"New" Thai Immigration Laws

[rxpharm]

This is an excellent video from a US expat who has been living long term in Thailand for the past several years, first on a marriage visa (married to a Thai lady), and then switching to a retirement visa.

He does an excellent job discussing the facts, and giving links to official Thai immigration regulations in English. He also explains why there is a lot of false information being circulated about Thai immigration regulations.

[rxpharm]

Another video from Chuck going over how things are changing in Thailand and why:

[George Pill]

What a loooooooong talk video, but it is very interesting. You can discuss/debate all kinds of things concerning Thailand based on this Chuck talk. One of the things I am predicting is the end of prostitution in Thailand. No more naughty bars, no more disco dancers, and no more ladyboys.

The government under the leadership of Chan-Ocha and Prawin are going to ramrod changes designed to modernize. These laws demanding to know where all foreigners are going to and coming from are indeed the best way to prevent terrorism. They are violations of civil rights but who's going to be able to stop this duo? They own the armed forces.

Now that you heard Chuck's sermon, would you still want to move to and live in Thailand? As I've said before. There's to much political uncertainty in Thailand so be careful if you want to sell your house, marry a Thai woman, move your cash to a foreign country that may pull the welcome mat from under you, and throw you out for any silly made-up reason. I'm staying home and just visit as a tourist. Safer that way and better peace of mind.

Chuck is right about foreigners being slobs with sandals. They are hippies and were not welcomed anywhere in the USA during the Vietnam war years. They are now in the parks of San Francisco and forests of the northwestern states of Oregon and Washington. They're now called homeless bums, welfare bums, and drug addicts, and they're all defecating and pissing on our streets, grass, and sidewalks. Stinks everywhere and even near the Hawaii State Capitol building.

Thailand is desperate and will freeze civil rights to attain it's goal as a modern state capable of a becoming a member or the elite club known as Asian Economic Tigers. As Chuck said he likes the simplicity of the old Thailand. We all did. We just came too late.

[George Pill]

https://pattayatoday.net/police-state-squeeze-for-thailands-expatriates/

Getting more convinced that Expats need to pull out. They really don't want us there.

[Rockheart]

While Thailand slowly turns into Burma,
Burma is slowly turning into Thailand.

Burma has more great beaches and islands than Thailand and they are all empty.
They also have way more cool temples than Thailand.

[George Pill]

BTW, this new law reporting your tenants' whereabouts. Doesn't this mean even ladyboy bar owners have to report them, too. Even short timers? Really a bad fucked up law. A clear violation of civil rights to privacy. Imagine they know where we are and hallucinate that we are committing acts of treason against the Kingdom. They will use this info to arrest and detail on a mere suspicion, interrogate us, decide we are innocent, and then fine us B1000 for the police salary fund. You get a receipt which really is a fun thank you note for letting them ruin your life. Eventually the government (junta) will like this law so much that they will add a supplemental law requiring ALL farangs to report themselves in addition to informing the landlord. Bah, humbug! Add on those new facial recognition cameras and software which will probably be provided happily by China, they will soon begin to know where EVERYBODY is every single day and nights. 24/7.

I think that Prostitution will be tamed. The bars will be gradually shut down with small progressive laws so small they will hardly be noticeable. Those tea money bag will gradually get larger and larger until they finally quit. The ladyboys desperate for money to eat will go underground into the online dating sites. Eventually the government hopes to catch them, too, by spying on their websites. Think they will succeed? Think they will ruin the collapsing tourism numbers? Will their funny kind junta thinking will succeed?

[P&G]

While Thailand slowly turns into Burma,
Burma is slowly turning into Thailand.

Burma has more great beaches and islands than Thailand and they are all empty.
They also have way more cool temples than Thailand.

Do they have places with easy and pretty ladyboys ?

