fredzafsky

Pedang Besar is a good border. Me and my colleagues in Songkhla use this border to activate our multiple-entry 1-year non-immigrant B visas. Other borders worth visiting are Ban Wang Prachan in Satun and the border in Nathawee, Songkhla.

I went to Pedang Besar, Sunday gone, to get a stamp in my new passport; my visa was in my recently expired passport. It took a bit of head-scratching on their part but they were very friendly and going through to Malaysia/entering back into Thailand was a doddle.

However, don't make the mistake of going to Danok (Sadao). They are the most rotten, corrupt, criminal bureaucrats I've come across in Thailand.

I had all the necessary paperwork to legally enter Thailand (visa aforementioned plus work permit) so their mafia office staff took to insulting me and trying to shake me down for my money. I vow never to go there gain.

Sadao/Danok is still an issue. The immigration officers at the booths wouldn't entertain me (even though I was re-entering on a Multiple Non-B with Work Permit) and sent me to the office. Two mafia looking guys, in the office, tried to extort me. I didn't give them any money and the police officer at the desk eventually stamped my passport but I certainly won't be going there again.

Friends of a friend (with Multiple Non-Bs/WPs) recently tried to re-enter, with their visiting family, at Sadao/Danok. They were quite willing to tell the two Non-B/WP holders to stay outside for one night but after explaining they needed to go back to work, they gave them permission to enter back in. However, the elderly family members, hoping to re-enter on a visa exemption, were told to stay in Malaysia for one night. The two Non-B/WP holders had to make the obvious decision to stay with them and they all re-entered the following day.

I think the money is drying up at the Sadao/Danok border and now it's a headcase as a result. Stay away from that border.

My friend (Filipina) recently did her 3-month at Pedang Besar. Went without a hitch except the officer asked for 100-baht on exit. Not ideal but certainly a better deal than the Danok border.

I will exit/re-enter at Pedang this weekend. I'll make sure to post the outcome. Wish me luck!

Thanks for the info. Please post your outcome as it will help influence my decision.

Good luck!

I made a decision in the end to go to Ban Wang Prachan in Satun. Entry/exit was very easy, only a few steps between each border.

It was a a bit of a pain to get to that border from Songkhla (I went with my friend by motorbike) but at least the views were nice. I heard there's a van going there from Hat Yai but I can't confirm that.

Perhaps I will try Pedang next time but I probably won't see that border until May next year as I'll apply for a new visa in February.

Good luck with your next border run, would be good if you could report on your journey too. It'll be good if we can get a good view on the situation in the South.

Sadao/Danok is still an issue. The immigration officers at the booths wouldn't entertain me (even though I was re-entering on a Multiple Non-B with Work Permit) and sent me to the office. Two mafia looking guys, in the office, tried to extort me. I didn't give them any money and the police officer at the desk eventually stamped my passport but I certainly won't be going there again.

Friends of a friend (with Multiple Non-Bs/WPs) recently tried to re-enter, with their visiting family, at Sadao/Danok. They were quite willing to tell the two Non-B/WP holders to stay outside for one night but after explaining they needed to go back to work, they gave them permission to enter back in. However, the elderly family members, hoping to re-enter on a visa exemption, were told to stay in Malaysia for one night. The two Non-B/WP holders had to make the obvious decision to stay with them and they all re-entered the following day.

I think the money is drying up at the Sadao/Danok border and now it's a headcase as a result. Stay away from that border.

My friend (Filipina) recently did her 3-month at Pedang Besar. Went without a hitch except the officer asked for 100-baht on exit. Not ideal but certainly a better deal than the Danok border.

I will exit/re-enter at Pedang this weekend. I'll make sure to post the outcome. Wish me luck!

Lots of people has bad experiences in Sadao (I think we're talking about Dannok actually), including myself. it is probably the worst border post in Thailand.

It would be interesting to understand who exactly are the bribe demanders. Since it is known that Dannok routinely collects money from passports, it could be that it has been setup so that is not taken directly take by officers.

