Bad news for 30 day tourist visa exempt stamp holders

[MM 6,562]

If you are a holder of a 30 day stamp on entry (no visa) and want to extend your stay by doing a "visa run", you will, starting today, get one "out-in" extension at the land border.

 

After that, you will be refused entry on attempting to do a subsequent "out-in".

 

Here is an excerpt from the ThaiVisa topic:

 

BANGKOK: -- From today, foreign nationals residing in Thailand will no longer be able to exit and then re-enter the kingdom via a land border crossing in order to gain another 30 or 15 day stay in Thailand.

Thaivisa has been in contact with the Immigration Bureau who confirm the new regulation starts from today Saturday May 10, 2014.

This latest news follows reports from earlier in the week of an Immigration crackdown at the land border checkpoint in Ranong.

Non-Immigrant Visa or Tourist visa holders with remaining entries on their visa can exit and enter Thailand as before.

However, these new measures are targeting foreign visitors without a visa who are regularly entering and exiting the kingdom every 15 or 30 days as a way of extending their stay in Thailand.

From today visitors can only enter into Thailand via a land border once, after that they will be refused entry to the Kingdom and are advised to fly out and return with a visa obtained from a Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate in a neighbouring country or overseas.

 

 

See http://goo.gl/bNqnSs (ThaiVisa article)

[Wobbly 13]

I knew I was worth getting married

[davebuczek 21]

If you are a holder of a 30 day stamp on entry (no visa) and want to extend your stay by doing a "visa run", you will, starting today, get one "out-in" extension at the land border.

 

After that, you will be refused entry on attempting to do a subsequent "out-in".

 

Here is an excerpt from the ThaiVisa topic:

 

 

See http://goo.gl/bNqnSs (ThaiVisa article)

 

 

Great, I am going on my first visa run tomorrow...what timing.

 

At least it is only my first crossing, so should be ok. But seems that at the Mae Sai crossing, the Thai border guards aren't letting anyone out of the country and must be interpreting the law differently.

 

From Thai Visa forum:

"Posted Today, 13:04

 

Hey all I have a big issue! I'm at the border in Mae Sai and they aren't letting anyone through! They are saying new regulations we can only fly out of the country and won't let me cross into Myanmar. Anyone know what's up?? This is for everyone here mostly Canadian and American on different types of visas

 

people stuck at the border now as we speak"

[Evil Penevil 7,628]

From Thai Visa forum:

 

"Posted Today, 13:04

 

Hey all I have a big issue! I'm at the border in Mae Sai and they aren't letting anyone through! They are saying new regulations we can only fly out of the country and won't let me cross into Myanmar. Anyone know what's up?? This is for everyone here mostly Canadian and American on different types of visas

 

people stuck at the border now as we speak"

That doesn't make sense. I can understand that the guards might not allow tourists back into Thailand, but why, if the tourist has a visa to Myanmar, wouldn't they allow him to leave?

 

Evil

[davebuczek 21]

That doesn't make sense. I can understand that the guards might not allow tourists back into Thailand, but why, if the tourist has a visa to Myanmar, wouldn't they allow him to leave?

 

Evil

 

TIT....Does anything make sense? :-)

[Obsession 571]

There's more and more poker players leaving. Poker players take money from around the world, and spend it in los. Imho, that sounds good for Thailand. But maybe I misunderstand.

[nkped 1,208]

 

 

Great, I am going on my first visa run tomorrow...what timing.

 

At least it is only my first crossing, so should be ok. But seems that at the Mae Sai crossing, the Thai border guards aren't letting anyone out of the country and must be interpreting the law differently.

 

From Thai Visa forum:

 

"Posted Today, 13:04

 

Hey all I have a big issue! I'm at the border in Mae Sai and they aren't letting anyone through! They are saying new regulations we can only fly out of the country and won't let me cross into Myanmar. Anyone know what's up?? This is for everyone here mostly Canadian and American on different types of visas

 

people stuck at the border now as we speak"

 

 

That doesn't make sense. I can understand that the guards might not allow tourists back into Thailand, but why, if the tourist has a visa to Myanmar, wouldn't they allow him to leave?

