Big Impact Expected From Tougher Visa Rules

[Colonel_Mustard]

We will know in about 6 weeks how many people but there is no doubt that it will be a significant negative cash flow for Thailand. The problem the Thais are trying to fix is ultimately tied to corruption at some level. There will be cries from the Thais very soon. People on 30 day visas are too integrated into the Thai economy. Ripping them out wholesale like this very possibly could kill the host.

While I do sympathize with those negatively affected by these changes, Thailand survived before their arrival and will no doubt survive if/when they leave.

I hope that those affected will be able to obtain the necessary visas one way or another.

Edited September 16, 2006 by Colonel_Mustard

[Samuian]

these tourists have taken advantage of the visa exemption by getting married to Thai women "for reasons other than love", and have conducted business here. Many of them have not paid tax.

Foreigners not paying tax is a big problem -- There is nowhere else to go for revenue, as all Thai business owners are law-abiding and proudly pay all taxes due already.

I hope they have and are using data to drive policy. Personally I can't imagine that lost business tax revenue comes anywhere close to the inflow of foreign money "tourists" bring with them.

Chuck

How "BIG" the percentage of foreigners is which are going through the procedure of marrying a local lass to 'conduct business' here - i wa' wa' wa' wa wo'onder...! they all ARE paying 'hidden' taxes - like VAT - for example.... and as chuck mentions... spending their money in the kingdom and that will be - 100% sure - much more than any of the ordenary income earners in the kingdom - even it is 'only' spend for beer and @ entertainment venues, rentals, shopping, food, transportation, medical expenses, the lot.....@least it keeps the mills going, somewhere.

ah... well guess someone wants more transparency - I have none - nothing to hide!

Wonder what the changes are in the procedure for the residency!?

Edited September 16, 2006 by Samuian

[ding]

Instead of sightseeing, these tourists have taken advantage of the visa exemption by getting married to Thai women "for reasons other than love",

You mean hot torrid sex........................

So... are you implying hot torrid sex isn't love?

Anyway, they'll probably just add some fee or tax or whatever and all will be fine soon enough.

If they really didn't want Thailand westernized, [and who does?] they would just refuse permits to Starbucks and Kentucky Fried Chokin.

Can you imagine if the US did this? Wages would double in a week!

[Nam Kao]

The economy will tank and crime will skyrocket

The remaining farangs will be facing alot of animosity

[MaiChai]

Can I ask a question: after your 3 VOA's, can you go to a nieghbouring country for a tourist visa, or do you have to return to your home country to get one?

[Big Dogster]

When they start hearing the wails of the millions of Thais who are tied in to the tourist industry, these rules will ease.

the tourist industry will hardly notice any changes.

these new regulations will affect only those who prey on the border hoppers , under the radar business owners and other semi -legals who reside here.

if , as it seems is happeneing , the regulations are clarified and simplified , then those who wish to stay here will have to become fully legal , they are talking about easing the regulations for teacher work permits , others will have to obtain proper visas and meet the conditions , a visa based on retirement or marriage is easy to obtain and offers security here.

those who do the month in month out "oil worker" shuffle will I'm sure be accommodated by immigration , as will the frequent business visitor.

for those who have always existed 'under the radar' so to speak , well maybe its time to move on.

thailand , quite rightly , doesnt want you , and once you go , then those who feed off you will be starved out too. (e.g. dodgy lawyers offering dodgy advice , greedy landlords and business partners who take advantage of your dodgy status ), the businesses you run will close and in many cases that will be a good thing. thailand could do with fewer beer shacks with no customers , sloppily run dive centres and happy shiny property agents. it can only improve things.

if you run a legitimate business or want to start one , then seek the advice of a reputable legal firm and meet the requirements , if you cant meet the requirements then move to a less regulated country. if you have a girlfriend and you are in love , then why not get married.

these regulations are still less stringent than those in our home countries.

thailands reputation has hit rock bottom abroad over the past few years and hopefully this will be the start of a long overdue clean up.

the presence of so many falangs here along with the activities they sometimes engage in has caused an upsurge of resentment from locals. yes , the thais are quick to blame foriegners for anything amiss here , but foriegners have given thais many reasons to resent.

a few will be unfairly affected by this , but not too many.

