What about for those of us who do not need visas.

How does this affect us?

I am Canadian, my understanding is I don't need a visa.

I will be returning to Thailand in 3 weeks so it would be great to understand all this.

thanks,

CD

Chinadarling seconded my original post.. I am a U.S. citizen and currently as I understand it, don't require a visa to enter Thailand. Is the stamp that immigration puts in my passport a Visa On Arrival (VOA), or is it something else.?????

News from the new regulation:

This is coming from the Chief of Immigration.

1.Retirement Visa extension. If you have a foreign married spouse who is a dependent they will be able to get this dependent visa now. ( change of what has been happing the last couple weeks)

2.Retirement visa extension: If you have children under 20. They will no longer be able to get a dependent visa based on you having an extension of stay on retirement. They want these kids to get it based on education so they go to school.

3..Investment Visa extension: Will no longer be available after Oct 1st for new applicants on 3 million Baht.

4. Investment visa extension. For existing extension of stay holders of 3 million Baht, we are now being told this will now be grandfathered in and they will be able to get the extension forever as long as they renew. (Yes I know reversal from several hours ago but the government is aware that people bought condos before on this scheme and now will allow it.)

5.Now the news for frequent visitors: We have checked this upwards and backwards all day and it has been confirmed by a copy of the new regulation we have. If you have a visa on arrival more than three times in six months, you cannot come into Thailand without a visa from an Embassy/Consulate. When you enter Thailand, even if you are here just 1 hour, this counts as 30 days. If you come back 6 weeks later for 2 days, this again is 30 days. If you arrive a month later for 4 days, still counts as 30 days. When you leave, you cannot enter Thailand for 3.5 months without coming back with a visa. The reason is to force people who are supposed to have work permits to do so and pay tax.

Another example; you arrive for a week, this counts as 30 days, One month later 3 days and its 30 days, two months later and its for a two week period, still another 30 days. You can reenter Thailand in 6 weeks without having a visa.

6.On extension of stay based support of a Thai national (Marriage visa), before if you applied for this extension of stay, you would get a 30 day consideration stamp. Once you return in 30 days you would get the one year extension. Now it will be the same as an extension of stay based on business with the norm of three 30 day consideration stamps. Immigration will go out and check to see if it’s a real marriage or a sham before issuing the one year.

7.On an extension of stay based on being a Monk. No dependents will be allowed to get an extension of stay based on being a dependent.

http://www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

---

Your best choice:

Get a multiple Non-Immigrant Visa:

http://www.thaivisa.com/422.0.html

Is it now too late to apply for the 3m investment visa? I realize there are only 15 days left this month.

Good news.

They are accepting application till the end of the month. As long as you have a 30 day consideration stamp before Oct 1st and are approved, you will be 'grandfathered in"

By the way, the logic why they are doing away with the scheme. “It was too easy for mafia influences to get a visa as 3 million Baht was nothing for them.”

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

Sunbelt Asia,

Thanks for all your information. I have a question, do you know if this new regulation regarding border runs, are targetting at Lao Citizens as well, they are not part of the 41 country list, and I'm sure hoping they can still get unlimited 30 days, as this is a mutual visa agreement. Any idea ?

"Just get a visa and you will be allright"

Blah blah blah...

Well, the fact that this is running retrospectively from Oct. 1.

That some are located out of Thailand in places where it's not possible to part with your passport to send it in for approval.

That you have to apply 90 days in advance for approval (Just checked the with Thai embasssy in my homecountry)

This makes a lot of people being caught out right now on Oct 1. because they arent able to comply with this in a timely fashion to be able to make it back in the upcoming months.

"Just get a visa" my ass. I would if I could in a timely fashion, as would I think just about everyone who lives there on these terms and have commiments and are not doing anything illegal would.

Crack down on people without workpermits...Well, the authorities should go raid the companies offices and check people out instead of this crap.

Problem with legislations like this, it seldom effects the people that are doing anything illegal in the first place....Since they dont care and will just stay as illegal immigrants.

Stop the elitist comments, this is a real concern for a lot of people that havent done anything wrong other than using the Thai Immigration system as the Thais have set up themselves...

Ok, so now they change it, but the decent thing is to leave people the decent time to get their stuff sorted out so they are able to follow the new rules..

