Apparently, you cannot do back - to - back border runs at Mae Sot and maybe Mae Sai now.

I guess you go to Mae Sai the first time, and then Mae Sot? Or just do a little trip to Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia,etc...

Geez... does Thailand even want tourists anymore? I understand the need to crack down on illegal workers, but in the long run, I am sure they're losing a lot of money...and money people are affected....

Just wait until the tourist numbers drop even more, and the economy gets even worse.

Follow the leader to Cambodia or Vietnam, eh?

Here is a blog talking about it:

https://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Mae-Sot/blog-877280.html

follow the leader to cambodia or vietnam, i think not.

simply get a proper visa.

follow the leader to cambodia or vietnam, i think not.

simply get a proper visa.

even if you have a proper visa, you still run into headaches.

Whereas, you can go to to Vietnam and Cambodia and stay a year by just extending your visa - without ever having to leave the country...expensive, sure, but so are visa runs for Thailand. And both countries are cheaper than Thailand, but not as nice in my opinion - hence, why I am a tourist in Thailand and not there

Thailand is worth the extra money. Soon, I will be on the beach in Phuket, drinking my expensive beer, with the touts, jet-ski scammers, fat Russians, loud and proud Arabs

Edited August 25, 201510 yr by Tywais
Removed inappropriate reference

I guess you missed all the news about a tightening up on doing visa exempt entries ( they are not a tourist visa) last year.

Are you aware you can get a 30 day extension of a visa exempt entry at an immigration office for a fee of 1900 baht.

Unless you don't have a have a visa for entry you will not be able to cross the border at Mae Sot.

If you plan on staying here for a while you should get a tourist visa.

I know about the crackdowns and I have a visa. But I'm saying, even with a visa, you cannot do back-to-back border runs. It's not a problem for me, because I like traveling and have the money to do it right now, but for others, this will cause problems.

There is no limit on doing entries with a valid visa of any kind.

It seems to be a confusion of tourist visas and visa exempt entries.

follow the leader to cambodia or vietnam, i think not.

simply get a proper visa.

Usual non helpful TV reply, sigh

Is a Tourist Visa not a "proper visa" anymore or have the rules changed?

follow the leader to cambodia or vietnam, i think not.

simply get a proper visa.

Usual non helpful TV reply, sigh

Is a Tourist Visa not a "proper visa" anymore or have the rules changed?

A tourist visa is indeed a "proper" visa if it is obtained from a Thai Embassy/Consulate outside Thailand

A "visa exempt entry" which many mistakenly refer to as a "tourist visa " is not a "proper" visa !

to clarify, when I say visa, I mean an actual visa.

in that blog, at Mae Sot, they said no back to back border runs with a valid visa...not an exempt.

"...in that blog..."

DanceAllNight, if I understand your posts in this topic correctly you have not been denied entry into Thailand with a tourist visa.

The blog post to which you have given a link does not say that the author or any other person has been refused entry with a tourist visa.

Therefore, your topic title and your posts appear to be about the photo in that blog post showing a yellow bill board with the text "Back - to - back tourist visas denied unless valid reason supplied".

Immigration officers at border entry points have no authority to issue tourist visas. It is, however, reasonable to presume that the sign was intended to convey the information that back-to-back entries with tourist visas can be denied if the traveller has no valid reason for such entry, ie if the traveller plans to enter Thailand for a reason other than tourism. Compared with past practice, this may be a stricter enforcement of the Immigration Act but is not a new rule.

Op is scaremongering without back up facts.

I dont blame thailand these guys want it for free , just get a real visa .

So lets be clear here: A tourist visa is no longer considered as a real visa?

There is no limit on doing entries with a valid visa of any kind.

It seems to be a confusion of tourist visas and visa exempt entries.

delete

Edited August 26, 201510 yr by mcfish

I guess you missed all the news about a tightening up on doing visa exempt entries ( they are not a tourist visa) last year.

Are you aware you can get a 30 day extension of a visa exempt entry at an immigration office for a fee of 1900 baht.

Unless you don't have a have a visa for entry you will not be able to cross the border at Mae Sot.

If you plan on staying here for a while you should get a tourist visa.

Thats only if you came in by air right?

Edited August 26, 201510 yr by mcfish

You dont understand Thainess Dance all Night.

Tourist visa is being cracked upon but we cant say so.

It would scare Chinese tourists.

The picture is pretty clear though...

Edited August 26, 201510 yr by Kitsune

I know about the crackdowns and I have a visa. But I'm saying, even with a visa, you cannot do back-to-back border runs. It's not a problem for me, because I like traveling and have the money to do it right now, but for others, this will cause problems.

Do you actually know anyone that has been refused entry with a valid tourist visa ?

I know about the crackdowns and I have a visa. But I'm saying, even with a visa, you cannot do back-to-back border runs. It's not a problem for me, because I like traveling and have the money to do it right now, but for others, this will cause problems.

Do you actually know anyone that has been refused entry with a valid tourist visa ?

No he doesn't.

Because he dance all night and don't have a clue what the heck is going on in the real world.

So lets be clear here: A tourist visa is no longer considered as a real visa?

Who says that? You?

You dont understand Thainess Dance all Night.

Tourist visa is being cracked upon but we cant say so.

It would scare Chinese tourists.

