Tightening up on tourist visas

Post by **MrFixer** » December 20, 2015, 12:06 pm

I have only been to Thailand about 6 times this year, and not for longer than 3 weeks at a time, but about 40 visits over last three years. Had a couple of 60 day visas in the past. Always kept to the rules
Arrived BKK yesterday and was asked a lot of questions at immigration (how long you stay?....when you come again?) . Told to get a visa next time or might not be admitted.
First time I've had this. Looks like a definite tightening up.

Post by **Jing Jing** » December 20, 2015, 4:39 pm

"Thailand's Immigration Bureau could start blacklisting foreigners who stay beyond their visa period with effect from March 2016"

The Nation had this story today, but as usual something is lost in the translation.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakin ... 74578.html

Post by **waanjai** » December 20, 2015, 7:50 pm

It pays off to be pretty precise with the vocabulary:

When people (from some 29 western countries) come to Thailand without applying for a visa (tourist, transfer, Non-Immi etc.) at a Thai embassy or consulate but only fill out a little piece of paper called "arrival card" with their name and birthday they get a so-called visa-exempt stamp associated with a permission to stay for 30 days.

These visa-exempt stamps have been used by some unwanted elements consecutively for years - back-to-back so to say. People even lived with these for years in Thailand and worked illegally. Because they never applied for a real visa, they are essentially not known to the Thai authorities beyond the information in their passports.

There is also a visa on arrival option for those people not belonging to the 29 countries. Like for people from India. These people have to fill out the same forms like those used for tourist visa and more. But they get only 14 days permission to stay. Not very desirable.

People all over the world are now encouraged to come at least with a tourist visa, that has to be applied for in Thai embassies or consulates all over the world. You then get 60 days permission to stay, that are further prolongable up to 30 days. These torist visas are for touristic visits to Thailand - also in their newest form: tourist visa with multiple entry to Thailaqnd within a period of 6 months.

But all these tourist visas are not meant for those that want to stay in Thailand for longer periods of time, i.e. up to 90 days because they either live in Thailand or regularly come back to Thailand from work abroad. For up to 90 days permissions to stay there are Non-Immi-Visa (long time holiday makers to be correct)

For permissions to stay up to 365 days a piece there is the One-Year-permission to stay granted within Thailand to those that have already gotten a Non-Immi-Visa. These One-year permissions to stay are no visas but permission to stay only. You can't enter Thailand with these.

So, the title is a misnomer.

Post by **mally** » December 10, 2016, 5:12 pm

Maybe there's a general tightening up going on.
For the first time ever I was questioned at Manchester Airport when checking in for my Emirates flight to BKK.
They could see my return flight was too long for the 30 day Visa on Arrival so they wanted me to have an appropriate visa before allowing me onto the flight. I had it, so no problems, but I was going to just arrive then go to Immigration to extend, or nip to Cambodia for a week and get a new 30 day on return.
Glad I bothered to take time off work and go to Hull Consulate and get a visa, or I might not have been allowed onto the flight.

Post by **WizzWanger67** » December 10, 2016, 6:43 pm

I flew to the uk twice last year with etihad both times was asked were my visa was when checking in at manchester for my return to thailand, they could see i did not have a return flight back to the uk,apparently if your refused entry at bangkok the airline is responsible for flying you back,this has been going on for a number of years with etihad

Post by **papafarang** » December 10, 2016, 7:28 pm

Been like that for a long time , mate of mine was out of Thailand for 2 full years, when he came back they asked him why he's goes to Thailand so much, he hadn't been over for two years

Post by **WizzWanger67** » December 10, 2016, 7:36 pm

WizzWanger67 wrote:I flew to the uk twice last year with etihad both times was asked were my visa was when checking in at manchester for my return to thailand, they could see i did not have a return flight back to the uk,apparently if your refused entry at bangkok the airline is responsible for flying you back,this has been going on for a number of years with etihad

I think its the airline covering themselves more than a visa thing going on

Post by **sometimewoodworker** » December 10, 2016, 9:15 pm

It is always the airlines that are responsible for the costs involved plus a fine, if a passenger is refused entry if the passenger does not have a flight out within the 30 days with no visa. They will try to recover those from the passenger but they are on the hook for them.

In the past it was extremely unusual for a European to be refused entry but it is becoming more common.

Airlines profit margins are being cut, so they have to protect themselves, even the full service airlines are feeling the pinch.