You're right, I'm talking about Dannok border. I've just been talking to my friend about the situation and he made the same comment about the bribe demanders. If the situation is really restricted to Dannok, I might try Satun border next. I've heard good things about the officers at that border.

Well, I had a lovely time at Sadao border today.

I have a 'non-immigrant one year multiple-entry' visa based on working as a supervisor in a primary school. I went to Sadao to do my three-month check-in. I've never had a problem before so I was expecting things to run smoothly.

I entered back into Thailand from Malaysia by motorcycle taxi and went to immigration booth one. The lady at number one directed me to the office without taking so much as a look at me. I was expecting to go to the office as per previous reports so I had my work permit and 20,000THB prepared just in case.

The officers in the office did not pay much attention when I entered, only their scruffy looking assistant. I told the assistant I had been directed here and he flippantly sent me straight back out to immigration booth; I could tell already at that point I wouldn’t ever want to deal with him again. I went back to the immigration booth one and the woman, again barely glancing at me, sent me to immigration booth eight.

Immigration booth eight was staffed by an elderly gentleman whose first question was ‘Who sent you here?’ I told him booth number one sent me there and he immediately went on his walkie-talkie. I told him I was a supervisor at a primary school in Songkhla city; he didn’t pay much attention to that and continued to fiddle with his walkie-talkie for about five minutes whilst a queue built up behind me.

Eventually the man in booth eight sent me back to the office. I still kept a happy face on as the decision of any officer could keep me stuck outside of Thailand. I went back to the office and told the assistant I had been sent back here and he took my passport. He was rude as before but my bad feeling only increased when a middle-aged guy (again, not dressed as one of the immigration officers) stuck his head into the office.

I was trying to be respectful by responding to them in Thai (their English wasn’t great) but they just poked fun at my beginner-level ability. Still I kept my happy face on but I started to feel pretty crap about the situation. I could sense that these two thugs really didn’t like foreigners. They made allusions (in basic English) about how well paid foreign staff in schools are, in a way that was clearly resentful. They then proceeded to ask 500THB (in Thai) from me. I asked why (in Thai) and they responded in English. They said that every time I spoke Thai I should give them 500THB. Needless to say I stopped speaking Thai and in fact stopped speaking to them at all.

Shortly after the bribe attempt I was called over by one of the immigration officers who looked at my work permit and passport and stamped me through pretty quickly. Why I had to be grilled and made to feel bad by the two gangsters I don’t know. They weren't queuing entertainment as there was no other foreigners currently being dealt with in the office.

Needless to say I’m going to see what I can do to avoid going to the border again, whether it be to work through an agency who can sort out my papers for a one-year extension or to work at a university whose requirements are less onerous. I really love the kids at my school so I don’t want to have to do this but I really don’t want to risk being turned away at the border again.

p.s.-Any ideas who those guys in the office might be? They didn’t act or dress professionally like the officers. They were the ones who really made my experience today shitty. I have no problems being asked questions, but being asked for bribes and having fun poked at you when you feel as if you are at their mercy isn’t something I feel anyone should face.

p.p.s.-Sorry for the essay! I hope no one else has the same experience I had.

I am currently employed as a supervisor at a primary school. I have been granted a work permit and multiple-entry visa for this purpose. The multiple-entry visa is quite an inconvenience.

Does this new police order mean I can now be granted an extension of stay under the rubric of 'educational personnel'? If so, I will maybe try to apply in the next few weeks.

That might be the case, also depending on the job description as an administrator needs a teaching permit. if you however fall under educational personnel you will still need to show a degree or relevant work experience.

I believe my English co-ordinator will make the same case to immigration (relating my degree to my supervisor role) that she has already made to the labour office (for my work permit) and the Thai embassy in Penang (for my multiple-entry visa).

We will try and I will report back whatever the case.

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I am currently employed as a supervisor at a primary school. I have been granted a work permit and multiple-entry visa for this purpose. The multiple-entry visa is quite an inconvenience.

Does this new police order mean I can now be granted an extension of stay under the rubric of 'educational personnel'? If so, I will maybe try to apply in the next few weeks.