 

Evil

Rank speculation but perhaps there is a bunch extra paper work and the question of what to do with the body if immigration at a land border can't admit a foreigner. At an airport, you put them on the next plane burning back to the point of origination. At the land border, if you know the farang intend to just turn around and come back and if they can't be admitted to Thailand, that the Burmese won't let them back in, it could get awkward. Probably not a legal basis for not allowing departure, but perhaps Thai immigration is just being practical.

[papillon 695]

"From today visitors can only enter into Thailand via a land border once, after that they will be refused entry to the Kingdom and are advised to fly out and return with a visa obtained from a Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate in a neighbouring country or overseas."

 

Not just land border crossings then!

[jacko 8,813]

There is also a story of a Russian woman arriving (back) by air tp Phuket who was unable to show a flight out or sufficient funds being sent back to Malaysia.

That is a valid interpretation of the rules but nevertheless indicates an escalating level of strictness.

[ZARIS 20]

Not that I was ever involved but does this mean the end of the "visa run" industry?

[nkped 1,208]

Not that I was ever involved but does this mean the end of the "visa run" industry?

A reduction would seem likely. On the other hand, if the stock in trade is runs to Vientiane, business may be looking good.

[js007 795]

You would think Thailand would want all the tourists it could handle. Instead, they're making it difficult.

[Trvlr 50]

You would think Thailand would want all the tourists it could handle. Instead, they're making it difficult.

 

Maybe they want to generate revenue. The 30-day visa on arrival costs nothing. To get a visa from a consulate you need to pay - $40 per entry in the US. That can get them enough money to pay a substantial portion of their consulate maintenance cost.

[mike_asia 1]

 

Maybe they want to generate revenue. The 30-day visa on arrival costs nothing. To get a visa from a consulate you need to pay - $40 per entry in the US. That can get them enough money to pay a substantial portion of their consulate maintenance cost.

There is no such thing as a 30 day visa on arrival. Its entry without a visa

[JONPAT 222]

I thought there were countries that don't get entry without visa, for these countries they do have to get a visa on arrival, (Latvia, Lithuania, Malta as examples) don't they? Anyways that is what Wikipedia says.

[Idefix 2,275]

You would think Thailand would want all the tourists it could handle. Instead, they're making it difficult.

There are pages and pages of discussion on this subject on ThaiVisa,

but I still fail to see how it make it more difficult for "real" tourists.

 

You are a "real tourist": use visa exemption and/or tourist visas

You live here most of time: get an appropriate long stay visa

[Geno 25]

Great idea. Hopefully it will get rid of some of the deadbeats that infest Thailand.

[jacko 8,813]

Great idea. Hopefully it will get rid of some of the deadbeats that infest Thailand.

We get retirement extensions!

[Geno 25]

We get retirement extensions!

Are you calling yourself a deadbeat then? :)

[Skygod 40]

I did my Non-Immigrant 'O' 90 day reporting in Chiang Khan on Monday and was told that my next 90 day report must be in Chonburi as that's where my Visa was issued.

[MM 6,562]

I did my Non-Immigrant 'O' 90 day reporting in Chiang Khan on Monday and was told that my next 90 day report must be in Chonburi as that's where my Visa was issued.

 

Now that sucks...but it does get you back to Pattaya where you've been missed.

[Evil Penevil 7,628]

At the Thai consulate in New York City, you can leave in your application for a double-entry tourist visa in the morning and pick up the visa the next afternoon. You can parlay that visa into a six-month stay with only one border run or trip abroad. A single-entry visa gives you two months, plus it can be extended a month.

 

If anyone plans on staying more than 30 days in Thailand, why wouldn't they get a tourist visa before leaving home? It just doesn't make sense. The visa exempt stamp is intended only for those staying 30 days or less.

 

Evil

[Obsession 571]

If anyone plans on staying more than 30 days in Thailand, why wouldn't they get a tourist visa before leaving home? It just doesn't make sense. The visa exempt stamp is intended only for those staying 30 days or less.

 

Evil

 

I thought guys go onto the border runs, after their tourist visa runs out. It saves them a flight back home to renew it. I may be wrong.

[Geno 25]

 

I thought guys go onto the border runs, after their tourist visa runs out. It saves them a flight back home to renew it. I may be wrong.

 

You are correct. Some people have been doing border runs for a very long time indeed. It was nice and cheap going up on the bus but now they will have to fork out for a flight.

[jacko 8,813]

Are you calling yourself a deadbeat then? :)

By some part of the definitions, maybe I qualify!