Important Visa Changes ...for some

[travelerjim]

IMPORTANT VISA CHANGE FOR SOME...

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/725 ... n=breaking (http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/725053-final-crackdown-for-border-runners-new-strict-immigratioin-regulation-in-force-from-today/?utm_source=newsletter-20140510-1420&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=breaking)

"From today visitors can only enter into Thailand via a land border once, after that they will be refused entry to the Kingdom and are advised to fly out and return with a visa obtained from a Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate in a neighbouring country or overseas"

The Immigration Bureau has also confirmed to Thaivisa.com that further restrictions are to be enforced from August 12, 2014."

"It is understood that the new regulation is to prohibit back-to-back border runners who stay for an extended time in the country without a proper visa from a Consulate or Embassy abroad or an extension of stay granted by the Immigration Bureau in Thailand."

tj

[Nirish guy]

I can't believe this and that they are actually going to enact this new rule !?

It will of course have a massive effect on border runs ( which I guess is their stated aim) but also affect a large number of normal backpacker type travellers who journey and jump between Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar etc on a whim and then back into Thailand using that as their base, so surely they're not going to go out of their way to make it more difficult for those people to return to Thailand by land ( and even Air it seems too ! ) to allow them to spend their tourist dollars in Thailand and not with one of their neighbours !?

I was actually looking for the April fools date on this post at first but unfortunately don't see one so I guess it'll be interesting to see how this new rule, if implemented for any length of time, actually lasts and how it works in practice on the ground.

Edit - so on reading Travellerjims link to the Thai visa site article it appears they have indeed implemented this now - WOW -so I guess stand by for a lot of pissed off genuine tourists and much head scratching by people who do normally need to do a visa run every 15/30 days for whatever reason and also a few (more) senior immigration officers making a lot of money very quickly and the poor visa run minibus drivers making a lot less money almost overnight.

Also one down side for members of this site perhaps - all those lovely Cambodian / Vietnamese guys who work the bars and who have usually have to to do their own visa runs themselves, so are they now to disappear from Thailand altogether or just perhaps become either "students" or maybe just 100% illegal overstayers - until caught during the next raid where they might end up in jail and or deported now ? :-(

The term "if it ain't broken don't fix it" comes to mind !

[travelerjim]

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/725 ... n=featured (http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/725037-mae-sai-not-allowing-visa-runs-as-of-today/?utm_source=newsletter-20140510-1420&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=featured)

THIS IS HAPPENING...NOW... AS THIS IS WRITTEN...SEE ABOVE LINK...

tj

[kanom]

Just get the correct visa. Problem solved.......

[Nirish guy]

For the benefit of members here who only read this board I posted the following elsewhere but it also applies here so I've posted it again so anyone reading this board also gets "the answer" .....

So, I'm in Thailand on holiday on a 30 day visa on arrival and I then decide on a whim to go visit Siem Reap for a few days and short of going an finding an open Thai Consulate or Embassy to issue me a new visa Ican't return ? Am I reading that correctly - surely not ? Or does this only apply to same day re-entry perhaps ( although it doesn't say that).

And yes I know I could / should have perhaps just apply and get a double / triple entry visa or something when still in my own home Country "just in case" and long before travelling ( at an extra cost) but that's why I said "on a whim" - which certainly in my case is anytime I decide to take a trip what usually happens.

This also then buggers up any other further side trips I might want to add in as well - or again have I missed something as already there appears to be quite a bit of confusion as to the new rule application re does it also apply to fly in travellers or not, who I understand is also set to take effect with from August 2014 ??

[Smiles]

I just read the link to the ThaiVisa site provided by TravelerJim. My thoughts after reading?: complete confusion from just about all responses.
This is quite normal on the ThaiVisa site, especially when the topic is anything 'About Visas'.
I don't think that particular thread should be taken as a touchstone of information at this point ... and the confusion there does not really warrant TravelerJim's capitalised and breathless " ... THIS IS HAPPENING...NOW... AS THIS IS WRITTEN ... SEE ABOVE LINK ..." pronouncement. The only thing TraverlerJim left out was 14 exclamation marks.

Bottom line (IMHO and from experience): never go 100% with a ThaiVisa thread 'About Visas' until proper confirmation of an issue has been obtained ... and as we are talking about Thai Immigration supposed 'New Policy' I would try at least more than one confirmation, from reliable sources ~ if such an entity exists in the other-worldly land of Thai Immigration.

From what I can gather from this thread, the issue seems to be at a small number of Thailand / Burma border crossings. As mentioned above, if you hold a valid visa there is no issue at all.

[paulosussex]

It's certainly bloody inconvenient and confusion will reign for the next few months, but you do need proof of onward travel to be using visa waiver now, even though it's rarely enforce at present. I can see a lot of moves to Cambodia coming up.

