Important Changes To Yachties In Thailand - Visa and AIS

[demonboy]

I've been holding back on giving an update to the recent changes here in Thailand until I got my facts straight. I was in immigration this morning and asked if I could photograph a new sign on the desk explaining the changes to the visa situation. "No, don't photograph that", they said. "It's out of date already!"

VISA
The visa situation hasn't been settled but it is advised that all visiting yachtsmen to Thailand should arrive with a visa. You can arrive without one but will only be granted XX days, after which you'll either have to leave the country or pay a whack to extend it, and even then it may only be extended for a week or so. Actual figures yet to be confirmed.

Currently immigration and the boatyard here are advising sailors to go to Penang and apply for the 2 month + 1 month visa. OK if you're in Langkawi but not sure where that leaves those based in Phuket.

AIS
Just been sent this link http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic...40905-0731&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news a moment ago, which suggests that all visiting yachts must have a Class B AIS installed and must be switched on all the time. "Violations of the regulation, will result in punishment according to the highest law.”

I'll update as and when I get to the bottom of the ever-changing visa situation, and hold judgement on how ridiculous these two scenarios are.

 

[GHA]

Seems to be quite a bit of back pedalling going on...
http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket...ief-plays-down-AIS-connected/34822#ad-image-0

Same with the visa waiver, despite just having been out of Thailand for a few days I was given another 30 day visa waiver without an eyebrow raised overland from Laos a couple of days ago.

Still, since the coup their heart seems to be roughly in the right place with tales of getting rid of illegal beach vendors and telling pattaya to clean itself up a bit.
Suspect the visa backdown might have been through fear of not having any ifl teachers...