edwardandtubs

The contract is worthless and you'll never see your deposit again.

4 hours ago, Andrew65 said:

I reckon it just depends on what kind of mood the IO is in. Many years ago I was let off with a finger-wagging, probably 12-14 hours after midnight, another time I was fined, so it's hard to say.

It's not hard to say at all. There's a 24 hour grace period at airports but not land borders. As you haven't provided any details it's difficult to know what happened to you.

16 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

 

So you overstayed on purpose? 

Yes.

13 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

 

No, they don't. I extended SETV visas many times, but they never asked for a TM.30.

This is also my experience and the last time I did it was the end of last year.

I think there's a difference between asking for and insisting on a TM30. They asked me once at CW but when I said I didn't have one they just looked it up on the system. This contrasts with Laksi where they did actually send me away to get the printout. So people saying "yes you need it" are not being very helpful unless they have an experience to share where someone was actually sent away to get it.

On 11/1/2023 at 7:54 AM, Red Phoenix said:

On the old Imm Office TM-30 web-site, when wanting to check whether the TM30 data you uploaded had really been filed, you had to open the website again, and on the left-hand page click on the 2nd directory and select Search TM30.

You had to enter your username (when it did not appear automatically, e.g. when using a different laptop/PC) and then fill in the search-period for your TM30.  The search-period dates needed to be max 7 days apart and had to be in Thai date-notation.

Probably still same search-period in the new system...

Thank you but I'm not sure this was the problem as putting in two search dates within 7 days led to the same problem. Perhaps the issue was that the initial TM30 report had a check out date one month after the check in date and then when I booked another month no new TM30 was done. This appears to be what the 7 day message is referring to. So the apartment manager is going to do another TM30.

I've done it twice and on neither occasion was I "ushered into an office" or given an "overstay stamp" as some here are claiming. Just a small handwritten note.

20 hours ago, Shop mak said:

You will not get any Visa. Period.

Who are you paranoid about will abuse your account number? Embassy staff abroad, or Immigration here in Thailand?

I always redact my bank statement and got an SETV evisa from the London embassy without any problems.

Last time I was there they asked me for it but when I said I didn't have it they just looked it up on the system. I know if you go to extend a visa exempt at Laksi they sometimes insist on you printing a copy. Anyone have recent experience of this extending an SETV at Chaengwattana?

On a related note, anyone know about a 7 day limit for searching the TM30 website? I know you can easily get it using the app but my apartment manager is trying to do it on a PC.

1 hour ago, BritTim said:

 

The reason it works is because it is 100% indistinguishable from a fully paid up ticket.

If you look at the sample they have on their website it doesn't look much like a fully paid up ticket, which have the logo of the travel agency like Expedia or the airline if booked direct on top. All it would take is the IO at the airport or the airline staff to say, "Where did you buy this ticket?" and you're screwed. It's great that there are no reports of this happening yet but to say there's no risk of it happening in future is not true.

1 hour ago, BritTim said:

 

There are no circumstances I can think of where I would need to explain a flight reservation to an official at an Immigration office, with the single possible exception of my flight being cancelled, and needing the seven days to leave the country.

I mean if you're stopped while entering at the airport and the IO wants to see your flight out. If you said, "Sure! I'll just buy this $16 one from onwardticket.com. I can't actually fly with this ticket but it is a valid reserved ticket!" they would obviously not accept it. The reason it works is not because it's "a valid reserved ticket" but because the IOs have no idea what it really is. If and when they realise people are using this website they'll stop accepting it. Anyone using it is therefore doing so at their own risk.

6 hours ago, BritTim said:

 

The reservation as it stands, is not fully paid up. It is held for 48 to 72 hours, and cancelled if payment is not made by then. In that sense, the reservation (as with one made through a travel agent) is not automatically valid to travel on. It is a valid reserved flight ticket, but is cancelled if no further action is taken.

And if you explained all that to an immigration officer, what do you think their reaction would be?

4 hours ago, Caldera said:

It's worth noting that some embassies that require an "air ticket paid in full" as part of their requirements insist to see not just the itinerary, but also the payment receipt. So there are already cases where using an onward ticket service doesn't work.

And I'm sure if the immigration officers or airline staff knew that what you were showing them was a throwaway ticket they wouldn't accept it. It's just a matter of time before they get clued up on this and start to reject it.

3 hours ago, Caldera said:

 

I think you're wrong about that. They mention that, in case you wish to purchase the ticket, you can contact them while your reservation is valid.

 

To be clear, I don't think that actually happens (and their price probably wouldn't be competitive), but I have no reason to doubt their claim that they could facilitate it upon request.

Their website FAQ says, "Can I use my flight reservation to fly? No, this is a flight reservation only. Please contact us if you want to pay for the flight to receive a ticket you can use to travel."

