came to thailand today and they were shocked at the immigration border suvarnaburi

[Sticky Wicket]

1 hour ago, saengd said:

That's your problem to sort out matey, all the best.

 

signed, long term visa holding old grockle.

Wait til that mandatory insurance comes knocking at the door!

[saengd]

4 minutes ago, Sticky Wicket said:

Wait til that mandatory insurance comes knocking at the door!

Not a problem, already sorted.

[Sandy Freckle]

23 hours ago, Sticky Wicket said:

The amount of sanctimonious expats on this site is astonishing!

 

The old timers hate the thought of the younger, wealthier and better looking youngsters shagging all 'their' women!

The first sentence is probably true in every country...., the second sentence is only true inside your head !
Were you composing the 2nd sentence whilst standing in front of a mirror and having a self awareness session ?

Edited October 24, 2019 by Sandy Freckle

[ICELANDMAN]

Me, I am 8 years tourist Thailand

[ChakaKhan]

On 10/22/2019 at 5:12 PM, parafareno said:

she was talking also that other people come only for 1 week,not 3 months...etc....

why i stay so long....as a tourist etc....

I'm always polite, smile, and my answer why so long is.............................practice meditation.....^????

 

^{I use this excuse when extending visas too}

 

Edited October 24, 2019 by ChakaKhan
misspelling

[ChakaKhan]

17 hours ago, parafareno said:

the old lady was really kind of angry, you dont see anger in thai people....at least not me....

well i was singled out....

i mean staying 3 months, that is only like 3000 eur.....i saved money....will not work here etc....it is simple as that....

only massage and realx sabai di mai...

Im arriving same way next month..thing is I never have come with a visa..always come ONE way too...just come over for 4 months to chill with money I saved working at home.....sabai indeed

[Solinvictus]

On 10/23/2019 at 4:12 AM, parafareno said:

she was talking also that other people come only for 1 week,not 3 months...etc....

why i stay so long....as a tourist etc....

All to common in the Thai framework of thinking. Applying generalizations based on their views when judging or applying discretion.

[ChakaKhan]

3 minutes ago, Solinvictus said:

All to common in the Thai framework of thinking. Applying generalizations based on their views when judging or applying discretion.

So whats the solution to figuring out "thainess"?   sangsom?

[fhickson]

2 hours ago, saengd said:

You want to stay here and work digitally, get a work permit. You want to teach English and help raise the standard of English, get a teaching degree and get a work permit. If none of those things work, get an Elite visa, alternatively, wait until you're 50.. 

hey, you cant to that, its too easy, you simp.

[Isaanbiker]

6 hours ago, saengd said:

Define genuine! Whenever a country has lax immigration laws that allows people who do have the funds to support themselves, the right to stay for extended periods of time, those laws get abused as the scammers and impoverished wannabes try to sneak in under the radar. The net effect is the financial bar gets raised to a very high level, laws get tightened and the crackdowns we're seeing currently take place. It's the scammers and the disingenuous who have created today's scenario and the rest of us are paying the price. 

 

First it was the border run crowd who used to live here full time on back to back tourist visas, then we had the much abused Ed. Visa where students still didn't know how to say hello in Thai after a year of, ahem, study! Then we had the 800k dodgers, borrowing funds to put into their account overnight just to get a visa. Next up was the hospital bill evaders, that antidote for that one has really changed things and wrecked lives. Somewhere along the line we also had the marriage visa scam, that took things to a point where Immigration now visits the marital home, wants photographs and talks to neighbours, just to prove the marriage is real and not contrived. On top of all those things we then had a layer of people working without work permits, teachers, tour guides, bar owners you name it.

 

So, if you're upset that Thailand has tightened its Immigration rules and now gone too far in the other direction, don't blame Thailand, blame the people responsible for the above.

