Bomber blame game sees Thailand immigration abruptly change visa rules

[Straight8]

10 years ago there used to be 5 or 6 visa run bus companies most operating 2 services daily to Aran/poipet.

The last time i looked at the BKK Post there was only one left and only doing a daily service .

This latest knee jerk -blame someone else - puts tourists in an impossible situation. You may or may not be able to enter the country by land.

What do they do?

As ive said before, Thailand doesnt want us here. There is a big sign in English as a backdrop on one of the Thai TV stations news rooms.

OUR COUNTRY .... go home foreigner ! lol

Dont invest big money here.

For some, sadly they have their heads so far up their arse, it''s becoming rather embarrasing, however they may just find this out the very hard way.

I wish it were different , but sadly it aint.

[barneskite]

Why was my post removed? I posted #55 about Sadao border officials asking for bribes... can someone tell me why it has now vanished?

[chumpy]

The authorities are really pushing their luck,thanks to their incompetence and absurd rules that have led to big economic losses most of the Thai population has turned against them,it's only a matter of time.

[JeremyBowskill]

Nice work. Shutting the barn door after the horse has already bolted again, I wonder what TV series immigration can watch to help them do a better job......... I'm guessing Faulty towers is how they originally studied for the job.

Fairly silly statement. This will have zero affect on someone who wants to plan a bomb attack in the future.

Unless I am mistaken, neither Turkey or China has a land border anyhow..................

[Straight8]

The country is a circus where little or nothing is thought through. Knee jerk reactions, supposition, based on thin air and media and social manipulation, miss and disinformation from all agency's on a daily basis without responsibility or self respect. Authority figures that truly believe that they are omnipotent and beyond reproach. Just where can you go from there.?

Actually a circus is very well planned and thought out, where most of the time everything runs smoothly and can be very entertaining, something this country is lacking in, considerably.

[Soutpeel]

The authorities are really pushing their luck,thanks to their incompetence and absurd rules that have led to big economic losses most of the Thai population has turned against them,it's only a matter of time.

Oh dear another deluded farang with a high opinion of themselves, overstating their percieved importance to Thailand

Dont worry old chap the Chinese are coming

[Nobb]

To be safe The PM has to clean house off all the bad police and immigration officials. To many involved and nothing will happen. Just like the beaches and the mafia every thing will be quite for one month then go back to the old way to do business!

[tajtom]

It is a shocking thing to go on national TV talking shit about your fellow government associates and it could only happen here. It must be the Thainess

What ever it is it interperets unstability and non alliance fighting each other is a bad look

Its all same same bullshit

[retarius]

Sorry, quit right...respect for the laws of THAILND

[bentarm44]

Why was my post removed? I posted #55 about Sadao border officials asking for bribes... can someone tell me why it has now vanished?

welcome to TVF; nice early post removal, respect.

[Acharn]

" the affected Thailand-Cambodia and Thailand-Myanmar border crossing received the instructions by telephone late Friday afternoon."

"and all are said to be affected, with local variations as to who can enter and who can not."

Ever heard of email? It makes for clear and explicit instructions.

I think that's why it's not used.

[kerrysum]

Same old game, blame the expats, for all of the bull**** you fill in the blanks. Though I once loved you Thailand, you are the farthest from my mind now. Until you wake up and get your sh** together, I will never return. Do I miss some of my family in Thailand yes! But it is not yours to judge. My best advice is to get your head out of your ass! Funny thing, my wife complains living here in America, and I tell her the same... If she is unhappy, simple one-way ticket will make it happen. You may be the greatest story teller on earth. Reality is you need to wake up. It is never you, is it? Just my thoughts for the day. Do not get me wrong, my Thai wife complains here in America where she has it good. My reply? Go home if you do not like it! It is getting close to that point now. So be it. I am too old to deal with the bull**** many more things to do in life, before it is done. And each day I will do them, with or without you. You see there is a difference, I believe, and maybe just others habitually complain.

Just an old fart that has been there and done that, and yes, the bitching continues, even they do not see what blessings they have.

