hunter8 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 24, 2020 2:10 pm

Jamie_Lambo wrote: ↑Fri Jan 24, 2020 2:04 pm

hunter8 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 24, 2020 1:21 am

Jamie_Lambo wrote: ↑Fri Jan 24, 2020 1:14 am i flew in to Thailand 5 or 6 times last year, each time on the 30 day visa exempt stamp, and i extended the stamp twice at the immigration office, no problems

Hmm... “real tourists“ don’t do that.
And how many temples have you seen?

i go to the temples often, have done for years, when i lived in SHV i used to go alone at least once a month to give offerings and gain merit
i went to Wat Huai Yai two weeks ago

Oh. In that case you may have a privilege of more that 3 visa exempt entries. But i am not sure. Phuketrichard is the highest authority to know who is true and who is not. Let’s wait for his reply if you are still welcome in Thailand.

Those who arrive at the airport without a prior visa will continue to receive a 30-day stamp up to 6 times per calendar year. Extensions at Thai Immigration for the visa exemption stamps remain to be 30 days for a fee of 1,900 baht.

hunter8 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 24, 2020 2:39 pm Nah! According to phuketrichard, it’s only 3 visa exempt entries per calendar year to be a “real tourist”. I trust him as he’s been living in Thailand for ages.

Jamie_Lambo wrote: ↑Fri Jan 24, 2020 3:35 pm

hunter8 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 24, 2020 2:39 pm Nah! According to phuketrichard, it’s only 3 visa exempt entries per calendar year to be a “real tourist”. I trust him as he’s been living in Thailand for ages.

i must of missed that post, what is meant by "real tourist" what is an unreal tourist? someone who books a holiday then doesnt go on it? or someone who goes on holiday but stays in their room the whole time? lol

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Fri Jan 24, 2020 4:37 pm

hunter8 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 24, 2020 3:41 pm

Jamie_Lambo wrote: ↑Fri Jan 24, 2020 3:35 pm

hunter8 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 24, 2020 2:39 pm Nah! According to phuketrichard, it’s only 3 visa exempt entries per calendar year to be a “real tourist”. I trust him as he’s been living in Thailand for ages.

i must of missed that post, what is meant by "real tourist" what is an unreal tourist? someone who books a holiday then doesnt go on it? or someone who goes on holiday but stays in their room the whole time? lol

“Real tourists” are opposite of those coming to “scam the system”. According to phuketrichard the latter are anyone who uses more than 3 visa exempt entries per year. Doesn’t matter that they pay all expenses, hotel, eat in Thai places, use Thai services, they are no good and not welcome. According to phuketrichard.

The difference is Jamie flies back to the uk after a brief visit to Thailand, someone that merely crosses or flies to laos, Malaysia, Cambodia etc and returns the same or next day is thought of as abusing the system, often, (as reported in the media an on thai visa) these people are singled out by immigration and asked what they are doing in thailand and sometimes told to get the "correct" visa. These people are refereed to by immigration, ( not just me) as not being "real tourists".
After 3 back to back, "visa exempt entries" good chance you will be questioned by immigration. If they let you in, great, if not....get the right visa..

Look, everyone can believe what you want, ( i really don' give a shit) but just cause a UK website says 6 entrees /year does not mean they will allow you back to back visa exempt entrees, EVEN if you fly in...
Even with a visa, its always up to the discretion of the immigration officer to let you in.

Hunter, you can read into what i write anyway you want to, argue all you want, no sweat off my back

monomial wrote: ↑Thu Jan 23, 2020 11:15 pm

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Thu Jan 23, 2020 5:31 pm

Alex wrote: ↑Thu Jan 23, 2020 3:06 pm

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Thu Jan 23, 2020 8:47 am Many of these people complaining about Thailand's visa policy are in one way or another trying to scam the system, some are Nomad workers, (working online from wherever), some are working illegally in Thailand, some, for whatever reason, (usually not enough $$) cant qualify for a legit visa.

That's a bit rich, coming from you, Richard. Based on your very own reports here and elsewhere over the decades, I'd say you've benefited a lot from the relative lack of law enforcement in Thailand yourself.

HUH?
I have always had the correct visa the whole time i have lived here
past 28 years either a wp & Non B visa, having a thai child or Retirement extension and Non O visa
before that, they didn't care if you lived here on a tourist visa and beside during that time i also was traveling between here, HK, Tibet, Nepal, India, Bali, Korea & Europe all the time

...This is a 72 year old woman who comes to Thailand once every 2 years at the most. The officer grilled her because she couldn't exactly remember my address on her entry form.

ok, sad for her but,,, gf sister, husband and sisters, kids visited us last year, they also didn't write anything on the form as to where they were staying an couldn't contact me, held them up, ( 7 of them) for an hour till eventually he booked a hotel.
Cant blame immigration for doing their job.. It is what it is....

Your statement was that "immigration doing their job" (as you say above) was not having an effect on "real tourists". That only people trying to cheat and scam were being affected by immigration policies. By your own story though, that is not the case. 20 years ago when Western tourism was at its highest, there were no such incidents. Increasingly draconian immigration is most definitely affecting Thai tourism and the perception by those overseas. I absolutely *can* blame immigration for doing an unnecessary job that is harmful to tourism. The fact that it is the new normal doesn't mean you can simply discount its effect.

So you can continue to blame the victim for not being exactly what Thailand wants in a visitor. But as Thailand's stated goal is that they want more tourists, then you must accept their current path towards increasingly aggressive and less welcoming immigration enforcement is not just affecting scammers and cheats. Real tourists are being dissuaded from coming as well.

hunter8 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 24, 2020 4:43 pm Now you are talking some sense. 3 back-to-back visa exempt entries with 1 day between them can raise suspicions of the person working in Thailand, i can agree with that. It’s an important distinction. But 6 exempt entries with 1 month between them should not, in theory, be considered “scamming the system”. Yes, it’s always up to IO.