On-arrival Visas: 90 Days And You’re Out!

[crocodilexp]

3m baht is nothing

How about I give you my address, and you send me a little "nothing"?

3M bath is NOT nothing -- last time I checked the U.S. GDP per capita is $40k, which is about half of that. Therefore, 3M is at least 6 year's savings for an average person in the West (assuming 1/3 tax, 1/3 saved, 1/3 to live on -- this is being very frugal). Putting this kind of money in a 3rd world country with a history of problems (anyone remember 1997 and 25 to 40 fall in baht/$ rate) is NOT for the faint of heart.

I can't believe how smug some people are here. When I see the selfish comments of some people here, it almost makes me feel good that Thailand might be getting rid of at least some of them.

Of course, Thailand has a sovereign right to kick out all the foreigners and not let any in if they so desire. This regulation is creating problems for many people, and is not going to bring much good to Thailand -- even if they reverted to the old policy tomorrow, the damage caused by the FUD is still substantial.

[Incobart]

I did not say : leave it as it is, I say GO CATCH ILLEGAL WORKERS AND CRIMINALS ON THE FIELD !

whats your anwser to many of us who like to live here, have enough money to support themselves and spend here and do not have to work ?

Who mayby leaved there job and sold everything in homecountry who have many friends here and a loveone here ? Who respect thaiculture and are peacefull, Why are they catalogued under "scum ?"

I already expressed my concern and will do so again:

'The only odd ones out are the retirees who are in a bit of a quandry; either invest 10m; go outside the country to get visas from time to time or start a business. these people should rightfully be pi$$ed off at the vast numbers of illegal workers and serial VOA people living here but using a tourist VOA to do so; like the Thais having to apply for a VIsa to visit USA it is a minority that ruin it for everyone.'

and

'There is a small minority here that are affected, and I hope you can find a solution.'

I can only reiterate:

- go and get a visa and register yourself through the VISA system with proof that you aren't working and have the means to stay (this is either an investment visa will be 10m or a tourist visa which you will have to go out and back to get or an elite card).

ok thanks, just one question, how you proof you not working ?

[samiotis]

Breaking News - Neck breaking, yes!

Just learnd from an english guy who live(d)s on Koh Tao for the last three years on VOA visas, that he was refused another visa in Ranong yesterday! He got 14 days to packup and leave!!!

That means that 90 days count backwards. No 90 days from October first! And if you try Malaysia....nothing is older than news from yesterday.....same story, you want be allowed back into Thailand if you already have three continuing stamps in your passport. And about just flight home and get a year visa, you might as well get that out of your heads. no way they would issue a year visa under this circumsdances. Face it we are not wanted here anymore.

In two weeks from now they'll have to put on extra flights from Thailand, evacuating all those people.

It's time to say goodbye to the land of smiles

[steveromagnino]

3m baht is nothing

How about I give you my address, and you send me a little "nothing"?

3M bath is NOT nothing -- last time I checked the U.S. GDP per capita is $40k, which is about half of that. Therefore, 3M is at least 6 year's savings for an average person in the West (assuming 1/3 tax, 1/3 saved, 1/3 to live on -- this is being very frugal). Putting this kind of money in a 3rd world country with a history of problems (anyone remember 1997 and 25 to 40 fall in baht/$ rate) is NOT for the faint of heart.

3M will buy a cheap condo. It probably isn't enough to live on with return after tax of say 6% (very optomistic).

So therefore.... it is insufficient to be considered an investment on which someone could live.

Lots of reasons why I wouldn't invest here, but come on, you can't be serious and think that a country should bother having an investment category, and then only ask for 3m?

And it was a drop of 25 (fixed rate) to floating as low as 60 at one point BTW.

To give you an idea of what other countries are asking:

New Zealand - currency has just dropped about 20% in last 12 months against USD: $2m NZD (approximately 50m baht) and ALSO must demonstrate ability to fit in with NZ (language test, active participation test, ability, english language, management experience)

Hong Kong - $6.5m HKD for captial investment entrant visa (approx 28m baht)

Brazil $50,000USD (approx 2m baht)

USA E1/E2 visa: subjective - passive investment not encouraged; probably around 100k USD (3.5m baht) minimum in capital investment alone; long term lease of premises, American employees, past history of trading, must require presence of the investor, must generate trade (i..e not a dead investment like apartment or shares...)

