By Barry Kenyon

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Thai government denies dangers from visa-free policy

By Barry Kenyon

January 28, 2024

The Thai foreign affairs ministry has downplayed the danger to national security created by abolition of visitor visas for nationals of China and India in particular. Spokesperson Kanchana Patarachok pointed out that there would not be an increase in the number of foreign businessmen operating illegal companies, or career criminals, as Thai immigration could still identify them from computerized records. On entry, all international arrivals are checked to see if they have committed a previous crime in Thailand or are the subject of an Interpol warrant.

Worries had been raised formally by Senate members noting recent scandals involving Chinese nationals ignoring work permit regulations or enrolling expensively at Thai language schools simply to extend their stay without any intention of learning. Concerns centered around Chinese citizens being illegally abducted by fellow nationals and tales about Chinese “police stations” operating in Bangkok and beyond. Other reports claim Russians have been found working illegally in Phuket as taxi drivers, whilst Indians in Pattaya were accused of operating restaurants for reasons other than selling food. But some of these claims have proven untrue, or occurred before visa liberalization, and there is scant initial evidence that Thai security is now more threatened than before.

As part of a no-visa policy, Russians receive 90 days on arrival and Chinese and Indian nationals 30 days but only for tourist purposes. This is an attempt by premier Srettha Thavisin to boost visitor numbers post-covid from the main overseas recruiting grounds. The policy change means that the nationals of all most half the countries in the world can enter Thailand without a visa for vacations. But there is no consistency across the board: US, UK and EU nationals receive 30 days visa-free, whereas those from South Korea and several Latin American countries are stamped in for 90 days on each visit. The deal with China, 30 days on arrival, is to be made permanent on March 1 when the pilot scheme ends. The immigration bureau stresses that only bona fide tourists can enter visa-free. Business visas, for example, must be applied for in advance from Thai embassies abroad.

But there are other inconsistencies between visa-free nationalities. Whereas British or European holidaymakers can extend a 30 days stamp for a further month at local immigration – followed by a day trip to the Cambodian border to repeat the procedure – Chinese and Indian visitors are not able to leave and then return by a land border post. Extensions at immigration often depend on showing a return air ticket to the home country in the near future and Thai banks generally are reluctant to allow visa-free foreigners to open accounts. Visitors under the recent visa-free reforms also find it virtually impossible to obtain a Thai driving licence. Ken Thorne, an international visa researcher, told Pattaya Mail, “Thai authorities are understandably using soft power visa reforms to raise cash for the treasury, but the devil is in the detail. He usually is.”

https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... icy-450951

[Jun]

I can't think of a single step in the visa application process that would deter illegal activity in Thailand.

They do check bank balances, but a successful career criminal could have a healthy bank balance. As could corrupt immigration officers.

Incidentally, I'm leaving Thailand after 30 days, since this trip was booked at short notice and I wasn't sure they would process the visa in time. Thailand therefore will lose some of my money as a result of visa processes. Again.

However, I'm looking forward to my first visit to Cambodia since before covid.

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90 day visa exemptions for Brits and others would reduce the queues at Thai immigration offices

By Barry Kenyon

February 1, 2024

A Thai Cabinet decision is now awaited on the Tourist Authority of Thailand’s proposal to offer 90 days visa-exempt travel to citizens of UK, US, Australia and most of mainland Europe. The prime minister Srettha Thavisin is known to favour the move, according to his aide Prommin Lertsuridej, as a way of maximizing income from overseas visitors whilst reducing bureaucracy.

Currently, these nationalities receive only 30 days without a prior visa, but can extend for a further month at local immigration for 1,900 baht. If they wish, they can then take a day trip to a land border (usually Cambodian) and repeat the procedure. However, this facility cannot be used more than twice in a calendar year. There is no formal restriction on the number of entries by air.

Tourists are required to report their address to Thai immigration each time they enter the country via the notorious address form TM30. If they fail to do this promptly and require any service at immigration – such as extending their visa or requesting a certificate of residency to buy or sell a car or open a bank account – they will be fined even though the technical responsibility rests with the hotel or condominium residence “housemaster”. Some establishments report all their guests online to immigration, but many do not or even fail to inform their guests.

Foreigners attending the busy immigration offices, such as Jomtien, frequently complain that the long queues on many days are caused by tourists following the TM30 bureaucracy which creates a log jam affecting the whole process. If the proposed change was introduced, these nationalities would need to register on the TM30 just once on arrival as extensions and day trips to Cambodia would no longer be necessary for most tourists. A Cabinet decision is expected within days.

Currently, only a handful of countries receive 90 days on arrival without a prior visa. They include Russia, South Korea and several South American countries. The extension to countries now envisaged would go a long way to reducing the numbers queuing at immigration for TM30 clearance more than once during their stay.

https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... ces-451444

[Jun]

90 day visa exemptions for Brits and others would reduce the queues at Thai immigration offices

This is fairly obvious. From my perspective, that's also the preferred solution. From a Thai perspective, they would receive less visa revenue, but more income from tourist spending.

Alternatively, Thailand could also reduce queues at immigration offices by operating rational and efficient processes at those immigration offices. A conflict of interest would stop that in the Jomtien office.

