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[h5n1]

Pattaya Today reports in latest ed that new reqs in Penang are to provide 3 TRs TOTAL. The article does not state for what duration.

You may be able to scrounge another in the neighborhood but the party is over.

Hopefully the govt has the sanity to go back to issuing multiples in ones home country.

Well, looks like the party is over. Personally there is no way I will ever put 800k in a Thai Bank. I'm quite happy doing a few months here and moving in, its a big world.

At least they were smart enough to wait until Sept to put this thru. Many businesses in PTY will never survive past May 08. I'm already seeing bars and shops closing and speaking with locals and even Neils C has mentioned what a hard go it has been this year. Pattaya business needs the TR runners in a dire way to stay afloat at least half the year. Good luck, my money is going where its wanted.

Edited by PeaceBlondie, 2007-10-02 11:22:53.
To clarify subject under discussion.

[cali4995]

Source:  Pattaya Today  October 1-15th Issue
Online at   http://www.pattayatoday.net

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Visa changes at Thai Penang consulate

News for visa runners & married men

The Royal Thai consulate general in Penang, Malaysia, has indicated that officers there will now limit applications
from foreigners applying to visit Thailand as tourists to just three 60 day visas. A travel agent in Penang, who handles
applications on a daily basis, said The consulate is now counting the number of times they have issued a single entry
60 day visa to an individual. The new limit is three and there will likely be a note in the applicants passport from now
on.   This is not the first time there has been such a crackdown on repeat applications for tourist visas. The logic seems
to be that visit visas are not designed for foreigners seeking residency. It is argued that bona fide retirees with money
in the bank or pension income, foreigners working legally in the kingdom and those with Thai wives and dependants
can apply for one year visas at Thai immigration offices provided they have the requisite documentation and cash back
-up. The current squeeze seems to be aimed at long stay foreigners in Thailand who don't otherwise qualify for long
stay visas, typically men on limited incomes who rely on renewing their visa time and again at Cambodian border posts
or Thai consulates in nearby countries.  Penang has recently grown in popularity as a visa haven and the town has a
growing number of bars catering for visa runners. This trend is now under threat after the recent ruling. Other Thai
consulates and embassies in the region are unlikely to offer more generous visa extensions than Penang. Those in
Cambodia, the Philippines, Laos and Singapore  to name but four  are known to be just as restrictive if not more so.
     An official source said, There seems to be a progressive squeeze against foreign men with very limited resources
trying to live in Thailand. If they don't qualify for one year visas in Thailand, their options of going repeatedly to a
Cambodian border post (30 days on arrival) or getting numerous prior visas in Penang (60 days) are disappearing.
     He added that he advised people in this situation to return to their home countries, usually in Europe, to obtain
multiple entry non immigrant visas which are valid for a year at a time. But we all know, he explained, that many can't
afford the trip or are reluctant to fly home in case they come to official attention at the airport.
     Another consequence of visa squeezes is that some foreigners go into overstay in Thailand as they can't find a way
to renew cheaply. The number of arrests for visa overstayers in Pattaya is rising, but there are no published figures.
     But there is better news from Penang for foreign men married to a Thai woman. They can now obtain a multiple entry
non immigrant "O" visa, valid for a year, provided they take 1. Their original passport (copy of ID page) and two passport
photos; 2. Signed copy of wife's Thai ID card; 3. Signed copy of marriage certificate signed by both parties
(original needs to be shown too); 4. Copy of personal Thai bank book showing at least 400,000 baht
(original also needs to be produced); 5. Confirmatory letter from bank, not more than one week old.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contributor's note: The Pattayatoday is a bit of a tabloid. The generalizations, the
haughty, offensive tone throughout. Quoting official sources who are never named.
Let's face it, Bangkok Post it's not. October 1st is the 1 year anniversary of the
changes so I guess the next few weeks will tell if this is just more bad news.

Edited by cali4995, 2007-10-01 19:32:04.

[ballzafire]

Looks like my hunch was spot on.

Guess it was only a matter of time...

[Manchester]

ballzafire, on 2007-10-01 19:29:16, said:

Looks like my hunch was spot on.

Guess it was only a matter of time...

Quote from  Maestro  ( supermod )

There are many topics on the fact that some Thai consulates in the region are limiting the number of tourist visas issued to the same person. Nothing new here.  Quote.


Of more interest to me in the same paper is the issue of property in the names of companies and the potential pitfalls awaiting buyers who purchase homes from " companies "

Edited by Manchester, 2007-10-01 20:55:54.

[ballzafire]

Manchester, on 2007-10-01 12:49:22, said:

ballzafire, on 2007-10-01 19:29:16, said:

Looks like my hunch was spot on.

Guess it was only a matter of time...

Quote from Maestro ( supermod )

There are many topics on the fact that some Thai consulates in the region are limiting the number of tourist visas issued to the same person. Nothing new here.

Yes, I know.

It's the overall trend, mate.  

I decided that if Penang blows, it's 'final call'.  

I won't wait 'til Laos joins the chorus...

