Thai Visa In Phnom Penh : Only One Time !

[antoine]

New rules about visas from 1 october 2006 were presented to fight illegal stays, border runs, and illegal work.

The facts seem quite different. I have a work permit and a visa B. At the end of this visa, last week, my visa extension was refused for have not a balance sheet with incomes covering expenses.

If somebody can tell me how a company can make benefit after 2 months of preparation one month of opening, I want to buy the method ! Only mafia maybe can make benefit from the first day. Other ones have to invest, prepare, find staff (not easy), equipment and make a lot of files and documents.

I was very surprised and my lawyer too. Anyway, I had no choice, I had to go out and apply for a new visa B. I chose Cambodia for having some friends there. So, I had to make, with this new rules the first visa run of my life. Funny when new rules are supposed to fight against visa runs.

I met in thai embassy in Phnom Penh others guys : one was in Thailand from 5 years, had also a work permit, and had the 2 last years a one year visa. His restaurant has a perfect balance sheet.

But on 10 of november, his visa extension was refused without any explaination.

So ? Small investors making everything legally, paying salaries, taxes, social security, are not welcome ? My shop is very specialized and salaries are between 15 and 18 000 baths.

We obtained a new visa B, for 3 months, with a red stamp on the visa, another on the passport page, and a small paper cliped on passport cover saying the same : "Permitted to apply visa at Phnom Penh for only this time".

Means : never come back here....

I have to say that I never asked before for a visa in Cambodia : it was the first time, an now the last one too.

And another guy, asking for a tourist visa had exactly the same red stamp on his passport.

How can investors can trust in something when rules change from one day to other, and when the true rule is not explained ? How take the risk, after investing, to can be pushed out for a refused visa extension, without any explaination ?

Anyway, for everybody now, visa in Cambodia : only one time, if accepted......

[astral]

See this thread for other similar experiences.

[Sunbelt Asia]

New rules about visas from 1 october 2006 were presented to fight illegal stays, border runs, and illegal work.

The facts seem quite different. I have a work permit and a visa B. At the end of this visa, last week, my visa extension was refused for have not a balance sheet with incomes covering expenses.

If somebody can tell me how a company can make benefit after 2 months of preparation one month of opening, I want to buy the method ! Only mafia maybe can make benefit from the first day. Other ones have to invest, prepare, find staff (not easy), equipment and make a lot of files and documents.

You need a year end audit as well which is impossible to get, until after Dec 31 2006 for a start up formed in 2006.

What you need to do now, if you don't still qualify for the extension in Feb. 2007 Go to KL with your work permit, three months of PND #1 (monthly withholding tax) As of right now, they will give you a one year multi entry visa.

one was in Thailand from 5 years, had also a work permit, and had the 2 last years a one year visa. His restaurant has a perfect balance sheet.

But on 10 of november, his visa extension was refused without any explaination.

Could be he did not have a net equity of one million Baht ( loan on the books... he was taking profits out by taking a director loan from the company every month)

Or the income was not higher than the foreign employees salaries for the coming year.

How can investors can trust in something when rules change from one day to other, and when the true rule is not explained ? How take the risk, after investing, to can be pushed out for a refused visa extension, without any explaination ?

Cambodia is a very hard place to get a non immigrant visa as you have found out. Others are more liberal.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

[antoine]

See this thread for other similar experiences.

Yes, thank you, I read it with great interest, but most of posts concern tourist visas or retirement visas.

I am speaking of visa B, with work permit and everything made in the rules : I have both and had a refuse of extension of one year visa.

So, I had to go to Cambodia for ask a new visa B and had it, for 3 months, and the right to apply there only one time.

Why KL ? Maybe better to go in Europe, where I had the 1st visa B.

For the other guy I met in Cambodian embassy, no problem on balance sheet : 100 000 of benefit every month on his declaration, so more than 1 million per year. And incomes were very higher than salaries, foreigner included.

Others countries more liberal than Cambodia ? Cambodia is not delivering visa, Thai embassy do it. They had probably different orders from thai government in different embassies, but can change from one day to other, starting from nearest and extending to others.

The rules changed but seems to make more problem to people respecting law, investing and working, than to others. And the rules are not writen (like only one time right to apply in Cambodia) : they can refuse avisa or extension without any explanation.

So who can accept to invest without any warranty, and wait just to be pushed out after invest, without any serious reason ?

[cclub75]

So who can accept to invest without any warranty, and wait just to be pushed out after invest, without any serious reason ?

That's the million THB (USD ?) question...

Your experience is indeed scary.

And even more, if you read their nice leaflet about the new regulations :

http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/2notice/newpro.html

"Decentralization : The immigrations officers at operational level will be more authorized to make the decision making. The shorter chain of command, the faster performance " ! ! !

I still have problems to understand what could mean such a western marketing statement within Thailand...

[antoine]

And even more, if you read their nice leaflet about the new regulations :

http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/2notice/newpro.html

"Decentralization : The immigrations officers at operational level will be more authorized to make the decision making. The shorter chain of command, the faster performance " ! ! !

I still have problems to understand what could mean such a western marketing statement within Thailand...

Yes, I saw that ! But they told me in Pattaya that all decision were coming from Bangkok...so which one believe...the text or staff of immigration ?