Foreigners That Are Exempted From The Visa

[OneeyedJohn]

and 2008 is a leap year

[cyborgx]

No mention of changes to the Investment Visa rules that were rumoured in the last few threads on this subject. Anyone got any news on these supposed 1st Oct changes?

Actually more than a rumour, Sunbelt said they had a chat with the head of Immigration if I recall correctly....

Edited September 15, 2006 by cyborgx

[zeusbheld]

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 [This implies that one day stay is the equivalent of 30 days

disagree. i'm no lawyer but i think it pretty clearly states that you can enter SEVERAL times and none of these can EXCEED 30 days.

30 days period, and the total period shall not be exceeding 90 days from the first day that the passport holder arrived in Thailand. [Therefore one may enter more than 3 times but after 90 days have elapsed from the date of first entry, that is it.

disagree. i think. "total period shall not be exceeding 90 days" pretty clearly states that they intend to total up the days you've stayed in your "several" entries.

To clarify, assuming my imprecation is correct, if over a 90 day period from first date of arrival the traveller uses the 30 day stamp process 10 times that's OK, however, once 90 day have elapsed from date of first entry the 30 day stamp process will be unavailable for the period specified herein, six months {curious it's not 180 days}, and there is no indication as to the application of this, e.g. Retrospective

haha i found the actual regulation easier to make sense of than your interpretation! if you're right, though, it would be a lot easier on immigration officers--you can come and go as you please, as long as you don't stay more than 30 days at a clip, and then you have to leave for 3 months solid? did i interpret your interpretation correctly?

my interpretation:

a.) you're not limited to how many times you come and go, but the total stay will be limted to 90 days per six months.

b.) your six months starts from the first entry.

c.) it's a rolling six months, it doesn't start over.

to me this implies that if your'e a golfer living in hk or s'pore without an ASEAN card, you can fly in every weekend for six months (and ongoing, the six months is rolling) as long as the total of your various stays in thailand doesn't exceed 90 days for that six months.

for example, 25 trips, 2 days each, = 50 days. you're fine. 3 trips, 30 days each, and you're out (or you have to get a visa, whether they''ll issue one is still unclear and may remain unclear indefinitely as they may leave it up to the discretion of the officer).

i'm curious as to why they said six months rather than 180 days too, maybe they count from the beginning of the month of your first entry.

Edited September 15, 2006 by zeusbheld

[realthaideal]

A lot of people talking about something they know nothing about

Amen ! First voice of reason. Sunbelt can give advice. The rest of us can speculate and TRY to interpret. No sense to a senior member trying to silence a newer member's speculation. It's all so much flapping of the jaws. For now it's time for us to get our ducks in line for visas, and to meditate on a good dose of 'jai yen yen.'

[loveandlaughter]

Do you really expect counting? They hardly count calender wise on the original stamp itself.....

As they sometimes do now they have a flick back through the passport, or look at the onscreen (behind the counter) record.

If they see a lot of stamps, then as previously (sometimes) they tell you not to come again, and as has been posted on a different thread, write something in your passport.

This probably will mostly be at the FOUR or FIVE visa run borders (where the other 50 are who knows) ie. MaeSot, MaeSai, Ranong, Malaysia, Poipet and Vientienne.

Use some sense of proportion. Look at the 10K in your pocket rule. That is posted all over MaeSae (my local border) and only some get asked. The border folk have an idea of what they are looking for.

As for the poor golfers oil rig workers, all they have to do is ask to see the ticket out.....this has been done in Indonesia for years. Ticket out two days, a week later no problem as you are not likely to be living here (maybe should take golf clubs on visa run )

Reading, reading, reading the regulations as if it was a debate in front of the House of Lords is not going to cut the mustard.......if you feel maligned who would you appeal to and on what grounds? Do you think honestly we really have legal rights in Thailand?

Sure Sunbelt can ask immigration.......

No one picked up on the fellow turned back out of Ranong.......

We must wait and see how this goes in October......

[hertog]

I´m 46 years old. I bought a house for 5.6 milj bath and Thai gov. will not allow me to stay there after dec. this year. I think there is more people like me out there. Can anybody explaine how to do. The prices on house will drop! Or???

Last time I looked a foreigner cannot own land in Thailand. If you decided to bend the rules and therefore could not get the 3 Mln investor visa, I would say change your post and dont make it look to us as if you are some kind of victim.

