Visa runs to be limited to two

[wowpow]

Immigration confirms the end of border runs from October 1, 2006
Thailand tightens visa rules for tourists to cut illegal workers

BANGKOK: -- Thailand will tighten entry regulations for tourists in a bid to crack down on illegal foreign workers, the Immigration Bureau said.

The move, which takes effect October 1, would affect tourists from 41 countries including Australia, the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the US, said Suwat Thamrongsrisakul, the head of the bureau.

Currently, tourists from 41 countries can enter Thailand without visas and stay in the kingdom for up to 30 days.

They can extend their stay by checking out of the country, mainly by crossing the borders of neighboring Cambodia and Laos, and returning with new entry stamps.

'Under the current rules, people from those countries can stay in Thailand as long as they want. Some even stay here for one year,' another bureau official said.

The bureau had learned that a growing number of foreigners from the 41 countries worked illegally in Thailand, Suwat said, adding many were employed in bars and restaurants in the popular seaside resort of Pattaya, east of Bangkok.

'Tourists are taking advantage of the visa exemption law. Instead of sightseeing, they are doing business here,' Suwat said.

From October, tourists from the designated countries can still enter Thailand without visas and stay for up to 30 days, but their entry stamps will be renewable twice at most for a maximum stay of 90 days.

Tourists who stayed for 90 days must leave the kingdom for at least 90 days before being permitted to re-enter Thailand, Suwat said.

--forbes.com 2006-09-10

via www.thaivisa.com

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mass panic in places?

If I read this right a citizen from one of the 41 approved countries can only enter Thailand
3 times a year visa free.This will make life very difficult for people who have second homes in Thailand and visit monthly.

[wowpow]

It's not that big a deal for many it just means that you have to get, and pay for a proper Visa - which probably costs about the same as multiple Visa Runs. A 12 month Non Immigrant O visa with multiple re-entry costs about ┬г95 from the UK.

Thailand's popularity as a convenient cheap hub for backpackers and others who want to visit many S E Asian countries could be reduced.

I suspect that this is a ruse to make money by making people buy Visas and is ignoring the effects on tourism. Illegal workers will continue to enter Thailand even if they have to buy a Visa first.

Boy, did I luck out. I'm planning to start the process for my retirement visa within 4 weeks.

For the past six years, I've come to Thailand every month for two or three weeks at a time. In essence, I call Thailand my home, and have only been away when travelling for work.

Granted, I would not fall under the category of someone who has "extended" their 30-day passport stamp, as I always leave for a week or so before returning to LOS. However, what's the chance of an Immigrations officer sitting in his chair and seeing all my Thailand stamps in my passport, making his own interpretation and saying: "You've been here too much this year. You must wait 90 days before re-entering. Request to enter denied"?

I am 90% retired now, and my travel outside of LOS will be very minimal from now on. I have a training class in HKG either later this month, or early October, and plan to get a tourist visa while in HKG and then convert it to a retirement visa at the Pattaya Immigrations office. Whew. Close timing!

what's the chance of an Immigrations officer sitting in his chair and seeing all my Thailand stamps in my passport, making his own interpretation and saying: "You've been here too much this year. You must wait 90 days before re-entering. Request to enter denied"?

The system is computerized, so the officer doesn't have to physically look for stamps in your passport. The system will be programmed to tell the officer immediately whether you are admittable under the new rules or not.

Judging purely from his avatar, Tee Pee is over 50, so the new visa rules will not greatly affect him or others like him who qualify for a so-called retirement visa (as long as they have a modest amount of money or income). But for unmarried people under 50, the situation is rather different. There is no long term visa (other than a working visa) such people qualify for except a business visa - which is very costly and onerous to get and maintain (we're talking hundreds of thousands of baht here) unless you actually own a substantial business. I enquired at the immigration department today about the alleged investment visa, and was told there is no such thing. (The Immigration Officer suggested I either become a teacher or get married - not sure which would be worse!) So, as things stand, it would seem that when my current 30 day stamp runs out, I will have to leave Thailand and stay out for 3 months. The only other possible option would be to obtain a tourist visa outside Thailand. But if they're refusing 30 day entry stamps to people who have been in Thailand over 3 months, there's no reason to suppose they'll give them Tourist visas either.

Update: just checked the Thai Ministry of foreign affairs website. You can get a 1 year visa outside Thailand under an investment heading, but the investments concerned must be approved and certified by the Ministry of commerce and must meet a number of other rather complicated conditions. Not just a matter of having 3 million baht in a bank account. I'd rather stay away than invest that amount of money in dodgy enterprises that rely on finding foreign finance to stay afloat.

[Dboy]

Check out the student Visas for foreign language study. Think I'm going to try that route. Only requirement is proof of acceptance to a language program.

I'm really happy not to own property in Thailand now.

Dboy

I'd rather stay away than invest that amount of money in dodgy enterprises that rely on finding foreign finance to stay afloat.

Like the typical Thai-farang relationship, you mean.

GWM BKK - You may have just made a typo in your post but you cannot convert a Tourist Visa into a Retirement Visa - unless they have changed something quite recently. In order to get your Retirement Visa, you must enter the Kingdom using a non-Immigrant visa and then have it converted.

I don't know what country you are from but two friends of mine applied for 'long term' visas. One, From Hawaii he was given a one year visa and when stamped in at the airport, he was given a full year. My other friend is on the way over this week so will find out what happened to him altho his visa from New York states it is a one year visa. We shall see what he gets when he arrives and I will keep you advised. Both qualify for retirement visa's showing monthly deposits into their US bank accounts which fill the current income qualification test

BTW, have not been able to get onto Thai Visa for the past couple of days - anyone know of any problems there? I am presently in the US so not familiar with what is going on over there except by info passed to me by friends.