PRELIMINARY ANNOUNCEMENT:

Regarding the rumoured changes that a Tourist visa should allow 90 days on entry, instead of 60 days:

I just called Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Informed MFA sources absolutely deny that any 90 day Tourist Visa is on the list of proposed changes. The prime change is to deny those on 30 day permits any capacity to reside in Thailand.

But TiT:

I will double check with Immigration Bureau later this afternoon. My feeling is that the news article from yesterday might have been wrong regarding the TR visa, telling us that you get 90 days when entering on a Tourist Visa (TR).

Will revert as soon as I have some update. Hopefully today.

/George

I checked too. Same response. As usual, you are first with the real news George

If true (60 days, not 90 days), in practical terms, what does this mean?

QED: another journalist, this time of “Pattaya Today”, who got the story wrong.

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Maestro

Probably still 60+30.

If flat 90days they will loose a lot of money due to the THB 1,900.- pricetag of the extention.

They might also increase the fee from the beginning.

Wait and see news from George.

Yeah guess sounded too good to be true considering all the other news are bad news... Cheers!

If the idea behind all this is to keep people from living in Thailand indefinitely as a tourist, how does permitting 3 x 30 day voa's followed by tourist visas followed by 3 x 30 day voa's followed by tourist visas with the cycle continuing ad infinitum satisfy such a goal?

If true (60 days, not 90 days), in practical terms, what does this mean?

Same as it always was. TR = 60 days + a possible 30 day extension = 90 days

If true (60 days, not 90 days), in practical terms, what does this mean?

Same as it always was. TR = 60 days + a possible 30 day extension = 90 days

I spoke to the Thai consulate in Cardiff, UK this morning (Friday 6 Oct.) They assure me that the Tourist Visa has not changed

A single entry is still good for 60 days, then you may extend for another 30 days.

UK will issue single, double or triple entry tourist visas - BUT the last entry must be made within 6 months of the visas being issued.

So as I see it,

1st entry: 60 days+30 day extension= 90 days

2nd entry:60 days+29 day extension =89 days so you're guaranteed to be back in to use the 3rd entry by day 180 (6 months from issue)

3rd entry: 60 days+30 day extension= 90 days so total is 269 days (nearly 9 months) Then 3 border hops of 30 days each giving all but a year. BUT then what? is the big question

I added the last bit for illustration but I agree it doesn't help those who are in Thailand now but maybe if you need to visit UK it might be a way forward if you cannot get an "O" visa.

Mike

If true (60 days, not 90 days), in practical terms, what does this mean?

Same as it always was. TR = 60 days + a possible 30 day extension = 90 days

I spoke to the Thai consulate in Cardiff, UK this morning (Friday 6 Oct.) They assure me that the Tourist Visa has not changed

A single entry is still good for 60 days, then you may extend for another 30 days.

UK will issue single, double or triple entry tourist visas - BUT the last entry must be made within 6 months of the visas being issued.

So as I see it,

1st entry: 60 days+30 day extension= 90 days

2nd entry:60 days+29 day extension =89 days so you're guaranteed to be back in to use the 3rd entry by day 180 (6 months from issue)

3rd entry: 60 days+30 day extension= 90 days so total is 269 days (nearly 9 months) Then 3 border hops of 30 days each giving all but a year. BUT then what? is the big question

I added the last bit for illustration but I agree it doesn't help those who are in Thailand now but maybe if you need to visit UK it might be a way forward if you cannot get an "O" visa.

Mike

It's possible they'd only issue 3-entry tourist visas to UK passport holders. There was some talk about 2 and 3-entry tourist visas only being issued in the passport's country of origin.

If the idea behind all this is to keep people from living in Thailand indefinitely as a tourist, how does permitting 3 x 30 day voa's followed by tourist visas followed by 3 x 30 day voa's followed by tourist visas with the cycle continuing ad infinitum satisfy such a goal?

I don’t think this is possible because the Embassy or Consulate will see that you have had 3 border runs and then deny the tourist visa application. I have been here running borders and getting class B visas and work permits for almost a decade now and this may put an end to all that.

What it has done is motivate me to get the company papers in order and to get ready for the trek into the labor department every three months:S I gave up on the last work permit because of all the running about and paperwork. I suppose now its essential even if all the money I make is outside the country!

If the idea behind all this is to keep people from living in Thailand indefinitely as a tourist, how does permitting 3 x 30 day voa's followed by tourist visas followed by 3 x 30 day voa's followed by tourist visas with the cycle continuing ad infinitum satisfy such a goal?

I don’t think this is possible because the Embassy or Consulate will see that you have had 3 border runs and then deny the tourist visa application. I have been here running borders and getting class B visas and work permits for almost a decade now and this may put an end to all that.

What it has done is motivate me to get the company papers in order and to get ready for the trek into the labor department every three months:S I gave up on the last work permit because of all the running about and paperwork. I suppose now its essential even if all the money I make is outside the country!

You are not limited to three border runs (30 day entry permissions) but to 90 days per 6 month period. The Consulates will use there own criteria for visa issue and only time will tell what that may be.

Citizens of those favoured 41 nations can apply at Thai Missions / Posts for visa's in other than their homeland.

I don’t think this is possible because the Embassy or Consulate will see that you have had 3 border runs and then deny the tourist visa application.

Why don't you think this is possible? Of course you have no evidence, but it is just some baseless speculation or "common sense" right? There are two things that would say this will be false so far:

1. A primary motivation of ending 30 day border runs is so background checks can be made in the process of people applying for a real visa. Hence, no similar quota policy has been announced in regards to tourist visas.

2. After the changes, Penang announced they were changing their policy to not issue triple entry tourist visas but there was no announcement regarding scrutiny for issuing them. They even hinted at possible future changes, but again scrutiny of perpetual stay was not even mentioned. Of course some consulates have had such scrutiny for years and years, but no consulate anywere in the region has made *new* rules on long stay scrutiny.