That seems like an unambiguous "No" to me. The "please contact us" sentence appears to refer to a different service that has nothing to do with the "flight reservation only" service.

Excellent news in theory but will it be a full-size store? Central bangkok shopping malls don't typically have the space available in a place like Mega Bangna.

18 hours ago, BritTim said:

 

A rental ticket is a genuine reservation that could be used if fully paid for.

How could it be fully paid for though? The "agent" doesn't offer that service.

17 minutes ago, BritTim said:

 

In your opinion, is buying a fully refundable ticket, intending to cancel, also fraud? Or, is it only reserving a genuine ticket through a rental service (that the rental service subsequently cancels) that is fraud?

No that's not fraud because the requirement is only to show a ticket at the time of check in that can in fact be used to fly you out of the country.

2 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

I took exception because this topic comes up often.

I would never suggest altered pdf as an option.

It's called fraud.

You are comparing apples and oranges.

Anyway rent a ticket works and can be checked by airline.

 

Not apples and oranges at all. Both involve making a fraudulent misrepresentation to the airline, ie a claim that you have a ticket to fly to an onward destination, which you don't in fact have. Neither is actually going to get you to the place you're (dishonestly) claiming to go.

Rent a ticket appears to have worked so far but there's no guarantee that's going to continue. They both work because the airlines are not fussy enough to check.

30 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Nonsense.

The onward ticket has been entered by airline staff based on reports.

100% no issue.

Please provide one post of where it has been rejected.

Scaremongering not needed for helpful advice. 

I'm not saying it doesn't work just that there's no guarantee based on the notion that it's a "genuine" ticket.

Provide one post where an edited pdf has been rejected. Both of them work but only one is free.

1 hour ago, Red Phoenix said:

Afaik these onward-ticket reservations are genuine reservations, but they are automatically cancelled by the service provider 48hr to 72hr after issuing them.  So there is no need to buy a more expensive genuine ticket.

Whether it's a "genuine" reservation or not is irrelevant. If they are going to inspect your ticket, they're clearly going to want a ticket that can in fact be used to fly you out of Thailand. What are you going to say if the person checking your ticket points out that what you've shown them is clearly from the onwardticket website and can't actually be used with any airline?

Last time I applied I arrived at the same time as someone who paid the 200 baht while I filled in the form myself. No difference in the time it took. I suppose if you have a phobia for form form filling then it's a nice service but there's no real benefit.

6 hours ago, Will B Good said:

Who is Trick?

As the story comes from Thaiger you'll have to ask ChatGPT.

6 hours ago, bigt3116 said:

That would suggest that you entered on either a Non-Imm or a SETV ? Not visa exempt?

 

I was pulled aside because I tried to enter visa exempt but in the waiting area I checked my email and my SETV had arrived a couple of hours before landing. This was a definitely a factor in the head IO's more relaxed attitude so to be ultra cautious the OP and his girlfriend might consider getting one.

2 hours ago, IlyaATL said:

 

On that topic, would it be worth it for us to buy the VIP fast track immigration service?

 

Edit: if questioned by the IO, how would we go about it? 

The official VIP fast track immigraton service will be of absolutely no help to you at all. You can contact an agent and they offer dodgy services where you meet a "helpful" immigration officer in another part of the airport and they give you a fast track entry but as others have said, clearly not necessary in your case.

A lot of people are talking about being "questioned" by immigration, which sounds mysterious and rather scary but having been through it myself, it really isn't. Here's what happened. The IO at the gate you queue up at spent ages scrutinising my entries on his computer. He didn't say a word to me but contacted someone on one of the official smartphones you can see on the desk. Another immigration officer came to get me and took me to a corner where there's an office, some desks and a waiting area with lots of seats. About 20 people are waiting there, mostly from the Middle East, India and Africa. He gave me a form to fill in and told me to wait an hour to speak to the IO in charge. The form just asks you how much money you have in cash, the accommodation you'll be staying in and your return flight number and date. When the IO in charge came over I wouldn't say I was "questioned". We just chatted about my holiday plans and then she said I needed to buy a ticket that returned me to the UK within 90 days. Everyone was polite.

31 minutes ago, UKresonant said:

Make a statement like this and turn it into a jpg image to upload, and it will let you move on...

 

      " Believed not applicable  to, Single entry TR Visa  requested."

 

p.s. just did an application last night for my father, system was a little jumpy when finishing the application, but said "processing"..

I just uploaded the hotel booking document again and got the visa no problem.

I think in general the advice to create a "not applicable to tourist visa" jpg is unnecessary. It's easier just to upload the same document twice. You can do that with the proof of residence document (just upload your passport again).

12 hours ago, Bobthegimp said:

He was caught by a pack of ladyboys and given a good seeing to before being handed over to the police. Apparently he was treated for an anal prolapse after being processed. 

It's good of you to share one of your fantasies with the forum.