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

[willysson]

Now as funny as I find this for all the visa runners who have now got to actually get the correct legal visa or sod off. I mean what would happen in the UK if people were doing it!

There is a large problem from my view as from 2 weeks time me and my Lao wife are moving to Laos to build a house (I will have a full 1 year immgration visa in Laos) - however we will be frequently needing to nip over to Nong Khai for provisions etc. what is supposed to happen then? We'll only be over the border then back in the same day - this a regular thing for Lao and Thai people doing trade in Laos/Thailand.

So does this change mean it can't happen - as it'll completely ###### up many things there. I would imagine there is work around for this for people entering from the country of there legal abode? As it just won't make sense otherwise.

Oh by the way all you visa runners don't come Laos . . . Thanks.

You can't extend your Visa for 90 days anyway so there is no point!

Edit: Why do people think people who are truly holidaying in Thailand will care that the holiday visa rules have been tightened? The only people who are totally against it are people who are living and working in Thailand illegally by doing visa runs.

Other people who travel frequently in and out of thailand for business and trade - are the ones with genuine concerns over it.

As funny as I find this for the people that'll be stuck in Laos .......

You should get a job for a tabloid you obviously have the art of taking words out of context and not understanding fully want I'm saying.

I think it fun that people who think they can go live and work in Thailand indefinately without correct visa are now crying there little hearts out as they've been found out. Yes funny i'm 'stuck' in Laos legally and can stay and work without a problem - but you've got go back to the UK, US or where ever or just go Cambodia . . . .

If you read the rest of my post you'd see there is a real concern - other than your problems of not having legal visa status in Thailand.

[david96]

I do not think anyone really knows what will happen ,one must wait until Oct 1 to find out.

The most likely result might be the following, Entry stamps-90days in 90 out, 60 day tourist visas 180 days in 180 days out , up to a maximum of 180 days in one year.

You could have as many visa exempt entry stamps as you like provided you did not exceed 180 days in one year-90 in 90 out 90 in 90 out.

[A_Traveller]

I do not think anyone really knows what will happen ,one must wait until Oct 1 to find out.

The most likely result might be the following, Entry stamps-90days in 90 out, 60 day tourist visas 180 days in 180 days out , up to a maximum of 180 days in one year.

You could have as many visa exempt entry stamps as you like provided you did not exceed 180 days in one year-90 in 90 out 90 in 90 out.

Whilst agreeing that there is no formal clarity, I have to disagree with the exempt stamps point as I read it. If there are 3 such stamps in the past 180 days as of 1st October a visa exempt entry will not be possible, entry will only be allowed by formal visa, issued prior to arrival {last point is very unclear at the present, in other words it may be permissable to apply for a Visa on Entry}

Regards

[Isan999]

Today my wife ring some immigration office near the border of Cambodia and them tell her no problems ad all after you can do the visa run but every 15 day.

Edited September 13, 2006 by Isan999

[chinthai]

60 day tourist visas 180 days in 180 days out

I think not...

A realy tourist visa you can get only vom outside Thailand. The new rules are only for the VOA´s

not for other Visa types.

From 1st of October, you can without problem have a NO-0 Visa, i.e. you are married with a Thai or support a Thai child.

Without marry with a Thai citizen, maybe the time will be harder :-(

[LoveDaBlues]

I would appreciate some info on visas reading all the posts has me totally confused. I have moved to bangkok retired but problem for me now is on money requirements of 65000 baht a month i am only getting 57000 baht now till june when my child support ends so just a little short on money requirements. I have a thai girl friend and her daughter that i am supporting considering marriage would that help my cause? Also somebody mentioned visa from other country stay overnight to get what would that be? Any information i can get from you apppreciated greatly starting to panic.

robbie, the only thing provided by your country's Embassy (with regards to the retirement visa) is a notarized statement that you have 65,000 baht or more monthly income.

I'm an American and will submit my application for the retirement visa soon. I might get flamed for saying this but every single American I have talked to said the US Embassy is just 'rubber stamping' this form without wanting to see any real proof of the income you state on the form.

Why don't you just give it a shot? Go to your Embassy; fill out the form; pay the fee and see if they will notarize. If they ask for proof (doubtful) just play dumb. The worst that can happen is they don't notarize.

ps - probably would be a good idea to dress sharply.

[cclub75]

Note to admins and sponsor :

please, post a "pinned" message on top of forum. With all the facts.

We have too many threads, too many people who are "jumping on the train" after, without understand anything and the threads are toooo long.

I know it's good for traffic... But really you should close all thoses crazy threads, put some pinned infos, and then let people react or ask questions.