Whoooa, hang on a bit. Many on here are now playing a similar tune that all home owners who went the company route deserve evrything they get. Please remember the vast majority came to the LOS, found they loved the place, then being ignorant of the local laws first took advice from an agent and nine times out of ten followed that up with advice from a THAI lawyer. All in the chain smoothing the way with their words of wisdom. What else would you have done? Hindsight is a wonderful thing, as is membership of this board, but for many, this fountain of wisdomcame later after they thought they had done the right thing by taking advice from a local officer of the courts, who's back wall was covered with all the tin foil you could wish for telling the world he was qualified to offer opinion on his own countries legal system.

You're asking what else I would have done. Well I bought a condo. Years ago. So again I repeat my point that if you have signed off on something else that you are no victim in my eyes.

The only reason people go and see the lawyer is because they need to find a way around the Thai law.

[A_Traveller]

From the Bangkok Post 'breaking news' section. Note this appears to be talking about visas, not visa waiver.... Timed at 13:06 Roll on news conference.

Regards

Penang consulate cuts tourist visas

Foreigners who often travel to Penang to extend their visa in order to stay longer in Thailand without work permit will face problem following the decision of the Royal Thai Consulate there to stop issuing double-entry tourist visas, the Bernama news agency of Malaysia reported today.

Bernama also quote The Phuket Gazette newspaper as saying the only tourist visa currently available there was a 60-day single-entry.

An official at the consulate told them that Consul Pramote Pramoonsab had issued an order to cease issuance of double-entry tourist visas while other visa categories are unaffected by the order.

The Royal Thai Consulate in Kota Baharu and the Royal Thai Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, however, would continue to issue double-entry tourist visas although such practice could be stopped in the near future, said the paper.

The move was made following the decision by the Thai Immigration Department to limit to three the number of visas on arrival its officers will issue at Immigration checkpoints in Thailand from Oct 1.

The department had said that it would begin a crackdown on foreigners working illegally in Thailand 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.

Pol Col Bunphot Kongkrachan, Acting Superintendent of the Phuket Immigration Office told the daily that from October 1 onwards, immigration checkpoints around the country would 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 that type of visa, a move that effectively limits the length of stay for those entering the country with this visa class to 45 or 90 days.

Currently, many foreigners working illegally or staying without long term visa in the country makes "visa runs" every month to nearby border towns like Aranyaprathet at the Thai-Cambodia border or even Penang.

Link

http://www.bangkokpost.co.th/breaking_news...s.php?id=112920

/edit style//

Edited September 15, 2006 by A_Traveller

[mark lamai]

""Currently, many foreigners working illegally or staying without long term visa in the country makes "visa runs" every month to nearby border towns like Aranyaprathet at the Thai-Cambodia border or even Penang.""

errrr daa!

so the only thing is these "vermin" will have to travel to an embassy/consulate.

these regs. will not keep anyone out, just make it more of a hassle to come in.

this nonsense about illegal workers, who are they, how many are there,

what jobs are they taking from Thai people?

from reading the forum, the ones really affected are very genuine visitors/home owners/folks working in other coutries nearby and such.

also affected will be the humble english teachers whose schools are to lazy to get them a work permit.

[george]

The Nation update:

Thailand tightens re-entry rules for tourists

BANGKOK: -- Thailand will tighten its immigration rules for tourists who exploit visa free regulations, effective on October 1.

The move will affect tourists from 41 countries who have been enjoying privileges by being allowed to stay in Thailand without a visa for up to 30 days. Among the 41 countries are Australia, the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the US.

Tourists can extend their stay by travelling to neighbouring countries - Cambodia, Malaysia Laos and Burma - and returning with new entry stamps.

The new rules are issued as an increasing number of tourists have overstayed the period allowed.

"Under the current rules, people from these countries can stay in Thailand for as long as they want. Some even stay here for one year. Many work illegally in Thailand," an informed source said.

Instead of sightseeing, the tourists take advantage of the visa exemption by doing business here.

From October 1, tourists from the designated countries may still enter Thailand without visas and stay for up to 30 days, but their entry stamps will be renewable twice at most for a maximum stay of 90 days.

Tourists who stayed for 90 days must leave the Kingdom for at least 90 days before being permitted to reenter Thailand.

