Rumours of 30 day Thai visa exempt going to 15 days

**Mr Earl** · 05-12-2008, 04:10 AM

How's this scenario for you?

You arrive by plane Jan 1 and get a 30 day stamp. (you have a return flight flight Jan 29)

Jan 4 you decide to pop over to Cambobia overland to visit some obscure Khymer things.
Jan 8 you pop back to Thailand and get stamped in for 15 days, or until Jan 23 and welcome to overstay city!
The rocket scientists at immigration deserve a medal for this cleverness.
This will certainly help tourism in Thailand.

**dirtydog** · 05-12-2008, 04:24 AM

I think they must have meetings where they decide how best to fok round the farangs.

Somsak; "So Somchai, its been just over a year now since we foked around the farangs on yearly visas last time, how shall we fok them this year so we can make them make loads of trips to us, so what did we bring in last year? Akhhh yes, the photos of the family together, now that was a foking laugh getting those white monkeys bringing in their family albums, going round their houses and going through their personal possession was quite good, you still got all those knickers you stole from their wives Somchai"?

Somchai; "What about instead of the wife being able to show the income lets make the white monkey show the income, that should fok erm around a bit, I still think we should visit their houses though as I do enjoy collecting knickers, another idea is if we get them to do a hand drawn map showing where their house is in relation to their nearest temple, that should be a laugh, get the wives and white monkies arguing as she explains to her white monkey that it is a Thai thing heheheheh".

**Bung** · 05-12-2008, 07:09 AM

I just came over the border from Malaysia. The Singapore guy I was sitting with and the old Welsh guy only got 15 days. Luckily I got my (useless to me) single entry "O".

As long as you still get 30 days flying in I will be alright as I am looking at a 28/28 job otherwise it will be a pain in the arse having to go to Australia every year. That's not a "just pop in for a day and get a visa" experience". I would have to do the rounds of family and friends, week minimum and god knows how much I would spend.

Makes me think about my mates in Hong Kong and Philippines who can stay as they please and are not even married to locals. I think Sing is also easy to stay. Why they do this type of thing here to people married or would like to call the place home is beyond me. What is there to gain from not letting us stay easier? Nothing but it is just the Thai Rak Thai mentality and closing themselves off in tough times.

**sabang** · 05-12-2008, 08:52 AM

It seems obvious that the substantial anti Democratic elements amongst the 'powers that be' in Thailand wish to enforce some watered down version of democracy that dilutes the power and authority of the democratically elected government, and ultimately even dilutes the democratic voters mandate to appoint Parliament. It has also been made clear that their priorities are not defined by national economic considerations- unless a lesson has been learnt from the recent PAD fiasco.

In this scenario, Western Democratic sensibilities may be considered detrimental, and of course foreigners always make a convenient scapegoat. Countries like Laos, Burma, Cuba, Vietnam have all gone through a process of restricting nosey, outspoken foreigners access to their private Nirvana. The economic benefits we bring are negated by the 'foreign' philosophies and ideas that we put in the heads of the common folk- bear in mind that the 'powers that be' are already rich, anyway, and will remain so. Their concerns are more to do with the security and propagation of their privilege, rather than the common good.

We'll just have to see what happens, certainly this is an 'interesting time' in Thai political history- I doubt the tourist or foreign dollar is the first thing on some peoples minds, neither the economic well being and opportunity of the common folk. One thing that an interest in History and the politics of Power gives you is a open mind as to what may ensue- such concepts as the common good, freedom and democracy that we grew up with certainly do not actually define the march of History. Societies and civilizations can go 'backwards' as well as forwards. Democracy and Suffrage are not an inevitable outcome, neither are they irreversible.

We'll just have to sit on the sidelines and read the signs- such things as increasingly tight Visa restrictions, increasing Press censorship, imaginative use of Lese Majestie, tighter controls on foreign investment and movement of capital, Patriotic Jingoism and appeals to the 'uniqueness' of being Thai would all point in a certain direction.

**Mid** · 05-12-2008, 09:01 AM

The economic benefits we bring are negated by the 'foreign' philosophies and ideas that we put in the heads of the common folk- bear in mind that the 'powers that be' are already rich, anyway, and will remain so. Their concerns are more to do with the security and propagation of their privilege, rather than the common good.

been wondering if there are others who give this theory more than lip-service ?

know I do

watterinja · 05-12-2008, 09:35 AM

The monument in Yekaterinaburg, Russia to the previous powers-that-were, evokes a quiet, somber response...

**lom** · 05-12-2008, 10:23 AM

One of my tenants went to Malaysia with a visa tour bus, he got 15 days.
Had he gone one day earlier he would have got 30 days.