"Somewhere along the line we also had the marriage visa scam, that took things to a point where Immigration now visits the marital home, wants photographs and talks to neighbours, just to prove the marriage is real and not contrived"

 

  You've made some good and valid points, but the immigration came to our rented house and our neighbors were interviewed for hours if our marriage was real and to check if we really lived at the address I'd given them.

 

   That was 16 years ago and I don't have a problem with that. They're doing that for a particular reason and I don't mind when they check that once. 

 

     

[nailbrains8]

15 hours ago, emptypockets said:

Visa exempt arrival, get a visa before you come etc etc.

There is no visa for under 50! You can do an education visa for more than one year and even those are now being rejected without reason. 

[bbi1]

On 10/23/2019 at 11:11 AM, Vacuum said:

Yes indeed, for the illegal english teachers that abused them. And yet you seem to be surprised that immigration have changed the rules for tourist visas.

Fuk all those illegal English teachers who stuffed the METV/SETV for the rest of us who didn't illegally work in Thailand. I'm sure there are some of them who are members here too.

Edited October 24, 2019 by bbi1

[marqus12]

2 hours ago, bbi1 said:

Fuk all those illegal English teachers who stuffed the METV/SETV for the rest of us who didn't illegally work in Thailand. I'm sure there are some of them who are members here too.

Funny, maybe the naive will believe that this is the problem,

Certainly it is a convenient excuse .

With a large influx of tourists from one country or another
always some percentage work illegally.
Now Chinese on METV, previously Russians and English speakers.

 

And Im sure Immigration must be aware of this
after decades of experience with international tourists.

Edited October 24, 2019 by marqus12

[BobbyL]

As usual it is some jumped up IO thinking they're important and trying as hard as they can to not allow people in. Something which is negatively affecting tourism and the country's image without a doubt. 

 

My wife has a 10 year UK tourist visa and a 10 year US tourist visa. The visas were vetted properly by the embassies beforehand, something which all Thai embassies seem completely incapable of doing. When she then travels to those countries she is allowed to enter for six months without being questioned like a criminal as to why she is coming. The xenophobia here nowadays within the government and immigration is rife.

 

God knows why Thailand can't implement a longer term tourist visa for people who do genuinely come here regularly as a tourist. 

 

 

 

 

[saengd]

4 minutes ago, BobbyL said:

As usual it is some jumped up IO thinking they're important and trying as hard as they can to not allow people in. Something which is negatively affecting tourism and the country's image without a doubt. 

 

My wife has a 10 year UK tourist visa and a 10 year US tourist visa. The visas were vetted properly by the embassies beforehand, something which all Thai embassies seem completely incapable of doing. When she then travels to those countries she is allowed to enter for six months without being questioned like a criminal as to why she is coming. The xenophobia here nowadays within the government and immigration is rife.

 

God knows why Thailand can't implement a longer term tourist visa for people who do genuinely come here regularly as a tourist. 

 

 

 

 

Allowed to enter for up to six months, at the discretion of the I/O and subject to nothing having changed in her circumstances. My wife has the same thing and every entry is treated as an individual instance rather than carte blanche to go and live in the UK for six months.

[isaanistical]

On 10/23/2019 at 9:24 AM, Sticky Wicket said:

It's just arbitrary xenophobia.

 

Everything is opaque here to allow maximization of scams and corruption.

 

and that's just arbitrary paranoia. You don't like it, go somewhere else, as others have said. Why should you get special treatment?

[Max69xl]

54 minutes ago, BobbyL said:

As usual it is some jumped up IO thinking they're important and trying as hard as they can to not allow people in. Something which is negatively affecting tourism and the country's image without a doubt. 

 

My wife has a 10 year UK tourist visa and a 10 year US tourist visa. The visas were vetted properly by the embassies beforehand, something which all Thai embassies seem completely incapable of doing. When she then travels to those countries she is allowed to enter for six months without being questioned like a criminal as to why she is coming. The xenophobia here nowadays within the government and immigration is rife.

