Immigration authorities in Thailand have begun enforcing new visa regulations targeting foreigners who use regular €Out-In' visa runs to extend their stay in the kingdom. Tour companies which offer a Thai visa service have confirmed immigration officers at border points like Aranyaprathet and Mae Sai are now much more stringent on visa issuance.

Thai Immigration began enforcing the new regulations as of mid May and they in effect mean that foreign nationals residing in Thailand will no longer be able to repeatedly exit and re-enter Thailand via a land border crossing, in order to gain another 30 or 15 day stay.

A high ranking immigration official had earlier been quoted in Phuket media as saying Immigration was tightening up on these Out-In visa runs, which officials had been excessively lenient toward in the past.

Out-In visa runs would still be possible, the official explained, but a person now would have to provide the immigration officer checkable details on their accommodation while in Thailand. A crucial detail Immigration is now said to be looking for is evidence that people are in fact staying in the place/s they say they are.

A person may now also be asked for proof of enough money to support his/herself for the planned stay in Thailand.

Immigration officers say it is a more stringent application of existing rules being applied at all border posts in Thailand.

The tightening of the rules is said to be in response to a growing number of crimes and other infractions of Thai law committed by foreigners in Thailand - including recent incidents of skimming and ATM robberies.

Another major point of concern is the number of foreigners thought to be entering Thailand on a tourist visa and engaging in work, without obtaining a Thailand work permit as is required by Thai labour law. Authorities for a while now have been checking more stringently with companies - particularly in places like Phuket - which employ foreigners, as to whether this is being done correctly with the appropriate visa and Thailand work permit.

According to a news story carried on one popular online forum which translated an Immigration announcement from Thai to English, Non-Immigrant visa or tourist visa holders with time remaining on their visa could still exit and enter Thailand as before.

The new measures were, rather, aimed at tightening up on Out-In visa runners.

The news story stated that visitors can now enter Thailand via a land border only once. After this they would - if wanting to re-enter the kingdom - have to fly out and return with a visa obtained from a Royal Thai Consulate in a neighbouring or other country.

However, a high ranking immigration official in Ranong stated tourists could renew a 30 day or 15 day visa three times. Considering accommodation could be confirmed every time, he said a person would be allowed back in, but after three extensions the immigration official might not be keen to give further extension without good cause.

This reflects the discretionary powers immigration officials have. For example, if a person can show he/she is staying at a certain place and has enough money, then a fourth or fifth extension could well be granted.

Tour operators and other companies offering a Thai visa service say they have been fielding an increasing number of reports that persistent border runners - those who stay in Thailand using the Out-In visa run - are now only being given a seven day entry stamp to Thailand at the Aranyaprathet-Poipet border with Cambodia. It follows a similar scenario being seen at Ranong in southern Thailand bordering Myanmar and Chiang Rai's Mae Sai in the north, also bordering Myanmar.

Aranyaprathet is traditionally a favourite point for foreigners from Bangkok, Pattaya and central Thailand to conduct Out-In visa runs.

The Thai visa service offered by numerous tour companies is typically a day package including transfers by road to and from the border checkpoint and a meal.

Many a law firm in Thailand also offer among their range of legal, accounting, immigration and auditing services, assistance in obtaining a Thai visa and Thailand work permit.