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

[Flashermac]

New Rules for Visa on Arrival

 

 

Border runs have been cut short due to the very recent change in rules regarding overland entry by Thai immigration. Foreigners entering Thailand via border posts at Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Malaysia without securing a prior visa will now be granted only 15 days of stay in the country as opposed to the previous Visa on Arrival, which was valid for 30 days.

 

According to a spokesman for the Thai Immigration Bureau, the new regulation was created to encourage foreigners to secure the proper visas in advance from a Royal Thai Embassy prior to their arrival.

 

The new rule will also limit the amount of back-to-back visa runs being made by foreigners to extend their stay.

 

However, this change only applies to visitors who have not obtained a visa beforehand, and are entering from the border by land. Those who arrive at the airport without a prior visa will continue to receive a 30-day stamp. Extensions at Thai Immigration after the Visa on Arrival has expired remain at 7 days, after which you must leave the country or pay the penalty and other sanctions for overstaying the visa.

 

The only exception to the new regulation will be Malaysian passport holders traveling from Malaysia, as they will continue to receive the 30-day Visa on Arrival. Immigration authorities further clarified that there is no longer a limit on the number of times a foreigner may enter Thailand within the days allowed on the Visa on Arrival. The former provision stating that visitors cannot stay for more than 90 days within six months has already been dropped.

 

 

Beyond 90 Days

 

 

A dose of good news awaits tourists—following the new regulation set by Thai Immigration, visitors can now come regularly to Thailand without limiting their stay within a total of 90 days in a six-month period.

 

The restriction has already been abolished so tourists can now visit Thailand as often as they want, provided that they obtain 30 day Visa on Arrival at airports and 15 day Visa on Arrival if they are traveling via land borders.

 

However, immigration officials still recommend getting visas prior to arrival in Thailand, as they remind visitors that back-to-back short visas are not the proper way to extend the stay in the country on a long-term basis.

 

This new regulation is predicted to greatly benefit travel agencies as more border trips are expected to be booked with the increased influx of tourists eager to renew their visas.

 

 

http://www.thaiembas...-visa-rules.php

[jitagawn]

:shakehead :help:

 

No surprise as Flasher predicted that they would retract and double back on themselves quickly

So :sleeping:they did TIT Klasik....

[cavanami]

Some years ago they started to issue only a 15 day "visa" for those coming in to Thailand by land. Then they wanted the

person to show them a departure air ticket.

 

Seems they want to stop or severely limit entries by land in to LOS...

[Mekong]

Personally I cannot see an issue with this edict, the majority of BM's that I know do have a legal reason to be here either Working, Supporting Family or Retired.

 

As previously stated ASEAN kicks in Jan 2015 so for people such as Coss who has valid visa in Loas he will be free to come and go as he pleases, even I although I could get a Non-Imm O based on marriage I don't need too since I have a Temporary Residence Card in Vietnam and my trips back to Thailand are less than 30 days, come next year I just show my TRC and free to travel anywhere in ASEAN with unrestricted time constraints.

 

OK maybe I have the "I'm alright Jack" attitude", som nam na I just wish that my own country applied strict controls as Thailand does the UK is Broke and getting more into debt every day due to the open borders policy, hence the reason I got out whilst I could.

[cavanami]

I will see how my work permit works out and if I can freely get around in the ASEAN countries. With my US passport, I can go to about every country in SE Asia without a visa, except for China, Viet Nam, Cambodia, Laos and maybe a few others.

[Flashermac]

Laos has always insisted on a visa, even back in the days of the Kingdom (when your visa was in Lao and French).

[robaus]

So if you buy a $250? Cambodian business visa valid for a year, as of 2015 you could technically come and go as you please into Thailand??

 

Wouldn't it be a wonderful way of giving Thai immi the finger...Cambodia gets all the money;Thailand gets all the punters gratis for whom they make it difficult to obtain a visa. TIT.

 

[Flashermac]

Screw the Thais and give your money to that paragon of democracy, Hun Sen.

[robaus]

Som nam na for the stupid way Thais react to a problem.

 

Target the main overstaying, illegally working nationalities, at the same time being more liberal towards the least offending nationalities, as Malaysia and Singapore do.

 

Target workplaces.

 

Make 2 month tourist, retirement and non immigrant O visas easier to obtain. Help not hinder visitors who want to be legit.

 

Rather than forcing visitors down the visa run path, make money out of them! Charge them 3,000-5,000 baht for unlimited 2 month visa extensions at the local immigration office. Their coffers would be bulging with fees, sufficient to employ more clerical officers and illegal migrant enforcers.

 

Instead there’s some bureaucratic joker in charge who thinks of the most stupid, petty way of throwing the baby out with the bath water.

 

TIT

 

[Flashermac]

So what's new? Been this way as long as I have been here.

 

I remember the reaction at my university when Immigration announced that all foreign lecturers had to report every 90 days or be fined 2,000 baht. The dept head said, "Why? You work for the government and you sign in every day!" It seems the law was meant to apply to employees of international businesses, but the geniuses at Immigration applied it to all foreigners. The story is that a colonel came up with the idea when his boss was away. Once the boss came back, he was shocked. But since it had been announced, he had to follow through or "lose face".