178 Days stay Thailand

[skyiceice]

Hi,

 

This is the first time that i'm stay in Thailand

 

I come in January 2017 and get stamp exemption ( Suvarnabhumi ) + extension ( 30+30 ) i get out/in  from Thailand and get another stamp extension ( Suvarnabhumi just 30 days NO extension ) and then in April i go to Penang and get the 60 days Tourist visa ( Don Muang ) and in Thailand other 30 days extension 

 

Total 178 days ( not 180 )

 

If i go out and in from the border land # no airport #  i have some problems ? (get other 30 days and other extension ) ?????

 

 

I ask this first because i don't want stay in the detention cell ...

 

Thank you

 

 

 

 

[BritTim]

The chance you could have a problem depends a lot on your nationality, age and general appearance. Regardless, it would be much better to get a visa rather than return visa exempt. Consider going to Vientiane for a tourist visa, and returning by land at the bridge at Nong Khai. This will reduce the risk to virtually zero.

[skyiceice]

Europe, 45 , appearance good ( no hippy )

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, skyiceice said:

Europe, 45 , appearance good ( no hippy )

Doubt you will have a problem if entering anywhere with a visa, but my recommendation stands.

[ubonjoe]

10 hours ago, skyiceice said:

Total 178 days ( not 180 )

Not sure why you are worried about 180 days of stay. There is no rule that limits your total stay to 180 days.

You are limited to 2 visa exempt entries per calendar year at land border crossings is perhaps the rule you need to worry about.

[skyiceice]

58 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Not sure why you are worried about 180 days of stay. There is no rule that limits your total stay to 180 days.

You are limited to 2 visa exempt entries per calendar year at land border crossings is perhaps the rule you need to worry about.

You are right, but the problem is when a country change the own rules ... without nothing official. ( 180 days in 1 year )

 

But this don't happen just in Thailand, and this is named ABUSE .

[perthperson]

3 minutes ago, skyiceice said:

You are right, but the problem is when a country change the own rules ... without nothing official. ( 180 days in 1 year )

 

But this don't happen just in Thailand, and this is named ABUSE .

Unless you can prove your claims your post assumes the status of an unevidenced Rant. 

[JackThompson]

10 minutes ago, skyiceice said:

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

Not sure why you are worried about 180 days of stay. There is no rule that limits your total stay to 180 days.

You are limited to 2 visa exempt entries per calendar year at land border crossings is perhaps the rule you need to worry about.

You are right, but the problem is when a country change the own rules ... without nothing official. ( 180 days in 1 year )

But this don't happen just in Thailand, and this is named ABUSE .

If they followed the rules at Airport Immigration, he would have nothing to worry about.  But some have reported immigration quoting this non-existent rule.  Others reported being told they have "too many tourist visas" - another non-existent rule. 

 

Of course, the 'reason for denial of entry' always references a 'real' rule, not corresponding to the IOs initial stated reasoning based on non-rules - but the fact that some IOs at airports think in such terms, is reason for concern vis-a-vis the OP. 

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

11 hours ago, skyiceice said:

Total 178 days ( not 180 )

Not sure why you are worried about 180 days of stay. There is no rule that limits your total stay to 180 days.

You are limited to 2 visa exempt entries per calendar year at land border crossings is perhaps the rule you need to worry about.

I hesitate to qualify anything you write, as I would always recommend people follow your advice over mine. However, based on a few recent posts, I suspect the IO is now receiving an extra scrutiny alert for those staying over 180 days on tourist entries.

[skyiceice]

21 minutes ago, perthperson said:

Unless you can prove your claims your post assumes the status of an unevidenced Rant. 

You can prove the contrary ? 

[skyiceice]

24 minutes ago, perthperson said:

Unless you can prove your claims your post assumes the status of an unevidenced Rant. 

You just talk like this because you stay safely in Thailand ? so easy uh??

 

 

[perthperson]

Just now, skyiceice said:

You just talk like this because you stay safely in Thailand ? so easy uh??

