Big Impact Expected From Tougher Visa Rules

[zeusbheld]

In the past, these types of coups had little effect on the every day running of the gov. Just one of the little quirks of the Thai style coups.

By the way, Immigration HQ on Suan Plu is closed with about 6 soldiers out front.

TH

thanks for the info... it's my first time. <blush>

to other coup-virgins: i highly recommend thailand as the country to 'break you in', it really didn't hurt at all...

[tornado40]

Just heard on Sky News that Thaksin is due to stay in the UK - so what visa will he have? Also, he is to stay at his property that apparently he has purchased in the UK

Howcome it is ok for him to stay in the UK when making if difficult for Farangs in LOS and why is he allowed to own land and property when Farangs in LOS cannot

Maybe he will become an asylum seeker and claim benefit

[zeusbheld]

In the past, these types of coups had little effect on the every day running of the gov. Just one of the little quirks of the Thai style coups.

By the way, Immigration HQ on Suan Plu is closed with about 6 soldiers out front.

TH

The news says regular working day tomorrow. Will Immigration at Suan Plu be open tomorrow then?

according to my gf, there was a ticker at the bottom of the screen during the last announcement that interrupted regular tv which said immigration offices would be open.

i'll be going tomorrow to get my 30 days, will advise.

[leongpc]

Hundreds of foreigners stuck on the closed Myanmar border

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=84543

been pretty quiet here. don't tell me all of you guys are caught at the Myanmar border. just j/k.

[astral]

BTW, 25 years ago, when the domestic terminal was the only terminal in Kreung Thep.

Your memory seems to be going.

25 years ago there was no domestic terminal.

The only terminal was the Executive building, that now handles Special Diplomatic flights.

The new International terminals were built south of the old terminal and the Domestic Terminal was added to the south of that, just before the Cargo terminal.

[astral]

There are a couple of points I'd like to bring up that this very well educated person seems to have missed.

1[/i] ALL visa runners, even poor ones, typically import money from abroad into Thailand.

Most visa runners dip into their savings from time to time, credit cards, get infusions of cash from their folks, et cetera from time to time, and do not rely entirely, if at all, on income in Thailand.

By eliminating these 'poor' people from Thailand, you also reduce the amount of foreign capital flowing freely into Thailand, with no return from Thailand. An economic Golden (and tipsy) Goose ...

In addition, even considering those that are working, ESPECIALLY the poorer ones, they spend all their money in Thailand (and then some) so that the money merely goes on to employ other Thais - for example apartment managers, taxi drvers, Chang Beer employees, and a great many women from Issan (who then contribute to all manner of vetenarians for their sick buffalos!)

In another thread I calculated, based on the tourist arrival numbers, the percentage of land arrivals and region, etc, that the number of European visa runners is around 250,000. Then add in Japanese, Chinese, Philipino, Indian, Russian, etc.

There are a lot of us here.

UNFORTUNATELY, the above author isn't concerning himself with this kind of impact. Rather he assumes that they are poor and that the dynamics concerning immigration that exist in the West - such as social welfare, getting higher paying jobs and shipping the money OUT of the country, etc etc, apply here. Really, nothing could be farther than the truth. Only those with fully legal jobs, and very good ones at that, would be in a position to ship money they earn in Thailand back home to help Ma afford that surgery she's been wanting.

Rather, he is concerning himself more with the loss of face that Thailand is suffering with the selectiveness of the West and America. he is speaking from an emotional point of view that is very hard to reason with. Many in th US use the same kind of logic ... immigrants, even illegal immigrants, help power the US economy... just a matter of dispassionate thinking

I think the Thai's may have missed some of these points as well, especially the economic one,

only time will tell.

However they have left the door open for the visa runners to regularise their status.

In the long run IMHO, there will not be that many people who have to leave and the financial effect

on the country will be small.

[Maizefarmer]

Just heard on Sky News that Thaksin is due to stay in the UK - so what visa will he have? Also, he is to stay at his property that apparently he has purchased in the UK

Howcome it is ok for him to stay in the UK when making if difficult for Farangs in LOS and why is he allowed to own land and property when Farangs in LOS cannot

Maybe he will become an asylum seeker and claim benefit

He is in the UK on a diplomatic pass - similar to a visa (my brother works in the FO section that deals with him and others like him (ousted dictators, presidents and PM's) that turn up bag in hand at Heathrow). But it does not entitle him to stay for ever - and he will not stay in the UK forever.

If there is any credible legal process aginst him (and Thailand is not seen as one of the countries that chops heads off - innocent or guilty) then he will be sent back to Thailand.

Ask Gen. Pinochet - and if ever the FO owed any foreign leader "favours", Pinochet was right at the top of the UK FO favours list (re: his help iduring the Falklands war).

It helped him nought - he was sent back to Santiago - and be sure, Thaksin is no-where as favoured in London as Pinochet was.

By the way - the rules & regs applying to foreign heads of state (and their visa terms in the UK) are published on the internet in all detail under one of the Immirgation or FO or Custom & Excise websites.

Edited September 22, 2006 by Maizefarmer