[George Pill]

Funny. I was going to ask that question. After 8 years of Pattaya Beach and Bangkok, I need a change but cannot give up the Thai ladyboys. Wonder if they will start going there for greener pastures. Can someone coach us where exactly the action is, hotels, restaurants, etc.? Or shall I go and write a column for this website. Just realized no one has written about Myanmar. All I ever hear is how they are killing the Rhohingas. Lots Burmese guy and gals selling Tshirts on Pattaya City Walk right next to Royal Garden Plaza. The speak pretty good English and we like to bull shit each other about what is fair price. Got only 2 good-looking girls there. I think I'll start surfing the Internet on Google Burma/Myanmar. Actually I like crowded beaches. Lots of people watching and people to talk to. You should see Rio and Ipanema Beaches on a hot Sunday afternoon. So jam-packed with sweat brown bodies glistening sweat in the hot hot sun. Women in string bikinis and men in tank swim shorts. Smell of suntan lotion everywhere. Glad I went there in 2001 AFTER the 2000 New year's celebration. A few spectators were injured on the beach at night across from the HELP disco. One was badly injured when a pipe cannon exploded and the burning embers penetrated a man's neck and continued burning next to he throat. Nobody could do anything. He died about 2 days later. He must have suffered horribly. Somebody got stupid planting those rocket barrels right on the beach. Some of those bombs came down near me and landed only yards away from me. You could actually see the bombs flying downwards and exploding on the beach near the water's edge. Now all fireworks are shot from floating platforms anchored offshore. The huge cruise liners like
Anthem of the seas, Oasis OTS, and Serenade OTS would steam back and forth along the coast line celebrating with champagne for the rich travelers.

Whoa! Orbitz sez it costs US$1600 from BKK to Yangon. U must fly from BKK to Taipei then on to Yangon. Now will have to find an agent to bus to Yangon.

Boy, talk about unspoiled and beautiful simple life in Myanmar.

https://ontrails.co/bangkok-yangon-bus/

Here's a tip about getting from BKK to Yangon by bus.

https://www.go-myanmar.com/getting-to-myanmar/

Gotta do more research. What a gold mine for backpackers seeking the old way of life that time forgot.

[Rockheart]

Do they have places with easy and pretty ladyboys ?

I don't think so, but there is probably a good number of ladyboys considering the culture and religion are very close to Thailand.
I think travel is very restrictive which is why I am saying Thailand is moving in that direction again.
However in recent years Myanmar has started to move out of military dictatorship, albeit slowly.

If Burma were to become more open they might be similar to Thailand in the old days but better.
More of everything that brings tourists to Thailand and all the cheap prices of the olden days.

The rise of Myanmar may not happen any time soon but hopefully it will improve more.
Recent events haven't seemed to point to the sunset of military leadership there.
Here is a Burmese ladyboy in the Miss International Queen.

[Rockheart]

BTW, this new law reporting your tenants' whereabouts. Doesn't this mean even ladyboy bar owners have to report them, too. Even short timers? Really a bad fucked up law. A clear violation of civil rights to privacy. Imagine they know where we are and hallucinate that we are committing acts of treason against the Kingdom. They will use this info to arrest and detail on a mere suspicion, interrogate us, decide we are innocent, and then fine us B1000 for the police salary fund. ...

I don't use short time rooms much but don't they ask for your ID?
However if you go to a short time room or guest house near your actual hotel or residence, you are not changing locations and don't have to report.
Since you are not residing in the short time room and you have not traveled a long distance that should not be subject to reporting.
However they may report you if they have your id.

The whole crux of the reporting is changing locations of residence even for one day.
This law has been on the books for many years but just not enforced.
Recently Thailand has taken lots of heat for the amount of criminals and other shady goings on, so they are enforcing it more.

Too easy to get into Thailand and then get lost there.
That is ending.

[rxpharm]

Crag, you are right - it's when a person is out of their main residence for more than a day where the landlord/property owner has to report your whereabouts. Less than a day does doesn't count. If you watched Chuck's videos he clearly states it is not the ex-pats responsibility to report their location. Any fines for non-reporting goes to the landlord/property owner.

Crag's summary of the situation is correct - they want to reduce how easy it has been for bad guys to stay in Thailand.