"We will check whether they are really in love or not," Suwat Thamrongsrisakul, the head of the department, said at a news conference.

this sounds interesting , how will they do that , and what will they do when the wife , sitting in her nice house with a healthy bank account answers them in thai saying that its a terrible marriage and i'll make it worth your while if you dont renew his visa.

it couldnt be easier for a disgruntled misses to lever some advantage.

\

While in the grand scheme of things this may be not totally wrong.. In areas like Phuket the economy will nosedive.

If you have any concept of how many normal, high net worth, non working farangs live here you would agree.

I did a random sample in an expat watering hole.. Of the group all were here as long stayers of one kind or another, (not short term tourists).. the sample was 12 - 15 people and there were 3 of us on non imm's.. The rest were mostly Penang triple entry tourists (about 6 or so) and some border hoppers and offshore rotation workers. Of the group only 2 additionals would qualify for non imm's one was the bar owner who could get legal (and should it can be argued) buy hiring more staff, paying more taxes, etc etc etc and the other was over 50 and can retire legally.

So more than 50% of normal expats guys who all have money, dont work here illegally, etc were being told they were no longer welcome. Thats a lot of revenue lost.. Dont care how you want to malign them or thier intentions.. On a fiscal choice basis these guys have no legal avenues to stay and will need to start looking hard at thier choices outside of Thailand.

Livin', thanks for trying to give an education to Taxexile on the impact of this sitution as you are as duly qualified as any poster I have read. Sadly however, you are talking to a wall as that poster is mired in the cluelessness of his take on the situation. Keep on posting, you are doing a fine job regardless. When they come knocking on taxexiles door regarding his dodgy visa situation, perhaps he may begin to learn

[LivinLOS]

We will know in about 6 weeks how many people but there is no doubt that it will be a significant negative cash flow for Thailand. The problem the Thais are trying to fix is ultimately tied to corruption at some level. There will be cries from the Thais very soon. People on 30 day visas are too integrated into the Thai economy. Ripping them out wholesale like this very possibly could kill the host.

While I do sympathize with those negatively affected by these changes, Thailand survived before their arrival and will no doubt survive if/when they leave.

I hope that those affected will be able to obtain the necessary visas one way or another.

Yeah sure it did.. But not very prosperously..

Look at the poverty of pre 15 or 20 years ago.. Is that how they wish to turn the clock back..

The influx of foriegn cash has been a majhor driver of the local economy here in phuket so much.. You only need to look at a non farang regaion and a farang region to see the wealth flowing into the locals pockets.

[lamphun]

In all these thread including quotes from newspapers I have still to read what exactly the new rules are.

Anyone who knows should comment, all the rest is a distraction.

[Hollywood]

ESCAPEARTIST.COM

All the information you need about other countries that have many advantages for living there.

[makesmoresense]

First of all:

How many times did the police check on workpermits or people working somewhere.

How many times they found someone in a school working without a permit?

Never? Because they never checked.

OF not course because that is not where the money is.

They catch a large amount of bribe money from bar and company owners who really bring in cash.

As soon as a business runs smoothly, in stead of checking on the owners permit, they like to catch some money.

In a workpermit clearly states: bring this everywhere you work, so that you can show it when ever you need to.

BUt when is it ever checked?

IS it not that when a foreigner becomes a teacher in a school without a permit, the school is bad

and not the foreigner?

The foreigner helps out the school, even by working illegal.

ANd what about all these BAC's who easily get a permit or workpermit, while they do nothing else then ruining Thai culture, traditions and lifestyle by makebelieve.

I think if they really want to change the rules, they have to to it good and also work on their corrupt police. But who is going to check on them? The police

What they want is make it easier on themselves.

let 40% have the school have no more english teachers. Isn't that great.

You know what maybe do like the Netherlands, and make a rule that all foreigners should learn thai before they enter the country. And make a test if they speak fluent Thai, that gives them a permit.

