Claim That Tourist Visa Available Inside Thaildn Is B***sh**

[Mister Fixit]

Right then, in an effort to clarify what is going on re visas and exemptions etc, I went to Suan Plu this afternoon. I had the impression, from the (copyrighted , <deleted>) post by that chap with the caff who said some Immi major had made a 'semi-official' visit to his place, that it was being said that a person could get a standard 30 day exemption at the border and whilst there was still 21 days to run on it, an application could be made to Immi for a 60 day tourist whilst INSIDE THAILAND.

I spoke to the nice lady on the Information desk (I could get no further) who basically confirmed to me that this claim is a load of <deleted>, (although she didn't put it like that).

I must admit, I did not print out the post which made the claims to show her, but I doubt anyone there would or could have read it anyway.

She was insistent that tourist visas can ONLY be obtained from a consulate outside Thailand and there were no plans to change that. She said that once the 90 days were up, you'd have to go to Penang, Vientiane or wherever and apply for a tourist visa.

She also confirmed that DAYS will be counted, not stamps. Her example was - come in after 1 October and get 30 days. Go out and return and get another 30 days. Third time go out after 20 days. On return, the Immi officer will only give 10 days.

In other words, don't try it on and try to get another 30 days after 80 cos it won't happen.

After her explanation, she just pointed me to the 5 large floor-standing posters near the entrance for 'more information'. It was pointless taking up more of her time.

The posters just made the 5 main points from the website -

1 In the interests of efficiency and national security, changes were being made to the regulations

2 These would come into effect from 1 October

3 People from 39 (or whatever) countries could get a 30 day visa exemption when entering the country, but no stay could be longer than 90 days in a 6 month period.

4 People from 43 countries (or whatever) could enter on a 60 days tourist visa obtained from a consulate OUTSIDE THAILAND.

5 DECENTRALISATION was the word in CAPITALS on the last poster and basically said that Immi officers would had more autonomy in future and the shorter the chain of command, the faster the response (which was also said on the website)

This last one is where I think people will have to be concerned. It means that Immi officers will have a hel_l of a lot more discretion amd sort-of implies that if an Immi officer doesn't like you (or the 500 baht inside the passport isn't enough) you may well have a problem getting in, or maybe only have 7 or 10 days to sort yourself out and leave the country.

It's also a good way of hiding from the world that supposed 'tourists' will be, slowly but surely, eased out over a period of time. If the decisions is purportedly left to an Immi officers 'discretion', then it will be bloody hard to prove that orders from on high have been made to restrict entry to people.

On another note, I called the chap from the Ekkamai visa run to book one for the 2nd of next month, but he told me no-one was doing runs for the first few days of October until they could see what was happening. He said most people were shortening their 30 days and going out in late September to buy some time and gain another month before the results of the changes became apparent. That would then give time to make plans depending on what goes off next month.

Should we expect flights to Penang (and Europe/Australia/North America) to be heavily booked at the end of October ... ?

[jdinasia]

Nope ... It said that a Non-imm O or Non-imm B could be converted from a 30 day stamp with 21 days remaining ..... According to the Imm Official at the Bookstore/coffeehouse ... NOT a tourist visa being available here ...

edit --- just went back and reread the article and it was unclear a bit about whether it would be converting to a non-imm visa from a Tourist Visa or a 30 day stamp! I think probably a Tourist Visa because that way they have in theory already screened you once.

Question: We have heard that there will be a 3 month visa you can buy here in Bangkok. Is this a new rule, if so when is it in place, is it already in existence, can you explain?

Police Major Suppachai: It is not a new visa, it is a new regulation for foreigners who don't have a visa, but visa extension, it means you can apply for a non immigration type B and O at the Immigration Bureau.

Question: In Thailand right?

Police Major Suppachai: Yes. But it means that you have to have at least 3 weeks, I mean visa. It means when you come in right, you have 4 weeks. In the first week you have to contact immigration, in Bangkok in Suan Phlu and submit the papers that you want to change your visa. You have to have a visa. Before we could change the category of visa from tourist to non-immigrant, but this time we can issue the visa as well.

Edited September 25, 2006 by jdinasia

[richard10365]

I don't think I have ever known anyone who has been able to get a tourist visa from inside Thailand. They might be able to get a visa on arrival or extensions of stay but never have I known Thailand to issue tourist visas inside Thailand. I could be wrong. Mr. Lopburi is the local TV expert. Normally, whatever he says, is the truth. You might want to ask him.

[Mister Fixit]

Nope ... It said that a Non-imm O or Non-imm B could be converted from a 30 day stamp with 21 days remaining ..... According to the Imm Official at the Bookstore/coffeehouse ... NOT a tourist visa

Ah, well, there's the confusion, you see.

