Integrity Legal

The following was posted on the official website of the US Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand:

At the time of this writing, the US Embassy in Bangkok is closed to those seeking routine services due to the unrest in the areas near the Embassy compound. In Bangkok, the situation seems to have stabilized. However, the city remains tense as most Bangkok residents seem to be hoping for an end to the unpleasantness and a return to relative normality.

On a related note, the Thai Tourism Industry is preparing for a major downturn moving forward. To quote the website ThaiVisa.com:

Thailand’s violent political turmoil has had a “disastrous” effect on the vital tourism sector, the country’s finance minister said Friday, stressing that the overall economy remained sound. “Tourism in value terms accounts for six percent of our GDP,” Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij told a Tokyo conference, adding that the sector also accounts for “as much as 15 to 20 percent of the total employment.” “And clearly, with the events that took place over the past several weeks, and the pictures of these events flashing across TV screens across the world, it is going to have a very disastrous impact on tourism.” Thai security forces on Wednesday crushed a six-week protest by anti-government protesters in street battles that left 15 people dead and saw arsonists torch some 36 key buildings across the capital Bangkok. The stock exchange and the nation’s biggest shopping mall were among locations torched in the chaotic aftermath of the campaign to end the “Red Shirt” protesters’ occupation of Bangkok’s top retail district. Korn said that “we anticipate that the impact on the GDP of the protest so far is probably between 0.3 and 0.5 percent of GDP.” However, he stressed that the wider economic picture was sound in the kingdom, telling the conference that “we expect the formal Q1 (first quarter) figure to be in two digits” this year.

As we have previously discussed on this blog, the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs has waived fees for Thai Tourist Visas. However, the fees associated with applications for the Thai business visa and the Thai O visa remain the same.

For further information about attorney assistance with Consular Processing of US visa applications please see: US Embassy. For further information about closure of the US Embassy in Thailand please see: US Embassy Bangkok. Finally, to learn more about Thai Immigration please see: Thai Visa.

Tags: Bangkok Riots, O visa, Thai Business Visa, Thai Immigration, Thai Tourist Visa, Thai Visa, Thailand Business Visa, Thailand o visa, Thailand Riots, Thailand Tourism, us embassy bangkok, US Embassy Bangkok closed, us embassy thailand, US Embassy Thailand Closed
Posted in Thailand Visa, us embassy bangkok, US Embassy Thailand | No Comments »

Recently, the website Thaivisa.com has reported that the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that the Tourist visa waiver program will be extended. The following is a direct quote from Thaivisa.com:

“Thailand extends tourist visa fee exemption scheme until 31 March 2011

BANGKOK: — The Royal Thai Government has extended the tourist visa fee exemption scheme that had expired in March 2010. As a result of the decision, foreign citizens that qualify for a tourist visa are not subjected to a visa fee. The exemption scheme will be in effect from 11 May 2010 until 31 March 2011 (the fee exemption is not extended to other types of visas).

For further information please contact the Consular Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand (662-981-7171)or the Royal Thai Missions or visit Visas and Travel Documents webpage.”

Although the impact of this program remains to be seen it can be assumed that this can only benefit the Thai Tourism sector, particularly in light of the recent disturbances in Bangkok. Hopefully, this fee waiver, along with a concerted effort by Thai Tourism authorities will lead to an increase in the annual number of tourists traveling to the Kingdom of Thailand.

It should be noted that this will likely not have any impact upon the fees associated with other categories such as the O visa and the ED visa. However, business travelers to Thailand still seem to be applying for the Thai business visa with the same frequency as was the case prior to the recent slump of travelers to Thailand.

Those interested in obtaining a Thai tourist visa should contact the nearest Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate. In the immediate vicinity of the Kingdom of Thailand the most popular destinations for “visa runs” are Laos, Malaysia, and Myanmar. Although Cambodia is a frequent destination for Thai visa runners it is not generally the location of choice for those wishing to obtain a new visa, but is instead rather popular for those who simply wish to travel to the border and get stamped in and out of Thailand.

The Royal Thai Consulate in Penang was once a popular locale for “visa runs,” but fewer visa runners seem to be using this post since they seem to only allow issuance of one Tourist visa per applicant. Recently the Thai Embassy Kuala Lumpur began requiring a that applicants have a work permit with a rather lengthy period of validity remaining  when applying for a 1 year Thailand business visa. This has caused many who seek 1 year Thai visas to opt to seek such travel documents at other Consulates.

