8. Kazakhstan : Republic of Kazakhstan

9. Latvia : Republic of Latvia

10. Liechtenstein : Principality of Liechtenstein

11. Lithuania : Republic of Lithuania

12. Maldives : Republic of Maldives

13. Mauritius : Republic of Mauritius

14. Oman : Sultanate of Oman

15. Poland : Republic of Poland

16. Russian Federation

17. Saudi Arabia : Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

18. Slovakia : Slovak Republic

19. Slovenia : Republic of Slovenia

20. Ukraine

[The Dan Sai Kid]

I think that you'll find that in most Western countries being married to someone from that country actually counts for something and would make you eligible for residency.

Did the totally confusing and probably mostly inaccurate newspaper report say anything about foreigners married to a Thai wife?

An if a Thai man married to a national of your Western country lives with his wife in your country and works there to earn his living, does he not have to pay income tax? I know that the confusing and inaccurate newspaper report also said nothing about foreigners working illegally in Thailand, but could the whole story not be about that, really?

---------------

Maestro

You made the comparision to a western country, I was simply extrapilating on that.

[Maestro]

Personally I'd much rather be here doing what I am doing (legally and with all the red tape) than I would back in the UK with the problems and BS there.

Well said. This is what it boils down to, in the end.

---------------

Maestro

[ThailandTony]

If you are married to a Thai lady you can apply for a visa regardless of age. You have to lodge 400,000 Baht in a Thai bank account or show a monthly income in excess of 12,000 Baht (I might have monthly figure wrong?). You apply in the region you were married and it takes 4 weeks to process. You have to arrive on a non-immigrant visa which is issued at any consular office on production of your marriage certificate and confirmation of residence (usually wifes blue book and accompanying letter saying she invites you to stay there) This operates very similar to retirement visa where you check-in every 90 days and is renewable every 12 months....hope that helps.

[Basil B]

The question is : what happen when the foreigners spend his 1x90 days ?

He won't be able to return to Thailand for... how long ?

How they going to figure out ?

More thai complexity ahead...

Thats why I say this isnt going to happen...

So they are going to go through all your multiple passports.. To find all the entry and exit dates.. Tally them up (remembering whether it was a leap year last year or Aug had 30 days) and do all of this before issueing an entry chop.. Rediculous and of course not.

No one has clarified if its 3 chops or many chops adding up to 90 days (the guys who fly in for the weekend as real tourists)..

And most visa regulations (like having an outbound ticket if not real visa etc) are checked and enforced before boarding.. Can you imagine every check in queue in the world also checking your 'previous total days in the last calender year' while weighing your bags.

Another badly thought out and impractical rule, poorly communicated..

Its not going to happen.. At least not the way already described.

They may do so when all points of entry are computerised...

Won’t even have to open your passport if it is machine readable and you have used it to visit LOS in the past other than to check your name tally’s and stamp it.

If it is a new passport they would enter all the details and cheek you against their database to establish if you have entered before and cross reference you against other passports held including dual nationality.

BB

[ThailandTony]

I must be missing something.....I am not working or running a business, I am not married to a Thai, I am not over 50, I do not want to deposit 3 million Baht in a Thai bank account, I am also not on the run from anyone or in hiding, I spend over 100,000 Baht per month in Thailand......I am 36 and financially stable, to my knowledge the only non-tourist visa available to me is an Elite card which I have to pay $25,000 up front to get a 5-year visa....even if I don't want to stay 5 years.....whats that all about?

Well said Tony. You are not welcomed here, because you are totally free (which is utterly unacceptable nowadays) and because thai officials can't not put you into the proper box.

Sorry.

Why not have a visa that you walk into immigration, pay 2500 Baht and walk back out again only to return 30 days later, or 5000 and 60 days or 7500 and 90 days....you get my drift?....the "legal" people would jump at it and the illegals will keep doing what they are doing.....they need computers at all 55 checkpoints in Thailand, not 20% of them as at present, and this would fund them.....I am happy to give up the white knuckle ride every 30 days or flight out of Thailand every 90 days....or am I Ting Tong Tony?

[jdinasia]

I think I'll wait and see on this one before I panic

[basjke]

Where to find some correct information about the 3 million baht investment visa as mentioned in earlier posts.I am not married and stay now on a multiple entry non-b visa for which I still have to do the 3 month border runs.But since I invested that 3 million bath already it would be offcourse more convenient for me if I could have a 1 year visa for which i not have to do border runs.Can anyone give me the right information or give me a link where i can find it.

