Thailand travellers face visa turmoil
Author: 3D World
Friday, September 15, 2006
Western travellers visiting and living in Thailand will no longer be able to do ‘visa runs’ to stay in the country indefinitely, under new laws announced this week targeting budget travellers. Under the new scheme ‘farangs’ (foreigners) will be allowed to stay between 45 and 90 days then wait 90s days before being allowed back in the country, with potentially dramatic consequences for the thousands living off the international traveller/ party circuit.
“The new law means that any westerners here, regardless of whether they are earning money from abroad or working here, will only be allowed to enter the country three times without a Visa,” said Skrufff man-in-Bangkok Bee.
“A lot of the long-term resident ravers will get a wake-up call and have to take a trip home. People working in bars, clubs and cafés will also have difficulties if they don’t get proper work permits (which would never be issued to them for such work). There are also a lot of western DJs here, many of whom also promote clubs or run clubs who will also be affected,” Bee predicted.
And if somebody can’t pay the overstay fee, they could be tossed into the IDC- the International Detention Center, which is one of the worst prisons in the country.”
Visa specialist organisation Thaivisa.com confirmed that new rules mean visitors will be limited to three trips per six months (however brief) and also warned of dire consequences for over-stayers.
“While there is little problem with it if you 'surrender' yourself to Immigration at the airport, it can be a very different story if you are stopped by the police beforehand for whatever reason and are found to have overstayed – no matter for how long,” they stressed,
This may well lead to you being detained in one of the feared Immigration Detention Center for a few days while your case is processed. Needless to say, this is an experience you can well do without, as conditions inside have been described by Amnesty International as 'cruel and degrading' and 'seriously overcrowded’,” they pointed out.
www.skrufff.com Tags