VISA CONFUSION.

[forest51 2]

Thought you guys would be the right people to ask......

 

I reguarly fly into BK..this year so far..........

 

16/3/06 in 5/4/06 out

 

 

19/5 in 31/5/06 out

 

 

8/9 in 18/9/06 out

 

25/9 in 27/9/06 out.

 

I intend nxt trip to arrive 3/12 then exit 11/12................then return 21/12 and depart 2/1/07

 

I hv never got a visa b4 leaving Sydney...just entered for less then 30 days from Australia..so no problem

 

My question is , the changes from 1st October, do they look back prior to Oct 1 and look at ur ins and outs to decide if u can enter or not.

OR

Do the new laws begin from Oct 1...and what you hv donne prior to trhat date is irrelevant...

 

Thanks

[Skallagrim 0]

In a simillar predicament. But the rule appear to be that you can go in and out as many times as you want, provided the total number of days does not exceed 90 days over a 6 month period, and you do not stay for more than 30 days in one go.

 

All up to the descretion of the immigration officer of course...

[forest51 2]

thks for ur reply

 

But do u know .....does it START from 1st Oct?????

 

Anyone out there know?

 

thku

[MrMango 672]

It is my understanding that it starts from 1 October 2006, but this is Thailand! You never know what type of immigration officer that you will get upon arrival, so why take a chance, even if it a small one.

 

Why not simply get a 90 day multiple visa in Oz and miss all of the drama.

[redwood13 56]

The consensus on the thaivisa board is that nobody knows. However after 1 Jan. we'll start to see folks who have been in Thailand for 90 days try to get additional days via border runs or by applying for 60 day tourist visas or whatever other means they can think of and only then will we know how Immigration is going to deal with all this.

 

-redwood

[biggles 509]

It has been stated several times by immigration staff that it started on oct 1st and visa free entry before then was not counted. they also said that immigration would count up the ACTUAL DAYS spent in thailand, rather than counting each single entry as 30 days regardless of how long you spent in country. e.g you came to bkk for 5 days, got a 30 day stamp, then left. this counts 5 days not 30. Not sure I would trust immigration to count too accurately tho.

[forest51 2]

thks biggles and u other guys who replied

[irishman 0]

I have heard that if you are flying in and out of the country and not trying to stay for months at a time, you will not have any problems. The new rules are supposedly designed to try and catch the guys who are staying here and working while only holding a 30 day tourist visa.

 

But we shall see how it is enforced come January.

 

Cheers

[Eneukman 1]

My understanding of the position is that trips before 1st October will not be taken into account so you shouldn't have a problem on your next two trips. However, if an Immigration officer is having a bad day, then TiT!

 

If you are planning on making several visits during the next 12 months, play it safe and get a multi-entry non-Immigrant O visa in your home country. This entitles you to stay for up to 90 days at a time and allows you to come and go during the validity period of your visa. You have to enter Thailand within 90 days of the visa being issued.

 

Alan

[jacko 8,823]

My question is , the changes from 1st October, do they look back prior to Oct 1 and look at ur ins and outs to decide if u can enter or not.

OR

Do the new laws begin from Oct 1...and what you hv donne prior to trhat date is irrelevant...

 

This very question was asked at a meeting I attended yesterday.

 

Answer was 'No they do not look back before 1st Oct in this respect' what you hv donne prior to trhat date is irrelevant... so long as you didn't get blacklisted.

 

If you are coming in at the airport I would not expect any problems from out of sorts immigration officials.

Edited November 6, 2006 by jacko

[forest51 2]

Thanks Jacko and everyone else for ur help

[ozboy 31]

Further question to those that may know, I arrived in Thailand on Sept 18 and left oct 6 so is this classed as a "free" visit seeing it started before Oct 1 or does the 6 days i spent there in Oct count against the 90 days I am allowed in a 6 month period?and if it does count does my 6 month period start from Oct 1 or Sept 18?

ozboy

[jacko 8,823]

Further question to those that may know, I arrived in Thailand on Sept 18 and left oct 6 so is this classed as a "free" visit seeing it started before Oct 1 or does the 6 days i spent there in Oct count against the 90 days I am allowed in a 6 month period?and if it does count does my 6 month period start from Oct 1 or Sept 18?

ozboy

 

My belief is the new rules were implemented as of Oct 1st. After that date people arriving without a visa and being issued with a 30 day permission to stay were having numbers written on their card/ entry stamp (1 or 2 or 3). I suspect you would not have had this done...hence are "free". Are you just asking curious questions or do you plan to stay in Thailand for 3 out of the next 6 months? If yes, I would say get a tourist visa anyhow!

[ozboy 31]

Hi Jacko, a bit of both actually if that is possible,I May be back in jan/feb for 2 or 3 weeks and almost certainly will be back sometime between april and june for 4 maybe 5 weeks and then again later this year,so obviously whether the sept/oct trip was to be counted as the "beginning"of the 6 month period or not may influence exactly when I do travel.

ozboy

[jacko 8,823]

Hi Jacko, a bit of both actually if that is possible,I May be back in jan/feb for 2 or 3 weeks and almost certainly will be back sometime between april and june for 4 maybe 5 weeks and then again later this year,so obviously whether the sept/oct trip was to be counted as the "beginning"of the 6 month period or not may influence exactly when I do travel.

ozboy

 

My head is getting a bit old but that looks like less than 90 days total, obviously depending whether you mean later this year or that year.... ... but I think you are OK. This rule is going to be hell for the check in staff to figure out..

[elef 0]

I guess that they wil not check if you arrive by airplane, just for those guys doing visa runs over the land borders. This is just my guess and not supported by any facts.

[jacko 8,823]

I guess that they wil not check if you arrive by airplane, just for those guys doing visa runs over the land borders. This is just my guess and not supported by any facts.

 

Not sure I would go along with this 100%! The immigration at the airport (Bangkok) will be supporterd by a computerized system that will be able to show your days etc immediately. Some land borders might get this, others not. The land border I crossed recently did not even have an entry date stamp saying 2006...it said 2001 and he crossed the 1 out, wrote 6 and initialled it!