Thread: Why is Thailand going the wrong way with visitor visas?

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

Now if they could only enforce the driving regulations that already exist.

Now you're just being ridiculous . . . Can Man stem the tides? Be reasonable, man!

Originally Posted by ltnt

They cannot "abuse," a system if that system allows itself to be circumvented by its enforcers, right?

The system left itself open to abuse . . . it is still abuse as such.

You're quite right, though, it became a matter of a 'new reality'.

Originally Posted by OckerRocker

If this is correct you will have no trouble finding the documentation to support this 'ad infinitum' provision. I shall offer my apologies if I am wrong

I based it being correct in that an old member where I lived, by the nic 'Tsicar' did his 30 day visa run every month for years. And it was only the rule change of 2006 that forced his hand to up and return, with his 2 boys, to S Africa. The guy never had a pot to piss in when his missus cleaned him out and survived by rearing catfish. Shame he doesn't post on here anymore as he was very knowledgeable regarding rural life in Thailand.

^

Jesus, If he had to go back to South Africa with no money he is in deep shit.

Very little in the way of social security and a person over there with fok all is doomed.

Poor bastard, not to mention the rampant crime.

I was doing the 15 Visa exempt stamp runs for a while until about 18 months ago. Thats when they stopped issuing them back to back

Originally Posted by terry57

Jesus, If he had to go back to South Africa with no money he is in deep shit. Very little in the way of social security and a person over there with fok all is doomed. Poor bastard, not to mention the rampant crime.

The poor guy even had to borrow his airfare back to S Africa. He was going to try to get them to deport him for free cuz of having no visa but he had 2 boys to think of. They holding Thai nationality wouldn't get the same treatment. As much as the guy didn't want to leave the new laws made it so.
If anyone wants a good read about life out in the sticks, go look up some of his old posts.

THAILAND: expat whingers, thaibashers,etc
plenty thai bashing ,whingeing and whining about the thais goes on on this forum.
much of it posted by myself,i have to admit.

..but has anybody thought about what thailand would be like without the clowns, corruption, idiocy, laziness, prostitution, anarchy etc?

just imagine there was no anarchy; the thais all worked hard and obeyed the law; were considerate to others- no idiots-just serious people going about their business, etc.
would any one of us still want to live there?
would miggins, somtamslap and co have anything interesting to post about and give us a chuckle?
would td even have a reason to exist?
design a "perfect" thailand, sorting everything you think you hate about the place, and (apart from the fukkn litter), i bet you would end up with a bland, characterless place with good weather but very little real appeal except for a beach or two (and let's face it, there are plenty of other places with better beaches etc) and some old temples nobody seriously gives a shit about anyway!

this has been keeping me awake for months now, and i have decided that after i become prime minister, i am gonna change:

NOTHING!

'cept the fukkn litter, of course

and maybe the religion, of course,
and maybe.......

naah. fukkit!

leave it as it is.

it's PERFECT

He liked a beer or two.

Yes, you are right Int. Is is a two way street however.

Originally Posted by OckerRocker

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

Now if they could only enforce the driving regulations that already exist.

Now you're just being ridiculous . . . Can Man stem the tides? Be reasonable, man!

Originally Posted by ltnt

They cannot "abuse," a system if that system allows itself to be circumvented by its enforcers, right?

The system left itself open to abuse . . . it is still abuse as such.

You're quite right, though, it became a matter of a 'new reality'.

Yes, just wishful thinking on my part. I know not much will change when it means convincing the Thai populous they will have to do things differently.

Originally Posted by runner

I think that is the crux of it. They think that anyone staying for longer than 30 days won't be spending much per day so needs to hand over some visa fee readies up front.

I see it a different way. Most people's holidays are for less than a month at a time. Some people have longer holidays than that but they are a minority, IMO. The majority of people have a couple of weeks holiday and then return to work. Someone having a 6 month holiday is OK but getting a visa in advance can help the visitor satisfy the Thai authorities that it is really a holiday and not a way to live in Thailand permanently while claiming to be a tourist. Getting a visa in advance (in one's own country, for example) also helps reduce immigration queues at airports and other ports of entry.