[The Professor]

Would something like this not affect hoards of people? I think this thread may see hundreds of visitors

[taxexile]

Quote

There seems to be a progressive squeeze against foreign men with very limited resources
trying to live in Thailand. If they don't qualify for one year visas in Thailand, their options of going repeatedly to a
Cambodian border post (30 days on arrival) or getting numerous prior visas in Penang (60 days) are disappearing.

....... and this , i believe , can only be a good thing for thailand.

[The Professor]

Sure, it's a tremendously phenomenal thing for anyone who has a long term visa. Good for Thailand? This I don't think so.

[ballzafire]

taxexile, on 2007-10-01 13:09:25, said:

....... and this , i believe , can only be a good thing for thailand.

Ah, here they come,

The 'holier-than-thou', 'I got mine so what's wrong with you' crowd...

We non-working, non-qualifying for O  or R visas kind of people just don't belong here spending our savings or investment income, all the while abiding by the rules.

It just ain't right...

[The Professor]

ballzafire, on 2007-10-01 21:28:10, said:

taxexile, on 2007-10-01 13:09:25, said:

....... and this , i believe , can only be a good thing for thailand.

Ah, here they come,

The 'holier-than-thou', 'I got mine so what's wrong with you' crowd...

We non-working, non-qualifying for O  or R visas kind of people just don't belong here spending our savings or investment income, all the while abiding by the rules.

It just ain't right...

I was thinking the exact same thing when I read that post. Didn't take him long to come out of the woodwork with his useless comment

[tropo]

taxexile, on 2007-10-01 21:09:25, said:

....... and this , i believe , can only be a good thing for thailand.

Why? Care to elaborate.

[sohn]

This is not good news.
I would just love to tell Toxic to go on a visa run from london right now.
Amazing Thailand.

[JimsKnight]

Sorry boys but writings now on the wall, either you like it or you lump it.
I, for one, won't be lumping it just yet

[pointofview]

taxexile, on 2007-10-01 21:09:25, said:

Quote

There seems to be a progressive squeeze against foreign men with very limited resources
trying to live in Thailand. If they don't qualify for one year visas in Thailand, their options of going repeatedly to a
Cambodian border post (30 days on arrival) or getting numerous prior visas in Penang (60 days) are disappearing.

....... and this , i believe , can only be a good thing for thailand.

I dont have any problem with obtaining a visa - but your attitude to those less fortunate is disgusting to say the very least.  Where do you get such a mean spirit from

[sriracha john]

No indication on the time frame for the issuance of the 3 tourist visas.  Is this over a year's time? A three year time frame?

Or for the entire lifetime of the passport holder?



*Edit*  With apologies to OP, is it possible for a Mod to have the thread title rewritten in order to put forth the issue more clearly,
PLEASE?

It seems obvious to me that if the information being put forth was more clearly delineated in the thread title, there would be a far greater response to this thread.  
Thank you.

Edited by sriracha john, 2007-10-02 06:07:47.

[mopenyang]

cali4995, on 2007-10-01 19:09:30, said:

Source:  Pattaya Today  October 1-15th Issue
Online at   http://www.pattayatoday.net

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Visa changes at Thai Penang consulate

News for visa runners & married men

The Royal Thai consulate general in Penang, Malaysia, has indicated that officers there will now limit applications
from foreigners applying to visit Thailand as tourists to just three 60 day visas. A travel agent in Penang, who handles
applications on a daily basis, said The consulate is now counting the number of times they have issued a single entry
60 day visa to an individual. The new limit is three and there will likely be a note in the applicants passport from now
on.   This is not the first time there has been such a crackdown on repeat applications for tourist visas. The logic seems
to be that visit visas are not designed for foreigners seeking residency. It is argued that bona fide retirees with money
in the bank or pension income, foreigners working legally in the kingdom and those with Thai wives and dependants
can apply for one year visas at Thai immigration offices provided they have the requisite documentation and cash back
-up. The current squeeze seems to be aimed at long stay foreigners in Thailand who don't otherwise qualify for long
stay visas, typically men on limited incomes who rely on renewing their visa time and again at Cambodian border posts
or Thai consulates in nearby countries.  Penang has recently grown in popularity as a visa haven and the town has a
growing number of bars catering for visa runners. This trend is now under threat after the recent ruling. Other Thai
consulates and embassies in the region are unlikely to offer more generous visa extensions than Penang. Those in
Cambodia, the Philippines, Laos and Singapore  to name but four  are known to be just as restrictive if not more so.
     An official source said, There seems to be a progressive squeeze against foreign men with very limited resources
trying to live in Thailand. If they don't qualify for one year visas in Thailand, their options of going repeatedly to a
Cambodian border post (30 days on arrival) or getting numerous prior visas in Penang (60 days) are disappearing.
     He added that he advised people in this situation to return to their home countries, usually in Europe, to obtain
multiple entry non immigrant visas which are valid for a year at a time. But we all know, he explained, that many can't
afford the trip or are reluctant to fly home in case they come to official attention at the airport.
     Another consequence of visa squeezes is that some foreigners go into overstay in Thailand as they can't find a way
to renew cheaply. The number of arrests for visa overstayers in Pattaya is rising, but there are no published figures.
     But there is better news from Penang for foreign men married to a Thai woman. They can now obtain a multiple entry
non immigrant "O" visa, valid for a year, provided they take 1. Their original passport (copy of ID page) and two passport
photos; 2. Signed copy of wife's Thai ID card; 3. Signed copy of marriage certificate signed by both parties
(original needs to be shown too); 4. Copy of personal Thai bank book showing at least 400,000 baht
(original also needs to be produced); 5. Confirmatory letter from bank, not more than one week old.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contributor's note: The Pattayatoday is a bit of a tabloid. The generalizations, the
haughty, offensive tone throughout. Quoting official sources who are never named.
Let's face it, Bangkok Post it's not. October 1st is the 1 year anniversary of the
changes so I guess the next few weeks will tell if this is just more bad news.

