Thailand Expats

Rex7777 · #1 12-09-2006, 15:17

I just read on the Thai Visa forum (according to Sunbelt Asia) that there will be no more 3 million baht investment visas issued. Yesterday it was a crackdown on the 30 day visa holders, today, a crackdown on investment visas. I wonder what's next? I'll be applying for a retirement visa soon, but if they keep changing the rules, I may have to look elsewhere - Malaysia, the Philippines, Panama, etc.

Rex

dizbuster · #2 12-09-2006, 15:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rex7777

I just read on the Thai Visa forum (according to Sunbelt Asia) that there will be no more 3 million baht investment visas issued. Yesterday it was a crackdown on the 30 day visa holders, today, a crackdown on investment visas. I wonder what's next? I'll be applying for a retirement visa soon, but if they keep changing the rules, I may have to look elsewhere - Malaysia, the Philippines, Panama, etc.

Rex

It is only hearsay at the moment, Sunbelt Asia do say that "It has been brought to the attention of Sunbelt Asia that..." and "The official statement from Thai immigration is expected this week."

I have no reason to doubt them, but it is best to wait until something official comes out as there are so many rumours flying around at present. If this does turn out to be true, then there are other ways that are still open to us.

MajorTom · #3 12-09-2006, 16:49

This is definetly bad news for me as a rotation worker.

What will happen to the 60 day tourist visa? Same thing there, only 2 renewals?

LivinLOS · #4 12-09-2006, 17:51

Unconfirmed reports is Penang is only giving a single entry tourist visa also.. (one 60 day with a 30 extension)

Thats pretty much all avenues left optn if you dont have a consul that is known to be friendly..

LivinLOS · #5 12-09-2006, 18:15

Gazettes take on the visa on arrival issue,

Quote:

On-arrival visas: 90 days and you’re out!

PHUKET: Phuket’s Immigration Chief has confirmed that Thailand will crack down on foreigners working illegally in the country by ending its policy of issuing an unlimited number of consecutive “visas on arrival” – tourist visas that allow the holder to stay a maximum of 15 or 30 days.

The crackdown is intended to stop foreigners – typically bar owners and other small businessmen without work permits – from using the visas to stay in the country indefinitely while working illegally.

Pol Col Bunphot Kongkrachan, Acting Superintendent of Phuket Immigration Office, told the Gazette that, from October 1, onward Immigration checkpoints around the country will limit to three the number of consecutive visas on arrival they will grant a single visitor.

After the third consecutive visa on arrival has expired, the passport holder must leave the country and wait 90 days before being allowed back into Thailand on the same type of visa.

The move effectively limits the length of stay for those entering the country using this visa class to 45 or 90 days.

The 41 countries whose citizens qualify for visas on arrival include Thailand’s top sources of tourists, including almost all Western European countries, the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, Singapore and many more.

Col Bunphot said that all Immigration chiefs nationwide have been ordered to attend a meeting at Immigration headquarters on September 15, during which the new stricter regulations will be explained in detail.

“I will make a more detailed statement about the new situation within a week of returning from the meeting,” he said.

Suwalai Pinpradab, Director of Tourism Authority of Thailand’s South Region 4 Office in Phuket, downplayed the potential impact of the new rule on Phuket’s all-important tourism industry.

“ I don’t think it will affect tourism revenue in Phuket very much because foreign businessman holding work permits will still be able to work. The only ones who will be affected will be people who are working illegally and prolonging their stays by making visa run after visa run,” she said.

“My concern is about the coming high season. I sympathize with Immigration, which has too few officers. I am afraid that they will be swamped with work and that there will be a slowdown in service [at Immigration checkpoints],” she said.

Executive Visa Run conducts visa runs to Ranong and recently started a service to Penang in Malaysia. A representative there, who requested anonymity, told the Gazette that word of the new regulations had created a great deal of confusion.

“Immigration here in Phuket doesn’t know what going on because they’ve not received any guidelines yet from Bangkok … Yesterday when we made inquiries, nobody there could tell us anything,” he said.

When asked if there were a lot of people making “visa hops” to get new visas on arrival, he said, “Oh, there’s a lot. Really. It’s unbelievable, the amount.”

He added, “I think it will have a huge impact. You listen to all this about how they only want the rich people to stay here. There are a lot of people who stay here on low incomes – and they cause no problems, they just get on with their lives,” he said.

