In Phuket, Pattaya, and Bangkok dozens of mini-vans and coaches depart daily ferrying an estimated 300 foreigners on visa runs in an industry that has developed based on the desire of foreigners to stay longer in the country.
BANGKOK – Thailand immigration officials began a much stricter enforcement of the country’s visa entry laws last weekend that will seriously impact Thailand visa run / border hop residents, illegal workers and those who regularly travel between it and neighbouring countries for business using the visa-exempt / permission to stay entry method at land crossing points to stay in Thailand.
Over the last several years Thailand has gradually been tightening visa regulations in an attempt to reduce the number of foreigners who reside in the country without a proper, ie., paid for visa and who regularly do overland “border hops” to gain back-to-back 15- or 30-day permission to stay stamps.
The stricter observance of regulations, which began last Saturday, restricts visitors without a visa from entering Thailand more than once consecutively using any overland crossing. Those who attempt to do a border hop and return to Thailand after departing at a land border crossing and who previously entered the country the same way will be refused entry and told to obtain a visa at a Royal Thai Consulate or Embassy.
While the tightening of regulations currently only covers land border crossings increasingly tougher restrictions will come into force on August 12 which will target those who do a Thailand visa run or border hop by air. Consecutive back-to-back or out/in entries without a visa will likewise not be allowed.
While any kind of accurate figure is next to impossible to obtain it is generally accepted about one million foreigners reside in Thailand on “long-stay” visas, the majority living on retirement / spousal, business, or education visas, or an extension of stay due to work. All long-stay visas either require the holder to report to an immigration office every 90-days or leave the country every 90-days and then return.
End of the Thailand “border hop”
At least several hundred thousand more foreigners are thought to stay long term in the country using a combination of back-to-back paid-for tourist visas and / or border hops every 15 or 30 days on a “never ending vacation”, while working illegally or simply living on savings after having become enamored with someone they met as a tourist.
In Phuket, Pattaya, and Bangkok dozens of mini-vans and coaches depart daily ferrying an estimated 300 foreigners on visa runs in an industry that has developed based on the desire of foreigners to stay longer in the country. Some have even built their own lounges at border crossing points in neighboring countries to provide extra comfort for their passengers.
Amongst those expected to be hardest hit are those working illegally such as many English language teachers, Filipino domestic workers, those who desire to live in Thailand, but are unable to meet the financial and / or age requirements to qualify for a retirement visa and tourists who might cross into Thailand using one overland route, leave via another and then want to return to Thailand overland again.
Many companies (and even government schools) claim the cost of doing the paperwork and the costs involved in obtaining a work permit and extension of stay is oppressive (a one year extension of stay costs Bt1,900 (about US$ 58.26) and a one year work permit costs Bt3,100 (US$ 95.00)), while many others do not meet the paid up capital requirements, or employ sufficient Thai staff. Under Thailand employment laws businesses with sufficient paid up capital can employ one foreigner for every four Thai staff.
Thailand is also home to a large number of foreign workers employed on off-shore oil and gas platforms and who fly in and out on a month on, month off basis with most, depending on their nationality, not previously requiring visas.
While it is currently unclear how the stricter adherence to Thailand’s visa regulations will apply to them, it is expected that due to the time between departure and re-entry there will be little impact.
Thailand chat forums immediately went in to overdrive at the previously un-announced change with claims that some people who already had one or more land-crossing permission to stay stamps in their passport had been denied re-entry and told to go and obtain a visa at a Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate before attempting to come back.
Royal Thailand Embassies and Consulates in the region where visa’s can currently be obtained are located in Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Vietnam, though each have different rules they apply, particularly in regard to back-to-back visas.
Rise in Destitute Foreigners
In recent times the number of destitute foreigners living on the streets of Thailand after spending all of their money “living the dream” or pursuing jobs they never obtained has increased dramatically.
Three years ago in response to the increasing number of penniless foreigners, authorities in Phuket City went to the extreme length of building two small bed rooms that they could use as temporary accommodation. In September last year Time, in an article titled Hangover from Hell: Hundreds of Westerners Living on the Streets of Thailand, claimed there were more than 200 homeless western foreigners living in the kingdom.
Late last year the then Public Health Minister, Pradit Sintavanarong, announced the country was mulling the idea of a Bt500 (US$15.33) inbound tourism arrival fee to offset some Bt300 million (US$ 9.198 million) the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) was forced to reimburse hospitals for annually for treating foreigners who did not have the money to pay.
Officials have said the new rules are aimed at preventing people from working illegally in Thailand and from committing crimes. However, with those who overstay their visa faced with a maximum fine of only Bt 20,000 (US$ 613) irrespective of how long they overstay their permission to stay it is yet to be seen whether the new measures will result in more people disappearing “under the radar”, or an increase in paid-for visas being applied for at embassies and consulates throughout the region
Read more: Axe Falls on Thailand Visa Run / Border Hop Residents & Workers http://www.establishmentpost.com/axe-falls-thailand-visa-run-border-hop-residents-workers/#ixzz31jyVftzX
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