Missing Entry Stamp

[Josh8]

I am teaching in Thailand on a Non Immigrant B visa, with a work permit.
While traveling back to Thailand from Lao on May 5, they forgot to stamp me back into Thailand.
I have the departure stamp. The most resent entry stamp to Thailand, is my April 9 return from Cambodia. I have done a 90 day check since then, permitting me to stay in Thailand till my next check on Dec 17. I am planing to travel back to Cambodia, at the end of October with my dad. Will this be a issue. Does the Lao system still think I am there? Anyone had a similar issue?

[ubonjoe]

Without  a entry stamp you are technically illegally in the country.

Do you have a TM6 departure card with an entry stamp on it? If you do it would be easy to get a entry stamp at an immigration office. If not the best way to get it sorted out is to return to where you entered the country.

Do you have a departure stamp from Laos?

You will need to get your entry stamp sorted out before trying to leave the country.

Your 90 day report is not a permission to stay in the country. It is only report of you staying over 90 days in the country.

[Josh8]

I do not have a departure card. I do have a departure stamp from Laos dated 05 May (which is the day I returned to Thailand) I also have a non-imm re-entry permit valid until Oct. 22, 2017. I entered near where you seem to be typing from, the Chong Mek Border. Which would be a huge hassle to go back to. 8 hours + of travel. I do have to return to immigration for my non-b extension next week. I guess I will point this out to them and ask if they can sort it there or their advise.

 

[elviajero]

11 minutes ago, Josh8 said:

I do not have a departure card. I do have a departure stamp from Laos dated 05 May (which is the day I returned to Thailand) I also have a non-imm re-entry permit valid until Oct. 22, 2017. I entered near where you seem to be typing from, the Chong Mek Border. Which would be a huge hassle to go back to. 8 hours + of travel. I do have to return to immigration for my non-b extension next week. I guess I will point this out to them and ask if they can sort it there or their advise.

Go to the office that issued your extension of stay. They will either sort it out there or send you back to the border.

[steve187]

I can understand the immigration officer missing a stamp, but i do not understand the op not having a TM6, it sounds as if the op just failed to go to the Thai immigration desk, rather than as posted '' they forgot to stamp me back into Thailand.''

[Josh8]

steve187: when ever I have entered via airport I have been given a arrival/departure card. On this occasion I was entering via land, on foot. I walked through the entry spot, they looked over my passport and I assumed, did what was needed and they waved me on through. Perhaps there was another desk I was supposed to report to and was unaware of it. I am surprised they didn't catch it when I did my 90 day. The only reason I did is, I am going to get my Thai drivers licenses and in getting my documents in order, one of the pages I needed to photocopy was my most recent entry stamp...and I was like...where the hell is it? I hope they can sort this at immigration and not send me back to the Laos border. I will post how it all pans out.

 

[darrendsd]

There has been a couple of reports of this happening over the last few years and the advice given was to go back to the border, i'm sure a few months ago a poster did just that, from memory 2 of them walked through together without being stamped

 

By the sounds of your last post they didn't even scan your PP or enter your details into their computer? If this is the case it may well be that you have to go back, at least you have the out stamp from Laos to prove you left there

[farang62]

The most important documents and stamps and you do not check them each and every time you enter  or leave the country.

You are responsible to be sure your documents are "in order".

Take your time and check everything before you leave the immigration desk. I check everything, and than check again, I am in no hurry to have a problem later.

Good luck sorting this out!

[ubonjoe]

10 hours ago, Josh8 said:

steve187: when ever I have entered via airport I have been given a arrival/departure card. On this occasion I was entering via land, on foot. I walked through the entry spot, they looked over my passport and I assumed, did what was needed and they waved me on through. Perhaps there was another desk I was supposed to report to and was unaware of it. I am surprised they didn't catch it when I did my 90 day. The only reason I did is, I am going to get my Thai drivers licenses and in getting my documents in order, one of the pages I needed to photocopy was my most recent entry stamp...and I was like...where the hell is it? I hope they can sort this at immigration and not send me back to the Laos border. I will post how it all pans out.

 

At Chong Mek it might not be that hard to pass through immigration.

When you did your 90 day report they did not notice it since they would of only been looking for a new entry stamp which would of

started a new 90 days.

Since you have no new TM6 card or entry/admitted until date I think you will be told to return to Chong Mek.

[Josh8]

Steve187: I do have a entry/admitted until date of 22 Oct 2017 from my entry from Cambodia on 09 Apr. My job agency is going to ring immigration and ask them what I need to do. I will post the results.

[novo58]

I was under the belief that you had to complete a TM6 ...no matter how you enter the country .. If you arrive by plane the cabin crew give you a blank TM 6...if you arrive by land ...you "FIND" one at the border and fill it in.  Then , obviously, after you have filled in the TM6 you go hand it in to an immigration officer. He will stamp the "arrivals " part of the card and give you the other part for when you depart.

 

If you "avoid" this step in the entry process....you will surely have trouble at some time in the future.

[Josh8]

We'll, my missing visa entry stamp from the Laos Chong Mek border issue is all fixed. I DID have to go back to the border. I have the proper stamps, back dated to May 5 . But that was an expensive lesson. They gave me two choices. 1. Go to the police station and file a report and have to fill out a bunch of paperwork and probably spend the night and possibly screw up my non-B or 2. Wink, Wink, we can solve this all right here with no paper work and you pay an under the table fine. I chose the fine. I probably could have talked them down. But I didn’t want to be “that guy” he’s always a different guy, but he is always at immigration. You know the one, the angry argumentative white guy. I was the yes sir, thank you sir guy. They tried suggesting that the only way that it could've possibly happened, that they forgot to stamp me was if I walked through the workers service entry line. I didn't feel like getting aggressive and arguing with them. But I'm thinking how would they not notice a 6 foot six white guy walking through the workers line.

[tonray]

12 minutes ago, Josh8 said:

We'll, my missing visa entry stamp from the Laos Chong Mek border issue is all fixed. I DID have to go back to the border. I have the proper stamps, back dated to May 5 . But that was an expensive lesson. They gave me two choices. 1. Go to the police station and file a report and have to fill out a bunch of paperwork and probably spend the night and possibly screw up my non-B or 2. Wink, Wink, we can solve this all right here with no paper work and you pay an under the table fine. I chose the fine. I probably could have talked them down. But I didn’t want to be “that guy” he’s always a different guy, but he is always at immigration. You know the one, the angry argumentative white guy. I was the yes sir, thank you sir guy. They tried suggesting that the only way that it could've possibly happened, that they forgot to stamp me was if I walked through the workers service entry line. I didn't feel like getting aggressive and arguing with them. But I'm thinking how would they not notice a 6 foot six white guy walking through the workers line.

 

It's easy to do...I almost did it at Nong Khai myself...only after coming out of my funk did I realize I had skipped the window entirely !