Mattd

2 minutes ago, keithpa said:

Bank statements, he put illegally gotten gains into the bank, then drew it out. Currency exchange, he exchanged illegally gotten gain in US $ and cashed them for Thai baht. These methods are common and well known by the authorities. Condo sale, if he can show the money coming into Thailand, that will do.

Since 9/11, there are restrictions in place for largish deposits or withdrawals in to a financial institution, so the safeguards are, at least according to the establishment, already in place in that regard, there are a lot of ways of proving where the cash came from, i.e. salary, proceeds of a sale, inheritance, pension payout, winnings of some sort, dividend payments, the list is endless.

You would probably be asked questions if you tried to exchange a large amount of cash, so would likely have to do this several times to avoid suspicion if it was ill gotten gains, which would raise eyebrows the other end.

In the case of the OP, yes the sale of his condo should be fine, especially as it is below the limit allowed.

Where it goes wrong is when there is no explanation or it is obviously fabricated with no trail.

53 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

Australia Immigration do according to their Border Secuity Programmes.

Actually, after doing some research, it appears that the only 2 countries that actively share criminal record information during the immigration entry process are US & Canada.

The UK for example doesn't share this information unless it is specifically asked for and even then it has to be through the correct process, which takes a little time.

For another country to request the information, then they would have to have reasonable cause to do so.

I go with @007 RED theory, the IO threw a random question out and the guy bit, seems a bit harsh to deny entry just for this though, if indeed that was the sole reason..

4 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

Australia Immigration do according to their Border Secuity Programmes.

Quite possibly they do, although given the nature of the US system, even this is probably only certain limited info, i.e. whatever is on a federal database.

I still doubt the Thai's have this sort of access.

I'd be gobsmacked if Thai immigration suddenly has access to US criminal records, especially one going back so long ago. As above, there must be some other reason.

25 minutes ago, keithpa said:

How do you prove that the funds legally belong to you,

Many ways, in the OP's case, then he should have proof of the sale of his condo, bank statements, currency exchange slips etc.

There have been several cases where people have had cash seized by UK customs, as they have not been able to show proof of where it came from, they can seize cash for up to 48 hours without a court order and longer with.

On 1/26/2018 at 2:58 PM, theoldgit said:

As said if you’re stopped then mention it, and be prepared to prove the source of the funds even though you’re under the declaration threshold.

Sound advice, make sure that you have some way of proving that the funds legally belong to you, just in case of a random stop.

Just now, ubonjoe said:

No extension is based upon a work permit. It would depend upon the type of extension or visa (non-la possibley) she has. If she has an extension of stay based upon on working or non-la visa he could get one based upon being her spouse if the were able to get married.

So it is really going to depend on whether she actually has a passport and extension of stay of some sort, as opposed to the special permission that some migrants can get.

12 minutes ago, blubb said:

The immigration at Airport said, there is no need to show those 20k in Bath for tourists

There is a possibility of being asked, though very very remote.

For VE then it would 20k THB for the family, not each.

I would think that the Burmese lady will have a work permit for neighbouring countries (migrant labour plan),  if this is indeed the case, even if they were allowed to marry, can a spouse get an extension of stay based on this type of work permit?

Just now, SpokaneAl said:

 

It depends on where you look for the information.

http://www.thaiconsulatela.org/service_visa_detail.aspx?link_id=48


Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

Agreed, however, as MFA are the custodians, so........

15 hours ago, Evilbaz said:

In that you fit the requirements for retirement in Thailand in the view of the MFA.

http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/4908/15385-Non-Immigrant-Visa-"O-A"-(Long-Stay).html

No mention in the MFA blurge of retirement whatsoever, there simply is not a visa that's specific purpose is for retirees, at the end of the day it doesn't really matter.

2 minutes ago, edwardandtubs said:

Well, they don't usually refuse at land borders if you have the cash. Will the denial at the airport change that?

There are differing thoughts on that subject throughout the thread, the only test would be for him to try it, there are two things that would suggest a further refusal is likely though, he now has a fresh entry refusal stamp in his passport and the same information is in the immigration database.

The OP is now talking of whether he can get a non b visa for business, this could prove difficult if he doesn't have the documentation to back it up and even this does not guarantee him entry.

11 minutes ago, edwardandtubs said:

I don't have time to wade through all 16 pages of this thread.

11 minutes ago, edwardandtubs said:

Why not take that, fly from Hat Yai to Bangkok and sort out your business visa documents when you get home? 

If he did this then it is highly likely that they would just refuse him entry again, as per the first entry by the OP that started the thread.

8 minutes ago, edwardandtubs said:

We also don't know what the OP said to the immigration officer. As he seems to think what he's doing is perfectly legal, he probably revealed all to the immigration officer. If he had just said he was on a long holiday in Koh Chang, he probably wouldn't have had this problem.