 

 

 

You, one this occasion are correct. Staying 'safely' in Thailand is  very easy if one respects and abides by the laws/rules of the country. 

[skyiceice]

30 minutes ago, perthperson said:

 

You, one this occasion are correct. Staying 'safely' in Thailand is  very easy if one respects and abides by the laws/rules of the country. 

So.... wait the days when  the laws/rules go against you . Good luck ...

[perthperson]

Just now, skyiceice said:

So.... wait the days when  the laws/rules go against you . Good luck ...

That is extremely unlikely  so "good luck" is not needed.

 

However, should you prove to be correct I will  live elsewhere --- I have choices unlike some. 

[impulse]

2 hours ago, perthperson said:

You, one this occasion are correct. Staying 'safely' in Thailand is  very easy if one respects and abides by the laws/rules of the country. 

 

Quote

That is extremely unlikely  so "good luck" is not needed.

 

However, should you prove to be correct I will  live elsewhere --- I have choices unlike some.

 

Hope you knocked wood when you typed those. 

 

6 years ago when I arrived, anyone with a pulse could stay safely for decades on visa runs and ED visas.  Since then, they have had crackdowns on visa runners, on ED visa's, on multiple visa exempt entries and just this week we have seen at least 2 reports from guys who got turned around at the airport in spite of having current visas.  Unless there's been other revelations about those guys, that's quite disturbing.  And what's next?

 

And what of the guys who haven't reached 50, haven't married a local and don't have the spare dosh laying around for a 500K baht Elite visa?  Not so easy for them...  Seems they may now be at risk every time they have to cross the border.

 

Sure, you can stay elsewhere.  Lots of us can.  But how do you deal with a home full of possessions, a car, a scooter, a relationship, a lease (or an owned home), and a thousand other bits of minutia if they suddenly won't let you in this time even to divest it all?  

 

I guest the main point I'm making is that what looks real easy to a guy in one situation may not even be possible to a guy in another.  And what looked real easy 6 years ago isn't possible today.  And what's easy today may not be possible with the next change in the wind.

 

Edited July 16, 2017 by impulse

[YetAnother]

3 hours ago, JackThompson said:

If they followed the rules at Airport Immigration, he would have nothing to worry about.  But some have reported immigration quoting this non-existent rule.  Others reported being told they have "too many tourist visas" - another non-existent rule. 

 

Of course, the 'reason for denial of entry' always references a 'real' rule, not corresponding to the IOs initial stated reasoning based on non-rules - but the fact that some IOs at airports think in such terms, is reason for concern vis-a-vis the OP. 

If IOs try to enforce non rules, I think we're all a little bit at risk

[skyiceice]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

 

 

Hope you knocked wood when you typed those. 

 

6 years ago when I arrived, anyone with a pulse could stay safely for decades on visa runs and ED visas.  Since then, they have had crackdowns on visa runners, on ED visa's, on multiple visa exempt entries and just this week we have seen at least 2 reports from guys who got turned around at the airport in spite of having current visas.  Unless there's been other revelations about those guys, that's quite disturbing.  And what's next?

 

And what of the guys who haven't reached 50, haven't married a local and don't have the spare dosh laying around for a 500K baht Elite visa?  Not so easy for them...  Seems they may now be at risk every time they have to cross the border.

 

Sure, you can stay elsewhere.  Lots of us can.  But how do you deal with a home full of possessions, a car, a scooter, a relationship, a lease (or an owned home), and a thousand other bits of minutia if they suddenly won't let you in this time even to divest it all?  

 

I guest the main point I'm making is that what looks real easy to a guy in one situation may not even be possible to a guy in another.  And what looked real easy 6 years ago isn't possible today.  And what's easy today may not be possible with the next change in the wind.

 

agree with everything

Edited July 16, 2017 by skyiceice
agree with everything

[perthperson]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

Hope you knocked wood when you typed those. 

No I did not nor do I subscribe to rumour/conspiracy theory. 

[skyiceice]

Just now, perthperson said:

No I did not nor do I subscribe to rumour/conspiracy theory. 