It's a great thing to leave out the people that ruin it all for others. But the person that does that is just a single kind of person and the people that are ruined are all the others.

Was Thailand not once the country for people who seek freedom?

Why is it not possible for someone to get all his money together and live here for a year, without making money? In stead of travelling around the world.

Where does it lead the people without a work permit

You can see your family more often

or see other countries too.

Isn't that great..

[Colonel_Mustard]

We will know in about 6 weeks how many people but there is no doubt that it will be a significant negative cash flow for Thailand. The problem the Thais are trying to fix is ultimately tied to corruption at some level. There will be cries from the Thais very soon. People on 30 day visas are too integrated into the Thai economy. Ripping them out wholesale like this very possibly could kill the host.

While I do sympathize with those negatively affected by these changes, Thailand survived before their arrival and will no doubt survive if/when they leave.

I hope that those affected will be able to obtain the necessary visas one way or another.

Yeah sure it did.. But not very prosperously..

Look at the poverty of pre 15 or 20 years ago.. Is that how they wish to turn the clock back..

The influx of foriegn cash has been a majhor driver of the local economy here in phuket so much.. You only need to look at a non farang regaion and a farang region to see the wealth flowing into the locals pockets.

I too live in Phuket and in my opinion much more of the wealth has come from short term package holiday tourism, frequent visitors from nearby countries and property investment (mainly from other Asian nations). Expat residents no doubt do contribute but that in no way accounts for the difference in wealth between Phuket and up country areas.

[BlackArtemis]

OK so I am a little lost for myself. Currently I am working here legally (1 year work permit) But I feel that I want to do private tutoring come next year. Therefore no more work permit. However, I am getting married at the end of March, being 24 and married to a Thai, but no work permit, what options am I looking at here?

Thanks.

[animatic]

The overstay rules for 'invisible' residents does make some sense.

BUT at the same time the reports of tightening the

work permit Non-Im B visa proccess seems to be

shooting themselves in the foot.

Force those wishing to stay to have work permits,

but make it a LOT harder to get one...

I have a workpermit, from one company,

and have my own company, but haven't upgraded it,

to give me a workpermit yet. It isn't ready to do business yet.

But I am thinking I MUST do that tout de suite, before Oct 1,

just in case....

I don't need to work here, I could retire, but am not old enough.

I could end my days here with out lifting a pencil.

But it's easier to work a little bit, to keep the visa correct,

and more interesting too.

I still think the serious criminals, will have enough money

to set up a company, even "buying" a Thai with 1.2 mil in the bank to do it.

Since they just changed THAT business rule, or at least are enforcing it

with a specific target.

This may stop some penny anti criminal types, but NOT the serious,

money launderers, drug dealers and scumbags of various persuasions.

ie The guys likely to cause real problems will still get in if they want to.

I do note this :

"Suwat conceded the move may cause some problems,

but said "maybe we have to do something to make it better [later]".

"However, if foreigners wanted to work here they should get a work visa, he said."

Yeah, already putting in place the backtracking clause.

I thinks some brighter minds, have seen the potential negatives...

AFTER the fact,

or at least gotten through to those who didn't see it,

before the fact.

It does make you wonder how long this will be in place.

Still it will be a mess for some time,

until all the interacting laws are reconcilled,

not from my observations, a Thai strong point.

[Gonzo the Face]

I would like to address this to those people who seem to feel that Thailand should be a bowl of cherries , just here for their plucking. "YOU ARE A GUEST IN THAILAND". You are here because you chose too be. But do not expect a special program tailored for each and every whinger out there because the law does not fit them. Thai law is here to protect Thailand not YOU specifically.

the whole thing is so absolutely ludicrous it defies description.

how many billion baht is the marketing department of thai government pouring into worldwide advertising and pr campaigns to ATTRACT more people to come to the kingdom, pretty please?

