Thursday, December 4, 2008

Visa Runner Alert


Nothing unsettles an illegal alien more than the closing of a visa loophole and the Thai Immigration Service seems dedicated to terminating the border runs to Burma, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Laos. These trips have been in existence for as long as I've been coming to Thailand and ceased to be any of my concern once I turned 50 and moved onto a retirement visa, however panic has to have struck the ranks of border-runners by the announcement that from now on farangs without a foreign-issued visa will only receive a 15-day visa extension at the border crossings. Travelers arriving by plane will still get 30 days.

Of course if you remain in Koh Klong or Point Victoria for a week, then you might get another 30-day visa at the border crossing.

One never knows how the immigration officers will interpret their orders.

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

For those traveling to Thailand I would suggest getting a multiple-entry visa before departure or even better an O-visa.

Chok Dee

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