"Cracked upon" please explain. I have NEVER heard of someone being refused entry with valid visa. Visa exempt another story. Can you give one example or the ...cracked upon

The picture is pretty clear though...

This whole thread is a classic example of why it so important to make the distinction between "tourist visa" and "visa exempt entry". It is clear in the cited article that the traveler was refused exit at Mae Sot planning a visa exempt entry. While this is not completely certain, I think the photographed sign talking about "back-to-back tourist visas" was also a specific immigration office creating a misleading sign. I personally have activated the second entry of a double entry tourist visa at the Mae Sot crossing (without an overnight stay over the border) in the last few months. Once confirmed that I had a valid visa, no questions were asked. Mae Sot does not allow crossing to receive a visa exempt entry, however. I speculate that someone exiting by air to Yangon and trying to enter at Mae Sot would be refused visa exempt entry (i.e. the immigration office is calling a visa exempt entry a "back -to-back tourist visa").

Edited August 26, 201510 yr by BritTim

Click the blog link and look at the picture.

That is what I am talking about.

It reads no visa runs and then no back-to-back border runs (those with a visa stamped in passport)

This whole thread is a classic example of why it so important to make the distinction between "tourist visa" and "visa exempt entry". It is clear in the cited article that the traveler was refused exit at Mae Sot planning a visa exempt entry. While this is not completely certain, I think the photographed sign talking about "back-to-back tourist visas" was also a specific immigration office creating a misleading sign. I personally have activated the second entry of a double entry tourist visa at the Mae Sot crossing (without an overnight stay over the border) in the last few months. Once confirmed that I had a valid visa, no questions were asked. Mae Sot does not allow crossing to receive a visa exempt entry, however. I speculate that someone exiting by air to Yangon and trying to enter at Mae Sot would be refused visa exempt entry (i.e. the immigration office is calling a visa exempt entry a "back -to-back tourist visa").

Thanks, that was good info.

....

It reads no visa runs and then no back-to-back border runs (those with a visa stamped in passport)

No, it doesn't.

follow the leader to cambodia or vietnam, i think not.

simply get a proper visa.

even if you have a proper visa, you still run into headaches.

Whereas, you can go to to Vietnam and Cambodia and stay a year by just extending your visa - without ever having to leave the country...expensive, sure, but so are visa runs for Thailand. And both countries are cheaper than Thailand, but not as nice in my opinion - hence, why I am a tourist in Thailand and not there

Thailand is worth the extra money. Soon, I will be on the beach in Phuket, drinking my expensive beer, with the touts, jet-ski scammers, fat Russians, loud and proud Arabs

If you stay somewhere for one year I do not think you could be called a tourist

follow the leader to cambodia or vietnam, i think not.

simply get a proper visa.

even if you have a proper visa, you still run into headaches.

Whereas, you can go to to Vietnam and Cambodia and stay a year by just extending your visa - without ever having to leave the country...expensive, sure, but so are visa runs for Thailand. And both countries are cheaper than Thailand, but not as nice in my opinion - hence, why I am a tourist in Thailand and not there

Thailand is worth the extra money. Soon, I will be on the beach in Phuket, drinking my expensive beer, with the touts, jet-ski scammers, fat Russians, loud and proud Arabs

If you stay somewhere for one year I do not think you could be called a tourist

Your right. I'm a genuine Tourist and never stayed more then 90 days in Thailand. I just went to Cambodia for 20 Minutes and i'm about to do another 90 days as a tourist.

Everyone complains about the cost of USA visas, but when you figure that they are valid for 10 years (with 180 day stays), they cost $16 per year. One thing I don't get is why the US issues 10 year visas to Thais when Thailand does not issue 10 year visas to US citizens (like China, India and Brazil do). The US just concluded a reciprocal agreement with China for 10 year visas. A 30 day visa waiver with no option for a visa run is NOT equivalent to a 10 year visa with 180 day stamps.

Edited August 26, 201510 yr by moto77

"The US just concluded a reciprocal agreement with China for 10 year visas"

Tell the US to pull the finger out and conclude similar agreements with all other countries .

Would the Chinese agreement have anything to do with the massive US $ dept owed to China ? .

follow the leader to cambodia or vietnam, i think not.

simply get a proper visa.

even if you have a proper visa, you still run into headaches.

Whereas, you can go to to Vietnam and Cambodia and stay a year by just extending your visa - without ever having to leave the country...expensive, sure, but so are visa runs for Thailand. And both countries are cheaper than Thailand, but not as nice in my opinion - hence, why I am a tourist in Thailand and not there

Thailand is worth the extra money. Soon, I will be on the beach in Phuket, drinking my expensive beer, with the touts, jet-ski scammers, fat Russians, loud and proud Arabs

If you stay somewhere for one year I do not think you could be called a tourist

What a silly comment.

If you stay in 6 countries 2 months, can you be called a tourist?

"The US just concluded a reciprocal agreement with China for 10 year visas"

Tell the US to pull the finger out and conclude similar agreements with all other countries .

Would the Chinese agreement have anything to do with the massive US $ dept owed to China ? .

No... nothing to do with that. The 10 year US tourist visa is common. For whatever reason the US already gives them to Thais as I said. Thailand does not reciprocate. I think the US should rethink this given the fact that Thailand has become so restrictive on its 30 day stamps. When they were virtually unlimited it was a different story.

Edited August 26, 201510 yr by moto77