Final crackdown for border runners - New strict Immigration regulation in force from today

[Jonathan Fairfield 7,012]

BREAKING NEWS

Final crackdown for border runners - New strict Immigration regulation in force from today

BANGKOK: -- From today, foreign nationals residing in Thailand will no longer be able to exit and then re-enter the kingdom via a land border crossing in order to gain another 30 or 15 day stay in Thailand.

Thaivisa has been in contact with the Immigration Bureau who confirm the new regulation starts from today Saturday May 10, 2014.

This latest news follows reports from earlier in the week of an Immigration crackdown at the land border checkpoint in Ranong.

Non-Immigrant Visa or Tourist visa holders with remaining entries on their visa can exit and enter Thailand as before.

However, these new measures are targeting foreign visitors without a visa who are regularly entering and exiting the kingdom every 15 or 30 days as a way of extending their stay in Thailand.

From today visitors can only enter into Thailand via a land border once, after that they will be refused entry to the Kingdom and are advised to fly out and return with a visa obtained from a Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate in a neighbouring country or overseas.

The Immigration Bureau has also confirmed to Thaivisa.com that further restrictions are to be enforced from August 12, 2014.

It is understood that the new regulation is to prohibit back-to-back border runners who stay for an extended time in the country without a proper visa from a Consulate or Embassy abroad or an extension of stay granted by the Immigration Bureau in Thailand.

With regards to the new restrictions on land border crossing, which as mentioned above are effective as of today, a number of Thaivisa members have confirmed to us that these restrictions are being enforced at the Mae Sai border crossing in Chiang Rai province, with some members commenting they are stranded at the border unable to enter Thailand.

Keep up to date with the very latest from Mae Sai here.

The reports from Mae Sai have also been confirmed to us by Khun Tony, Managing Director of Puchlee Travel Company in Chiang Mai, who is a minibus service operator from Chiang Mai to the Mae Sai border.

Thaivisa will publish any further updates on this visa story as and when we get them.

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12th August further restrictions

Today the Immigration Bureau has posted the following notice, confirming the new regulations and upcoming changes to the regulations:

แนวทางปฏิบัติของ สตม.ในการตรวจคนเข้าเมืองของบุคคลสัญชาติเป้าหมาย เช่น เกาหลี ฯลฯ มีดังนี้

1.ห้ามมิให้ด่านชายแดนมีการอนุญาต Out-In ในลักษณะของ Visa run เพื่อให้ได้รับสิทธิในการอยู่ในราชอาณาจักรต่อเนื่องที่มิใช่เหตุผลเพื่อการ ท่องเที่ยว

2.กรณีเดินทางโดยอากาศยานหากตรวจพบว่าอาจเป็นการ Out-In ในลักษณะของ Visa run ให้ว่ากล่าวและแนะนำให้ผู้นั้นดำเนินการขอ Visa ให้ถูกต้องตามวัตถุประสงค์ของการเข้ามาในราชอาณาจักร แล้วอนุโลมให้เข้า ตั้งแต่บัดนี้จนถึงวันที่ 12 ส.ค.57 โดยทำเครื่องหมาย O-I ไว้บริเวณรอยตราประทับ และหลังจากวันที่ 12 ส.ค.57 เป็นต้นไป หากเจ้าหน้าที่ตรวจพบเป็นการ Out-In ให้ปฏิเสธการเข้าเมืองผู้นั้น

หมายเหตุ หากผู้ปฏิบัติมีข้อสงสัยหรือพบปัญหาติดต่อ พล.ต.ต.ชิษณุพงศ์ ยุกตะทัต หรือ พล.ต.ต.ณัฐธร เพราะสุนทร รอง ผบช.สตม. แล้วแต่กรณี

-- 2014-05-10

[sonnyt34 34]

Bravo to the administrators of this site for aiding in getting the best accurate info available I will direct others on my topic to this post.

[rucus7 291]

This will be a severe hardship for many Thai mini-bus drivers.

[Mario2008 3,563]

It will be hardship for a lot of people and a lot of people will have to adjust their vacation plans.

[alocacoc 2,538]

Great Service from Thaivisa. Thanks a lot for that.

[pinkpanther99 3,582]

This is big news that will affect a lot of people.

Kudos to Thai visa for getting the info out there.

I wouldn't fancy being a border runner right now - that said, going in and out of Thailand every 30 days means you aren't a tourist anyway and are probably milking the system.

Immigration seem to be on one at the moment!

[Spoonman 2,335]

About time this happened.

[Globeman 670]

Well... that day has finally come.

One wonders if immigration, in their usual farsightedness, has increased the capacity of neighbouring Thai consulates to deal with the huge influx of proper visa-seekers. Of course, each consulate has the autonomy to refuse to issue visas if the crowds prove too inconvenient for them. Expect chaos on your next visa run.

[Soutpeel 17,199]

About time this happened.

Yeap been a long time coming, one suspects the next step will be clamping down on over stayers, the days of paying a 20k fine slap on the wrist and coming back into Thailand the next day may we well and truly over as well...

its was going to happen one day that immigration would get fed up with people taking the P*ss of the system

[Pralaad 1,111]

From my understanding this applies to land crossings, what about air? If one was to fly out /in, does same apply?

[DP25 2,577]

Hopefully this crackdown will be like many others, short lived. A lot of people legitimately working, studying, living, or touring here, do border runs occasionally between visas. They should be able to differentiate between someone doing it a few times, and someone doing it for 5 years.

[naanaa 2]

So fly in and out every 30 days won't be affected?

[Hermes100 94]

changes nothing. I have friends who have been here years and have never once crossed any boarder for any visa extension.This is Thailand-have money- do as you please.This will only make those visa fixers a little more money and many local Thai vendors/businesses a little less.

[Keng11 1]

What about new Non Immigrant O visas, do they still have multiple entry as before?

Sent from my GT-N7105T using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Spoonman 2,335]

Hopefully this crackdown will be like many others, short lived. A lot of people legitimately working, studying, living, or touring here, do border runs occasionally between visas. They should be able to differentiate between someone doing it a few times, and someone doing it for 5 years.

One would hope that those who are studying or working here are doing so on the appropriate visa.

Edited May 10, 2014 by Spoonman