Foreigners That Are Exempted From The Visa

[Sunbelt Asia]

Royal Thai Police

Order No. 608 / 2549

Subject: An authorization for permission to foreigners that are exempted from the Visa requirements to stay temporarily in the Kingdom of Thailand.

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As the Interior Ministerial Regulation has stipulated the criterions, practices and conditions regarding the verification, exception and the changes in the Visa requirements B.E. 2545 (2002) dated on 16th August B.E. 2545 (2002) and the Ministerial Regulation (Volume 2) B.E. 2546 (2003) dated on 28th March B.E. 2546 (2003) prescribed the criterions, practices and conditions regarding the exception in the Visa requirements pursuant to the Article 12 (1) of the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979).

For supporting the approval permission to the foreign nationals who are exempted from Visa requirements when entering to temporarily stay in the Kingdom of Thailand to be in order pursuant to the intention of the Thai Government, under the virtue of the Article 35 of the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979) and the Article 11 (4) of Royal Thai Police Act B.E. 2547 (2004), the authorized Immigration Officer shall be lawfully appointed and authorized to permit the foreign nationals who get the exemption of Visa requirements for entering to temporarily stay in the Kingdom of Thailand in accordance with the following types of exemption:

1. Passport holder of the country that has made an agreement with the Thai government, according to the Interior Ministerial Regulation which stipulated the criterions, practices and conditions regarding the verification, exception and the changes in the Visa requirements B.E. 2545 (2002) dated on 16th August B.E. 2545 (2002), Article 13 (1), shall be permitted to have the right to stay in Thailand according to the period which is mutually agreed between the government of Thailand and the government of the passport holder.

2. Passport holder from the country which has no Royal Thai Embassy or the Royal Thai Consulate located in that country as the Minister of the Interior has stipulated under the consent of the Cabinet, according to the Interior Ministerial Regulation which stipulated the criterions, practices and conditions regarding the verification, exception and the changes in the visa requirements B.E. 2545 (2002) dated on 16th August B.E. 2545 (2002), Article 13 (2), shall be permitted to stay in Thailand not exceeding to 30 days from the arrival date.

3. According the Article 13 (3) of the Ministerial Regulation which stipulated the criterions, practices and conditions regarding the verification, exception and the changes in the visa requirements B.E. 2545 (2002) dated on 16th August B.E. 2545 (2002), within six months period, the holder of passport or substitutive documents which issued by any country that is approved by the Minister of the Interior, under the approval of the Cabinet, to enter to temporarily stay in Thailand for tourism purpose, shall be permitted to enter Thailand several times. Each permitted time shall not be exceeding 30 days period, and the total period shall not be exceeding 90 days from the first day that the passport holder arrived in Thailand.

4. According the Article 13 (4) of the Ministerial Regulation which stipulated the criterions, practices and conditions regarding the verification, exception and the changes in the visa requirements B.E. 2545 (2002) dated on 16th August B.E. 2545 (2002), the holder of passport or other substitutive documents who enter to temporarily stay in the Kingdom of Thailand for the conference or the international sport contest shall be permitted to stay in the Kingdom not more than 30 days from the day arrived in the Kingdom of Thailand.

5. According the Article 13 (5) of the Ministerial Regulation which stipulated the criterions, practices and conditions regarding the verification, exception and the changes in the visa requirements B.E. 2545 (2002) dated on 16th August B.E. 2545 (2002), the holder of passport or other substitutive documents of the country that is the member of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and holds the APEC businessman passport who enters to temporarily stay in the Kingdom of Thailand for business purpose shall be permitted to stay in the Kingdom not more than 90 days from the day arrived in the Kingdom of Thailand.

6. This Order shall be supersede to all other rules, regulations and orders that are conflicted with this Order.

This Order shall be in full force commencing from this 1st day of October 2006

Order dated on 8th September 2006

Signed Signature

(Police General ---------)

Royal Thai Police Commandant

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www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

Attached:

Notice at Immigation website.

