Reports: Thai-Cambo border check points closed to visa runners with immediate effect

[Lite Beer]

Reports: Thai-Cambo border check points closed to visa runners with immediate effect

pic: my.telegraph.co.uk

A large number of unconfirmed reports suggest that Immigration officers along the Thai-Cambodian border are no longer allowing Out/In border runs.

BANGKOK:-- Throughout the last 24 hours, Thaivisa.com has received reports that suggest officers at Immigration check points along the Thai-Cambodian border are no longer stamping visa exempt entries, and are therefore effectively closed for people wishing to complete an Out/In border run.

Reports started surfacing on Saturday afternoon (Sept 12), when several members posted similar information to the Thaivisa forum.

It remains unclear if this affects all land border checkpoints or only those on the Thai-Cambodian border.

It is also unclear if only those people staying in Thailand on visa exempt entries are affected or if this also impacts people who have a valid Tourist Visa.

This thread posted by a Thaivisa member says checkpoints along the Thai-Cambodian border, as well as the Phu Nam Ron checkpoint at Kanchanaburi, are no longer stamping 15 or 30 day waiver stamps, but are accepting those with a valid Multiple Entry Non-O or Tourist Visa.

More reports made to Thaivisa also seemed to confirm the information regarding the Thai-Cambodian border, and also suggested that those with valid Tourist Visas may also be affected.

Thaivisa forum member YuliyaSerg wrote (sic):

We called several visa run companies 2 hours ago, because we need to open our second part of double entry-tourist visa before 16th of September, and were planing to go to Cambodia on 14th September.

Both companies said only Laos now. After some time one company called back and said to wait tommorow, may be tommorow information will be more clear, and it wil be allowed to cross Cambodian border for people with valid visas only (open 2d part of tourist visas, etc.) If now, on 14th we need to go to Lao, it our last chance to open second part of our visas. Its really awful! We were not planing to go to La and have plans(((.

A post was also made in the Thaivisa Pattaya forum by member Nice Boyd, said he had spoke to a company offering visa services in Pattaya, where staff had informed him that all land border runs are suspended until Oct 1st.

It is important to stress that all reports remain unconfirmed at this stage and despite our best efforts late last night and early on Sunday morning, Thaivisa is yet to receive official confirmation from the Immigration Bureau.

Speculation is mounting that this sudden change in Immigration procedure along the Thai-Cambodian border in response to the Bangkok bombings.

Earlier this week, Thailand police chief Somyot Pumpanmuang revealed that Bangkok bomb suspect, Adem Karadag, had bribed his way into Thailand paying approximately 20,000 THB to enter using a fake passport.

-- 2015-09-13

[pinkpanther99]

More chaos and confusion.

Maybe this is the start of the big overhaul of Immigration.

Why don't Immigration ever put out official news or statements?

Thanks Thai Visa, proving to be an invaluable information source again.

Those who do the in/out visa runs could be up sh1t creek because of this.

[englishoak]

Would be nice of the authorities to let visa runners know before possibly finding themselves in trouble.

What a mess of a country.

[amerasianex]

Just one more example of how much Thailand v as lies its visitor industry.

Imagration laws are making foreigners stop investing in Thailand

The laws always change

It makes even visiting Thai l and stressful.

[phuketrichard]

more fallout cause of the bomber suspect crossing over??

[Kitsune]

If if was due to bombing, they would close ALL borders.

A terrorist can easily change his journey to another border.

[Kitsune]

And why closing the topic in the visa forum, when it is indeed a visa issue?

[KittenKongRedux]

Why don't Immigration ever put out official news or statements?

It isn't just Immigration: Thais generally seem to have a lot of trouble providing succinct and accurate information in any language. I dont know why.

[phuketrichard]

If if was due to bombing, they would close ALL borders.

A terrorist can easily change his journey to another border.

perhaps,

BUT he went to Cambodia so its a reaction to that

[NongKhaiKid]

more fallout cause of the bomber suspect crossing over??

A knee jerk reaction to the bomber and / or the call to clean up Immigration ?

This doesn't affect me personally but kudos to TV for trying to get more info as officialdom aren't likely to bother with announcements. Arriving at the crossing and being turned away will be seen as warning enough.

