Thailand Visa Rules Changing for US and Others
Sep 18, 2006, 11:01 am
#31
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Bangkok, San Francisco
Posts: 721
Originally Posted by transpac
Trajan and his team of lawyers are viewing and interpreting the new rules optimistically, assuming Thai Immigration officials actually have thought through the impacts of their decisions. While I am an not personally affected, I do hope that this optimistic view comes to pass. However, I consider the people at SunbeltAsia to be very reliable, and their position today is that each stay, no matter how brief, will count as 30 days, and you get three stays, for a maximum of 30 days each, in any 180 day period, and your fourth arrival can occur no sonner than 90 days after your first arrival.
(s).
also see this website report: interview article
this is an interview (last Saturday, Sept 16th) with Immigration Police Major Suppachai Paladech ....he clearly stated "days" are referenced, not "stamps"...
also, last Friday, Sept 15th, it appears that the head of Thailand's Immigration Bureau Police Lt. General Suwat Tumrongsiskul also confirmed at a press conference at the Imperial Queens Park Hotel in front TV reporters (including Thai Channel 11 and iTV) that "days" wil be counted, NOT "stamps".
the foregoing appears to confirm my lawyers' opinions...
you may wish to re-consult "SunbeltAsia" whether they have changed their opinion...
[I am also not affected by this (I now have a Permanent Residence book), but I have several friends and acquaintances who are interested..]
please refer to my earlier post #19...I also noted that I thought it would be difficult to implement counting "days" instead of "stamps"...(but the opinion from the lawyers was that it was nevertheless "days" not "stamps"....)
Last edited by Trajan; Sep 18, 2006 at 11:16 am
Sep 19, 2006, 12:04 am
#33
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Bangkok, San Francisco
Posts: 721
Originally Posted by transpac
However, I consider the people at SunbeltAsia to be very reliable, and their position today is that each stay, no matter how brief, will count as 30 days, and you get three stays, for a maximum of 30 days each, in any 180 day period, and your fourth arrival can occur no sonner than 90 days after your first arrival.
Sep 24, 2006, 3:51 am
#34
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Posts: 12,375
Not that it will likely have any impact on the visa changes disucssed in this thread, but Immigration Police chief Pol Lt-Gen Suwat Thamrongsrisakul was among many senior officials removed from their posts by the military regime.
http://www.bangkokpost.co.th/News/24Sep2006_news00.php
http://www.bangkokpost.co.th/News/24Sep2006_news00.php
Sep 25, 2006, 6:54 pm
#35
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Texas
Programs: Hilton Diamond
Posts: 514
Attention American Citizens:
The Thai Immigration Bureau recently announced a change in Visa Regulations that is scheduled to go into effect on October 1, 2006. This change will affect citizens of 39 countries, including American citizens, who are exempt from obtaining a Thai visa prior to entering Thailand. Effective October 1, 2006, American citizens who enter Thailand without a visa will be allowed to stay in Thailand for 30 days per visit as before. However, the total duration of stay in Thailand for American citizens who enter Thailand without a visa cannot exceed 90 days in any six-month period, counting from the date of first entry.
American citizens who wish to remain in Thailand for longer than 90 days during any six-month period will be required to obtain a valid Thai visa from a Thai Embassy or Consulate that is authorized to issue visas. The U.S. Embassy advises all American citizens who wish to obtain a Thai visa to contact the Thai Immigration Bureau for exact visa requirements and regulations. Persons who do not comply with the new visa regulations risk being denied reentry to Thailand at the border.
The U.S. Embassy has been attempting to seek clarifications and additional information from the Thai Immigration Bureau regarding the change in visa regulations. To date the Embassy has been unable to determine whether American citizens who have been in Thailand for 90 days or longer without a visa before October 1, 2006 will be considered to have reached their 90-day limit on October 1, 2006, or whether the 90 days will start from the first time the American citizen crosses the border into Thailand after the new regulation goes into effect. When/if the Embassy receives a definitive answer to this question we will post that information on the Embassys web site at: http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/index.htm.