[Remo]

I would appreciate some info on visas reading all the posts has me totally confused. I have moved to bangkok retired but problem for me now is on money requirements of 65000 baht a month i am only getting 57000 baht now till june when my child support ends so just a little short on money requirements. I have a thai girl friend and her daughter that i am supporting considering marriage would that help my cause? Also somebody mentioned visa from other country stay overnight to get what would that be? Any information i can get from you apppreciated greatly starting to panic.

robbie, the only thing provided by your country's Embassy (with regards to the retirement visa) is a notarized statement that you have 65,000 baht or more monthly income.

I'm an American and will submit my application for the retirement visa soon. I might get flamed for saying this but every single American I have talked to said the US Embassy is just 'rubber stamping' this form without wanting to see any real proof of the income you state on the form.

Why don't you just give it a shot? Go to your Embassy; fill out the form; pay the fee and see if they will notarize. If they ask for proof (doubtful) just play dumb. The worst that can happen is they don't notarize.

ps - probably would be a good idea to dress sharply.

There is so much confusion going with all these posts with many of the same questions happening again and again. I'm not complaining! as for each of us we are affected in different ways

Once there is some final clarity on the exact results as we all fit into a range of categorys

- My visa is X what does that mean if I travel x times

- Or I'm married/getting married

- I can only live in TH by doing VOA

etc...

Yes there are other categories but I think we need to put these into one set post for each iten like we have at the top of each forum

This situation is MASSIVE news for 000's & 000's of us in different ways, but as I am writing this on page 51 of a thread no sense will be ever made of each persons situation/worry of where they fit into and it needs to split out into a set of categorys and would be good to have some FAQs (when we have all the information) and do it that way

More and more posts are popping up covering a lot of the same ground because of all the confusion

Its not a complaint, its a suggestion, 750 + posts covering all the different scenarios will just mean another 750 posts

Can I also say if Sunbelt had not provided as much information as they have and worked so hard on this, I for one would not sleep tonight!! Without SB this would be "rumour" (well it is a bit ) hel_l

I am not writing this post because it does not affect me as my Visa situation has questions around it, its just I think the admins need to start splitting it out

In the meantime Thaivisa should run a competition for the person that correctly guess how many posts and views are made within the next 10 days. What would the winner get? well visa for life in TH sounds goods to me

Just my 2 cents

Edited September 13, 2006 by Remo

[N47HAN]

L O S........ L M F A O

[Big Dogster]

I have said this before and I will say it again, I dont think anybody really knows whats going on beyond the press stories. Sunbelt has worked hard and is very well intended but I think these changes are happening so fast that even he has no more a grip of whats going on than anyone else regarding the changes. It's beyond anyone's control, one thing comes out of immi, then gets contradicted, so who the <deleted> knows? Like what's going to happen with tourist visas, I have no idea, you dont know and sunbelt doesnt know. It's all pure speculation.

[N47HAN]

Question....

An expat is currently on jaunt somewhere after doing multiple visa runs this year. He returns Oct 2nd after his happy hols looking forward to putting his feet up backin his condo . Then he gets to the border with all his dirtywashing and a few quid left from his spending.

WILL THEY REALLY REFUSE ENTRY?

[Remo]

I am well aware that all we are is speculating on speculation, just saying what I would do when its clearer

Until its Black and White its like fighting with your feet, pointless, what I was meaning to say was if i wasnt clear, when we 100% know as issued by the Govt can we separate out some sections as having one section that says "this is the way it is will cause the same reaction" millions of post from people in different situation

In terms of Sunbelt I just think they have been very helpful and involved, but I am not going to plan my requirements for the future unless I have dealt with a govt agency

So my point was meant to be, end the speculation, lets hear the official version, as people have different visa, exceptions etc.. can the forum prepare to create categories for that

Edited September 13, 2006 by Remo

[Patex]

Question....

An expat is currently on jaunt somewhere after doing multiple visa runs this year. He returns Oct 2nd after his happy hols looking forward to putting his feet up backin his condo . Then he gets to the border with all his dirtywashing and a few quid left from his spending.

WILL THEY REALLY REFUSE ENTRY?

Nobody thinking about an open ending border Piss up in Cambodia??

What will happen after your 30 day Visa for Cambo is expiring??

Return to sender (LOS)?

Free flight to your homecountry??

Killing Fields???

[John K]

One thing that was pointed out to me this week, the Thais never retract a statement because they would lose face. Instead they never follow through. This is certainly a significant part of what I call 60-20-20, and I suspect there is a good chance it would apply.

