Immigration Confirms The End Of Border Runs From Oct 1, 2006

[george]

Immigration confirms the end of border runs from October 1, 2006

Thailand tightens visa rules for tourists to cut illegal workers

BANGKOK: -- Thailand will tighten entry regulations for tourists in a bid to crack down on illegal foreign workers, the Immigration Bureau said.

The move, which takes effect October 1, would affect tourists from 41 countries including Australia, the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the US, said Suwat Thamrongsrisakul, the head of the bureau.

Currently, tourists from 41 countries can enter Thailand without visas and stay in the kingdom for up to 30 days.

They can extend their stay by checking out of the country, mainly by crossing the borders of neighboring Cambodia and Laos, and returning with new entry stamps.

'Under the current rules, people from those countries can stay in Thailand as long as they want. Some even stay here for one year,' another bureau official said.

The bureau had learned that a growing number of foreigners from the 41 countries worked illegally in Thailand, Suwat said, adding many were employed in bars and restaurants in the popular seaside resort of Pattaya, east of Bangkok.

'Tourists are taking advantage of the visa exemption law. Instead of sightseeing, they are doing business here,' Suwat said.

From October, tourists from the designated countries can still enter Thailand without visas and stay for up to 30 days, but their entry stamps will be renewable twice at most for a maximum stay of 90 days.

Tourists who stayed for 90 days must leave the kingdom for at least 90 days before being permitted to re-enter Thailand, Suwat said.

--forbes.com 2006-09-10

[kurgen]

The Land Of Smiles

[lung]

maybe ASEAN want to share

aka 90 days LOS , 90 days LAOS , 90 days ...

just 20 hour ago everything was ok

now 15.000 !! views

>

Edited September 10, 2006 by lung

[hkt83100]

George wrote a lot of true stuff here

Well, what the hel_l! LOS makes it very easy to stay, just stick to the rules.

I had a company here and my proper work permit, and I was paying taxes. Now I am retired, and I got my proper retirement visa. Where is the problem? If anyone wants to stay here, (s)he should read the rules and decide if (s)he can accept it. If not, (s)he should stay where (s)he is. You always have the option to spend your holidays here.

Thank you for your attention,

a happy guy from Phuket, who got no visa problems.

[cclub75]

Ah ah ah ah !

Sorry, but it's good to see that we were right. Against all the "mai pen rai, this is thailand they will never do it" attitude.

It's a plain and square crackdown.

As said Stickman on his website today, we can expect that the market of "thai brides" is going to boom !

I should add that in Europe for instance, lot of illegal immigrants are doing "blank mariage" to get their legal papers in order to stay.

Edited September 10, 2006 by cclub75

[John K]

Tourists who stayed for 90 days must leave the kingdom for at least 90 days before being permitted to re-enter Thailand, Suwat said.

--forbes.com 2006-09-10

So 89 days is ..........

I think the Thais will learn a new phrase with this

“Negative cash flow”

Edited September 10, 2006 by John K

[steffi]

I'm married to a Thai but so what. It doesn't get you much does it. I mean you can get a 90 visa from the get go extended for one month thereafter but then what?

[lung]

do you remember the TAT - slogan for next year

2007 - Thailand Unforgettable

[BKKGuitar]

Immigration confirms the end of border runs from October 1, 2006

Thailand tightens visa rules for tourists to cut illegal workers

BANGKOK: -- Thailand will tighten entry regulations for tourists in a bid to crack down on illegal foreign workers, the Immigration Bureau said.... must leave the kingdom for at least 90 days[/b] before being permitted to re-enter Thailand, Suwat said.

--forbes.com 2006-09-10

Does anyone have info on whether this will affect persons who entered before October 1?

[dougrobinson2024]

Hello Viet Nam!

Hello Cambodia!

Hello Laos!

Goodbye Tirac...

Edited September 10, 2006 by dougrobinson2024

[whynot?]

The Land Of Smiles

Cambodia anybody??? Looks good to me...?

[farangsay]

What's that Stones' song "May be the last time , I don't know"

Sorry wrong thread

[John K]

The Land Of Smiles

Cambodia anybody??? Looks good to me...?

Just don't walk off the road or you may discover Cambodia's meaning of boom.

[Nam Kao]

The message is clear

FARANG GO HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Nam Kao]

>>>>Hello Laos!

Forget Laos, super hard to stay

[pistonpilot]

All this concerns 30 day non-visa entries - the freebie visa. If I understand this, it has no affect on 60 day tourist visa's issued in your home country, or 90 day visa's.

I'm about to extend my 90 day non-immigrant O visa for married to a Thai - supporting a Thai. We are also pregnant.

I can't imagine any of this would affect someone like me.

[Totster]

I'm married to a Thai but so what. It doesn't get you much does it. I mean you can get a 90 visa from the get go extended for one month thereafter but then what?

The way I read it is that this will only affect those who enter on VOA. Those who have O/B visas are not affected.. what does everyone else think.. am I right ?

totster

[pistonpilot]

Can anyone provide the link to the Immigration website where this is spelled out? Hopefully in English.

[terry57]

jes--us,

what about all the casual farang working in the dive industry on the islands.