[George Pill]

Way too much humbug for expats AND tourists. Instead of carrying your passport with you, just carry a miniature photocopy of it and your driver's license. I never use short time rooms. My camera equipment is in my room and the lighting is better. A note to all travelers. Dress neatly and don't come into Suvarnbhumi looking like you just finished an hour exercising in a weight room. Cut your nails, comb your hair, stand up straight, shave, don't act like your drunk or stoned. Be ready to show your passport, return ticket, and money, credit cards, etc. Bring photocopies of your hotel reservations and travel itinerary. I just remembered how I was irritated that the Thai Consulate wanted photocopies of my bank statements. I thought it was a scam to steal my accounts. Now I realize it is a significant change in the new Thai government's attempt to get the unwanted and illegal foreigners under control. They will not complaints of civil rights deter them from their new goal to "Make Thailand Great Again". No, they will not stop all foreigners from visiting Thailand. They just want to stop the messy, smelly, criminal, drunk, and sloppy bums from staying and overstaying. If you look you will see these kinds of pot-bellied slobs and schmucks wearing worn out clothes all over Beachwalk at sunset with their ugly girlfriends. It makes Thailand look like a den of thieves. Embarrasses everybody. Repulsive. Now I am understanding much clearer what Chan-Ocha. I remember joking with a real estate salesman in the Central Festival Shopping Center whether Chan-Ocha will be a good President. He laughed when I hoped he would become a "GOOD" dictator. I think I might be right.

more latest news

https://www.pattayaone.news/tm30-the...cratic-tangle/

[Rockheart]

If you read through the comments on that article Flamingo farmer posted, many foreigners have been charged a fine for not reporting properly.
https://theladyboyforums.com/asiaboa...nd/932243-tm30

If you don't tell your landlord that you are leaving then you can be held responsible. It seems they get you at immigration at some point.
I am not sure how they put 2 and 2 together but maybe if they do figure it out you will get tagged as you leave or enter the country some time in the future.
The basic amount seems to be 1800 baht per infraction. I suppose if you don't leave the country much then it may be much harder.

Living with your GF or Wife you would basically be responsible as you would have a shared budget.
Your GF is legally responsible, so by proxy you are also responsible for your own comings and goings.
When i used to go to Thailand I would put some hotel on my entry card but then go stay at my girlfriends families house.
Legally they should have reported me now but previously guest houses with less than 4 rental rooms were exempted from this law.
Now all sizes of houses and apartments are included but this is very recent.

Now there is so many private rentals going on, tourists just are not staying at hotels as much and harder to track.
Air BnB is technically illegal but it seems all the travel sites are doing home rentals, so they seem to not be cracking down too much on that.
I rented on Air BnB in Cha Am and it was great but I suppose if you have problems you might get grief from police.
The only problem I had is the owner of the condo posted my full legal name in the public comments section where you rate each other.

Still it is illegal to rent out your owned or leased apartment by the day or week. Many large complexes try to control it like the Elio Del Ray where I used to rent. We never did report my comings and goings.
I've seen these apartments for rent on AirBnB and there was obnoxious tourists at the pool a few times. According to signs they will call the police if noticed. this sign is from November 2017

20171127_074613.jpg

[George Pill]

More bad news why TM30 is a bad law. So stupid it reminds me of the idiom, "Throw the baby out with the bathwater." Even the DEA makes stupid laws trying to control the opiod epidemic in Hawaii. Why are we all being punished into paying for office visits EVERY month just to get prescription refills. Why don't they just get off their lazy asses and seek out the drug abusers and arrest them one at a time.

Here in Hawaii this opiod epidemic is almost non-existent. So far, only ONE drug store was busted. It was run by a doctor who was old and mentally incapacitated and his relatives. They forged his signature and wrote prescriptions WITHOUT office visits. Since that incident there has been no other arrests. But still we have to obey the stupid rules. BTW the DEA has worsened the Fentanyl crisis. Seems that the real patients who are REALLY suffering debilitating pain now have to buy black market Fentanyl and Heroin. These products are fake and impure and results in more deaths. This whole system if full of stupid people who should not be making these obnoxious rules. Doctors should be doing that. Yep, we gots stupid Americans just like Thailand gots stupid Thais.

https://www.pattayaone.news/immigrat...derway-pleads/

[rxpharm]

A video of Chuck checking in for his 90 day immigration verification, he also mentions the TM 30 process as well.