Has anyone checked the Thai immigration website to see if any of this has been posted? During my last check on Tuesday I saw no mention of it.

[sriracha john]

"Post" Mailbag Letter:

Visa rules and cheap pseudo-nationalism Re: ''New visa policy is a typical overreaction'' (Postbag, Sept 12). Obviously inspired by Thaksin's sweeping critical thinking, the Immigration Bureau has not considered several conditions and points arising from the new policy:

1) The full announcement has only appeared on Forbes (www.forbes.com), an overseas business magazine of specialised readership, and not in the local dailies which would give a widespread notice; in effect, such very short notice rather smacks of intentional entrapment, such as in the Karen religious ceremony. It has been reported only on one website.

2) The curtailed announcement by the local newspapers does not give its full implications, which puts the question: to what extent they now toe Thaksin's line.

3) It is great a deterrent to tourists, especially retirees, who plan to come to Thailand for long holidays and cannot rely on their visa validity on their arrival, open as it is to the whims of a xenophobic Immigration Bureau.

4) By extension, the policy, contrary to world and ASEAN trends, and the way it has been announced, does not project an inviting image to foreign investors, as it underlines the uncertainty of the Thai government's continuing caprice and not their increasing fairness and reliability.

Direct damage to the Thai people is rather complex to define. Certainly, the micro-economies hinging on the visa runs will be destroyed.

The railways already suffer a very sharp drop in farang passengers, very little due to the southern unrest.

The greatest impact will be on the jobs for which Thais have no skills, which are many, and related multiplier factors because of the overcomplicated Thai conditions of employment: i.e., it is likely that more than two-thirds of the farang teachers will disappear, leaving schools and language centres undermanned _ all in the name of raising students' education standards, of course.

Instead of indulging in cheap pseudo-nationalistic whims, Thaksin should consider first the benefits of the foreigners' contribution and facilitate and regularise their presence here.

KRABONG KUVERAKORN

[travelguy]

Triple Entry Tourist Visa FINISHED in Penang

As of Tuesday the consulate in Penang has stopped the issuance of the triple entry tourist visa and is instead issuing the single entry tourist visa.

This has been confirmed.

[dekka007]

Has anyone checked the Thai immigration website to see if any of this has been posted? During my last check on Tuesday I saw no mention of it.

UK Thai Consulate has posted a small statement on their website front page.

http://www.thaiconsul-uk.com/

[John K]

That is on a consulate and not on the main immigration site. There are two things that can be done about this. First know that the Thais are reading this and perhaps using our comments to help sort out this bad decision and see what collective thinking comes up with. So far, in general it will hurt Thais as well as visa holders. I suspect they will make some tax money but that will be nothing as compared to what they will lose in general income and what negative effects it will have on the Thai economy. For every 1000 gain perhaps 50000 lost.

What to do:

Continue to post what you predict will happen to the Thais based on your personal observations and opinions, and wait and see if it actually Starts on October 1. That is about all we can do. I suspect that already changes are being made because of just how much more it will hurt Thailand. This is one of the things that looks good on paper to the Thais and that is about all.

They will care about what happens to the Thais and not visa holders. So That is what they need to see here.

Edited September 14, 2006 by John K

[Martin]

I have been finding that there is quite considerable (muted but strongly felt) disquiet among some middle-class Thais about the number of 'undesirable farang men' who are settling in cities in Thailand, beyond the "written off" areas of Koh Samui, Phuket, Pattaya and the sleazy parts of Bangkok.

These Thais are not ones who will lose out financially if clamping down on these 'undesirable farang men' (who bring little, or negative, 'social capital' to Thailand) hits tourism, too.

I would be interested to hear of the replies to such electors, and to tourism-serving electors, from electoral candidates with whom the subject of this thread is raised!!

[marquess]

Has anyone checked the Thai immigration website to see if any of this has been posted? During my last check on Tuesday I saw no mention of it.

UK Thai Consulate has posted a small statement on their website front page.

http://www.thaiconsul-uk.com/

Well it looks like the ripples will have permeated everywhere, and all of those who previously managed to get multiple entry Non Immigrants, from Hull, might find the criteria has been tightened up a bit. Maybe even so in at Dallas and Huston and possibly Perth!

[sriracha john]

Just got a call from Cambodian border @ Aranyaprathet.

Police rejected whole bunch of Filipinos on Oct 1st grounds.

It's already started....