 

God knows why Thailand can't implement a longer term tourist visa for people who do genuinely come here regularly as a tourist. 

 

 

 

 

Because a tourist is not supposed to stay long term. Don't you know how a tourist visa works in the western world? 

[Sticky Wicket]

1 hour ago, isaanistical said:

and that's just arbitrary paranoia. You don't like it, go somewhere else, as others have said. Why should you get special treatment?

Ignorance is bliss!

Not easy when you lay roots somewhere and then a military government come in and turn everything upside down.

I'm hoping to be gone by next year, just takes a while to liquidate everything here.

[NanLaew]

On 10/23/2019 at 2:09 PM, TSF said:

The Thais dragged the whole of SEA down with them in 1998 and may well do it again soon.

Yes indeed. In the world there are leaders and then there are the followers.

 

I guess it sticks in the craw of most here.

[gk10002000]

On ‎10‎/‎22‎/‎2019 at 3:21 PM, Sticky Wicket said:

A tourist is simply a person who is traveling or visiting a place for pleasure. 

 

There is no time restriction based on the definition.

 

Why can't somebody be a tourist for 1, 2, 10 years? 

 

It's dinosaur thinking from a dinosaur run country

Yep.  I am about to be semi-retired and I would like to be a tourist for several months in Thailand while between contract jobs or just bored here in the USA.  I would not be "living" in Thailand by any normal residency definition.  But if they are going to start giving me hassles because I want to get two 60 day SETVs during a year, extending each one by 30 days, and most of the time those would not be back to back SETVs as I would fly home for a three or four month break between trips, well, I guess I may have to visit someplace else.  I don't really enjoy the 13 hour non stop first leg of my flight from LAX to Taipei, nor do I enjoy paying for that flight and I don't plan on flying and staying for just a few weeks!  My goodness, Thai officials are getting out of hand

[Max69xl]

22 minutes ago, gk10002000 said:

Yep.  I am about to be semi-retired and I would like to be a tourist for several months in Thailand while between contract jobs or just bored here in the USA.  I would not be "living" in Thailand by any normal residency definition.  But if they are going to start giving me hassles because I want to get two 60 day SETVs during a year, extending each one by 30 days, and most of the time those would not be back to back SETVs as I would fly home for a three or four month break between trips, well, I guess I may have to visit someplace else.  I don't really enjoy the 13 hour non stop first leg of my flight from LAX to Taipei, nor do I enjoy paying for that flight and I don't plan on flying and staying for just a few weeks!  My goodness, Thai officials are getting out of hand

You and other whiners here at TVF seems to think that anyone can enter a western country (or even other countries) as a "tourist" for as long as they want. Think again, because that's not true. If you know how to use Google,then you can check it out yourself. The whole idea about being a tourist is not to stay long term. How hard is it to understand that?

[marqus12]

57 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

You and other whiners here at TVF seems to think that anyone can enter a western country (or even other countries) as a "tourist" for as long as they want. Think again, because that's not true. If you know how to use Google,then you can check it out yourself. The whole idea about being a tourist is not to stay long term. How hard is it to understand that?

So it will be best to issue only two-week visas, once a year per person 
and stop crying that farang stay to long.

 

Comparing Thailand to western countries where a tourist can easily

get a good job for a decent wage ( like many Thais do in Japan ) it's another joke.

[sunnyboy2018]

On 10/22/2019 at 11:37 PM, TSF said:

Indeed. There's no doubt there were/are people who used tourist visas and visa exempt to live/work in the country. But there were/are also many genuine tourist/travelers who use Thailand as a hub to explore the region. Spending months traveling through Lao, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia and all the time coming back into Thailand in order to get to the next destination. Seems that's pretty well off the menu now.