[robblok]

Same old game, blame the expats, for all of the bull**** you fill in the blanks. Though I once loved you Thailand, you are the farthest from my mind now. Until you wake up and get your sh** together, I will never return. Do I miss some of my family in Thailand yes! But it is not yours to judge. My best advice is to get your head out of your ass! Funny thing, my wife complains living here in America, and I tell her the same... If she is unhappy, simple one-way ticket will make it happen. You may be the greatest story teller on earth. Reality is you need to wake up. It is never you, is it? Just my thoughts for the day. Do not get me wrong, my Thai wife complains here in America where she has it good. My reply? Go home if you do not like it! It is getting close to that point now. So be it. I am too old to deal with the bull**** many more things to do in life, before it is done. And each day I will do them, with or without you. You see there is a difference, I believe, and maybe just others habitually complain.

Just an old fart that has been there and done that, and yes, the bitching continues, even they do not see what blessings they have.

There would not be any problems for you to live in Thailand your an US citizen you just swear you got 800k bath get a piece of paper and done. Not like in other countries where you have to really show your embassy some proof.

Anyway there are many Thais not happy living abroad I had a Thai wife in the Netherlands complaining too, its normal. I am happy here in Thailand but I complain too there is no perfect country.

[Tomtomtom69]

" the affected Thailand-Cambodia and Thailand-Myanmar border crossing received the instructions by telephone late Friday afternoon."

"and all are said to be affected, with local variations as to who can enter and who can not."

Ever heard of email? It makes for clear and explicit instructions.

Email? Wow...now that's 21st century! But there's no wifi access at any border checkpoint is there?

Expect Thai immigration to start using email maybe in 15-20 years when most of us won't even be able to remember it.

Already now, Facebook, LINE and WeCHAT, as well as other instant chat messenging apps such as Whatsapp have largely replaced email especially amongst the younger generation.

[Tomtomtom69]

yes sure Sexpat Hans from Germany is the next bomber, so we need him to stop going out at the Cambodian border

Or for that matter, some Lao wife of a Thai or other foreign national living in Thailand. I've just read a thread about a Lao citizen being given trouble at the Nong Khai crossing despite being in possession of a non-O visa.

[Tomtomtom69]

What upsets me is that the Thai current government are making the country look farcical. They are implementing knee jerk reactions without thinking things through. The ill thought move will only have a negative impact on the country when right now it needs a massive boost. I do wonder if they will ever learn.

Maybe we should start a list of stupid knee jerks?

- Registration of mobile numbers a decade ago because a bomb or two was set off in the South using a mobile phone.

- Banning of alcohol sales in gas stations, even though the 7/11 50 metres away sells it, to stop drunks driving.

- Banning alcohol sales between 14:00 and 17:00 to stop school kids from drinking. Although 17:00 fits in nicely with school's out at 16:30.

- Banning of alcohol sales within a hundred(?) metres of educational establishments to stop students from getting drunk.

- A half-ar5ed attempt at blocking websites that display the odd bit of porn.

- Registering of mobile numbers as a national security issue.

- Closing certain border exits for people with valid visas to prevent terrorists arriving (Hey! what about the airports?)

Indeed, a hub of knee jerks. Or, one could say, a hub of jerks jerking knees.

And yet, if they applied any similar "knee jerk" reaction to solving the country's road toll crisis, it would actually be a good thing.

Knee jerk reactions to traffic accidents in Australia have been quite common over the years. For example, one teen crashes his car late at night with 4 people inside and then suddenly the law changes so only one passenger is allowed for these drivers.

But on all your points you are right. I even noticed that they have successfully prevented cable TV stations from airing ads for alcohol. For example TLC channel often shows a Hennessy ad, but this is blocked with a message that "programming will continue soon" every time it comes on, which is annoyingly often because cable TV stations usually repeat the same ads again and again many times a day.