[Couthy]

Actually,

It was, "When America sneezes, Europe catches a cold" and refers to the economic melt down in States in the 20's with the resultant reaction within Europe.

But then again Oscar Wilde did describe the US , "As the only country that had gone from barbarism to decadence without experiencing civilisation in between".

Dr Johnston described in his famous dictionary (about my country) " Oats, a food for horses and Scots".

We take it in good humour though

The visa thing will quietly resolve itself - thus think of the billions of Baht that Pattaya, Phuket, etc will lose every year if those who make their monthly visa runs are told to live in places other than Thailand.

Money rules and when the calculators come out............Ever hear of a Thai who wanted to make LESS MONEY?. Give it few weeks.

Cheers,

Couthy.

Goodness

Far more entertaining than the drivel on UBC this afternoon. A right-royal slanging match is about to ensue. (He says hopefully)

They used to say when America sneezes, the world gets pneumonia.

All a Thai immigration honcho has to do is give a cryptic vague interview to the farang press, and hes got us all wondering if the sky is falling.

Good fun! (For him anyway.)

I knew that John Karr madman was bad news ...

[joka]

I have been here for 3 yrs now doing the "visa" run every month. I receive Social Security from the US at 30K baht, very little money in the bank. I am 40 something and have had the same girlfriend for a few years. So my only chance for a visa is to get married? PM me please with details..........thanks,john

[ThailandTony]

Where to find some correct information about the 3 million baht investment visa as mentioned in earlier posts.I am not married and stay now on a multiple entry non-b visa for which I still have to do the 3 month border runs.But since I invested that 3 million bath already it would be offcourse more convenient for me if I could have a 1 year visa for which i not have to do border runs.Can anyone give me the right information or give me a link where i can find it.

If you live in or near Bangkok, Pattaya, Chang Mai or Phuket, just go along to the immigration office, they are very helpful and will give you all the correct documentation. If you have already deposited the money, ask your bank for a statement of account letter and take this plus your passbook, passport and accomodation details, they may process it there and then....but you need to have a valid non-imm visa in your passport. They cannot do it on a tourist visa.....Good Luck.

[Foggy Bottom]

Hi All

Coming in late on this as usual .....

Can we clear up something quickly and easily first?

The restriction to 3 entries or extensions for both VOA and Exempt visa (15 day and 30 day respectively) has ALWAYS been the LAW. In the past enforcement has been relaxed, but I do remember from back in 2000, that on my 3rd entry through Mae Sai the desk jockey added a three asterisk "notation" beside the stamp in my passport.

Mae Sai was also the only entry point a few years back to enforce the carried-minimum-cash rule, with a subsequent scathing thread on Thai Visa about encouraging bandits to ambush tourist mini-buses carrying all those cashed-up visa-runners.

Concerning extending tourist visas in-country, the rule used to be (and may have changed) that a 60-day tourist visa could be extended once by 14 days, then twice by 7 days, giving a total of three months before having to hit the border. For those on multiple entry tourist visas, each in-country extension used up one re-entry permit, but still got only the extension lengths just stated.

Reports of crack downs on 30-day border bouncers surface every year, with the usual howls of outrage from a large part of the farang community, and those of us who were here in 2002 will remember Purachai (the Puritan) Piumsomboon's televised statement from Khao San Road, that "there are too many foreigners here on ONE YEAR visas" - an interesting statement on the eve of the Social Order crackdown from the then Interior Minister.

For one thing, there is NO SUCH THING AS A ONE YEAR VISA FOR THAILAND - the maximum visa is 90-days (and only if a non-imm type) after which you have to apply for an extension of stay / extension of permission to stay - this can be granted for up to 365 days, or the expiry date of your work permit or passport if that is sooner. There are special cases allowing for a two or five year extension, but you basically have to be as rich as Thaksin to get it, and have invested mega-millions for umpteen years before applying.

Again if you have a multiple entry x 90 day visa (of any type) and extend it in-country, you lose one of the re-entry permissions.

Now, lets look ack at wording - a tourist is what? By definition, the old term "tourist" is the same as the modern word "traveller" - both by definition means someone who is travelling and moving on - ergo, why should a tourist be permitted to stay in Thailand for greater than 6 months (60 day visa x 3).

Additionally, a transit visa (15 days) is designed for those who have an onward journey prebooked with a departure date that is not the same as the date of arrival - this visa type is designed to allow them to wait for the departure date legally. It has no other purpose.

