”As of the 1st of October…tourists from 41 designated countries can still enter Thailand without visas and stay for up to 30 days, but their entry stamps will be renewable twice at most for a maximum stay of 90 days. (unlike before you could do this endlessly)
Tourists who stayed for 90 days must leave the kingdom for at least 90 days before being permitted to re-enter Thailand, Suwat said. ”
Check this webpage for more info about Visas for Thailand.
What do I think? We are outsiders, most of us fell in love with this country and would love to stay. Unfortunately not all Farangs are rich. I think that if getting a visa, leaving the country etc is going to cost more than a person can earn eg. by teaching english, alot of foreigners will be forced to leave…. A loss for Thailand…
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I don’t disagree with this law. Thailand has been very lax about letting people just cross the border and renew their visas - some stay for years at a time.
Any English teacher that wants to teach in Thailand at a reputable school should be sponsored by the school, including visa.
Yes, I think this is to prevent people from staying indefinitely and working illegally. People who want to live there and work are supposed to get the proper visa.
Yes people are ’supposed’ to get the proper visa. But the fact it is that Thailand had made it so that people could just stay here and work regardless. I’ve been working here for 3 years, not as an English teacher, but with a pretty good job on a tourist visa. Why? Well, rightly or wrongly there was nothing to stop me doing so.
I’ve opened bank accounts and I’ve rented flats and no one has ever questionned it. Try doing this in Singapore or Malaysia? Not a chance. So, if they made it that easy and acceptable why would we try to legalise ourselves? I also know people that teach at very reputable schools who choose to stay with tourist visas and the schools have no problem with this because they save money. Can you imagine the impact this is going to have on language schools now that they have to first pay their teachers more to meet the work permit salary requirements, not to mention the cost of the work permit itself? I’d be surprised if the cost of language courses isn’t going to increasae as a result.
Of course, I think it’s nuts that Thailand has been this relaxed about the situation and it’s about time they bucked up. Of course this affects me but I’m certainly not feeling sorry for myself, I was always very aware that this could happen and I’m fortunate enough to have another good job to go to.
I also think that you can’t really blame the people for having abused the system, because who is at fault here was the system who made it acceptable for people to live like this.
End of rant
Listen to you commentors and your self righteousness (sp).
Here is what the laws will do for Thailand:
1) destroy it’s rep as Asia Travel Hub. If people cannot pass through on stamps more than 3 times in a row, it will force the many thousands of backpackers and business men who use BKK as a hub to go elsewhere
2) knock on effect, people will prefer to fly to KL or SG or HK. Airline industry and airport is hit, and hard. Jobs are lost. The borders become quiet, as do the embassies and consulates. Jobs are lost.
3) from these two, business and tourism takes a hit. Less tourism, less hotels, less hostels, less restaurants, less shops, less markets, less *everything*. Jobs are lost. Those scummy stall holders selling pirate DVDs? Back to begging. Oh, except, there’s less tourists to feel guilty and give the beggers $$$.
4) 90% of english teachers leave. Thailand’s language education goes even further down the drain. You may not like the current crop of dirty old men teaching your thais, but it’s a damn site better than *nothing*
5) With people less likely to visit / use Thailand as a great destination, or a place to teach, what is left? A corrupt government that can’t make a decision and a race that is too lazy for it’s own good. The only things that keep these two items in check is the no.1 industry: tourism. That’s greatly reduced.
What’ll you do now? Welcome to Thailand. Less of a country, less of a destination. Insular and still corrupt. Nice place. Enjoy.
It’s all very well to have “morals” but remember: eventually, something’ll happen that’ll effect *you* and because you looked down on others at one point, no-one’s gonna care about your fate.