farangx

4 hours ago, Tayaout said:

I just passed the border. The IO did not even give a second look to my passport and let me throught without a single word. My girlfriend will feel relieved. 

3 hours ago, Tayaout said:

I read that 1 overstay is ok for elite. I also have dual citizenship with some bilateral country but never got the passport yet. That could be usefull. 

Your dual citizenship won't help much if TI can tied you on this.  Looks like you need to get a marriage visa or elite visa in case they stop you from entering with a different bonus stamp on your next exit.

14 minutes ago, oznomad said:

Also watching for an answer.

I would get all the doco here irregardless. It is easy and I can get them all in one morning.  Even if they accept some or maybe not, I got nothing to lose.

10 hours ago, Thaidream said:

.At the same time- Thai Immigration can ask for 'proof'-  If they feel the applicant is lying- they can  not issue the  extension and refer the case back to the Embassy for prosecution.  Both the US and Australian Embassy have  Federal police presence in Thailand.

There was no verification, the system is broken.  It is hardly surprising the said embassies no longer want to be involved in this.  TI is now asking for proof of overseas income from everybody from said countries seeking such extensions.

3 hours ago, JustAnotherHun said:

As Big Joke was quotet a little above they should have access to such information now or maybe in the next future.

Anyway, if its still as told in this thread that a new passport will protect one of being refused at the airport, then even the IOs there have no true database.

I have to say if one tries to beat the system by getting a new passport to enter the country, he is definitely not a tourist. What kind of a tourist would so this any way? This access of information mentioned by Big Joke was long overdue and maybe TI can get their act together.

8 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

9 hours ago, Lovethailandelite said:

Surachate said. A data link between the immigration and Thailand’s consular affairs around the world was recently established.

But no clarification about what that data link is for.

I think it will only be for a check to find out if a person is banned from entering the country similar to the check that is done by airlines now.

There is no reason to think a link up would be to do a just a simple check which may be similar to airlines.  It is very reasonable to assume this can allow consulates to have restricted access to passport holders' historical info.  Also the purpose of such link up is not required to be make public, not that it requires our approval. ????

7 minutes ago, Ctkong said:

Maybe it is less than 180 days a year? Because some years back, on one of my trips to Thailand, I was pulled aside and informed that I would have to give next month’s trip a pass because I had almost overstayed the number of days per period. The lady IO was going thru my passport noting down each entry. I told her I got a GF in Bangkok and since I am Malaysian, I make a monthly trip to see her. Anyway she said ‘ next month cannot enter country’. I still returned the next month and luckily got thru. Seems it is an adhoc situation depending upon the IO you met. 

What do you think will happen if she is going to be your GF for the next 20 years, if you are the IO what will you think? ????

3 minutes ago, Ctkong said:

Better still. They wanted all farang to use thailand elite visa and stimulate their economy ... from getting that if farang has that kind of dosh, they have the world to choose from. 

And what if all the farang used the GF as the excuse to return here month after months. ????

46 minutes ago, Nomad001 said:

53 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

OP stated the detained group he was in had 3 Westerners and 4 Chinese.

We can speculate as to why 4 Chinese were in detention..My point I make is you'd never hear of some one being denied entry on a valid visa going back 4 or so years..Now we're hearing more and more and there's a lot more we don't hear about either..

These numbers look suspiciously small don't you think, given that tens of millions of tourists come here in a year.  I have to say this is just symbolic.  Maybe TI is really inefficient as some said it is. ????

2 minutes ago, Nomad001 said:

She does not need too as tourist visa is valid for 3 months..Though a part of approval process is my gf has to submit  a booked flight home..So in effect she can stay up to 3 months

My point is will it be a problem doing this a few times back to back, to stay 6 months or 9 months even if she flies out of oz and fly back in?

31 minutes ago, Nomad001 said:

Easier for me to get my gf a tourist to Aust for a couple of months..While the process may be grueling and expensive..Once approved there's no bs for her upon entry at an airport in Aust..As my gf has been twice..

But then again, what are the chances of your gf doing border runs in oz?

And I am wondering if I get a bank letter here (seasoned 800k 3 months), get a medical certificate here, and other relevant paperwork here before I fly home and use them to apply for an OA.  Will the embassy except these doco especially they are all in Thai?  My purpose is to reduce the time spent back home running around gathering info.