For further information please see: Thailand Tourist visa.

Tags: Thai Business Visa, Thai Consulate Penang, Thai ED Visa, Thai Embassy KL, Thai Embassy Kuala Lumpur, Thai O Visa, Thai Visa, Thailand Business Visa, Thailand Embassy Kuala Lumpur, Thailand Visa
Posted in Thai Embassy Kuala Lumpur, Thailand Business, Thailand Embassy, Thailand Visa, Upcoming Legislation | 16 Comments »

Traveling to the United States of America, for any purpose, can be a costly and arduous endeavor. Recently the American Immigration Lawyers Association distributed a a memorandum that was promulgated by the United States Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) Service. In this memorandum the Foreign Affairs Manual was referenced. The following is a direct quotation from that memorandum:

“The Department of State (DOS) recently revised 9 FAM 41.104 Exhibit I, entitled, “Countries that Extend Passport Validity for an Additional Six Months after Expiration.” The Inspector’s Field Manual (IFM) Appendix 15.2 will be amended to reflect the new DOS 6-month list.”

The Inspectors Field Manual is important because it notes the countries that will extend passport validity by six months past the date of passport expiration. The memorandum goes further and discusses specific countries that will no longer be recognized as allowing this type of extension past the underlying passport’s validity:

“Among the countries that have been removed from the 6-month list since the last revision of the IFM are the following: Bangladesh, Cuba, Ecuador, Holy See, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Laos, Oman, Russia, Senegal, Sudan, Syria, and Togo.“

We have posted this information in order to better inform those travelers from the aforementioned countries who are accustomed to traveling to the USA on a passport with little, or no, official validity left. It would be unfortunate for an individual from one of the countries listed above to travel to the USA only to find that they are inadmissible due to the fact that they no longer have a travel document that is recognized as valid by United States Customs and Border Protection.

Thai Authorities generally require that those applying for a Thai visa have at least 6 months of stated validity on their passport. This is due to the fact that Thai officials do not like to issue visas with a validity that stretches substantially past the the date of the underlying passport’s validity period. In some cases, a Thai tourist visa can be obtained when there is little validity left on the passport, but these cases are rare. In cases involving the multiple entry one year Thai business visa or the one year Thai O visa, it has become practically a hard and fast rule that the validity of the passport be more than 6 months before a visa will be issued.

For further information about passports and travel to the USA please see: US Visa Thailand. For further insight into Thai Immigration matters please see: Thailand visa.

Tags: passport, Thai Immigration, Thai O Visa, Thai Visa, Thailand Business Visa, Thailand Immigration, Thailand Visa, United States Customs and Border Protection, US Immigration, US Visa, US Visa Thailand, USCBP
Posted in Department of Homeland Security, General Legal Information, Thailand Visa, US Visa and Immigration, US Visa Thailand, USCBP | No Comments »

In previous posts, this author has discussed visa runs and border runs. Another common method of obtaining lawful status in the form of a Thai visa is by traveling to Thai Embassies and Consulates outside of the Kingdom of Thailand. This can be a difficult endeavor for some, but the difficulty can be increased as Embassies and Consulates change their internal rules frequently. This is a by-product of doctrines similar to that of Consular Absolutism also known as Consular NonReviewability. This doctrine states, in a nutshell, that Consular Officers are given wide latitude to use their own discretion when making factual determinations about visa issuance.

Recently, this author has learned that the Royal Thai Embassy Kuala Lumpur will no longer issue the 1 year multiple entry Thai business visa to those with a work permit that is valid for less than 7 months. In the past, it was routine to see the 1 year Thailand business visa issued to those with a valid work permit regardless of the duration of its validity. Now, it seems that only a 90 day business visa will be granted to those with a Thai work permit that is valid for less than 7 months.

In recent years, the Thailand work permit and the Thailand visa have been effectively “decoupled” in the sense that one is no longer necessarily dependent upon the other. For a long period of time one had to have a work permit in order to obtain a Thai visa extension. Once that extension was obtained one needed to then extend the work permit so that the two documents’ validity were in sync. This has changed as the Ministry of Labour is more apt to grant a 1 year work permit to first time applicants and then the applicant can easily obtain a visa extension. The side effect of this system is that Thai Embassies and Consulates are increasingly less willing to issue one year Thai visas since their personnel view the decision regarding issuance of such a long term travel document ought to be made by the Royal Thai Immigration Police in the Kingdom of Thailand.

