Red Stamp from Penang. What are alternative?

[JackThompson]

9 hours ago, serpent32 said:

Poipet used to be friendly my first year here before I just started getting extensions every year for my non-o.  I used to cross there every 3 months and never had a problem but I've heard that it's changed ever since the Bangkok bomber was caught there.  

He was rumored to have bribed his way in, there - or at least entered, there.  And, yes, after that, it seems that a very different group were put in control of that entry-point.  Given their penchant for trying to steer those with any longer-stay history (both Tourists and Multiple-Entry Non-Imm visa-holder) to return by air, it would seem they are part of the same anti-foreigner clique who run many/most airport-immigration checkpoints.

 

9 hours ago, serpent32 said:

What exactly is a "red stamp" anyway?

A stamp added to a visa issued by a Thai-Consulate, which states something like (it varies by consulate), "This person travels frequently to Thailand on Tourist Visas...," followed by "must show proof of residence and income" and/or "may be refused next time." 

 

BTW - showing proof of residence and income won't help - I've tried this with proof of plenty of money in a Thai-bank plus a condo-lease with Juristic-Person letter.  As consulate personnel will tell you, must get a new passport before seeking additional Tourist Visas.

[my friend I]

16 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

No

The only crossings that accept them is Poi Pet and Koh Chang in Trat.

Do you mean Koh Kong?

[ubonjoe]

24 minutes ago, my friend I said:

Do you mean Koh Kong?

Yes

 

[sanemax]

On 10/12/2017 at 3:15 PM, sanemax said:

What is the general situation about getting a red stamp after getting numerous visas ?

Does it mean that you may get extra questions upon entry or is it a warning that you will not get another TV ?

Just for the record .

I went to Vientiane to get my 3rd TV from there .

I was expecting a red stamp and an interrogation , so bought 20 000 Baht along and my rental contract and made sure that I wasnt dressed too smartly . Got the visa 

   No one said anything at the border and I didnt get a red stamp .

I went there on Monday , after a long week-end , thought that there would be many applicants , which there was , I was number 650 .

   I thought that that may help , many applicants , so not too scurtinous 

[darrendsd]

15 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Just for the record .

I went to Vientiane to get my 3rd TV from there .

I was expecting a red stamp and an interrogation , so bought 20 000 Baht along and my rental contract and made sure that I wasnt dressed too smartly . Got the visa 

   No one said anything at the border and I didnt get a red stamp .

I went there on Monday , after a long week-end , thought that there would be many applicants , which there was , I was number 650 .

   I thought that that may help , many applicants , so not too scurtinous 

It's a good idea however at Vientianne having the 20k and a rental agreement is no help whatsoever i'm afraid, this will make no difference in your application 

 

If you had no red stamp then you would not have been denied, you are only denied if applying after having the red stamp and again having the 20k etc will not help you obtain another TV, you could show them a million dollars and they still would not grant you one if you have the red stamp

 

 

 

 

[sanemax]

1 minute ago, darrendsd said:

It's a good idea however at Vientianne having the 20k and a rental agreement is no help whatsoever i'm afraid, this will make no difference in your application 

If you had no red stamp then you would not have been denied, you are only denied if applying after having the red stamp and again having the 20k etc will not help you obtain another TV, you could show them a million dollars and they still would not grant you one if you have the red stamp

I bought the money and  contract along as I was expecting a red stamp and an interrogation at the border upon re entry.

   I was expecting to be issued a visa with a red stamp .

I also took enought clothes along for a potential long stay in Laos

[darrendsd]

1 minute ago, sanemax said:

I bought the money and  contract along as I was expecting a red stamp and an interrogation at the border upon re entry.

   I was expecting to be issued a visa with a red stamp .

I also took enought clothes along for a potential long stay in Laos

Fair enough but i'm on my 3rd in my current PP, 1 in my previous, no RS

 

I will be going again next month for my 4th, this time I will be getting a RS, I know this already, the count is usually 3-5 before they issue the RS, however my PP is nearly full and I will be getting a new one straight after my return so no problem

 

I understand what you are saying about the border however this is a very friendly border and I have never heard of anyone being denied there but there's nothing wrong in being prepared for the worst

[lopezkoa]

Vientiane gives the Red stamp on the 4th Visa.  So since this was your 3rd you were ok. But next time will be your last time to go there for a Visa unless you get a new passport at US embassy in bangkok then you can go 3 more times.  I would just keep to 3 because even though you can get a 4th Visa and a red stamp, it may prevent other embassys from approving you in the same passport too. So stick with 3 stamps and go to another embassy or get a new passport and go back to Vientiane.

[Paduppa]

Quick question.

According to my bf case (mentioned at the very first), is it ok if we will go border running for 30 days exemption stamp at Mae-sai instead of Ban-laem since we are havong plan to go to Chiangmai?