Yes they do !!! They are trying and do attract TOURISTS", and they make it much more easy to get into the country by having visa on arrival for TOURISTS. They also make it easy to re-enter for up to 90 days for TOURISTS. Those cheap charlie whingers posting here do not want to be tourists, they want to stay here for as long as they want, as in living here, not being a tourist. .... and because the law has turned a blind eye for some years, too many of the whingers have stayed and spent some money in bars getting drunk,, then you seem to feel this is your god given right.

Grow up, respect the law or get out its that simple.

Step back and think a moment..... is it as easy for a Thai to get into your home country, and can they do border runs in your country. I doubt it , then why should you expect it in someone's elses country. Other than spending money getting drunk and living cheap, what are you contributing to the good of the country???

their government maintains offices in every major country for the only purpose of attracting and enticing folks to come and spend some money.

This is correct , as does your home country I am sure. And then your country makes it much harder for them to get into that country.

Scizophrenic as can be, while marketing is spending billions of tax baht on trying to attract visitors, another department of the bureaucracy, called Immigration, is paranoically issuing new rules effectively discouraging people from coming and/or staying/investing in the Kingdom.

They offer Tourist Visa from or through and every Royal Thai Embassy, and/or Royal Thai Consulate in the world, but whingers think this is too much effort to put out , after all it will slow them down for spending their thousands of dollars, milking a system that has had a blind eye towards them before, and they have abused the system. Now its time to pay the piper.

Another beautiful example of the usual insanity of bureaucracies (by no means confined to Thailand)

Perhaps, but is your home country any different ??

Sooner or later even they will find out that visitors have choices...that there are many many nice countries to visit, live, invest and spend money.

Yes this is true, and if the Thai system of laws offends you, then take your own advice .... Find this other country, that will make you happy. This will not only make you whingers happy, it will make all the rest of us expats, who do live by and up to the law, happy.

Consider this. There are many types of visas available for those who wish to stay here. Push away from the bar and get on the internet one day and look into it. Yes it will take a little effort, but that is your responsibility to do it, if you wish to stay here and spend your vast sum of money.

If you fall into the cracks and there is no visa available to meet your particular needs, then guess what, maybe you don't belong here. You want to make an estimate of how many times each day Thai's or other foreigners are told that by embassy's and/or consulates around the world, when trying to get into a foreign country???

Get off your high horse and stop feeling so superior to the citizens of this country. Simple get the proper visa, get legal, or if that is too much for you or cannot otherwise be done..... get out, go somewhere where you can drink in peace.

Goodbye land of no more smiles.. I wish you well in your new chosen location and much happiness.

If you love Thailand and wish to spend time in this beautiful country, which you apparently do, as you are here, then live up to and respect its laws.

OMHO

You're the one who needs to get off his high horse. They will be coming after you soon enough on whatever proper visa you were able to scam

Your opinion is noted, respected but not agreed with.....

Had I not been in business for the past 12 or so years in this country, paid my dues, obtained the correct visa and work permits, you may be correct.

Now there is a type or whinger on these threads who expects a visa category specially created just for them. So they can continue living here at possibly twice the level of comfort that they may expect back home. This is because they cannot live back home for some reason or another, usually legal, tax, or financial problems. I don't blame them for that wish. But don't expect to be able to live here illegally,and don't expect something that you are not entitled to....

There are also living here, good people of modest means retired or not, who do contribute to the community in which they live. They are smart enough to get the correct visa. They must of course exercise some effort other than mouthing complaints re their host country. These people usually are not the whingers . Most of them are happy to be here and live a very good life.

When it comes to scamming, don't paint everyone with the brush with which you are painted.

If I were to be in violation of some law , having been in one place for more than 10 years now, I am sure they would be more than able to locate me. I ain't runnin no where.. but thanks for your concern

[taxexile]

Livin', thanks for trying to give an education to Taxexile on the impact of this sitution as you are as duly qualified as any poster I have read. Sadly however, you are talking to a wall as that poster is mired in the cluelessness of his take on the situation. Keep on posting, you are doing a fine job regardless.

you talk like a newbie.

panic panic panic. doomesday doomesday doomesday.

is that your best response to yet another shake up of regulations.

give it a few months to "ease in" and i reckon you will see that nothing much will have changed.

theres an election coming up soon , policies and promises are sprouting up like mushrooms at the moment.

there will be perfectly legal ways around all this so that those who can afford to stay without working can , and a lot of those who operate under the radar will feel that it would be better for them to leave.

