The Thailand expat forum for Travel, Lifestyle and Fun.

CharleyFarley

With all the faffing paperwork fees, etc, my yearly extension probably costs 12K each year, seems like I can now go across the border 24 times at equivalent cost - 500 baht or $10 each time.

But that money goes to Burma.

klongmaster

^^yea give a little take a little...certainly will bump the 'new arrivals' figures so Thailand can show the world that they are not hurting the way other countries are...

klongmaster

plus the cost of getting there and back...

ChiangMai noon

might move to Mae Sai in a few years time.

klongmaster

is the border crossing only 500 baht to Burma?

Thetyim

I can envisage some farang ghettos appearing near the Myanmar and Malaysia borders soon

lom

Hmm, I think there are other more important factors affecting tourism than the new 14 day regulations.
World wide economic crises, the exchange rate, and the recent turmoil comes to mind.
Don't forget that the majority of tourist arrives by air and stays 2 or 3 weeks.

Samui for instance, has (had) 1 million yearly visitors.
Compare that to an estimate (from one of the visa runs companies here) of around
1100 border runs being done monthly from Samui, and some of them not being visa exempt runs.

Will it have an impact on tourism?
No, I don't think so.

Thetyim

That sounds like a reasonable figure but the TAT figures for all tourist arrivals quote a very low average stay.
Something like 5 days, which would mean that land border arrivals are very short stayers.
How do they sort the tourists from the smugglers ?

klongmaster

^also Tetters arrival by air still gets you 30 days which kind of fcks Lom's theory...

lom

^Care to explain which theory it fokks?

If the average tourist stays for 5 days, then 14 days visa exempt is more than enough and 30 days is very generous

gjbkk

ok I have found something that offers some info on this

New visa drama : from 30 days stamps to 15 days at land borders

Published 5 December 2008 Economy , Tourism

Here we go again… The forum ThaiVisa is hot like lava… The reason ? A new “visa drama” of course !

From time to time, the thai authorities love to toy with visa regulations… To change the rules… If possible without warning (it’s much more sanuk).

This new police order was issued on november 25.

But the “news” (in english) came only wednesday… In a way it’s highly ironic to see the thai police playing with visa regulations during a full blown tourism crisis…

By the way :

The TAT is also preparing an advertising campaign called “Apologies Thailand”, aimed at redressing the damage by the political turmoil and the Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airport closures. The agency will use the campaign to send a positive message to tourists around the world, encouraging them to come back to Thailand. (Nation)

The TAT should talk to the police…

As usual, don’t try to understand. Because maybe there is nothing to understand. AKA : no conspiracy.

So what the new fuss is about ?

30-days border runs now only 15 days
In order to limit the amount of foreigners using “back-to-back” border runs, Thai Immigration has issued a new regulation regarding the 30 days tourist exemption.

Effective immediately, travellers without visa will get only 15 days of stay if they are arriving via a land border checkpoint from a neighboring country.

Passengers arriving via an international airport will obtain a 30 days stay, and for them there is no change.

This police order number 778/2551 is today confirmed by Royal Thai Police, Immigration Bureau, in Bangkok.

So if you’re a poor backpacker enjoying long trips and land borders, or a “visa runner”, you probably already found the link of the ThaiVisa forum.

Overall, there is without any doubt a political will to make it harder for foreigners who took for many years some liberties with laws…

The problem is : this will is often muddled, incoherent. And sometimes hypocrite too.

Anyway : times change.

UPDATE
Apparently, there are new regulations too for ” Extensions Of Non-immigrant Visas” (read here).

__________________
*


"If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving isn't for you "

gjbkk

The clause 7.1 (5) seems to be deleted. Before, you had to show some profits and losses, audit, etc.

In case of visa for an investment, the Thai version was not mentionning 3 million baht. The English version was. Now, it's clearly an investment of not less than 3 million. That was 7.4 before.

For teachers, private and public school, it looks like it's the same. BUT BE CAREFUL. The previous police order was mentionning documents required...the new one DOES NOT MENTION DOCUMENTS REQUIRED...but only basis for consideration.

For family there are some modifications:

It looks like the 'support of a child visa' is still there, but there are financial requirements. 40,000 baht income per month for the mother or father, or 400,000 at the bank. But they added a paragraph mentionning that the immigration office has DISCRETION case by case to deliver this visa. No requirement about the age (before there was a requirement of 50 y-o, that was not always applied).

Married with a Thai spouse must show 40,000 baht income per month, or 400,000 baht at the bank 2 months in advance. Before, it was per couple. Now, it's for the foreign spouse (HUSBAND) not sure about a (WIFE). But on the third page of this document, there is a mention on page 3 that the immigration will have discretion to apply this clause or not. Same as the previous one. I do believe it's to protect people living here for a long time, with children or a wife, who don't have the requirements. Personal opinion too.

For retirement visa, it's now SPECIFIED that you need 800,000 baht in a local bank account for the FIRST YEAR. Some people were able to get a one year retirement visa abroad without showing money and the second year, for their extension, had to put 800,000 baht 3 months in advance. The rest seems to be as before.

The annex at the end, (this annex is the salarial requirement for foreigners having an extension based on business) The amounts the same with some specifications. For the first category, the put an exception on Europe about RUSSIA (not included). Russia was in the third category and Europe was in one. No more confusion!

Second is the same.

The fourth, the specified that South Africa is excluded and is in the third category. (Same as Russia). But it was also before in the third...

Thetyim

I am questioning that figure.
If a malaysian drives across the border everyday of his life is he classed as a tourist.?
He may be arriving with a tankful of petrol and leaving with a bottle of LPG

Thetyim

^^
Sorry complete bollocks gjbkk

Nothing to do with VISA only affects EXTENSIONS

Thetyim

3 million if you are grandfathered
10 million for new applicants

lom

So am I because it doesn't match with the tourists I meet here.
Phuket, with charter flights from Europe, ought to have the same type of
tourists as Samui or maybe even more of the longer staying ones.

EmperorTud

It certainly will have an effect on tourists travelling overland throughout the SEA region.

lom

Yes, they'll have to pop into a Thai embassy/consulate on their way and get a tourist visa if they want to stay more than 14 days.
That is the price that they have to pay because others have abused the system.

Thetyim

Yes it will, but how will they evaluate it because some tourists won't come and some will pass through twice?

gjbkk

someone might need this extra information it is part of the This police order number 778/2551