Edited September 14, 2006 by george

[trawler]

So in theory as long as you do not stay cumulatively more than 90 days in any 6 month period you should be ok to enter the Kingdom"several times".

How often several times is, would I suppose be up to the immigration officer.....................

[jdinasia]

It is a tish hard to decipher ... and doesn't REALLY say when the count starts

[cclub75]

It is a tish hard to decipher ... and doesn't REALLY say when the count starts

And it doesn't speak about the tourist visas issue...

[chuckygobyebye]

As we can see this law has been on the books for some time, it looks like now they're going to enforce it.*

From my reading it seems that you have as many entries as you like in Thailand but can only spend a total of 90 days here in a six-month period. Thus when you turn up at the border, they will count up the number of days you've spent here in the last six months.

Doesn't really clear anything up but I guess we'll find out more after the meeting tomorrow.

[geoffphuket]

As we can see this law has been on the books for some time, it looks like now they're going to enforce it.*

From my reading it seems that you have as many entries as you like in Thailand but can only spend a total of 90 days here in a six-month period. Thus when you turn up at the border, they will count up the number of days you've spent here in the last six months.

Doesn't really clear anything up but I guess we'll find out more after the meeting tomorrow.

That was the point I was making - nothing has changed

[cclub75]

That was the point I was making - nothing has changed

If nothing has changed, why point number 6 :

"6. This Order shall be supersede to all other rules, regulations and orders that are conflicted with this Order."

[ovenman]

From my reading it seems that you have as many entries as you like in Thailand but can only spend a total of 90 days here in a six-month period.

For those folks entering Thailand on thirty-day stamps.

[ovenman]

If nothing has changed, why point number 6 :

"6. This Order shall be supersede to all other rules, regulations and orders that are conflicted with this Order."

That's just standard boiler-plate verbiage.

[wilko]

As we can see this law has been on the books for some time, it looks like now they're going to enforce it.*

From my reading it seems that you have as many entries as you like in Thailand but can only spend a total of 90 days here in a six-month period. Thus when you turn up at the border, they will count up the number of days you've spent here in the last six months.

Doesn't really clear anything up but I guess we'll find out more after the meeting tomorrow.

Each permitted time shall not be exceeding 30 days period, and the total period shall not be exceeding 90 days from the first day that the passport holder arrived in Thailand.

as I see it you won't be allowed back in regardless of how many days you actually spend in Thailand as the countdown starts from the very first day....so if you use Bkk as a base to fly around S.E. Asia and fly out three times you won't get back in after 90 days around the region.

A voa expires when you leave and the days don't carry over.

[trajan]

As I believed earlier, this seems to confirm that entries (on the basis of visa exemption) are allowed as long as one does not stay longer than 90 accumulated days during any 180 day period....

therefore, any number of entries into Thailand will be permitted (as long as you do not exceed 90 days stay in Thailand out of 180 days)....

is that your interpretation also Greg at Sunbelt?

(this would work well IF the immigration computers at the airports (and border crossings) automatically calculate your accumulated stays in the Kingdom... I don't think its feasible to count days by hand by just referencing entry and exit stamps.... (e.g. last year I traveled 19 times out of the Kingdom--if I were on visa exempt status, that would be a headache to keep track of).

[ovenman]

as I see it you won't be allowed back in regardless of how many days you actually spend in Thailand as the countdown starts from the very first day....so if you use Bkk as a base to fly around S.E. Asia and fly out three times you won't get back in after 90 days around the region.

That's how the Order reads, but I think they're actually trying to say cumulative days spent in the kingdom since the initial entry date. But then again I'm putting words in their mouths so who knows...?

[Krub]

It looks like they really are after the back to back 30 days stamp.

I see it is as a maximum stay of 90 days multi entries within 6 months.

