Re: Visas for IETF 103 in Thailand

[Jared Mauch <[e-mail]>]

> On Aug 15, 2018, at 9:36 AM, Carsten Bormann <[e-mail]> wrote:
> 
> On Aug 15, 2018, at 14:25, Jared Mauch <[e-mail]> wrote:
> 
> Here, we are talking about visa procedures, which are a bit more arcane.
> I just want to make sure that the legwork that already is being done is not wasted due to misplaced “no legal advice” thinking.

I think the problem here is that your situation is unique.  You use umlauts so I can make some assumptions, but I don’t know if you’re German, Swiss or just an American with an umlaut fetish :-).  We have about a thousand unique people.  Some may fall into different classes because they may have been arrested, have a DUI or some other life situation that may make border crossing a problem.  General advise like what is on the US Embassy site https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/thai-visas-americans/ indicates what is normal.  (I also feel it’s fairly clear, but there’s this thread and an internal thread at my employer list about this, so I’m seeing these differing opinions).

This is why you must seek your own advice and people say things like “Generally”, etc.

>> I have been advised by CBSA agents that speaking at a conference in Canada would/should require a visa for example. Does this count as presenting at a WG meeting? IANAL, but you need to adjust your behaviors according to the laws of where you are. 
> 
> Right.  And there are well-known strategies for working around the red tape that we maybe don’t want to discuss in the open.

I was informed of the process at my NEXUS interview, but it’s also my responsibility to stay up to date with the latest regulations regarding my travel.  Arriving in Montreal I did not speak to a single person from leaving the plane until I was past all immigration.

> But what *can* be communicated, *should* be.  Even if there are lawyers advising us to be inefficient.

Call the local embassy/consulate or visit their websites, this is the best guidance one can provide.

>> Importantly: you can always participate remotely. The tools are quite good
> 
> True, but we still do want to enable participating in person.

I agree, which is why this thread is ongoing.  We want people to participate in-person as there’s value to those personal interactions and relationships that doesn’t always translate well despite how good the technology is.

Either way, tourism (which is what some people will do while) accounts for almost 20% of GDP, I don’t suspect the bar for entry will be high.  It’s much higher for Canada (for example) where many of us just were.

- jared