BuckBee

29 minutes ago, Myran said:

I fail to see how immigration is in the wrong or that they've told you something incorrect. They told you that they would give you an extension if you got the MFA stamp; they didn't guarantee that the MFA would give you that stamp, as that is completely out of their control.

The officer gave bad advise .

The OP was silly listening and overstaying, being on overstay and trying do legalities of paperwork never a good thing as has too many ways turn into a bigger mess and original office you dealing with generally won't be helpful in correcting issues that arise ...

3 hours ago, visarunner said:

why you think Visa Run Companies are to be blamed? Since we run to Savannakhet we know the numbers, from 400 people only around 120 used a Visa Run Company. You can blame the individuals following the companies.

 

because every where visa run companies decide go with clients (majority of which are illegally working and have long visa history) causes the border and consulates to change policies .

Basically it a van full of problems and long visa use all dumped on one spot and when consulates & IO's see that volume & visa use in that sort of quantity one after the other it has negative affects . Unfortunately even more genuine use people then look suspect .

those figures don't seem accurate to me, on non van days queues are less than third the size .

Nuki

How many tourist visas you had and what pattern, all back to back, all had 30 day extensions ?

fingerprints alone going make no difference to average joe coming in besides queue length lol.

anything for tracking or limiting average joe on visa use and entry will be implemented just on basic passport details and usage data history .

37 minutes ago, GroupA said:

Sorry but I'm having a hard time following what you said. If you present yourself to the IO this way your in a lot of trouble,

nothing hard to follow, just various experiences relating to opinions vs reality brought up in this post, your welcome for the opportunity to have a free dig at my expense though if makes you feel good ...

This post got nothing do with tourist visas,

This guy simply had issue on employment and came back on visa exempt, maybe not best choice by him if he had done research but by the immi rules and if officers had used common sense and followed legal requirement in good intentions of legal requirements he should of been granted entry of some amount .

As for tourist scenario they don't really know what they want, if don't want, repeat setv simply only allow 2 then you blocked/flagged like done with visa exempt .

You can still do more than 6 months pretty easily but just not really knowing what requirements are, funny thing is if go changwattana for 30 day extension on your fourth setv all extended they not busting your balls or stamping your passport void of further entries .
The rules and rabble of immigration professionals is bigger mess than the unwanted rabble they turn away .

Yes it catching out lot of people who are genuine tourists and turn up on wrong day at airport when immi officers being less than logical with handling those entering the country .

If OP been interviewed properly and they taken time do history checks and allowed call his wife he should of been given 15 or 30 days and some advice .

you meet wrong immi people on wrong day and very little can be done as exact rules and conduct mean nothing here and with wrong officers you got no chance of mitigating your circumstances or pressing legal guideline point's .

I don't tend travel with pre planned 20K +  as always pull some cash via atm at airport or a border, I got pulled at swampy along with many others, mostly chinese and put in a queue for questioning,

Was a right mess my boarding pass permanently got lost my passport went missing but fortunately they found that eventually ( chinese girl was holding that and sure she had my boarding pass in her passport lol, although I accepted fault I had lost that ! ) wanted 20K, I did manage just scrape over 20K in us $ singapore $ and bit of baht from previous holiday, they then move goal post and want more as obsessed I come working even though show them document for my employment in singapore. eventually after almost 45 minutes of commanding officer trying print out my previous history ( which was incomplete and also interpreted wrong as he over looked a previous exit and fact you get no entry stamps or a visa for your home country) i was allowed log into bank account and a print out of statements of a nice balance show to commanding officer had me allowed entry on my setv .

Treatment while not bad the logic, reason and implementation of regulations was awful . Like anything in thailand with officials anything can happen regardless to your legitimacy, intent, previous history, appearance and financial situation . While you can improve chances you can never guarantee anything as it down to what goes on that day .

I seen some awful scenarios at border queues from malaysia and cambodia in past, cambo being worst where people pushed away by immi officers as all in bad mood after big boss been on a rant as he taken heat (day before had let 3 people through on fake type o visas on jack golfs visa run service, had cambo visa touts telling people about it)
Met some pretty genuine tourists, even as couples who in a mess that day, cambo letting them back in easy but thailands immi officers where like children having tantrums and disgraceful, that day you had no chance see a higher ranking officer or mitigating anything as simply told to go away then ignored and next in queue waved over, those who stood ground just stayed there ignored .