Like I said, most arent doing anything wrong, its the Thais that have had a faulty system in place and people have just used that, because it was convenient, rather than sending passports off for approval 3 months in advance....hel_l, I dont even know if I work in this job in 3 months...

Ok, I'll get off my chair now...

Sunbelt, thanks for you insight, knowledge and concern for those of us here.

Edited September 13, 200619 yr by Lightemup

I recently got a new passport so no stamps in it now. When going for a Tourist Visa, will they check in computer for previous stamps, or not? Been doing the Visa runs for quite a few months now.

Wheres best for a Tourist Visa , Penang or Laos?

time for everyone to lose their passports.

have a new one myself with only one entry stamp in it.

am i correct in thinking that the immigration computers work off the passport number only?

so if you have new passport it is effectively your first visit to thailand?

6.On extension of stay based support of a Thai national (Marriage visa), before if you applied for this extension of stay, you would get a 30 day consideration stamp. Once you return in 30 days you would get the one year extension. Now it will be the same as an extension of stay based on business with the norm of three 30 day consideration stamps. Immigration will go out and check to see if it’s a real marriage or a sham before issuing the one year.

Really? Guess I'd be better getting one through my work then as I would have to pay for Work Permit on three separate occasions, as I can only get it up til the day my visa expires.

Maybe I'll buy one for 10,000 baht, would save a lot of hassle.

I work 28 days in malaysia then come and stay in phuket for 28 days,how would all this effect me as i am out the country every second month ???consecutive means same day Yes,or is it different here

time for everyone to lose their passports.

have a new one myself with only one entry stamp in it.

am i correct in thinking that the immigration computers work off the passport number only?

so if you have new passport it is effectively your first visit to thailand?

Yes.

I work 28 days in malaysia then come and stay in phuket for 28 days,how would all this effect me as i am out the country every second month ???consecutive means same day Yes,or is it different here

Yes this will affect you, however, if you are able, it might be worth looking into an APEC card, assuming you are from Malaysia.

News from the new regulation:

This is coming from the Chief of Immigration.

1on this scheme and now will allow it.)

5.Now the news for frequent visitors: We have checked this upwards and backwards all day and it has been confirmed by a copy of the new regulation we have. If you have a visa on arrival more than three times in six months, you cannot come into Thailand without a visa from an Embassy/Consulate. When you enter Thailand, even if you are here just 1 hour, this counts as 30 days. If you come back 6 weeks later for 2 days, this again is 30 days. If you arrive a month later for 4 days, still counts as 30 days. When you leave, you cannot enter Thailand for 3.5 months without coming back with a visa. The reason is to force people who are supposed to have work permits to do so and pay tax.

Another example; you arrive for a week, this counts as 30 days, One month later 3 days and its 30 days, two months later and its for a two week period, still another 30 days. You can reenter Thailand in 6 weeks without having a visa.

---

Your best choice:

Get a multiple Non-Immigrant Visa:

http://www.thaivisa.com/422.0.html

Am I missing something here? The two examples cited above seem to describe the same circumstances, yet in the first it's stated that the person cannot come back until after 3.5 months, but the 2nd can after just 1.5 months.

???????????

The difference between the two is the time periods between the visits. In example one the person stayed for 1 hour, then 6 weeks later came back for 2 days, then 1 month later for 4 days, which is a total of 9 weeks, approx 2 and half months. Therefore they have to wait another 3 and half months to not have more than 3 stamps in 6 months. However, the second example, they come for a week, 1 month later for 3 days, and 2 months later for 2 weeks. This I make a total period of approx 4 months, considerably longer than the total period of 9 weeks described in the first example. I am a little confused as to why they can return after just 6 weeks, but maybe there's something I haven't quite understood after having read this whole thread. But basically, the difference between the two examples is the total time period of the three visits.

Cheers

News from the new regulation:

This is coming from the Chief of Immigration.

1on this scheme and now will allow it.)

5.Now the news for frequent visitors: We have checked this upwards and backwards all day and it has been confirmed by a copy of the new regulation we have. If you have a visa on arrival more than three times in six months, you cannot come into Thailand without a visa from an Embassy/Consulate. When you enter Thailand, even if you are here just 1 hour, this counts as 30 days. If you come back 6 weeks later for 2 days, this again is 30 days. If you arrive a month later for 4 days, still counts as 30 days. When you leave, you cannot enter Thailand for 3.5 months without coming back with a visa. The reason is to force people who are supposed to have work permits to do so and pay tax.

