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

[aslimversgwm]

Quite. Get a proper visa. 'Visa runs' should be totally outlawed. They are circumventing the laws of Thailand and have probably only 'crept in' over the years as a neat way for immigration police and agents to earn extra tea money.

[khwaibah]

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

Where did you get this information, source please.

My girlfriend is Lao and is having to make the trip to Vientiene for a visa rather than her usual monthly border run. She's been told the border at Cambodia is closed for all non-visa entries for the time being. Most of the Laos I know will go underground until it gets sorted but I want her to stay legal as we have a child.

Which Thai/Cambodian crossing are you referring to?

[diehard60]

I really want to say something here but if I do I will get red lined once more.

[elviajero]

Quite. Get a proper visa. 'Visa runs' should be totally outlawed. They are circumventing the laws of Thailand and have probably only 'crept in' over the years as a neat way for immigration police and agents to earn extra tea money.

Complete and utter nonsense!

Immigration regulation allows any qualifying nationals multiple visa exempt entries in to Thailand and everyone can stay a maximum of 15/30 days. So which law are they circumventing?

Edited September 13, 2015 by elviajero

[Usernames]

Time and again all I see is farangs complaining about Thailand. Things like my country is better in this and that, Thailand should do this and not that, etc etc... Really? Keyboard warriors, keep complaining all you want. No country is perfect in administration and free of shit, not your home country too. You can't change things here nor can fighting on your keyboard change anything, if you wanna stay in this country, provide positive feedback and not crap. Oh you gonna argue on freedom of speech and all this, sure go ahead. Since this forum is where you feel big for at least once in your fking life.

And the award for the most clichéd post on this thread goes to......

He's probably been in the country for a month or two. First stage culture shock where everything about the new place is good, even better than back home and he thinks he's in paradise. Takes about six to eight months for stage two and anger to kick in. After a year or so, normalcy and acceptance occurs.

[AlexRRR]

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

What a mess of a country.

Put your self on there mailing list.

[Thian]

What about the extension of 2000 baht at immigration so you get 30 days extra? I would do that if it's still possible.

[khwaibah]

What about the extension of 2000 baht at immigration so you get 30 days extra? I would do that if it's still possible.

They open at 0830 am tomorrow morning. Give it a shot.

[elviajero]

What about the extension of 2000 baht at immigration so you get 30 days extra? I would do that if it's still possible.

No reason why not.

[ldiablo]

There laws there country.......

Their laws, their country.

[ChrisY1]

Don't worry if you get denied just go to Genting Casino in poipet and go to the VIP counter and ask for the guy who gets visas. Pay money and give your passport and they will go to phnom penh and get a 30 day Vista. Give your mobile number and get his. In poipet you can use Thai sim. Takes 4-5 days. For accommodation stay at Poipet City Hotel have room 8 dollar fan and 15-18 air. Poipet border has preferred you have visa since March.

That's clever.....meanwhile, most on TV complain constantly about corruption amongst the RTP and Immigration, but you seem to think it clever to keep the system bad!

[Usernames]

There laws there country.......

Their laws, their country.

Your right.

[billd766]

it's just that until now I always wanted to play by the book.

Now I have learned my lesson, I will do like everyone else, pay an agent to get me a visa and criticize everyone on a tourist visa.

I must be different to everybody else then.

I am 71, retired, and one a year I drive 125 km to Nakhon Sawan and do my own retirement visa extension. No need for an agent to do something that is fairly simple.

I generally start 3 months in advance and contact my pension providers for an update, when they arrive I send them to the UK embassy with the stuff that the embassy requires. When that comes back I collate the whole lot and about 3 weeks before the extension is due I take the whole lot plus me to Immigration at Nakhon Sawan.

The front office staff are all ladies, most speak fair to good English and depending if there are more than 3 people in front of me it is all over painlessly in a about 1 1/2 hours.

I have been doing that for 5 years and prior to that I used to have a marriage visa extension done in Suan Phlu or a visa to visit my Thai family from another country and I have managed to do that for the last 15 to 20 years.

was under the impression you had to do your ext of stay,in place you live,is that right or can you do it anywere in thailand.

I used do the extensions at Suan Phlu when I lived in BKK and my first retirement extension was at Mae Sot in Tak province.

Unfortunately Khampaeng Phet province does not have an Immigration office so I now have to go to the nearest, which in my case is Nakhon Sawan.

[tajtom]

Yes

Thai style they are using the bombing as another reason to rock the happy cart to ruin there economy some more I suppose.

The police chief demanded action about security and visitors without a proper VISA and this is there answer... But what should have occured is well I not racist but the countries that do matter are USA, Australia and UK............ These visors should have priority thats it simple

Theres a old saying you can lead the horse to water but can not force it to drink

Always back tracking and they never stick to it

[tajtom]

There laws there country.......

Their laws, their country.

Your right.

LOst given up have you son..... You speak Thai LOL

[ldiablo]

There laws there country.......

Their laws, their country.

Your right.

You're wrong.

[Usernames]

There laws there country.......

Their laws, their country.

Your right.

You're wrong.

You win. I loose.

[BuckBee]

this is in effect on all land borders for visa exempt entries, should be fine with valid visas but having paperwork in order & proof of funds etc would be very very wise.

going mess up a lot of tourists plans/budget who travelling into thailand & planning on visa exempts :-/ certainly will cause loss of tourists & bad tourism feedback ... many better ways this problem could of been tackled !

Edited September 13, 2015 by BuckBee

[Stray]

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?