[Jai Dee]

I have been finding that there is quite considerable (muted but strongly felt) disquiet among some middle-class Thais about the number of 'undesirable farang men' who are settling in cities in Thailand, beyond the "written off" areas of Koh Samui, Phuket, Pattaya and the sleazy parts of Bangkok.

These Thais are not ones who will lose out financially if clamping down on these 'undesirable farang men' (who bring little, or negative, 'social capital' to Thailand) hits tourism, too.

I too have heard (first-hand) of such sentiment.

[suiging]

I have been finding that there is quite considerable (muted but strongly felt) disquiet among some middle-class Thais about the number of 'undesirable farang men' who are settling in cities in Thailand, beyond the "written off" areas of Koh Samui, Phuket, Pattaya and the sleazy parts of Bangkok.

These Thais are not ones who will lose out financially if clamping down on these 'undesirable farang men' (who bring little, or negative, 'social capital' to Thailand) hits tourism, too.

I too have heard (first-hand) of such sentiment.

JD

What was their definition of " Undesirable " ?

[johnwills]

Has anyone checked the Thai immigration website to see if any of this has been posted? During my last check on Tuesday I saw no mention of it.

UK Thai Consulate has posted a small statement on their website front page.

http://www.thaiconsul-uk.com/

Well it looks like the ripples will have permeated everywhere, and all of those who previously managed to get multiple entry Non Immigrants, from Hull, might find the criteria has been tightened up a bit. Maybe even so in at Dallas and Huston and possibly Perth!

I use this Consulate and to be honest they are excellent, I don't see any comments on the site that will effect anyone who wishes to get a Multi Entry Non Im 'O' visa.

[MiG16]

Im surprised to hear all the complaints, but then again quite often that i have seen farangs try to apply double standards. when thais enter your countries as tourists there are also restrictions imposed and we are expected to abide by the rules set by your country. fair enough. and yes admit that there are those that overstay..the so-called robin hoods as they are known in the US for instance. but they have certain consequences and risks they must bear with that.

what i dont understand is, how does that justify your complaints when you are breaking the rules of thailand? a tourist visa as the name says, allows you to visit and tour the country, and yes they leave room for extension so that those genuinely interested can stay longer and explore more of our culture. it is not a mechanism to let people abuse it so they can stay and work simply because they like it, or for whatever reason.r

dont get me wrong...i always appreciate when foreigners appreciate our country. but same way, when i visit other countries like in europe or australia, sure there are places i like so much and become so attach to and would like to stay longer, eihter work there, live there or whatever. but I can only do it based on the terms and conditions set by the respective countries.

does same rule not apply when you guys and gals visit our country? do we deserve less respect?

really curious to hear more on this.......

and before we go into any debate, let me add again that I enjoy having you here, learning more about you, your contribution to our society, the interaction, dynamism etc that you bring to the local culture

[San_Belgium]

Im surprised to hear all the complaints, but then again quite often that i have seen farangs try to apply double standards. when thais enter your countries as tourists there are also restrictions imposed and we are expected to abide by the rules set by your country. fair enough. and yes admit that there are those that overstay..the so-called robin hoods as they are known in the US for instance. but they have certain consequences and risks they must bear with that.

what i dont understand is, how does that justify your complaints when you are breaking the rules of thailand? a tourist visa as the name says, allows you to visit and tour the country, and yes they leave room for extension so that those genuinely interested can stay longer and explore more of our culture. it is not a mechanism to let people abuse it so they can stay and work simply because they like it, or for whatever reason.r

dont get me wrong...i always appreciate when foreigners appreciate our country. but same way, when i visit other countries like in europe or australia, sure there are places i like so much and become so attach to and would like to stay longer, eihter work there, live there or whatever. but I can only do it based on the terms and conditions set by the respective countries.

does same rule not apply when you guys and gals visit our country? do we deserve less respect?

really curious to hear more on this.......

and before we go into any debate, let me add again that I enjoy having you here, learning more about you, your contribution to our society, the interaction, dynamism etc that you bring to the local culture

Dear MIG16, talking about double standards, well when you compare the rules in western countries with those in Thailand there are more than double standards in Thailand I think.

You make it sound like the Thai authorities now take the standards up to the western level and this has to be respected. But standards are not taken to western level, only the part which is convinient is copied. There are duties and rights. Thailand only copies the duties. The rights you never get.

In the west it might also be hard to get a visa, but when you are 'in' you can also have the benefits and get the same rights as the local population.

In Thailand you have to adapt to the tough visa restrictions, and then you still are third rank citizen without any rights (not even the right to own property... If you marry a European you will get the right to go live there without having to prove a large amount on your bankaccount, get healthcare, you can acquire the nationality, even vote... you get rights. Not in Thailand. The list of double standards is too long to go over in detail here)

To cut down on illegal workers is one thing, to make genuine tourists suffer is another.

