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Re: [102attendees] [103attendees] Visa problems - need a different invitation letter

"Jakob Heitz (jheitz)" <jheitz@cisco.com> Thu, 06 September 2018 05:57 UTC

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From: "Jakob Heitz (jheitz)" <jheitz@cisco.com>
To: Michael StJohns <msj@nthpermutation.com>, "102attendees@ietf.org" <102attendees@ietf.org>
Thread-Topic: [102attendees] [103attendees] Visa problems - need a different invitation letter
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Date: Thu, 06 Sep 2018 05:57:34 +0000
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Subject: Re: [102attendees] [103attendees] Visa problems - need a different invitation letter
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That is an interpretation of
TOURISM AUTHORITY OF THAILAND ACT, B.E. 2522 (1979)
http://www.asianlii.org/th/legis/consol_act/taota1979337/
in which the definition of tourist is:

"tourist" means any person who freely travels from his normal place of residence to other place for temporary period with the objective other than to carry on his occupation or to earn income;

If your occupation is to develop IETF standards and your employer pays you to do that and that is what you do at the conference, then you might have difficulty in persuading a border guard that you are a tourist.

Maybe the guard is in a good mood and will overlook the detail, believing you will spend money in his country and all will be well.
Or not.

Regards,
Jakob.


-----Original Message-----
From: 102attendees <102attendees-bounces@ietf.org> On Behalf Of Michael StJohns
Sent: Wednesday, September 5, 2018 3:49 PM
To: 102attendees@ietf.org
Subject: Re: [102attendees] [103attendees] Visa problems - need a different invitation letter

This is the clearest web site I've seen with respect to which type of 
visa is needed:

https://www.businesseventsthailand.com/plan-your-events/general-travel-information/visa-requirements/

The above is a page from the Thailand Convention and Exhibits board 
which appears to be at least quasi-governmental having been established 
by royal decree.

AFAICT from reading this, all of the secretariat will need business 
visa's, all of the rest of us - unless we're doing things that make 
money from Thai sources - can get by on Tourist visas.

> Foreigners entering Thailand for MICE without the purposes of being 
> employed or working for income, but being event attendants will be 
> regarded as tourists under the definition of Tourism Authority of 
> Thailand Act of B.E. 2522 (1979).

I'm using the visa exemption program for US tourists.

http://thaiembdc.org/visa-exemption-and-visa-on-arrival/

Later, Mike


On 9/5/2018 4:08 PM, Jakob Heitz (jheitz) wrote:
> Here is the answer from the US Thai Embassy.
> Nicely dodged the question.
> I can just imagine trying to convince a border guard that no business is conducted at a conference.
> All they have to do is ask: "Are you attending the conference in that hotel you are staying at?"
> Say "no" and go to jail.
>
> Regards,
> Jakob.

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