Immigration Police charm offensive

[Guest wowpow]

As of October 1, 2006 the 3 million baht investment visa will no longer be available

It has been brought to the attention of Sunbelt Asia that as of October 1, 2006 the 3 million baht investment visa will no longer be available.

This includes bank investments, condominium investments, and bond investments.

Not only will it NOT be issued, but you CANNOT renew your current investment visa on this basis.

The official statement from Thai immigration is expected this week.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

via www.thaivisa.com

 

If true this is pretty outrageous. People invest millions in Thailand and get a Visa and then they refuse to renew - apalling.

 

[Guest wowpow]

Today,2006-09-12 19:08:58

 

 

 

 

News from the new regulation:

 

This is coming from the Chief of Immigration.

 

1.Retirement Visa extension. If you have a foreign married spouse who is a dependent they will be able to get this dependent visa now. ( change of what has been happing the last couple weeks)

 

2.Retirement visa extension: If you have children under 20. They will no longer be able to get a dependent visa based on you having an extension of stay on retirement. They want these kids to get it based on education so they go to school.

 

3..Investment Visa extension: Will no longer be available after Oct 1st for new applicants on 3 million Baht.

 

4. Investment visa extension. For existing extension of stay holders of 3 million Baht, we are now being told this will now be grandfathered in and they will be able to get the extension forever as long as they renew. (Yes I know reversal from several hours ago but the government is aware that people bought condos before on this scheme and now will allow it.)

 

5.Now the news for frequent visitors: We have checked this upwards and backwards all day and it has been confirmed by a copy of the new regulation we have. If you have a visa on arrival more than three times in six months, you cannot come into Thailand without a visa from an Embassy/Consulate. When you enter Thailand, even if you are here just 1 hour, this counts as 30 days. If you come back 6 weeks later for 2 days, this again is 30 days. If you arrive a month later for 4 days, still counts as 30 days. When you leave, you cannot enter Thailand for 3.5 months without coming back with a visa. The reason is to force people who are supposed to have work permits to do so and pay tax.

 

Another example; you arrive for a week, this counts as 30 days, One month later 3 days and its 30 days, two months later and its for a two week period, still another 30 days. You can reenter Thailand in 6 weeks without having a visa.

 

6.On extension of stay based support of a Thai national (Marriage visa), before if you applied for this extension of stay, you would get a 30 day consideration stamp. Once you return in 30 days you would get the one year extension. Now it will be the same as an extension of stay based on business with the norm of three 30 day consideration stamps. Immigration will go out and check to see if it

[billyhouston]

No 5 above is a real pain in the neck.

 

I'm a tourist, I do not work but I'm constantly in and out of LaoPDR and Myanmar over the winter. This really makes it awkwardfor people who move around a lot. Making life difficult for tourists is not the way to increase arrival numbers.

[Guest wowpow]

The 30 days permission to visit for tourists visa Free only came into being in 1995 and was designed to smooth the path of groups and fully-inclusive holidays holidays. However they did not put a limit on the number of times one can repeat the process and it's fallen into an abuse of the sprit of the law by many. It was also the source of immense confusion as to what the rules were and which ones were applied.

 

Quite why it is so popular I do not know. Many people seem to refer to do 3 Visa runs rather than get a Visa. The runs from Bangkok or Pattaya cost a lot more in time and money than getting a tourist Visa.

 

Nobody complains about Vietnam who charge $40 for a Visa - no choice.

 

Now people who want to pop in and out of Thailand a lot just have to get the appropriate visa plus a multiple entry permit and their travel will be smooth. I think it's just a case of wasn't it great before but it's still not very expensive now.

 

I cannot think what the Police Immigration think they are doing other than hiking their revenue. This move will obviously damage tourism to some degree at this vulnerable time. In no way will it have any effect whatsoever on illegal workers - they will just get a regular visa and work as before.

 

As with all Thai laws when passed - the wise sit and watch and see if it 'takes' and for how long.