[Tomtomtom69]

This is not about tourists, but about Iong stayers that do not have the proper visas. Regardless of the incident it is something thT would come sooner or later

Nonsense. Yes, long stayers are affected and they are best advised to return to Thailand by air, rather than a land border crossing. Think about the people who want to travel through Southeast Asia, maybe making several land border crossings. Also, the people who work in Cambodia, Vietnam or Myanmar, but want to take short weekend trips to Thailand. It's an expensive proposition by air, and using bus or van transport is cheaper. These are genuine tourists, albeit, not the hi-so ones that TAT is courting. Many of them will be turned away at the border and told to go to the embassy and get a tourist visa.

It's unfortunate that immigration can't just issue simple instructions, rather than rely on rumor and innuendo spread aimlessly about by its border agents, to make a clear policy about using land border crossings. At some point, they probably will restrict foreigners to 90 days of visa exempt entry per year. They are probably waiting to get approval to issue this new instruction. However, the rumor mill has started and "scared" border officers are creating their own prohibitions. After all, some of their brethren were caught, and transferred away from the Sa Kaeo border, where they no longer can gorge at the trough.

The mixed signals and lack of firm policy isn't good for Thailand's tourism industry, because it will result in lower tourist arrivals and general uncertainty which will persist for some time even after they issue the new border entry instructions. The border officers shouldn't be allowed to change rules without a clear policy directive from the head of the immigration police.

Nah...as if everyone would get on a plane to travel to Thailand from a neighboring country, apart from being expensive it would be impractical. If you know the region well, then you will know very well that not everyone wants to go to Bangkok, but that's about the only city with flights linking neighboring countries. There are only a small handful of flights linking Chiang Mai with neighboring countries, or Phuket for that matter. If you live in Vientiane and want to visit Udon Thani, just 70km away, will you fly 600km to Bangkok and then another 500-odd km up to Udon Thani when there's a cross border bus or you could even drive your own car? Surely not. If you are prevented from crossing overland you stop going altogether.

Many travellers also have their own cars in neighboring countries including the locals. Residents of border provinces in particular, often use their cars to drive into Thailand. This is particularly true amongst residents of Malaysia and Laos, who are freely allowed to enter Thailand by car.

Then there's the foreign expats who live in Thailand but travel to those countries by car. How about them? Do you think they would just abandon their cars in Laos, Malaysia or Cambodia and then return to Thailand by air? LOL. Like that's going to happen.

Last year the Thai authorities also starting becoming stricter towards certain "target" nationalities. These included Vietnamese, South Koreans and Brazilians, amongst others. While I have not heard much about travellers from these countries facing difficulties entering Thailand more recently, perhaps it's simply that they are already used to the new rules, now over a year old.

For example, last July my Vietnamese friend entered Had Lek from Cambodia's Koh Kong. He was advised by Cambodian immigration, who at this time did not stamp his passport, to ask the Thai side for permission to cross into Thailand. He had on him a letter from my fiancee who wrote a letter addressed to Had Lek/Khlong Yai immigration that my friend would be staying with us and a copy of his one way flight from Don Muang back to Saigon on Air Asia. Thai immigration told him no problem, and kept the letter and made a copy of his flight ticket. The Cambodian side then stamped him out and the Thai side stamped him back in.

[Tomtomtom69]

Can someone clarify if this means:

Cannot depart (forced overstay)

Cannot come in (but a potential suspect would still be allowed out)

Both?

I need to go to Laos in a couple of weeks, only for 3 or 4 days and on re-entry activate 2nd TR visa, so this might affect my plans.

It shouldn't affect your plans.

LEAVING is fine. Especially if they have no reason to suspect you are going to be doing an in-out. COMING BACK IN could be another matter, but shouldn't be as you will have spent at least one night away from Thailand. SAME DAY in-outs are a problem.

I'm heading to Laos next week for 3 days and 2 nights by car (driving across the border) and expect no problems doing so. I do have a valid non-B multi entry though.

[Tomtomtom69]

I thought the bomber got in by paying a bribe! What visa was or was not used is not important.

He held a FAKE passport.

How about the Thai authorities strictly check the authenticity of all passports, check the Interpol database, which is something they should have learned last March 8, 2014 after MH 370 went missing and it was revealed 2 passengers on that flight purchased stolen passports MADE in THAILAND.

