riff raff go home

[olekunde]

the new thai visa law says that farangs on tourist-visum is not allowed to stay more than 90 days each 180 days.
in short it means it's not possible to live as a tourist in thailand anymore unless you have a certain amount of money in a thai bank and/or have a certain income every month.

this is how i understood the new law, or is it something i am missing here?

if this is correct there must be quite many desperate bar-owners around in pattaya now trying to make their business legal.

[BAM]

From what I understand they are closing the loophole in the law that allowed people to stay indefinitely by just crossing the boarder in and out of Thailand, doing the Cambodian Visa run every 30 days, to get the Visa on Arrival stamp.
Now you will only be able to do this twice€¦ then you will have to stay out of Thailand for a 90 day duration.

The only way to stay will be to have a real Visa that you will need to obtain in advance in your own country at a Thai Embassy or Counselets. I know a guy that just got a Thai one year Business Visa for multiple re-entry.  He said it was fairly easy to get while he was in the States and the cost was around $150.00

[stogie bear]

in short it means it's not possible to live as a tourist in thailand anymore unless you have a certain amount of money in a thai bank and/or have a certain income every month

Oh my God. Where on earth did you read this rubbish?

[Bit Beefy]

Can anyone get any clarification on this??

[olekunde]

(stogie bear @ Sep. 16 2006,16:51)

in short it means it's not possible to live as a tourist in thailand anymore unless you have a certain amount of money in a thai bank and/or have a certain income every month

Oh my God. Where on earth did you read this rubbish?

hehe ..
it did come out wrong. but to obtain a one-year visa you need to have this in order, savings and income, or ...??. since it doesnt concern me yet there are different rules for senior citizens .. for a one-year visa you must have verified at 200.000b in a thai(?) bank ..
this sum is probably different from which country the foreigner is originated..

read more about it on thaivisa:
http://www.thaivisa.com/forum....89&st=0

[Phantom]

BANGKOK: -- The days of foreign visitors doing endless "border runs" in order to live - and often work - in Thailand are over, the Immigration Police announced yesterday.

The Kingdom will tighten its immigration rules for tourists who exploit visa-free regulations, starting from the end of the month.

The move will affect tens of thousands of visitors from 41 countries who have been allowed to stay in Thailand for up to 30 days without a visa - often for many months or years.

The 41 visa-exempt countries include Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the United States.

Tourists have been able to extend their stay by travelling to neighbouring countries - Cambodia, Malaysia, Laos and Burma - and returning with a further 30-day entry stamp.

But new rules have been issued because an increasing number of tourists have stayed for extended periods - without paying proper amounts of tax. This has also helped them avoid close scrutiny by authorities here and in their homeland.

"We are trying to make it more difficult for bad people to get in," Immigration Police chief Lt General Suwat Thamrongsrisakul said at a press conference yesterday.

"I don't think it's going to hurt good people because they can apply for a tourist visa [in their homeland]," he said.

The move is expected to have a big impact on the foreign community and some sectors such as teaching and diving, plus places where there are many bars run by foreigners, such as Pattaya and Chiang Mai.

From October 1, tourists from the 41 visa-exempt countries may still enter Thailand without visas and stay for up to 30 days, but they will only be able to extend their stay here two times - that is, for a maximum of 90 days.

And tourists who stay for 90 days must leave the Kingdom for at least 90 days before being permitted to re-enter Thailand.

Suwat denied the crackdown was related to the arrest in Bangkok last month of John Mark Karr, the American teacher who was thought to have been involved in the high-profile JonBenet Ramsey murder case. He said there were many reasons that extended back for a long period.

Suwat conceded the move may cause some problems, but said "maybe we have to do something to make it better [later]".

However, if foreigners wanted to work here they should get a work visa, he said.

A source added: "Under the current rules, people from these countries can stay in Thailand for as long as they want. Some even stay here for one year. Many work illegally in Thailand."

Instead of sightseeing, these tourists have taken advantage of the visa exemption by getting married to Thai women "for reasons other than love", and have conducted business here. Many of them have not paid tax.

The immigration move is a hot topic among foreign residents, and comes at a time when many are fearful about possible changes in regard to firms with local nominees.

Hundreds of comments were logged on local Web boards within hours of the Immigration Department press conference. Some said foreigners should abandon Thailand for neighbouring countries, while others predicted it might force school bosses to pay foreign teachers a proper wage or cause a boom in men wanting to marry Thai women.

Most believed the move could cost Thailand a small fortune.

Meanwhile, plans are under way to simplify the process for foreign teachers to work here as the current system requires 13 separate steps, which take many months to complete.

Heads of international schools have been meeting with the Immigration Department to try to simplify the process.

Thailand recently simplified the process for foreigners who want to become permanent residents. The amount of paperwork required has been slashed and the time involved reportedly cut from more than a year to about four months.

Last year Thailand tightened its immigration rules for South Asian tourists, who were allowed to apply for visas on arrival that permitted them to stay for 30 days. Many of them took advantage by travelling to neighbouring countries and returning to get a new visa on arrival at the airport.

