Visas and Immigration Rules
Everyone claims the visa and immigration rules in Thailand are complex and difficult to understand, this is not entirely true. Whilst yes to read through all of the various rules and regulations make it seem complicated with this category that category the fact is there isn’t a country in the world with simple immigration rules.
The most important thing is non Asians need a visa to enter and here is how to get one, arrive by land and you receive 15 days arrive by air and receive 30 days visa so if you’re here for a short visit to tour then its rather simple.
For those wishing to stay longer it begins to become a little stricter firstly you cannot obtain a visa from within Thailand so you need to either organize this from home a country outside of Thailand. For tourists you can apply for a single entry 90 day visa giving you three months to enjoy Thailand. If you want longer you can apply for a multiple entry which will mean ever 90 days you need to do what’s called a border run (more later) but you will effectively have one year in Thailand.
Many falang come to Thailand to teach and initially you will enter with a Non-Immigration category B visa this will allow you the time to arrive and then you will need to apply for a work permit. The process is the same as tourist you arrive are given the visa stamp and have 90 days to obtain the work permit. There is also a multiple entry option giving you up to a year and again you will need to undertake a border run. If you, your School, or your agency does not complete the process in time then you will be required to undertake a Visa run or face the consequences of overstaying.
Visa Run
When you are coming to the end of your allocated time in Thailand and wish to stay longer then you will need to leave the Kingdom in order to apply for a new visa, this can be costly depending on where you are based. The three closest are Malaysia, Laos and Cambodia but it can take several days to process which will incur hotel and living costs. Essentially the process is that which you will have experienced before, take your documentation and fee and the Thai immigration will process the application.
Border Run
If you have a multiple entry then the process is far simpler you simply take your passport and departure card to one of the many border points in Malaysia, Laos or Cambodia. You will hand over your departure card in Thailand and receive an exit stamp, walk across to Malaysia etc and receive an entrance stamp. From here you can go visit the country if you choose or simply receive an exit stamp then re-enter Thailand. I choose this option as I have heard many tales of people not sorting out the work permit in time so I felt it was the easier option. It really was I went to the border market for the day and shopped received the extra time I needed for my work permit to be processed comparatively my friend required a four day trip to Penang to process a brand new visa at his own cost.
Non-Immigration Visa
Penalties
If you fail to comply with the visa rules then you will be illegal. This means and overstay stamp in your passport which may make entry into other countries difficult. For example Australia which has some of the toughest immigration rules will almost certainly require a full explanation. If you arrive at the airport or border point and are discovered to have been overstaying you will receive a fine of 500THB per day up to a maximum of 20,000THB and receive the overstay stamp.
Granted this may not seem like a great deal of money to some and might consider the risk you really ought to think again. If the police stop you for any reason or if you’re in an accident then you will be required to show your passport. If the police discover that you are not entitled to be in the country you will find yourself in the immigration detention centre until you can pay the fine or secure passage out of Thailand. This may be difficult from within the prison and prisons in Thailand are not easy places to stay even for a short while. Worse still you face the risk of being declared a ‘Persona Non Grata’ which literally means an unwelcome person. If you are declared as such you face a lifetime ban and in serious cases may end up on the secret list commonly known as the “back list” it is virtually impossible to have your name removed from this. If your name appears you are certainly not entering Thailand for a significant period of time and reconsideration or mercy should not be expected. The best thing to do is to adhere to the law.
Conclusion
The immigration rules are really rather simple to follow, granted it may be difficult and confusing while trying to research and find out what to do. However, the information is there and most immigration officials are happy to help. A fellow traveler once told me Thailand doesn’t want falang here that’s why its so difficult. I disagree with this statement not only because I’ve had many positive experiences but because I simply don’t think the visa process is any more difficult than other countries. In fact its far easier than the USA and Australia. It is abundantly clear that Thailand does not want over stayers and rightly so to overstay is to break the law and there’s really no excuse. Thailand is very lenient compare to many Western countries in that if you voluntarily submit to immigration you only receive a fine and a bad stamp and you can still re enter. This would certainly not happen in the UK.
There is several other categories of visa should you wish to reside as a retiree, working holiday visa, specified country visa, and a three year non-immigration visa which were not discussed but information is freely available regarding these particular visas.
It is evident if you want to come to Thailand follow the rules rightly or wrongly Thai prisons follow a strict regime and it’s the last place you want to end up even if only for a day or two.
Mai Bepn Rai
primafacielaw 