Another example; you arrive for a week, this counts as 30 days, One month later 3 days and its 30 days, two months later and its for a two week period, still another 30 days. You can reenter Thailand in 6 weeks without having a visa.

---

Your best choice:

Get a multiple Non-Immigrant Visa:

http://www.thaivisa.com/422.0.html

Am I missing something here? The two examples cited above seem to describe the same circumstances, yet in the first it's stated that the person cannot come back until after 3.5 months, but the 2nd can after just 1.5 months.

???????????

The difference between the two is the time periods between the visits. In example one the person stayed for 1 hour, then 6 weeks later came back for 2 days, then 1 month later for 4 days, which is a total of 9 weeks, approx 2 and half months. Therefore they have to wait another 3 and half months to not have more than 3 stamps in 6 months. However, the second example, they come for a week, 1 month later for 3 days, and 2 months later for 2 weeks. This I make a total period of approx 4 months, considerably longer than the total period of 9 weeks described in the first example. I am a little confused as to why they can return after just 6 weeks, but maybe there's something I haven't quite understood after having read this whole thread. But basically, the difference between the two examples is the total time period of the three visits.

Cheers

The 3.5 months, not six weks, is because the time is calculated not from date of departure, but date of expiry of stamp.

Regards

Thanks Sunbelt! Am I missing something or is it still not clear what happens if you already have 3 or more VOA's in your passport. Will we be turned away at the border on the next visa run after 1 Oct.?

Yes turned away unless you have a visa.

Oct 1 (as of now) does not mean the clock starts at zero. It starts the new policy on how many entries you already have in the past 6 months.

Just goto a Thai embasy/consulate overseas and get a single/double or triple entry. Easy. Then you can stay as a tourist for 3 months without having to leave. Every 3 months if on a single entry. Just go to another country and get another visa. Its not rocket science! Or am i wrong?

You are correct as long as you get the visa. The next directive of course will be to the Thai Consulates/Embassies and be something like this:

VERY URGENT!

It has come to our attention a number of foreigners are working illegal in Thailand, we therefore will stipulate that you issue a visa only after you question the foreign applicant who has had a number of recent entries into Thailand. On the 1st of every month, we will require a report on which applicants who you issued a visa and who you denied.

This is just a SAMPLE but as they say the handwriting is on the wall.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

Question-I've had too many entries so when my current stamp is up-Oct 2-I will be denied reentry-if I go to immigration on say Sept 29 will they still grant me my usual 15 day extension? As I said on another thread much thanks to you and George for sorting out fact and fiction-invaluable advice

a bit sick of hearing from the self-righteous.

regardless of why a person might choose a 30 stamp over a real visa,

here are some people affected.

"sam" - pays rent for a bar, supports a girlfriend, spends a lot of money in thaialnd.

"Joe" - pays rent to thai landlord for a shop and a house, supports a thai wife and 2 kids, spends a lot of money in thailand.

"Bill" - holidays for 4 months, rents an aprtment, supports a thai girlfriend, spends a lot of money in thailand.

"Tom" - a teacher, rents an apartment, supports a thai girlfriend, educates thai children, spends a lot of money in thailand, (and for those who understand, his various employers are unable or unwilling to provide a work permit)

these are just a few i know personally.

NOT affected:

the foreigner with a company and work permit via the company who is doing land/house development,

driving up prices and often contributing to the deteriorating amenity of samui in particular.

i do not believe that this silly stuff will in any increase tax receipts nor keep out undesirables.

It may be true, as one post suggested, that Thais are getting sick of so many foreigners and

now only want a limited number of wealthy ones.

But, as from the above, it will affect an awful lot of Thai landlords and girlfriends and even the 7-11.

"Joe" - pays rent to thai landlord for a shop and a house, supports a thai wife and 2 kids, spends a lot of money in thailand.

He should get a Visa easily

"Bill" - holidays for 4 months, rents an aprtment, supports a thai girlfriend, spends a lot of money in thailand.

