What are the new rules regarding visa exempt entry stamps in Thailand?

@Pete ******

seen it many times before

@Pete ******

stop getting so caught up in this gazette. You know nothing about Thai laws and the implementation of them

@John *******

that’s why I ask the question. Please enlighten me how new legislation is enacted. My current understanding is it’s not legal until it is officially published in the Thai Royal Gazette. What do you know different?

@Pete ******

true. It’s just a prediction until it is legislated by law and has been published accordingly. Nevertheless: a 60 day stamp is valid when you get one.

@Léon **************

Not if it’s been illegally stamped into your passport.

@Pete ******

agree, but if it’s done by an immigration officer, it will be seen as legally valid.

@Pete ******

how can an officer stamp you illegally hahahahha

@М. ***

By acting illegally, not really a difficult concept to grasp

@Samuel ********

Impossible to say for sure. Depends on how many and how recent your previous stamps. Also depends on your port of entry. Both Bangkok airports are known for causing issues. Land borders or other airports not so much. I always chose to be on the safer side and got a tourist visa - which is cheap and simple with the eVisa system, after an unfortunate situation at DMK airport once.

@Frank-Steven **********

Although entry into the Kingdom is a discretion of the immigration office, having a visa should be “safer”, right?

@Максим *********

visas DO have preference on entry. That's because you get (essentially) permission to enter from an Embassy. The embassy weighs your travel history, the way IOs do if you enter on exemption. Embassies may decide to not give you a visa, for instance based on your recent travel history to Thailand. But if they decide to give you one, immigrations is not supposed, although technically allowed, to overrule that and still deny entry. They'll be reluctant to do so.

Note that many immigrations officers also tell people with extensive travel history to Thailand (as tourist) to get a tourist visa instead of coming exempt, as that's safer. You know earlier on if you'd (normally, in principle, etc.) make it in.

@Максим *********

You are right. No visa does guarantee you entry. But it makes trouble less likely than on a visa exemption - espcially if you have an extensive border crossing history.

@Rob ******

On a visa EXEMTION, yes. That is why for a thrid time you would need a valid visa - like regular tourist visa.

@Frank-Steven **********

You’re wrong, I was on a 60 day tourist visa & was limited to two land border crossings per year

@Rob ******

Incorrect, tourist visa entry by land have no limitation per calendar year, only visa exempt entry are limited.

@Rob ******

no he's not wrong. If you entered twice by land order on exemption, you can still enter through land borders on a tourist visa (or any other visa, for that matter). Saying otherwise just makes you wrong, not him.

@Rob ******

No, I am not wrong about this. Land borders crossings are limited to two per calendar year on visa exemption entries. There is no (theoretical) limit on any border crossings with a valid visa. Of course every border crossing (visa or not), is still at the discression of the immigration officer. Not sure what happened in your case.