THE ORIGINAL VISA IS INTENDED ONLY TO ALLOW YOU ENTRY AND GIVE YOU TIME TO SET UP THE PAPERWORK FOR IN-COUNTRY EXTENSION ANNUALLY. That is why tourist, VOA, 30-days-entry, transit and other temprary permissions to stay do not permit you to obtain work, apply for a work permit etc.

All of the above relates to the intent and spirit of the rules and laws, and is generally the official interpretation of them, and the general translation of them.

Personally, I have always experienced the Immigration Officers also interpret them in the same way (except for the lax enforcing of the maximum 3 border bounces) and never forget it was Immigration that refused to implement the 1998 directive to increase the non-imm visa fee from 500 Baht to 10,000 Baht, stating the economy, and business and tourism sectors, could not sustain if it was implemented. Even the recent increase to 1,900 Baht was because of Immigration arguing against an increase to 5,000 Baht. So be careful before attacking the Immigration Bureau - they do tend to fight to our advantage against ill-conceived central government policy decisions.

Concerning Thai schools not providing the paperwork - apply it in this light - Until 3 years ago, I taught business to Business Admin undergrads - even final year management students had ZERO knowledge of the requirements for employing foreign nationals. These were students exposed to foreign teachers throughout their four years of university study. What chance then for schools managed by people who graduated 10 or 20 years ago before the big influx of foreign teachers?

Additionally if a major university like CMU believes itself exempt from the laws concerning teacher licenses (free from Ministry of Education but needs letter of appointment from employer) why then should private schools, often owned by State-employed teachers running them as family businesses, feel they need to comply with the rules and laws? Trickle-down seems to work here - what the big boys think of as irrelevant, the smaller fish adopt as also irrelevant. (How long before no Thai pays taxes and cites the Shin-Temasek case as prescedent?)

Having been on continuous Non-Imm B's since early 2001, I can only say to all those still botder bouncing - get legal - it's so much cheaper and so much less hassle.

You may feel you have no justification for the application, but READ the rules and regulations - don't focus on the lists of what you are not allowed to do (it's too easy to get caught up in them and think you're allowed to do nothing) remember that if something is NOT on the list, then you're allowed to do it - you just need to submit the application for permission first. Also remember, there are many business types you as a foreigner can own 100%, in your own name, without the need to open a 3 million baht company - you just need to think outside the box (and the list). For those seeking the protection of an incorporated entity, remember many of the types on the BOI promotion list only need ONE million baht of invested capital per foreigner.

Do the research on the different government websites - don't rely solely on ThaiVisa - it may be a good site, but it doesn't tell you everything, and too many posters on here have either never read the regulations, or last read them when Chuan or Chaovalit was Prime Minister.

As Buddha said "nothing is permanent" (or something like that) and that includes rules, regulations, and Laws. ...... do your own research, learn what applies to you, and ignore the bar-stool barristers - they usually dodging the laws themselves.

.

[Maestro]

You can't deny that we had many changes, or subtle announcements of change the last months :

-the rule regarding registration and ownership of land

-the rule regarding the thai nominees, for company incorporation

-changes over amount of money required for specific visa

etc.

The first and second item in your list are not new rules, merely a stricter implementation of pre-existing laws and regulations, but yes, it is a change from the status quo ante. One useful change, quite a few years ago, was the permission for a Thai woman married to a farang to buy land in Thailand.

Regarding the third item, I do not know the dates when the increasing amounts were fixed but apparently the increases do not reflect only the inflation in Thailand but also changes in the exchange rate. The declared purpose of these minimum amount requirements has always been to bring foreign exchange into Thailand, as far as I understand.

---------------

Maestro

[basjke]

Where to find some correct information about the 3 million baht investment visa as mentioned in earlier posts.I am not married and stay now on a multiple entry non-b visa for which I still have to do the 3 month border runs.But since I invested that 3 million bath already it would be offcourse more convenient for me if I could have a 1 year visa for which i not have to do border runs.Can anyone give me the right information or give me a link where i can find it.

If you live in or near Bangkok, Pattaya, Chang Mai or Phuket, just go along to the immigration office, they are very helpful and will give you all the correct documentation. If you have already deposited the money, ask your bank for a statement of account letter and take this plus your passbook, passport and accomodation details, they may process it there and then....but you need to have a valid non-imm visa in your passport. They cannot do it on a tourist visa.....Good Luck.

Thaks for the information Tony however I have an additional question regarding.

