Epril and I did a visa run today: an old-fashioned, out-to-Cambodia visa run. It's the first visa run like that for me in eight months actually.
I couldn't get in touch with my old visa run company, and instead went to Key Visa Run, and they hooked me up with a tour group that does visa runs, called "Good Tour Pattaya."
I can't say it was much fun.
First off, this particular visa run company picks up people all over Pattaya, instead of having all of the visa runners meet at one place. We were picked up at 6:10 a.m. in front of Key Visa on Soi LK Metro, and then we drove around Pattaya for almost an hour picking up more people.
The secret to a good visa run is getting to the border early, before the crowds arrive. NB: The crowds are the people who use Good Tour Pattaya, who delivered van after van after van of visa runners. Instead of a brisk 30 minutes at the border as with earlier visa runs, we were 2 hours. Thus, our total visa run time was extended by an hour at the beginning running around Pattaya, and 90 minutes at the border. Instead of returning back to Pattaya at 1:30 in the aftenoon, it was 4:00.
Also, this visa run company — presumably all visa run companies — now have a bit of a scam going on. Welllll... it's not a scam per se. I have to be careful about that. Let me explain:
Thai border officials can refuse a visa to a person arriving at the border if that person cannot produce a ticket (or other evidence) that shows that he or she will be leaving Thailand within the time period of the visa they are requesting (e.g. 30 days). This is the law... and I believe it always has been; it has just never been enforced.
What I believe the visa companies have done is gone to the border agents and said, "Look: You enforce this law, demand to see an onward ticket, and we'll sell bus tickets (which will never be used) out of Thailand to the people doing the visa runs. You get some money, we get some money. Deal?"
So, when Epril and I got to the border, with no proof to show that we would be leaving Thailand in the next 30 days, we were forced (and I will emphasize legally forced) to buy two 200-baht bus tickets in order to get our 30-day visas.
Now, I will say that it could be the other way around, and the border agents said that they were going to start enforcing the "ticket" law, and told the visa companies to start selling the tickets. Like I said, I use the word "scam" only in the sense that it is an unexpected expense that Epril and I were only told about once we arrived at the border at which point it was too late to do anything about it. Any person who shows up at the border with proper onward ticketing does not have to purchase the 200-baht bus ticket.
All in all though, it is just one more sour visa run experience here in Thailand that I'm really happy to be escaping from. Remember kids: Right now, you can stay in The Philippines for up to 16 months on a single tourist visa, renewing every 2 months for 3,000 pesos in most major cities in The Philippines at the Department of Immigration, including where I'll be living in Cagayan De Oro.
Somebody asked me why I'm moving to The Philippines, and I realized that I really had not explained why. Well, I'll get around to all the reasons at some point, but visa runs and their ever-increasing difficulty here in Thailand is definitely one of the top three reasons.
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6 comments:
I agree its hard to call it a scam so much as its more of an arrangement for the foreigners who they know are there are kind of hope they stay but figure this little hassle is easier to pay instead of creating a fuss and if they created a fuss well, they are probably not really all that welcome there. Reminds me of a fictional account where the local military base puts up a roadblock and walking around with all sorts of high powered weaponry subtly encouraging people as they pass through to buy from the local bake sale, fundraising shows up in all sorts of forms.
It really amazes me that countrie's are so foolish with these silly visa rules. If the demand is thier for so many visa runners why not create a new visa? They could make just as much money off of it as they do the funds generated from visa runners now. It seems like the governments just don't get it. Treat people better and it will improve your economy. Treat people poorly and continue a stagnant or downward lifestyle for your country. It's sad!
from Jakal
Boo hoo. You wouldn't have these hassles or expenses if you did what most respectable people lviing and working in Thailand do and get legal with a proper 1-year visa and work permit. You may work from your home, but you still work here and I'd love nothing more than to read a blog post from you talking about how you were arrested and facing deportation.
Sorry... can't get a work permit, as my company and the work that I do and the income I generate is 100% in America.
You can hope that the ever-increasing number of internet-based employees in Thailand get deported for working here, but I've had this conversation enough times with enough people and mentioned it enough times on this blog that I'm surprised you don't remember:
Thai authorities don't have a rule about internet-based work, and have told me personally when I asked that it is perfectly fine for me to be doing what I am doing. Whether this changes in the future is another thing, but as far as it goes, Thailand doesn't consider me to be working in Thailand: I'm working on the internet. Different place.
Jil, and plus... your paying American Taxes, from an American Company recieving all of its income from the US, not one cent from Thailand, unless it treats a Thai national while in the US. All of the money you are making however doesn't get spent in the US, unless you buy something online from the US, its all going into the local economy. Anyone knowing how economics works would say Thailand has the best end of that deal. Its not like you aren't paying indirectly or directly the various other taxes and foreigner expenses (the cost for native Thailand people vs the foreigner is something I know can be quite an eye opener) so they are getting their money, and in time it won't be Thailand, it will be the Philippines... though things there will be different legally as I am sure you have already researched.
Quite correct, you don't need a WP if all your work is outside Thailand. My position is similar in that my work comes from USA, France and UK.
What happened to all the stuff you were saying last year about getting visas being easy? I remember doubting it at the time but you convinced me and I ate some humble pie over that one. It that scenario still available and just a pain or has it gone?
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