Tourist Visa with an extension

"Tom" - a teacher, rents an apartment, supports a thai girlfriend, educates thai children, spends a lot of money in thailand, (and for those who understand, his various employers are unable or unwilling to provide a work permit)

Unlucky Guy but I think he is aware of what happen to him / his employer if they catch him without a work permit. Not only he has a problem, but his employer as well. If he can't find a school which is able to provide required documents then he should better look for another job or employer.

Sounds kind of hard, but unfortunately it's true....

Edited September 13, 200619 yr by kevinbkk

Yes, multiple entry visa is the way to go for frequent travellers to Thailand.

But I visited the Thai Embassy website for Los Angeles and it states clearly, "*** Non-immigrant visas will not be issued for such purposes as tourism, seeking employment opportunities, looking for a school for teaching or studying purposes, etc." Yet in the link you provided it shows a sample application with "Purpose of visit: holiday". So who is right? Or is there a different Non-immigrant visa available elsewhere that can be used for tourists? From the L.A. Thai Embassy site, the only purposes for which a Non-immigrant visa are issued are:

Conducting business and conference

Employment

Studying

Visiting family

Research

Religious activities

Can you, Sunbelt, or someone who knows for sure clear this up. I will try to contact my local Thai consulate tomorrow to see what they say, but if the Thai website is accurate, I'm screwed unless I want to apply for a single-entry tourist visa each and every time I visit Thailand.

As so many people I guess I'm also stuck, just waiting for (enough) money from abroad when I have sold my property to be able to arrange things how they should be. Doing nothing illegal here, peacefull beeing married and shoveling money into this country of ad-hoc decisions.

As a lot of cases are different I cannot find the answer at the following:

do they check also their computerfiles or are they only viewing the amount of visable visa; as I just used a new passport so they only can see the September-one.

By the way, I just heard from somebody (Thai) that she phoned to Emigration BKK and the lips are tight! NOBODY knows, so I think there is radio-silence untill the final orders from Emigration as Sunbelt announced to be at the 15th.

They only said to visit their site and mentioned something about changing rules for marriage-visa! OH no!!!! Increase???

A tip:

when you are using a brand-new passport and want to leave Thailand calculate some time extra for optional Emigration handling: you will be sent back to a seperate office to transfer your excisting visa in the old passport into the new one. Only after that you can go to stamp-out! There they asked me 40 Baht for the fees (?). Time at a "normal" border without queus around 20 minutes. So be carefull when you are "last-minute" at the airport!

Yes, multiple entry visa is the way to go for frequent travellers to Thailand.

But I visited the Thai Embassy website for Los Angeles and it states clearly, "*** Non-immigrant visas will not be issued for such purposes as tourism, seeking employment opportunities, looking for a school for teaching or studying purposes, etc." Yet in the link you provided it shows a sample application with "Purpose of visit: holiday". So who is right? Or is there a different Non-immigrant visa available elsewhere that can be used for tourists? From the L.A. Thai Embassy site, the only purposes for which a Non-immigrant visa are issued are:

Conducting business and conference

Employment

Studying

Visiting family

Research

Religious activities

Can you, Sunbelt, or someone who knows for sure clear this up. I will try to contact my local Thai consulate tomorrow to see what they say, but if the Thai website is accurate, I'm screwed unless I want to apply for a single-entry tourist visa each and every time I visit Thailand.

LA has a rep for not being flexible. Try some other smaller consulates. Contact them and ask them directly whether they will grant for your reasons. Maybe the next few months isn't the best time though during crackdown mode.

A tip:

when you are using a brand-new passport and want to leave Thailand calculate some time extra for optional Emigration handling: you will be sent back to a seperate office to transfer your excisting visa in the old passport into the new one. Only after that you can go to stamp-out! There they asked me 40 Baht for the fees (?). Time at a "normal" border without queus around 20 minutes. So be carefull when you are "last-minute" at the airport!

I normally do this at Suan Phlu Immigration in Bangkok. I don't think they charged me the last time, but that was some years ago.

a bit sick of hearing from the self-righteous.

regardless of why a person might choose a 30 stamp over a real visa,

here are some people affected.

"sam" - pays rent for a bar, supports a girlfriend, spends a lot of money in thaialnd.

