Writing Your Best Selling Novel?

[brahmburgers]

Hypothetical news article, dateline, December 1994: British subject Ms J.K. Rowlings was detained at the border. She had two visa renewal stamps in her passport and was hoping to get a third, but Thai immigration authorities instead gave her a deportation notice. Ms Rowlings mentioned that she only wanted to find a pleasant secluded place in Thailand where she could sit and write a book – a fictional story of a boy who finds magic. Thai authorities didn’t care whether she was a writer or an astronaut, it was clear she was not rich enough to stay longer than ninety days in Land of Smiles.

Ms Rowlings admitted that she had received public assistance in Britain, but that she could support herself by doing some teaching in Thailand while writing her book. Immigration officials were not impressed and promptly gave her seven days in which to leave the country or else go to prison.

[backflip]

Jeez, is that the best you can do? The visa restrictions were different a dozen years ago, so Ms. Rowlings would have been OK.

[samran]

mate, this is the second time you've posted this....so what is your point?

As a non-EU citizen, if I wanted to move the the UK as no-body like yourself and write a book on the decline of the English empire, I'd be given a bog standard 6 months, and told to bugger off after that.

Oh, and I wouldn't be allowed to work either.

Really, get some perspective.

[vinny]

samran is correct. In 1994, if Ms J.K. Rowlings was not a British/EEA citizen and had to apply to enter the UK as a writer, then she would not have qualified.

[brahmburgers]

my mistake for posting it twice, I thought it had not been posted the initial times.

The reason I posted it was as a reflection on the current policy. If someone like a pre-famous & rich Ms Rowlings were to come to Thailand now, the current immigration rules would preclude her from staying longer than 90 days in a a 180 day period.(actually a 30 day visa is really a max of 29 days, not 30 days).

Now that she is rich and famous, Thai authorities would be falling over themselves to put out the red carpet, and probably offer her honorary citizenship. Thais are nothing if not subjective about bureacratic things, and quick to fawn over anyone who smells of money - to the disdain of less fortunates - as ms Rowlings was before her fame. She wrote most of her first book on a tourist visa in Portugal by the way.

I dont know Brit immigration rules, but I bet that infractions there (as in the U.S.) would get deported rather than thrown in jail - as happens in Thailand. Im a yank and there are millions of illegals all over and theyre generally tolerated by most people - indeed, most yanks understand that illegals make life spicier for all - of course all Americans except Indians started out as illegals - just like all Thais came from somewhere else - if you look back far enough. Indeed, a significant % of Thais are 1st or 2nd generation out of China.

[samran]

my mistake for posting it twice, I thought it had not been posted the initial times.

The reason I posted it was as a reflection on the current policy. If someone like a pre-famous & rich Ms Rowlings were to come to Thailand now, the current immigration rules would preclude her from staying longer than 90 days in a a 180 day period.(actually a 30 day visa is really a max of 29 days, not 30 days).

Same as if she tried to live in the US, Australia, EU anywhere. Thailand is modernising its immigration system. Where is the problem here?

Now that she is rich and famous, Thai authorities would be falling over themselves to put out the red carpet, and probably offer her honorary citizenship. Thais are nothing if not subjective about bureacratic things, and quick to fawn over anyone who smells of money - to the disdain of less fortunates - as ms Rowlings was before her fame.

Same as everywhere in the world. Australia, Canada and NZ have skilled migration proccesses, with bonus points for people who have had special achievement in their field. The US has its own version where extrodinary talent and high achievers in their field can get special greencards. In the UK, it is called the Highly Skilled Migrant Permit.

Indeed, a significant % of Thais are 1st or 2nd generation out of China.

My Grandfather is from Shanghai. I think you'll find that there is quite a portion of that generation (those who are still alive) living here as Chinese nationals. They all have the proper visa's however. The rest at some point, naturalised.

She wrote most of her first book on a tourist visa in Portugal by the way.

No such thing as a tourist visa to the Portugal for a British National (which miss Rowlings is). As both countries are members of the European Union, their nationals are free to live and work in any of the member states without the need for special permission.