Another Thai Immigrations bomb: Investment Visa Canceled

Just posted today:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php ... ntry890140

"As of October 1, 2006 the 3 million baht investment visa will no longer be available

It has been brought to the attention of Sunbelt Asia that as of October 1, 2006 the 3 million baht investment visa will no longer be available.

This includes bank investments, condominium investments, and bond investments.

Not only will it NOT be issued, but you CANNOT renew your current investment visa on this basis.

The official statement from Thai immigration is expected this week."

Other quotes:

"If a person aged 42 bought a condo last year for 3.5 million baht; does this mean that now he can't live there full time? "
"yes in effect.. After being told to buy one to live here.. Comitting his money.. Hes now told to leave.."

Amazing Thailand, indeed. <sigh....>

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Farang, go home!
No, I don't wanna!

[Aunty]

Perhaps they might cancel tourist visa's next???

I just feel so sorry for all the non-resident farang who have brought property in Thailand. Not only should they not have done that as the law didn't allow it in the first place, but now their 'investment' appears not to be worth the paper it's written on.

So what does this mean for Pattaya's new Big Cock building, and for that matter, all the farang living in Thailand 'illegally' by doing visa runs?

I just feel so sorry for all the non-resident farang who have brought property in Thailand. Not only should they not have done that as the law didn't allow it in the first place, but now their 'investment' appears not to be worth the paper it's written on.

The immigration authorities have cottoned on to all the scams and devious devices for getting around the rules. Hence the changes to the rules currently taking place. Just look at the panic that has been caused by restricting "visa runs" to a maximum of 90 days before an enforced stay of 90 days outside the Kingdom.

As for feeling sorry? Why? They operated outside the law and are now reaping their just reward.

[wowpow]

Today, 2006-09-12 19:08:58

This is coming from the Chief of Immigration.

1.Retirement Visa extension. If you have a foreign married spouse who is a dependent they will be able to get this dependent visa now. ( change of what has been happing the last couple weeks)

2.Retirement visa extension: If you have children under 20. They will no longer be able to get a dependent visa based on you having an extension of stay on retirement. They want these kids to get it based on education so they go to school.

3..Investment Visa extension: Will no longer be available after Oct 1st for new applicants on 3 million Baht.

4. Investment visa extension. For existing extension of stay holders of 3 million Baht, we are now being told this will now be grandfathered in and they will be able to get the extension forever as long as they renew. (Yes I know reversal from several hours ago but the government is aware that people bought condos before on this scheme and now will allow it.)

5.Now the news for frequent visitors: We have checked this upwards and backwards all day and it has been confirmed by a copy of the new regulation we have. If you have a visa on arrival more than three times in six months, you cannot come into Thailand without a visa from an Embassy/Consulate. When you enter Thailand, even if you are here just 1 hour, this counts as 30 days. If you come back 6 weeks later for 2 days, this again is 30 days. If you arrive a month later for 4 days, still counts as 30 days. When you leave, you cannot enter Thailand for 3.5 months without coming back with a visa. The reason is to force people who are supposed to have work permits to do so and pay tax.

Another example; you arrive for a week, this counts as 30 days, One month later 3 days and its 30 days, two months later and its for a two week period, still another 30 days. You can reenter Thailand in 6 weeks without having a visa.

6.On extension of stay based support of a Thai national (Marriage visa), before if you applied for this extension of stay, you would get a 30 day consideration stamp. Once you return in 30 days you would get the one year extension. Now it will be the same as an extension of stay based on business with the norm of three 30 day consideration stamps. Immigration will go out and check to see if itтАЩs a real marriage or a sham before issuing the one year.

7.On an extension of stay based on being a Monk. No dependents will be allowed to get an extension of stay based on being a dependent.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

via www.thaivisa.com

[Aunty]

Of course I have one other question now. If the investment category is to be done away with, what will happen to all the Farang owned gogo bars? Will this mean the owners will have to leave Thailand? Does this signal the beginning of the end of gay sex tourism in Thailand??? Inquiring minds want to know.

[Davey612]

I doubt whether gay gogo business have anything to do with the latest changes. Maybe it is a general re-direction of policies to better control the inflow of foreigners? As Tee Pee pointed out, if you already have an investment visa, you can continue renewing it.

I was always amazed at the Thai government's one eye-close tolerance of the visa runs. Obviously skitting around the rules. Other countries, such as Brazil, have a maximum period that a foreigner can stay before having to leave the country.

If you read the Thai visa forum, it seems that the former lax policies encouraged drifters from around the world to park themselves in Thailand. However, they are unwilling to make any meaningful contribution to Thai society. They want to continue using their foreign language, they don't want to marry, they don't want to invest. They just want to have a good time and spend the minimum before moving on. Point to me of a country that allow foreigners to dictate its immigration policies?

[rincondog]

The Thai government is trying to crack down on illegal immigration with these revisions. Although in effect the illegals will remain and the legals are inconvenienced. Granted many making the continuous visa runs will be slowed. However, the truly illegal will remain unless the police happen to run across them.

[wowpow]

The Immigration Police's stated aim is to reduce the numbers of persons working illegally in Thailand. I fail to see how these controls will affect anything. It just means that the illegal workers will have a Visa in future or from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia they will just pop across the border where convenient - Visa free. People working in Thailand is not a big problem and does not take any significant amounts of work away from Thais. For example the Government has just agreed to let 10,000 Nepalese workers into Thailand as the country is getting short of cheap labour.

The benefits of the Visa run to get another 30 days Visa free are not much. Unless you live close to a border then the costs involved often outweigh the cost of a Visa.

Davey 612 wrote:
"Point to me of a country that allow foreigners to dictate its immigration policies?"

UK...!
Gerefan