"Joe" - pays rent to thai landlord for a shop and a house, supports a thai wife and 2 kids, spends a lot of money in thailand.

"Bill" - holidays for 4 months, rents an aprtment, supports a thai girlfriend, spends a lot of money in thailand.

"Tom" - a teacher, rents an apartment, supports a thai girlfriend, educates thai children, spends a lot of money in thailand, (and for those who understand, his various employers are unable or unwilling to provide a work permit)

these are just a few i know personally.

NOT affected:

the foreigner with a company and work permit via the company who is doing land/house development,

driving up prices and often contributing to the deteriorating amenity of samui in particular.

i do not believe that this silly stuff will in any increase tax receipts nor keep out undesirables.

It may be true, as one post suggested, that Thais are getting sick of so many foreigners and

now only want a limited number of wealthy ones.

But, as from the above, it will affect an awful lot of Thai landlords and girlfriends and even the 7-11.

Agree with you

See my other post:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?s=...st&p=891508

If Sam, Bill, Bob and Bo pays tax from revenue gahtered from the bar they should have the option to stay here or at least get a few more weeks to clean their act.

What bothers me is also the staff at those bars or restaurants - no bar - no job - no money.

This dosent just effect those guys but Thai guys and girls to and the family they support.

In other more civil countries there would be a lot of bureaucratic writing going on before concluding the deportaitionof people.

I wonder just how busy the official Thailand is going to be the next couple of weeks, month taking care overstay, deportation, rounding up the "criminals". finding out what to do with al does bars and restaurants what is legal what isnt. All this at the same time opening a new airport and controlling an election...coupe de etate and AIS deals, Dtac, Carrefour...

Makes you wonder what the insurgents is fighting for in the South? I mean Malaysia and Indonesia is more open than Thailand is at the moment.

I dont have many foreigners in my "space" and I do avoid it. But I understand these peoples frustration.

Someone wrote it was American to think and change the world - No buddy I am sorry you dont have a patent on that - and where does American people originate from?

It is still legal to give critics in this country and to other countries beoynd your own.

In Thailand it has been encouraged lately.

And living by the law is fine I agree to do that, but it dosent mean you just shut your eyes and mouth and brain for what seems wrong.

If you are guest in another peoples home and see something is wrong do you just sit there and look?

Laws are laws but it dosent mean they cant change - the world changes and so does the laws - mostly to the benefit of most people, sometimes not. You overcome and you adapt or you make your voices heard. That is democracy. It is also dmeocracy that people will write posts where they say - yeah fine get rid of those bums. But what makes this annoying is the timeline of the process and the bottomline of the process, that it not only affect those who havent paid tax, it will affect the Thais living and supporting familes from those establishments or diving school or what have you.

Killing mosquitos with canons

cutter007, you mention in your post that for the registration of a thai company, and getting a work permit from it, you need a capital of 2 million bahts, but you only have to pay 500000 bahts. My Thai lawyer says that I have to transfer from my country the total amount of the 2 million bahts. It seems there may have been a change in the regulation, regarding the non financial assets.

Could you clarify this point? Many thanks.

cutter007, you mention in your post that for the registration of a thai company, and getting a work permit from it, you need a capital of 2 million bahts, but you only have to pay 500000 bahts. My Thai lawyer says that I have to transfer from my country the total amount of the 2 million bahts. It seems there may have been a change in the regulation, regarding the non financial assets.

Could you clarify this point? Many thanks.

One thing's certain: it isn't a requirement that all 2 M comes from abroad. Actually, al least 51% of investment capital is supposed to come from Thai - and genuine - investors.

I would also like to add that a lot of Thai businesses will go belly up. I know many Thais who run dive ops in the Gulf and Andaman and they rely on foreign divers to teach. The shops can't afford to sponsor the dive master and rely on the visa run system to stay afloat. And it's not like a Thai can easily fill the position. How many Thais are certified divers, fluent in English and another language such as German,Swedish etc... And let's not forget all the associated businesses such as hotels,restaraunts, visa run companies,dive shop support staff......Smart move Taksin!

Well, you are right, many Companies rely on foreign workers, BUT then they should take care of the correct paper work.

Can a company in the States or Europe employ someone without Work permit only because he speaks another Language or whatever? I don't think so.....