So a bi-monthly trip of a few days to Thailand will be fine

Looks ok to me

I hope those who used the 30 days stamp to stay on a near permanant basis will find solutions to their cases

[jezchesters]

"shall be permitted to enter Thailand several times . Each permitted time shall not be exceeding 30 days period, and the total period shall not be exceeding 90 days from the first day that the passport holder arrived in Thailand."

So the only change from what was originally quoted, is that you can enter several times within the 90 days, rather then 3 times within the 90 days...

In other words, if you enter Thailand on a Visa Exemption on 1st July, you can leave and return as many times as you want between 1st July and 28th September as long as you don't stay for more than 30 days consecutively. After the 28th September, you will not be permitted to enter Thailand on a Visa Exemption until 1st January of the follwing year (6 months from the date you first entered on a Visa Exemption). You could, of course, return before that if you obtained a visa...

Edited September 14, 2006 by jezchesters

[enuff said]

.

So how does this "end border runs"? Other statements have said, or at least implied, that the visa exemption stamp would be renewable within Thailand. Thus ending the need to do a border run.

'nuff said

~

[jezchesters]

.

So how does this "end border runs"? Other statements have said, or at least implied, that the visa exemption stamp would be renewable within Thailand. Thus ending the need to do a border run.

'nuff said

~

It doesn't - it just limits the length of time you can do them for...

They are basicall saying 'you can do border runs as often as you like within a 90 day period. After that, you'll have to wait until 6 months from the first day you arrived in Thailand to be allowed re-entry to the Kingdom' - ie, roughly another 3 months.

[jezchesters]

As I see it you won't be allowed back in regardless of how many days you actually spend in Thailand as the countdown starts from the very first day....so if you use Bkk as a base to fly around S.E. Asia and fly out three times you won't get back in after 90 days around the region.

A voa expires when you leave and the days don't carry over.

I don't think so, because they haven't mentioned three times, they stated several...

[Maestro]

Royal Thai Police

Order No. 608 / 2549

Subject: An authorization for permission to foreigners that are exempted from the Visa requirements to stay temporarily in the Kingdom of Thailand.

Good of you, Sunbelt, to have been able to get your hands on the English version of this order and post it here.

Can you also get the original Thai version and post it, for those who read Thai?

---------------

Maestro

[jdinasia]

Each permitted time shall not be exceeding 30 days period, and the total period shall not be exceeding 90 days from the first day that the passport holder arrived in Thailand.

as I see it you won't be allowed back in regardless of how many days you actually spend in Thailand as the countdown starts from the very first day....so if you use Bkk as a base to fly around S.E. Asia and fly out three times you won't get back in after 90 days around the region.

A voa expires when you leave and the days don't carry over.

I don't think so, because they haven't mentioned three times, they stated several...

some countries are not entitled to 30 days ... but still a total of 90 apparently

Sadly this does not tell us HOW this will be implemented. Does the count start with stamps on Oct 1? or does it start in October for the past 90 days/6months

it dosn't say ... stay tuned for Tmw's update

[meom]

.

So how does this "end border runs"? Other statements have said, or at least implied, that the visa exemption stamp would be renewable within Thailand. Thus ending the need to do a border run.

'nuff said

~

It will minimize the border runs cause people that go out and come back the same on a new 30 day stamp can do this only 3 times (instead of monthly) after which they have to get a real visa or stay out of LOS for the next 90 days in order to qualify for a 30day stamp.

In the end it also depends how vigorous the border official is going to implement this.

[OldAsiaHand]

"shall be permitted to enter Thailand several times . Each permitted time shall not be exceeding 30 days period, and the total period shall not be exceeding 90 days from the first day that the passport holder arrived in Thailand."

So the only change from what was originally quoted, is that you can enter several times within the 90 days, rather then 3 times within the 90 days...

In other words, if you enter Thailand on a Visa Exemption on 1st July, you can leave and return as many times as you want between 1st July and 28th September as long as you don't stay for more than 30 days consecutively. After the 28th September, you will not be permitted to enter Thailand on a Visa Exemption until 1st January of the follwing year (6 months from the date you first entered on a Visa Exemption). You could, of course, return before that if you obtained a visa...