The reality is it pretty easy spot trouble or long timers if interview them properly and do checks correct, if got visa issued already most should still get offer of entry of some amount even if only 7 days.

Holding room for people with some obvious means, thai wives, pretty genuine reasons for coming back in on visa exempt or a issued visa is just poor immigration policies, rules and training .

Had pretty polite officers on the whole but bad, awkward and rude ones will be an amazing 'thailand only' experience .

37 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

The systems 'bugs' because you use the wrong browser Try Edge or IE.

I've spent hours on it using different permutations of Nationality and residency status completing right up to attaching documents. It's a very smart system when you play around with it.

the problems are more than just browser compatibility .

Go by tour bus to mukdahan bus station overnight is super smooth and transition time for over border bus and consulate opening times also perfect .

It one of simplest and less time and money wasting visa trips you can do.

Unfortunately the usual messy visa run companies have know made it a typical mess and tuesdays and wednesdays likely best days for 2 day turn around or fridays if want stay weekend and collect monday (hardly anyone goes on a friday .

Don't exchange to kip just have lot of 20Bt and 50Bt and make sure you get rid of as much kip you may accumulate en-route back to thailand .

Hotels are cheap in savann, I never book, always get one and view room before paying, plenty rooms from 300 to 800Bt .

The bus station to consulate is easy under 10 minute stroll all on same side of road .

The old town centre area around the church and cafes is good 15 minute walk other direction from bus station and not so pleasant but I walked it few times no bother .

Paying any more than 40 baht go anywhere and you being robbed .

Using the bus couldn't be much easier and the run every 30 minutes roughly from both sides .

Take small money, lots of 20Baht and 50bahts, 1 dollar bills useful too .

In my opinion it more hassle than benefit take a car over for what only really needs be a one night stay and bus station is right by the consulate with plenty hotel options across the road . Also tuk-tuk can be fairly cheap with bit of bartering if want use it ...

visa companies will ruin this consulate and thai border .

consulates could get fee income paid same way embassy going get it's income from the fee or have a separate fee if use a consulate location over the embassy.

If UK embassy still keen keep in house control which is probably the case then keeping a postal service seems only way they going make it work smoothly  .

Calling it an evisa is bit misleading as it not much more than an online appointment booking system in current suggested form .

^

the plus side is you choose location of appointment so may have a closer consulate option .

One can only hope they get to retain postal application even if just for most basic visa applications .

It will be a mess during transition period and is a shame as London embassy pretty efficient with current setup .

4 hours ago, VBF said:

It would be interesting to know when the London Embassy told you that. If it was a while ago (when this new system was first announced), things seem to be changing, as I implied in #48.  We live in hope.

25th of April, was told new rules and online system does not support postal option .

Hopefully they been able influence it in already, would seem backwards move if can't and I can see transition period being a mess with usual thai different information pending on who you speak with and the day of the week .

I was told by London embassy postal option no longer going be offered once new system running, I hope they changed plans as backward step if not .

^ Will not be a postal option unless gets added in by future request by london embassy .

Without option of getting visa at main border entry points for the basic visa options it long way from improvement/benefit for the average person applying .

In time this online appointment could be the norm for all westerners even at local region consulates .

I had few hours on at least 3 occasions over 10yr period.

Last year I had one of about 5hrs and supervisor called over, he told me I was on overstay and was rather rude in manner but also said to thank the immigration officer at the counter as he was willing let it go, the supervisor wrote a note in thai next to departure stamp stating I had overstayed 1 day ????

You always use to have 24hr leeway on departure time to save confusion and keep it simple .

I always advised others it not a big deal but after that experience would advise only do it if really necessary as some hassle does arise from it .

What you also must realise is depending on how you booking in you will not be able get your boarding pass that far ahead of early morning flight to be able proceed through departure before midnight .

Worst that happen is a days fine but depending on your circumstance and way rules change a recorded overstay could mess you up in the future so you best waying up all possible risks and assume nothing as fact as in thailand any scenario is possible !

So much comes down to how OP has used his previous 3 METV entries, if they all been fast 1 day turn arounds, no real long time out of country between use it will be the usage style they have been targeting .

Only the OP really know how bad his passport usage going look, I see no point taking risk as it 100% fact that swampy and DM are making obvious effort at checking passport history and causing hassle (anyone who been in and out a lot over last decade and paid attention can see the current difference at the counters) .

The smarter person doesn't get any hassle as they do best avoid risk by renewing passports and using consulates/embassies and borders in a planned order for less chance of hassle .