Important *New* Thai Visa Information

In order to limit the amount of foreigners using \\\"back-to-back\\\" border runs, Thai Immigration has issued a new regulation regarding the 30 days tourist exemption.

Effective immediately, travellers without visa will get only 15 days of stay if they are arriving via a land border checkpoint from a neighboring country.

Passengers arriving via an international airport will obtain a 30 days stay, and for them there is no change.

Travellers with Malaysian passports will obtain a 30 days stay.

This police order number 778/2551 is today confirmed by Royal Thai Police, Immigration Bureau, in Bangkok.

-- thaivisa.com 2008-12-04 Reply to this

Mel,

I looked for a thread in the Asia forum, but couldn't find it--that is why I posted mine in the Asia forum. I figured that is where folks travelling to Thailand would be looking.

John Reply to this

in the times on wed on page 35 there was a clip that said visa is only 15 days now if enter thailand on land and that you had to obtain visa now for any time longer. any clues as i intend on being in and out of thailand for 4 months soon,help Reply to this

When you fly in you still get a free 30 days if you are from most western countries.

There is some additional info on this link:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Thai-visas-residency-work-permits-f1.html

Seems kind of stupid that Thai immigration would change the 30 day policy to 15 days when tourism is down so much but who knows!

There is a category that describes things that are done in Thailand that defy logic. T.I.T.

Link to explain T.I.T.

http://www.thaizer.com/culture-shock/this-is-thailand/ Reply to this

It's already come in. They introduced it about the 5th December. If you are coming into Thailand overland, i.e from Cambodia, Loas, Malaysia....you only get 15 days. There is rumour that this may mean you can renew the visa unlimited times, but I don't know how true this is. Someone we know went to the border on a visa run last week and got a 15 day stamp.

It doesn't apply to flying though.

If you go to a Thai consul in your home country you can get a 60 day visa. It's not expensive, in the UK we paid £25. I think you can then get an extension to this, but I don't know for how long. Reply to this

can you buy more??

As well as being able to apply for 60 day visas at Thai consulates before entering thailand, you can probably extend them for a fee at one of the immigration offices in Thailand. Reply to this

This is the most pathetic new rule I've heard. I've just flown from Kuala Lumpur this morning to Langkawi, as I am starting in the south islands and didn't want to fly all the way up to Phuket.
I've only just discovered now I can only get 15 days visa, but if I flew from KL I'd get 30 days, which is annoying as I have just been there. I only wanted to stay in thailand for 30 days. Can I pay just a tiny bit to extend? I read somewhere you can pay 1000 baht for a 2 month visa? Do they want their tourism to fall even further?? 2 weeks to run the gauntlet is ridiculous. Reply to this

Here is a related thread.

Thailand Tourist Visa Chaos Reply to this

Lets all keep each other posted on here ....

That is a great idea. 😊 Reply to this

ok.. I went overland from Langkawi to Satun and got my 15 days visa. I read online the night before that you had to provide an onward ticket out of thailand after the fifteen days and show you have certain funds, well I can confirm this is rubbish. Had no probs at all. Asked the guy about how many times I can come into the country and he said as many times as I like; so you can keep doing visa runs every 15 days if you have the energy. I checked at immigration and you can buy a multiple re-entry visa for 3800 baht (GBP 76). I could have got one there. It seems instead of making thailand more expensive they are getting you as you come in.. easy. Talking of expensive.. can anyone believe how expensive accommodation has got in Koh Lanta?! Hard to find anything for less than 600 baht. I was shocked.
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