But anyway, I think you mean a Non-imm O or B can be OBTAINED from a 30 days stamp, not converted. Or a 30 day stamp converted to either, would be more accurate. You can’t convert a non imm O or B to a 30 day stamp either, which is the way what you said sort-of reads.

Because firstly the Sabah site said something like -

'Police Major Suppachai: Your question is a very good question. OK we know that from the first of October it counts from 90 days and the problems will come back. Many people will be stopped at the border, right. So within 90 days we will try to do something. Because we are thinking about the electronic visas. We will use that kind of visa where the airline will have to submit the name of the person to our office before to issue the ticket, similar system to the US. It needs at least 1 year.

Then it goes on -

'Question: We have heard that there will be a 3 month visa you can buy here in Bangkok. Is this a new rule, if so when is it in place, is it already in existence, can you explain?

Police Major Suppachai:

Question: In Thailand right?

Police Major Suppachai: Yes. But it means that you have to have at least 3 weeks, I mean visa. It means when you come in right, you have 4 weeks. In the first week you have to contact immigration, in Bangkok in Suan Phlu and submit the papers that you want to change your visa. You have to have a visa. Before we could change the category of visa from tourist to non-immigrant, but this time we can issue the visa as well. '

So what on earth does that mean? JD _ from your edit, I see now that you also see this statement as unclear and that was what I was trying to check at Immi today.

And Richard, I agree, Thailand never have issued tourist visas inside the country, but the inference from the quotes above is that they will start to do something (So within 90 days we will try to do something. ) That 'something', taken with the other remarks, implies issuing visas within the country, but of course, it may well be just O's and B's.

Perhaps where I have been getting confused is from another forum which seems insistent that tourist visas can be obtained inside Thailand. They may well be wrong.

Just as wrong as someone I know from Samui who says that after 1 October, anyone with more than 3 x 30 day stamps in their passport from before then, will be refused entry! It seems that's the rumnour on Samui, anyway. Can't see it myself.

Edited September 25, 2006 by Mister Fixit

[SabahCafeandCinima]

had the impression, from the (copyrighted , <deleted>) post by that chap with the caff who said some Immi major had made a 'semi-official' visit to his place, that it was being said that a person could get a standard 30 day exemption at the border and whilst there was still 21 days to run on it, an application could be made to Immi for a 60 day tourist whilst INSIDE THAILAND.

I

No where in the article says that

1. If you take words here and there and make your own sentences up then of coarse it can say that

2. If you put the answers to different questions like in te above post you can also spread more misinformation as well. Doesn't help anyone

Edited September 25, 2006 by SabahCafeandCinima

[Mister Fixit]

No where in the article says that

1. If you take words here and there and make your own sentences up then of coarse it can say that

2. If you put the answers to different questions like in te above post you can also spread more misinformation as well. Doesn't help anyone

1. Please learn to use the quote function and then YOUR posts will be clearer.

2. Where did I take words 'here and there' and make up my own sentences?

3. Please explain what you mean your point 2 above - like your web page, it's not at all clear.

I have spoken to a number of people who have taken the view your website refers to being able to obtain a ourist visa inside Thailand, as well as the non-imm versions. Your website is not clear to them, nor to me.

[jdinasia]

lol .... reading ... such a tough thing

[h90]

I am now perfectly confused.

I thought I make my visa run tomorrow, than I go to the immigration and change my 30 day stamp to a non im O visa for marriage.

Is that true and possible or I am in trouble now?

[SabahCafeandCinima]

I'm not a teacher but I'll give you a smiley face if you put the question to this answer

Answer

Police Major Suppachai: Your question is a very good question. OK we know that from the first of October it counts from 90 days and the problems will come back. Many people will be stopped at the border, right. So within 90 days we will try to do something. Because we are thinking about the electronic visas. We will use that kind of visa where the airline will have to submit the name of the person to our office before to issue the ticket, similar system to the US. It needs at least 1 year.

[britmaveric]

Visa(s) for the most part are obtained outside thailand, don't see how one can get confused over this?

[h90]

Visa(s) for the most part are obtained outside thailand, don't see how one can get confused over this?

Because it was always possible to get the Visa inside, but they never did that, but I have a change from 30 day tourist thing to a VISA stamped in my old passport. As my former agent had some good arguments that I can not go out and inside Thailand so it was possible in the past.

And a couple of people are telling that the immigration is doing that by now. But the OP is telling about problems so everything doesn't seem so sure now.

[Maestro]

Police Major Suppachai: Your question is a very good question. OK we know that from the first of October it counts from 90 days and the problems will come back. Many people will be stopped at the border, right. So within 90 days we will try to do something. Because we are thinking about the electronic visas. We will use that kind of visa where the airline will have to submit the name of the person to our office before to issue the ticket, similar system to the US. It needs at least 1 year

Was the conversation with Police Major Suppachai in Thai, meaning that the English text on your website is a translation?