Brought to you by:
The Phuket Gazette

Simbo · #6 12-09-2006, 18:48

I got a double entry visa in KL three weeks ago with no problems and no indication that things will change. I agree with the above post that we should hang back until something official comes out. With rumour control in force on the Thaivisa site the truth will not get in the way of a good story! All the controvesy seems to be over the VOA system and I am just going to stay away from that thread until something offical emerges. We shall have to wait until the meeting on 15 Sep to find out the score. The problem for some people is that they have retired here before the age of 50 but cannot get the retirement visa until then. Its a shame the government doesn't recognise that some people who are ex-military, offshore workers, etc retire early and would like to live here without being a burden on Thai society. I don't particularly want to get married in order to await my 50th birthday!

dizbuster · #7 12-09-2006, 21:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by MajorTom

This is definetly bad news for me as a rotation worker.

What will happen to the 60 day tourist visa? Same thing there, only 2 renewals?

I think that you can take some comfort from looking at what was said in more detail...

"Pol Col Bunphot Kongkrachan, Acting Superintendent of Phuket Immigration Office, told the Gazette that, from October 1, onward Immigration checkpoints around the country will limit to three the number of consecutive visas on arrival they will grant a single visitor.

After the third consecutive visa on arrival has expired, the passport holder must leave the country and wait 90 days before being allowed back into Thailand on the same type of visa..."

I get the impression that they are looking at stopping people who continuosly renew their visas and therefore people who come for a while then leave for a while before returning, should be OK. Obviously I know as much as everyone else, but the general jist of what I am reading is that they want to stamp out the "visa runs". Oil rig type workers, i.e. 30 days on/30 days off don't do visa runs.

LivinLOS · #8 12-09-2006, 22:03

The ruling as clarified by sunbelt is 3 stamps in a 6 mnonth period max..

Quote:

5.Now the news for frequent visitors: We have checked this upwards and backwards all day and it has been confirmed by a copy of the new regulation we have. If you have a visa on arrival more than three times in six months, you cannot come into Thailand without a visa from an Embassy/Consulate. When you enter Thailand, even if you are here just 1 hour, this counts as 30 days. If you come back 6 weeks later for 2 days, this again is 30 days. If you arrive a month later for 4 days, still counts as 30 days. When you leave, you cannot enter Thailand for 3.5 months without coming back with a visa. The reason is to force people who are supposed to have work permits to do so and pay tax."

Thats ANY 3 visits in 6 months.. Even if only for a the weekend..

Madness

K2 · #9 12-09-2006, 22:16

This may well end up having some wider economic implications - the FDI into Thailand will slow and the uncertainty may cause some bail outs - and with USD/JPY already strong (weak JPY) the proxy CNY trade that the THB (strengthening) ride may well find a halt - reversal? Now not a good time to be overly long THB and if have significant exposure - hedging may well be advisable.

syeatman · #10 12-09-2006, 23:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by K2

Now not a good time to be overly long THB and if have significant exposure - hedging may well be advisable.

Thanks for the heads up. So should I change half the 10,000Bt I have in my wallet to dollars or yen?

K2 · #11 12-09-2006, 23:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by syeatman

Thanks for the heads up. So should I change half the 10,000Bt I have in my wallet to dollars or yen?

AUD has the highest yield but given that choice: USD.

Coolhand · #12 13-09-2006, 05:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by LivinLOS

The ruling as clarified by sunbelt is 3 stamps in a 6 mnonth period max..

Thats ANY 3 visits in 6 months.. Even if only for a the weekend..

Madness

That's going to upset some Hongkies. I know several Hong Kongers who go for twelve or more long weekends per year.

Nicke · #13 13-09-2006, 14:03

You can still get a 10m investment visa

shark1963 · #14 13-09-2006, 14:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nicke

You can still get a 10m investment visa

Nice to hear that nicke.But i think i wait a bit till its a 100m investment visa

i think this will make it even more funny if you then get kicked out of thailand

Nicke · #15 13-09-2006, 14:55

When I moved here it was actually a 10m investment visa and I never knew we had a 3m investment visa, LIL told me it was a new one only few years old.

One solution to the visa problem is to get married, I know a few guys did that aproach, only on paper, to make things easier. Or if you have a children but not married you can also apply for non-o visa.