When analyzed, this policy makes sense as the Royal Thai Immigration Police in Thailand are often better equipped to adjudicate visa extension requests. However, there are often very compelling reasons why an applicant would wish to obtain a 1 year multiple entry visa from outside of Thailand. One notable reason, such a travel document would not require the issuance of a Thai Reentry Permit as would be necessary if a one year visa extension were issued.

It should be noted that each Thai Consular and/or Diplomatic Post has a different set of rules with regard to visa issuance so what is the rule at one post may not be the same at another.

Tags: Consular Absolutism, Consular Nonreviewability, Royal Thai Embassy, Royal Thai Embassy Kuala Lumpur, Thai Embassy KL, Thai Embassy Kuala Lumpur, Thai Immigration, Thai Visa, Thai Visas, Thai Work Permit, Thailand Embassy Kuala Lumpur, Thailand Immigration, Thailand Visa, Thailand Visas, Thailand Work Permit, Visa Thailand, work permit Thailand
Posted in Legal Opinion, Thai Embassy Kuala Lumpur, Thailand Business, Thailand Embassy, Thailand Visa | No Comments »

In a recent posting of the website ThaiVisa.com, the issue of Thai tourist was discussed in the context of Thai Immigration. Frequent readers of this blog will remember that until March of this year, Thai Tourism officials, in conjunction with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, had been granting tourist visas to Thailand free of charge. Apparently, this program is to be extended. The following is quoted from ThaiVisa.com:

“The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has extended tourism stimulus measures for one year until 31 March 2011 to assist tourism related entrepreneurs who were affected from the demonstration of the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD). Tourism and Sports Minister Chumpol Silapa-archa announced on Thursday that the ministry has resolved to extend the assistance measures to help tourism related entrepreneurs while road show activities must be organized on a continuous basis to further stimulate tourism. The stimulus measures include the exemption of visa fees for foreign tourists, travel insurance for foreign tourists of not more than 10,000 USD, low interest rate loans, and extension of loan payment periods.”

Hopefully, these measures will provide a benefit to Thailand’s struggling tourism sector which will likely be adversely impacted by the unrest in Bangkok that has occurred over the recent weeks. The report went on:

“The minister added that the number of tourists travelling [sic] into Thailand at airports in general have not decreased, but on the other hand, is more than the number in the same period last year because the figure last year was very low. Mr Chumpol admitted that tour bookings in Bangkok would be affected from the mass rally of the UDD now taking place at Ratchaprasong Intersection. However, those in other areas, especially in the southern islands of Phuket and Samui would not be affected.”

This author would argue that although Tourism has been impacted by recent events in Thailand. There may be another explanation for the seemingly lower tourism figures (or at least the lower numbers of people pursuing Thai Tourist visas). One of the causes could be the fact that more and more tourists in Thailand are “Long Stay” tourists, meaning that they prefer to remain for 3,6, 9, or even 12 months at a time. Many such travelers prefer to come to Thailand using an O visa as such a visa can be granted with a validity as long as one year. Others prefer to use a Thailand business visa. A Thai business visa provides the benefit of creating a foundation for a Thai work permit application should the need for such documentation arise. Although an individual present in the Kingdom on a business visa does not strictly meet the definition of “tourist,” many people come to Thailand using a “B” visa and conduct business meetings in Thailand before pursuing more recreational activities.

Tags: Free Thai Tourist Visa, Free Thailand Tourist Visa, Free Thailand Tourist Visas, Free Tourist Visa Thailand, Long Stay Thailand, Long Stay Visa Thailand, long term visa Thailand, O Visa Thailand, Thai Business Visa, Thai Immigration, Thai Long Stay Visa, Thai Long Term Visa, Thai O Visa, Thai Visa, Thailand Business Visa, Thailand o visa, Thailand Tourism
Posted in Thailand Business, Thailand Visa, Thailand Work Permit | No Comments »

This author has been increasingly asked about the impact of recent political demonstrations upon those living in Bangkok. From personal experience, this author must admit that the demonstrations have had little or no impact upon living conditions in Bangkok. That being said, it appears that the recent protests are having an effect upon the Thai tourist industry.

