I noticed the survey on the front page of the site and got curious as to what it was and how it may impact me.

I've looked in a few places, but I can't find something in the forum named exactly that, so I'm unsure of what another name for it might be.

Any help will be appreciated, guys.

I presume you mean the VOA rule?
You used to be able to get 30 'free' visas indefinitely, and people had been living here for years doing just that - and making a quick trip to Laos or Cambodia every 30 days then getting another 'free' 30 day visa again and again and again.
Now they want long term stayers to have the correct visa and have limited the 'free' 30 day visa to a maximum of only 3 in any 180 day period. Meaning you can stay here 90 days (with two 'border runs inbetween) and then you will be refused entry a 4th time unless you have a correct visa (ie Tourist visa etc)
It is (I believe) possible to have your 3 30 day VOA stamps then go to a neighbouring country and get a tourist visa (60 days), extend it for 30 days - making 90 days and then go back onto the VOA game. Its a heck of a lot of messing about and puts tons of cash into the pockets of neighbouring countries for visa fees to Laos and Cambodia - but the Thais don't seem to have caught onto that yet and devised a system where you pay Thailand to stay here, not neighbouring countries !
When you enter on 'free' VOA's, you will be given a mark in your passport, when you have 3 of these - you will be denied as fourth entry unless you have a 'paid for' visa.
Could be embarassing if you have been to laos for the day and are refused entry back into Thailand at dinner time

Thanks, Paul. I wasn't sure if that was it or not. Looks like it's better to just go through the proper process to begin with ... Don't want to risk being late for dinner!

Appreciate the quick response!

Paul I am not sure if what you say is strictly correct. My understanding is that Thai immigration are counting the number of days (maximum 90), not the number of entries (eg 3) on VOAs in a 180 day period.

So for example, you could enter 3, 6 or 10 times on VOAs in that period, provided you have not exceeded the 90 days in total. Not sure how they keep a rolling total of days however

Happy to be corrected if my understanding is wrong

jack

As with Ricohoc question, I have always wondered what the VOA law being discussed within this forum actually was.
I think this law is only enforced at drive over border crossings.

The reason I say this is because I have been traveling and out of Thailand for the past 6 years and I enter on average about 8 times per year. I stay only short periods in Thailand, one or two weeks then return to where ever I am working for 2 to 4 weeks.
I work in the oil industry in Vietnam, Burma and Singapore etc.

Each time I enter Thailand I get a 30 day tourist visa stamp into my passport.
I fly from Bangkok to Udon and travel to my home near Kumpavapi then return to work as required.

I am traveling across a border however I am leaving by plane for at least two weeks. Obviously there is a huge volume of tourist passing through the Bangkok air port and the immigration officers could never remember any individual.
And this could be the reason I have never been questioned by immigration in Bangkok.

I understand the cost to travel by air is far more than it could ever cost to cross the border by land

Therefore I think the day trip visa run by car or foot is only subject to this (rule) or is it just the interpretation of the border immigration officer who can note that he or she just stamped you out of Thailand only hours before or on that same day.

Well I go to BKK last trip Oct 06 from OZ with Thai air, had problem with customs officer ask me where come from, I answered Australia, as she is flicking through passport, you have boarding pass, Yes I do, show her my boarding pass from Bris to BKK, then she says , No stamp no Stamp, she calles over another officer, lots of chatting, and lets me through, Other officer explains she is new and she can not see when I left oz as there is no stamp in Passport.

Last 3 years never noticed that new passport has no exit or entry stamp in from Australia, as the passport uses a chip to record my departure arrival, there you go 3 years after getting new passport I hand over to Oz customs when leaving the look at me and look at passport, same face the give me back passport, NO stamp

So if BKK or other arrival points in Thailand cant read the Aussie Chip, they have no idea when I left, gets a bit tough when you get pulled over by the BIB and all they see in passport is VOA and no others stamps saying I left OZ, just thai stamps , looks a bit sus hence why the new girl questioned it last trip

Interesting that Aussie Boy. I just exited UK via London Gatwick airport. I went through a security check and looked for the immigration counter then suddenly realised I was already in duty free. Thinking I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere I asked at the enquiry desk and was told there is no departure immigration, its been like that over 3 years apparently. I suppose they work on the principle that as your leaving anyway what the hell does it matter whats in your passport.

AussieBoy wrote:Well I go to BKK last trip Oct 06 from OZ with Thai air, had problem with customs officer ask me where come from, I answered Australia, as she is flicking through passport, you have boarding pass, Yes I do, show her my boarding pass from Bris to BKK, then she says , No stamp no Stamp, she calles over another officer, lots of chatting, and lets me through, Other officer explains she is new and she can not see when I left oz as there is no stamp in Passport.

You don't normally get an exit stamp from your country of origin, only exit stamps from visiting countries where you're not a citizen. I hold a British passport and have never received an exit stamp from the UK on both the new chip passport and old style passports.

But Lee, you miss the point, there was no immigration at all, so all nationalities were exiting without passport check.

Previous to 2003 all my passports were stamped when leaving OZ, you can ask for a stamp , I was told on last return, makes it easy when you want to remember when you left your country, old pass port was a good read when I left oz, flick through the pages to fine the corrosponding date when I arrive at destination, the good old days

Immigration now just scan you passport when you put your bags through, But there is a different line for non Oz passport holders to go through. thats progress and saves cost, I still was surprised that I never noticed they stopped stamping, Must have been udon dreaming


Ill be udon dreaming for 8 weeks in June

And loving it

Outback Queensland

Australian Immigration will only stamp you in or out if you ask for a stamp. Maybe the reason is that every stamp has a identifing number and the officer can be traced.

A neal little trick at the duty free shop entering Sydney from overseas. They have a special lane for duty free customers that leads to two immigration counters. It is worth while buying something small to get the use of this speedy exit. I was through in about 5 mins as opposed to lines at other counters 20 to 25 people long.


John

And getting back to the original question about 30 day VOA's to Thailand.
I think the question of whether you get 3 free 30 day stamps or they stand there counting the actual number of days you have been in Thailand each trip until it adds up to 90 days in total is entirely dependent upon which point of entry you use. I have followed this subject closely on other forums and some have had a yellow mark put in their passport for each VOA and after 3 marks thats it; no questions you are out! and others have actually stood there whilst the immigration officer gets a calender out and counts the sum total of your stays in Thailand to see if adds up to 90 days.
Heck if Immigration aren't even sure what the actual rule is - how on earth are we supposed to know !!!!!?

I've never seen anyone (citizen or visitor) get "stamped/processed" out of US. This is why in US it is very easy to overstay your visa. The only way they would know that one has over stayed is by comparing the stamp in of another country on a subsequent trip.

On my last trip to UT I visited Loas for a few days, on return I was told that was my last entry into Thailand on the 3 visa rule, I was nowhere near 90 days in Thailand but was told it was 3 entries on a '30 day visa' not how many days you had been there - snookered my plan for a quick return to Udon after coming back to UK for the new year. I am now having to go to the Thai consulate in Hull (UK) to find out what their position is.
I will post their opinion after my visit.