**lom** · 05-12-2008, 11:12 AM

Can anyone confirm for sure that the new visa exempt regulations are effective
from the 4th?
My tenant did his border run the 3rd of December.

**pickel** · 05-12-2008, 12:07 PM

I talked to someone today with a UK passport that got a 30 day stamp yesterday, the 4th. It was at Had Lek.

**terry57** · 05-12-2008, 12:11 PM

Originally Posted by Thetyim

Originally Posted by EmperorTud

You have to ask yourselves why!?!

Simple
It makes the tourist figures look better.
Instead of nipping in and out every 30 days you now have to do it every 15 days.
Each time you enter you are another tourist arrival

The business owners makes more money in regards to transport and visa runners buying food etc etc.

Spread the love around.

**terry57** · 05-12-2008, 12:17 PM

Originally Posted by Bung

As long as you still get 30 days flying in I will be alright as I am looking at a 28/28 job otherwise it will be a pain in the arse having to go to Australia every year. That's not a "just pop in for a day and get a visa" experience". I would have to do the rounds of family and friends, week minimum and god knows how much I would spend.

Mate it's truly scary how much money you would spend having to come back to Aussie for a Visa.

Try $7 for a Small bottle of beer in the pub. ???

Go out for a few rounds with the boys, burger and taxi home think $100 no sweat.

Frigging shocker.

**Jesus Jones** · 05-12-2008, 12:22 PM

I would've thought with the political issues, and the lack of foriegn confidence within Thailand at the moment, they would ease things a little.

Seems odd that they are still making things tighter.

**Thetyim** · 05-12-2008, 12:25 PM

Originally Posted by Jesus Jones

Seems odd that they are still making things tighter.

I can't let that one go unanswered

The tourists only come here because things are tighter

**Bung** · 05-12-2008, 04:01 PM

Originally Posted by terry57

Mate it's truly scary how much money you would spend having to come back to Aussie for a Visa. Try $7 for a Small bottle of beer in the pub. ??? Go out for a few rounds with the boys, burger and taxi home think $100 no sweat. Frigging shocker.

Yes, It's much better that my mates just come over here

**Chronicle Man** · 22-12-2008, 09:53 PM

I used to make visa runs to Kota-Baru. I used to go for the double entry tourist visa. Then I enrolled into a Thai language school and played that one for two years. It wasn't cheap and Thai immigration changed the rules the second year I was in the language school involving triple the paperwork every 90 days and almost double the cost. Then my wife and I finally completed our marriage paperwork (That was on the bureau) that we'd started five years before and went through the Marriage visa. Which I now have. Now she just has to outlive me as we will be applying for the visa on a yearly basis. Ain't living here in Thailand so much fun !

**good2bhappy** · 23-12-2008, 03:54 PM

I have done 3 consecutive VOAs
Do I have to go and get a visa or can I cross a border and get 15 days?

**Thetyim** · 23-12-2008, 03:56 PM

Originally Posted by good2bhappy

Do I have to go and get a visa or can I cross a border and get 15 days?

I think you are English, yes?
So you can go back and fro as many times as you want and get another 15 days TVE (not VOA)

**CharleyFarley** · 23-12-2008, 03:59 PM

You can do either I suppose, the 90 day in 180 day period is finito.

**Muadib** · 23-12-2008, 04:02 PM

Isn't the 90 days out of ever 180 days still in effect???

Matters little to me as I qualify for & am working on getting a retirement visa... Some times it's a benefit to be an old git...

**Thetyim** · 23-12-2008, 04:03 PM

Originally Posted by Muadib

Isn't the 90 days out of ever 180 days still in effect???

Nope, all finished now with the new regs that came into effect this month

**good2bhappy** · 23-12-2008, 04:23 PM

Thanks
Just spoke to Immigration and they confirmed what you typed
great news solves my problem

**English Noodles** · 23-12-2008, 05:32 PM

This has got to be the best thing that has happened for visa runners in a long time, now the 180 days rule and the 3 consecutive non visa entry rule has been discarded the new government has said it will scrap the 15 day rule and go back to 30 days in the new year.

**ChiangMai noon** · 23-12-2008, 05:36 PM

^
sure they will.

this new lot aren't as dumb.

how long will they be in power though?

**Thetyim** · 23-12-2008, 05:39 PM

Originally Posted by English Noodles

the new government has said it will scrap the 15 day rule and go back to 30 days in the new year

Got a linky please because I have been told the opposite

**jandajoy** · 23-12-2008, 05:40 PM

Originally Posted by Thetyim

Got a linky please because I have been told the opposite

Hmm, yes, me too. A link would be good.

Thread: Rumours of 30 day Thai visa exempt going to 15 days

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