Up to you

[impulse]

1 minute ago, perthperson said:

No I did not nor do I subscribe to rumour/conspiracy theory. 

 

Come by my apartment some day and I'll show you a collection of toys I have bought at great prices from long stay expats whose loopholes slammed shut in the last 6 years.  

 

They didn't believe in them, either.  Until they did.

 

[perthperson]

Just now, impulse said:

 

Come by my apartment some day and I'll show you a collection of toys I have bought at great prices from long stay expats whose loopholes slammed shut in the last 6 years.  

 

They didn't believe in them, either.  Until they did.

 

 

Those who seek loopholes to exploit deserve the door slamming shut on them........

[impulse]

Just now, perthperson said:

Those who seek loopholes to exploit deserve the door slamming shut on them........

 

Bad news.  We're all here on loopholes- more accurately, on immigration policies at the discretion (whims?) of Thai authorities and based on what's in their best interest- not ours.  A lot of them have disappeared over the last 6 years since I've been here.  Some of them will last forever, some will go away tomorrow.  If only we knew which was which.  

 

I've got a lot of my money riding on some.  But that means little.  In fact, in my current profession (oil and gas), the Thai government is putting a lot of pressure to eliminate foreigners on extended work permits in favor of replacing us with locals who we'd have to train.  Several of my coworkers have been declined WP's this year after working here for many years.  I don't think they deserved to have the door slammed shut on them.

 

[perthperson]

17 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Bad news.  We're all here on loopholes- more accurately, on immigration policies at the discretion (whims?) of Thai authorities and based on what's in their best interest- not ours.  A lot of them have disappeared over the last 6 years since I've been here.  Some of them will last forever, some will go away tomorrow.  If only we knew which was which.  

 

I've got a lot of my money riding on some.  But that means little.  In fact, in my current profession (oil and gas), the Thai government is putting a lot of pressure to eliminate foreigners on extended work permits in favor of replacing us with locals who we'd have to train.  Several of my coworkers have been declined WP's this year after working here for many years.  I don't think they deserved to have the door slammed shut on them.

 

It is common practise to employ (not just in Thailand) expats with the intention that they train local people.  Deliberately denying local people access to skills/knowledge can (I do not know the situation in Thailand) result in dismissal or a refusal to renew a contract. 

 

A dislike of such contracts should result in them being refused. 

[rhodie]

39 minutes ago, perthperson said:

 

Those who seek loopholes to exploit deserve the door slamming shut on them........

There are no rules to stop someone "holidaying" here on an indefinite basis. Yes, they are trying to make if difficult, but even if you follow the rules, each checkpoint can make it difficult by not following their own rules. As long as you are not working and have a visa or waiver, you are legal in the rule of immigration law.

[phuketjock]

4 hours ago, impulse said:

 

Bad news.  We're all here on loopholes- more accurately, on immigration policies at the discretion (whims?) of Thai authorities and based on what's in their best interest- not ours.  A lot of them have disappeared over the last 6 years since I've been here.  Some of them will last forever, some will go away tomorrow.  If only we knew which was which.  

 

I've got a lot of my money riding on some.  But that means little.  In fact, in my current profession (oil and gas), the Thai government is putting a lot of pressure to eliminate foreigners on extended work permits in favor of replacing us with locals who we'd have to train.  Several of my coworkers have been declined WP's this year after working here for many years.  I don't think they deserved to have the door slammed shut on them.

 

This is not unique to Thailand, I spent 14 years training myself out of a job in Malaysia, and 4 years after

we had gone MHS ( Malaysian Helicopter services ) were re-hiring expat engineers at much lower wages

due to pressure from the oil companies, and a couple of accidents, that's how things go overseas. 

[impulse]

5 minutes ago, phuketjock said:

This is not unique to Thailand, I spent 14 years training myself out of a job in Malaysia, and 4 years after

we had gone MHS ( Malaysian Helicopter services ) were re-hiring expat engineers at much lower wages

due to pressure from the oil companies, and a couple of accidents, that's how things go overseas. 

