Only 2 Visa Exempt Entries At Border Crossings Per Calendar Year Effective Dec 31st

[ubonjoe]

Change to Ministerial Regulation published  in the royal gazette on December 1st. Page 1, Book 133/100A Royal Gazette, 1 December 2016

From this  unofficial translation.done by ThaiVisa moderator Arcady. Visa Exempt Rules Dec 2016.pdf

 

Quote

Article 1. These ministerial regulations shall come into effect 30 days after publication in the Royal Gazette.

Article 2. The following is added to Article 13, Paragraph 3, of the ministerial regulations setting out the rules, procedures and conditions for inspection, visa exemptions and a change in the type of visa stamp of 2002.

"Those who enter the Kingdom temporarily for tourism in accordance with Paragraphs 3 by crossing Immigration check points at land borders are entitled to enter the Kingdom in this way no more than two times per calendar year, except for Malaysian citizens or citizens of other countries, as specified by the minister.”

 

 

Reason for it in this note.

 

Quote

Notes: - The reason for this announcement of ministerial regulations is that it has been found that, on examining the time spent in the Kingdom by aliens receiving visa exemptions to enter the Kingdom temporarily for purposes of tourism by crossing Immigration check points at land borders, such aliens have tended to spend more time in the Kingdom than is consistent with the purpose of granting visa exemptions to enter the Kingdom temporarily for the purpose of tourism. Thus, in order to make these land border crossings conform to the stated purpose of tourism, it is necessary to issue these ministerial regulations to limit the number of annual border crossings by individual aliens using visa exemptions for the purpose of tourism.

 

[steve187]

well at least that makes it clear. whats next i wonder

[Crossy]

Wow!

[JB300]

This is really going to mess up some people's "plans"...


What's next I wonder?

[ubonjoe]

12 minutes ago, steve187 said:

well at least that makes it clear. whats next i wonder

The regulation was approved on May 26 of this year and they just published it this month If anything else was to come it would of been done already.

[steve187]

16 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

The regulation was approved on May 26 of this year and they just published it this month If anything else was to come it would of been done already.

there's always something coming thats on the immigration radar,  it just a matter of what

[Travill]

just to understand this rule : it is for people that have enter Thailand without getting visa.in other words those that arrive without visa.

but those how have enter Thailand with  a visa can still do more than 2 border runs per year ?

[visarunner]

3 minutes ago, Travill said:

just to understand this rule : it is for people that have enter Thailand without getting visa.in other words those that arrive without visa.

but those how have enter Thailand with  a visa can still do more than 2 border runs per year ?

Yes, it only affects people under visa exempt

[Maestro]

It depends on what you mean with border run.

[ukrules]

They clearly have too many tourists.

 

I know of a few people who travel to Thailand 3 or 4 times each year for short breaks, they're not going to get visas for this, they will just go elsewhere.

 

Edit : If it's only land border crossings then it won't make much of a difference.

Edited December 17, 2016 by ukrules

[Crossy]

It does appear to be land-border only (at least for now) so the fly-in fly-out chaps should be OK.

 

[JB300]

Yes, it only affects people under visa exempt

And only at Land Borders.

We'll at least I hope it's only at land borders!!! I'm from the UK but live in Singapore & visit Thailand 6-8 times a year so a clamp down on Visa Exempts at the airport would soon put a stop to that.

No way am I messing around going to the Thai Embassy for an SETV just to have a long weekend trip.

[Captain_Bob]

A bunch of "digital nomads" just had their plans foiled. Also it will adversely affect legit tourists who visit neighbouring countries and then wish to re-enter Thailand 2-3 times during their travels. 

[Suttisan]

Fair enough,  2 x 2 months is more than enough time for seeing Thailand. Just out of interest are tourist visas multiple entry? 

[HooHaa]

As i read it it doesnt cnange a thing if you fly.

 

20 years in thailand and i have crossed the border by land twice.

 

I will manage.

Edited December 17, 2016 by HooHaa

[agogohome]

3 minutes ago, ukrules said:

They clearly have too many tourists.

 

I know of a few people who travel to Thailand 3 or 4 times each year for short breaks, they're not going to get visas for this, they will just go elsewhere.

