Repeat Tourist Visa runners...take note

[travelerjim]

The new Thai Immigration General appears to be closing doors of repeat tourist visa abuse...

Tj

[frequent]

You appear to misunderstand the visa process. Visas are issued by consular officials without any reference to the Immigration database. Consular officials have only the passport in front of them to decide whether to grant a visa. If you read the Whiners & Whingers Forum (aka. Thaivisa) you will see multiple threads asking which consulates appear to have rules about this. What you have posted is simply a sign at one of these Consulates making what may be empty threats based on that well-known bogeyman, "authorities". Once the passport holder actually arrives at a Thai immigration post he then applies (by presenting the passport) for leave to enter for the purposes and the period stipulated on the Visa the consular officials granted. Only at that point is the Immigration database checked

If this sign was on Thai government-headed paper, signed by an Immigration official, and posted at every consulate in the region then your assertion of a crackdown might have more credibility

[travelerjim]

This is what was shared on a most reliable Facebook forum...as posted today on...
Thai visa advice....

"Arrived at the Consulate in Vientiane this morning to find this letter on the notice board."

Tj

[cdnmatt]

This has been an up/down situation for years with the policies constantly changing.

Considering the current xenophobic PM though, doesn't surprise me in the slightest they're tightening up policies such as this.

[sglad]

This is what was shared on a most reliable Facebook forum...as posted today on...
Thai visa advice....

"Arrived at the Consulate in Vientiane this morning to find this letter on the notice board."

Tj

Yup. You don't need access to any database to see the number of entry and exit stamps in a passport and if consular officials need to verify anything, Immigration is only a phone call or email away - there is a mechanism in place for them to check whether you have been abusing the tourist visa in order to stay in Thailand long term. People have been denied a new tourist visa because they've already had too many back-to-back tourist visas prior to the one they applied for. By the time you arrive at the point of entry, unless there are other irregularities that would prevent them from letting you through, the immigration officer will stamp you in on the basis that you have a valid visa.

[frequent]

This is what was shared on a most reliable Facebook forum...as posted today on...
Thai visa advice.... "Arrived at the Consulate in Vientiane this morning to find this letter on the notice board."As I said, a single consulate's opinion written on a scrap of paper that isn't even official letterhead. And reported via Facebook? I think that says it all. Fake news!
This has been an up/down situation for years with the policies constantly changing. Considering the current xenophobic PM though, doesn't surprise me in the slightest they're tightening up policies such as this.Valuable advice from the Forum's foremost expert on complying with Thai visa rules :bo:

[cdnmatt]

Piss off frequent. I don't have the privilege of being 55+ years old.

[travelerjim]

Not always the case...recent postings on Thai visa advice facebook forum ....having a valid Tourist Visa in passport is not guaranteed entry.
Immigration Officers at Don Muang and Bangkok airports are known to deny entry based upon abuse of tourist visa.
Tj

[frequent]

Not always the case...recent postings on Thai visa advice facebook forum ....having a valid Tourist Visa in passport is not guaranteed entry. Immigration Officers at Don Muang and Bangkok airports are known to deny entry based upon abuse of tourist visa.How exactly does that contradict what I said? "Once the passport holder actually arrives at a Thai immigration post he then applies (by presenting the passport) for leave to enter for the purposes and the period stipulated on the Visa the consular officials granted."

[gerefan2]

I know tow boys in Pattaya, one Lao, one Cambodian, who do regular border runs. To avoid this they “lose” their passports every 8 visits. This means one prolonged return home while the passport is re-issued.
Don’t ask me whether that’s the magic number of “allowable” visas, I have no idea.

[travelerjim]

That trick of losing a passport and replacing with new one...is no longer working. Thai Immigration data base shows each and every movement in and out of Thailand. That is why when arriving by air the ImOfficers are denying entry based upon tourist visa abuse.
Soon the Consulates will be connected with the same database.
Tj

[frequent]

Soon the Consulates will be connected with the same database.Evidence that this is planned? "Soon" - what is the timeline? How will this interact with the new eVisa online process?

[cdnmatt]

I'm pretty sure TJ is right. I bet if I showed up at any Thailand border croessing, I'd find myself in the IDC, then back in Canada a few days later.

[travelerjim]

Good questions...to keep up to date with fast moving changes to Thai Immigration may I suggest you go to Facebook and access the Thai Visa Advice forum.

IMHO...the e-Visa will be for those like the Chinese and Indians...large numbers visiting for limited time ...like 15 days...and pay a fee upon entry at Thai Immigration on arrival. The e-Visa for these groups of visitors will expedite entry on arrival.
Tj

[frequent]

Good questions...to keep up to date with fast moving changes to Thai Immigration may I suggest you go to Facebook and access the Thai Visa Advice forum.