Under the new rules, they are allowed to obtain a visa on arrival only twice from neighbouring countries. They are then required to return to their country of origin to obtain an entry visa to Thailand

[Phantom]

Its official here :- http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004...ce/newpro.html

[stogie bear]

It's official, is it?

[stogie bear]

Don't forget folks - prostitution is illegal in Thailand too!

[allstar88]

the clocks ticking stogie  

[styrbord]

found this:
http://www.thaivisa.com/forum....c=83498

[vangough05]

oh oh, you will set Stoogie of now, he doesn't have a llot of time for Thai visa

[stogie bear]

It's just this kind of stuff that ThaiVisa is famous for!

What a laugh... all these people up in the air again over something that may or may not happen in the future!

Like a lot of clucking hens and some of them have been here long enough to know better!

Thailand always breaks it's windows with stone shaped balloons!

[stogie bear]

I vacationed in southern Thailand in 2003. What started out as a two week stay turned into almost 6 weeks. I loved the climate, the people as well as the low cost of living. After selling my home in the US I arrived here in Khaolak on March 20th 2004. I was 69 years of age at the time intended to spend the rest of my days here by applying for a Non O retirement visa. I transferred 3 Million Baht from one US into a Thai account.
Renting a small house, I met a young fellow here in town, married, one baby who operated a transportation company, spoke reasonable English but needed some money to expand his fleet while building a restaurant at the same time on his in-laws property. I lent him close to a million Baht. He thought I was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Suwan seemed to have connections and promised to get my non O retirement visa in short order. We traveled to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and supposedly had everything going.
Meanwhile I was involved in a car accident in Phuket and this is where he was indispensable dealing with the police, the insurer and the hospital. The insurance company balked at paying, since the victim was sent to a hospital which wanted to amputate the poor man€™s leg above the knee. I however insisted on a transfer to the International Hospital where they did save the fellow€™s limb. I paid all the hospital charges which came to just under 600,000 Baht, as well as the 200,000 Baht settlement for the family. I still had money in a US account which was now transferred into my account here. That left me with just under a million.

Then along came the tsunami. Suwan was visibly upset, having lost 4 out of 6 Minibuses as well 1 driver and 2 tourists that fateful day. I told him not to worry about the money, we will manage. The insurance company did send a check for 180,000 Baht which promptly bounced. Since I still had money in the bank I managed fine just on whatever social security sends me every month. One day Suwan received a letter stating additional customers had started a class action suit against the parent company of the insurer and a hearing would be held at the court in Phuket. I attended 2 sessions with Suwan but since I had fallen on my butt 2 weeks prior, injuring my spine, sitting was most uncomfortable. Besides I could not understand the proceedings anyway which were all in Thai, I therefore let him go by himself from then on. One day he called and said he had a check in the amount of 148,000 Baht in his Hands. Well, better than nothing I thought. He had my bank book and asked me to send him a signed power of attorney form, which his mother would bring up in order to withdraw money to pay the lawyer. Done deal.
That was the last anyone, including his family heard from him for 2 weeks. Somehow
I had a feeling something was amiss A trip to the bank confirmed my worst fears. He had cleaned me out. He didn€™t even leave me enough for a bottle of cheap Mekong whiskey. His family knows where he is (in Phuket) but won't tell me. Funny how quick the smiles disappeared, after my money was gone.

What can I do concerning the new visa regulations? I always hated those visa runs to Ranong anyway. I live frugally and have enough in the Bank again to afford a trip to Malaysia, or other country, except the US. Too far anyway. I wouldn€™t mind doing it once a year or semi-annually. I had purchased a new Mitsubishi pickup paying cash for it. Suwan however, without my knowledge had registered the truck in HIS name and refuses to send me the papers. (Knowing him, he probably borrowed money on it) I have only the receipt. He also still has my pass book. I can€™t even prove I did have 2 million in the account at one time.
I can not, nor would I want stay away for 3 months. I have a house with a 4year pre-paid lease, a dog, the truck and care for a couple of kids. I spend all my money here in town.
But what are the alternatives?

These idiots should be kicked off the planet just for being stupid!

[tropical]

I for one hope they do tighten visa laws and make it more difficult for a lot of the worlds scum who seem to congregate here and survive year in year out on a frugal existence.
 Especially the plague of (UK Soccer hooligans) these young pricks are a disgrace and individually are of no asset to Thailand,either  financially or culturally.
 Its not just the lads from the Uk,some of the Aussie ,Kiwi, contingent that seem to live/survive in Thailand selling time share or merely existing are pain in the arse as well.
 I am not attacking the many fine Gents that come out of these countries,but the younger ones with no real finance behind them ,or any sense of Culture and respect are a feral breed that are merely existing in Thailand due to the nature of their countries excahange rates.
 Its not just the young ones either, the older guys who have been divorced 2-3 times from women of their own country, and declare their hate on any woman who is not of Asian decent,(never once thinking the common factor in these divorces may be himself)that are merely spending whatever pension they can scrape together to fuel their alcoholic binge life in the bars,where their relationships on all levels are purchased.
 These 3 groups are some of many that I dont particularly enjoy seeing in Thailand for extended lengths of time.
 Perhaps its just my jealousy coming through.....
Oh and dont get me started on Indian tailors,.......