All "Visa Runs" to be limited

[Guest wowpow]

Immigration confirms the end of border runs from October 1, 2006

Thailand tightens visa rules for tourists to cut illegal workers

 

BANGKOK: -- Thailand will tighten entry regulations for tourists in a bid to crack down on illegal foreign workers, the Immigration Bureau said.

 

The move, which takes effect October 1, would affect tourists from 41 countries including Australia, the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the US, said Suwat Thamrongsrisakul, the head of the bureau.

 

Currently, tourists from 41 countries can enter Thailand without visas and stay in the kingdom for up to 30 days.

 

They can extend their stay by checking out of the country, mainly by crossing the borders of neighboring Cambodia and Laos, and returning with new entry stamps.

 

'Under the current rules, people from those countries can stay in Thailand as long as they want. Some even stay here for one year,' another bureau official said.

 

The bureau had learned that a growing number of foreigners from the 41 countries worked illegally in Thailand, Suwat said, adding many were employed in bars and restaurants in the popular seaside resort of Pattaya, east of Bangkok.

 

'Tourists are taking advantage of the visa exemption law. Instead of sightseeing, they are doing business here,' Suwat said.

 

From October, tourists from the designated countries can still enter Thailand without visas and stay for up to 30 days, but their entry stamps will be renewable twice at most for a maximum stay of 90 days.

 

Tourists who stayed for 90 days must leave the kingdom for at least 90 days before being permitted to re-enter Thailand, Suwat said.

 

--forbes.com 2006-09-10

 

via www.thaivisa.com

 

see Gaybutton's trail on this topic:

http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=405

 

[Guest JoeM]

Geez TP, you might have noticed I posted this early today.

 

From Forbes

[Guest wowpow]

Sorry JoeM didn't spot that. Even so I think it is important enough to warrant a new entry as the other trail is so long - evn though it's my posts that made it so long

[Guest JoeM]

Even so I think it is important enough to warrant a new entry as the other trail is so long - evn though it's my posts that made it so long

 

You consider a thread of 8 post long!

 

Okay, grant it, on this board yes, but on others boards hardly.

 

None the less, the implications of the new regulation for folks who had been doing multiple visa runs to indefinitely extend their stay in Thailand is huge. Let's hope Thai officaldom finds a face-saving compromise for all.

[Guest wowpow]

I am a bit concerned that there is no coverage of this in the Thai English Language Newspapers. Only it seems in Forbes.com from AXA News service. There is nothing on the Thai Immigration Police website either.

 

This happened once before when a Phuket Officer announced something like this but had to retract.

 

However, this one though confused and incomplete does have a ring of truth and it's not 1st April.

 

I measure the length of a trail by the length of the messages not the number of messages. Is that permissible?

 

[Guest PapaDavid]

Immigration confirms the end of border runs from October 1, 2006

 

From October, tourists from the designated countries can still enter Thailand without visas and stay for up to 30 days, but their entry stamps will be renewable twice at most for a maximum stay of 90 days.

 

Tourists who stayed for 90 days must leave the kingdom for at least 90 days before being permitted to re-enter Thailand, Suwat said.

 

 

Good, that should get rid of some of the dinosaurs (and fugitives from justice) presently residing in Pattaya.

 

[Guest mauRICE]

Good, that should get rid of some of the dinosaurs (and fugitives from justice) presently residing in Pattaya.

 

Now, the dinosaurs are easy enough to spot but what about those fugitives?

[Guest PapaDavid]

Well, the dinosaurs are easy enough to spot but what about those fugitives?

 

I know definately of at least one, and possibly two, who survive on regular visa runs. You don't expect me to name them? That would be far to dangerous !!

 

For GT and GB - this is not a thread highjack just a (final) reply to the question asked of me.

[Guest NorthStar]

The way I'm reading these regulations,as a genuine tourist from a "30" territory, if one got 30 days arriving during one's Christmas break one would have to be careful to make sure to leave 90 days from the date of departure before landing for say, one's Easter Break.

 

What about genuine tourist ex-pats from points north, e.g. Greater Shenzen, Taipei, Tokyo etc., non-Asean citizens, who "need" a breath of Koh Whereva every six weeks or so?