Transcripts of the above video: 

As the title of this video suggests, this is an ALERT as it looks like Visa Run Protocols are set to change here in Thailand. As a preface to this video, I have delineated in more than one video in the past that I view there being two types of "Runs" if you will: there's a Border Run and there's a Visa Run. Border Run is what you generally refer to when somebody, for example that's on a 60-day basic exemption, they run to the border, they cross the border, they come back in, they get another 60 days. Or they may be using a multi-entry Visa like a multi-entry B or an O, or in the future presumably these new DTVs, every 180 days you have got to leave, come back in. Again, how exactly that's going to play out remains to be seen; I've done a number of videos on that in the past. That said, what we are talking about here is not a Border Run, not where you just running to a border, crossing that imaginary line, coming back in with lawful status. We are talking about a Visa Run here and a Visa Run in my mind is when you leave Thailand, you go to an Embassy, you get a new visa and then you come back to Thailand. And it looks like protocols associated with that at least nearby here in Thailand are changing. I thought of making this video after reading a recent announcement from the Royal Thai Embassy in Vientiane, Laos and we will throw this up on screen:

Announcement of the Royal Thai Embassy, Vientiane, No. 12/2567 Regarding Introduction of Electronic Visa Service (e-Visa) 

Quote: "The Royal Thai Embassy, Vientiane wishes to announce important changes in the visa application process for all Visa types as follows: 

1. Starting January 1 2025, non-Thai nationals who are in Vientiane Capital.." and they list out basically all the places, basically Laos, if you are in Laos. Quoting further: "..and wish to apply for a visa to enter Thailand, must submit their applications for all Visa types through the E-visa system at: and they give the website and everything.
2. Quoting further: "Visa fees must be paid in cash.." - so they're making you use the online system but you have got to pay the fees in cash - “in Thai Baht, at the Consular section of the Thai Embassy during 9.00-12.00 hrs. on working days of the Consular section. Payment may be made by the applicant or another person.
3. The processing time for visa applications submitted through the E-visa system will take 10 - 15 working days.." - now that's a major difference to now. Anybody that has ever done a Visa Run to Laos, and that's a pretty common place to do a Visa Run here in Thailand; Malaysia is another one. Some people go to Cambodia. In the past you would see a lot more Visa Running into Myanmar, more Border Running - just hopping over the Border and hopping back in. These days Myanmar isn't exactly conducive to that as it was in the past, so we're not seeing quite as much of that. But Laos probably accounts for the bulk of Visa Runs coming directly off of Thailand so this is pretty big news. 

In the past, generally speaking, it was an overnight endeavour. You would go in, you would apply for the Visa and they'd either give it to you same day or you would wait and come back the next day and get it issued. 10 to 15 days is what we're looking at now and this brings up another thing that I've been talking about at length in many other videos. The digitization of this stuff never makes it better. Every time you hear the talking about efficiency of this "oh we're taking our government services digital to increase efficiency", that's just code word for making it "more pleasant for us the bureaucrat, to process these things." They don't want to deal with people in person anymore; they don't want to be held to any kind of time frame or be accountable to actually get a Visa issued in some kind of reasonable time period.

Now I could see where there is some policy behind this. We've seen policy shifts regarding Border Running. They're not liking people being able to just maintain ongoing status in Thailand by just hopping out and hopping back in. There's talk now that it's going to take a day or two even on a Border Run to turn around and come back in and get lawful status. Again, this same sentiment if you will or this same theme seems to be permeating this situation with Visa Runs in Laos where they are now making you wait almost two weeks to get a new Visa. Again as I have said before, digitization in my opinion doesn't make anything better for you the individual, for you in the public, okay? That's my only point. Now again I can see policy arguments for all of this stuff but generally speaking, all digitization that I have seen harking back to a quote I've seen before or I have talked about before - I even made a thumbnail on one of the videos we made on here – Janosz Poha from Ghostbusters 2, "everything you're doing is bad, I want you to know this." That's what I think of when I think digitization of bureaucracy. I never see it get more efficient and by the way this is 17 years of US Immigration experience talking too, and especially when they digitized the National Visa Center which the National Visa Center was always a black hole to begin with but digitizing it in my opinion just made it worse. And I'm seeing all kind of Kafkaesque denials and problems with the Immigration system in the US primarily since they went digital. When they were analog before and everything was paper, it really wasn't that bad and they operated pursuant to relevant laws. Now, things get “stuck online” and causes them to be able to make up all kinds of nonsense as to why things aren't working the way that they should because they can blame the online system. They can always point at somebody else. Never ever underestimate a bureaucrat's ability to point at somebody else. That said, quoting further:

             4. "The Royal Thai Embassy will accept Visa applications through the current system until 20th December 2024." And that's the reason for the ALERT because quote: "The Embassy will not accept any Visa applications from 21 - 31 December 2024 to prepare for the transition to the E-visa service." Which going back above starting Jan 1, 2025, that's what we are going to be dealing with. 

So that's the ALERT folks, and if Laos is saying it, I don't think it's outside the realm of possibility to presume that we're going to see this same policy, again I'm not saying it's a foregone conclusion, but I think it is prudent to presume that we could also see this type of policy change at other Embassies and Consulates throughout the world. That said, again to reiterate, not a foregone conclusion so we will be keeping you updated on this channel as the situation evolves.