Tough New Policy for Visa Runs

[Edge]

I believe there's an exit fee for leaving thailand, built into your ticket...

As said...sometimes airport tax but not money for Immi' I think?

[Yahooka]

No, but how am I to explain that to a immigration guy who barely speaks English, or if they decide on a maximum entries per year, where you will not be considered as a normal tourist?

 

Hopefully it will be enough to either show a return ticket, or the contract on my condo.

 

If I cannot continue on the visa exemption, I have to find somewhere else to live.

 

 

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I wouldn`t showing them any contract at all........that will prove to them that you live here and are not a tourist.Im in a similar position as you,but luckily my rent contract where Im currently staying will soon expire and until I get established what practice they gonna use Im not gonna rent a new one.

 

Interesting to see whats really gonna happen come august........and for how long.

[Bek]

I wouldn`t showing them any contract at all........that will prove to them that you live here and are not a tourist.Im in a similar position as you,but luckily my rent contract where Im currently staying will soon expire and until I get established what practice they gonna use Im not gonna rent a new one.

 

Interesting to see whats really gonna happen come august........and for how long.

 

I thought about the contract as well, and you are right that it's probably a bad idea. I do consider myself a tourist though, as I do absolutely no work here.

 

It will be very interesting to see what will happen. I hope they calm down and target the people they want out of the country, and not everybody not showing up at the immigration with the family at hand.

 

 

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[mickjn]

Stick 800k in a back or just pay a dodgy agent 20k to sort it over the kitchen table.

20k I think they are getting you plenty doing it for 15k

[Edge]

20k I think they are getting you plenty doing it for 15k

 

You may well be right, but I haven't heard <20k for the deal where they put 800k in your bank account overnight to get it?

 

Is that what you mean or just the stamp?

[furryman]

To invent a visa which suited you, but which the dodgies could be excluded from, is difficult to imagine.

 

How much would you be happy to pay?

There is a business visa (10,000 baht app fee) which allows for unlimited entries over the course of a year, 90 days per entry. Looking at the paperwork required I cant see how a good visa shop could not get those ducks in a row for someone bouncing around SEA for work. 

[Bek]

There is a business visa (10,000 baht app fee) which allows for unlimited entries over the course of a year, 90 days per entry. Looking at the paperwork required I cant see how a good visa shop could not get those ducks in a row for someone bouncing around SEA for work.

 

Sounds interesting - what's the exact name of the visa?

 

 

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[furryman]

Sounds interesting - what's the exact name of the visa?

 

 

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My bad, it is a 3 year non immigrant B visa, and it looks like you have to apply for it from home. Then again if one was traveling that much, taking the trouble to go home for a new visa every 3 years seems not unreasonable.

 

http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/123/15386-Three-year-Non-Immigrant-Visa-%22B%22-(for-B.html

[Bek]

My bad, it is a 3 year non immigrant B visa, and it looks like you have to apply for it from home. Then again if one was traveling that much, taking the trouble to go home for a new visa every 3 years seems not unreasonable.

 

http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/123/15386-Three-year-Non-Immigrant-Visa-%22B%22-(for-B.html

 

Looks interesting. It will require a little work to get a thai company to play along (a letter of invitation should be fine, I guess), but should be possible.

 

Looks like you can apply for the visa, and points 4...9 will be requested if they think its necessary.

Most likely they will ask for the information though, which only will extend their process time.

 

I will be going home in July for a couple of weeks anyway, so will start to look into it.

 

Thanks for the info - that visa would suit my needs perfect, as I never stay more than 90 days anyway.

Should I see you out and about in town, I'll buy you a drink!

[PattayaGringo]

Thailand has the most draconian visa rules of the whole south east asia and this is yet another nail in the coffin.

They're really doing their best to make sure tourists and expats move to greener pastures (and there's no shortage of cheaper tropical places with bargirls and all).

After all they're already screwing their own rice farmers and the inflation is out of control, they've never given two shits about us farangs.

 

[Daryle]

Thailand has the most draconian visa rules of the whole south east asia and this is yet another nail in the coffin.

 

They're really doing their best to make sure tourists and expats move to greener pastures (and there's no shortage of cheaper tropical places with bargirls and all).

 

After all they're already screwing their own rice farmers and the inflation is out of control, they've never given two shits about us farangs.

 

 

They are making good money hence they don't care! Agree, with you that the long term guys are moving, my mate recently moved to Cambodia. Got a 1 yr visa quick smart. He was previously on a ED here. Has been here for 10 yrs.

 

 

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[The Selfie Warrior]

and there's no shortage of cheaper tropical places with bargirls and all

 

 

 

please list the CHEAP places that have

 

tropical climate and beaches

excellent cheap food

cheap public transit

abundant P4P

decent quality infrastructure (roads, power system, etc)

high speed broadband internet and 3g mobile broadband

decent quality hospitals at fair prices

fairly lenient visa situations

 

no shortage of those places you say?

[Excited]

From what I've understood from reading various articals and speaking to the 'visa run' operators is visa exempt runs 3 in total will still be allowed until August after that ANYONE entering on Visa exempt will only be allowed to extend that once regardless of walkin/flyin. Multi entry visa's will not be effected. But you never know

I'm going down to immagration on Monday for clarification.

[Bek]

From what I've understood from reading various articals and speaking to the 'visa run' operators is visa exempt runs 3 in total will still be allowed until August after that ANYONE entering on Visa exempt will only be allowed to extend that once regardless of walkin/flyin. Multi entry visa's will not be effected. But you never know

I'm going down to immagration on Monday for clarification.