I realize there need be nothing at all logical about the authorities' reading of the language you are quoting, but I do want to point out that, even at their worst, I doubt Thai Immigration would read the language as illogically as you do.

The phrase "from the first day" would seem to me to be obviously recognizable legal verbage meaning that the niney days of accumulated time for any six-month period is to be counted beginning with the first day the passport holder enters the country. It would not seem to serve any logical purpose to torture the language to mean that some sort of ninety day clock runs from the first day you enter the country and, no matter how much time you spend or do not spend in the country, that you cannot enter for another ninety days after that clock goes off.

I respectfully suggest that, particularly as a relatively new poster, you should be far more cautious about giving people what amounts to legal advice when you really have no idea what you're talking about.

Edited September 14, 2006 by OldAsiaHand

[Mobi]

I strongly suspect, and no doubt Sunbelt will confirm, that the key words are "permitted time". I think you will find that the 3 entries previuously discussed is correct, because each time you are PERMITTED to stay for 30 days. If you choose to leave after 3 days that is your business. You have used up the first 30 day entitlement with two more to go. This is what Sunbelt said before, and I cannot see anything that changes this. The reasopn they have used the word "several" is because some VOA's only give you 15 'permitted' days, so presumably in that case you could get 6 entries of 15 days.

Hope I'm wrong

[meom]

The phrase "from the first day" would seem to me to be obviously recognizable legal verbage meaning that the niney days of accumulated time for any six-month period is to be counted beginning with the first day the passport holder enters the country. It would not seem to serve any logical purpose to torture the language to mean that some sort of ninety day clock runs from the first day you enter the country and, no matter how much time you spend or do not spend in the country, that you cannot enter for another ninety days after that clock goes off.

I don't want to sound thick here but wouldn't it make sense that the official counts backwards from the moment you enter.

So if you enter LOS 1st December the checking calendar starts from 1 July and he will count the number of days spent in LOS between 1 Dec. and 1 July.

[jezchesters]

"shall be permitted to enter Thailand several times . Each permitted time shall not be exceeding 30 days period, and the total period shall not be exceeding 90 days from the first day that the passport holder arrived in Thailand."

So the only change from what was originally quoted, is that you can enter several times within the 90 days, rather then 3 times within the 90 days...

In other words, if you enter Thailand on a Visa Exemption on 1st July, you can leave and return as many times as you want between 1st July and 28th September as long as you don't stay for more than 30 days consecutively. After the 28th September, you will not be permitted to enter Thailand on a Visa Exemption until 1st January of the follwing year (6 months from the date you first entered on a Visa Exemption). You could, of course, return before that if you obtained a visa...

I realize there need be nothing at all logical about the authorities' reading of the language you are quoting, but I do want to point out that, even at their worst, I doubt Thai Immigration would read the language as illogically as you do.

The phrase "from the first day" would seem to me to be obviously recognizable legal verbage meaning that the niney days of accumulated time for any six-month period is to be counted beginning with the first day the passport holder enters the country. It would not seem to serve any logical purpose to torture the language to mean that some sort of ninety day clock runs from the first day you enter the country and, no matter how much time you spend or do not spend in the country, that you cannot enter for another ninety days after that clock goes off.

I respectfully suggest that, particularly as a relatively new poster, you should be far more cautious about giving people what amounts to legal advice when you really have no idea what you're talking about.

Many apologies!

Just saying it how I see it - I used to have to deal with documents like this from the IND in the UK frequently, but I agree, maybe the same standards do not apply here...

[pgrin]

I think the language is clear and there is no room for confusion or debate.

"Each permitted time shall not be exceeding 30 days period, and the total period shall not be exceeding 90 days from the first day"

Each permitted time= you can stay up to 30 days, if you decide to leave earlier, up to you.