By comparison Brazil and Thailand seem fairly easy right? Why sell the place short? 2m baht if you want to work...10m baht if you don't.

Otherwise...come here on holiday, get a visa and you can stay as long as you want provided you do the paperwork and presumably show proof of money to support you...pretty much the same as Thai people going almost anywhere overseas.

Proof of not working:

- bank statements

- access to money

- explanation of what you do with your time here

- reference statements from senior people

- gaurantors

That's what my Thai relatives have when they want to go overseas, if the consulates have any common sense (and cannot guarantee sorry!) then that should go it.

[jay-uk]

Does this still apply to Farangs married to Thais or can you get a longer visa if married.

[allan michaud]

What is going on here? I am UK citizen married to a Thai with a 3 year old son. I work in Cambodia and visit my family in Khon Kaen as often as I can, about 2 weeks in every 2 months (not enough)for much of the past 4 years. I have a passport full of tourist stamps so does this mean I am not going to be able to visit my family for months at a time? I understand these measures are to be implemented in Oct yet it seems the Thai govt still hasn't decided exactly what they are going to do. Can anyone tell me if i am going to have a problem if I want to see my wife and son?

Thx a worried parent

[steveromagnino]

What is going on here? I am UK citizen married to a Thai with a 3 year old son. I work in Cambodia and visit my family in Khon Kaen as often as I can, about 2 weeks in every 2 months (not enough)for much of the past 4 years. I have a passport full of tourist stamps so does this mean I am not going to be able to visit my family for months at a time? I understand these measures are to be implemented in Oct yet it seems the Thai govt still hasn't decided exactly what they are going to do. Can anyone tell me if i am going to have a problem if I want to see my wife and son?

Thx a worried parent

probably no problem to see wife and son.

Options:

- if you are visiting once every 2 months, then you will not be exceeding the 3X VOA in 90 days 90 day stand down

- get the visa for a spouse with child in Thailand (will need to apply for it, probably need to show birth cert and/or wedding doc)

- get a tourist visa and visit whenever you want

Thought it was 1 Oct, but implementation is currently surrounded in rumours as to exactly how it would work.

[zeusbheld]

A lot of people here getting very up tight and upset, as they seem to think this whole thing is directed at them. This and all the other recent "crackdowns" is part of a process that happens in every country on the planet prior to an election. Find someone or something to blame for the peoples problems and look like you are the ones to solve it.

So lets attack the criminal gangs, the multi-nationals and big business. Immigration though, is always a great ticket in this respect. You can always get the electorate to go along with a bit of foreigner bashing. In this case I think the real targets are from other parts of Asia - Chinese, Burmese, India etc. The Farang are a side show, but good to put in their place anyway. This is probably playing well to a good proportion of the population, most of whom have no connections with farangs and no idea what they really do here. Don't take it personally - it's just politics!

well said. chances are that this is electioneering, and will partially if not completely blow over anyway (gee that'd be a first for thailand wouldnt it).

HOWEVER

the bloated sense of entitlement of people on all sides of the visa issue is working my last good nerve.

and, in general, the people who feel entitled to be here coz you spend money?? get over yourselves. please. fair don't mean diddly, their country-their right, that don't mean diddly either. doesn't matter if they have the 'right' to, the fact is they CAN.

and to the shrill tosspots crowing about law and order, get the proper visa, etc??

all it takes is some TRT hopeful deciding foreigners working here are the problem, or married farrangs, or retiring farrangs... and you could easily be bent over and done without benefit of reacharound. if you're stupid enough to think you're immune to the vicissitudes of thai politics, or that this is a normal and sane rule change (it may well be but that ain't the motive) then there'd be some justice in you lot being made prison-wives of the thai goverment. and you lot have a lot more to lose, don't you?

