Do You Think Immigration Gonna Stop Thousands Farang From Coming Back To Thailand Next Month?

[~G~]

Another question is whether those applying for Tourist Visas in embassies / consulates will even get them after doing 3 visa runs. I mean, the purpose of this rule is to not allow continuous stay in Thailand for those without long visas, what's the big difference in making visa runners spend a day or two in Laos or Cambodia and get their Tourist visas in the Thai consulates instead of at the border?

[mrjohn]

.. As well as effecting the live here border hoppers these rules drastically effect others too.

On another forum we are discussing who is effected so far its only legit tourists.

Whilst you may not be a "low-life border hopper" I am somewhat concerned that you have apparently managed to gain employment as an English Teacher.

Just an observation!!

[jdinasia]

I love guys like Gary and Love ......

I have been here three years! Mostly studying thai and Buddhism<much of that time on Non-Imm-ED visas> Stopped formal study about January but am picking up Southern Thai etc now that I am in Phuket. I have never worked in Thailand! ... am under 50. Gay ..so marraige is out. Living off money from the USA. Spend more per month than if I were using the marraige visa. Now it looks as if I MUST get a job oh well!

I was eventually planning on opening a Biz ... but with the current situation in Thailand that is on the back burner for awhile. So off I go to either Australia or the USA for a non-imm B Multi entry. Big deal? No ... inconvenient? yes!

Now some would ask ... why a Multi? why not run to somewhere closer and get a single? Would YOU really want to be tied unmercifully to one company while here in Thailand? Quit a job and then your visa is invalidated?

Now ... about the investment visa ... in three years in Thailand I have lived in 4 places in three areas of the country. I don't KNOW where I want to finally settle! And now that they are ending the 3 million baht investmnt visa .... man is that ever gonna kill the housing market in places like pattaya for people under 50!

Luckily I am in a position to be able to do what I want! Many people that do OK in Thailand without having to be a scamster are not in my same position! They may have the $$ ... they may be decent folks! But get real some people <far younger than me> are teaching at legit schools with legit incomes but have been unable to get work permits.<<no ... again I am NOT an English teacher>>

Edited September 13, 2006 by jdinasia

[Thaiquila]

This country is probably not nearly as dependent on people who do all the visa runs as the people doing the visa runs are dependent on the country. Remember, these people are not all that significant in the overall scheme of things, economically.

Thailand is not the poor, underdeveloped country that it was 20 years ago. Now, there is a middle class that is looking around and sees a lot of what they consider as "undesirable" people. Add to that a fair amount of nationalism and xenophobia and you have what you have today.

Get rid of the dead beats

Except they aren't all dead beats. This crackdown isn't fine tuning, its more like a bull in a china shop, throwing the baby out with the bath water, and any other cliche you might mention.

Another poster said the whiners here were acting too "American" in expecting Thai immigration to not act so harshly. I am sorry, but if you look around the world, lots of countries are bending over backwards to attract the some of the quality people Thailand is basically criminalizing. It doesn't make any sense.

Edited September 13, 2006 by Thaiquila

[PREM-R]

If you look at the situation as it is before 1st. October you will see that the "visa runners" are not breaking any rules and indeed are effectively "reporting" to immigration every 30 days. The change in the rules will probably drive quite a few "underground" if, in the near future, the Thai consulates in the region stop issuing multi-entry or back-to-back tourist visas. Will this situation make things better for Thailand or for the farrangs concerned, I think not.

[Thaiquila]

If you look at the situation as it is before 1st. October you will see that the "visa runners" are not breaking any rules and indeed are effectively "reporting" to immigration every 30 days. The change in the rules will probably drive quite a few "underground" if, in the near future, the Thai consulates in the region stop issuing multi-entry or back-to-back tourist visas. Will this situation make things better for Thailand or for the farrangs concerned, I think not.

I agree. They weren't breaking laws. They weren't overstaying. And they were showing their lovely faces more often than those with a "proper" visa. Alot of farangs in Thailand are very stressed right now; I suggest we stop trashing them and show a little more solidarity with them, as all farangs in Thailand are here at the mercy of fickle regulations, politics, and the winds of change.

Edited September 13, 2006 by Thaiquila

[Big Dogster]

I am in a situation similar to Livinlos and Batty. Yes this ruling sucks and will have far reaching effects on the Thai economy. The slaggers are not too bright, they think that because they fell into a visa category and were fortunate enough to get one that anyone who cant is a low life. nothing is farther from the truth.

Dan Sai Kid: you are off base because there is not a single person I have seen in any of these threads on the investor visa, let alone slaggers on that visa. The slaggers are coming from all fronts: retirement dudes, marriage visa folks and work visa people. pretty evenly spread around mindless slaggers who will be effected in some way at some point.

Gary A: I suspect that your friend and others either dont have the cash to bring over from abroad to qualify for the visa and/or are allergic to the red tape involved. maybe all or most of his cash is here already (having been here 10 years) and he cant show it coming from abroad. There are a multitude of situations and reasons, legitimate ones, why people have been doing these runs to stay here. A retiree on social security with not enough savings to combine to qualify is common I bet. what's the percentage of illegal workers doing these runs? Not sure but most are the school teachers. I'd say the overall percentage is low of all runners.

[britmaveric]

If you look at the situation as it is before 1st. October you will see that the "visa runners" are not breaking any rules and indeed are effectively "reporting" to immigration every 30 days. The change in the rules will probably drive quite a few "underground" if, in the near future, the Thai consulates in the region stop issuing multi-entry or back-to-back tourist visas. Will this situation make things better for Thailand or for the farrangs concerned, I think not.

Yes you might go underground, but I think of the consequences if caught. Not to mention passport checks might become a common everyday occurrence if they get truely serious about it and living for fear of getting caught every minute isn't really living now is it???

[loveandlaughter]

This is hot news outside the forum.

Our friends both Visa and non-Visa cannot see the sense of it and feel it will have an impact.

If you don't plan ahead on stopping in Thailand then the monthly run is a godsend.

There are lots of youngsters still travelling on a whim and without much money, not planning too far ahead "going where the wind blows".

These sorts of thing just make "living free" more and more difficult.

So now you can't simply "hangout" a bit in life just get with the "hustle and the bustle"

Sad that that's how the world is getting......

[cclub75]

Note to admins and sponsor :

please, open a post "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.

[Felt 35]

Thailand to be like Phuket right after Tsunami.

Hmm..... aside from the terrible Tsunami.

Phuket was in fact a very nice place the the first year afterwards. Less traffic and the beaches have never been nicer!