Every Chef in a German Thai Restaurant need to have a Work permit and if he don't he simply get arrested if the Government check out the place.

Companies in US employ illegals and it has nothing to do with the linguistics.

Or is there a different Non-immigrant visa available elsewhere that can be used for tourists? From the L.A. Thai Embassy site, the only purposes for which a Non-immigrant visa are issued are:

Conducting business and conference

Employment

Studying

Visiting family

Research

Religious activities

its all covered in other posts, but a bit messy.

only know that for a non-Imm B (business) for employment you need lots of documents from your employer in Thailand to prove everything.

and now in Penang

the multiple entry tourist visa is a SINGLE entry tourist visa (with 1 extension).

and this is today.

lets see if all visas are cancelled next week.

Is it now too late to apply for the 3m investment visa? I realize there are only 15 days left this month.

Good news.

They are accepting application till the end of the month. As long as you have a 30 day consideration stamp before Oct 1st and are approved, you will be 'grandfathered in"

By the way, the logic why they are doing away with the scheme. “It was too easy for mafia influences to get a visa as 3 million Baht was nothing for them.”

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

When you have a 30 day consideration stamp,are you allowed to leave the country during that period or will this delete the whole process.

Or is there a different Non-immigrant visa available elsewhere that can be used for tourists? From the L.A. Thai Embassy site, the only purposes for which a Non-immigrant visa are issued are:

Conducting business and conference

Employment

Studying

Visiting family

Research

Religious activities

its all covered in other posts, but a bit messy.

only know that for a non-Imm B (business) for employment you need lots of documents from your employer in Thailand to prove everything.

and now in Penang

the multiple entry tourist visa is a SINGLE entry tourist visa (with 1 extension).

and this is today.

lets see if all visas are cancelled next week.

I've read most, though not all the posts on this subject, but George's post and the link pointed to it was the first I saw where it was stated that the Non-immigrant visa could be used for frequent travellers (tourists). I've checked the websites for many of the Thai consulates around the world and they all basically say the same thing....the non-immigrant visa is not for tourists, yet the application form in the link provided by George shows a non-immigrant visa application form for purposes of touring. This just seems to be to be totally wrong/misleading information. At first I thought I just had missed out on a good solution to my problem, but now it seems it is no solution. I will though check directly with some of the consulates to see if they will unofficially allow what they officially state is not possible.

time for everyone to lose their passports.

have a new one myself with only one entry stamp in it.

am i correct in thinking that the immigration computers work off the passport number only?

so if you have new passport it is effectively your first visit to thailand?

I think not!!! Due to the new biometric software, RFID inserts in Passports and a host of other gadgets designed to weed the bad people being hunted worldwide. These tools can be used to catch and doublecheck on mutiple passport holders and countless other situations.

Arrivals at many locations worldwide including major entry points of Thailand are already having their biometric data recorded. That includes facial recognition software being used and a host of other tools to identify travellers

As Cat Stevens used to sing "Find a girl, settle down, look at me, I am old, but, I'm happy"

Edited September 13, 200619 yr by mouse

time for everyone to lose their passports.

have a new one myself with only one entry stamp in it.

am i correct in thinking that the immigration computers work off the passport number only?

so if you have new passport it is effectively your first visit to thailand?

Yes.

they have computers and or able to track all entry and exits in the country, just get a visa and stop playing games

time for everyone to lose their passports.

have a new one myself with only one entry stamp in it.

am i correct in thinking that the immigration computers work off the passport number only?

so if you have new passport it is effectively your first visit to thailand?

Yes.

they have computers and or able to track all entry and exits in the country, just get a visa and stop playing games

What like a triple entry tourist visa from Penang? Many people who have been living in Thailand for years legally and not doing anything illegal now will find difficulty getting any visa. So please stop saying get a visa, to someone who can't, its cold.

Surely the worst scenerio for anyone is a visa run to Penang for a SINGLE entry tourist visa, which with extensions is good for 105 days;

then after that is done, a series of the allowed 3 visa runs to Cambodia, then after 3 VOA's back to Penang for a SINGLE entry tourist visa, then the 105 days .....etc. Geditt?

Companies in US employ illegals and it has nothing to do with the linguistics.

Sure they do and it is illegal. It is illegal in the US and here so there is no difference....