[Fandango]

Having read laboriously through all the threads on the subject of new visa rules I am surprised that no one else has commented on this, but I cannot help noticing that many of the more vociferous of the contributors carping on about Thailand being "anti-farang" and what a huge loss it will be to Thailand if all these hard working, non-tax-paying sexpats, investors and English teachers are forced to leave, appear to be at best computer-keyboard challenged but more likely just plain illiterate. The standard of English, both grammar and spelling, being demonstrated leads me to believe that Thai English language students will be far better off without the "education" being served up by such illiterates. I recognise that some contributors are not native English speakers, and those I do not condemn, but most others, as can be deduced from the content of their diatribes, clearly are. Furthermore, the self-importance that these people attach to themselves and their assumed value to Thailand seems to be directly proportional to their illiteracy.

[jdinasia]

Having read laboriously through all the threads on the subject of new visa rules I am surprised that no one else has commented on this, but I cannot help noticing that many of the more vociferous of the contributors carping on about Thailand being "anti-farang" and what a huge loss it will be to Thailand if all these hard working, non-tax-paying sexpats, investors and English teachers are forced to leave, appear to be at best computer-keyboard challenged but more likely just plain illiterate. The standard of English, both grammar and spelling, being demonstrated leads me to believe that Thai English language students will be far better off without the "education" being served up by such illiterates. I recognise that some contributors are not native English speakers, and those I do not condemn, but most others, as can be deduced from the content of their diatribes, clearly are. Furthermore, the self-importance that these people attach to themselves and their assumed value to Thailand seems to be directly proportional to their illiteracy.

Fandango ..... for a first post ... you get credit for both being lame AND inflammatory!

[george]

Here is the full regulation from Thai Immigration,

valid from Oct 1, 2006:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...c=83253&hl=

[Fandango]

Fandango ..... for a first post ... you get credit for both being lame AND inflammatory!

Thanks jd

[keekwai]

Having read laboriously through all the threads on the subject of new visa rules I am surprised that no one else has commented on this, but I cannot help noticing that many of the more vociferous of the contributors carping on about Thailand being "anti-farang" and what a huge loss it will be to Thailand if all these hard working, non-tax-paying sexpats, investors and English teachers are forced to leave, appear to be at best computer-keyboard challenged but more likely just plain illiterate. ( SENTENCE 1)The standard of English, both grammar and spelling, being demonstrated leads me to believe that Thai English language students will be far better off without the "education" being served up by such illiterates. (SENTENCE TWO) I recognise that some contributors are not native English speakers, and those I do not condemn, but most others, as can be deduced from the content of their diatribes, clearly are. (SENTENCE 3)Furthermore, the self-importance that these people attach to themselves and their assumed value to Thailand seems to be directly proportional to their illiteracy.(SENTENCE 4 .. thankfully an "almost" short one)

And you said ALL that in only 4 humungous sentences! .. Thank Buddha you're not teaching the " Thai English language students " .. they'd all collapse from lack of oxygen!

[thefusilier]

This only affects VOAs dosn't it?

Can you fly to Laos for the weekend, get a VISA at the Thai embassy for 90 days (60 plus 30 day extension), and fly back the next day? Repeat as you wish?

[libya 115]

This is a clear example of the Thai government finally cleaning the rubbish up that has come here and makes you shake your head with embarasment every time you see them.

Look at the white trash in Pattaya for examlpe, I look forward to the removal of gangsters, criminals, con men, kid fiddles, junkies and thugs.

I hope all the real expats get legal and this place will great once again.

libya and co. open your eyes

I've lived in Thailand since 1984 and hold a Thai ID card.

My father was Embassy staff, trust me all the things I mention are the things Thai's hate the most about the farang who come as tourists but a really immigrating.

Next time you correct a typo look at the message "not an attack" behind it.

Change of company land ownership followed my tourist visa restirctions and more to come in reforms.

Make your next attack on a post be a factual debate.

I don't need to attack 'Tycoon': your first and vitriolic post upon Pattaya residents was a nasty, stereotyped and unreasonable tirade.

So you have lived in Thailand since 1984 and hold a Thai ID card. So what? Bully for you! So your first and second post on Thai Visa are attacking Pattaya residents?