Moving 30 day extensions online would also help. Particularly if the process is done automatically.

As for non-submission of TM30s, if that's the hotel responsibility, wouldn't the correct approach be to heavily fine the hotels for any failures?

[Gaybutton]

I have a few questions regarding both the 90-day address report and the TM-30:

1. How many criminals have actually been apprehended, but likely would not have been, if it wasn't for those forms? Have any been apprehended due to those forms? Unless a significant number of criminals have been caught that way, then I fail to see the necessity for those forms at all. And somebody had to be the one who authorized final approval of those forms without objecting to the complexity. Who? And by what sophistry of reasoning?

2. Barry points out that anyone, including tourists, who fail to file the TM-30 "they will be fined even though the technical responsibility rests with the hotel or condominium residence “housemaster”.

He also mentions that at immigration "long queues on many days are caused by tourists following the TM30 bureaucracy which creates a log jam affecting the whole process."

While immigration holds the foreigner ultimately responsible and it will be the foreigner who ends up penalized, if that many people are lined up most days at immigration to do the TM-30, then there must be quite a number of hotels and "housemasters" failing to submit the form. Why aren't we reading anything telling us the police are going after the hotels, etc. that are not submitting the form? Do the "guests" staying a whole hotel full of foreigners all have to go to immigration to do the TM-30?

[Jun]

Another question:
If looking for illegal activity, would you have a higher hit rate looking at immigration office customers or immigration officers?

[Gaybutton]

Another question:
If looking for illegal activity, would you have a higher hit rate looking at immigration office customers or immigration officers?

My guess would be customers. I doubt the immigration officers actually working at the immigration office would be the corrupt ones. That would be much too obvious. I think, if any immigration officers are actually corrupt, it would be more likely to be higher-ups behind the scenes who are not part of the local immigration office staff at all.

One of the things on my "I Don't Get It" list is the number of visa overstayers who so often are caught. I'm not talking about someone who overstayed for whatever reason for a day or two, such as a missed flight or something. I'm talking about the ones who overstayed for months, often years, before getting caught. Why do they do that? When I read news items it is obvious that some easily could have gotten long term visas, such as the retirement visa. They were perfectly eligible. Those who couldn't get any type of long term visa on their own, did they try any of the visa services?

I'm sure many couldn't get anything long term even through a visa service, so they decided to just risk it and get away with it for as long as they could. I wonder how many long term overstayers have not yet been caught.

[Gaybutton]

I know I keep harping on this and I am genuinely happy visa reforms are making it easier for tourists, but I still never see anything being done to make life easier for us expats. If anything, all the expats ever seem to get are new rules, regulations, and more paperwork to be complied with. I'm not holding my breath, but I wish the powers-that-be would take into consideration how Thailand benefits from the presence and contribution of us expats. Nearly all the time, when it comes to trouble and even crimes committed by foreigners, it is almost never expats. It's tourists.

How about doing something for us?
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Neighboring countries look to Thailand for visa reform

By Barry Kenyon

February 6, 2024

Thailand is heading up discussions with Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia to seek agreement that a tourist visa or pass for one country means travellers can visit all five without further bureaucracy. The Thai premier’s adviser Prommin Lertsuridej said, “Thailand will lead negotiations for tourists to require one entry visa to travel amongst us.”

The idea is not entirely new, but plans have collapsed in the past as the various countries have their own specific requirements and prices. For example, Thailand now offers some countries, for example South Korea and Russia, 90 days visa exempt on arrival and without any payment. Cambodia, on the other hand, charges virtually all foreigners for the compulsory e-visa or visa on arrival and offers just 30 days. Laos meanwhile still requires evidence of covid vaccinations (or risk compulsory testing at Vientiane airport) and has different regulations from Thailand about bringing foreign currency into the country.

Srettha Thavisin, the Thai prime minister, intends to use visa conformity amongst neighbors as a lever to encourage European Union countries to allow visa-free travel for the five Asean nations throughout the 27+ nations operating the Schengen visa system. Agreement on such a bold move is unlikely for the foreseeable future as security and immigration controls are dominant concerns amongst all EU members. In any significant discussions, most Asean nations are keen to be under the leadership of Thailand which welcomes the most foreign tourists and has recently dismantled its own remaining visa regulations for the vast majority of its visiting vacationers.

https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... orm-451851

[Jun]

I'm not sure I like this.

Currently I can enter Thailand, Malaysia and apparently Vietnam visa free. Visas for Cambodia and Laos are easily obtainable. The key point is I could stay in the region for as long as I like, just by periodically crossing borders. Once they have a common visa, there would presumably be a common time limit. Perhaps 90 days ?
Unless they just make it an optional alternative to the current entry requirements.


As for his idea of using this as a lever to negotiate better access to the EU for citizens of the countries, well don't count on it.
There would still be a huge temptation for people of the poorer countries to overstay in the EU, due to higher earning potential. For such reasons, I expect western countries are unlikely to treat a Cambodian passport in the same way as a Malaysian passport.

[Gaybutton]

Once they have a common visa, there would presumably be a common time limit.

I don't see why. Why couldn't each country set their own time limits? The visa itself might be common, but your passport will still have entry and exit date stamps.