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

[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.

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

It is hopefully helpful for those with Lao family members. ASEAN countries sometimes have different rules. No need to shout.

[yellowboat]

The current establishment makes Cambodia look like a better option. Live in Cambodia and enjoy Thailand from a safe distance. It is just the elites in Thailand that ruin the place.

[Suradit69]

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.

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

Pre-announcing the event would probably defeat one of its purposes and I doubt they're overly concerned about the serial visa-exempt entry crowd.

Anyway, they've been announcing the potential problems one could face for over-staying and asking people to sign a paper acknowledging that over-staying is illegal and MIGHT have serious consequences ... and people complain about that. Damned if they do announce and damned if they don't.

[cmiuc]

Police chief asked Prayut to clean up Immigration... this is Immigration way of responding? (to be opinionated, the immigration office in Laos(Savannakhet) really needs cleaned up... so much corruption at that office. No uniformity in their visa processing...)

i don't know why the bomber needs to go through the border... just jump the river or go up country and pass over, can do all the way to VN fetch a boat, or steal a boat around the harbors in Thailand... or pay some fishing boat people... why is this bomber so stupid? never seen such a comedy... like the comedy shows on Thai TV... maybe the bombers there...

[alant]

Confused! I have friends coming over, they wont have a visa as not needed 30 day. We plan to bike ride to and from Cambodia. Is this now a problem?

[reggaebkk]

Does anybody know if that also applies for people living in Cambodia and going to Thailand for shopping from time to time?

There has always been a rule at the border that disallows entry to Thailand with a simple border stamp if the passport holder has spent more than 90 days in Thailand during the previous 365 days, and/or also limits the number of border stamps allowed per year.

I have so many stamps (Cambodia/Thailand) in my passport that I am always been scrutinized when going to Thailand and threatened to be refused entry, but when they see that I only go for a couple of days and that the total number stays is less than 90 days, they let me through.

I also have a yearly visa for Cambodia and a valid work permit.

If somebody has more information about this and can tell me if I will be rejected next time, please tell me, I have to go to Thailand for a few days at the end of the month and it'd be good if I know upfront.

[OnTheRun]

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.

Thailand has been (ethnic) Chinese run for a long time now, not just since the proposed railway deal.

IIRC they've had one non ethnic Chinese PM since WWII.

[gchurch259]

Quit complaining, get a proper Visa or go home !!I have lived here 12 years and have always had the proper Visa. It cost 5,700THB for a retirement extension and multiple re-entry permit. Get legal, stay legal or go home !!

The only thing I hate is the day wasted at immigration, they need a better system and allow you to get a 5 year extension,

[Phuketboy]

3 months is more than enough to see Thailand maybe 6 months max. I firmly believe that anyone who has back to back tourist visas longer than 12 months (4 entries/visa runs) is not a tourist. People get your shit together and get the correct visa.

[MeHere]

I started a topic here regarding this issue:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/855465-first-half-of-double-entry-finished/

Maybe someone could shed some light for me:

My agency cancelled on me at 6:30am yesterday while I was on my way out the door.

I was about to goto Cambodia as my Multiple entry TR first entry will expire on the 16th.

So, in MY case, would I be able to drive to Cambodia, go in and out, or do I need to fly to Laos and stay overnight?

I'm also wondering how safe and legal it is to take my car over the border (it's purchased, insured, and registered in my name)...

I'd rather drive to Cambodia in and out than waste time with going to Laos overnight.

[amccbkk]

A friend travelled to the Kanchanaburi-Myanmar border yesterday (September 12th) and when he got there was told the border was closed to foreigners.

[yellowboat]

Quit complaining, get a proper Visa or go home !!I have lived here 12 years and have always had the proper Visa. It cost 5,700THB for a retirement extension and multiple re-entry permit. Get legal, stay legal or go home !!

The only thing I hate is the day wasted at immigration, they need a better system and allow you to get a 5 year extension,

Other than the grand old retirement visa or a work permit, there is not clear idea as to what is proper. Just to do business in Thailand, like buying car parts or working at a trade fair, you legally need a work permit or you need to set up a business in Thailand. That is ridiculous. China and other neighbors do not have such silly laws.

You are correct though. If you are a vital person who still wants to work, stay clear of Thailand. It is just not worth the trouble these days.

[apalink_thailand]

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?

He is not referring to tourists. He is referring to the loads of people abusing the system and working illegally in Thailand or trying to live here for extended periods without valid long stay visas (i.e. retirement visas, marriage visas, work permits).