You know nothing about Pattaya, or the decent law abiding citizens living here on proper and legitimate visas.

'Tycoon' you are a troll, but a troll who stinks, like the hypocritical frustrated halitosis-troubled ex-pat, who conceals their true and debauched nature, and is friendless, frustrated, fetid and futile, with secret dreams of a catamite, and the self loathing and disgust of imaginary habitants of a place (he) so desires to embrace.

That is the true reason, that you post your vile rants on this helpful organ, that is : Thai Visa Forum.

[keekwai]

This only affects VOAs dosn't it?

Can you fly to Laos for the weekend, get a VISA at the Thai embassy for 90 days (60 plus 30 day extension), and fly back the next day? Repeat as you wish?

Yes. You can also fly into Thailand and stay 30 days free .. do two border hops .. each with another 30 days free each and THEN fly to Laos and get a 60 day Tourist Visa .. come immediatley back to Thailand and extend that by 30 days ... all up .. 180 days (6 months !)

So whats all the fuss about? You just have to be creative and adapt to new circumtanses.

6 months Thailand .. 3 months flitting around Cambodia ,Vietnam and Laos and back for another 6 months in Thailand. Repeat for as long as you like. The only difference here is that you have to kill 3 months in another exotic location ... hard isn't it?

Of course .. if you don't fancy flitting around Cambodia etc ... just get ANOTHER 60 day Tourist Visa .. it ain't rocket science.

Edited September 14, 2006 by keekwai

[thefusilier]

This only affects VOAs dosn't it?

Can you fly to Laos for the weekend, get a VISA at the Thai embassy for 90 days (60 plus 30 day extension), and fly back the next day? Repeat as you wish?

Yes. You can also fly into Thailand and stay 30 days free .. do two border hops .. each with another 30 days free each and THEN fly to Laos and get a 60 day Tourist Visa .. come immediatley back to Thailand and extend that by 30 days ... all up .. 180 days (6 months !)

So whats all the fuss about? You just have to be creative and adapt to new circumtanses.

6 months Thailand .. 3 months flitting around Cambodia ,Vietnam and Laos and back for another 6 months in Thailand. Repeat for as long as you like. The only difference here is that you have to kill 3 months in another exotic location ... hard isn't it?

Thanks for replying. However, I am still a little in the dark about the actual 60 day tourist VISA (not VOA). Is their a limit per year how many you can get or something.

[sjaak327]

This only affects VOAs dosn't it?

Can you fly to Laos for the weekend, get a VISA at the Thai embassy for 90 days (60 plus 30 day extension), and fly back the next day? Repeat as you wish?

Yes. You can also fly into Thailand and stay 30 days free .. do two border hops .. each with another 30 days free each and THEN fly to Laos and get a 60 day Tourist Visa .. come immediatley back to Thailand and extend that by 30 days ... all up .. 180 days (6 months !)

So whats all the fuss about? You just have to be creative and adapt to new circumtanses.

6 months Thailand .. 3 months flitting around Cambodia ,Vietnam and Laos and back for another 6 months in Thailand. Repeat for as long as you like. The only difference here is that you have to kill 3 months in another exotic location ... hard isn't it?

Right, actually by doing that you can stay the full year, since the cool off period is only 90 days, after 90 days of stamps, you can only enter on a tourist visa (which you can extend in country for another month), after the visa is expired, you should get another three stamps. After that you get another tourist visa. Of course you cannot leave Thailand, as it will invalidate the 30 day stamp, or the 2 months tourist visa.

The biggest problem however is, that I doubt they will issue a tourist visa to someone who just had three exempt stamps. Of course that remais to be seen, but if they are issuing tourist visas in this way, what is the point of limiting exempt stamps.

Of course that remains to be seen.

[keekwai]

This only affects VOAs dosn't it?

Can you fly to Laos for the weekend, get a VISA at the Thai embassy for 90 days (60 plus 30 day extension), and fly back the next day? Repeat as you wish?

Yes. You can also fly into Thailand and stay 30 days free .. do two border hops .. each with another 30 days free each and THEN fly to Laos and get a 60 day Tourist Visa .. come immediatley back to Thailand and extend that by 30 days ... all up .. 180 days (6 months !)

