new visa run rules

[Bamboo Grove]

Visa runners, please read this
http://www.thaivisa.com/index.php?514&backPID=10&tt_news=731
_________________
知彼知己, 胜乃不殆; 知天知地, 胜乃可全
www.bamboogrove.fi

[cyber]

[Wanderlust]

I would agree cyber, and from reading the thread on thaivisa.com it seems that it is only Mae Sai enforcing an old rule; whether as a ruse to reduce their workload, to discourage the 30 dayers, or to extract some sort of unofficial tax, who knows. I would guess that it will be a short term thing, and it might even be a local dispute between Thai immigration and Burmese 'businessmen' who have not been playing ball, or a guarantee for local crooks to pickpocket crossing farangs (with an appropriate 'tax'?). We will find out in due course for sure, and whether we like it or not, we have to obey immigration rules as much as Thais visiting our countries-and its a lot harder for them to get in to start with!

[lomuamart]

I visit Thai Visa forum most days and have been following the currency requirement regulations for visa runners with interest.
As an update, the regulations, which were introduced in the year 2000, were apparantly going to be enforced as of yesterday, Oct 1.
One poster, as early as 9.30am yesterday, reported that everyone was being asked for proof of at least 10,000 B cash at Aranya Prathet. Could be scaremongering, who knows? Watch this space.
Apparantly, producing the requisite ammount of cash is at the discretion of the officer - as always. Apparantly, travellers cheques will suffice as cash. This has been confirmed by Soi Suan Plu. Maybe, it'll deter some of those bandits out there.
If anyone has info on any border crossing, particularly Ranong, please post here. I was in Ranong 10 days ago. There were no signs up about it.