Thailand tightened immigration rules last year for South Asian tourists who were allowed to apply for visas on arrival which permitted them to stay in Thailand for 30 days. A large number of them took advantage by travelling to neighbouring countries and returning to get a new visa on arrival at the airport.

Under the new rules, they are allowed to obtain a visa on arrival only twice from neighbouring countries. They are then required to go back to their country of origin to obtain an entry visa to Thailand.

-- The Nation 2005-09-15

[Estrada]

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.

This is not the case the Law is quite clear to a Legal Mind. This is still the same Regulation as passed in 2002, but is now being enforced. 1. Because the have already boosted the "Tourist Arrivals Figures" which was one of the purposes of turning a blind eye and allowing more Visa runs than the Regulation allows. 2. The Economy is now very strong, hence also the discontinuation of the Investment Visa. 3. Previously they needed to boost the Condo Market, now they have plenty of Thai buyers, and do not want to have too many Farangs inflating the prices.

So we are back to the old rules, which means 180 days in 1 year. If you exceed 180 days you would be considered as "NORMALLY RESIDENT" for tax purposes as in the UK. Therefore you can enter and exit as many times as you like in a 6 month period, as long as it does not exceeed 90 days in 6 months = 180 days in 1 year. Similarly, if you get a 60 day Tourist Visa, you can extend this once by 30 days in Bangkok = 90 day in 6 months and then after 6 months from your first entry you can return again on your second 60 day Tourist Visa, extended by 30 days in Thailand = 90 days again, also = the magic 180 days in 1 year.

This also means that if you want to stay more than 180 days in 1 year, you will be considered "NORMALLY RESIDENT" and therefore you must obtain a 1 year visa, business, marriage, retirement, etc. Trying staying in the UK for more than 180 days total in 1 year as a Tourist and see what happens if the I.R. catch you.

[A_Traveller]

Just a short note on the above, the correct numbers for the UK are 183 days in any single tax year, or 91 days in any tax year averaged over the past four years.

Regards

PS, I again ask if anyone has copies of the papers noted here {from OP} "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)" would they please post them here to assist all in understanding what is being proposed. TIA

/edit to add PS//

Edited September 15, 2006 by A_Traveller

[LoveDaBlues]

There are a lot of 'dodgy' people here who have no money and no WP. More than a few have warrants from their native countries. They scrounge around somehow and make the monthly 'visa run' usually on public transportation. The problem for Immigration; how to rid the country of this vermin but not run off some of the 'good folks' (with money, internet job maybe, etc.) in the process? Not an easy problem to solve. If I'm reading things right coming back in country by plane and you're okay.......the vermin can't afford this.

Yep ! Hit the nail right on the head there Blue !

And its this vermin that create the negative vibe such as claims that the economy will be affected, no tourists will come to Thailand, better to live in Malaysia, etc, etc...

I think this is fantastic news for the nation and will truely put Thailand back in its rightful place on the map, as the REAL Land of Smiles !!

Man what I wouldnt do now to be sat in the Cathouse on Soi 4 listening to all those whining cheapos complaining !

No money, no WP = dodgy "vermin" ?

Having money and a WP are the criteria that makes you a respectable citizen ?

Good that there will be no EQ/IQ test linked to the visa requirements or it would seem some people with money and wp might find themselves booted as well.

Taxin, you can run for pm, you seem to have the right views to make a good candidate to follow up the current man in charge.

I didn't say that; you did. If you bothered to read my post CAREFULLY you would not have made a bad ASSUMPTION.

I said this: There are a lot of 'dodgy' ......etc. Notice if you read CAREFULLY you will see the words 'a lot'.......not 'all'.

I said this: not run off some of the 'good folks' .....etc. I guess you didn't even bother to read that part. We all understand there are decent people here who are under 50, have a means of support, and are not working here (no WP). These 'good folks' should not be lumped in with the vermin. As a matter of fact, until I recently turned 50 I WAS IN THIS GROUP.

Let me say this in a different way and perhaps you can comprehend. There are many low-level criminal types here. They survive by scamming, robbing, selling drugs, etc.... MOST of these vermin are monthly border foot-runners. We don't need these people here and the Thai government doesn't want them here either. So......this creates a problem for Immigration.....how to get rid of this vermin?

