Transcript of the above video: 

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing, well the sort of there seems to be some foreign interpretation of how Border Run regulations and rules work and people seem to be reading a lot more latitude into this than I think that they really ought to. Let me get to it. 

I thought of making this video after reading a recent article from the Pattaya Mail, that is pattayamail.com, the article is titled: Thai Immigration holidays May 2024. Quoting directly: "Foreigners are reminded that tourists are limited to two entries by Land or Sea in any 12 months period. There is no formal limit by air for tourists, although Immigration Officers at airports can question over-use if they believe a prior visa is called for." 

Yeah, I don't know where folks have gotten this, that there is this massive distinction between land border runs and air border runs. As a practical matter, there always has been because Thai Immigration is always going to be a little bit more vigilant regarding land borders, especially foreigners not from a neighboring land bordering country of Thailand. So on that level, yeah. The Royal Decree that we talked about years ago that came out that said you definitely get two land border runs, fair enough, that is true as far as it goes. But then apparently there is this interpretation that at airports, there is no rule or it is massively more lax. That has never been our experience. I never interpreted that there was really a difference from Immigration standpoint. Immigration was basically saying or the Government I should say was basically saying, with regard to Border Runs period, you can rest assured that two per year, you are basically not going to have much of a problem. Again Immigration Officers always have discretion to deny someone entry based on things like national security and you have got to always have that in the back of your mind but basically the Decree that we talked about some years ago regarding the two entries, I think that was sort of set out as the bedrock. 

Meanwhile, I saw multiple scenarios - especially prior to COVID - where people were going for their third or fourth entry in Thailand and were held up by Thai Immigration. Now only a couple of those that I recall actually saw themselves being bounced out and told to go get a Visa before returning. In many, many cases they basically got pulled into what we call secondary inspection in the American Immigration vernacular and were told "hey next time you come in, get a visa" and then they were allowed to go ahead and enter. But that said, you really don't want to go through that. So this whole notion out there in foreigner land that "oh no, no, by air it's sort of unfettered or it is much more lax”, it's not the way to think about it. Yes I do agree protocol wise, the airports are always going to be easier, more straightforward, maybe putting people under a little bit less scrutiny than you would see along a border, but that said, you should not equate or maybe the right word is conflate that attitude with the notion that it is somehow free and easy in the airports and that it is very much restricted along the land borders. I don't think there is quite that distinction. I think it's a lot more grayer between the two and if anything, I think airport checkpoints look a lot more like border checkpoints than some foreigners would really like to admit.