Any concern about Mae-sai?

[ubonjoe]

17 minutes ago, Paduppa said:

Quick question.

According to my bf case (mentioned at the very first), is it ok if we will go border running for 30 days exemption stamp at Mae-sai instead of Ban-laem since we are havong plan to go to Chiangmai?

Any concern about Mae-sai?

No problem to do the border hop at Mae Sai.

[Paduppa]

9 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

No problem to do the border hop at Mae Sai.

Thanks Ubonjoe :)

May I have more questions;

- Is the Mae-sai a visa run friendly border? (I've been reading some topics about it and haven't seen recent report from there)

- Do we need to use an visa run agent there? Any recommend?

[ubonjoe]

9 minutes ago, Paduppa said:

May I have more questions;

- Is the Mae-sai a visa run friendly border? (I've been reading some topics about it and haven't seen recent report from there)

- Do we need to use an visa run agent there? Any recommend?

They are friendly now for getting a 30 day visa exempt entry as long as you do not have 2 of them already.

No need for a visa agent.

Just clear Thai immigration walk to the Myanmar side, pay $10 or 500 baht for a border pass and be stamped into Myanmar. Then you can do a little shopping or turn around and return to Thailand.

[Paduppa]

Report: 

We did the border hop at Mae-sai on the day of his last day valid stamp (26 Dec 2017). Besides an IO took some time to checked through his passport with many stamps and only 1-2 blank pages left, everything went well.

He is planning to get a new passport from the US embassy here in Bangkok. Is there any advises/concerns I should know?

Thank you everyone here for comments and advices and yeah, Happy New Year :)

[JackThompson]

2 hours ago, Paduppa said:

We did the border hop at Mae-sai on the day of his last day valid stamp (26 Dec 2017). ...
He is planning to get a new passport from the US embassy here in Bangkok. Is there any advises/concerns I should know?

Best to do it with plenty of time before he will need an extension - 2 weeks - though some report a quicker turn-around.  At this point, I'd do the 30-day extension first, then immediately apply for the new passport - so no worries about time to get it back.  He can apply for the extension at least a week before the current extension expires.

Edited January 8, 2018 by JackThompson

[Paduppa]

We obtained his new PP and looking at options to get a new STV.  

He might need 2 or more for his extended staying.

 

Summary of his Thailand entry records since the first entry in Nov, 2016 (with the 7 months away) as below:

• 4 x Visa Exemptions by Air
• 2 x Visa Exemptions by Land in 2017 Calendar year (At Poipet in Jan, 2017 and Maesai in Dec,2017)
• 3 x TVS with the red stamp (1 from Vientiane + 2 from Penang) 

The preference is low budget so we're thinking Vientiane since it avoids airport reentry. Would you recommend otherwise? Do you think there's a decent chance being denied entry?

Edited February 13, 2018 by Paduppa

[JackThompson]

On 10/19/2017 at 11:10 PM, lopezkoa said:

Vientiane gives the Red stamp on the 4th Visa.  So since this was your 3rd you were ok. But next time will be your last time to go there for a Visa unless you get a new passport at US embassy in bangkok then you can go 3 more times.  I would just keep to 3 because even though you can get a 4th Visa and a red stamp, it may prevent other embassys from approving you in the same passport too. So stick with 3 stamps and go to another embassy or get a new passport and go back to Vientiane.

If getting a new passport anyway, the red-stamp won't hurt, so might as well go to Vientiane a 4th time - might even get lucky, and could get a 5th.

 

Only if planning to use other consulates for more TR visas, avoid the Red-Stamp - then use Savannakhet (with the extra paperwork), or Hong Kong, or HCMC (also extra paperwork).

[impulse]

On 10/13/2017 at 11:48 AM, JackThompson said:

On 10/13/2017 at 2:24 AM, serpent32 said:

What exactly is a "red stamp" anyway?

A stamp added to a visa issued by a Thai-Consulate, which states something like (it varies by consulate), "This person travels frequently to Thailand on Tourist Visas...," followed by "must show proof of residence and income" and/or "may be refused next time." 

 

BTW - showing proof of residence and income won't help - I've tried this with proof of plenty of money in a Thai-bank plus a condo-lease with Juristic-Person letter.  As consulate personnel will tell you, must get a new passport before seeking additional Tourist Visas.

 

I think they're referring to proof of legal residence (and an income from) outside of Thailand.   I know that I have had a hard time getting some countries' visas when I applied at an Embassy in a country where I wasn't a legal resident.  And I can't imagine how a long term lease in Thailand (what you apparently refer to as "proof of residence") would work in anyone's favor when applying for a tourist visa.  That's pretty much what they're trying to stop- de-facto residence on tourist visas.