 

Edit : If it's only land border crossings then it won't make much of a difference.

 

1 minute ago, JB300 said:

 

 

And only at Land Borders.

We'll at least I hope it's only at land borders!!! I'm from the UK but live in Singapore & visit Thailand 6-8 times a year so a clamp down on Visa Exempts at the airport would soon put a stop to that.

No way am I messing around going to the Thai Embassy for an SETV just to have a long weekend trip.

 

 

 

 

It'll probably depend on the mood of the officer at the airport... and whether he's just been transferred from a border crossing point, with no training! 

[ubonjoe]

Just now, Crossy said:

It does appear to be land-border only (at least for now) so the fly-in fly-out chaps should be OK.

 

They have tried to stop people from doing land border hops for visa exempt entries for a long time now.

I think they are really trying to reduce their workload at some popular crossings for border hops.

[steve187]

4 minutes ago, Suttisan said:

Fair enough,  2 x 2 months is more than enough time for seeing Thailand. Just out of interest are tourist visas multiple entry? 

single or multi (applied for in home country)

[Rayan]

Could i extended my non immigrant O visa? 

[Jip99]

Can't see an issue here, and I really do wonder why people with visas suddenly become concerned.

[steve187]

1 minute ago, Rayan said:

Could i extended my non immigrant O visa? 

only for marriage 60 days or 1 year, or for retirement 1 year only

[agogohome]

1 minute ago, Rayan said:

Could i extended my non immigrant O visa? 

 

You do that at an immigration office within Thailand... but that's off topic for this thread

[ubonjoe]

5 minutes ago, Rayan said:

Could i extended my non immigrant O visa?

Visas are not extended, You can extend a 90 day entry from it for one year if you can qualify for it.

[ukrules]

9 minutes ago, Suttisan said:

Fair enough,  2 x 2 months is more than enough time for seeing Thailand. Just out of interest are tourist visas multiple entry? 

 

They put a stop to the double and triple entry visas in November 2015, the replacement multiple entry tourist visa which is now available requires you to have your bank account audited bythe embassy before they issue it.....all to go on holiday, what a joke.

 

[jpinx]

There appears to be an exemption for Malaysian passport holders, and maybe other local countries as may be specified.  There's going to be a lot of worried Philippina teachers,,,,,,,,

[chrisinth]

1 minute ago, jpinx said:

There appears to be an exemption for Malaysian passport holders, and maybe other local countries as may be specified.  There's going to be a lot of worried Philippina teachers,,,,,,,,

 

If that were the case (teachers), then it would be addressing part of the problem that likely brought these sort of restrictions about in the first place.

 

IMO, that alone, would in some way justify these restrictions. It will however banish a group of tourists that would base themselves here, travelling by land to surrounding countries. Looks like they will have to either base themselves elsewhere or become flight orientated back packers.

[jspill]

Just fly in at airports then, you're risking your life by using vans and buses anyway. 

[ubonjoe]

12 minutes ago, jpinx said:

There appears to be an exemption for Malaysian passport holders, and maybe other local countries as may be specified.  There's going to be a lot of worried Philippina teachers,,,,,,,,

It will apply to those from those from Philippines since the are under the visa exempt ministerial regulation. Those that get the visa exempt entry from a bilateral agreement should not be effected. For example Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. See: http://www.consular.go.th/main/th/customize/62281-Summary-of-Countries-and-Territories-entitled-for.html

[koolbreez]

From my understanding crossing at a land border was only good for a 14 day visa exempt stamp, or is it 15 days, I can't remember. If you cross at say Vientaine to go get a tourist visa, you shouldn't be affected, if you qualify for the visa. If you are a backpacker crossing to go to another country more than two times on your trip then you are in trouble if you can not qualify financially for a tourist visa. I am not sure what the consequences will be if you have a plane ticket flying out of Bangkok, and you have crossed  the land borders more than two times. That one will be interesting, especially if they can not qualify for a tourist visa to get back in the country.

[ripstanley]

Does this mean that border crossings like Mai Sai that do not allow visa exempt crossings will have to change their policy and allow visa exempt crossing up to 2 per year?