However, the marriage visa is easy to get sometimes with no questions asked, at some places they do investigate and ask your neighbours and so on to verify you are "married".

You can always start a company, cost you about 25k, get non-b and work permit. The drawback is that the company must show profit after 3 years or you will not get work permit. I dont know, but I guess it may be possible to close the company and open a new one and can have another 3 years. Even better if you can do some trading/business and get real use of the company.

Disclaimer: I dont know how easy company setup is these days, if you need to show 2m baht proof or not. In the past it was easy, and the money was only on paper.

Quote:

Originally Posted by shark1963

Nice to hear that nicke.But i think i wait a bit till its a 100m investment visa

i think this will make it even more funny if you then get kicked out of thailand

Dingo's · #16 13-09-2006, 15:09

Nicke, we did our company set up about 5 months ago and we didn't have to "show" funds. It was all on paper and it was for around 25K as you stated. Now doing the work permit processing....

LivinLOS · #17 13-09-2006, 15:10

To get the Work permit dont you have to prove that you employ 4 thais, have paid up capital of 2million baht and pay min income tax (about 55k baht per month at +- 12% for Euros) ??

I did the numbers on a WP no visa run situation and came out at 6250 per month in income tax.. then social and taxes for 4 thai salaries.. All in all it was over 10k per month in tax and other employment cost moneys.. Then there was the company accounts.. Etc etc etc Was gonna run me north of 150k per year maybe 200 to run a false cmpany.

Much cheaper without a work permit of course.. Most people I know just have the B visa and visa run each 90 days but you can bet they are going to tie WP to visa extensions and make them sigle entry (that my bet anyway)..

LivinLOS · #18 13-09-2006, 15:13

Also email back from Penang visa agents.

Quote:

Hi there,

About the news that You heard, its true. Now in Penang Royal Thai
Consulate they have stop issuing the "2" Double and "3" Triple entry Tourist
Visa, and they have announced the news in the local news paper here
yesterday, that was on the 12/09/2006. and they now only issued "1" single
entry Tourist Visa only. And the new rules and regulation is effected
begin from 12/09/2006".

Please tell all your friend about this information.

Regards
Mohamed

Thats big news !! No more visa runs and no more multiple entry tourist visa's.. Another post says one guy was given a 2 week entry permit and told that was enough time to pack his stuff and leave.

shark1963 · #19 13-09-2006, 16:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by LivinLOS

Also email back from Penang visa agents.

Thats big news !! No more visa runs and no more multiple entry tourist visa's.. Another post says one guy was given a 2 week entry permit and told that was enough time to pack his stuff and leave.

Now its getting scaring for many expats i think. I really cant believe that they kick out so many people. How does the property market reacts? And what about all those property developing and construction companies. Are there any plans to open new legal ways for foreigners to stay in thailand? i have read about the Thai elite card (holiday,investment ,retirement), but the price is really scary and i am not sure if people who could even afford it do trust the thai goverment.Anything can be changed just into the other way.

dizbuster · #20 13-09-2006, 16:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by shark1963

Now its getting scaring for many expats i think. I really cant believe that they kick out so many people.

They are "kicking out" the people who do not have the correct visas. If people wish to remain in Thailand, then they should get a proper visa (as opposed to back to VOA's etc) and then there will be no problem.

LivinLOS · #21 13-09-2006, 16:58

But as you fail to acknowledge there is no 'proper visa' if you not married or over 50 (or employed by a good company with a hard to obtain and keep work permit).

I surveryed the group in the offshore of 12 - 15 long stay tourist and expats.. of that 2 others and myself had real visa's the rest had either multiple tourist or monthlys.. About 50% on monthlies. Of that group probably 2 of them could get a retirement visa based on age. The rest would have problems and no avenue open to them.

the fool monty · #22 13-09-2006, 17:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rex7777

I just read on the Thai Visa forum (according to Sunbelt Asia) that there will be no more 3 million baht investment visas issued. Yesterday it was a crackdown on the 30 day visa holders, today, a crackdown on investment visas. I wonder what's next? I'll be applying for a retirement visa soon, but if they keep changing the rules, I may have to look elsewhere - Malaysia, the Philippines, Panama, etc.

Rex

what changes if any are going to happen to 30 day visas?