lemonwaterjoe

First of all I feel very sorry for the thread starter. I hope he can get things solved, crossing my fingers!

Beside that I would like to "calm down" the situation a bit...reading through some posts in this thread and the other one (kohphanganlover) makes me feel many peope are in a panic mode now and fear leaving or entering Thailand. Of course you can not stay for years in Thailand without having a proper visa. But this you can't do in any country in the world!

But you can come and go (!) to Thailand as often as you want if you stick with the rules. As written in the other thread I'm coming with Visa exempts (arrive by plane, walk to immigration, get a stamp inside my passport and can stay 30 days) since several years to Thailand, always via Suvarnabhum Airport. I never had any issue. I'm from Europa and 35 years old.

I do this for at least 3-4 years now and I always stay between 10 and 15 days (never longer) and then return to Europe for my business/work. In 2016 I entered Thailand 10 times that way, in 2017 already 5 or 6 times and stayed in total around 60 days in Thailand between Jan 1 and July 1 this year.

Not sure about the procedure but if there would be an automatic "flag" I would have been flagged many times already. But never ever. Also I was never asked anything, never ever had the need to show any money.

Edit: I do usally wear a polo shirt when traveling ;-)

4 hours ago, lkv said:

 

 

 

Visa exempts get flagged at 6 and people continue to come in after a talk to a supervisor. That's in the airport.

 

 

This I can not confirm - as written a few pages earlier I'm coming with Visa exempts (arrive by plane, walk to immigration, get a stamp inside my passport and can stay 30 days) since several years to Thailand, always via Suvarnabhum Airport. I never had any issue.

I do this for at least 3-4 years now and I always stay between 10 and 15 days (never longer) and then return to Europe for my business/work. In 2016 I entered Thailand 10 times that way, in 2017 already 5 or 6 times and stayed in total around 60 days in Thailand between Jan 1 and July 1 this year.

Not sure about the procedure but if there would be an automatic "flag" I would have been flagged many times already. But never ever.

8 minutes ago, dddave said:

You are still not quite getting the distinction of the word "visa"  The 30 day stamp you are allowed on entry is not a visa..it is a permission of stay.  Visas can only be issued outside of the country.

I know this sounds like nit-picking but the legal distinctions are significant.

No, it's not nit-picking. I fully understand that these are significant legal distinctions. So thanks for clarifying.

Nevertheless I'm still confused why I can enter that way every 6-8 weeks and stay 10-15 days without ever having any issue in comparison to the thread starter.

33 minutes ago, perthperson said:

 

Really ?    There are no 30 day VOAs !  

 

If you have been using serial visa exempt entries you can expect to be questioned by immigration any time soon .....

Sorry for the confusion, I do mean the 30 days visa every tourist gets (for some countries it might be 15 days) when I arrive at the airports and walk to the immigration and get a stamp inside my passport.

So I do this for at least 3-4 years now and I always stay between 10 and 15 days.

In 2016 I entered Thailand 10 times that way, in 2017 so far 6 times. Never had an issue. I hope I won't have one when I enter the next time IF this is a "new" rule....

1 minute ago, perthperson said:

Just as a matter of interest where do you obtain these Tourist Visas ? 

My pardon, I mean "Visa on Arrival" (30 days)....already corrected my post.

I'm coming on "Visa on arrival" (30 days) since several years to Thailand. I always stay between 10 and 15 days.

In 2016 I entered Thailand 10 times that way, in 2017 so far 6 times. Never had an issue. I hope I won't have one when I enter the next time IF this is a "new" rule....