Refused Entry at Suvarnabhumi...almost

[manonthemon]

20 minutes ago, jimster said:

just one question to the OP mentioned in his original post: what was a doctor doing at immigration? So your wife was 8 months pregnant - if this was the case an OB/GYN from any hospital could have written a note stating she was unable to travel and this should have been acceptable to obtain a 90 day medical extension of stay. You mentioned this was done, but what I don't understand is the presence of a doctor at immigration. Since when do doctors have any business at immigration?

 

It's an old story from 2012. We went to the immigration office in Bangkok do exactly what you say: obtain a medical extension of stay based on the hospital note you also mention. Once there, we were taken to a doctor (no idea why they had one there, maybe it's for those medical extension cases?) who refused to give her that extension. When presented with the hospital note instructing my girlfriend to refrain from air or in fact any kind of travel, he told her she should catch a train to Cambodia...

In the end, she asked him, a medical professional, for a signed statement, allowing her to travel in the condition she was in. This changed his mind and the extension was granted. 

 

I remember all this quite well because up until yesterday this was the most stressful and unpleasant encounter with the Thai immigration we've experienced. 

[JackThompson]

17 minutes ago, PerkinsCuthbert said:

Like it or not, talk about it or not, but ethnicity plays a part with officialdom in Thailand, as it does in the West.

Yes, those of Euro-descent in the West do face increasing discrimination in every facet of life - from obtaining work, to getting into university, and most strikingly in the ability to move to a country without meeting any reasonable pre-requisite, independently-verified, qualifications for entry.

 

But let's hope the whole world can eventually embrace the teachings of MLK Jr, and judge people by their character - a true meritocracy - instead of making decisions based on skin-color / ethnic-heritage.

 

That said, I can understand why those coming from lower-wage countries would receive more scrutiny upon entry, as this is not a skin-color / ethnic question.  It is a matter of "probability" of possibly seeking illegal-employment.  The asking of questions is not the issue here - and may have been fully-warranted.  What is not acceptable, is shouting / rudeness / threats (of non-entry), when a calm series of questions was in order, with a conclusion rendered at the end of that process.   If this IO had a problem with her having a Visa, he could shout, in private, at his fellow citizens who work for the MFA, for allowing the visa to be issued; it's not the gal's fault.

 

In no case, should a person tasked with dealing with the general public, EVER become hostile or rude - even when faced with rudeness and verbal-abuse by those they deal with.  The ability to keep one's cool is a basic qualification for the job.  A smile to those he processes, or even a modicum of compassion for those they must reject based on laws/rules/policy, would be a big plus.

[thaibeachlovers]

2 hours ago, ICECOOL said:

Interesting. Been coming here for 7 or 8 years on different visa and got plenty of smiles. Even came in once without realising my retirement visa had just expired. Cheerful  immigration officer just gave me 30 day exempt and advised to sort it out. I always start with a smile and stay polite.

????

The IO didn't do you any favours. Just gave you what anyone entitled to a 30 day visa exempt entry is entitled to.

Smiling is always the right thing to do in LOS.

[thaibeachlovers]

9 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

 

 

In no case, should a person tasked with dealing with the general public, EVER become hostile or rude - even when faced with rudeness and verbal-abuse by those they deal with.  The ability to keep one's cool is a basic qualification for the job.  A smile to those he processes, or even a modicum of compassion for those they must reject based on laws/rules/policy, would be a big plus.

Well said. Someone should inform that to the pig ignorant moron that harassed me at Heathrow emigration.

[Baerboxer]

5 hours ago, manonthemon said:

Well, this is complete paranoia. She also asked the officer for other suggestions on what visa to use to on in order to get the additional documents requested by the embassy. No reply but more abuse. 

 

That can be a big mistake. Asking such an officer for advice can be understood as asking for help to find 'a way round" the rules. That's why he was gobbing off about her being the boss. To him, it probably seemed strange living here for 6 years and now a second tourist visa. And then asking for advice ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

Doesn't excuse the rude behavior. But to be fair I've seen some pretty obnoxious and awkward IO's in many other countries at airports. Just write it off to a bad experience and sort the B visa out.

[Baerboxer]

29 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Well said. Someone should inform that to the pig ignorant moron that harassed me at Heathrow emigration.

 

The worst, rudest and most hostile IO I ever saw was at Heathrow. An elderly Scot who was on one of the Business Class lines. He was rude, insulting, deliberately over loud, and bordering on racism to an African passenger. The passenger was business class, and was being met by a bodyguard who turned up with two Met police officers. Even then the IO continued to be rude and nearly got into an altercation with the bodyguard. Why other IO's didn't intervene gawd knows. But this clown presented a shit representation of the UK to a crowded immigration hall.