When they come knocking on taxexiles door regarding his dodgy visa situation, perhaps he may begin to learn

well , nothing is written in stone here in thailand , but my visa situation is perfectly legal and thankfully i dont have to do the degrading run to the borders every few months.

if the only way i could stay here was by jumping through the stupid hoops that are the border runs , then i wouldnt be here. a man must have his pride.

for those who are willing to accept that jumping through the hoops of their masters every few months is the only way , then they shouldnt be surprised when those hoops are suddenly raised higher off the ground.

[Backpack_thailand]

There is nowhere else to go for revenue, as all Thai business owners are law-abiding and proudly pay all taxes due already.

[drummer]

Yes, exactly. If you are a tourist, come for a month or two, spend your money and go home.

If you're a legitimate business person, go about your business in a legitimate way.

Unfortunately, it doesn't exactly work that way. Its perfectly fine to say make those statements, and to believe in them, morally. Heck, I do too! Many tourists I know that come here come for severl months., Me too, the first time I came. I didn't want to come halfway around the globe for a short vacation. I wanted to get to know a place, and I can't do that in 1 month.

But to confine the topic to those illegally working, and not really on long vacations (and there really are a lof of folks who are on long vacations!) it is overall a major loss to the Thai economy to lose them. Even if they don't pay tax, they employ apartment managers, taxi drivers, travel agents, lawyers, etc etc. The money that goes to their pockets isn't lost to the ether - it is returned to the system to get taxed and taxed again by the Thai government. Sure , it would be better to get these guys legal, but it is a major pain in the @ss to get a work permit. I got fired from one job because the paperwork just took too long. I saw the paperwork - they did everything, it just went really slow. Many companies drag their feet about getting work permits, proimise them but never deliver, or just do it wrong (there are a LOT of stories about the paperwork being incorrectly filed)

Sure, there are some folks who are dodging taxes, but most would rather be fully legal. If you make it easy for them to stay legally, then it is a plus economically for Thailand... strictly thinking about them working for wages earned in Thailand. The fact that most people have savings from home that they spend is another topic!

If you're retired, get a nonimmigrant 'O-A' and enjoy your stay in Thailand while spending your money there. Thailand wants you because of your financial impact not because inebriated layabouts improve the landscape.

There are more than a few inebriated Thai layabouts... and more than a few back home. They are everywhere, and more than a few of them aren't exactly poor. I have had several bosses who could buy enough of Bangkok to make the front page, who were constantly inebriated. Niel Bush, younger brother of US president George W. Bush, has been known to be a sex tourist in BKK.

But then, this is the real reason, isn't it? Layabouts are defined as those who can't afford an international flight every 2 months. If you don't have that, then you are scum, and not having those (ewww!) poor people around will really help Thailand become a better place!

Get your head out of the ideological clouds and examine the facts as they are, not as you WISH they are in order to make you feel a little bit better about yourself. (my GOD!@ I'm glad I'm not those people - and someone might think I'm one of those people! eeeew! get them away get them away!!!)

The fact of the matter is that this is just a matter of getting the poorer people away, with the assumption that poor people are criminals and peepee touchers. Just not true. There are going to be pedos in every country everywhere - not much you can do ab out it 'till you find out they are pedophiles. The criminals can be monitored easily - like the other poster said, link up to Interpol. Easy breezy japanesy. But, Thai rak Thai. And Thais are more than willing to shoot themselves in the foot for an answer that saves face, even if it doesn't address the problem.

And there is a very big irony here... Farang countries are prudish about prostitution. For Thais it is an integral part of social dynamics, and you will NEVER convionce any Thai, male or female, best friend, wife or not, that you do not use prostitutes. Just not gonna happen. It is a foregone conclusion.