If it is about tackling illegal workers why dont they go check all the places where everybody knows they are ? If this is really about reducing illegal workers?

A lot of people that want to come on a LONG holiday, a sabbatical of a year for example (graduated students, people on career break...), are NOT illegal workers and yet cannot stay in the country anymore after 90 days. And why? It is hurting decent people who love your country and just want to spend their money here on a long holiday !

you say about tourist visa's "they leave room for extension", well no, with the new rules they don't in thailand. After 90 days you're out. And this includes 2 visa-runs already. When you get a 90 days tourist visa for Europe you don't have to do 2 visa runs do you? A 90 day tourist visa doesn't even exist for Thailand, and this for a country with one of the main drivers of the economy "tourism".

And to not inform about the new rules beforehand, to allow time for the concerned people to adapt, not even set the clock at zero from october 1, is also a big injustice.

It has got nothing to do with you or Thai people "not deserving respect". It are the new regulations that might not deserve that much respect because it are short-sighted populist solutions where everybody loses out (Thailand, the Thai people and the farangs).

Other countries can only dream of a being popular destination like thailand.

Dont kill the chicken with the golden eggs.

[John K]

Ok putting together the dots here.

Story first appeared in Forbes and if memory serves China. (Why not here?)

The mostly people that tend to read Forbes are the CEO types (Thaksin) not tourists.

No information on the Thai immigration website. (Should be the first place not the last)

Very limited Information (call for more info) on the Thai UK consulate website.

(Same place Thaksin happens to be by the way)

No information on the Thai consulate New York website. (Busy consulate)

This is looking more and more like a elaborate deception to take peoples attention away from the political issues.

Think about the act for the car bomb and how hard they are trying to make it look real. It is really nothing to go through the motions and make this visa thing look real. Turn some Filipino people back at the border before the start date only adds a sense of reality. It has nothing to do with the change but was said to strengthen the suggestion that it is real. It may have been for some other reason. Lies are being generated wholesale by Thaksin and the TRT, keep that in mind as it is part of Thai politics. We tend to be very accurate in what we see in Thaksin’s game and post on it here and other places, so what better way to divert our attention. Thais do read what we post and it does help them to see things from another point of view.

Has any of this appeared in Thai papers?

In one post they said Penang was not doing 3 entry visas any more. It was mentioned Penang would be doing that long before anyone even knew the name John Karr, I think 2 or 3 months ago.

I trust what Sunbelt says but they could have been deliberately given false information to make it look real. Thaksin will stop at nothing so what is another lie to him. I suspect Sunbelt may just be a unknowing pawn in Thai politics.

In reality for Thailand, this visa plan amounts to applying a tourniquet to the neck to stop a bloody nose.

Edited September 14, 2006 by John K

[terryp]

Why should anything be on Consulate or Embassy websites?....people looking on these sites will most probably want information for obtaining the correct Visa not skirting around it with repeated 30 day stamps

Edited September 14, 2006 by terryp

[keekwai]

That's not such a good news for Thailand! I'm coming to thailand every 2 months to buy merchandise and send it out by container. If I'm not allowed to get into Thailand any more afer 2 or 3 visits, I'll have to do my purchases somewhere else. It seems China is going to be my next destination.

Sorry for the business with Thailand. I'll have to tell this the companies I'm trading with.

This is the thing oz457 surely, I see many people complaining about this, most of them falangs but what about the thai business owners, isn't it in their interest to investigate considering it is them who will suffer the most financially??

For crickys sake! .. It must be a pretty lousy business if he can't afford a few bucks for a tourist visa. If he is coming every two months .. what's the problem with getting a two month tourist visa every two months. Every business has overheads. The cost of a bloody tourist visa wont bankrupt his shoddy export business .. surely!! Stop being bloody Prima Donnas!

Edited September 14, 2006 by keekwai

[AndyCanfield]

I'm ready to beam you up and out. You have a THAI wife and kids? If that is so, then why didn't you just do the 1 year extension to a proper non-immigrant visa for supporting your wife and kids?

Because immigration requires a billion baht sitting in the bank doing nothing. My wife and I went through this a few years ago and when we learned the 'price' we gave up. I told them that if I had that much money I'd give it to her and she'd buy rice fields. Ironically, although it may be designed to guarantee her support, it couldn't be in her name, or joint; it had to be be in my name. So if I died or ran out on her, she would be destitute.