 

Edited February 14, 2018 by impulse

[lkv]

21 minutes ago, impulse said:

 And I can't imagine how a long term lease in Thailand (what you apparently refer to as "proof of residence") would work in anyone's favor when applying for a tourist visa.  That's pretty much what they're trying to stop- de-facto residence on tourist visas.

 

Well yeah but just to give a couple of examples, KL will take that gladly as proof of residence when issuing a tourist visa instead of a hotel booking, as stated on their checklist. Bali too. Plus others. So what's the logic in that then?

[impulse]

17 minutes ago, lkv said:

Well yeah but just to give a couple of examples, KL will take that gladly as proof of residence when issuing a tourist visa instead of a hotel booking, as stated on their checklist. Bali too. Plus others. So what's the logic in that then?

 

That's an address, not a residence.  There's a legal definition of residence, and the visa application form asks for your "Proposed Address".  The red stamp seems to ask for proof of residence.  Unless you have a visa/ work permit that allows you to claim residency in Thailand, your address in Thailand isn't your legal residence.   If you were a legal resident of Thailand, you wouldn't be applying for a tourist visa.

 

[lkv]

9 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

That's an address, not a residence.  There's a legal definition of residence, and the visa application form asks for your "Proposed Address".  The red stamp seems to ask for proof of residence.  Unless you have a visa/ work permit that allows you to claim residency in Thailand, your address in Thailand isn't your legal residence.   If you were a legal resident of Thailand, you wouldn't be applying for a tourist visa.

 

I think they mean address by residence on that red stamp. Pretty sure they are not interpreting it as you just did, although your interpretation is correct.

 

If they actually do mean residence, one could show an id card or a driver's licence from their home country. But that's not the issue. The issue is that some of them are using the red stamp as an excuse not to issue more visas.

Edited February 14, 2018 by lkv

[JackThompson]

On 2/14/2018 at 3:11 PM, impulse said:

an income from) outside of Thailand.

My proof of income was foreign-transfers (clearly marked) to my Thai account. 

 

On 2/14/2018 at 4:00 PM, impulse said:

That's an address, not a residence.  There's a legal definition of residence, and the visa application form asks for your "Proposed Address".  The red stamp seems to ask for proof of residence.  Unless you have a visa/ work permit that allows you to claim residency in Thailand, your address in Thailand isn't your legal residence.   

Vientiane was definitely not interested in looking at any paperwork, to spite the wording on the stamp.   Maybe when they first created that "red stamp" wording they did - but nowadays, they just say, "If you have a stamp with this remark, we cannot issue a Tourist Visa."

 

Quote

If you were a legal resident of Thailand, you wouldn't be applying for a tourist visa.

So, it would not make sense to ask for this in order to issue additional TR Visas ... but, they don't accept docs for this case, anyway - just tell you to go to your embassy and get a new passport before applying there again.

Edited February 15, 2018 by JackThompson

[Paduppa]

On 2/13/2018 at 9:31 AM, Paduppa said:

We obtained his new PP and looking at options to get a new STV.  

He might need 2 or more for his extended staying.

 

Summary of his Thailand entry records since the first entry in Nov, 2016 (with the 7 months away) as below:

• 4 x Visa Exemptions by Air
• 2 x Visa Exemptions by Land in 2017 Calendar year (At Poipet in Jan, 2017 and Maesai in Dec,2017)
• 3 x TVS with the red stamp (1 from Vientiane + 2 from Penang) 

The preference is low budget so we're thinking Vientiane since it avoids airport reentry. Would you recommend otherwise? Do you think there's a decent chance being denied entry?

We have an idea to do another border hop at Ban Laem as well. would there be a good option for this case?

 

Please advise.

Edited February 19, 2018 by Paduppa

[ubonjoe]

8 minutes ago, Paduppa said:

We have an idea to do another border hop at Ban Laem as well. would there be a good option for this case?

 

Just remember you are only allowed 2 per calendar year. Wise to save them incase you have to use one for some reason.

[Paduppa]

2 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Just remember you are only allowed 2 per calendar year. Wise to save them incase you have to use one for some reason.

Thank you for your replied.

Could you consider the mentioned situation below as well, please.

 

We obtained his new PP and looking at options to get a new STV.  

He might need 2 or more for his extended staying.

 

Summary of his Thailand entry records since the first entry in Nov, 2016 (with the 7 months away) as below:

• 4 x Visa Exemptions by Air
• 2 x Visa Exemptions by Land in 2017 Calendar year (At Poipet in Jan, 2017 and Maesai in Dec,2017)
• 3 x TVS with the red stamp (1 from Vientiane + 2 from Penang) 

The preference is low budget so we're thinking Vientiane since it avoids airport reentry. Would you recommend otherwise? Do you think there's a decent chance being denied entry?

