Crackdown Banning 'walk-In Visa Runs' To Begin August 13

[cavanami]

Maybe this will force more people to go underground?

 

I know of several people that went underground, one for 26 years! until he died in Thailand!!

 

The mentality at Thai Immi is that people who are doing these visa runs are not spending large

sums of $$$ in Thailand, so Thailand doesn't want them here!!!

 

Farang working in the movie industry will be working illegally (no work permit), another reason Thai Immi wants them out...

[robaus]

There used to be a very friendly little consulate in Perth, Aus that gave me non immigrant O visas, when I showed the Aussie lady secretary my Pattaya condo title deeds. I have never worked in Thailand and never overstayed...only ever spent money there.

 

Then the consul himself retired ..he was in his 70s I think. The consulate was closed for a couple of years.

Now reopened...the new broom and jobsworth, a Thai woman, wouldn’t give me a non immigrant O. She said they are only available to applicants with a Thai partner. Is she correct?

 

So I requested a double entry tourist visa. I genuinely wanted to visit some friends in Cambodia for a couple of weeks then return to Thailand.

 

I got the visa but she advised to be careful about the dates because it was only valid for 3 months activation from date of issue. I pointed out very politely that in the past a single entry was valid for 3 months activation and a double entry should be valid for 6 months activation. She didn’t take too kindly to criticism, and wouldn’t extend activation period. Is she correct?

 

So I had to cut my Cambodian visit by a week and just scraped in on the day to activate my second entry.

 

If they want visitors to apply for full visas why make it so hard to obtain and use them?

 

Of course we all know the next knee jerk move when tourist numbers fall will be free visas just like they did after protesters closed the airport. TIT.

 

[StoneSoup]

I don't know, but over at Thaivisa.com, the visa sub-forum reminds me of the after-effects of smashing a hornet's nest with a golf club. It's enterrtaining to watch the various dodgy individuals trying to rationalize their importance to Thailand.

 

My prediction: Border Immigration Officers will reap a windfall in bribes, word will get out about which Border crossings can be negoiated with currency, a few Border Immigration officails will eventually get busted, after one of their past "clients" commits some atrocity in Thailand, and then - over time - enforcement of the rule will simply fade away.

 

But - the next 6-9 months will be tough on "dodgy guys".

 

Cheers!

SS

[Flashermac]

Compare Thailand to Malaysia, which gives you a 90-day tourist visa on arrival. Plus you can renew it without having to leave the country. As far as I know, there is no limit on how many you may have either. As a Malaysian explain to me, "You are spending your money in our country, so we are happy to have you stay here."

[cavanami]

Supply and demand.

 

There is strong demand to go to Thailand, thus Thai Immi feels they can do whatever they want, as they

want to get best of the best of the tourists...those that spend a pile of $$$ and then go home after two weeks!

[Flashermac]

You mean like the Chinese?

[waerth]

Actually Cav, immigration is usually always at movie and commercial sets to make sure none of the farangs get hassled over it as movies and commercials are a big earner for Thai companies! Talking a 1 billion dollar plus industry annually.

 

I guess no one realized this effect yet.

[radioman]

The notice posted last Thursday explained that any foreigner who completed even one “visa run†in order to re-enter the country on visa-exemption status was to have his passport stamped “O-Iâ€, indicting they had already been “out and in†from/to Thailand.

 

Any foreigner attempting to re-enter Thailand after August 12 with a passport stamped “O-I†is to be refused re-entry, the notice warned.

 

This might have been the cause of some confusion since there are a couple of things unclear. First I believe the word consecutive, used elsewhere in the statement, is missing from this part. I'm not surprised given the generally crap level of English Thais have. Further it does not validate what is considered a "visa run". To suggest anyone entering Thailand on a visa exempt stamp will get their passport marked O-I leading to future refusal of entry would kill a big portion of the tourist business, those who come for 2 weeks a year every year. They would need a new passport every year to remove the O-I stamp. Again, if it's stamped and entry refused on first "re-entry" we would need to have explained what "re-entry' is? Same day, next day, week, month, year?

 

I still maintain this will affect those entering Thailand 3 times CONSECUTIVELY (That is to say without a reasonable break in between) or passing the 90 days in 180 days rule, (I'm not sure it's a law per se)

[cavanami]

Many of the officials working at Thai Immi do not know the "rules".

 

One of the upper officials once told me that I must bring bank statements showing I had 800,000 Baht in my

Thai bank account. That was the *** only *** that I could get a retirement visa...

 

...in my collections of paperwork, I have the Thai Immi webpage that stated for US citizens that we could have

800,000 Baht in a Thai bank account *** or *** have a notarized letter from the US Embassy stating that one

had ample monthly income (was it 60,000 Baht or whatever)...

 

The Thai Immi official, young attractive lady, who I had no intention to argue with, is just one example of how

the Thai Immi right hand has not idea what the left hand is doing

[BelgianBoy]

Supply and demand.

 

There is strong demand to go to Thailand, thus Thai Immi feels they can do whatever they want, as they

want to get best of the best of the tourists...those that spend a pile of $$$ and then go home after two weeks!

you mean the best out of tourists ?