Update on New Visa Rule

For sure there will changes on visa regulation for foreigners staying in Thailand. The only good thing about this is that Filipinos are not singled out as the one of the reason why changes are necessary. Foreigners of other nationalities are speculating about the reasons for the relatively abrupt changes on visa regulation. The only reason they could think of is that Thailand no longer wants those unwanted aliens in its country. Here is the latest update:

News from the new regulation:
This is coming from the Chief of Immigration.

1.Retirement Visa extension. If you have a foreign married spouse who is a dependent they will be able to get this dependent visa now. ( change of what has been happing the last couple weeks)

2.Retirement visa extension: If you have children under 20. They will no longer be able to get a dependent visa based on you having an extension of stay on retirement. They want these kids to get it based on education so they go to school.

3..Investment Visa extension: Will no longer be available after Oct 1st for new applicants on 3 million Baht.

4. Investment visa extension. For existing extension of stay holders of 3 million Baht, we are now being told this will now be grandfathered in and they will be able to get the extension forever as long as they renew. (Yes I know reversal from several hours ago but the government is aware that people bought condos before on this scheme and now will allow it.)

5.Now the news for frequent visitors: We have checked this upwards and backwards all day and it has been confirmed by a copy of the new regulation we have. If you have a visa on arrival more than three times in six months, you cannot come into Thailand without a visa from an Embassy/Consulate. When you enter Thailand, even if you are here just 1 hour, this counts as 30 days. If you come back 6 weeks later for 2 days, this again is 30 days. If you arrive a month later for 4 days, still counts as 30 days. When you leave, you cannot enter Thailand for 3.5 months without coming back with a visa. The reason is to force people who are supposed to have work permits to do so and pay tax.

Another example; you arrive for a week, this counts as 30 days, One month later 3 days and its 30 days, two months later and its for a two week period, still another 30 days. You can reenter Thailand in 6 weeks without having a visa.

6.On extension of stay based support of a Thai national (Marriage visa), before if you applied for this extension of stay, you would get a 30 day consideration stamp. Once you return in 30 days you would get the one year extension. Now it will be the same as an extension of stay based on business with the norm of three 30 day consideration stamps. Immigration will go out and check to see if it’s a real marriage or a sham before issuing the one year.

7.On an extension of stay based on being a Monk. No dependents will be allowed to get an extension of stay based on being a dependent.

Although Filipinos are not singled out I think they are the ones most affected by these changes. We witnessed this for ourselves, about thousand of Filipinos cross the border in Cambodia every month to get a 30-day permission to stay (the immigration don’t want to call this a 30-day visa anymore). Most of them are English teacher whose employer would not want to spend money for their non-immigrant visa and working permit. Now the question is, do their employers will work on their documents or just happy just to let them see go and replace them with native speakers? I really don’t have an idea. Included here are missionaries who are still using the 30-day tourist visa. If they have not been working on visa yet because they are assured that they all need to do is to exit every month, I think no they are in trouble.

So how this new visa regulation would affect us?

For one, this would mean that extending our non-immigrant visa will be more stressful than before. We might develop an ulcer or have attacks of nervous breakdown every time we report to the immigration. ;-)

Second, Mae Sai would not be as crowded as before. Mae Sai is a border of choice for many foreigners when they need to renew their tourist visa. If the new visa regulation is implemented, maybe tourists may not come here anymore.

Third, Myanmar will lose its number one source of income at least here in Mae Sai. If this will be implemented no tourists will use this border anymore except for those who really want to go touring in Myanmar. The Myanmar government might compensate the lost of income from their citizens who are working in Mae Sai. This may mean more abuse, intimidation and oppression to the migrant workers whom we are working with right now.

Finally, we need to extend our non-immigrant visa as soon as possible. We need to do it before the target date of implementation which is next month. A meeting among immigration officials is set at the 15th of this month. They need to work on the details of implementing this new visa rule. A lot of complications will be avoided if we can do it this week. Please pray for God’s provision.