Originally Posted by OckerRocker

Originally Posted by runner

The Thai system was for years to allow people to enter for 30 days then another 30 days immediately afterwards ad infinitum

Incorrect. The Thai system wasn't that at all - still isn't. Enforcement was lacking, is lacking and now they're starting to enforce their laws.

I agree with you, OckerRocker. It was too slack before. Allowing people to enter for 30 days then another 30 days immediately afterwards ad infinitum was crazy. The likelihood of a genuine tourist doing that is very small. The Thai authorities turned a blind eye to it in the past but now they are addressing it, and quite correctly IMO.

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

I based it being correct in that an old member where I lived, by the nic 'Tsicar'

Tsicar was a racist prat . . . but aside from that his love for his boys really shone through. I do hope he got back on his feet back home

Originally Posted by Neverna

The likelihood of a genuine tourist doing that is very small.

Fairly well non-existent, really

The average length of stay for tourists in Thailand is 10 days


Chinese tourists spend about 8 days
Russians and Australians spend 13 days
Malaysians spend 5 days
UK visitors spend an average of 17 days

http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/...-up-in-october
http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/ne...-money-factor/

Originally Posted by OckerRocker

Tsicar was a racist prat . . .

Living in South Africa and being a Racist ain't an easy thing.

When I was there the feeling of being a white man surrounded by blacks everywhere I did not like at all especially considering the crime levels.

He must be living a nightmare being back there if he is indeed a racist.

Originally Posted by OckerRocker

Tsicar was a racist prat . . . but aside from that his love for his boys really shone through. I do hope he got back on his feet back home

Yes he openly admitted his racism. Each to their own. But apart from that a nicer person would be hard to find. Best friend I probably ever had.
As for getting back on his feet, yes he got there. He was the kind of person that never let things get the better of him, no matter how low he had to go. I'll drop him an email and let him know asked after him.

Originally Posted by OckerRocker

Tsicar was a racist prat

Sorry I should have said that you really have to know the full story regarding 'Tsicar'. After, you may well think differently about him. For being a racist he didn't do bad in speaking Lao/Thai.

Originally Posted by OckerRocker

Originally Posted by runner

The Thai system was for years to allow people to enter for 30 days then another 30 days immediately afterwards ad infinitum

Incorrect. The Thai system wasn't that at all - still isn't. Enforcement was lacking, is lacking and now they're starting to enforce their laws.

I didn't say that the law allowed it, I said that the system i.e. the chain of events, one of which was lack of law enforcement, allowed it.

Originally Posted by toddaniels

Originally Posted by runner

I think that is the crux of it. They think that anyone staying for longer than 30 days won't be spending much per day so needs to hand over some visa fee readies up front.

It seems despite lamenting the fact that thailand ain't any place else. Sayin' they'll give a pass to the country on their whirl-wind S/E Asian tour, it appears "runner" has indeed put the glorious "Land 'O Thaiz" on their itinerary.

They've got a couple threads goin' now askin' for bangkok serviced apartments, car rental places. Guess it wasn't the terrible inconvenience they cried about after all..

I didn't say anything of the sort. I said I'll stay for 4 weeks instead of my previously planned 10 weeks. Post 39.

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

As for getting back on his feet, yes he got there. He was the kind of person that never let things get the better of him, no matter how low he had to go

Glad to hear it

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

I'll drop him an email and let him know asked after him.

That would be nice, thanks

I am paranoid about parting with my passport especially when I am abroad. When I was applying for a visa in China a few years ago it went missing during a three hour process in the embassy and caused endless problems for me to get home. Once bitten twice shy.

Too many reds 'Runner' so I greened ya. Don't let the fcukers get to ya.

Thanks pragmatic. It's my fault for asking how to green someone

^Here's another...