Does this mean that,if I show the deposit and the valid non-b visa,I will get a new entry stamp at the immigration office or will they issue a new 1 year visa.Do you know also about the fees.

[lung]

Hi All

Coming in late on this as usual .....

Can we clear up something quickly and easily first?

.............

AMEN

Edited September 10, 2006 by lung

[VanZam]

Gaz..

Very clear and well written post, your advice is sound.

[ThailandTony]

Where to find some correct information about the 3 million baht investment visa as mentioned in earlier posts.I am not married and stay now on a multiple entry non-b visa for which I still have to do the 3 month border runs.But since I invested that 3 million bath already it would be offcourse more convenient for me if I could have a 1 year visa for which i not have to do border runs.Can anyone give me the right information or give me a link where i can find it.

If you live in or near Bangkok, Pattaya, Chang Mai or Phuket, just go along to the immigration office, they are very helpful and will give you all the correct documentation. If you have already deposited the money, ask your bank for a statement of account letter and take this plus your passbook, passport and accomodation details, they may process it there and then....but you need to have a valid non-imm visa in your passport. They cannot do it on a tourist visa.....Good Luck.

Thaks for the information Tony however I have an additional question regarding.

Does this mean that,if I show the deposit and the valid non-b visa,I will get a new entry stamp at the immigration office or will they issue a new 1 year visa.Do you know also about the fees.

They will extend your existing visa to the equivalent of 12 months....ie, if you arrived 2 months ago on a 3 month visa, it will be extended by 10 months and then renewed for 12 months on expiry. I can't be certain about fees but I believe the standard 1900 Baht is applicable when applying for any non-imm visas (investment, retirement, business and thai wife)........plus read the post from Gaz Chiangmai, there are other options he refers to there that require less of an investment, but I believe may necessitate the set-up of a company, this is more involved and expensive but ultimately a darn site better than the exit/re-entry alternatives......Again good luck!

PS...............GREAT POST GAZ

[Maestro]

Obviously, you didn't read. Let me do a copy-and-paste for you....

However, some foreigners including tourists ''tiptoe around the law'' by resorting to so-called visa runs to extend their stay. Most take a bus to a border, check out of the country and then return the same day to have the VOA renewed.

They repeat the practice as many times as they wish, affording them almost unlimited stay in the country. The policy is largely intended to serve tourism.

Pol Lt-Gen Suwat said the change of the VOA rules is in order.

Doesn’t this sound to you like the Thai government wants to make it more difficult for foreigners to work illegally in Thailand? It does to me.

Wait and see what the commissioner really said, and what will really be implemented.

---------------

Maestro

[ThailandTony]

"remember many of the types on the BOI promotion list only need ONE million baht of invested capital per foreigner"

GAZ....you got any links to the BOI promotion list you can share?

[Maestro]

It can open a bank account with the same interest rates as the nationals. It can buy a house, a piece of land to own in it's own name. It can set up a business, that it can own 100%, no need for nationals to have the majority...

...working illegally, paying no income taxes? Because I suspect this is what the whole story is really about. Let’s just wait and see.

Regarding interest rates paid by Thai banks, I have experienced no discrimination between Thai nationals and foreigners. If you are subjected to such discrimination by your bank, change banks.

---------------

Maestro

[Ijustwannateach]

Would like to second PB's comments about teachers getting legal- took me a couple of years just to find a Thai employer who wasn't lying to me about the paperwork for teaching here. I'm glad now that I insisted on it and kept leaving dodgy schools. I'm "more legaller" than most anybody else I know outside school now, but it was a herculean struggle to become so. If Thailand insists on enforcement above processing, half the EP programs will be empty by next year. I don't foresee this as an acceptable result in the eyes of Thais, even if Thailand does shoot itself in the foot sometimes- at some point the unintended consequences of the hastiness and kneejerk announcements will change the serious enforcement into a bandaid for show.

Same-same with the loss of income from tourists/long stay expats who don't fit into the most expensive official "visa" boxes. It's too much money to give up without resistance (on the part of many Thais).

Strange the inverse correlation between the use of the word "whinge" and the post count, isn't it?

"Steven"

[marshbags]

Let's just wait & see what more info. they are going to throw our way...

No use fighting over the truth now

Cheers!

xx Bunnigal xx

Why all the fuss and panic.

First of all there is nothing legal at the present time, not in stone that is.

There should be no worries if you are legal and above board in any case.

If you are not, as has been said many times, do something about it and get legal, stop being Jack the lad and change your mind set.