---------------

Maestro

[SabahCafeandCinima]

Not a translation

Questions and answers in English

Video here (sorry about quality but spontaneous)

Edited September 25, 2006 by SabahCafeandCinima

[wpcoe]

Visa(s) for the most part are obtained outside thailand, don't see how one can get confused over this?

But that's the confusing part. SOME visas CAN BE and ARE issued in Thailand when the person enters on a 30-day passport stamp, but OTHERS can NOT be.

Case in point: last week I took my passport with a 30-day passport stamp (not a visa) and received a Non-Immigrant O visa.

It could easily be deduced that one could take a passport with a 30-day passport stamp and receive a Tourist visa. But, that deduction apparently is wrong.

[h90]

Visa(s) for the most part are obtained outside thailand, don't see how one can get confused over this?

But that's the confusing part. SOME visas CAN BE and ARE issued in Thailand when the person enters on a 30-day passport stamp, but OTHERS can NOT be.

Case in point: last week I took my passport with a 30-day passport stamp (not a visa) and received a Non-Immigrant O visa.

It could easily be deduced that one could take a passport with a 30-day passport stamp and receive a Tourist visa. But, that deduction apparently is wrong.

How long is the Non I O?

what reason did you tell or did you need to tell a reason?

I have thai wife

[wpcoe]

How long is the Non I O?

what reason did you tell or did you need to tell a reason?

I have thai wife

It was a 90-day visa, extended to one-year.

The reason for my Non-Immigrant O visa was "retirement". Yes, you do need a "reason" for them to issue a Non-Immigrant O visa. Yours could well be "marriage" if you meet all the criteria (bank savings/income, etc).

[Maestro]

Not a translation

Questions and answers in English

Thanks. I see, then, that also Immigration officials say “visa” when they mean “permission to stay”

Question: We have heard that there will be a 3 month visa you can buy here in Bangkok. Is this a new rule, if so when is it in place, is it already in existence, can you explain?

Police Major Suppachai: It is not a new visa, it is a new regulation for foreigners who don't have a visa, but visa extension, it means you can apply for a non immigration type B and O at the Immigration Bureau.

Question: In Thailand right?

Police Major Suppachai: Yes. But it means that you have to have at least 3 weeks, I mean visa. It means when you come in right, you have 4 weeks. In the first week you have to contact immigration, in Bangkok in Suan Phlu and submit the papers that you want to change your visa. You have to have a visa. Before we could change the category of visa from tourist to non-immigrant, but this time we can issue the visa as well.

In the above quote I find three things interesting and I have highlighted them in bold. I start with the last of the three.

”this time we can issue the visa as well”. While the major spoke excellent English, some parts can be confusing but taken in context, this clearly means “Previously, we could change the visa status only from tourist visa to non-immigrant visa, but now we can make this change also from the visa-exempt 30-day entry.

”visa extension”. I have always understood that Immigration accepts an application for a change in visa status to non-O only in connection with a simultaneous application for annual extension of stay, and this statement of the major seems to confirm it.

”you have to have at least 3 weeks”. I have been puzzling for some time over this requirement of at least 21 days remaining of the permitted stay when applying for a change of visa status to non-O visa. Since this change of visa is made in connection with an application for annual extension, it means that

– when an application for extension is made after entering on a non-O visa, the application can be made at the earliest 30 days before the expiration of permission to stay and at the latest on the last day of the permission to stay.

– when an application for extension is made after entering on a visa-exempt 30-day stamp on arrival, the applications for visa change and for annual extension must be made at the latest 21 days before the expiration of the permission to stay. Since the visa change to non-O extends the permission to stay by 90 days from the date of approval of visa change (according to reports in this forum not from the date of original entry) this means that the application for extension is made 90 days before the new expiration of permission to stay. (The same applies when changing from a tourist visa to a non-O visa)

At any rate, immigration offices appear to have the authority to use their discretion in applying the 21-day requirement for the application for visa change, as the experience reported by wpcoe shows, whose applications for visa change and extension were accepted in Pattaya as late as 10 days before expiration of his 30-day permission to stay.

---------------

Maestro

[blade63]

On another note, I called the chap from the Ekkamai visa run to book one for the 2nd of next month, but he told me no-one was doing runs for the first few days of October until they could see what was happening. He said most people were shortening their 30 days and going out in late September to buy some time and gain another month before the results of the changes became apparent. That would then give time to make plans depending on what goes off next month.

Should we expect flights to Penang (and Europe/Australia/North America) to be heavily booked at the end of October ... ?

Mine will expire first week of October but decided to do a run this week - which means I could stay till January. If I do a border run first week of October then I would only be able to stay till December.

[Ryan Bangkoker]

All:

check this site: http://www.mfa.go.th/web/12.php#General

everything is in there. Which document you need, which type of visa you want (or can get), etc...