[Prbkk]

Quit complaining, get a proper Visa or go home !!I have lived here 12 years and have always had the proper Visa. It cost 5,700THB for a retirement extension and multiple re-entry permit. Get legal, stay legal or go home !!

The only thing I hate is the day wasted at immigration, they need a better system and allow you to get a 5 year extension,

You assume that your circumstances apply to everyone : they don't. The crucial issue in this matter is the need for clarity and certainty , and with some forewarning of changes.

This topic is quite old in the sense that it's something of a re-run of the changes contemplated last year and the year before. That led to chaos, confusion, anxiety...for no good reason ( and specifically targeted those who wanted to be in Thailand with good intentions....not terrorists, people smugglers, drug runners).

[CiaranO]

Its the usual thing you find here - no information - no planning - no common sense - over reactions to everything - one extreme to another.

[chrissables]

Quit complaining, get a proper Visa or go home !!I have lived here 12 years and have always had the proper Visa. It cost 5,700THB for a retirement extension and multiple re-entry permit. Get legal, stay legal or go home !!

The only thing I hate is the day wasted at immigration, they need a better system and allow you to get a 5 year extension,

Oh wise one, since when is doing a 30 day visa run illegal? It's a loophole that's allows people to stay here. But not illegal as far as i know.

A retirement visa cost has no relevance to people under 50, and you forgot to add the 800,000 baht you must have in the bank.

5 year visa! So you want something that does not exist, while telling people to go home who are following the law that does exist?

[madmitch]

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

The main reason tourist numbers will drop is that every visa runner entry is counted towards the figures. That's a lot of "tourist" entries they could lose.

I think we need to wait for clarification, though I know speculation and doom and gloom will fill these pages for the next couple of days.

[Shawn0001]

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.

Yeah, because all of Thailand's biggest foreign investors are using the border run bus, none of them could afford to fly, let alone actually afford the appropriate visa, or did you mean the kind of "investor" who actually just spends a bit of money in a bar?

[rebelplatoon]

That'll be a problem for many Pattaya road runners... Just trying to help tourism, I guess...

[NoBrainer]

Sounds to me like a bit of backlash from the Immigration police, deciding that if they can't have things their way, then they will cause maximum aggravation for everybody.

[DaveinAsia]

I had a problem at Aranyapradet on Friday. I hadn't any 30 day border runs at all in my passport, only visas from embassies but the officer wouldn't even give me 30 days. There was a queue of several 100 people who started to become annoyed with my 10 minute counter visit. Eventually I got it, but only because I persevered. The computer kept on sending him a negative message. He actually showed me. I have to say thank you to this officer as he is one of the most friendly immigration officers ever. Young guy called Artis.

[KhunBoy]

8 months ago in Chiangmai I sat across an Australian fugitive who was offering to sell education visa to my 2 expat friends. All he needed was the passport and a deposit money and he would enroll his clients in a specific language school and get them the proper immigration stamps. He claimed to be working in collaboration with high level Chiangmai Immigration officers. My friends didn't go with because they didn't trust him with the money but how many people would be prepared to pay this crook to stay a year instead of making the stressful journey to the Lao border every 3 months. This is just one form of corrupt practice by the Immigration Department that uses Farang accomplices as baits. What others are there?

[ignis]

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

How do you work that out ?

How do all these people get to the Border ?

So far as I know most have to pay for a full page Visa to go and get the stamp in + out of Cambodia

can see nothing FREE about it, just a lot of Transport Companies will now be losing money, as well as many thousands of Baht in Visa Collections

[No Apologist]

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

Yeah, I did a bordern run yesterday, and now everything I want in Thailand is free....duuhhhhhhh

[Hockeybik]

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.

Or actually be consistent from one border station to another?

[DaveinAsia]

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

A terrorist can easily change his journey to another border.

If I were a terrorist I'd be paying someone to smuggle me through the jungle or mountains. Forget about the borders

[cumgranosalum]

so what about Laos and Myanmar borders?

[ericthai]

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.

How is it immigration laws causing foreigners to stop investing in Thailand?

No laws have changed!

The enforcement of laws or should I say lack of enforcement of laws changes but no laws have changed lately.

How does this make visiting Thailand stressful? Most visitors stay less than 30 days. I believe last I read the average visitor stayed 10 days.

If you are staying longer than 30 days then you can apply for a tourist visa prior to coming to Thailand which will give you 60 days.

So I dont see how someone that is just visiting Thailand would get stressed about this.

[Rimmer]

Some troll off topic and flames removed

[NCC1701A]

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?

i am sure that was discussed.