Foreigners who often travel to Penang to extend their visa in order to stay longer in Thailand without work permit will face problem following the decision of the Royal Thai Consulate there to stop issuing double-entry tourist visas, the Bernama news agency of Malaysia reported today.
Bernama also quote The Phuket Gazette newspaper as saying the only tourist visa currently available there was a 60-day single-entry.
An official at the consulate told them that Consul Pramote Pramoonsab had issued an order to cease issuance of double-entry tourist visas while other visa categories are unaffected by the order.
The Royal Thai Consulate in Kota Baharu and the Royal Thai Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, however, would continue to issue double-entry tourist visas although such practice could be stopped in the near future, said the paper.
The move was made following the decision by the Thai Immigration Department to limit to three the number of visas on arrival its officers will issue at Immigration checkpoints in Thailand from Oct 1.
The department had said that it would begin a crackdown on foreigners working illegally in Thailand by ending its policy of issuing an unlimited number of consecutive visas on arrival --tourist visas that allow the holder to stay a maximum of 15 or 30 days.
Pol Col Bunphot Kongkrachan, Acting Superintendent of the Phuket Immigration Office told the daily that from October 1 onwards, immigration checkpoints around the country would limit to three the number of consecutive visas on arrival they will grant a single visitor.
After the third consecutive visa on arrival has expired, the passport holder must leave the country and wait 90 days before being allowed back into Thailand on that type of visa, a move that effectively limits the length of stay for those entering the country with this visa class to 45 or 90 days.
Currently, many foreigners working illegally or staying without long term visa in the country makes "visa runs" every month to nearby border towns like Aranyaprathet at the Thai-Cambodia border or even Penang.