Yogi Nomad

Well.. I wouldn't go that far so as to get an Antiguan passport to be able to visit Thailand for a couple of weeks... ???????? , it's just that I love Thailand and have some sweet memories of the place.. recently I started feeling the urge to travel to Thailand again.. so was exploring the possibility of visiting.

I don't think I will have a problem in getting a Tourist visa in India (not just the regular e-voa, but also the Multiple entry Tourist Visa, which requires much more documentation) as I will be able to fulfill all their requirements.. the issue that had come up was me being Indian, so probably more scrutiny at port of entry and using their discretionary powers IO may refuse me an entry stamp for whatever reason.. earlier on it made me a bit apprehensive... but after much interaction on this forum, it has put my mind to rest... If I am denied entry in spite of having a pre approved visa and showing sufficient funds / confirmed hotel booking... so be it... Will forget about Thailand for now, there is the wide open world to explore... Later on if I still feel I would like to visit, who knows may invest money in Thailand, start a business. . who knows.. go for an Elite Visa... Retirement Visa....

I have business interests in India and abroad... and most happy with my Indian passport... I have never faced any discrimination in any other country on my frequent travels due to my nationality.... Just reflecting back.. I never ever faced any discrimination / added scrutiny in Thailand too (Have visited Thailand more than 30 times over the years!!!). People in Thailand were very courteous and friendly, that is why I have very fond memories of the place... ????????

2 minutes ago, sotonowl said:

What you fail to mention is what ever happened to the Thai girl? The one responsible for the original overstay.

???????? ... We did keep in touch for a while... she came to India too... but it did not last.. out of sight, out of mind (for both I guess).. Now, I have no clue where she is... do not intend to try and look for her too.. That chapter is closed for me, too much water has flowed under the bridge.. I have moved on.... ???? . It was great while it lasted... no regrets...

12 minutes ago, wisperone said:

If IO should question you why you overstayed, don't mention because of a girlfriend.

Yep.. That would not be a good answer.. ???? , what else can be a good reply? reason for 3 plus months overstay has got to be something believable / acceptable (I realize no matter what is my reply, it is still not good enough for overstaying, my intention was not to break any immigration laws, I was so caught up in the situation that things really got out of hand, and I managed to do something that I normally would never have done (AND will never again do in the future, come what may)..... What I did was stupid.. but I cannot reverse that now..

Any ideas on what I can say, short and to the point..... ????

3 minutes ago, BritTim said:

On your pre booked flights, there is something very important for you to understand. When you are denied entry to Thailand, it is the responsibility of the airline that brought you to Thailand to transport you elsewhere. In general, if you agree a destination with the airline, immigration will be OK with that. However, immigration will rarely agree to transfer responsibility for your removal to another airline, even if you have a flight booked with them. Bear this in mind. Any insurance flight leaving soon after your planned arrival in Thailand must be on the same airline that brought you to Thailand.

Thank you for letting me know about this, I did not know about this and it would have come as a shock to me at the airport!!!.. I will make sure the throw away ticket is from the same airline that got me into BKK..

Thanks again..you saved me from a major goof up!

Yes, @BritTim I agree, that is a distinct posibility. My having an Indian passport may be subject to more scrutiny than others (even though I may be able to show more than enough financial statements / assets in India and abroad), well I goofed up earlier, now I am paying the price..

I am mentally prepared for being refused entry...I just would like it to be something like "entry refused" and I am allowed to leave on the next available flight back to India or better still to the Philippines (I am going to get a tourist visa before leaving India). I am going to carry one or two throw away tickets with me (I will buy a ticket out which is scheduled to leave about 6 hours after I land in Bangkok)... or just buy them online / at the airport counter. Only thing I am worried about is that I do not want them to put me on hold in detention pending formalities at their end, even if I have the resources to buy a ticket out if refused entry at whatever cost it takes, I will offcourse have a return ticket to India, but that will be dated 12 days later!... (If having to spend time in detention, even overnight is a possibility, I am going to drop the idea of even trying to get to Thailand, I certainly do not want to go through that again). Other thing is that I cannot read or speak Thai... here is going to be a communication problem.. I do not want them to thrust a form written in Thai at me and asking me to sign on something that has not been explained to me!!!

If I am let through non of this will matter...but that is wishful thinking... ????

I was talking to a few people and they suggested that the fine has been paid for overstay and it's been almost 4.4 years since I last travelled to Thailand... so if I do get a pre approved e-Voa in India, then the chances of my getting entry stamp at the airport / land border are pretty good.. no doubt I was told there may be a few more questions asked but chances are if all documentation / requirements are in order then I would be allowed to enter...

A lot of people who overstayed / were deported came back with proper documentation were let through, also others with no prior problems coming to Thailand for the first time were refused entry, so it's a chance that I have to take..

Will post what happens either ways...