 

It's certainly not unique, and I express no opinion on whether it's good or bad- though I do have an opinion.  But it is something to consider when formulating a life plan.  A lot of good, responsible guys I've met along the way had decided to spend the rest of their lives in Thailand under programs that were well accepted at the time.  It's heart wrenching to see their dreams fall apart as the rules and their enforcement change over time.

 

Lots of guys (and gals) are sitting right now in exactly the same phase in their life, deciding whether to take the big step and move to Thailand.  Or extend their holiday into a year or three.  If they believe the myths that say "it's easy if you follow the rules", they'll be in for a real disappointment when those rules exclude people in their situation, or when those rules change.  Like so many have in the 6 years I've been living here on a WP.  A WP that doesn't look as solid this year as it did for the first 5 years.  I may have to go to a retirement visa this year.  I have that choice since I'm well over 50.  Many don't.

 

My goal isn't to talk anyone out of crafting a life for themselves in Thailand.  It's to help them do it (or not) with eyes wide open to what's been happening- at least since I've been here.  It may get easier.  But so far, it's only gotten progressively tighter in the time I've been here.

 

[phuketjock]

2 hours ago, impulse said:

 

It's certainly not unique, and I express no opinion on whether it's good or bad- though I do have an opinion.  But it is something to consider when formulating a life plan.  A lot of good, responsible guys I've met along the way had decided to spend the rest of their lives in Thailand under programs that were well accepted at the time.  It's heart wrenching to see their dreams fall apart as the rules and their enforcement change over time.

 

Lots of guys (and gals) are sitting right now in exactly the same phase in their life, deciding whether to take the big step and move to Thailand.  Or extend their holiday into a year or three.  If they believe the myths that say "it's easy if you follow the rules", they'll be in for a real disappointment when those rules exclude people in their situation, or when those rules change.  Like so many have in the 6 years I've been living here on a WP.  A WP that doesn't look as solid this year as it did for the first 5 years.  I may have to go to a retirement visa this year.  I have that choice since I'm well over 50.  Many don't.

 

My goal isn't to talk anyone out of crafting a life for themselves in Thailand.  It's to help them do it (or not) with eyes wide open to what's been happening- at least since I've been here.  It may get easier.  But so far, it's only gotten progressively tighter in the time I've been here.

 

The rules you talk about have been the rules for years and are no myths, you have been living and working here 

under those rules, nothing has changed with the rules but anyone's situation may change at any time, you appear

to have a game plan to suit you, because you are over 50. There are some visas to suit under 50's but hopping in 

and out on short term or exempt entries is not a good game plan for anyone to adopt imo and is almost certain to

cause suspicion eventually. The only real thing that has changed is that the rules are now being enforced much

more rigorously than before, they have always been there but because of continued abuse of those rules by a

select few individuals the hammer falls on all. 

 

[Rc2702]

11 hours ago, skyiceice said:

So.... wait the days when  the laws/rules go against you . Good luck ...

100% buddy you wait until they tell you to sling your hook or you can just keep an eye on the changes.

[JackThompson]

1 hour ago, phuketjock said:

The rules you talk about have been the rules for years

Actually, the rules about entering with Tourist Visas haven't changed.  There is still no time-limit on their use.  It is the made-up rules of certain Immigration checkpoints which has changed.

Visa-Exempt rules have changed, however, and those changes have been published.  They are still fuzzy with regard to air-entry, but at least the 2x land-rule on their use is clear. 

Those following the rules are not "abusing" anything.  There is either a rule, or there isn't.  Rule "breaking" is the only "abuse" (overstaying, taking a Thai's job, etc)

That said, if current trends continue, I would not be surprised to see new rules come in the future - sending even more foreign-capital flows out of Thailand, and into Vietnam, the Philippines, Cambodia, etc.

[perthperson]

4 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

sending even more foreign-capital flows out of Thailand, and into Vietnam, the Philippines, Cambodia, etc.

Please quantify this alleged outward capital flow, then compare and contrast with the Thai GDP and the inward flow of cash from millions of genuine tourists who enjoy their 2-3 week holiday and then return home.