Edited September 15, 2006 by LoveDaBlues

[dunez]

There are a lot of 'dodgy' people here who have no money and no WP. More than a few have warrants from their native countries. They scrounge around somehow and make the monthly 'visa run' usually on public transportation. The problem for Immigration; how to rid the country of this vermin but not run off some of the 'good folks' (with money, internet job maybe, etc.) in the process? Not an easy problem to solve. If I'm reading things right coming back in country by plane and you're okay.......the vermin can't afford this.

Yep ! Hit the nail right on the head there Blue !

And its this vermin that create the negative vibe such as claims that the economy will be affected, no tourists will come to Thailand, better to live in Malaysia, etc, etc...

I think this is fantastic news for the nation and will truely put Thailand back in its rightful place on the map, as the REAL Land of Smiles !!

Man what I wouldnt do now to be sat in the Cathouse on Soi 4 listening to all those whining cheapos complaining !

No money, no WP = dodgy "vermin" ?

Having money and a WP are the criteria that makes you a respectable citizen ?

Good that there will be no EQ/IQ test linked to the visa requirements or it would seem some people with money and wp might find themselves booted as well.

Taxin, you can run for pm, you seem to have the right views to make a good candidate to follow up the current man in charge.

I didn't say that; you did. If you bothered to read my post CAREFULLY you would not have made a bad ASSUMPTION.

I said this: There are a lot of 'dodgy' ......etc. Notice if you read CAREFULLY you will see the words 'a lot'.......not 'all'.

I said this: not run off some of the 'good folks' .....etc. I guess you didn't even bother to read that part. We all understand there are decent people here who are under 50, have a means of support, and are not working here (no WP). These 'good folks' should not be lumped in with the vermin. As a matter of fact, until I recently turned 50 I WAS IN THIS GROUP.

Let me say this in a different way and perhaps you can comprehend. There are many low-level criminal types here. They survive by scamming, robbing, selling drugs, etc.... MOST of these vermin are monthly border foot-runners. We don't need these people here and the Thai government doesn't want them here either. So......this creates a problem for Immigration.....how to get rid of this vermin?

Since it looks like the immigration officers at the border seem to have been given enough clout to have the final say, I think they will be able to exercise enough common sense to see the good from the bad. Maybe good to show up with docs confirming income, or something to say you have a job / commitments outside Thailand.

[goed]

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.

[stevie403]

Ok so if they say you are only allowed in the country 90 days at a time,what if you work 28 days out the country (as many oil workers do)then come back for 28 day ie:6 x 30 day visas =180 days in any 1 year,and when you fly in to the country you have a return air ticket to where you flew in from,surely they can see that the visa are not 3 x consecutive as you have been away for evry alternative month,thats the way that i see it but as everyone can see it is hard to interpret the way they have written it,but reading between the lines i think they mean if you have 3 visas each renewed on the same day(ie border crossings) that is 3 consecitive,but maybe it does not mean that it is very confusing.

[RAZZELL]

From the Thai consulate site, Hull UK...:

Looks like a trip home every 90 days for a new visa...

Visas_Changes_01_Oct_2006.pdf

Edited September 15, 2006 by RAZZELL

[popshirt]

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.

If the above translation is accurate then I don't believe this new rule will/can be applied universally because it doesn't make sense to apply a rule like this to for example a European working in Singapore who has frequent 1 day business meetings in Bangkok, or someone living in Vietnam who does his shopping in Bangkok. If someone would enter once for 3 days in January I find it implausible that he will be forbidden to enter Thailand between March and July.

This sounds to me like a law which can be applied selectively to certain individuals, ie: the back to back entry stamp border runner. It will be a convenient unambiguous piece of text which an immigration official can wave in the face of an angry farang who's pissed he's being denied his umpteenth consecutive entry stamp.

I am certain of it. This is a sensible post.

[tcnofear]

Ok understanding what they are trying to do

JUST 2 QUESTIONs

1. CAN WE OBTAIN A 3 MONTH TOURIST VISA FROM LAO OR DO WE HAVE TO GO TO THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN TO OBTAIN ONE.

2. WHEN DOES THE COUNT START. DO THEY INCLUDE 30 DAY PERMISSION TO STAY STAMPS PRIOR TO OCT 1

These for me are critical as they could cause people to have to leave with in days or even a day of October 1

ie If you have had multiple entries prior to Oct 1 and are due to leave on the 3 /10 can you come back or are you out or do you have until the endof the 3rd stamp from the begining of 1/10/06

?????????????????????

TC

[tartempion]

A lot of people talking about something they know nothing about

And one who can't understand any of it?!?!?!