[RonanTheBarbarian]

With regard to the NIrishguy's point, my reading of the new regulations is that you cannot do a second consecutive "visa waiver" entry over a LAND border .
If you arrive at an airport though, that isnt counted for your land border "visa waiver" entry quota.

That means that if you fly into Bangkok and get a visa waiver entry, you can then take a side trip to Siem Reap because your re-entry to Thailand from Cambodia will be your first "land border" arrival.

Whereas as if you had arrived in Bangkok on a train from Malaysia, you would be caught by the new rules when you try to re-enter after your Cambodian side-trip, as you would be making a second land entry.

I am very open to correction in all this!!! :-o

I can't believe this and that they are actually going to enact this new rule !?How many back-to-back border crossings do you propose making Nirish guy? Presumably you fly into Bangkok, so there's your 30-day visa exemption straight away (not a 30 day visa as you claim). You then go overland to Siem Reap and return. There's your only 30-day visa exemption used up. Why is this a huge sacrifice? If you plan on a lot of travel get a tourist visa and don't rely on visa exemption. As for the Cambodian or Lao boys who work in the bars, clearly you haven't read about the new travel rules for ASEAN nationals.

This rule is aimed squarely at people who want to "game" the system.

[cdnmatt]

I wonder why they're doing this? Has crime amongst poorer farangs went up? Or are more farangs ending up on hard times, and end up in the courts system one way or another (homeless, didn't pay rent, medical bill they can't afford, etc.)? Or does Thailand just want to see all the border runnering dish out the 2000 baht for double entry tourist VISAs, instead of the free border crossings?

Maybe to help preserve Thai culture, and get some of the riff-raff farang out of here? Or they don't really know, and just decided to do it for shits & giggles, and because they can?

[rincondog]

Here is a recent denial of entry from Phuket.
http://phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Russian-denied-entry-Phuket-International-Airport-visa/29391

[2lz2p]

I agree with TJ's assessment of the TV.com postings - I read most of them yesterday. While I agree that there is information and misinformation on TV.com, certain of the posters are knowledgeable and try to keep up on events and report accurately. Based on their input, it appears that there is reason for anyone planning a border run with the idea of getting back to back Visa Exempt entry to be aware they will more than likely not be allowed to return on Visa Exempt status (15/30 day permitted stay). Also, one of the reliable posters on TV.com included a link to the notice, which is posted on Thai Immigration website (in Thai).

I followed up by viewing the notice on the Thai Immigration web page - Google Translate is a bit garbled, but enough of it comes through to show it covers "Out" and "In" border crossings - it also indicates that in August, this policy will also apply to "Out" and "In" by air.

The postings from Myanmar crossing did relate to that border crossing where Thai Immigration wasn't allowing anyone to leave ("Out") because they couldn't let them re-enter ("In") - apparently Myanmar doesn't allow anyone to go further into the country from that crossing, so no way anyone allowed to leave could get a visa from a Thai Consulate/Embassy and they would be stuck.

That said, there are many unanswered questions about how the policy will be applied - probably the usual with each border crossing making up their own rules. It appears the policy is geared primarily to people using the Visa Exempt status to simply cross the border and return the same day for another Visa Exempt stay -- but, how will it apply to those who stay overnight or several nights (as mentioned, this is something a legitimate tourist might do on their travels around SE Asia)? I certainly don't know, but it will over the next few weeks probably get sorted or changed.

I would suggest anyone contemplating a land border run at this time, if using a van service, etc., contact them to see if they have more up to date information - or plan to go to a Thai Consulate/Embassy and get a Visa (most likely Tourist unless they can qualify for a Non-Immigrant) rather than count on being allowed back into Thailand.

[Nirish guy]

[quote="BrisbaneGuy"] How many back-to-back border crossings do you propose making Nirish guy? Presumably you fly into Bangkok, so there's your 30-day visa exemption straight away (not a 30 day visa as you claim). You then go overland to Siem Reap and return. There's your only 30-day visa exemption used up. Why is this a huge sacrifice? If you plan on a lot of travel get a tourist visa and don't rely on visa exemption. quote]


I think the key words for me in your post there BG were "if you plan", this was and as I'd mentioned in my post if I decided "on a whim" to go elsewhere that's when the problems would start so it would either encourage me to either just stay in Thailand OR ( and as is more lkely as the reason I would be thinking of travelling on anyway would be as I might be a little bored) to simply not both coming back into Thailand then.

So ( and as I already conceded in my original post) whilst I accept I could always just apply ( by post in my case as there is no consulate in my part of UK) for a tourist visa "just in case", it's just another totally unecessary pain in the ass that could be done without before travelling.