In a recent posting on Thaivisa.com the issue of the protests and the detrimental effect they are having on the Tourism industry was discussed:

“The Thai Hotels Association said Thursday that room cancellations in Bangkok have been made at about 1,000 rooms per day, although the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has assessed Red Shirt demonstration in the capital has not had a great impact on tourism so far. Thai Hotels Association director Sakrin Chorsawai said the demonstration has affected tourism operators, particularly in hotel businesses in Bangkok. A significant drop in the number of foreign tourists was seen and room reservations fell some 10-20 per cent. About 1,000 rooms were canceled daily on average as tourists feared possible violence during the mass demonstrations, in particular from March 12-23, Mr Sakrin said. However, tourism operators in other regions have not been affected, and are enjoying a normal rate of hotel bookings, he said. Local tourists, who are worried about the political situation, do not travel. If the demonstration is prolonged, its negative effects on tourism will be clearly seen, said Mr Sakrin. Meanwhile, TAT director Surapol Svetasreni said the tourism in January and February had recovered but since the Red Shirt protest began in Bangkok last week, the national agency is vigilant on the current situation to alleviate and to minimise possible effects on tourism. TAT’s promotional campaign this year still focuses on overseas roadshows and targets the number of foreign tourists at 15 million people in 2010.”

Although room cancellations may be attributable to the protests, this author believes that other factors may explain the recent downturn in Thai tourism overall. In a previous post, it was noted that the free Thai tourist visa scheme had come to an end. Subsequent to that posting, it was reported that the Thai visa fee waiver would go back into effect for Tourist visas beginning on April 1st of 2010. However, this left a window of about one month in which Thai tourist visas would not be granted free of charge. There is a possibility that some of those planning to tour Thailand are awaiting the re-institution of the free tourist visa scheme. This is mere speculation on the part of this author, but it may be the case.

For more information about Thai Immigration generally please see: Thailand visa.

Tags: Free Thai Tourist Visa, protests, redshirts, riots, Thai Tourist Visa, Thai Visa, Thailand Tourism, Thailand Tourist Industry, Thailand Visa, Tourist Visa, Tourist visas
Posted in Legal Opinion, Miscellaneous, Thailand Visa | 1 Comment »

Many people ask this author: Why do I need a Thai work permit? There is a common misconception that the Thai Labor and Immigration authorities take a lax stance with regard to unauthorized employment. Many others labor under the misconception that a Thai visa, particularly a Thai business visa, confers the right to work in Thailand. Unfortunately, many people believe that the Thai “mai pen rai” (no worries) attitude extends to those working illegally in the Kingdom. This is simply untrue as Thais view unauthorized employment as a serious violation of Thai law.

In the United States, the expansion of some of the powers of the Department of Homeland Security has resulted in the relatively new phenomenon of Federal agents raiding businesses in search of those aliens working illegally. Operations such as this fall under the mandate of agencies such as the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Service. In the Kingdom of Thailand, the Immigration and Labor authorities are not nearly as sophisticated as their counterparts in the United States of America, but they seem to take their jobs no less seriously.

As a case in point, recently the Pattaya Daily News website is reporting the following:

“A Briton, who was working illegally as a bar cashier at a beer bar in Pattaya’s Walking Street, was arrested by Immigration officials and will be prosecuted under the terms of the Immigration Act dealing with offending aliens.”

A long term expatriate in Thailand would not be greatly surprised by this announcement as most long term residents are used to some of the more draconian measures that are sometimes taken with regard to unauthorized employment in Thailand. With that said, compared to the United States, the Thai authorities are generally fairly lenient on most immigration matters, but there are exceptions and unauthorized employment can be problematic for the person working illegally. To quote the aforementioned website further:

“Pattaya, March 17, 2010, [PDN]: at 1am this morning, a team from Chonburi Immigration Office (which has recently amalgamated the respective Immigration departments of Pattaya and Chonburi), led by Superintendent of Immigration, Police Colonel Athisavis Kamolruth, surrounded [a bar], located [on] Walking Street, as it had come to their notice that there was at least one foreigner working there illegally, without a work permit…The team duly identified themselves as officers of the Immigration Police and asked for [the foreigner's] passport and work permit. When he was unable to produce a  work permit, the Immigration Police took him to the Chonburi Provincial Immigration Office at Jomtien for further questioning...He was duly cautioned that as an alien, temporarily in the kingdom, he was not allowed to work and would be prosecuted for having contravened the law.“

One aspect of this article that is interesting to note is the fact that Immigration agencies in Chonburi are consolidating and it would seem that by doing so they are becoming a more dynamic organization with an eye toward better enforcement of Thai Immigration and Labor laws.