And of course, how about they put an END to the business of making fake passports here.

[Tomtomtom69]

The authorities are really pushing their luck,thanks to their incompetence and absurd rules that have led to big economic losses most of the Thai population has turned against them,it's only a matter of time.

Oh dear another deluded farang with a high opinion of themselves, overstating their percieved importance to Thailand

Dont worry old chap the Chinese are coming

They won't be anymore if they can't even get across a land border!

And FYI at least one of the bombing suspects caught was Chinese.

[Tomtomtom69]

Nice work. Shutting the barn door after the horse has already bolted again, I wonder what TV series immigration can watch to help them do a better job......... I'm guessing Faulty towers is how they originally studied for the job.

Fairly silly statement. This will have zero affect on someone who wants to plan a bomb attack in the future.

Unless I am mistaken, neither Turkey or China has a land border anyhow..................

Well yes you are mistaken. Both countries share land borders with multiple countries. China in fact shares land borders with more countries than just about any other country in the world. However, neither country shares a border with Thailand, though at it's nearest China is separated from Thailand by a mere 100km or so, as measured from the Golden Triangle (Sop Ruak) to Xishuangbanna, where the borders of Myanmar, Laos and China meet.

[Tomtomtom69]

So until this blows over take an airplane instead of a van for a visa run. It is simply the cost of living in Thailand. No amount of whining either from old long time residents or digital nomads will be effective against Thai logic. This to will pass. Predicting the demise of the Thai tourism industry for the millionth time over this is ludicrous.

Yes agreed, can do Singapore with 3-4 hours between flights for 3,200 Baht, 700 more than a bus run and takes no longer to complete. Pain in the arse but if that's what it takes until the situation has been resolved and you want to stay here legally there is no other option.

Complete rubbish. Airport visa runs are also banned now. Check the news from last year, particularly around Aug 12, 2014 when these new rules were first implemented.

How quickly we forget eh?

Here's a thought. How about you actually do the right thing and spend 3-4 days outside of the country and travel around? You can still go to Laos or Cambodia by land, but you spend a few days there then come back. That's what legitimate tourists do. If you are holding a tourist visa, and that includes most digital nomads, you can't claim you are "too busy" to spend 2-3 days outside of Thailand every 60-90 days or so. If you can't do that, either get a proper visa or go live in Cambodia, where a 1-year business visa can easily be had and for the time being, the authorities are quite happy having long-term tourists hanging around as long as they can pay the required US$300 for their annual visa extensions (and maybe an extra US$100 for a "work permit").

[Tomtomtom69]

is it also not possible with a non-Immigrant O or B visa to do the 90 -day border run ?

If you have a Non B, you only have to report every 90 days if you are still in the country. If you are out on business / leisure before 90 days occurs, you will never have to report at all.

Not sure on the O visa though.

No if your on an extension of stay you report every 90 days which is not a B visa someone with only a B visa will be required to visa run every 90 days

Wrong. If you have a Non B, you don't have to do visa runs.

The rules nowadays is you need to report every 90 days if staying in the country. Last century this rule didnt exist.

If going out of the country before the 90 days is no problem as long as you have a Re-Entry Permit when you come back in, so your visa isn't cancelled.

No problems in 20+ years

Wow. How can someone live in a country for 20+ years and still not be at least a PR or a citizen? If you have been working here for that long, you would have long ago probably met the criteria to become a PR.

You might want to think about getting one. Would make your life a lot easier.

If I were still living in Thailand in 20 years time make no mistake that I would become a Thai citizen long before then. It only takes 3 years of being on a non-B extension of stay, working here and married to a Thai.

Edited September 16, 2015 by Tomtomtom69

[MaxLee]

So now, did anyone in power ever care about the victims??? No??? Too busy hunting pseudo scapegoats?????

[Tomtomtom69]

Update: This article was updated at 11.25 am on Sept 14, 2015: Thailand Immigration Bureau advises that visa exempt entry into Thailand has recommenced at all previously affected border crossings. People from eligible countries will be provided with 15- or 30-day visa exempt entries (depending on eligibility) enabling a maximum stay of no more than 90-days in one calendar year. Any time spent in Thailand on a tourist visa will not count towards the 90-day limit.

