Thai Immigration Clarifies 90-day Rule Change

PHUKET: -- Following a spate of complaints from confused foreigners entering Thailand on

This is only a little more clear than a glass of mud. Also note that it came out of Phuket, not Bankok.

It is exactly consistent with what we were told and was being discussed on the Forum back in September last year, and which took effect from 1st October last year.

They did say then that it was actually 90 days, as opposed to 3 on arrival stamps (visa exemptions), even if it now sounds like they weren't actually counting the days, just the number of stamps (VE's).

It's perhaps useful that GF has had to renew her passport very recently, before coming back on a "stamp on arrival" (VE). Hopefully that may have inadvertently zero'd the count!!

rickfarang wrote:This is only a little more clear than a glass of mud. Also note that it came out of Phuket, not Bankok.

but somewhere in that mess, it says it changes april 1 - Well the one I read did, not about to read another.

They are just adding to the confusion by adding statements like this.
The whole thing has got ridiculous.
It could be simplified by saying you get xx free visas per calender year and can stay up to 30 days each. Any more than that and you are a frequent visitor so get a proper visa. Whether you stay 3 days or 30 days per time is irrelevant as its a free visa.
All this counting days and expiry periods and limited number of entries is mega confusing for both immigration staff and travellers alike.

This gets rid of the freeloaders (as they are trying to do) and still gives a number of free entries per year (say for example - four) and therfore makes frequent visitors apply for the correct (paid for) visa also.

It HAS to be easier than the current system (if thats what it can be called)