IMHO...the e-Visa will be for those like the Chinese and Indians...large numbers visiting for limited time ...like 15 days...and pay a fee upon entry at Thai Immigration on arrival. The e-Visa for these groups of visitors will expedite entry on arrival.You are the person making these assertions second-hand for the "benefit" of SGT members. You have absolutely no evidence for any of them from official Thai sources since none exists. All you have is a Facebook forum with no official standing - an alternative to the Thaivisa board

As for your "humble opinion" that the eVisa will be for the lowly Indians it's clear you know nothing and your opinion is worthless. After China the next four countries in the 2018/19 pilot are countries some of which already have 30-day visa exempt status - "At present, the Thai eVisa will become available for citizens of France, China, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates at the end of this year. Any citizen from one of the aforementioned countries with a valid passport will be able to apply for a Thailand online visa which will enable them to travel in Thailand for 30 days or more. More countries are expected to be added to the list of eligible countries for Thailand visa online application as of 2019". A suggestion I saw earlier is that Australia will be one of the next tranche - so there we have the UK, France and probably Australia (countries whose citizens already get 30 days) being able to apply online for tourist visas (currently 60 days) https://www.thailandvisa.net/

There are no "fast-moving changes" at Thai Immigration. "Big Joke" still hasn't worked out how to extricate Immigration from the clusterfuck his department caused when Embassies called their bluff over verifying income versus notarising income

[travelerjim]

Moderator...
Please delete my posting
I shall not post any further about Thai Visas.
It appears there is another forum member who has all the answers to the visa question.
My sole aim was to try to be of assist to many who do have questions about the direction of Thai Immigration and how it may apply to their own situation.
Thank you.
Tj

[frequent]

My sole aim was to try to be of assist to many who do have questions about the direction of Thai Immigration and how it may apply to their own situation.And clearly you have failed miserably

[arsenal]

The way Freaky is hounding every single poster all day every day we won't need any moderators soon. How many times does a jackal need to bite the neighbour's before you put it down? It's not out fault that he's got nothing to do all day in a city he detests. If he gives a 'like' to this post then at least Moses and the mods know it's an admission of what he's doing. And perhaps they'll do something about it.

[sglad]

Moderator...
Please delete my posting
I shall not post any further about Thai Visas.
It appears there is another forum member who has all the answers to the visa question.
My sole aim was to try to be of assist to many who do have questions about the direction of Thai Immigration and how it may apply to their own situation.
Thank you.
Tj

Don't let him get to you, TJ. I'm sure your posts and on-the-ground reporting are appreciated and valued by many members. I know I do - even reviews of your fatty breakfasts and your love letters to Donald Trump! You're a good sport and clearly enjoying your life in Thailand - pitfalls and all. Don't let some troll who's never been to Thailand and who lives on the Internet all day get to you.

Anyone who reads anything on the Internet that is not from an official source should take it upon themselves to cross-check the info. Nobody has the answers to all the questions on any topic. No individual member has the right to dictate who should or shouldn't, who can or can't post either through intimidation, gang-bullying, harassment, feet-stomping, campaigning and/or demands for a certain poster or posters to be banned. Not fountainhall, not his antipodean lapdog, not frequent.


The way Freaky is hounding every single poster all day every day we won't need any moderators soon. How many times does a jackal need to bite the neighbour's before you put it down? It's not out fault that he's got nothing to do all day in a city he detests. If he gives a 'like' to this post then at least Moses and the mods know it's an admission of what he's doing. And perhaps they'll do something about it.

We don't need moderators. Cut off the jackal's head and it'll simply grow another one. Stop responding and paying attention to his howling and he'll crawl back into the woods. He'll be hungry, he'll wither and he'll eventually die. Don't feed the troll.

[bkkguy]

If this sign was on Thai government-headed paper, signed by an Immigration official, and posted at every consulate in the region then your assertion of a crackdown might have more credibility


You are the person making these assertions second-hand for the "benefit" of SGT members. You have absolutely no evidence for any of them from official Thai sources since none exists. All you have is a Facebook forum with no official standing - an alternative to the Thaivisa board


As for your "humble opinion" that the eVisa will be for the lowly Indians it's clear you know nothing and your opinion is worthless. ...(long quote from https://www.thailandvisa.net/)

for someone so obsessed with "official sources" I am surprised that you attempt to prove TJ's "humble opinion" is worthless by referring us to the Thailand Visa web site which claims on its home page to be a travel agency with no affiliation with the Thailand Government and seems to be rather lacking anything "on Thai government-headed paper, signed by an Immigration official"

bkkguy

[frequent]

for someone so obsessed with "official sources" I am surprised that you attempt to prove TJ's "humble opinion" is worthless by referring us to the Thailand Visa web site which claims on its home page to be a travel agency with no affiliation with the Thailand Government and seems to be rather lacking anything "on Thai government-headed paper, signed by an Immigration official"Sadly there are no official government announcements available, only newspaper reports such as this one - http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30359942 - which as you can see references sites such as the one I linked to who will be acting as agents, rather like consulates do

Donald Trump aside, I’d prefer to believe a report publicly available of a government policy than the speculations of a bunch of whiners and whingers on Facebook and someone’s clearly uninformed “humble opinion”

[francois]

Moderator...
Please delete my posting
I shall not post any further about Thai Visas.
It appears there is another forum member who has all the answers to the visa question.
.
Tj

Ignore him, TJ.