Thailand Elite Visa gives you five years.

Cambodia gives you a residence visa for B12,500 a year . The basic elite card comes in at B500,000 for five years. Cambodia is a 1/4/ of the price.

Can you post a link to the "residence visa". Thanks.

How does a 1 year Cambodian visa help you to stay in Thailand?

Think I'll stick to the 5 year PE visa which does allow me to stay in/visit Thailand.

[JAG]

To all abusers of tourist visa here is the definition from Oxford dictionary:

Tourist: a person who is travelling or visiting a place for pleasure

Immigrant: a person who has come to live permanently in a country that is not their own

Thank you

What's your point ?

Well, he has proved he can find his way around the Oxford Dictionary!

[Kitsune]

To all abusers of tourist visa here is the definition from Oxford dictionary:

Tourist: a person who is travelling or visiting a place for pleasure

Immigrant: a person who has come to live permanently in a country that is not their own

Thank you

What's your point ?

Well, he has proved he can find his way around the Oxford Dictionary!

We could suggest him " Posting meaningful comments on forums for Dummies" as further reading?

[Bulldozer Dawn]

I read about a public statement by the Police chief 'threatening' to focus on corruption in Immigration. This was a very bold move for Thailand, where such things are usually handled on a face to face (to save public face) basis.

Certainly, that move was caused by irregularities regarding the bombing in Bangkok - my bet would be the bomber had been living in TH for longer time, doing exactly such visa runs, and they couldn't find any documents that would be of help reproducing his tracks. Looking at that, the police couldn't but notice the mess immigration is in, despite all the nice cameras on the airports taking our mugshots when we move in or out, and the millions of surveillance cameras installed all over Thailand.

Basically I think it's a good (and overdue) move to require correct visas for longterm stays - what I strongly dislike, however, are those blitz 'over night' changes and surprises in policies, which are highly unprofessional and 3rd world like. No foreigner (be it a backpacker or a business visitor) can deal with such things in appropriate manner, and it's things like these which are turning down tourist and expat numbers much more than I'm sure anyone at TAT or the government in general can be happy about.

Quite right. No one would deny that Thailand has every right to make changes to visa requirements but it is the knee-jerk , ad hoc nature of the changes ( if there are to be changes) that get on the goat.

Personally I can't imagine anything worse that needing to go to some God forsaken place in the middle of the jungle just to cross the border to get a new stamp. However, if that has been ok then an appropriate period of notice needs to be given if it is to change.

It is not the fault of the TEFLERs (and others in similar circumstances) that Thailand has had a policy of letting in every ratbag known to man (either by policy or by immigration officers on the take).

A considered review is in order, followed by notification of any changes and THEN implementation

Nobody gives any notice to buffalo when they move them from one field to the next.

[Shermanator]

No idea what all the fuzz is about. Get a legal visa, i.e. retirement, b, or marriage visa! Stop whining if they clamp down on cheap Charly flip flop and Batik clothes wearing idiots (working illegally as tour guides, touts, dive masters, drug dealers, fraudsters, forgers, etc.) who think that doing a visa run every 30 days will flawlessly work forever. I pay a lot of money to keep my tax papers, visa and work permit in order, pay employees, their social insurance, etc.... Why should anyone else have it the easy, illegal and cheap way?

A 30 visa on arrival is legal!

Who is working illegally?

What you pay has no meaning at all to people who are staying within the law.

6,000 baht for a year visa and work permit is a lot???

So by your deluded maths, a visa runner who pays (for example) 2,000 baht per month is is paying more than three times more than you!

Not only reading skills but the ability of contemplating and understanding a full sentence would help you to get out of that tiny, pityful box you must live in.

Here the sentence for you again, in bold, so you can find where it starts and where it ends since you seem to have problems with that: I pay a lot of money to keep my tax papers, visa and work permit in order, pay employees, their social insurance, etc...

On top of it all I provide jobs for 7 Thai and 6 Burmese workers, all paid every 1st of the month in full plus expenses, social insurance and visa etc. for our Burmese employees.

Your turn!

Edited September 13, 2015 by Shermanator

[juice777]

If you're over fifty you can get a retirement visa. If you're under fifty you should be at home working, not loitering around in Thailand.

I am under 40 and and don't have 2 work r u saying I can't spend all my money in Thailand, I will stay here as long as they keep giving me tourist visa it's up 2 them

[papa al]

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.

Super!

Where can I try this new rail system.

I'd like to use it for my next border run.

Or maybe you are just making this up?

[does]

I have a friend in Europe who is 45 and enough money to retire in Thailand. I will pass on your message to him.

If you're over fifty you can get a retirement visa. If you're under fifty you should be at home working, not loitering around in Thailand.

[louse1953]

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

I dont think borderhoppers are the last of the big spenders so won't effect Thailand much.

[Sutty]

<deleted> A VISA IS A VISA

I DON'T CARE or worry If people do visa runs every month I don't care if people have so called leagal extensions (Ps your no better than anyone else). I don't care if you live on the dark side. SO WHY DO YOU LET IT WORRY SO MUCH. If your so called leagal good for you if you do border runs again good for you. If you live well and on the dark side good for you. Me I don't judge I enjoy life and live in as I PLEASE not how other would have me live it. Sutty in the love it side

[louse1953]

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...)

There have been no reports of corruption at this office that i have seen,nothing to do with how they hand out visas.

[BigBadGeordie]

Search all the news channels, all the search engines.

No source for this topic, except, TVF.

And the OP source is, posts on TVF.

PLEASE.....