Thai Visa Discussion..Important New Changes

[2lz2p]

gregvc OP:

a number of members mention that you can satisfy the retirement requirements by obtaining a letter from their embassy rather than showing 800,000 baht in a THai bank. What does such a letter say? Are 60 day visas still operating with a 30 day extension done at Chaeng Wattana govt office and can a trip (once only) outside to say Laos or Cambodia be used for a 30 day stay, meaning 60 + 30 +30 days with only one trip outside.

1. Re embassy income letter - Yes, in lieu of having 800k baht in a Thai bank, you can get a letter from your Embassy stating your income. As mentioned by others, each Embassy has their own form of the letter and requirements for issuing it, so best to contact your Embassy to find out what you need to obtain the letter - as mentioned, some require you show some form of documentation to support the amount; whereas others such as US Embassy, requires you to "swear" as to the accuracy of the income information being reported. The required amount if using only the income letter is at least 65,000 baht per month (Order of the Royal Thai Police Headquarters No. 777/2551, Paragraph 2.22(3)
http://www.pattayacityexpatsclub.com...ion%202008.pdf)
If you are using a combination of funds in bank and income, the annualized total of the income plus the funds on deposit must be equal or greater than 800,000 baht [the income in the income letter will most likely be your home currency, Immigration will apply the current exchange rate to convert it to baht].

2. Extension of stay on a Tourist Visa - upon arrival you get a 60 day permission to stay and yes, you can extend it for another 30 days at Thai Immigration.

3. Making a border run -if doing by air, no problem at this time (crackdown to be implemented at airports in August according to news article interview with ranking Immigration General) - you should get a 30 day stay with no problem. Right now, using a land border might be problematic as each border location uses their own interpretations. It has always been a requirement for those entering on Visa Exempt (30 day stay) to have an onward ticket and a certain amount of funds - 10,000 individual and 20,000 family. However it has never really been enforced, until now. These new restrictions are still being sorted, so as Travlerjim mentions, be prepared to show you are in fact a tourist even if you have a Tourist Visa (but maybe not quite to the extent he mentioned, but then belt and suspenders never hurts) - if you have several back to back Visa Exempt entries or combinations of Visa and Visa Exempt showing you are living in Thailand for an extended period, you are at high risk of being denied entry.

As mentioned, you can apply for a Non-Immigrant O Visa at some Immigration Offices in Thailand (Bangkok and Pattaya will do) by providing all the paperwork you would need to qualify for a retirement extension of stay. The Visa fee is 2,000 baht. You get a 90 day permission stay which you then apply to extend for a full year. The extension fee is 1,900 baht - two sets of the same documents will be needed, one for Visa and the other for extension.

If doing in Bangkok, it appears you get the Visa and then go back 60 days later for the extension. In Pattaya, it is all done on the same day and they accept one original and one photocopy of the Embassy letter. Once you have your extension of stay, you can then get a Re-Entry permit (1,000 baht for single entry or 3,800 baht for multiple entry) so that you can leave and return to Thailand with your retirement extension still in force. If you are using the full 800k baht in a Thai bank, it will need to be on deposit 60 days before your application for extension (90 days when doing annual renewals). If not on deposit the full 60 days and you are applying in Pattaya, they will do like Bangkok, issue the Visa and tell you to come back in 60 days to do the extension.

If you go for the retirement extension, you will need to be in Thailand for your annual renewal (up to 30 days beforehand). Pattaya Immigration used to do it up to 60 days if you were not going to be in Thailand or as in the case mentioned, 90 days because of medical reasons. However, I have talked to two different individuals who recently tried to do it more than 30 days beforehand and were refused.

The Pattaya City Expats Club has a lot of information on Immigration requirements for entry into Thailand and extending your stay that you might find helpful - http://www.pattayacityexpatsclub.com/expats/visa.html

They also have a checklist for retirement extensions showing documents needed including the two step process of Non-Immigrant O Visa + extension of stay at http://www.pattayacityexpatsclub.com...achecklist.pdf The checklist primarily is for Chonburi (Pattaya) Immigration requirements, but other offices should be similar.

[fountainhall]

It has always been a requirement for those entering on Visa Exempt (30 day stay) to have an onward ticket

Onward Tickets.

This may become more of an issue if there is some form of crackdown on the way since it involves not just Immigration but also the airlines. I have rarely met anyone who has entered the Kingdom on such 30 day permits and been asked for their onward ticket at Immigration. But before I got my retirement visa, I was twice almost denied boarding on flights in to BKK for that very reason.

Once was in Hong Kong despite many Thailand entry/exit stamps in my passport and my being near the top tier of the CX loyalty programme. That took just one call to a supervisor and my boarding pass was issued. The other time was in Sydney trying to board a BA flight. Again I was in business class and had a BA Executive Club Gold card. But I had no onward ticket with me, even though I was booked on another airline to HKG less than 14 days later. This took 25 minutes to solve after going through three layers of management, calling the travel agent in BKK, and my providing the airline with a blank signed credit card slip in the event I was denied entry at BKK. That would have involved BA flying me back to Sydney at my cost and paying the fine which the BKK authorities would levy on the airline for breaking the rules!

I would not recommend anyone coming in on the 30-day visa waiver trying to enter the Kingdom without having physical proof of an onward ticket on arrival.