So whats all the fuss about? You just have to be creative and adapt to new circumtanses.

6 months Thailand .. 3 months flitting around Cambodia ,Vietnam and Laos and back for another 6 months in Thailand. Repeat for as long as you like. The only difference here is that you have to kill 3 months in another exotic location ... hard isn't it?

Thanks for replying. However, I am still a little in the dark about the actual 60 day tourist VISA (not VOA). Is their a limit per year how many you can get or something.

No ... nothing has officially been mentioned about the PAID 60 day Tourist or any other paid Visa. Although some pessimists here will say otherwise.

[keekwai]

The biggest problem however is, that I doubt they will issue a tourist visa to someone who just had three exempt stamps. Of course that remais to be seen, but if they are issuing tourist visas in this way, what is the point of limiting exempt stamps.

Of course that remains to be seen.

I'm surprised no one .. in all the posts .. has mentioned the difference between the 30 day entry and the 60 day Tourist Visa. People indefinately renewing the 30 day stamps pay no MONEY! .... Thats the big word everyone is missing .. and the Thai Govt. is missing out on it too.

I think they would be happier if people were indefinately renewing PAID visas...... I know I would be if I was them. And I'm sure that is a contributing factor to them putting and end to endless back to back FREE stamps. It may even be the MAIN factor and the spin about getting rid of illegal workers and what not is just to "pretty it up so they don't look like money grubbers. But anyway .. they should be paid anyway .. I don't believe it took them so long to wake up.

Edited September 14, 2006 by keekwai

[sjaak327]

The biggest problem however is, that I doubt they will issue a tourist visa to someone who just had three exempt stamps. Of course that remais to be seen, but if they are issuing tourist visas in this way, what is the point of limiting exempt stamps.

Of course that remains to be seen.

I'm surprised no one .. in all the posts .. has mentioned the difference between the 30 day entry and the 60 day Tourist Visa. People indefinately renewing the 30 stamps pay no MONEY! .... Thats the big word everyone is missing .. and the Thai Govt. is missing out on it too.

I think they would be happier if people were indefinately renewing PAID visas...... I know I would be if I was them.

Yes, sure they pay for that visa, it's around 1500 baht I beliveve (back in Europe) and around a 1000 baht in asia ?

Sure a little bit more money for the the government, but I don't believe that this is the point of the exempt stamp restriction. I think the government wants to get rid of long term tourist and all other expats staying on exempt stamps or tourist visas. I hope I'm wrong though.

[thaigold]

On-arrival visas: 90 days and you’re out!

PHUKET: -- Phuket’s Immigration Chief has confirmed that Thailand will crack down on foreigners working illegally in the country by ending its policy of issuing an unlimited number of consecutive “visas on arrival” – tourist visas that allow the holder to stay a maximum of 15 or 30 days.

The crackdown is intended to stop foreigners – typically bar owners and other small businessmen without work permits – from using the visas to stay in the country indefinitely while working illegally.

Pol Col Bunphot Kongkrachan, Acting Superintendent of Phuket Immigration Office, told the Gazette that, from October 1, onward Immigration checkpoints around the country will limit to three the number of consecutive visas on arrival they will grant a single visitor.

After the third consecutive visa on arrival has expired, the passport holder must leave the country and wait 90 days before being allowed back into Thailand on the same type of visa.

The move effectively limits the length of stay for those entering the country using this visa class to 45 or 90 days.

The 41 countries whose citizens qualify for visas on arrival include Thailand’s top sources of tourists, including almost all Western European countries, the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, Singapore and many more.

Col Bunphot said that all Immigration chiefs nationwide have been ordered to attend a meeting at Immigration headquarters on September 15, during which the new stricter regulations will be explained in detail.

“I will make a more detailed statement about the new situation within a week of returning from the meeting,” he said.

Suwalai Pinpradab, Director of Tourism Authority of Thailand’s South Region 4 Office in Phuket, downplayed the potential impact of the new rule on Phuket’s all-important tourism industry.