Count me in.

But it's funny to read how people get exited for something so trivial....

[Huckenfell]

""Currently, many foreigners working illegally or staying without long term visa in the country makes "visa runs" every month to nearby border towns like Aranyaprathet at the Thai-Cambodia border or even Penang.""

errrr daa!

so the only thing is these "vermin" will have to travel to an embassy/consulate.

these regs. will not keep anyone out, just make it more of a hassle to come in.

this nonsense about illegal workers, who are they, how many are there,

what jobs are they taking from Thai people?

from reading the forum, the ones really affected are very genuine visitors/home owners/folks working in other coutries nearby and such.

also affected will be the humble english teachers whose schools are to lazy to get them a work permit.

Illegal workers! I too have been asking these questions, can anybody come up with a reasonable answer

[F1 Visa Runner]

My final thoughts about this whole thing is just it is a cleansing process. Nothing else.

What this seem to be is a new system that still will work for the not criminal tourist that just want to stay here all year round. The system that has been present would allow anyone to cross a border checkpoint for 10 years if they wanted as long as an International arrest warrant was not issued.

With this new system you will have to drop by a consulate to get your 60 day visa which gives the consulate the necessarry time (2 working days) to get in touch with officials from your country if they want.

The consulate are able to run a check up on you to see if everything is just fine if they are a little suspicious.

Lets say you`ve got some tax issues or other minor offends in your country but your country not going as far as issuing an international arrest warrant which is a of a much serious matter. A warrant of this kind would involve two countries on a much higher level and is only issued due to serious offends.

So if a consulate chose to run a check up and got in touch with officials from your country,

your country would be able to say something like, "We would like Thailand not to issue a visa to this person as we want him to come home and clear out certain things"

A system that actually would work if they want to these kind of people to leave Thailand.

I know most people will react negatively with anything that limit things in Thailand.. and why? Because everyone living here regard Thailand as just Sabai Sabai

[pattaya_girl]

CAN ANYONE IN HERE POSSIBLY ANSWER MY QUESTION PLEASE ??

do these new changes mean that everyone will have to go back to there home country to get a visa for thailand ???? have other countries including neigboring countries to thailand stopped issuing visas ??????????? that is my question...... can anyone answer it please.

[Totster]

have other countries including neigboring countries to thailand stopped issuing visas ?

No.. consulates in neighbouring countries are still issuing visas to those that qualify. It does seem though that where tourist visas are concerned, only single entry tourist visas are available in the neighbouring countries.

totster

[pattaya_girl]

thankyou.

[maxx]

in the past i travel around asia to get a tourist 3entry visa, none are at the same consulate, after a few round you come back to the same one you started.

now that new rule came out i can't get 3entry anymore, but still can get a single entry anywhere, i guest its not that bad, a few day away from Thailand, you get to travel a little more than usually, get out of Thailand every 3 month would do you good, get fresh air, see other country.

if you dont like to travel far just go to penang get another single, and return to Thailnd, i dont think it would be a problem, you're not breaking any law.

i like Penang, the only thing i pitty is that, Penang won't make as much money as they should have, imagine a 3entry cost 300r, now they only get 100r, loosing 200r a day is quite alots, you might ask they will return in 3month instead of 9month, the answer is no, in this cast i rather travel to some where else than Penang, most consulate around asia give out single with no problem, matter of fact i rather go Singapore they give out single no problem, better place than Penang am i right? like i said i like Penang, its a pitty that they have to give it away for other consualte.

my best advise, stay 60days extend 30days, get out of the country anywhere you like make a visit to a nearest consulate, stay a few day relax yourself, and head back to Thailand. the Thai offical just want you to relax yourself after the 90days of excitement, take a few day vacation, smell fresh air.....you see how nice of them.

[A_Traveller]

have other countries including neigboring countries to thailand stopped issuing visas ?

No.. consulates in neighbouring countries are still issuing visas to those that qualify. It does seem though that where tourist visas are concerned, only single entry tourist visas are available in the neighbouring countries.

totster

However, for clarity, it should be noted that the SE Asia changes which were brought in created a limit on the number of times a visa could be obtained without returning to the 'point of origin' {country of passport}. As I've said elsewhere there is no evidence that the authorities will use this lever, but it does exist, is covered in present law, and so could be put in place.

Regards

[Steph1012]

I agree we need a clear out.