It seems to me that people are throwing their energies into the wrong areas of deserving cases.

How about generating it on getting a better deal for those of us who are here legally, have families and are married as required to do so to qualify for 1year visa,s ect. as a priority.

Abide by all visa rules without complaining.

These are Thai requirements to be obeyed and not yours to do so as you see fit.

Many are flouting the rules according to many of these posts, it doesn,t count how much they are spending as a justification by the way.

We are all, i,m afraid non Thai and do not qualify in legal terms and that is reality.

If you want to feel sympathetic towards anyone then give it to the many genuine spouses and there families who if things keep going in certain directions, will finish up having to leave their dependants and most important of all their children behind ( in many cases )

Many have more than enough to support their families but are not all blessed with being baht millionaires.

I cannot see how the latter ( baht millionaires )are going to be unjustly treated if they cannot be bothered to embrace the basic laws of society and think they can be more deserving than the rest of us on more moderate means who really are supporting the country long term with real commitment.

We also are aware of those among us who are working without the legal paper work and this is undermining the many that have and pay there dues.

Eventually the legal ones will be penalised with ever increasing demands on them and it,s becoming very difficult for the ones at the bottom end and small investors to meet them.

If you are not legal, enjoy the time you have here and then move on because everyone of you who try to buck the immigration laws are making it tough for the rest of us.

Most important of all let,s not forget there is an election to be held and until that is sorted they have enough on their plate for the present time.

Stay cool and wait for the official changes while in between time if you are one of the visitors likely to be effected.............................. take it as a warning and do something about it.

Get sorted and get in a legal position whereby you won,t be effected and have to leave the counrty.

In my humble opinion of course.

marshbags

P.S. If you do not take heed then this thread and it,s debate are meaningless.

Edited September 10, 2006 by marshbags

[Pui]

My situation is that I make a trip the UK now once a year. The main reason is get my Non-B visa (but I tie other things in as well, visit the family etc.). Its so easy in your home country. The service in the UK is fantastic. I send my passport on a Monday its back by Wednesday. How do they do that? Its simply wonderful.

...

Are the people the make such a song and dance about the visa laws people that can’t go home because of fear of arrest? I just cannot work-out what the problem is.

So you are here on the whim of the (farang) Honorary Consul in Hull in the UK. Each consulate and embassy seems to be a law unto themselves. Some like Hull and (formerly?) Penang hand out visas to almost everyone. Others do not. If Hull happens to change its policy or closes you will quickly find out what the problem is for others who need to deal with less flexible embassys or consulates. It would only take one newpaper article of a farang who got caught with a visa they got by mail order without leaving Thailand or a scare mongering polititian out for a few more votes to invent this or a similar situation.

Plenty of people fall through the cracks in the laws - this being the internet, telecommuters and IT contractors are particularly well represented in this forum. If you are lucky and have an understanding consulate worker at home and you contact them on a day they have the patience to listen to you explain the concept of telecommuting they might give you a 1 year type-O. Or you might be stuck on the 30 day tourist entry stamps or 60 day tourist visa.

Thankfully I'm now personally on a type-O as my wife is now a legal teacher here. It only took an entire 3 months for her to become legal due to all the paper shuffling and visits to various bits of the gov. I think the only English teachers who manage to be legal their entire stay are those who accept a (generally crap) job before they arrive in Thailand and stay there like a good indentured slave. Having seen the hoops the schools have to jump through I can understand why some of them don't bother unless they have been previously busted and have to be especially careful - the time and money wasted is quite breathtaking all for an incredibly common procedure and not every school wants to invest in a dedicated lawyer to deal with the process that winds its way through three seperate ministies multiple times.

Not that any of this matters yet - nothing has actually happened or changed apart from vague anouncements.

Certainly not living in Thailand on anyone’s “Whim’ nor did I get a visa from Hull. Why would you make such an assumption?

What I’m saying is that if you apply for a visa in your home country. It makes life a lot easier.

Simply by going through the correct channels it very easy to get a Thai Visa. If you are going to Thailand to teach I believe the correct procedure is to apply for a non-b BEFORE you arrive.

Yes teachers do face problems and I don’t want to even get into that now. There is an excellent website called ajarn.com which is dedicated to Teachers in Thailand. but context of the thread and the Thai immigration clamping down on people doing visa runs ever 30 days. This issue can be addressed very easily. Get a Non-B in your own country.

All i'm saying is go through the correct channels and 9 times out of 10 its very easy.