Yes, that's an option too...this one is almost full anyways.. ????, One reason I am avoiding doing this right now is a new passport will still have mention of the old passport number, and if at Thai immigration my deportation details come up on the computer, which they will...then I will have a brand new 'Refusal of entry' stamp on my new passport too... thought it better to get one more stamp on the old one if refused entry (It already has the above stamp on it anyways) rather than ruining the new one too.. It's a catch 22 situation..

All I want to do is spend 10 - 12 days in Bangkok, have a nice time and get back to India. Once I have an entry and exit stamp out of Thailand, my next trips may not be that difficult, I feel...next time will plan for a longer trip with appropriate Visa.

I was checking the Thai visas given to Indians, apart from the e-voa which has pretty modest documentation and I guess given more as a norm with not much due diligence. They also have a Tourist Multiple Entry visa, there there is more scrutiny and more documentation required, including demonstrating financial means way above the paltry 10 - 20,000 Baht requirement for e-voa. Since there is more due diligence here I was hoping that at the port of entry the Immigration guys will just stamp an entry date and let me through..

I am first just trying see if I can to do this the simplestraight forward way... else the other suggestions given above are under consideration too.. ????

Yes.. will be checking the Myanmar option too... they too have a fairly simple e-visa system... Thanks..

I have been raking my brains alone for so long, grateful to get a lot of suggestions here..

This makes it crystal clear.. thank you.. This will certainly not look good on my passport... however did not prevent other countries from giving me a visa..so that's a relief..

I guess I just have to go through the e-voa and see what happens. If I get it here in India.. will do two things..

1) Carry more than enough Thai Baht including credit cards and debit cards, confirmed hotel bookings prepaid in full.

2) Carry two confirmed return tickets... one dated 12 days (don't want to wait upto last day of entry permit) from entry...another ticket for the same day / night of arrival. the second one will be kept in reserve if denied entry and not presented until that happens...(I know this looks very funny and childish and the immigration guys are going to flip, but I just don't want to take a chance with no seat availability on the same day / night, I know I will lose almost all my money for the second ticket if not used, it would be like an expensive insurance policy which I did not need to use!, that's how I am going to think about the money lost ). I think additionally I will book tickets on our national carrier so there are no other issues..

if I am allowed entry, good...else would like to be back home ASAP

People here may wonder, why go through all this trouble, well, always wanted to visit again, I love the place.. if denied e-voa in India itself, its end of story anyways... ????

Great, so it does not mention being deported anywhere? Google translate showed me a word "prosecuted" on the stamp...was wondering what ippact that would have. So in other words is it the same like paid for overstay like the 500 Baht / 20,000 Baht max paid at airport and allowed to leave, because I guess that would make my entry much easier. There is no other adverse stamp by Thai immigration on my passport..

I guess the deportation details would showup when they punch in my Passport number at the port of entry...so the stamp will not mean much anyways...just counting on the fact that I receive the pre approved e-voa in India itself. However I have been reading elsewhere on this forum that the Thai embassy may not have access to Thai immigration computers normally (as a routine) and that they may issue a e-voa strictly on the basis of my bank statement, return flight ticket and hotel reservations.

It will be the guy at the port of entry in Thailand Immigration who will see all these details and will have the perogative of either letting me in or decide to refuse me entry and order my return to country of origin I believe.. So its going to be a gamble. But getting a pre approved visa in India itself would be a small victory I guess..

well if I am refused guess it will be the end of Thailand saga for me for now... will explore other South east Asian countries and other parts of the world.. but nothing beats being in Thailand ????

True, the visas will still be valid on the cancelled passport.

Would love to spare 3 months to do a Thai language course too... Will check out this option.

This is a fantastic forum with lots of solid information and very helpful members... I am thankful for the responses I received.

Could someone please translate what the stamp above says.. I did a google picture scan and translate and got a gist of what it says... The stamp was stamped somewhere in the middle of my passport, hoping that immigration does not go through the trouble of flipping through all the pages and just stamps the entry stamp on seeing a pre approved e-voa, along with ample proof of finances, business class return tickets and confirmed hotel bookings (Preferably in a 5 star or above property)..

I am seriously looking at the other suggestions above too..

if anyone can think of any other options do let me know..

A party is surely in store for all who have responded above, if I make it to Thailand... ????????

PS: I heard of so many people who overstayed / deported prior to 2016 and who came back to Thailand within weeks (not suggesting that overstaying / deportation is good / ok and that nothing will happen, surely there will be consequences), maybe they were lucky (mostly westerners I guess, others may not find it that easy... that's reality!)  ????

???? That would be a good option... but the last one.. I still have valid visas from other countries on this passport...

If I only had kept my head on my shoulders the last time and left even for a day and come back things would have been different..

But whats done is done... cannot reverse the past..

If its destined I will be able to visit Thailand... else there is the rest of the world to explore... But have the sweetest memories from Thailand ???? ... Lets c... any other options for safe entry into Thailand welcome too..