Also, no more in country, 1900 Baht extensions

No more then 90 days from the first day= We gave you permission to stay 90 days total. If you elected to stay less you do not get extra credit.

End result= max 3 visa free entries over 90 days followed by a 90 day cooling off period. Unlike others here I think these are monumental changes.

P

[wilko]

Each permitted time shall not be exceeding 30 days period, and the total period shall not be exceeding 90 days from the first day that the passport holder arrived in Thailand.

as I see it you won't be allowed back in regardless of how many days you actually spend in Thailand as the countdown starts from the very first day....so if you use Bkk as a base to fly around S.E. Asia and fly out three times you won't get back in after 90 days around the region.

A voa expires when you leave and the days don't carry over.

I don't think so, because they haven't mentioned three times, they stated several...

Yes, you seem to be right so multiple entries would seem to be OK for up to 90 days from the first entry....apart from the info that the U.K. Thai consulate seems to be giving out is that you are allowed only 3 entries. I agree that this seems a bit ridiculous, but they have convinced a lot of people that this is the case.

The simple solution for those in doubt seems to be to get a visa before arriving.

Of course if you are living here you'll have to go to a consulate outside the country to get an appropriate visa.......

this off another site....

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 or a Tourist Visa Exemption 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 given 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.

Edited September 14, 2006 by george

[cclub75]

A few comments

-tourists/visitors in thailand per year : 12 millions

-on thoses 12 millions, how many come from the "41 countries" with visa exemption (30 days stamps) ? Don't know. Let's say 6 millions.

-with the new regulations : it means Immigration will have to manage 6 millions personal "clocks"

because the "6 month period" starts with the first day of the first stamp, for each tourist....

-consequence number 1 : it can be only done with a computerized system

No way, immigration officers can do the math for each visitor...

-consequence number 2 : on such a scale, we have to imagine the number of regulars tourists or businessmen who will make a genuine calculation mistake regarding their own personal clock...

It will be huge.

-how Thai Immigration is going to handle this ?

-the police document doesn''t speak about what happen if a person don't respect the rule ? Deportation ?

[meom]

I strongly suspect, and no doubt Sunbelt will confirm, that the key words are "permitted time". I think you will find that the 3 entries previuously discussed is correct, because each time you are PERMITTED to stay for 30 days. If you choose to leave after 3 days that is your business. You have used up the first 30 day entitlement with two more to go. This is what Sunbelt said before, and I cannot see anything that changes this. The reasopn they have used the word "several" is because some VOA's only give you 15 'permitted' days, so presumably in that case you could get 6 entries of 15 days.

Hope I'm wrong

Ofcourse you're wrong because that would "disqualify" all weekend golfers coming over from Hongkong, Sing. etc within one month.

[cwilliam]

A lot of people talking about something they know nothing about

[zakk9]

I strongly suspect, and no doubt Sunbelt will confirm, that the key words are "permitted time". I think you will find that the 3 entries previuously discussed is correct, because each time you are PERMITTED to stay for 30 days. If you choose to leave after 3 days that is your business. You have used up the first 30 day entitlement with two more to go. This is what Sunbelt said before, and I cannot see anything that changes this. The reasopn they have used the word "several" is because some VOA's only give you 15 'permitted' days, so presumably in that case you could get 6 entries of 15 days.

Hope I'm wrong

That would be unlogical, since it means that you can't even stay in another country and make frequent visits to Thailand, unless you take the time to visit a Thai embassy now and then. Very inconvenient sometimes, and not always possible on a short notice.

I was thinking about moving out and doing just that, since there are things I have to take care of on a frequent but not regular basis here, but that would of course stop it very fast. Applying for visas is time-consuming and it costs money. If they, on top of that, put a lid on multiple entries as was stated in another thread (Penang was mentioned), it's getting very complicated for a lot of people. Those that they really want to get rid of, the more or less criminal elements, will always find a solution.

On the other hand, this is Thailand after all. Maybe they don't want frequent visitors.