thaistuff

On 1/30/2020 at 10:47 AM, WalkingOrders said:

Quote

A person married to a thai national, who lives long term, one year and longer, in Thailand, who does not seek a long stay visa, or extension, designed for people who live one year or longer in Thailand, and instead seeks multiple renewal of 90 day visas using border runs is attempting to abuse a system that requires income conditions to be met to stay long term in Thailand. The Gov of Thailand, would naturally, and with reason, hold such people as suspect in their intensions and motivations.

You misunderstand.  
The marriage visa is a one year visa. It just limits permission to stay for 90 days at a time. If you cross the border and re-enter, you are granted an additional 90 days. There is no abuse in doing that, it is just how the visa functions. If they do not wish to grant that permission to stay on each arrival, then they could very easily change the policy to make extension mandatory without stealth changes in policy which can be conveniently "worked around" with 2000 baht in a brown envelope.     

 

If they want to make that change, I'm fine with that. It's not trampling my rights. It is however, unethical and unfair to stealthily implement the change and spring fines on people at the border, and my post here is simply to warn people of the possible risk of what up until now, has always been A-OK with immigration officials here.
 

I live in Pattaya and have a Non-Imm O multi- entry Marriage Visa, and usually does border runs to Cambodia every 90 days. I do in-out stamp trips using the border run companies, as I prefer this trip to dealing with the immigration offices and the hassles that involves. I know a lot of other people do this too, but what happened to me today means I will NEVER do another border run like that again...  

I arrived at Ban Pakard, joined the queue, and waited for my turn.
Upon presenting my passport to exit Thailand, with a valid marriage visa (with a week left on it), and on the last day of my previous 90 day entry-stamp, the immigration official handed my passport over to his boss and I could tell something was up. I expected to get a few simple questions and be on my way, but that was not the case today.  

Boss waved me over, gave me a stern talking to while I politely listened. I mention this so you know that I was not rude in any way, shape or form. 
He told me that I should be going to Pattaya immigration office for extensions, not doing border runs. He said I would not be able to get a stamp today. I (politely) said that this was never a problem before, and that I was expecting to be able to do my in-out bounce and get another 90 day stamp. He repeated that, no, I should be going to Jomtien immigration.  But, he said, if I talked to his assistant (the girl who helps people at the border there) and she agreed, I could have the stamp. This would be the last time I could have it though, he said. The girl took me aside and told me in no uncertain terms, that meant I either pay 2000 baht feeor get back on the bus without my stamp.

Stuck between having to pay him 2000 baht and get what I came for, or head back to Jomtien and pay them 2000 baht to get 60 days and have to deal with that whole process, I paid him. No receipt. Nothing signed. Cash on the tables under the "no cash transactions here" signs.   

The border run boss said that this official is known for being a _______. He apparently moved away from that office a while back, but returned a couple of weeks ago. With a vengeance.   

So if you are doing a border run on your Non-imm O visa, expect to have to cough up 2000 baht. Or more, it was all under the table and the rates could change at any time.  Personally, I won't be going back there. 

I think that is my 20th, and final time at that border.