Visiting Thailand multiple times per year on exemption stamp not a problem?

[RelentlessGuy]

We all know that Thai authorities don't like anyone living in Thailand on 30 day exemption stamps or tourist visas.

 

What if you live in another country but keep visiting Thailand every 45-60 days to stay there for 7-10 days? It shouldn't be an issue, right? 

 

Background: I've lived in Thailand for the first 6 months of this year on 2 extended 30 day exemption stamps + 3 month Self Defense visa (which can be extended every 3 months, but I canceled after the first period - I've already moved to Vietnam).

[overherebc]

What you're going is not against the rules but get your ducks in a row and arrive with a ticket out of Thailand, 20,000 baht or same in dollars UK pounds and maybe a hotel booking or some kind of proof where you'll be staying.

Or get a tourist visa in Vietnam before you arrive as well as the above.

Doesn't sound by your history you will have any problems but why not be prepared anyway.

Edited August 2, 2017 by overherebc

[uncleeagle]

what on earth is a self defense visa?

Edited August 3, 2017 by uncleeagle

[Tanoshi]

7 minutes ago, uncleeagle said:

what on earth is a self defense visa?

At a guess, an ED Visa for taking self defence classes.

[ubonjoe]

Two off topic nonsensical posts have been removed.

[Briggsy]

Remember you can only have 2 land border, visa exemption entries per calendar year.

 

(Unless they have forgotten their own rule already which commonly happens here)

[Tanoshi]

17 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

Remember you can only have 2 land border, visa exemption entries per calendar year.

 

(Unless they have forgotten their own rule already which commonly happens here)

Land border crossings from Vietnam  

[heybuz]

my mate a hong kong citizen comes every month for 2 weeks at a time no problems

Edited August 3, 2017 by heybuz

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, heybuz said:

my mate a hong kong citizen comes every month for 2 weeks at a time no problems

It may not be much longer and he will be able to use the auto gates for entry and departure.

There was a recent article in the news that they are working on it for those from Singapore and Hong Kong when entering visa exempt.

[Briggsy]

43 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

Land border crossings from Vietnam  

Yes, there are buses and minivans from Vietnam through Laos entering at Chong Mek (change at Attapeu), Mukdahan and Nakhon Phanom.

 

We don't know "RelentlessGuy"'s travel routine.

[Tanoshi]

8 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

Yes, there are buses and minivans from Vietnam through Laos entering at Chong Mek (change at Attapeu), Mukdahan and Nakhon Phanom.

 

We don't know "RelentlessGuy"'s travel routine.

If the OP intends to visit every 45-60 days as he states, and as you already pointed out Visa exempt entries are restricted to two a year via land border crossings, arrival by air would seem the practical alternative.

 

He'd probably still get 'flagged' and questioned after 6 Visa exempt entries by air.

 

Minicrashvans!

Braver man than me 

[mikebell]

4 hours ago, uncleeagle said:

what on earth is a self defense visa?

A course on how to deal with Thai plod.

[anon789561]

'if living in a bordering country it shouldn't be an issue right'. it will be as far as I know. I have a friend who lives in Vientiane with his family. originally from laos but gave up his citizenship years ago for Australian. used to always drive to udon to go to central and also uses the hospital there for his kid. turns out all these tourist visa crackdowns are a serious issue and not just for those that want to spend ages in Thailand on them but those that cross over frequently to spend good money in the malls and hospitals.

[fordguy61mi]

I went to Thailand 5 times last year for 2 weeks at a time on just my passport. No problem whatsoever.

Edited August 3, 2017 by fordguy61mi

[mikecha]

6 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

It may not be much longer and he will be able to use the auto gates for entry and departure.

There was a recent article in the news that they are working on it for those from Singapore and Hong Kong when entering visa exempt.

hi ubon joe i thaught that was just for Hong Kong citisins and Singapore citisins and on regulair business calls 

[anon789561]

3 hours ago, fordguy61mi said:

I went to Thailand 5 times last year for 2 weeks at a time on just my passport. No problem whatsoever.

the rules have changed since last year

[ubonjoe]

10 minutes ago, mikecha said:

hi ubon joe i thaught that was just for Hong Kong citisins and Singapore citisins and on regulair business calls 

It it could be business call but only on visa exempt entries. With a non-b  it would require clearing immigration to confirm you had a valid visa for entry. It is meant for visa exempt entries based upon their nationality.