For further information about Immigration to Thailand please see: Thailand visa.

Tags: Thai Business Visa, Thai Visa, Thai Work Permit, Thailand Business Visa, Thailand Immigration, Thailand Visa, Thailand Work Permit, unauthoarized employmnet, working without a work permit in Thailand
Posted in Thailand Visa, Thailand Work Permit | No Comments »

For general information on this subject please see our main page at: Education Visa Thailand.

One Thai visa category that is not often discussed on the pages of this blog is the Thai ED visa. This visa category was created for those who wish to remain in the Kingdom of Thailand for the purpose of pursuing academic study. In the past, this seemed to have been limited to colleges and universities, but increasingly many people are seeing the benefits of holding a Thai ED visa while also seeking proficiency in the Thai language. Many Thai language schools have been established in the last 5 years in order to cater to the increasing demand for Thai language study.

The Thai language can be extremely difficult for westerners to pick up because the language is tonal. This means that the entire word can be changed merely by the way it is tonally pronounced. This author can say from experience that proficiency with the Thai tones can be a difficult feat, but once this obstacle is overcome the benefits are extraordinary as Thai people greatly appreciate those foreigners (farangs, falangs) who take an interest in learning the Thai language.

Thai is a very subtle and complex language that has a rich history. As Thailand was never colonized by one of the so-called “Great Powers” the language was never displaced by an alien tongue. This creates and interesting linguistic environment as Thais have taken in those parts of other cultures’ languages while retaining their own linguistic identity.

As to the Immigration privileges accorded to those on a Thai visa for education: first, a major benefit is the fact that an ED visa holder does not need to worry about so-called “border runs” or “visa runs” since the ED visa allows the bearer to remain for the course of study. That being said, ED visas are not very beneficial for those wishing to work in Thailand as they do not entitle the bearer to apply for a Thai work permit, except in extremely rare circumstances. However, if one is on an ED visa and gets a job in Thailand, then it may be possible to change visa status and apply for a work permit, but this is not the most efficient way of getting Thai work authorization so if one is not yet in Thailand and may wish to work, then it may be best to apply for a Thai business visa prior to departing for Thailand as a long term business visa could be easily obtained by certain applicants.

Tags: ED Visa, ED visas, Education Visa Thailand, Thai Business Visa, Thai ED Visa, Thai Visa, Thai work authorization, Thai Work Permit, Thailand Business Visa, Thailand Education Visa, Thailand Visa
Posted in General Legal Information, Thailand Visa | 53 Comments »

As readers of this blog may recall from a previous post, the Thai authorities recently announced that the fee waiver for Thai tourist visas was ending in March of this year. However, ThaiVisa.com has recently reported that the tourist visa waiver program is to be re-instituted in April of this year. Apparently, the positive impact upon the tourism sector is one of the underlying reasons for the extension of this program:

“Less than one month after Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed Thaivisa.com that the free tourist visa scheme would end on March 5, 2010, the Thailand Government has announced the tourism stimulus package will continue for another year, including $US10,000 in free riot insurance for tourists. The extension of the tourism industry stimulus package was approved by the cabinet today, March 2, 2010 in response to a request from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. The extension will be effective from April 1, 2010 and go through to March 31, 2011 and appears to leave a three and a half week window in which tourist visas for Thailand will be charged for.”

As some may recall from another previous post on this blog, many Royal Thai Embassies, Consulates, and  Honorary Consuls around the world were unhappy with the no-cost tourist visa scheme as the funds previously accrued from processing tourist visas were no longer being paid. How this recent announcement will impact the Honorary Consulates as well as the Embassies and Consulates-General remains to be seen.