99% are on tourist visa's.

they'll be pissed.

bummer dude

[Netfan]

Okay, so I want to come to Asia on holiday. Let's say I don't live in a city with a Thai consulate and don't want to send my passport thru the mail. I'm not a backpacker. I arrive in Thailand, spend a couple of weeks, go to Vietnam for a week, come back to Thailand. After a couple of weeks I go to Siam Riep, come back to Thailand and go to Bali. Now I can't come back in to Thailand for 90 days, right? This will do wonders for the perception of Thailand as a "hub".

Edited September 10, 2006 by Netfan

[cclub75]

Just a precision : I am not happy with the real problems that some people will have, following this last gvt's move.

I just say that we need to understand, and aknowledge, that something real is happening, that Thailand is changing, and this is part of a large plan.

In the same way that Thaksin is cheating his own people, that we have corruption on an industrial scale... there is clearly a will to push Thailand toward the First World, on an economic, social and politic ground as well.

His dream is to change Thailand into a corporation-republic, like Singapore.

At this stage, only the defeat of Thaksin could change this and allow a status quo ante (but it's unlikely).

With this man, Thailand that we knew and loved (and hated too sometimes) will be history, quickly.

Write on a paper all what happened since 2001, and the first election of Thaksin, and you will see all the dots, and eventually the big picture.

[VanZam]

Good one immigration, you have just screwed Thailand out of a serious amount of money.

Idiots.

[blade63]

..so on my third and last 30 days extension all i have to do is to secure a 90 days (least) non-immigrant visa in Kuala Lumpur and stay again for about 3 months. after the 90 days lapse then go out again for 3 tourist visa runs...then 90 day non-immigrant visa again. Is this acceptable? a little expensive than before but possible isn't it?

[greg1965]

Does anyone know if when doing the investmnet visa in Thailand the 3 mil baht you depsit in a government bank account can be used as you see fit through out the year and then "topped off" at the end of the year?

Or is the 3 mil baht locked into the account for the entire year?

[basjke]

Okay, so I want to come to Asia on holiday. Let's say I don't live in a city with a Thai consulate and don't want to send my passport thru the mail. I'm not a backpacker. I arrive in Thailand, spend a couple of weeks, go to Vietnam for a week, come back to Thailand. After a couple of weeks I go to Siam Riep, come back to Thailand and go to Bali. Now I can't come back in to Thailand for 90 days, right? This will do wonders for the perception of Thailand as a "hub".

To me this looks as no problem because you go out of the country before your tourist visa was extended or expired.I think they will focus on the borderruns who leave and enter the country on the same day.

[basjke]

Does anyone know if when doing the investmnet visa in Thailand the 3 mil baht you depsit in a government bank account can be used as you see fit through out the year and then "topped off" at the end of the year?

Or is the 3 mil baht locked into the account for the entire year?

I think thats meaning of a fixed account.

[John K]

I can see where the Thais are coming from, and as this does not effect Thais directly it at first glance looks like a good idea. However as I said in the other thread it is not well thought out. Is there a problem, yes. will it hurt Thailand to fix this, yes. The reason is this is so entrenched into the Thai economy it will cause more than a ripple effect and be more like a tsunami. I know of many government schools that deliberately delay getting non B visas and work permits for their teachers. Many teachers have to foot the bill for the visa and work permit. Now the teachers will have some leverage in getting the school to foot the bill and demanding higher wages. It changes things from a buyers market to a sellers market very quickly. That is just one example on how it will cost Thailand.

I suspect this will be very short lived when the corrupt politicians notice that their cut is reduced or simply MIA.

And whatever would they do with that new EMPTY airport.

Edited September 10, 2006 by John K

[pistonpilot]

Okay, so I want to come to Asia on holiday. Let's say I don't live in a city with a Thai consulate and don't want to send my passport thru the mail. I'm not a backpacker. I arrive in Thailand, spend a couple of weeks, go to Vietnam for a week, come back to Thailand. After a couple of weeks I go to Siam Riep, come back to Thailand and go to Bali. Now I can't come back in to Thailand for 90 days, right? This will do wonders for the perception of Thailand as a "hub".

To me this looks as no problem because you go out of the country before your tourist visa was extended or expired.I think they will focus on the borderruns who leave and enter the country on the same day.

From where did you glean this gem?

[Rdrokit]

I'm married to a Thai but so what. It doesn't get you much does it. I mean you can get a 90 visa from the get go extended for one month thereafter but then what?

The way I read it is that this will only affect those who enter on VOA. Those who have O/B visas are not affected.. what does everyone else think.. am I right ?

totster

You are correct Toaster.

[punisher]

George wrote a lot of true stuff here

Well, what the hel_l! LOS makes it very easy to stay, just stick to the rules.

I had a company here and my proper work permit, and I was paying taxes. Now I am retired, and I got my proper retirement visa. Where is the problem? If anyone wants to stay here, (s)he should read the rules and decide if (s)he can accept it. If not, (s)he should stay where (s)he is. You always have the option to spend your holidays here.

Thank you for your attention,

a happy guy from Phuket, who got no visa problems.

khun jaydee,really nice guy,do u know how many people stay here ,with 30days visa and take care their thai familys?will u take care them or thai government ?really smart guy,reminds me of thais who are say "all farangs go out"