Will joining a Thai language school program for about 1 month be easier, Visa and entry wise? I always wanted to learn Thai, comes in real handy... Still my aim is to come the tourist visa route... exactly matching the purpose of my visit.. Don't plan to stay for more than 15 days anyways this time... If I get entry now and leave on time I think the next time I travel it will be easier.. Never ever an overstay in any country, come what may... It's just not worth it... ????

Yes @ubonjoe this has been my initial plan to get a e-voa because it would be pre approved or rejected for that matter in India itself.

I raised this query because I was told that I could still be denied entry into Thailand by thai immigration who would fix the entry

stamp.. but Yes, this would be the most straight forward approach... still dreading the possibility of being refused entry in spite of having a pre approved e-voa.. guess I will never know till I do this one way or another......just looking for the best options out of a worst case scenario... ????

What you are suggesting seem like good options.. I will check them out...thanks again

Was just wondering again, what are my chances with a e-visa obtained in India itself and going through the Immigration counter of Suvarnabhumi airport, I understand its difficult to say, it all depends on the person sitting behind the immigration counter on the day I travel.... but any inputs from people in a similar situation earlier and being allowed entry would greatly help me make a plan of action.

PS: Would other Visas on my passport showing entry and exit on time from Shenzhen countries in the intervening period between 2014 and 2019 help in Thai Immigration not considering me a person who may overstay again? Another thing to note is in about 8 months I would be completing 5 years self imposed ban on traveling to Thailand anyways... ???? (But was looking to visit earlier in August / September 2019 or in December 2019 itself..

Yes, I agree I have been extremely lucky, would never want to be caught in a similar situation ever again... I have traveled all over so do not generally get profiled as "Indian" till they see my passport :)..but realize it's tougher for Indians out there...

I had thought about taking the route Via Vietnam after getting a Thai tourist visa in India (ie if I get one), @BritTim I do not mind this being more expensive (luckily money is not an issue)... would you advice taking the land crossing from Vietnam to Thailand ((Which border crossing will be better)? or would a flight from Vietnam to Bangkok be better (But I guess taking a flight would still mean going through Airport immigration. I guess the land route would be a better chance.

So do I need to have a multiple entry Vietnamese Tourist Visa to fly back out of the Vietnam if I am denied entry by Thai immigration at the border crossing... I don't want to get stuck in IDC thailand again awaiting my next flight out of Thailand...

Its a iffy situation I understand but any inputs would be helpful... I want to do this the right way... ????

Thanks for taking time out and replying BritTim

I am an Indian national. Due to some circumstances I overstayed my welcome in Thailand for more than 90 days. I was on a 15 days Tourist Visa on Arrival. I had enough funds on me, somehow I ended up staying back, thinking I will leave the next day and so on and so forth (I know I was extremely stupid and foolish here, don't know what got into me). Finally at a random check I was apprehended in Bangkok, where I was staying in a hotel by local police, taken to the police station and produced before the court the next day. The judge said something in Thai (I have no clue what to this day) all I understood was that I need to pay 3500 Baht and that I was being deported. I paid the fine, I arranged for a friend to buy a ticket back to India (Paid by myself). I was taken to the IDC in Bangkok and held for the afternoon, I was then taken to the airport the same night to catch my scheduled flight back home to India.

All along I had the funds to pay the 20,000 Baht at the airport as overstay fine (Had more than 2000USD as contingency funds in cash apart from International debit and credit cards), but always thought I will leave tomorrow (I guess I need to admit I had fallen for a Thai girl and leaving for even a day had at that time become inconceivable, looking back the most idiotic thing i had done). I had visited Thailand many times before that and had always left the country within the stipulated 15 days. I had never wanted to disobey any international laws, but this time I admit I just did not think straight and overstayed. I have travelled all over the world on business and pleasure and have never overstayed ever.

I am attaching a picture of the stamp that they put on my passport when I was deported to India on 4th Dec, 2014. This is the only stamp they put, nothing else was marked on any other page of my passport. I would please like to know:

1) if I need to stay away from the country for 5 years ( was deported on 4th December, 2014 - new banning entry law came into effect in 2016 I believe)

2) If I get a e-visa (Tourist) from India itself, can the immigration people at Suvarnabhumi airport still deny me entry even after I show them enough finances, conformed return flight tickets and confirmed hotel bookings?

3) What are the chances of me being allowed to visit Thailand as a tourist if I take the Visa on arrival route?

4) If denied entry, will they allow me to take the next flight out to India (Ticket price paid by me, as the one I carry with me would be dated 12 days from my entry date) without being sent to detention overnight?

5) Is it worth the trouble trying to visit again (I really love Thailand and would love to visit)

6) Does the stamp on my passport (attached) mean I have been blacklisted or cannot visit Thailand (I cannot read Thai so have no clue what it means except something like "prosecuted due to overstay")

Thank you all in advance, any inputs would be greatly appreciated..