 

For me, the big question is how they interpret an "extension". Is it out/in same day (like a regular minivan border run), 1 day out of the Kingdom, or even 1 week?

 

 

 

 

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[The Selfie Warrior]

For me, the big question is how they interpret an "extension". Is it out/in same day (like a regular minivan border run), 1 day out of the Kingdom, or even 1 week?

 

 

 

 

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so far thats what most of us are waiting to find out.... i havent seen any official number of days.... and even if there is a specific number of days out needed, they still leave it up to the immigration offical to use their judgement based upon what they think of your travel itinerary

[Bek]

so far thats what most of us are waiting to find out.... i havent seen any official number of days.... and even if there is a specific number of days out needed, they still leave it up to the immigration offical to use their judgement based upon what they think of your travel itinerary

 

Personally I would prefer clear guidelines for the immigration to follow, than a case-by-case estimate from whomever you happen to meet at the immigration. Even if it means that the guidelines would be a bit stricter than many of us wants.

[Yahooka]

please list the CHEAP places that have

 

tropical climate and beaches

excellent cheap food

cheap public transit

abundant P4P

decent quality infrastructure (roads, power system, etc)

high speed broadband internet and 3g mobile broadband

decent quality hospitals at fair prices

fairly lenient visa situations

 

no shortage of those places you say?

Agre........Of all the places I`ve visited in SEA,nothing compares to Thailand when it comes to infrastructure and availability of the things I need on a day to day basis.................except for Singapore that is .

[Scumbag]

I thought about the contract as well, and you are right that it's probably a bad idea. I do consider myself a tourist though, as I do absolutely no work here.

 

If you are living in rented property you are not a tourist. You are residing in Thailand and the fact that you are not working does not change that.

[furryman]

If you are living in rented property you are not a tourist. You are residing in Thailand and the fact that you are not working does not change that.

I can see where that makes sort of makes sense logically, but it does not seem to be the definition that the Thai Govt. is working with. While here on a tourist visa one can get a driving license (BTW part of that process is going to Immigration and getting a "residency certificate" showing your current address. one usually needs some kind of proof of renting somewhere for that) rent property, purchase motor vehicles and open bank accounts. 

 

Further, what about some family who comes here, rents a villa on the beach, buys a couple of motorbikes and spends 6 months lounging around and eating in restaurants. Sounds like tourists to me. 

 

From everything I see they don't seem to care about people being here for extended periods on tourist visas, it is the on arrival, non visa entry they are tightening up on, and it seems they aren't asking where you stay while in Thailand, but how many of these entries have you used lately.

[socrates]

For those that fancy a nice healthy debate and relevant to this thread also

 

http://www.pattaya-addicts.com/forum/topic/229181-500k-5-year-visa-in-1-year-increments-plus-benefits/

[Bek]

If you are living in rented property you are not a tourist. You are residing in Thailand and the fact that you are not working does not change that.

 

I see your point, but whatever I do, I have to rent something.

 

I don't know how it works in Thailand, but in my country you can not be considered a resident, unless you have an address registered at the local authorities - I just assumed it would be the same here.

 

 

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[Scumbag]

From everything I see they don't seem to care about people being here for extended periods on tourist visas,

I strongly suspect that this is only due to immigration not fully enforcing the country's laws. Will they have a crackdown on this? I don't know but it is always a possibility. We have seen tightening of tourist visa issuing in neighbouring countries.

[awinkl]

Even if Retirement Visas are not affected at present - is there anything (in the near future) that might be considered to cover Retirement Visas as well? Does anybody have some "Inside" knowledge?

[Scumbag]

Even if Retirement Visas are not affected at present - is there anything (in the near future) that might be considered to cover Retirement Visas as well? Does anybody have some "Inside" knowledge?

I have no inside knowledge but I think it is important to note that there is no change in law with the visa waiver program. It is only how it is enforced that has changed (for the time being). I don't think any of the recent crackdowns recently has been a change in law. As long as you meet the legal requirements of the visa you should be OK.

 

Just as important is that the retirement visa is designed for long-term residency in Thailand.

[Edge]

Almost all the noise is about duckers and divers who are trying to stay here long term when they have no legitimate reason to be here.

 

The primary reason to pursue them appears to be because they think they are working here.

The obvious motivation for that is where farang are depriving Thais of work.

It probably includes those who are running businesses, legitimate or otherwise, if they don't have the right Visa and/or Work Permit.

It must surely include the plethora of Russians involved in real estate, travel and everything else they're infiltrating.

 

Visa dodgers misusing Visa Exemption to stay are the most obvious target and so there is pressure on them to get proper Visas.

However, many can't get Visas or they are misusing the Tourist Visa system - hence the limit on back to back TVs.

 

So there are those who have proper Visas obtained by illegitimate means (as they did in Phuket) and perhaps even those who do have proper Visas (eg Retirement & Marriage Extensions) which they are using to stay here for illegitimate reasons i.e. work.

Education Visas will probably come under increasing scrutiny.

 

They may well run out of steam on this, but they have been picking away at it for quite a while.

The acid test they're talking about currently is whether those using tourist type visa arrangements are really tourists or not (ditto Ed' Visas).

If they apply that logic, then it must bring into question those who are here working invisibly i.e. on the internet, because their living arrangements etc will not correspond with those of a tourist.

 

This could all fizzle out, but it has the legs to run quite a long way.........................

.....................without doing anything much to affect bona fide tourists.