1 hour ago, BritTim said:

Ah yes, the old "other countries have different laws, and Thailand should be following those rather than their own Immigration Act" argument. Thailand decided not to follow the common practice of giving absolute power to immigration officials. The Immigration Act specifically states that only the Minister has the power to arbitrarily admit or exclude individuals or groups. I believe this was done for good reason. Thailand has long had problems of corruption among officials. Giving them too much power makes it easy for them to corruptly monetise that power. 

Which is why most long term residents here are actually long stay visitors.  They have to reapply yearly to stay here with 90-days reporting where applicable. This is the beauty of the system here.

2 hours ago, JackThompson said:

He can stay 60 days per-entry, optionally extended to 90-tops.  He can leave and repeat this.  This is not illegal.  Because the law is not followed at Bangkok airports (and a few other entry-points), one must avoid these - because they don't respect the law there, and they are reported (many times) to make up a blantant-lie to refuse-entry to lawful entrants.

 

There is abusing the tourist visa by using it to live in Thailand. 

3 hours ago, jspill said:

Less than 6 months stay in the last year makes him a tourist, OP said he's been here since Oct. He's not classed as a tax resident and there've been many IOs saying as long as you stick to <180 days per year on tourist visas, that's acceptable.

 

Don't worry, the IO very likely expects him to hit 6 months.

3 hours ago, ThomasThBKK said:

 

Can't you read, he had 200k in CASH...also they didnt even ask him for it...

 

What a shame - if they continue like this thailand will be uninteresting as most interesting people will be fed up with this bs and go somewhere else.

Even if the IOs stopped 100 of such "tourists" a day from entering Thailand, this number don't amount to anything compared to the tens of millions of tourists that visit Thailand yearly.  He don't consider himself to be a tourist and neither does the IO.  As for his 200K cash he had with him, so what?

17 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

Why do you think he works illegally?  Not enough cheap-maids from Burma/Cambodia, so wages went up enough to lure in Westerners into taking risky under-the-table employment? 

 

What suggest to you he is working as a maid .... or under the table whatever type of work that might be?

17 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

It appears to me he spends 60 to 90 days at a time here, as allowed under the law.

It is not like Thai Immigration will be held hostage by their own law.  But there should be no stopping you from challenging the IO's decision, and I am sure the IO will be most appreciative if you point your understanding of the law to him.

4 hours ago, MZsolt said:

just a curios question (even if its non-sense): immigration officers treat you on differend way if you arrive by business class (and you pass the special lane for business travellers)? In my mind there should be a bit difference - but not sure.

You may have to show you have 20,000 baht on arrival, so make sure you have it if arriving on business class.

2 hours ago, kinyara said:

Who said anything about reporting bank book every 90 days ? It's only been confirmed that it's 90 days after renewal at this stage.  That sort of unfounded speculation really doesn't help anyone, please stick to confirmed facts at this stage.

He is just stirring things up for the sake of it. ????

4 hours ago, Jingthing said:

None. Next time read the post you're replying to.

 

Of course you know there is none.  I am only pointing it out that you are implying that your money in the Thai banks is unsafe and that TI is trying to rob you of your money.????

32 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

You overlook that many of the people currently complaining about unfriendly treatment from immigration have reported that historically they too have never had any problems either.

I have not experience any hassle by IOs at airports and checkpoints here despite my passports were filled with TI stamps and stickers, maybe a doubtful look once in a while.  I suspect their English is holding them back.

5 hours ago, Pepper9187 said:

There was a lot of confusion in the queue outside of the embassy where everybody thought that the queue number wouldn't be used at all and that it would be first arrived first served.

Well guess again, they actually use these queues numbers, they call them at the front gate, 0-20 then 0-40 then 0-60 etc.

I don't understand the confusion because I thought the queue numbers would actually give an idea of when to show up.

49 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

That will be many of us.

Part of the leaving process is getting your money out of Thailand. 

Is our money a prisoner here now? 

Which bank(s) locked your money that prevented you from making withdrawals, is it because of your bank loans outstanding ?

41 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Might explain the desire to have Chinese instead. 

That makes economic sense.

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

Good feedback, thanks. What if you had plans to travel I wonder?

I just wondered it might be a good idea to see them prior to traveling and arrange for a later date, when money is no object. ????