[tryasimight]

16 hours ago, Happy enough said:

the rules have changed since last year

Please post a link to the rules. The 'real rules'  and not the TVF rumours that seem to become official 'rules' as they gather momentum. I'm not suggesting that rules cannot or have not changed but it would be nice to see something official.

I think many of the apparent 'new rules' are existing regulations already in place (and possibly arbitrarily enforced by IO's) to deter would be visa runners (by any other name) as they seem to be the only people having problems. 99.9% of everyone else do not seem to have any problems. 

I have had many visa exempt entries this year and continue to expect to do so. I stay for 10-12 days every four or five weeks.

I don't think my history shows me as anything other than a regular tourist who is taking a break in Thailand to visit family.

I entered again on Wednesday morning at Swampy with the wife and there was absolutely no problem.

Edited August 4, 2017 by tryasimight

[RelentlessGuy]

Appreciate all the feedback guys.

 

I obviously enter Thailand via Air each time, usually Bangkok.

 

Quote

He'd probably still get 'flagged' and questioned after 6 Visa exempt entries by air.

 

That's what I just heard also happened to my friend recently. He's a UK national and had 6 visa exempt entries over the last 23 months, and got "flagged" (I'm not sure if that means being automatically flagged by system or by the immigration officer). Like me, he also just travels to Thailand and never spends extended amount of time there. They questioned him for 2 hours (He didn't tell me what they asked him). He said he would avoid Thailand for next 12 months to "clear out" his entry history.

 

Are 6 visa exempt entries a threshold? Does anyone have any more information how exactly this works?

 

I literally just go to Thailand to travel, shop, go to a hospital, and ride a motorcycle (and spend a good amount of money in the process). I'm not sure what they want out of you when you're being questioned, but I can show them that all my income is legitimate and has nothing to do with Thailand. It doesn't make any sense for the authorities to make it more difficult for me to continue to do this.

Edited October 12, 2017 by RelentlessGuy

[phuketjock]

20 minutes ago, RelentlessGuy said:

Appreciate all the feedback guys.

 

I obviously enter Thailand via Air each time, usually Bangkok.

 

 

That's what I just heard also happened to my friend recently. He's a UK national and had 6 visa exempt entries over the last 23 months, and got "flagged" (I'm not sure if that means being automatically flagged by system or by the immigration officer). Like me, he also just travels to Thailand and never spends extended amount of time there. They questioned him for 2 hours (He didn't tell me what they asked him). He said he would avoid Thailand for next 12 months to "clear out" his entry history.

 

Are 6 visa exempt entries a threshold? Does anyone have any more information how exactly this works?

 

I literally just go to Thailand to travel, shop, go to a hospital, and ride a motorcycle (and spend a good amount of money in the process). I'm not sure what they want out of you when you're being questioned, but I can show them that all my income is legitimate and has nothing to do with Thailand. It doesn't make any sense for the authorities to make it more difficult for me to continue to do this.

 

You and your friend sound legit, I don't know, but unfortunately too many correct visa dodgers have caused the

immigration system to go to high alert to catch those that are staying/working long term in Thailand on tourist

visa/exempt entries and trying to fly under the radar, these are the people responsible for the problems you and

your friend are having now, and may have in the future.

It is always the would be smart Alecs' that cause problems for the ordinary person doing the right thing. 

[JackThompson]

23 minutes ago, phuketjock said:

You and your friend sound legit, I don't know, but unfortunately too many correct visa dodgers have caused the

immigration system to go to high alert to catch those that are staying/working long term in Thailand on tourist

visa/exempt entries and trying to fly under the radar, these are the people responsible for the problems you and

your friend are having now, and may have in the future.

It is always the would be smart Alecs' that cause problems for the ordinary person doing the right thing. 

If we are making assumptions on the "why" of the crackdown, which impacts those who are not working illegally...

 

Consider the vast majority of foreign workers in Thailand:

• Millions of foreign-workers from neighboring countries have been given legal visas, or work illegally, displacing Thais from jobs and would-be middle-class careers (The Economist magazine estimates 5 Million, in a February 2017 article)
• Those profiting from hiring low-wage foreign-workers want to keep this system going, to avoid paying the Thai min-wage or higher to Thai citizens, who also demand decent working-conditions and specified job-duties
• Those profiting from hiring low-wage foreign-workers need a scapegoat to blame for the lost Thai job/career opportunities, in fields such as construction (note the tin-shack temporary-housing squalor)

Consider the Western illegal-worker problem:

• Western "long-stayers" are mostly self-financed people who are under 50 who like living in Thailand, but some fraction take jobs illegally, such as dive-instructor or English-teacher
• English teachers report (many threads here) that the schools they work in insist that they work illegally for months before maybe getting legal paperwork for them
• No widespread "crackdown" has occurred at schools or dive-centers, to catch these Western illegal-workers or the people who hire them and insist they work illegally

Compare and contrast / who benefits:

• The number of Western illegal-workers is dwarfed by the number of low-wage foreign-workers
• Those profiting from hiring low-wage foreign-workers can't/don't save big money in labor-costs from hiring Western illegal workers
• Western illegal workers, and anyone who can be tarred with that brush (often incorrectly), are a convenient and disposable scapegoat, to distract from the actual cause of hardship / lack of jobs available to Thai working-class people (whose job-opportunities shrink further, when self-financed Western-customers are kept out of Thailand).
• Immigration can be tasked with appearing to "do something about a problem" without inconveniencing the very-wealthy (Thais and VIP foreign-investors), who benefit from a steady supply of legal and illegal low-wage foreign-workers imported from neighboring countries.

Consider, and draw your own conclusions as to the "real reason" for these issues.

[phuketjock]

2 hours ago, JackThompson said:

If we are making assumptions on the "why" of the crackdown, which impacts those who are not working illegally...

 

Consider the vast majority of foreign workers in Thailand:

• Millions of foreign-workers from neighboring countries have been given legal visas, or work illegally, displacing Thais from jobs and would-be middle-class careers (The Economist magazine estimates 5 Million, in a February 2017 article)
• Those profiting from hiring low-wage foreign-workers want to keep this system going, to avoid paying the Thai min-wage or higher to Thai citizens, who also demand decent working-conditions and specified job-duties
• Those profiting from hiring low-wage foreign-workers need a scapegoat to blame for the lost Thai job/career opportunities, in fields such as construction (note the tin-shack temporary-housing squalor)

Consider the Western illegal-worker problem:

• Western "long-stayers" are mostly self-financed people who are under 50 who like living in Thailand, but some fraction take jobs illegally, such as dive-instructor or English-teacher
• English teachers report (many threads here) that the schools they work in insist that they work illegally for months before maybe getting legal paperwork for them
• No widespread "crackdown" has occurred at schools or dive-centers, to catch these Western illegal-workers or the people who hire them and insist they work illegally

Compare and contrast / who benefits:

• The number of Western illegal-workers is dwarfed by the number of low-wage foreign-workers
• Those profiting from hiring low-wage foreign-workers can't/don't save big money in labor-costs from hiring Western illegal workers
• Western illegal workers, and anyone who can be tarred with that brush (often incorrectly), are a convenient and disposable scapegoat, to distract from the actual cause of hardship / lack of jobs available to Thai working-class people (whose job-opportunities shrink further, when self-financed Western-customers are kept out of Thailand).
• Immigration can be tasked with appearing to "do something about a problem" without inconveniencing the very-wealthy (Thais and VIP foreign-investors), who benefit from a steady supply of legal and illegal low-wage foreign-workers imported from neighboring countries.

Consider, and draw your own conclusions as to the "real reason" for these issues.

Jack for goodness sake the guy is asking whether he will be Ok visiting Thailand on visa exempt entries several times in one year

but you take it as an opportunity to jump on your ever boring soapbox and spout your nonsense on the Thai immigration system,

when will you learn this is Thailand and they make the rules and certainly will not be changing them any time soon no matter how

much you go on, and on. and on.

Edited October 12, 2017 by phuketjock

[bkk6060]

 6 times on exempt will usually raise a flag and they will question you as to why.

 

[Tanoshi]

3 hours ago, JackThompson said:

 

Consider the vast majority of foreign workers in Thailand:

• Millions of foreign-workers from neighboring countries have been given legal visas, or work illegally, displacing Thais from jobs and would-be middle-class careers (The Economist magazine estimates 5 Million, in a February 2017 article)
• Those profiting from hiring low-wage foreign-workers want to keep this system going, to avoid paying the Thai min-wage or higher to Thai citizens, who also demand decent working-conditions and specified job-duties
• Those profiting from hiring low-wage foreign-workers need a scapegoat to blame for the lost Thai job/career opportunities, in fields such as construction (note the tin-shack temporary-housing squalor)

Your typical Capitalist system where the rich get richer of the backs of the poor getting poorer.