[darrendsd]

4 minutes ago, Paduppa said:

Thank you for your replied.

Could you consider the mentioned situation below as well, please.

 

We obtained his new PP and looking at options to get a new STV.  

He might need 2 or more for his extended staying.

 

Summary of his Thailand entry records since the first entry in Nov, 2016 (with the 7 months away) as below:

• 4 x Visa Exemptions by Air
• 2 x Visa Exemptions by Land in 2017 Calendar year (At Poipet in Jan, 2017 and Maesai in Dec,2017)
• 3 x TVS with the red stamp (1 from Vientiane + 2 from Penang) 

The preference is low budget so we're thinking Vientiane since it avoids airport reentry. Would you recommend otherwise? Do you think there's a decent chance being denied entry?

If he has a new PP he will have no problem getting another SETV at Vientiane

 

There have been no reports of people being denied entry by Immigration at Nong Khai, this is classed as a friendly border, people with a lot longer history than your friends have passed through there without issue including myself

 

With that sort of history I would recommend to avoid Airports

[Paduppa]

Finally he made it back to US. After spent 3 months in home country, he wants to come to Thailand again.

 

Wonder if he fly to Penang and stay there for few weeks then apply for a SETV, with a new passport (issued in Thailand) is there a chance for him to get one?

 

I'm concern since Penang is the place that dreaded the Red Stamp in his old passport at his 2nd application there (2 times from Penang, back to back). I'm also worried if they have those applications record. Or new passport would make this fine?

Edited May 17, 2018 by Paduppa

[BritTim]

3 hours ago, Paduppa said:

Finally he made it back to US. After spent 3 months in home country, he wants to come to Thailand again.

 

Wonder if he fly to Penang and stay there for few weeks then apply for a SETV, with a new passport (issued in Thailand) is there a chance for him to get one?

 

I'm concern since Penang is the place that dreaded the Red Stamp in his old passport at his 2nd application there (2 times from Penang, back to back). I'm also worried if they have those applications record. Or new passport would make this fine?

With a new passport, the odds are very good that you would get the SETV in Penang without difficulty. Historically, there has been no evidence of consulates checking their records for people they have previously tagged. If you are memorable, an official might recall red stamping you, but unlikely. Really, though, why not just get an SETV in the US?

[Paduppa]

Late report:

 

We  went to the consulate on 24 May early at 7 am since I (I'm Thai) called and asked them if there's normally over 100 visa cases per day, and an officer said yes. We waited until 9 am and there was about 30 people in queue line.

 

Please be aware to dress properly, especially for women. Tank top, short pants, short skirt and flip flop are not allowed. There is a sign at the entrance door and the security guard won't let you in if you wear any kind of those prohibited outfits.

 

We prepared all requested documents mentioned in the announcement paper at the entrance door.

- Application form 

- 2 photos

- A copy of passport ID Page

- Flight reservation to Thailand - This one is tricky because when I called to the consulate they said they don't need it. But we submitted it anyway.

- Flight reservation out from Thailand

- Accommodation proof - We use an invitation letter written by me in Thai language staging the purpose of travelling and showing the address for staying + my Thai ID card attached.

- Cash 150 RM 

 

They asked some questions to my boyfriend. I guess the officer saw the new passport transfer note stamp (showing that this is a new passport) in his new passport so they can guess if my bf has had history of staying in Thailand for some period. 

 

The questions are like...

Are you working in Thailand? (No)

What kind of your last visa you used? (tourist visa)

Where are you staying in Penang (guesthouse)

What you gonna do after Thailand? (go back to US)

How you support yourself while staying in Thailand? (saving).

They gave him a paper showing his queue number and time to collect the passport back tomorrow. In the mean time, they also asked him to submit his bank statement. 

Lucky that we prepared printed past 3 months bank. He gave it to them. 

 

We were a bit nervous and thrill for the result. Although, he got the SETV on the next day. The consulate door was opened 20 mins late that day.

 

To sum up, in my opinion, Penang is getting more and more strict. Be aware of these following issues and be prepared.

- Make sure you are 1 of 100 cases of the day

- Dress properly. I don't think it's need to be so formal, elephant long pants + T-shirt + trainer are still acceptable (if they don't change the rules). You might don't want to dress like you are working while you are applying for a tourist visa. 

- Prepare your proof/back up documents in case if they ask for it

 

Good luck ?

[JLCrab]

On 5/17/2018 at 8:32 PM, BritTim said:

With a new passport, the odds are very good that you would get the SETV in Penang without difficulty. Historically, there has been no evidence of consulates checking their records for people they have previously tagged. If you are memorable, an official might recall red stamping you, but unlikely. Really, though, why not just get an SETV in the US?

However the Penang Visa Application form does ask for "Your Date of Previous Visit to Thailand" so up to you how you choose to answer.