On a related note, while most border crossings in Thailand are open as normal, the September 19 coup in Thailand has caused intermittent closures at some border crossings. Border crossings into Burma are primarily affected by these closures, but the Embassy has also received sporadic reports of closures at some border crossings on the Lao and Cambodian borders. American citizens traveling by land to neighboring countries are advised to check at the border crossing point where they wish to cross the border to ensure that the border crossing point is open for business in both directions. Please note that in some instances a border crossing point has been open for business on the Thai side of the border, but closed on the neighboring side.
To subscribe or unsubscribe to this list, go to:
http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/embassy/acsemaillist.htm
The U.S. Embassy Consular Section is located at 95 Wireless Road, Bangkok 10330, Thailand (Nearest BTS Skytrain station: Phloen Chit). The Consulate General is located at 387 Wichayanond Road, Chiang Mai 50300, The telephone number is 66-53-252-629.
American Citizen Services Unit Window Hours:
Monday - Friday, 7:30 - 11 AM and 1 - 2 PM
Note: The ACS unit in Bangkok will be CLOSED on September 29, and October 4, 23 and 27.
Tel: +66-2-205-4049 Fax: +66-2-205-4103
The telephone number for the Consulate General in Chiang Mai is +66-53-252-629.
E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
The Thai Immigration Bureau recently announced a change in Visa Regulations that is scheduled to go into effect on October 1, 2006. This change will affect citizens of 39 countries, including American citizens, who are exempt from obtaining a Thai visa prior to entering Thailand. Effective October 1, 2006, American citizens who enter Thailand without a visa will be allowed to stay in Thailand for 30 days per visit as before. However, the total duration of stay in Thailand for American citizens who enter Thailand without a visa cannot exceed 90 days in any six-month period, counting from the date of first entry.
American citizens who wish to remain in Thailand for longer than 90 days during any six-month period will be required to obtain a valid Thai visa from a Thai Embassy or Consulate that is authorized to issue visas. The U.S. Embassy advises all American citizens who wish to obtain a Thai visa to contact the Thai Immigration Bureau for exact visa requirements and regulations. Persons who do not comply with the new visa regulations risk being denied reentry to Thailand at the border.
The U.S. Embassy has been attempting to seek clarifications and additional information from the Thai Immigration Bureau regarding the change in visa regulations. To date the Embassy has been unable to determine whether American citizens who have been in Thailand for 90 days or longer without a visa before October 1, 2006 will be considered to have reached their 90-day limit on October 1, 2006, or whether the 90 days will start from the first time the American citizen crosses the border into Thailand after the new regulation goes into effect. When/if the Embassy receives a definitive answer to this question we will post that information on the Embassys web site at: http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/index.htm.
On a related note, while most border crossings in Thailand are open as normal, the September 19 coup in Thailand has caused intermittent closures at some border crossings. Border crossings into Burma are primarily affected by these closures, but the Embassy has also received sporadic reports of closures at some border crossings on the Lao and Cambodian borders. American citizens traveling by land to neighboring countries are advised to check at the border crossing point where they wish to cross the border to ensure that the border crossing point is open for business in both directions. Please note that in some instances a border crossing point has been open for business on the Thai side of the border, but closed on the neighboring side.
To subscribe or unsubscribe to this list, go to:
http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/embassy/acsemaillist.htm
The U.S. Embassy Consular Section is located at 95 Wireless Road, Bangkok 10330, Thailand (Nearest BTS Skytrain station: Phloen Chit). The Consulate General is located at 387 Wichayanond Road, Chiang Mai 50300, The telephone number is 66-53-252-629.
American Citizen Services Unit Window Hours:
Monday - Friday, 7:30 - 11 AM and 1 - 2 PM
Note: The ACS unit in Bangkok will be CLOSED on September 29, and October 4, 23 and 27.
Tel: +66-2-205-4049 Fax: +66-2-205-4103
The telephone number for the Consulate General in Chiang Mai is +66-53-252-629.
E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]