Also you mentioned "how many back to back crossings etc" but again if I'm understanding this correctly ( and I fully accept I may not be so am happy for any corrections) these rules will also apply to AIR travel and not simply "back to back" land crossings and as no time limit for being out of the Country has been talked about. So, if I fly into Bkk on a visa exemption, then decide to go to Siem Reap - BANG, I need a Visa to re-enter (?), so, assuming I go get one and return to Patts for a while, fine, then I decide to leave and go to Bali for a few days, BANG - another visa needed to return (?) and likewise on and on, Hong kong, Vietnam, China etc etc - and yes as I've stated the tourist visa is of course one solution if travel plans are known in advance but to sit in my hotel in Bkk and decide to travel and THEN have to go get a visa (on a sunday perhaps?) which would only cover 3? (re)entries anyway and that cost quite a lot too is all (to me) an unecessary PIA and surely a more refined rule could have been devised to target the people who WERE actually doing regular back to back land bridge visa runs whilst avoiding penalising the ordinary regular tourist - unless I'm missing something?

[travelerjim]

Phuket: Immigration boss confirms the Out-In visa run is dead PHUKET: The national commander of Thai Immigration, Lt Gen Phanu Kerdlaphon, has confirmed that тАЬOut-InтАЭ visa runs are тАУ apart from a few exceptions тАУ a thing of the past -

See more at: http://www.thephuketnews.com/immigratio ... -46240.php (http://www.thephuketnews.com/immigration-boss-confirms-the-out-in-visa-run-is-dead-46240.php)

tj

[cdnmatt]

Well, I guess there goes all of your guys' Laos, Cambodian, and Vietnamese go-go boys. They'll now be allowed in Thailand for 15 - 30 days every 6 months or so, and that's it.

[Nirish guy]

Well, I guess there goes all of your guys' Laos, Cambodian, and Vietnamese go-go boys. They'll now be allowed in Thailand for 15 - 30 days every 6 months or so, and that's it.

I'd said something similar above Matt but Brisbane guy clarified ( well sort of) by suggesting there were new rules in place re this as below :

"As for the Cambodian or Lao boys who work in the bars, clearly you haven't read about the new travel rules for ASEAN nationals."

As I'm ( genuinely) not aware of these new rules perhaps someone could clear that up ( BG?) - so are guys from the other ASEAN regions now allowed to travel freely across land borders without the need for visas any longer just as we can here in the EU now perhaps ??

[cdnmatt]

As I'm ( genuinely) not aware of these new rules perhaps someone could clear that up ( BG?) - so are guys from the other ASEAN regions now allowed to travel freely across land borders without the need for visas any longer just as we can here in the EU now perhaps ??

I don't think anyone really knows yet, but as far as I'm aware, yes, ASEAN citizens get a little more leeway when traveling, but not much. From what I read, they all get VISA exempt entries with ASEAN, versus now where all depending on from / to country, you might need a VISA. It doesn't grant them residency or a work permit though, so I would imagine these new immigration rules are going to apply to them too.

Go-go boys don't have B ViSAs with work permits, and ASEAN or not, they're not allowed to legally live and work in Thailand. They can visit without having to obtain a VISA, same as us meandering over the border, but that's about it. That's my understanding anyway, so same as everyone, if am immigration officer suspects they're illegally living / working in Thailand, they'll be denied entry.

[joe552]

I've been chatting with a guy from Laos who works in Pattaya (an internet shop, not a go-go bar) and he wasn't aware of the new rules. I asked him to contact the company who organise his monthly visa runs and they assured him there was no problem. He's due to do a run on 2nd June so I'll be interested to see what happens. Maybe I'll have to start my search for a playmate all over again.

[lego]

Well for our friends from Laos there are always these cute little boats crossing the Mekong. Border checkpoints are for pussies.

[scottish-guy]

I think I can shed a little light on this ASEAN visa malarkey.

As far as I remember my BF (who is Vietnamese) explaining to me, he can visit any ASEAN country as a tourist without hindrance but only for a limited time and on a limited number of occasions, after which he needs a Visa like almost anybody else. Therefore on his various draft-dodging "travels" to Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia etc he has always ended up having to get a study Visa in order to stay legally for any significant length of time.

Well, I think that's what he said anyway - but I must admit I struggle to keep up with all the complexities :((

[Brad the Impala]

Perhaps it is this agreement SG's boyfriend was referring to. Although the source is Phnon Penh Post from 2006!!!


Southeast Asian countries agreed on July 25 allowing their citizens to travel within

the region for up to two weeks without a visa.

Most of the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have

bilateral free-entry agreements with some or all of the members of the bloc.

But Vietnam requires visas for citizens of Cambodia, Myanmar and Brunei, and Cambodia

for citizens of Vietnam, Thailand, Brunei, Indonesia, and Myanmar. Philippines is

the only country in the regional grouping that does not ask for a visa from any citizen

from an ASEAN member state.

The ASEAN Framework Agreement on Visa Exemption will group the bilateral arrangements

into a uniform rule, allowing people of the region to visit member countries for

up to two weeks without a visa.



http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/visa-free-travel-asean-citizens