Thats are not pissed because of sex tourists, they are pissed because Farang countries don't like sex tourists. They protray Thailand as only a place for cheap girls and cheap food, and this is a loss of face for them ... but only because foreign countries are themselves prudish. If Thailand really didn't want sex tourists, they'd clean up the prostitution!

Instead, they just don't like some farang who say that the only reason to go to Thailand is foir the women.

[LivinLOS]

We will know in about 6 weeks how many people but there is no doubt that it will be a significant negative cash flow for Thailand. The problem the Thais are trying to fix is ultimately tied to corruption at some level. There will be cries from the Thais very soon. People on 30 day visas are too integrated into the Thai economy. Ripping them out wholesale like this very possibly could kill the host.

While I do sympathize with those negatively affected by these changes, Thailand survived before their arrival and will no doubt survive if/when they leave.

I hope that those affected will be able to obtain the necessary visas one way or another.

Yeah sure it did.. But not very prosperously..

Look at the poverty of pre 15 or 20 years ago.. Is that how they wish to turn the clock back..

The influx of foriegn cash has been a majhor driver of the local economy here in phuket so much.. You only need to look at a non farang regaion and a farang region to see the wealth flowing into the locals pockets.

I too live in Phuket and in my opinion much more of the wealth has come from short term package holiday tourism, frequent visitors from nearby countries and property investment (mainly from other Asian nations). Expat residents no doubt do contribute but that in no way accounts for the difference in wealth between Phuket and up country areas.

I partially agree..

Of course long term expats have not been the entire engine of wealth creation.. But they are the regular, returing, keep businesses alive through the low season steady income.

Take that away and the boom and bust cycles of SARS, Bombs, Avian flu scares, etc would be far harsher.. Also I do think they make a major contribution to the economy that will be sorely felt if taken away.

Personally I still think that avenues will be open.. Little less convienient, little more pain in the ass, but if you wish to will be solveable.

[makesmoresense]

the funny thing is

with not work permit you have to go and can easily go abroad to get a visa back in

but with a workpermit

you cannot get out without getting a note which costs you 1000 baht so that your workpermit will remain valid.

no workpermit

you must go out

workpermit

you cannot go out

[drummer]

Thailand recently simplified the process for foreigners who want to become permanent residents. The amount of paperwork required has been slashed and the time involved reportedly cut from more than a year to about four months.

Will be very interested in hearing more about this.

Indeed ... I haven't heard anything about this anywhere else. Simplifying the process to become legal would satisify the lions share of my complaints on the new regs...

[bkkandrew]

Here is a quick math lesson for any influential Thais that may be reading this.

First understand that the people you are targeting stay in apartments and not hotels.

Second assume the average rent is 10000 ThB per month.

Third multiply that by the number of people who you feel will be effected say 50000.

That quickly translates to 500,000,000 (500 million) ThB per month lost and 50000 vacant apartments.

Multiply that times 12 months and you get 6,000,000,000 ( 6 Billion) ThB in lost real estate revenues alone.

I don’t need to tell you what will happen to apartment owners that can’t pay their mortgage.

The question is how long can you keep this up?

How much different is that from what you would expect to gain by them paying taxes with a proper visa?

Well put, rather conservative I would say.

Add to that the considerable number of new-build condo/apartment units being added to the market daily, built with borrowed money, expected to be repaid by foreign money and you have a juicy recipe for a property-driven economic crash..

Hmm, think the office is open down stairs, think I will ask about the %age reduction they will give me for staying in this block.. Might take a camera for the look on their face, especially when I explain my rationale...

[taxexile]

No, but you do have to do the equally degrading run to an Immigration Office to report every 90 days.

actually , there is nothing degrading in turning up just down the road and making the acquaintance of your local immigration officer. once your face is known there , things just seem to get friendlier and easier.

for those who do find it degrading , i believe you can do it by post.

[lung]

In all these thread including quotes from newspapers I have still to read what exactly the new rules are.

Anyone who knows should comment, all the rest is a distraction.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=112941

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

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/09/16...es_30013796.php

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...c=83253&hl=

enough ??

