Thailand Tightens Rules: Entry Banned After Two Visa Runs

Photo: Thai Examiner

Thailand’s Immigration Bureau has stepped up border control over foreigners repeatedly crossing the border under the guise of tourism. The new measures are aimed at stopping visa runs and dismantling schemes used for online fraud, money laundering and illegal business activity, reports the Bangkok Post.

The bureau’s spokesman, Pol Col Cheongron Rimpadee, explained that the campaign is part of a national strategy to combat cybercrime. Immigration chief Pol Lt Gen Panumas Boonyalug held a meeting with regional units, after which it was announced that the long-standing visa run practice is no longer considered acceptable.

How the Visa Run Scheme Worked

Thailand allows visa-free stays of up to 90 days per entry. Thousands of foreigners used this rule by repeatedly travelling to the nearest border crossing and returning with a new stamp. In major expat hubs — Pattaya, Phuket and Hua Hin — a whole industry emerged offering “visa run packages” with transport to border checkpoints and paperwork assistance. According to police data, some foreigners lived in the country for years, renewing their tourist status dozens of times.

Thai Examiner writes that tourist status has systematically been used for working without permits, running rental businesses, illegal trade and involvement in scam operations. There have been cases where previously deported foreigners re-entered Thailand and then travelled on to neighbouring countries to work in so-called scam compounds. These centres operate in Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia and are linked to financial crimes including cryptocurrency fraud, phone scams and money laundering.

What Will Change

Immigration officers will deny entry to anyone making more than two visa runs without valid justification. These individuals will be required to apply for the correct visa category — work, education, family or retirement. All requests for temporary extensions of stay will undergo stricter checks. If a typical pattern is detected — entry, extension, exit, re-entry — the application will be rejected. In such cases, foreigners risk cancellation of their current status and deportation.

A nationwide operation to identify and expel overstayers is underway. Passport checks may take longer, although the bureau says the verification process should not exceed 45 seconds per passenger on average, and queue times are expected to remain within 40 minutes. Additional officers will be deployed at border checkpoints.

Special attention is being paid to the Mae Sot area (Tak province) on the border with Myanmar. This crossing is listed in operational intelligence as a key route for scam operators. Foreigners previously deported from this location are permanently banned from re-entering Thailand.

Who Will Be Affected

Thailand is rolling out a four-level screening system that evaluates length and nature of stay, migration history and visa run patterns. Restrictions apply to foreigners who remain in the country for years without obtaining a proper visa. This affects several groups:

– those who repeatedly extend and exit the country to renew stamps;
– owners of illegal hostels and vehicle rental businesses;
– remote workers employed by foreign companies without the appropriate visa;
– foreigners who were already deported and attempt to re-enter.

The new rules are not aimed at ordinary tourists. Travellers arriving for holidays, staying in hotels and returning home with a confirmed outbound ticket will continue to enter as before. Authorities say they intend to attract “quality visitors” who spend money in the country and comply with entry rules.



The Immigration Bureau stresses that the tourist stamp is not intended for long-term stays and cannot replace work, study or family visas. Since the beginning of the year, entry has already been denied to around 2,900 foreigners who abused visa privileges. In October, large-scale raids were carried out against foreigners illegally running businesses or working without permits. On Koh Phangan alone, 19 Russians were detained in one week, some accused of violating immigration rules. In Pattaya, a Russian citizen was arrested after staying in Thailand for more than two years without any valid status, and in Bangkok a woman is awaiting deportation after leaving a child unattended in a hotel.