The long and short is that more and more airlines from more and more countries will be insisting on passengers having a ticket or visa.

Post by **RichardT** » December 18, 2016, 6:11 pm

Last year I played the game for 12 straight months - visa exemption stamp at the airport, 1 extension for 30 days, then 24 hour visa run (by air to KL) and new 30 day stamp on return. On a few occasions my visa run was to the uk for a couple of weeks.

3 times I've been asked to show proof of onward travel when checking in at UK and Dutch airports, by Emirates, KLM and Malaysian. In all cases I had an onward flight booked for 60 days later and in all cases they accepted that when I told them I could get one 30 day extension when in the country.

However, after a year of this I got thoroughly questioned once at BKK immigration. I gave simple text book answers and the guy reluctantly gave me a stamp.

So, my solution? On my next trip to the UK I got a new passport! I don't think immigration officers can see electronic records of coming and going so only see the passport in front of them. I've since arrived twice into BKK, once with my clean passport and just last week with a previous 30 day stamp + extension. Both times I got a stamp without any questions or suspicion.

I'm not averse to getting a new passport every year if I have to, but gonna try for the 6 month multi-entry next time I'm in the uk. After that I may register a Thai business. Spoke to a Thai based Aussie lawyer about this and seems relatively straight forward with a total initial cost of around £1,400. I earn in USD GBP and AUD and take this money out of those countries and spend in Thailand. I wish the authorities would welcome legit long term stayers who don't break any rules and spend decent cash in the country. Starting to get very frustrated with it all and considering relocating to Cambodia.

Post by **BJS** » December 24, 2016, 4:14 am

Hi guys.
I did the fly in fly out for a while 6 weeks in OZ two weeks in Thailand for 3 years.
On the last 5 tips back..immigration person questioned me everytime.
First time I was ask to come to the side of the counter and he point at the computer screen ,I didn't know what he was pointing at put just lots of lines on the screen so "" I guess"' it shows up how many times you have been there in the past.
Next trip same thing ..asked where you go ..how long you stay, I point to my wedding ring and say ,I'm visiting my wife ..I always have a return ticket.
Last 3 times after my wife moved to OZ. And we have flown back to BKK..I'm on my own at the farang side of immigration, and wife and daughter on the other side.
They ask me questions, why you come a lot for.
I point to my wife who is standing inside waiting for me ,and then they let me threw.
I wonder if they weren't with me ,if I would be let in at all or been given a warning.
Makes me worry when I go back the BKK.
If this time they say NO ..

Post by **sometimewoodworker** » December 24, 2016, 8:07 pm

BJS wrote:Hi guys.
I did the fly in fly out for a while 6 weeks in OZ two weeks in Thailand for 3 years.
On the last 5 tips back..immigration person questioned me everytime.
First time I was ask to come to the side of the counter and he point at the computer screen ,I didn't know what he was pointing at put just lots of lines on the screen so "" I guess"' it shows up how many times you have been there in the past.
Next trip same thing ..asked where you go ..how long you stay, I point to my wedding ring and say ,I'm visiting my wife ..I always have a return ticket.
Last 3 times after my wife moved to OZ. And we have flown back to BKK..I'm on my own at the farang side of immigration, and wife and daughter on the other side.
They ask me questions, why you come a lot for.
I point to my wife who is standing inside waiting for me ,and then they let me threw.
I wonder if they weren't with me ,if I would be let in at all or been given a warning.
Makes me worry when I go back the BKK.
If this time they say NO ..

There is no need to be in the farang side of immigration if your wife is with you, as long as she isn't using the automatic gates, you become an honorary Thai for immigration at the airport, so you go through the Thai passport queue with her.

Post by **BJS** » December 25, 2016, 3:48 am

Good to know.. cheers

Post by **tamada** » December 27, 2016, 1:56 pm

sometimewoodworker wrote: There is no need to be in the farang side of immigration if your wife is with you, as long as she isn't using the automatic gates, you become an honorary Thai for immigration at the airport, so you go through the Thai passport queue with her.

Yes, this works and we have done it several times. However, on one occasion, we had a crusty old fart of an IO at Suvarnabhumi and he made a meal out of the Thai passport going on top of the pile and the farang standing behind the Thai. Etiquette suggests that his basic request was correct but he was a total ringpiece during the whole procedure and pretty much tossed all the passports back when he was done.