Transcript of the above video: 

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing whether or not Visa Runs are now considered in and of themselves a sort of "red flag" at Thai Immigration. To be clear, I think it is worth pointing out a delineation that I myself have made over the years. I notice that some other woman out there who was in some interview from some visa agency had basically copied my analysis of this; I don't really know why. I have been talking about this for years and it is on the record, so it's like copying that or mimicking that. I guess mimicry is the sincerest form of flattery as they say, but I have talked about this for years. I view there being a difference between Border Runs and Visa Runs. 

So a Border Run is exactly what it sounds like. You run to a border, you cross out, you cross back in, you get new status just based on the crossing. So here in Thailand for example, if you have a Visa exemption stamp, you are basically stamped into the country - you have a passport that allows for lawful status without a Visa - you go to a border, you get stamped out, you get stamped back in, you get another stamp for further lawful status. That is basically what I call a Border Run. A Visa Run is running to a third country, yeah, another country outside of Thailand, it may not be your own country, and basically going through - in the past it was the process of physically going through an Embassy. These days, more and more with the digitization of things, it requires physical presence there while you process your documentation before coming back in. So the thing to take away from this video is we are basically talking about Visa Running here, leaving to get a visa to come back. That's the thing to take away from this. 

Just FYI for folks who are interested, I do have a paid news service I'm currently providing now. It goes into far deeper analysis especially as it pertains to expats here in Thailand with regard to ongoing political developments, ongoing political news, as well as financial news, International financial news, how that plays in with regard to living in Thailand, being an expat in Thailand, and just sort of maintaining oneself on a long-term status in Thailand. If you are interested in our long-form content through the paid news service, please feel free to email us, [email protected], and we'll get you on the mailing list for that. Also, while I'm talking my book here, I think it's worth pointing out, my better half and I have set up a restaurant here in downtown Bangkok for those who are interested in American Diner style food and breakfast anytime, Pancake Palace. As the name implies, we have pancakes, but we have also got American style breakfast, hash browns, bacon and eggs, that kind of thing; we've also got English style breakfast, we have got a good big English breakfast for anybody that's interested in that. We also have American Diner style food at Pancake Palace. We've got chilli bowls, we've got in my opinion the best buffalo wings in Bangkok, as well as hamburgers, cheeseburgers and the like, and grilled cheese sandwiches - something that is kind of hard to get for Americans out here who like that kind of thing. Pancake Palace, the Link is in the description below, come on down and see us sometime. 

Now getting into this. I thought of making this video after reading a recent article from the Bangkok Post, bangkokpost.com, the article is titled: Immigration expands fast lanes at Thai airport as student tourism picks up. Quoting directly: "Quote: "The fast lanes are now being utilized more broadly to support smoother processing for family groups visiting for tourism. Students and their families typically arrive with clear travel plans, confirmed accommodation, and return tickets and have no prior record of visa misuse or "Visa Runs", Pol. Maj. Gen. Choengron said." So this is an official within Thai Immigration and I think it was worth pointing out. I urge those who are watching this video by the way, go check out that Bangkok Post article, read that in full. The thrust of it gets into so-called education tourism, which I actually think is a good thing. I think promoting Thailand as an education hub is much akin to promoting it as a medical tourism hub. I think it's a good overall strategy; I think it's a good idea, so that I think is worth pointing out in and of itself. 

But again, it's the fact that this official from Immigration specifically pointed out Visa Runs as something that would be akin to sort of a "red flag". I thought that was definitely noteworthy and something to make a video on. Now I'm not so sure that this person delineates specifically between what I would call Border Running and Visa Running, that somebody that goes out, gets a proper visa and comes back in is necessarily a red flag. But I think it's worth noting, there is increased stringency if you will with regard to the scrutiny that's being applied at immigration checkpoints here in Thailand and those folks who are viewed as basically sort of gaming the system by trying to do a border run, go out come, back in, those folks may be looked at a little more closely, with a little bit more suspicion by Immigration Officers at given checkpoints. How do you deal with this? Well one of the best ways to deal with it is to get into a standard sort of Non-immigrant Visa. For those who are over 50 years old a standard Thai Retirement Visa can be very useful. If you are looking to work here in Thailand, it is a good idea to seriously consider a Business Visa with a Work Permit; if you are married to a Thai national, an O Marriage Visa can be very useful for that kind of thing.

Again, there are many major options with regard to Immigration. Thailand Elite, you can just buy in for a long-term visa. Long-term Residence Visas: there are all kinds of options. The Destination Thailand “Visa” so-called which to my mind isn't really a Visa; it's kind of a mixed bag. I have discussed in other videos, it's not really working out the way it was advertised. That said, there could be other options out there, so those that are sort of overwhelmed by all this, it may not be a terrible idea to contact an Immigration professional, gain some insight and guidance into how best to proceed.