What They Said At Press Conference

[SabahCafeandCinima]

If you leave just before Oct 1st then you will be able to do back to back border runs until the january (120 days) date then you have to get a

Days spent in thailand is what is counted not stamps

consulates and embassies will issue tourist visas at their descretion same as usual. Same as other type visas

Will be on itv tonight

Edited September 15, 2006 by SabahCafeandCinima

[N47HAN]

guess youll need a thai sat nearby to translate EVERY word for all you guys affected?

Gonna be the most watched programme ever im guessing.

Thinking about it might pop out tonight I could be spoiled for choice , whilst you all wacth the tv

[SabahCafeandCinima]

If they play it in full as I suspect they will then the foreign affairs guy will be asked questions from a farang and answer/questions bounced back between them

Nation ans Bangkok post should have it explain in the next few days

[A_Traveller]

Thanks for this prompt update, which hopefully will be further confirmed later today.

Looks like you are discussing just Visa Exemptions here {30 day stamp}, any mention of 'real' visas that you recall?

I'm surprised about the days spent in Thailand not the number, but am glad to see this. Looks like I was wrong on this, according to this report. Though it {counting stamps not days} is the usual way of managing exemptions.

Descretion is a good word I think, after all the 'Decentralization' process should facilitate this. However, it will mean that visa issuance will be more scrutinised than before, not all in all unreasonable.

Thanks again for the heads-up

Regards

PS Let's hope the fuller reports in both The Nation and Bangkok Post are better then their 'breaking news' elements thus far.

/edit add PS//

Edited September 15, 2006 by A_Traveller

[trajan]

yeah, the Immigration Bureau today just had a large internal seminar at Imperial Queen's Park Hotel (trying to get everyone on the same page on how to implement the new rules)....

[sjaak327]

If you leave just before Oct 1st then you will be able to do back to back border runs until the december date

Days spent in thailand is what is counted not stamps

consulates and embassies will issue tourist visas at their descretion same as usual. Same as other type visas

Will be on itv tonight

Wow, that's good news for the "normal" tourists, country hoppers and people going some weekends from Hongkong or Singapore.

Regarding issuing Tourist Visas, we have to wait and see if they are going to be issued to visa runners. Or do you got the impression that they are not going to make much troubles ?

I still believe that airliners are not going to be happy about this...

[danone]

impossible task if days and not stamps are counted - if they do not change the immigration's computer system.

it already takes them 3-4 minutes to handle each person - can you imagine the hours it takes if they have to add up three numbers?

no way.

[lung]

consulates and embassies will issue tourist visas at their descretion same as usual.

Penang consulate cuts tourist visas

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=112920

Thailand tightens visa regulation

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=112925

Edited September 15, 2006 by lung