[bkkguy]

The problem with Traveler Jim's cut&pastings is that they mostly come out of ThaiVisa threads ... which in my opinion is often a dung heap of bad and conflicting information. Everybody is an expert on ThaVisa! Personally, I would take ThaiVisa threads on Immigration issues with a very large grain of salt.

the majority of people posting on topics like this on Internet forums - including here and including ThaiVisa - don't understand the concepts and don't understand or use the terminology correctly and consistently so most posts, here and elsewhere, while perhaps well-intentioned, are misleading or at best confusing

you need to be able to identify the posters who know what they are talking about - which seems to be significantly lacking on this thread so far - but at least on ThaiVisa the posts by the moderators and super-moderators on the Immigration forums are consistent in their use of terminology and the reliability of their information which is why I still recommend ThaiVisa as the best source of information on Immigration issues

but yes, you do need to read selectively there, but I do believe that using the moderator posts there to learn about and understand the issues, concepts and the terminology will certainly make it easier when wading through the bullsh*t you encounter everywhere!

bkkguy

[joe552]

Just to show this isn't only aimed at "farangs", the guy I spent my recent holiday with (who is from Laos and regularly did visa runs to Cambodia) has just realised that his passport has been marked as an over-stayer. He now needs to go back to Laos to get a new passport (or visa - he confuses the two in our chats). He is afraid that the army will stop him on the way back to Laos and detain him. I told him I think he will need to pay an over-stay fine at the border. I hope I'm right.

[cdnmatt]

He is afraid that the army will stop him on the way back to Laos and detain him. I told him I think he will need to pay an over-stay fine at the border. I hope I'm right.

If he makes it to the border without hitting a checkpoint, then yes, you're right. Unfortunately for him, he has to go right through the middle of red-shirt country to get to Laos during a time of military rule, so although it's not guaranteed he'll hit a check point, there's always a chance. If he hits a checkpoint and has his passport checked before he gets to the border, then yes, he will be detained and from what the new regulations seem to say, blacklisted for 5 years as well.

If he gets to the border without getting checked, and assuming his overstay is under 90 days, then you're right. He pays his overstay fine, and can probably come back the next day. Well, nowadays it's all depending on whether the immigration officer decides he's a visa runner or not.

Bloody hell. Thailand is getting confusing these days.

[travelerjim]

According to reports...the NEW rules re: overstay & blacklisting is awaiting FINAL approval from the Minister.
Expected in the coming week...so IF he makes it to the border now...he should be OK.
IF he flies out...OK...pay at airport.

tj

My frends say Smiles is right evry immigation official just makes up there own rules as they go along plus theres all the immigration agents who are slipping backhanders to some pet immigation official. A mate of mine who does everthing by the book, a million baht on deposit at a bank more fool him says his immigation agent always sends his renewal off to some office he has never heard of and evry year hes been doing it for 4 or 5 years its the same immigation official who signs all the doco. Tell me something dodgy isnt going on there. And the army think there gonna cut out corruption coz it was that nasty Mister Thaksin who introduced corruption to Thailand ho ho ho.

[fountainhall]

The Nation today reports on its front page that the new rules come in on August 12. Those on back-to-back visas/permits have so far been allowed in provided they enter by air. From August 12 that route closes.

FOREIGNERS WHO do regular visa runs in order to extend their stay in Thailand have less than a month before a crackdown by the authorities to enforce immigration laws more strictly. From August 13, people will not be able to re-enter the country, regardless of their choice of transport . . . Pol Colonel Thirachai Dedkhad, the superintendent at the Sa Kaew checkpoint, said officials under his supervision were not stopping visa runners from re-entering yet. "But we have been warning them to acquire a proper visa before they come to Thailand the next time." He said immigration officials had also warned people departing that they must obtain a proper visa if they want to come back . . .

Meanwhile, the Immigration Bureau website says: "Leniency will be granted until August 12, but only for passengers arriving by air. Foreigners who come to Thailand must seek a proper visa in line with the purpose of their intended stay here." Now, those on a visa run who are allowed back in will find an "O-I" (Out-In) mark next to their latest stamp marking entry. From August 13, nobody with an O-I sign on their passport will be allowed to re-enter Thailand if they cannot produce a proper visa.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/nationa ... 38504.html

The Nation's wording seems a bit odd. On the one hand it says those on visa runs will not be allowed to re enter. On the other, it says that if you are on a visa run and you ARE allowed back, you get the "O-I" mark on your passport. As bkkguy suggests, all visa information needs to be double-checked.

[travelerjim]

More Visa Changes Coming : The Thai ED Education Visa....

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/743 ... n=featured

"Hi all, just thought I would pass on the following information which I was told today by a language school in Asoke.

I have decided to go down the Ed Visa route, the school I will be attending in Asoke advised that from July 1st the rules changed (apologies if already covered).

It is now a lot more difficult to obtain an ed visa, and even more difficult renewing it every 90 days.

From 1st July, each student on an Ed Visa must visit the MOE (Ministry of Education) every 3 months to undergo a Thai language (reading, writing and speaking) test. If you pass they issue authority for the next 90 days of the visa to be issued by immigration.

They will also be doing random visits to language schools."

tj

Americans - Want better guaranteed fixed interest rates?
http://www.aurorafreelance.com/ss01/p03.pdf

One has to be grateful the riff-raff are being sorted out and all those visa runner English teachers won't be around to inflect their learning on the young Thais.