Most of us are paying taxes, fees, accountants and employing thai staff (or paying their taxes!!). This legal route exposes us (as we are registered and visible to all Thai Authorities) to periodic checks usually resulting in small fines. We also comply with regulations that many would find it hard to believe exist. Espescially health and hygene ones.

Many here avoid all these costs and as as a result compete unfairly against us and are never checked as they are invisible on the system, only coming to light if they appear on the radar by annoying somebody. These people are also the ones who gloat about how clever they are and how their contacts will look after them should the worst happen.

We meet falang developers, real estate agents, time share salesmen and incredibly!!!! taxi drivers offering lifts to airports, ferries etc. If that isn't a death wish, I really don't know what is.

I do my three monthly hops listening to this crap. listening to Real Estate Agents loudly conducting deals on the phone. Totally taking the piss out of the system. I've had the "why bother with all that shit... This is Thailand" stuff and the knowledgeble nods for the past 4 years since I put my house in order. Back then, those of us who were sober more than 1 day every month, saw the writing on the wall.

All these posters making oh so clever "what about a person who...." posts that may apply to 0.001% of cases, are hypothesising about people who stay more than 6 months of the year (if not, why bother with the calculation). Surely these are not tourists, and this line statistical bombardment will get you exactly nowhere with Thai Immigration, clever or not.

This will not affect many people now, and I am sure the Thai Authorities are worried about an explosion of Chinese doing the same thing. Most of you would not like to be mixing with the Chinese criminal element I am sure, and remember, they don't stand out in a crowd like we do so will be harder to stop.

This measure, whilst maybe not stopping them, will at least criminalise them making them subject to immediate deportation.

[Big Dogster]

have other countries including neigboring countries to thailand stopped issuing visas ?

No.. consulates in neighbouring countries are still issuing visas to those that qualify. It does seem though that where tourist visas are concerned, only single entry tourist visas are available in the neighbouring countries.

totster

However, for clarity, it should be noted that the SE Asia changes which were brought in created a limit on the number of times a visa could be obtained without returning to the 'point of origin' {country of passport}. As I've said elsewhere there is no evidence that the authorities will use this lever, but it does exist, is covered in present law, and so could be put in place.

Regards

could would and should...great words. so there's a law that exists that could be put in place to force someone to go back to their passport country, or it could force the person to go up down or round and round. Maybe all persons will be forced to repatriate for a time regardless cause they have a foreign passport. could be, would be should be. get lost

[Big Dogster]

CAN ANYONE IN HERE POSSIBLY ANSWER MY QUESTION PLEASE ??

do these new changes mean that everyone will have to go back to there home country to get a visa for thailand ???? have other countries including neigboring countries to thailand stopped issuing visas ??????????? that is my question...... can anyone answer it please.

Nope Pattaya Girl, that was just scare mongering by A Traveler who is gloating over these new regs and gets sadistic enjoyment over the sufferings of others because his "current" visa situation is under control. When the immi whip inevitably comes down on him, aint nobody gonna care so he'll change his ID and start his whining. Someone like this is a simple troll trying to get people like you upset, Pattaya Girl. Please put him on ignore for peace of mind. He cares about no one but himself

[A_Traveller]

CAN ANYONE IN HERE POSSIBLY ANSWER MY QUESTION PLEASE ??

do these new changes mean that everyone will have to go back to there home country to get a visa for thailand ???? have other countries including neigboring countries to thailand stopped issuing visas ??????????? that is my question...... can anyone answer it please.

Nope Pattaya Girl, that was just scare mongering by A Traveler who is gloating over these new regs and gets sadistic enjoyment over the sufferings of others because his "current" visa situation is under control. When the immi whip inevitably comes down on him, aint nobody gonna care so he'll change his ID and start his whining. Someone like this is a simple troll trying to get people like you upset, Pattaya Girl. Please put him on ignore for peace of mind. He cares about no one but himself

I don't understand you comment here. The point about the possibility of individuals having to apply at their 'home' Thai embassy has been in place for over 30 years and has been used by the authorites in the past. These are facts.

I have made it very clear that there is no indication as to the intention of the authorites to use this facility, however to ignore its existence would IMHO be foolish in the extreme.

The forum is supposed to allow the dissemination of information so intelligent people may take rational viewpoints about their situation.

With your permission I shall continue to contribute in that spirit.

Regards