[LionofMedaCM]

I'm not sure how some foreigners get advantage in Thailand and makes money, but for me i just spend only....we have nothing to blame immigration officials are tough and proud because they believe to be Thai and Thai is a semit more than a jewish ( for their thinking ) and the european embassies in Thailand what are they doing?? im 13 years in Thailand and i know the country if you accept to give your finger they will ask your hand thern your arm then all of you..what western citizen suffer is a result of their hypocrisy and double standarisation , western embassies are active with big mouth only in Africa , and middle east ..and some poor countries in Asia 

[Skeptic7]

5 hours ago, catman20 said:

they love the power and control

True dat and not just here. Inflated egos and power tripping unpleasant asses at most entry points in the USA. In my extensive travels...they are the absolute worst by far. In those secured bunkers where everyone entering has been through intense security checks, they have on flak jackets and are armed for battle. Purely intimidation tactics for those with little self esteem. Nasty too. Very judgemental and opinionated. 

Edited October 6, 2017 by Skeptic7

[Aditi Sharma]

Hi OP,  commiserations for a bad welcome after a possibly anxious flight.

What were those 'missing documents'? Could she have asked the IO and known for future reference?

Your girlfriend has changed jobs so she came with a tourist visa, am I correct? She had a proper work permit before, am I right? That couldn't possibly have biased the IO against her, right?

 

Downright scary so I am thinking Vietnam. Dont know what the situation is like there with IOs.

 

Edited October 6, 2017 by Aditi Sharma
edit

[EricTh]

2 hours ago, manonthemon said:

Because it doesn't make sense. How is it feasible - for the employer (school) and employee (teacher) to have the latter leave the country every 2 months to apply for a new tourist visa in India which is both costly and takes lots of time? And why would someone who has worked here legally for 6 years suddenly decide to go through all the trouble of playing the system with tourist visas? It just doesn't add up.  

 

 

I found your experience really weird. I've seen many Europeans coming in on tourist visas and staying for years without any problems. They never seem to have any money problems too.

 

Count herself lucky that she has been working in Thailand for 6 years. I know many Americans and Europeans who would like to teach English in Thailand just to stay in Thailand.

 

Teaching English is a very competitive industry in Thailand.

 

[Aditi Sharma]

8 minutes ago, EricTh said:

 

I found your experience really weird. I've seen many Europeans coming in on tourist visas and staying for years without any problems. They never seem to have any money problems too.

 

Count herself lucky that she has been working in Thailand for 6 years. I know many Americans and Europeans who would like to teach English in Thailand just to stay in Thailand.

 

Teaching English is a very competitive industry in Thailand.

 

I withdraw my comments. LOS stands for Land of Smiles 

Edited October 6, 2017 by Aditi Sharma
edit.

[JackThompson]

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Well said. Someone should inform that to the pig ignorant moron that harassed me at Heathrow emigration.

I have heard they are unfriendly there - a friend of mine from the USA will never go back to the UK, after what he experienced.  But then, USA-immigration is one of the most abusive and arbitrary in the world, for those entering legally (hypocritically continuing "catch and release" for apprehended illegal-entrants) , without even a fig-leaf of "reasons for legal denial" which Thailand has. 

[balo]

9 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

The worst, rudest and most hostile IO I ever saw was at Heathrow.

 

And my worst experience was in Las Vegas of all places. As a European travelling to Vegas from Bangkok via Seoul , I was picked out for an extra examination.  They opened my luggage and everything , looking for drugs I suppose. 

I was only going to meet friends staying at the casinos , and be entertained for 2 weeks but was asked all sorts of questions about my life , and no smiles , just harassment from them.  Not what you want to experience after an 11 hour flight. I almost told them to fuxx off...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jacko45k]

On 10/6/2017 at 5:24 AM, dbrenn said:

Generally, immigration officers in Thailand are polite and reasonable. There is a small minority who behave like pigs, and it sounds like your girlfriend was unlucky.

I suppose when you are trying to man all the stations you have to use all you have got.

And you might get some who have been doing a long hard shift, or even dragged from their sleep... (  after a night out). The job requires people with a particular patient efficiency, and I don't believe the staff are managed to attain that and only that. Tourists, visitors, guests, whatever you call them should be treated in a civil manner, being shouted at like an errant schoolchild is not acceptable.

[theguyfromanotherforum]

She got a bit of racial profiling. It is to be expected in Thailand, no?

 

I am surprised that after living here for 6 years OP is surprised and frankly the thread is a whine because if you want fairness and equality don't continue living in Thailand.

[Kieranmc]

The missing so called non b papers can be easily emailed. No need for the return holiday to get them. 

[BritTim]

18 minutes ago, Kieranmc said:

The missing so called non b papers can be easily emailed. No need for the return holiday to get them. 

I avoided making this observation, because I am not sure what the required documents are, and whether it is possible to acquire them other than in person in Thailand. Perhaps, since you know what is needed, you could list them, and how to acquire them. That will be helpful to future applicants for Non B in India.

[RickG16]

On 06/10/2017 at 7:43 AM, Bob12345 said:

Then i have been unlucky on my last 10-15 arrivals, because I have never seen a smile or heard a reply to my "sawaddee krab".

 

Compare that to immigration at my home country where they smile, give a polite greeting, and make some small talk while checking your passport in under 30 seconds.

 

I don't think immigration is the place to come for smiles and cheerfulness, and I don't expect it. Just want them to let me in without any hassle.