I can't seem to find this article in the online edition.  In what section is it posted?

[sumrit]

cali4995, on 2007-10-01 19:09:30, said:

But there is better news from Penang for foreign men married to a Thai woman. They can now obtain a multiple entry
non immigrant "O" visa, valid for a year, provided they take 1. Their original passport (copy of ID page) and two passport
photos; 2. Signed copy of wife's Thai ID card; 3. Signed copy of marriage certificate signed by both parties
(original needs to be shown too); 4. Copy of personal Thai bank book showing at least 400,000 baht
(original also needs to be produced); 5. Confirmatory letter from bank, not more than one week old.

It seems they might have realized their mistake in cancelling the 400k baht visa extention option for people married to a Thai so now they're bringing it back in a slightly different form. They will just have to do 90 day visa runs instead of visits to to the immigration office and take a trip to Penang every 15 months but at least it means people can stay if they have money in the bank but no 40k per month income.

[Gimbo]

But how to open a Thai bank account without a WP and Visa in the first place?  

[cali4995]

Mopenyang, Go to the front page,

http://www.pattayatoday.net  and then you must click
on "more..." in the red type to get the rest of the stories.

SrirachaJohn, makes an interesting point, the last time I
was at immigration, I very much got the impression that
my entire visa history in my passport was being evaluated
as a measure of my "goodness". Despite the fact that this
is not "one trip". And how do you bunch together visits
anyway when you force people to leave the boundaries of
the country every 1-2-3 months? I'll stop my bitc_ing.  

[sriracha john]

Might I propose a thread title change to:

Penang Consulate To Limit Issuance of Tourist Visas To Three




*edit*

Second article at:

http://www.pattaya2d...o...ews&id=2524

Edited by sriracha john, 2007-10-02 08:10:47.

[gzu88bv]

sriracha john, on 2007-10-02 07:01:43, said:

No indication on the time frame for the issuance of the 3 tourist visas.  Is this over a year's time? A three year time frame?

Or for the entire lifetime of the passport holder?

Laos' (Vientiane and Savannakhet) rule is 2 (two) back to back TR's within 12 months and this since August 2006 already. Question now is how these people would handle a case if somebody came along with 2 back to back TR's from Penang within a 12 months time frame.

[LivinLOS]

Well.. As sad as this is, its exactly as I predicted..

First they came for the visa runners.. And I said nothing.. Etc..

[cclub75]

LivinLOS, on 2007-10-02 10:51:34, said:

Well.. As sad as this is, its exactly as I predicted..

First they came for the visa runners.. And I said nothing.. Etc..

Yes, and you were not alone.

At least, we could hope that peole will understand that there is a plan and a trend. And both are very clear.

It's impossible to say (even by thai standards) "back to back 30 days visa exemptions" are forbidden. And meanwhile, leaving the solution of the back to back tourist visas (or a mixing of both)...

It makes no sense.

I remember last october, they were already saying : if you stay less than 180 days per year, you are tourist. More, you are a resident (different ball game).

It's a basic rule, all around the world.

Thai Immigration is working step by step, quietly, in order to not create panic and to save face. And this is probably on that point that we can critizise them : they're deliberatly creating uncertainty, a fog... Instead, of being straight.

But again, don't be fooled.

Pattaya Today might be a shaddy newspaper, and the report might be 70 % true... it doesn't matter. It will happen.

Edited by cclub75, 2007-10-02 11:05:43.

[ballzafire]

I've just emailed the consulate requesting official word about this supposed new change.  I will  post the reply if and when I receive it.

I would encourage other concerned individuals to contact them and request verification as well.  Maybe it will help stimulate a more offiicial response from them.

Royal Thai Consulate-General,
No.1, Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman,
10350 Penang, Malaysia.
Tel : (094) 226-8029,9484
Fax : (094) 226-3121


I don't know about you, but this is the dividing line for me.  If it IS true, then it's 'bye, bye Thailand' for me...

[cali4995]

"The Fog of War"

The fog of war is a term used to describe the level of ambiguity in situational awareness experienced
by participants in military operations. The term seeks to capture the uncertainty regarding own capability,
adversary capability and adversary intent during an engagement, operation or campaign.

gee, that actually does seem to describe it pretty well.