When I worked on a tourist visa in the 80s it was considered acceptable.  Even paid tax at the Banglampoo tax office. The UK and  USA rely on semi illegal labour. Such valid work is not  a criminal endeavor. Because Thai society is mired in corruption and criminality from top to bottom they tend to see it every where. They judge others by their own standards. Soon they will be rounding up foreign girls from the KSR and stamping 'Prostitute' in their passports before deporting them. The ignorance of the military mindset can never be underestimated. Poor old Thailand. Pity the people of Thailand.

[sunnyboy2018]

1 hour ago, Max69xl said:

You and other whiners here at TVF seems to think that anyone can enter a western country (or even other countries) as a "tourist" for as long as they want. Think again, because that's not true. If you know how to use Google,then you can check it out yourself. The whole idea about being a tourist is not to stay long term. How hard is it to understand that?

But the process of getting casual working visas is easier in many countries. The rules in Thailand are stupid so they get broken. The Thais are obsessed. They are ignorant.  From Thai teachers to DJs...they are not up to it. Thais could learn so much from foreign labour at all levels. Its their loss. They just copy western ideas and skills badly and end up looking stupid and alienating foreigners. The Thai government attack on youth culture,  counter culture and democracy is a self inflicted injury. Increasingly Thailand is perceived as barbaric,  primitive and uptight. The power elite, the military and the Sangha have united to change the face of Thailand as happened to Saudi Arabia. Its becoming a depressing and fearful place but without the oil to bribe the population. The treatment of the foreigners today will the treatment of the Thais tomorrow.

[Sticky Wicket]

1 hour ago, Max69xl said:

No one has turned anything major around since 2014 (the military coup),until now, the requirement for an insurance for O-A Visa holders. Just because you don't meet the requirements the government is bad. Stop whining,please. 

Are you for real? 

Cloud cuckoo land!

[Sticky Wicket]

2 hours ago, bew22 said:

Oh look, another condescending comment from some idiot who wants Thailand to run its laws according to what the tourists want. I bet the Thai immigration are reading this forum and became aware of the trash like you. 

What an utterly bizarre comment, senseless, mindless drivel.

[Sticky Wicket]

1 hour ago, Max69xl said:

You and other whiners here at TVF seems to think that anyone can enter a western country (or even other countries) as a "tourist" for as long as they want. Think again, because that's not true. If you know how to use Google,then you can check it out yourself. The whole idea about being a tourist is not to stay long term. How hard is it to understand that?

It's you who has simple comprehension problems. Now tottle off back to the stone you crawled out from under.

Why are you comparing 1st world countries with 3rd world cesspits like this anyway?

Dear me!

[Sticky Wicket]

2 hours ago, Max69xl said:

No one has turned anything major around since 2014 (the military coup),until now, the requirement for an insurance for O-A Visa holders. Just because you don't meet the requirements the government is bad. Stop whining,please. 

You need to stop drinking that lao Khao <deleted>, it's turning your brain into jelly!

[bigginhill]

Ok. Decide how much a tourist should spend a week, say just for arguements sake, 10,000 baht a week. You want to stay a month you put 40,000 baht on a special thai bank debit card. Non refundable. 

6 weeks 60,000. Etc etc.

So now what problem should immigration have if I want to stay 2 weeks or 6 months? 

[gk10002000]

3 hours ago, Max69xl said:

You and other whiners here at TVF seems to think that anyone can enter a western country (or even other countries) as a "tourist" for as long as they want. Think again, because that's not true. If you know how to use Google,then you can check it out yourself. The whole idea about being a tourist is not to stay long term. How hard is it to understand that?

You can take your opinion and put it where the sun ____(you can fill in the blanks).  You keep your name calling to yourself.  Tourist in no way shape or fashion means not long term.  Thailand is a very big country.  Many parts to visit and stay in for extended periods.  There is no valid reason for not allowing long term visit tourists.  Many people take sabbaticals, long breaks from  work, etc.  Six months to a year in a foreign land should be easily handled.  Frequent trips, with proper reasons and proof of not draining an economy should not be viewed as an assault or invasion on the country