Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing, well we're discussing Thai Immigration tightening up checks on foreigners. Let's just dive in here. I thought of making this video after reading a recent article on X from the Bangkok Post X account which is at @BangkokPostNews on X, quoting directly: "Thai Immigration Police are tightening checks on foreigners abusing Visa-free entry by making multiple back-to-back Visa Runs. Those with repeated stays exceeding 45 days or seven consecutive runs may be denied entry."

Well okay, so that's your maximum if you will. We have discussed this in other videos. There was a Decree some years back - I want to say it was, it was about 2018 if I recall - where they came out and said look, if you have a Visa-free, a visa exempt passport, so for example at the time, US, UK had passports that if you travel into Thailand on those passports you got 30 days at entry; that's Visa exempt. The baseline, you always got two of those a year, you got two entries per year; that was by Decree; that was publication in The Royal Gazette. So that was sort of what the baseline is. Now Immigration is saying, "look if we see seven consecutive Visa Runs you have got problems." Okay, so you sort of now know the outer spectrum. That said, quoting further: "Authorities aim to block scammers relocating illicit businesses while ensuring genuine tourists remain unaffected." 

Now if you read this, as we have gotten into in other videos on this channel, they are definitely clamping down on nominee structures involving foreigners who are trying to engage in restricted occupations as well as in land holding and things of this nature. But the thing that really needs to be looked at here is the stays exceeding 45 days. That is a key component of all of this that if you stay, if you do multiple stays exceeding 45 days or even one stay and then you are going to hop out, they're looking at this now. 

What needs to be taken away from all of this, and I urge folks to check out what they check out, Bangkok Post, wherever, do your own research, but what I read from all of this is look scrutiny is high now. I was talking to somebody the other day and they were asking me, "well don't they think this will have an effect on tourism?" Well I think a lot of foreigners overestimate the sort of percentage of the economy that tourism inhabits. It's not as big as people think. It's substantial. They're not cavalier with their tourism industry, but they are also not going to just allow people to live here on effectively non-lawful status, because they want to increase tourism; there's a balance they're going to maintain. What I see, and the thing to take away from this video is especially at immigration checkpoints, you're going to need your ducks in a row especially if you're doing multiple trips into Thailand, especially in a giving calendar year, if you're not in some kind of standard Non-immigrant Visa status. The question then posed is okay what's Non-immigrant Visa status? 

Well Non-Immigrant Visas are visas like standard Retirement Visas, O-A Retirement Visas. You're also looking at visas like the Thai Business Visa; those with Work Permits can maintain extended status in Business Visa status here in Thailand. You're also looking at possibly a Marriage Visa in Thailand; it could be a Non-immigrant Visa. Then there are other types of categories. Thailand Elite, there's also the LTR which is out there; under certain circumstances the DTV may be available to people. Again different visas, different fact patterns will dictate what the most optimal Visa is for a given person, but again those who are trying to stay in Thailand in sort of long-term Tourist Visa status are going to find themselves having a problem. 

That being said, it remains to be seen how this plays out. We will certainly be keeping you updated on this channel as the situation evolves.