Another interesting aspect of the recent announcement is the fact that foreign nationals are also to be provided with no-cost riot insurance as part of this new program to revitalize the Thai tourist industry. To further quote from ThaiVisa.com:

“The $10,000 free riot insurance coverage was introduced last year and initiated by the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) in response to international insurance firms’ refusal to sell insurance coverage to visitors to Thailand following the 2008 closure of Thailand airports by members of the Peoples Alliance for Democracy (PAD). When the insurance coverage was first introduced last year, Kongkrit Hiranyakit, president of TCT, said the government had set aside Bt190.75 million ($US5.820 million) for the initial six month period covering May to October, 2009, with the Ministry of Tourism and Sports responsible for paying the insurance premium of $1 per visitor. The insurance policy provides for payments of up to $10,000 in the event of death, injury, and/or trip inconvenience, and appears to only cover people in possession of a 60-day tourist visa. Resident expatriates living and working in Thailand on non-immigrant visas do not appear to be covered for death, injury or inconvenience caused by riots.”

It will be interesting to see if the provision of this insurance will cause any stir among foreign residents as all of those who do not have Thai Permanent Residence are technically considered non-immigrants and therefore only “temporarily” staying in the Kingdom. This even applies to those with a Foreign Tabien Baan (also know as a Yellow Tabien Baan) as these registrations are specifically noted as “temporary.” Even though all non-residents are classified as non-immigrants, the category of the visa determines the privileges that will be extended to the visa holder. Therefore, those with a Thai business visa are entitled to file for a Thai work permit while those holding a tourist visa are not accorded that privilege. As a result, the provision of riot insurance could be viewed as as specific privilege that is only accorded to those holding certain types of Thai visas.

For further information about Thai Immigration please see: Thai visa.

Tags: Foreign Tabien Baan, Foreign Tambien Baan, Free Thai Tourist Visa, Thai Business Visa, Thai permanent residence, Thai Tourist Visa, Thai Visa, Thai Visas, Thai Work Permit, Thailand Visa, Yellow Tabien Baan, Yellow Tambien Baan
Posted in Miscellaneous, Thai Embassy Kuala Lumpur, Thailand Embassy, Thailand Embassy Myanmar, Thailand Embassy Singapore, Thailand Property, Thailand Real Estate, Thailand Visa, Upcoming Legislation | No Comments »

Recently the Royal Thai Immigration Police Department announced a new initiative to sweep up foreign criminals residing in Thailand. This effort is to be made possible through what appears to be the interlinking of various warrant databases. Once Thai Immigration officials link their system to that of countries such as the United States, or international organizations such as the European Union it will be less difficult to track down those in Thailand with a foreign arrest warrant or fugitive warrant.

The Bangkok Post is reporting that the new chief of the Thai Immigration Bureau is taking measures to see that foreign criminals in Thailand are apprehended through an initiative known as the “Three S’s” The Three S’s stand for “Security Standards and Service.”

In the realm of security, new initiatives are to be taken which will provide Royal Thai Immigration Police with access to international criminal warrant databases. These records would provide Thai Immigration officers as well as regular police officers with criminal histories of foreigners present in the Kingdom of Thailand. This information will be used to ascertain the location of such international criminals and facilitate apprehension.

The new campaign will also entail the creation of a new National Criminal Center. This Center seems to be intended as a repository for international criminal records. At the time of this writing, it is the author’s understanding that this Center will coordinate their activities with such foreign agencies as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Agency, as well as other national, state, and local law enforcement agencies throughout the United States and around the world.

Another facet of Thai Immigration’s crackdown is the campaign to apprehend and deal with illegal aliens. Based upon the information contained in the above cited Bangkok Post article the new Royal Thai Immigration Chief seems to have expressed an intention to apprehend those foreign nationals who are present in the country illegally. How this will impact long term western tourists and expatriates remains to be seen as overstaying one’s Thai visa has become increasingly common since it is not longer possible to obtain a 30 day visa exemption stamp at Thai land borders.

In a way, these two initiatives are related as it could be easily inferred that those using Thailand as a place to evade foreign criminal warrants could also be Thailand visa violators.

For more information on this issue please see a previous blog post located here: criminal warrant.

Tags: arrest warrant, criminal warrant, Fugitive Warrant, Thai Visa, Thailand Immigration, Thailand Visa, US Arrest Warrant Thailand, US warrant, US Warrant Thailand, warrant
Posted in General Legal Information, Legal Opinion, Miscellaneous, Thailand Visa, Upcoming Legislation, US Warrants | No Comments »