No Tourist Visa After 3 Stamps?

[kudroz]

I've seen several people in different threads saying that the Embassies will no longer grant a Tourist Visa if you have had 3 x 30 days visa-exempt stamps. Some other people refering that a stay in excess of 6 months per 1 year is now impossible, etc.

So what is the current status? It's so hard to keep up with all the speculations and assumptions all over the board. Can we have a sticky or something with the current rules? I don't see the lopburies, sunbelts correcting these people... so I'm all confused now.

[lapamita]

I've seen several people in different threads saying that the Embassies will no longer grant a Tourist Visa if you have had 3 x 30 days visa-exempt stamps. Some other people refering that a stay in excess of 6 months per 1 year is now impossible, etc.

So what is the current status? It's so hard to keep up with all the speculations and assumptions all over the board. Can we have a sticky or something with the current rules? I don't see the lopburies, sunbelts correcting these people... so I'm all confused now.

YES!! you get it

--if you live in your homcountry, no problem get visa for 6,7 month

-- but if you stay here, no!!!

--3 voas and than Tr vis and than 3 voas belive me,NO!!!

for what all this changes , if you cando like this?? there would be no change, we only can hope ,something go change, but chances are small !! for now

if i could make a bet at a broker,,for 3 voas and than tr and than 3 voas

i would bet 5 to 1,maybe even 7 to 1

so i am pretty sure

passports stamped already

the holder of this passport is traveling many time to thailand on TR visa this may lead to refusal of visa in the future

so you see, many Passports copied here in thaivisa already

[cclub75]

I've seen several people in different threads saying that the Embassies will no longer grant a Tourist Visa if you have had 3 x 30 days visa-exempt stamps. Some other people refering that a stay in excess of 6 months per 1 year is now impossible, etc.

So what is the current status? It's so hard to keep up with all the speculations and assumptions all over the board. Can we have a sticky or something with the current rules? I don't see the lopburies, sunbelts correcting these people... so I'm all confused now.

Because nobody can "correct" us.

The bottom line is : we can't be sure.

Basically there are 2 points of view :

-technically, the scheme visa exemption 3 x 30 days + tourist visa is not valid and doesn't make any sense in regard of the "intentions" displayed by thai authorities and other moves (like the cancelation of investment visa 3 millions THB).

Therefore it will be the end of the possibility to live in Thailand, full time, as a "tourist".

-but practically, other people believe that "This is Thailand", therefore a rule can be applied, semi applied, or even forgotten or whatever. AKA = things will be back to "normal" pretty soon.

Unless there is some official announcement, we can only wait for the end of december/begining january, when the first people with 90 days of visa exemption will start to try to obtain tourist visas from thai consulate abroad.

[joskydive]

I have been here on a tourist visa for almost 3 years now and yes I was very worried about what to do when the new law came into force from the 1st of October.

Yesterday, I went on my normal visa trip to Cambodia with a well known Visa Run Company and had my 1 month stamp put on even though I have at least 12 -13 Cambodian tourist stamps in my new Passport already. Returning back to Pattaya, I spoke to the owner of the Visa Service and due to the law changes, he is now providing a round trip to Malaysia in December which includes flights, accommodation, tourist visa and all transfers in Malaysia for 18,500 baht. On your return from Malaysia you will be issued with a Tourist visa valid for 60 days in Thailand. You must then report to Pattaya Immigration office in Jomtien and apply for a 1 month extension. That is your 90 days complete.

After that you must book your next run to Cambodia before the month is up. You can then repeat the visa runs to Cambodia 3 more times before starting the entire process again thus giving you 6 months legal stay in Thailand.

As I see it, I have until December here, I then go to Malasia overnight to get my 60 day visa which makes me legal again in Thailand yet again for, really, not too much trouble.

[Sunbelt Asia]

I've seen several people in different threads saying that the Embassies will no longer grant a Tourist Visa if you have had 3 x 30 days visa-exempt stamps. Some other people refering that a stay in excess of 6 months per 1 year is now impossible, etc.

So what is the current status? It's so hard to keep up with all the speculations and assumptions all over the board. Can we have a sticky or something with the current rules? I don't see the lopburies, sunbelts correcting these people... so I'm all confused now.

Because nobody can "correct" us.

The bottom line is : we can't be sure.

Basically there are 2 points of view :

-technically, the scheme visa exemption 3 x 30 days + tourist visa is not valid and doesn't make any sense in regard of the "intentions" displayed by thai authorities and other moves (like the cancelation of investment visa 3 millions THB).

Therefore it will be the end of the possibility to live in Thailand, full time, as a "tourist".

-but practically, other people believe that "This is Thailand", therefore a rule can be applied, semi applied, or even forgotten or whatever. AKA = things will be back to "normal" pretty soon.

Unless there is some official announcement, we can only wait for the end of december/begining january, when the first people with 90 days of visa exemption will start to try to obtain tourist visas from thai consulate abroad.

We can tell you what the official announcement is.

http://www.lawyer.th.com/National_Police_O...er_Oct_2006.pdf

Will all Immigration officers follow it? Will they just use their discretion and even be more strict? This is the unknown.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

[tropo]

Unless there is some official announcement, we can only wait for the end of december/begining january, when the first people with 90 days of visa exemption will start to try to obtain tourist visas from thai consulate abroad.

I would recommend that anyone applying for a tourist visa in Penang, or other consulates use an "agent". These guys have been working with certain consulate officials for a long time and they live in the same country...and may even be "friends".

Thailand is still part of Asia and a "tip" can really help.

I'm more concerned about the attitude of the Immigration Officers in Thailand when one turns up at the Office for a 30 day extension with a passport full of stamps and tourist visas.

[robhudd]

I would like to share my experience, although I am unsure what it means. I live in Thailand but mainly work in Indonesia and India (Thailand is much nicer than these places). I have been entering Thailand on the visa exempt 30 day stamp. Since the 1st of October I have entered Thailand twice. The stamp is now done differently. The first thing they have done is marked the stamp with a green highlighter pen, secondly they put a number next to it (1 the first time 2 the second time), so they are definitely counting the number of times you come in on such a visa exempt program.

[Estrada]

I would like to share my experience, although I am unsure what it means. I live in Thailand but mainly work in Indonesia and India (Thailand is much nicer than these places). I have been entering Thailand on the visa exempt 30 day stamp. Since the 1st of October I have entered Thailand twice. The stamp is now done differently. The first thing they have done is marked the stamp with a green highlighter pen, secondly they put a number next to it (1 the first time 2 the second time), so they are definitely counting the number of times you come in on such a visa exempt program.

Interesting,

I too got the highlighted with green marker, but no number against it. From talking to teachers here who are doing the full 30 days on the entry stamp, they have theirs highlighted in green plus the number 1.

This would indicate that if you have a long history previuosly of continuous 30 day stays they will mark you with the 1 then 2 then 3 then the "go away and get a Visa Stamp".

If I were to stay the full 30 days I believe that I will get the "2" mark against the next stamp.

[Soju]

I would like to share my experience, although I am unsure what it means. I live in Thailand but mainly work in Indonesia and India (Thailand is much nicer than these places). I have been entering Thailand on the visa exempt 30 day stamp. Since the 1st of October I have entered Thailand twice. The stamp is now done differently. The first thing they have done is marked the stamp with a green highlighter pen, secondly they put a number next to it (1 the first time 2 the second time), so they are definitely counting the number of times you come in on such a visa exempt program.

I got just the normal stamp that I've always got...no number, no green highlighter. This was at the Nong Khai crossing. Also no check on the computer when I entered, no counting of previous stamps or days. Just a cursory check of the passport and then the stamp.