[Gonzo the Face]

We will know in about 6 weeks how many people but there is no doubt that it will be a significant negative cash flow for Thailand. The problem the Thais are trying to fix is ultimately tied to corruption at some level. There will be cries from the Thais very soon. People on 30 day visas are too integrated into the Thai economy. Ripping them out wholesale like this very possibly could kill the host.

John K, I agree with much of which you write, but here I disagree.... I think this law enforcement will wash out some of the dregs of the cheap charlie society here. I also believe that most of the folks who are here milking the system now can find out there is a visa for them, if they want to stay. But and it is a big BUT they are going to have to get off their lazy rearends and put out some effort to getting that legal visa. It will not be as easy as VOA, but I think the vast majority of the people now doing the visa run thing, will find and will get the necessary visa to stay. I also think that they will feel much better in their own mind about finally doing something positive.

Water will seek its own level, and human nature will seek the easiest way around a problem, even if they recognize its not the best way. I think in a years time when we have another major cricis to bitch about , this will be a long gone problem with most of the illegals now being legal.

[Thaiquila]

Being in Thailand on a 30 day stamp is LEGAL. Why are people calling such people ILLEGAL?

Edited September 16, 2006 by Thaiquila

[John K]

As much as I try to look for the positive in everything, there is little to be found in this story for both Thais and non Thais. The realist positive view is nothing short of Pandora’s box.

I don’t want to sound negative to the Thais but this clearly has not been thought out more than one or two steps. I feel worse for the Thais that will simply go under because this decision simply stops or significantly cuts their income. The people that have to leave can relatively easily set up in another country. This has long lasting problems for everyone.

If you think George Bush has it bad with the Iraq war, think again. That is just unpopular and has little effect on peoples income. This decision goes straight for the wallets of the Thais.

I have a non B and this does not effect me. However if the crime rate was to increase significantly I too would leave as would many others who are legitimately here. We would simply become targets of crime as we are already seen by Thais as having more money than them. I doubt that would encourage future investments in Thailand by companies in other countries.

[Souch]

My thought, you can all blame John Karr for the inconviences. The Thai people are obviously upset a man wanted on child porn charges has lived in their country for 2 years and was teaching their children, not that he is the only one but it was international news.

You can't fault them for wanting to eliminate some of the dregs. But, of course, the dregs will just stop crossing the border and/or leave the country to avoid the detection that might bring them to justice.

As for businesses closing because of people having to leave due to visa issues. If there are baht to be made someone will step up and take over.

I look forward to the many choices of apartments that will be available when I return to Bangkok in November.

[taxexile]

So what exactly is degrading about going to a border to renew your visa?

its the hoop jumping thing.

if you are expected to travel , in some cases a long distance , and then get a visa for the adjacent country , and then walk out , and then walk back in , well it would make me feel very unwelcome here and i dont think i would want to stay.

yes , the ninety day reporting is a nuisance for sure , but its hardly a major hassle , and it can be done by post.

the exit entry border run seems to be a fiendish game devised by immigration or the lawmakers here to inconvenience their guests to the maximum. they are laughing at us. i find it degrading.

i did it for a year , and even though i made a holiday out of it , either in vientiane or penang , (which is a great place) , i felt there was no purpose to it and felt it to be degrading to have to do that. i believe that many other countries have similar systems , its just another way that governments seem to treat people with total disdain.

it would be so much more sensible all round to allow extensions and renewals in country. they could keep a better check on you as well.

Edited September 16, 2006 by taxexile

[Gonzo the Face]

the funny thing is

with not work permit you have to go and can easily go abroad to get a visa back in

but with a workpermit

you cannot get out without getting a note which costs you 1000 baht so that your workpermit will remain valid.

no workpermit

you must go out

workpermit

you cannot go out

I suggest you do some more investigation on your post

[grantham]

I wonder what comes next. Thailand currently has a thriving AND growing Automotive Industry. How long before this growth is halted, followed by movement of assembly plants the other Asian countries. Vietnam looks good for the future.

Grantham.