“ I don’t think it will affect tourism revenue in Phuket very much because foreign businessman holding work permits will still be able to work. The only ones who will be affected will be people who are working illegally and prolonging their stays by making visa run after visa run,” she said.

“My concern is about the coming high season. I sympathize with Immigration, which has too few officers. I am afraid that they will be swamped with work and that there will be a slowdown in service [at Immigration checkpoints],” she said.

Executive Visa Run conducts visa runs to Ranong and recently started a service to Penang in Malaysia. A representative there, who requested anonymity, told the Gazette that word of the new regulations had created a great deal of confusion.

“Immigration here in Phuket doesn’t know what going on because they’ve not received any guidelines yet from Bangkok … Yesterday when we made inquiries, nobody there could tell us anything,” he said.

When asked if there were a lot of people making “visa hops” to get new visas on arrival, he said, “Oh, there’s a lot. Really. It’s unbelievable, the amount.”

He added, “I think it will have a huge impact. You listen to all this about how they only want the rich people to stay here. There are a lot of people who stay here on low incomes – and they cause no problems, they just get on with their lives,” he said.

--Phuket Gazette 2006-09-12

[thefusilier]

Yes, sure they pay for that visa, it's around 1500 baht I beliveve (back in Europe) and around a 1000 baht in asia ?

Sure a little bit more money for the the government, but I don't believe that this is the point of the exempt stamp restriction. I think the government wants to get rid of long term tourist and all other expats staying on exempt stamps or tourist visas. I hope I'm wrong though.

How are they going to get rid of them this way... 60 day VISA seems to negate this problem.

[thaigold]

Sawasdee….

It would seem the visa law is quite clear in its written structure and presentation.

Ninety days within a moving 90-day window. This regulation is more than liberal when measured against other nations; Vietnam, Lao, and the United States are more restrictive.

Additionally, any person who needs more than a 90-day continuous residency has many other avenues to secure long-term residency in the Kingdom. Any person who fails Thailand’s residency requirements is suspect in my book.

Comments:

ท I love Thailand and want to continue to teach English to young Thais. My work benefits Thailand. Easy, get a work permit (if you are qualified).

ท I live in Thailand and support a Thai girlfriend and her extended family. Easy, marry her and get a marriage visa, (you don’t have to be fifty). But they won’t let me work here! Easy, take her and your children to your home country and work there.

The time has come for Thailand to control it’s entry requirements – the benefits of this law enforcement will first benefit the Thais, and secondly legitimize the foreign residents who don’t want to be sullied by the activities of the “under-the-radar” Farangs.

I say, roll ‘em up, push the eject button.

Good luck…

TG

P.s. The burden of monitoring of the 90-day cummulative total in your passport is your job. If an astute immigration officer spots it, like if you give him or her a “Farang Attitude,” then you better hope you have a strong Gold Card.

[keekwai]

The biggest problem however is, that I doubt they will issue a tourist visa to someone who just had three exempt stamps. Of course that remais to be seen, but if they are issuing tourist visas in this way, what is the point of limiting exempt stamps.

Of course that remains to be seen.

I'm surprised no one .. in all the posts .. has mentioned the difference between the 30 day entry and the 60 day Tourist Visa. People indefinately renewing the 30 stamps pay no MONEY! .... Thats the big word everyone is missing .. and the Thai Govt. is missing out on it too.

I think they would be happier if people were indefinately renewing PAID visas...... I know I would be if I was them.

Yes, sure they pay for that visa, it's around 1500 baht I beliveve (back in Europe) and around a 1000 baht in asia ?

Sure a little bit more money for the the government, but I don't believe that this is the point of the exempt stamp restriction. I think the government wants to get rid of long term tourist and all other expats staying on exempt stamps or tourist visas. I hope I'm wrong though.

Logically you have to be wrong .. because if thats the reason .. they would have included back to back Tourist Visas too ... but they didn't! It's ONLY the free 30 day stamps targeted. This move wil not stop people staying here indefinately.

But then again ... when is anything ever "logical" in Thailand?