This is true with regard to the initial refusal in DMK airport, however, he said that sometime after this refusal he contacted a friendly female IO who works out of BKK airport and she thought the refusal was to do with working illegally, of course if he did make suggestions in DMK to that effect, then it would say this in the immigration system.

The OP does seem to think that whatever it is he does is not in violation of any laws, the way he describes it suggest the opposite.

Who knows what information has been exchanged, either by the OP or by others.

45 minutes ago, Dmitry2222 said:

So, the work of the OP seems not to be the main reason for the refusal of the entrance. Actually they did not know does him working or not in Thailand and they had not proofs for it.

Even if they had no concrete proof, they obviously had the suspicion, this was even confirmed by the OP himself when he supposedly contacted somebody he knew in BKK airport immigration.

I suspect that there is a lot more behind this refusal than we are being told.

18 minutes ago, Evilbaz said:

An Non Immi OA Visa is a "Retirement Visa"  as it is only issued on the basis of retirement.

That is not really correct, it is visa that allows someone over the age of 50 to spend a period of up to one year (per entry) without working in Thailand, there is no requirement that you actually have to be retired.

8 minutes ago, johnc925 said:

This is (supposed to be done) by your landlord or juristic office (depending on their committee rules) to file the TM28 with immigration

Sorry, but that is incorrect information, a TM28 is filed only when you change your PERMANENT address and this has to be filed by you in person.

A TM30 can be filed by several means, if staying in a registered hotel or guest house, then they should be doing this for you, if staying in rented accommodation, then the landlord should report you, the issue is, most will not, as they seem to think there is link to income taxes if they make this report and wish to stay below the radar, immigration will gladly fine you as the renter, loads of examples of this on other forums.

The interesting part, is that there does not appear to be a national database, so if this is the case, for example you stayed at a hotel in Bangkok for two nights and returned back home, immigration in Phuket (or any other province outside of BKK) would not actually know you had been to BKK!

41 minutes ago, abrahamzvi said:

Does this apply ALSO to Permanent Residents (holding PR status)?

No.

7 minutes ago, SpokaneAl said:

His wife has a Thai ID card so that problem is resolved. Just get her a Thai passport, and if she enters Thailand on that passport she can stay as long as she likes.

Absolutely correct, if getting one from an official Thai Consulate or the Thai Embassy in the US proves to be difficult for whatever reason, alternatively, his wife can arrive in to Thailand on her US passport, apply for a Thai passport here, once issued, then they could go for a short holiday to say Singapore, then enter Thailand again on the Thai passport.

Incidentally, she can also apply for a one year extension of stay if she enters on her US passport, based on being a Thai citizen, which would give more time to sort things out.

@yooper Is your wife registered in a blue tabien bahn book? If she is then she is a Thai citizen and entitled to a Thai ID card and passport, of that there is absolutely no doubt, if the Amphur are telling you different then they are incorrect, the only persons that are allowed to be registered in a blue tabien bahn are Thai citizens and those foreigners who have PR status.

The Amphur would not be able to register her if she does not have the ID number etc.

Seek legal advice.

Oh and immigration do not issue passports, these are issued by MFA.

22 minutes ago, Freefly said:

I dont work and am fully independant. As I said, iv never been asked but I do carry copies of my condo title, proof of motorbike ownership, statement from my girlfriend and bank statements to prove my case if asked.

This could also work against you, depending on the IO, if ever asked, as all do go to prove that you are residing in Thailand, the most important piece of evidence that you would need to show in that case would be proof that you are not working in Thailand and that the funds come from outside of Thailand.

TBH I suspect that there is more to the OP's story than we know, however it could be just that the IO was not in a good mood.

The issue is that Thailand have not really properly defined in law or official regulations, their definition of a tourist and usage of tourist visas, so there is confusion from both the ends.

Yes, an argument could be made that those that do wish to stay here long term and are not working here legally,  or are not married to a Thai, do not have children here and are under 50, then the elite visa is available to them.

This still does not negate the fact there is nothing officially wrong with utilising TV's as the regulations stand now.

Converting diesel engines to run on LPG is extremely problematic and if it is not done correctly then the engine will become less fuel efficient and the emissions will increase.

Remembering that the base diesel engine has a far higher compression ratio than LPG needs or likes and no spark to ignite the LPG.

A pure LPG engine can never compete with diesel for pure grunt, you see this daily on the roads, the trucks running gas tend to be sluggish when a hill gets in the way.

A certain German company (along with most others no doubt) proved that software can make diesels perfectly clean and green 

There is no doubt that the days of diesel engines are numbered for personal vehicles, in fact all internal combustion engines on their own, however, in certain applications, it is going to take more advancements in technology to replace diesel engines, that day will come.

1 minute ago, vogie said:

Yes I have to admit I have never seen a diesel in a formula 1 car, other than that diesels are very responsive these days.

Not used in F1, but Audi have been using diesel engines (with Hybrid technology) in their LMP1 (Le Mans) cars for years, they won this class in 2012 & 13.