rickfarang Posted December 16, 2006 Report Share Posted December 16, 2006 (Comment: In a week full of good news for foreigners in LOS) Source: Pattaya Today 2006-12-16 http://www.pattayatoday.net/index.php?acti...ews&id=2030 Time up for some 30 day visa runners Farangs living in Thailand with a 30 day stamp on arrival, and renewing it by continuous monthly visa runs to the Cambodian border, face big problems from next month. New regulations introduced on October 1 2006 mean that these farangs will currently be on their third 30 days visa run (October, November and December) with the limit of 90 days in a 6 monthsâ?? block about to bite. Since October, immigration officers at Thai airports and border posts have been underlining 30 days stamps in visitorsâ?? passports with a yellow marker pen. Once three such stamps have been issued in a 6 monthsâ?? period, entrants are likely to be refused another in the short term. They are likely to be given a temporary 7 daysâ?? stamp and told to quit Thailand for at least three months. These changes had been introduced by the immigration bureau nationally as it was felt the discretion of the 30 days stamp on arrival was being abused by foreigners trying to turn it into an unofficial residency permit. Bureau chief police lieutenant general Suwat Tumrongsrikul had indicated that he had evidence that some such â??residentsâ? were running bars illegally or abusing Thai hospitality in other ways. If the perpetual 30 days on arrival farangs wish to continue to live in Thailand they have to break the cycle by leaving the country and requesting a prior visa (60 or 90 days) at a Thai consulate or embassy abroad. The most popular destinations in Asia are Penang and Vientiane, but most applicants are currently being restricted there to a single entry tourist visa (60 days plus an extension of 30 days). The British embassy Pattaya based officer, Barry Kenyon, said all of the options needed financial resources. â??Foreigners over 50 can apply for a one year retirement option,â? he said, â??but they need to have at least 800,000 baht made up of a Thai bank book deposit and probably proof of income or pension in their first country.â? He added that men under 50 wanting a one year visa were mostly restricted to the â??married manâ??s extensionâ? or a valid work permit issued by the Labour office. Another option for foreigners with funds is to return to their own countries to obtain a multiple entry tourist or non-immigrant visa. It is increasingly the pattern that multiple entries are being given only in the applicantâ??s home country. The Thai government recently introduced a new three year business visa, again awarded only in the first country, but this requires the support of the Thai commerce ministry or board of investment as well as proof of liaison with business partners in Thailand. A Pattaya based visa and travel agent said that he thought that some impecunious farangs might go into overstay as they could not afford to leave the country, thus risking jail and deportation procedures. But he wondered whether the new rules might be softened later in the year. â??The whole thing was introduced without much notice, â??he said, â??and it might not be long term as it stands. Nobody knows.â? The immigration bureau stresses that the new rules about 30 days do not apply to holiday tourists or holders of prior visas issued in countries outside Thailand. A spokesman said tourists were very welcome and there were procedures in place to permit long stays. â??We are concerned only with the abuse of the 30 days stamp by foreigners who are renewing it month after month after month at border posts. It is not a residency permit,â? he explained. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian2 Posted December 17, 2006 Report Share Posted December 17, 2006 This is pretty well what has been said from the start. It's probably not a bad thing, sure I've taken advantage of the visa exemption on a arrival for about five years now because it's been so easy, in fact I've never had a Thai visa since I first came here in 1992. But I'm off to Vientiane on the 26th to apply for a 60 day tourist visa which if granted will get me through to my next return to Australia where I'll put the wheels in motion for some sort of a non immigrant or business visa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCgringo Posted December 17, 2006 Report Share Posted December 17, 2006 will these rules also apply to the blacks and Arabs around Soi 3 ? I wonder if they have the money to go somewhere else for 3 months , and if the other countries would even let them in ? We will see..... OC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted December 17, 2006 Report Share Posted December 17, 2006 The Grace Hotel crowd have no visas! Problem with this crackdown is that many people here having been living quite legally on the 30 day visas -- i.e. living on their own funds. I've met people who made a pile in the Middle East and never will have to work again in their lives. Yet because they are under 50, they can't get a retirement visa. And since they don't want to get married, they can't get a marriage visa. Basically, this crackdown ends up driving them to spend their money elsewhere. On the other hand, I do know of some bar managers (not owners) who have done the visa runs for years. But why not go after them and not simply shafting everyone else as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elef Posted December 17, 2006 Report Share Posted December 17, 2006 I've one stamp from my arrival in october but the colour the officer used is green, maybe the second stamp will be yellow and the third red? I used 16 days in oct-nov and 2 week again in february, so I don't have any problems as I never stay longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristianTroy Posted December 17, 2006 Report Share Posted December 17, 2006 I just read yesterday on the german embassy site that the age for the retirement visa doesn't matter anymore. If you have a valid document from your country that you are officially retired (i.E. unable to work) then your officially considered a retiree in Thailand as well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WorldFun Posted December 17, 2006 Report Share Posted December 17, 2006 CT - the new workaround surfaced Look out for those documents for sale around khaosan & in expat circles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted December 18, 2006 Report Share Posted December 18, 2006 I just read yesterday on the german embassy site that the age for the retirement visa doesn't matter anymore. If you have a valid document from your country that you are officially retired (i.E. unable to work) then your officially considered a retiree in Thailand as well! Has anyone told Thai Immigration that? They generally make up their own rules ... sometimes on the spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limbo Posted December 18, 2006 Report Share Posted December 18, 2006 Even with a Non Immi B and work permit, you're not getting a multiple entry visa anymore, so it's every 3 months a trip to Penang or KL (if you live in the South of Thailand) and spend at least 8 to 9K per 3 months to get that visa. Unless, apparently, you pay tax over at least 50K per month, than you receive a one year multiple entry Non Immi B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted December 18, 2006 Report Share Posted December 18, 2006 I've never had a non-immig B multi-entry. Got a 1 year non-immig B every time. But I know folks who lived here for 15 or more years on the multi- entries. I gather it used to be quite easy to get. One of these days, the Thai politicians may just tell us all to f*ck off, married or working or not! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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