 

 

3 hours ago, JackThompson said:

Consider the Western illegal-worker problem:

• Western "long-stayers" are mostly self-financed people who are under 50 who like living in Thailand, but some fraction take jobs illegally, such as dive-instructor or English-teacher
• English teachers report (many threads here) that the schools they work in insist that they work illegally for months before maybe getting legal paperwork for them
• No widespread "crackdown" has occurred at schools or dive-centers, to catch these Western illegal-workers or the people who hire them and insist they work illegally

Yes, and those teaching illegal don't get paid the going rate. Back to problem 1 above.

 

3 hours ago, JackThompson said:

Compare and contrast / who benefits:

• The number of Western illegal-workers is dwarfed by the number of low-wage foreign-workers
• Those profiting from hiring low-wage foreign-workers can't/don't save big money in labor-costs from hiring Western illegal workers
• Western illegal workers, and anyone who can be tarred with that brush (often incorrectly), are a convenient and disposable scapegoat, to distract from the actual cause of hardship / lack of jobs available to Thai working-class people (whose job-opportunities shrink further, when self-financed Western-customers are kept out of Thailand).
• Immigration can be tasked with appearing to "do something about a problem" without inconveniencing the very-wealthy (Thais and VIP foreign-investors), who benefit from a steady supply of legal and illegal low-wage foreign-workers imported from neighboring countries.

Money talks, as long as it's going in the correct pockets. It's called corrupt capitalism.

 

Nice reading Jack, but I fail to see what it has to do with several entries a year on a Visa exempt.

 

[JackThompson]

 

44 minutes ago, phuketjock said:

... you take it as an opportunity to jump on your ever boring soapbox and spout your nonsense

I was responding to what you wrote, from your soapbox:

 

3 hours ago, JackThompson said:

... correct visa dodgers have caused the immigration system ...

If you are under 50, not married, then a Tourist Visa is the "correct" visa.

 

13 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

Nice reading Jack, but I fail to see what it has to do with several entries a year on a Visa exempt

I agree.  But see what I was responding to - the real reason WHY those entries might be a problem.

 

Capitalism is the best system we have, but it does require nations with higher standards of living to protect their manufacturing vis-a-vis import-tariffs (which Thailand does very well) and labor markets (not so well, but still better than my passport-country does).

[phuketjock]

26 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

 

If you are under 50, not married, then a Tourist Visa is the "correct" visa.

It is for tourists Jack, but for long stay the correct visa would be Thailand elite or something along those lines

If they cannot afford it it is not the fault of the Thai government but it is the rules, and they are not flexible because of age.

[JackThompson]

5 hours ago, phuketjock said:

It is for tourists Jack, but for long stay the correct visa would be Thailand elite or something along those lines

If they cannot afford it it is not the fault of the Thai government but it is the rules, and they are not flexible because of age.

There is no law or rule that limits how many tourist-visas a person can use in a given time-period, and only vague guidelines for visa-exempts via air.  Provided no overstaying is done, it is not "long stay" - but repeated shorter stays.

[steve187]

11 hours ago, JackThompson said:

If you are under 50, not married, then a Tourist Visa is the "correct" visa

not sure if it is always the correct visa, or if it is the only visa for that group, other than the elite visa, which i believe is the correct visa for anyone from that group trying to live in Thailand year, in year out.

[Scott3000]

13 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

 6 times on exempt will usually raise a flag and they will question you as to why.

 

In what time period for the 6 times visa exempt by air?

 

I had 2 earlier this year (Jan, Mar); 2 in 2016. A lot more before entries and TV's in 2014-15, but lived 6 months outside of Thailand  in 2016, and the most recent 5 months outside of Thailand this year.

 

I'm getting ready to go back by air after a 5 month absence.

 

I also have a new passport.

 

So my questions for this next trip would be if the new passport helps, and also if I would be OK entering visa exempt in Bangkok (DMK) or if it's recommended to enter in CNX? And, of course, 6 visa exempt entries in what time period?

 

Thanks!

[bkk6060]

47 minutes ago, Scott3000 said:

In what time period for the 6 times visa exempt by air?

 

I had 2 earlier this year (Jan, Mar); 2 in 2016. A lot more before entries and TV's in 2014-15, but lived 6 months outside of Thailand  in 2016, and the most recent 5 months outside of Thailand this year.

 

I'm getting ready to go back by air after a 5 month absence.

 

I also have a new passport.

 

So my questions for this next trip would be if the new passport helps, and also if I would be OK entering visa exempt in Bangkok (DMK) or if it's recommended to enter in CNX? And, of course, 6 visa exempt entries in what time period?

 

Thanks!

Within a year by air.