People with multiple entry visas can also once again exit and reenter (out-in/ exit-entrance) Thailand to activate the second or subsequent allowable entries. No explanation was provided for the disruption over the weekend.

Read more: Bomber Blame Game Sees Thailand Immigration Abruptly Change Visa Rules http://aecnewstoday.com/2015/bomber-blame-game-sees-thailand-immigration-abruptly-change-visa-rules/#ixzz3lidlhDcQ

Please copy and share within the spirit of fair use. We protect our copyrights. Citation link required back to source material.

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So <deleted>!

OK so all is good and well again.

To stop the replies coming in, might be an idea to create a new thread with this information and close the existing one. Otherwise it leads to more confusion. I had to dig through multiple pages before I even found this important update.

[jcisco]

" the affected Thailand-Cambodia and Thailand-Myanmar border crossing received the instructions by telephone late Friday afternoon."

"and all are said to be affected, with local variations as to who can enter and who can not."

Ever heard of email? It makes for clear and explicit instructions.

To read and understand an email requires the recipient to:

1. Have access to a computer that is connected to the Internet

2. Be able to switch on that computer

3. Know which software can receive emails and be able to start that software

4. Have reading abilities advanced enough to understand the contents of the email

I wouldn't be to sure that any of these requirements are present with the staff of all the border crossings.

You forgot that the sender needs to have access to the same technology and abilities. If you send an email from Yahoo with too many recipients, you get flagged as a spammer. This must frustrate so many people in the Thai bureaucracy as none seem to have official email addresses. Must be part of that elusive Thainess we keep being told about.

Define spammer mail, if it many emails listed in the To, CC, BCC fields then likely not flag for spamming but being annoying. If it is mostly the same email sent to different email addresses individually, yah I can imagine the MTA going noo.. If you want to send bulk mails do it properly, no free service going to let you abuse their MTAs.

[swampdonkey]

Without the ability to even activate a pre-approved visa obtained from the embassy, this will wreak havoc. Hope it is short lived.

It is not very difficult to get a proper visa. Genuine visitors will not be affected

[coulson]

Without the ability to even activate a pre-approved visa obtained from the embassy, this will wreak havoc. Hope it is short lived.

It is not very difficult to get a proper visa. Genuine visitors will not be affected

Agreed it doesn't affect me either. The people it does effect however, are seriously put out.

Backpackers also, no more skipping between laos etc....will affect small local businesses, it goes beyond giving a headache to those just doing visa runs.

[elviajero]

Without the ability to even activate a pre-approved visa obtained from the embassy, this will wreak havoc. Hope it is short lived.

It is not very difficult to get a proper visa. Genuine visitors will not be affected

Agreed it doesn't affect me either. The people it does effect however, are seriously put out.

Backpackers also, no more skipping between laos etc....will affect small local businesses, it goes beyond giving a headache to those just doing visa runs.

Thailand needs to decide if it wants a tourist visa exempt scheme or not. If it does then it needs to officially regulate it so that everyone knows where they stand.

[Konini]

Define spammer mail, if it many emails listed in the To, CC, BCC fields then likely not flag for spamming but being annoying. If it is mostly the same email sent to different email addresses individually, yah I can imagine the MTA going noo.. If you want to send bulk mails do it properly, no free service going to let you abuse their MTAs.

Thai bureaucracy as none seem to have official email addresses. Must be part of that elusive Thainess we keep being told about.

But we're talking about a government department. Not just a government department, but the national police force. Surely it's not too big an ask for the RPT to have their own SECURE email service that employees have to use? I would imagine that every now and again a police force would have some fairly sensitive information in their emails - is it acceptable for that to be on Gmail or Hotmail or Yahoo Mail?

For me, this is the biggest joke (and at the same time the most unsettling thing) about this whole shambles. I've lost count of the number of times I've had the shaking head thing going since I moved to Thailand, but jeez - it's going to take an awful big one to top this.