[steven100]

No more illegal tourists doing back to back border runs.

If you intend to stay in Thailand for an extended period you must apply for the correct visa.

[Kitsune]

If if was due to bombing, they would close ALL borders.

A terrorist can easily change his journey to another border.

perhaps,

BUT he went to Cambodia so its a reaction to that

He also wore a yellow shirt, shall we arrest everyone in yellow?

[Kitsune]

No more illegal tourists doing back to back border runs.

If you intend to stay in Thailand for an extended period you must apply for the correct visa.

LOL

Like no one knows geography and have noticed that Thailand has other bordering countries.

[brewsterbudgen]

Laos nationals have also been told the border is closed for in-out runs unless they have a visa.

[brewsterbudgen]

No more illegal tourists doing back to back border runs.

If you intend to stay in Thailand for an extended period you must apply for the correct visa.

If they are tourists how is this illegal?

[Kitsune]

Just another excuse to fish for more bribes.

[Sutty]

No more illegal tourists doing back to back border runs.

If you intend to stay in Thailand for an extended period you must apply for the correct visa.

Since when was it ilegal. It is my understanding it is perfectly legal to have unlimited visa exempt entries or are you speculating that every one doing this is working here????if that's the case that's some assumption on your part got any evidence to back it up!!! Edited September 13, 2015 by Sutty

[Kitsune]

Laos nationals have also been told the border is closed for in-out runs unless they have a visa.

which border?

when?

[PatOngo]

Xenophobic paranoia......they only want two week tourists with plenty of money to part with.

[Kitsune]

I think the visa companies find it harder to fill up vans without visa exempt visa runners.

So they just go to Laos instead.

[Mango Bob]

Thailand just keeps biting itself in the ass. If these visa exempt crossing are legal why stop them? Always blame the foreigner for Thailand problems. If your immigration people weren't so corrupt you wouldn't have the problem you have. Just wait and see tourist numbers will drop and TAT will say that it will not affect tourism. BS

[Kitsune]

Xenophobic paranoia......they only want two week tourists with plenty of money to part with.

They want CHINESE tourists, China just bought them a new railway system.

So this is new China land.

[brewsterbudgen]

Laos nationals have also been told the border is closed for in-out runs unless they have a visa.

which border?

when?

Cambodia. With effect from yesterday.

[bkkcanuck8]

If if was due to bombing, they would close ALL borders.

A terrorist can easily change his journey to another border.

They caught one at the border or in Cambodia - hence... Cambodian border.... I suspect it is just pressure from above about not accepting "additional fees" so someone said - not worth it close the border

[Soutpeel]

Just one more example of how much Thailand v as lies its visitor industry.

Imagration laws are making foreigners stop investing in Thailand

The laws always change

It makes even visiting Thai l and stressful.

Some how dont see the average visa runner investing anything in Thailand

The laws are not always changing, the enforcement might, but the laws dont

[DavisH]

What bothers me most is that is a typical knee-jerk reaction to a serious issue, and will all be forgotten about in a few months. Hey Thailand, have a rule and STICK to it !!!

[shirtless]

They want revenue borders runners are on a freebie hence they want it stopped.

[anto]

Good thing.

[Kitsune]

Laos nationals have also been told the border is closed for in-out runs unless they have a visa.

which border?

when?

Cambodia. With effect from yesterday.

that's what the topic says

How is saying that one nationality cannot cross the border, is helpful,when the topic says NO ONE on visa exempt can cross?

it's like saying Cubans can't cross,or Inuit can't cross..

WE KNOW

They said ALL visa exempt, I thought that was clear enough

[WinnieTheKhwai]

We called several visa run companies 2 hours ago, because we need to open our second part of double entry-tourist visa before 16th of September, and were planing to go to Cambodia on 14th September.

Both companies said only Laos now.

This just means that these companies aren't driving their vans there. Visa run agencies don't have unlimited vans, so if some of their passengers are only going for the visa exempt stamp then it makes sense to just change to Laos for everyone, no matter if visa extempt or multi-entry visa. In other words, this statement applies to the visa run company and cannot be taken as something from Thailand immigration.

Edited September 13, 2015 by WinnieTheKhwai