[sjaak327]

Logically you have to be wrong .. because if thats the reason .. they would have included back to back Tourist Visas too ... but they didn't! It's ONLY the free 30 day stamps targeted. This move wil not stop people staying here indefinately.

But then again ... when is anything ever "logical" in Thailand?

But that's my point, they can limit back to back tourist visas, by not issuing it to people who have been in Thailand by doing visa runs for a certain period. So someone who isn't a visa runner, they might issue a tourist visa, but not to someone who appears to be staying long time on exempt stamps and tourist visas.

Like I said, it remains to be seen IF they are going to issue a tourist visa to someone who has been doing visa runs for a period of time.

We will all know pretty soon I guess.

[gregchambers]

Surely the next step - as is common with most foreign countries when Thais want to get a visa - is to only issue tourist visas from people's home countries, which for most Westerners will involve a 30-40k return air trip. I always get some sort of multi-entry visa depending on my circumstances once a year and have never had a problem or question in the past ten years of spending ninety percent of my time in Thailand.

BTW UK consulates and embassy are still issuing multi-entry tourist visas but I suspect that non-immigrant visas will be the ones to go for if you want more than three months in the near future.

Luckily I am now fifty so have more options than before. But if you explain the circumstances and can providee reasonable evidence - such as renting out your UK property and living off the proceeds in Thaialnd - the one year multi-entry non-imm visa is usually available from consulates even if you are under fifty, though there seem to be no hard and fast rules with regards to how much money you have to show.

As mentioned elsewhere, this is probably not the best time to make an investment in Thailand BUT as long as you have an income stream from outside Thailand than is legitimate, the Thais will still welcome you.

[zeusbheld]

Having read laboriously through all the threads on the subject of new visa rules I am surprised that no one else has commented on this, but I cannot help noticing that many of the more vociferous of the contributors carping on about Thailand being "anti-farang" and what a huge loss it will be to Thailand if all these hard working, non-tax-paying sexpats, investors and English teachers are forced to leave, appear to be at best computer-keyboard challenged but more likely just plain illiterate. The standard of English, both grammar and spelling, being demonstrated leads me to believe that Thai English language students will be far better off without the "education" being served up by such illiterates. I recognise that some contributors are not native English speakers, and those I do not condemn, but most others, as can be deduced from the content of their diatribes, clearly are. Furthermore, the self-importance that these people attach to themselves and their assumed value to Thailand seems to be directly proportional to their illiteracy.

you are trying way too hard to sound really, really smart.

a hint: purple prose doesn't make you sound literate, it just makes you sound like an overrought, insecure fop.

[keekwai]

Having read laboriously through all the threads on the subject of new visa rules I am surprised that no one else has commented on this, but I cannot help noticing that many of the more vociferous of the contributors carping on about Thailand being "anti-farang" and what a huge loss it will be to Thailand if all these hard working, non-tax-paying sexpats, investors and English teachers are forced to leave, appear to be at best computer-keyboard challenged but more likely just plain illiterate. The standard of English, both grammar and spelling, being demonstrated leads me to believe that Thai English language students will be far better off without the "education" being served up by such illiterates. I recognise that some contributors are not native English speakers, and those I do not condemn, but most others, as can be deduced from the content of their diatribes, clearly are. Furthermore, the self-importance that these people attach to themselves and their assumed value to Thailand seems to be directly proportional to their illiteracy.

you are trying way too hard to sound really, really smart.

a hint: purple prose doesn't make you sound literate, it just makes you sound like an overrought, insecure fop.

LMAO .. Like I hinted at in an earlier reply to this tosser .. his own sentence construction needs a little work. A case of the pot calling the ... you know the rest.

[britmaveric]

The biggest problem however is, that I doubt they will issue a tourist visa to someone who just had three exempt stamps. Of course that remais to be seen, but if they are issuing tourist visas in this way, what is the point of limiting exempt stamps.

Of course that remains to be seen.

Paying for a visa and generating revenue would be my best guess. I think this is more about dosh than eliminating supposed undesirables.

Interesting post on Stickman - lad was chatting to Immigration and the real targets of this were indians/burmese - westerners shant worry. Food for thought??