Will I have problems entering at airport? 4 SETVs in a row.

[asdfrules]

I'll be flying to HCMC for 5 days to get my 4th Thai SETV in a row, and then come back to Thailand.  I'm wondering the chances I'll run into problems at Don Muang immigration when I come back.  Here are some details:

 

BEFORE:

I stayed in Thailand on repeat SETVs for several years until Feb 2016. 

Then I went away for 1 year 5 months before coming back.

RECENTLY:

I came back in July 2017 and have been in Thailand since then (except for quick visa runs).

Since then, I've had 3 SETVs back to back, so this will be my 4th.  (Vientiane, HCMC, Vientiane)

A few months ago I got a new passport.  Now there is just 1 old visa in my passport.

 

I'm Canadian in my 30's and I love bacon (Not Canadian bacon.  We actually don't eat that often.  Real bacon.)

 

So basically I think I'll be fine at the airport if they just look at my passport and see the 1 old visa and the 1 current visa.  But if they look me up in the system and see this is my 4th visa in a row, maybe there will be problems.

Thoughts?  Thank you!

[AlexRich]

 I think you will be okay as long as you do not mention anything about loving bacon, but not Canadian bacon, real bacon. They might conclude that you are insane, with a capacity for inserting information of no relevance into a post. That’s 5 years in the Bangkok Hilton.

 

Sarcasm aside, you might want to lengthen your time in other countries, it would at least give you a cover story for being in Thailand so often. I used to do this, but would spend a month in Vietnam, Bali, Cambodia, Malaysia, etc. It makes you look like a traveller rather than a long term stayer.

 

i think you will be okay, but you are cutting it close.

[BritTim]

It is very possible that you will be singled out for extra scrutiny. Entering with an actual visa, you should be OK if you take reasonable precautions. Of course, you must have 20,000 baht equivalent in cash (or travelers' checks). Given your age, also have printed evidence of your financial means to spend time in Thailand without working. If you have Thai bank statements showing regular foreign transfers over the last few months, so much the better. Lastly, ensure you can explain clearly why you have wanted to spend a solid year in Thailand as a tourist. A romantic involvement is the most common acceptable answer.

[phoetriu2]

careful buddy, they single out people doing over 90 or even this 180 days on tr visas, esp at dmk airport. bkk also is in on this.

[oldskoolbeatz]

If the O.P is worried,  would it be safer to cross though a land border?  Say,  Cambodia (not poipet)  or Laos? Thanks as I will be in a similar situation soon. Sorry if I am hijacking the thread. 

[asdfrules]

6 hours ago, AlexRich said:

Sarcasm aside, you might want to lengthen your time in other countries, it would at least give you a cover story for being in Thailand so often. I used to do this, but would spend a month in Vietnam, Bali, Cambodia, Malaysia, etc. It makes you look like a traveller rather than a long term stayer.

 

i think you will be okay, but you are cutting it close.

 

I am thinking the same thing.  Planning a 7 month stay in Philippines next.  Can actually stay there 3 years without a single visa run.  

 

4 hours ago, BritTim said:

It is very possible that you will be singled out for extra scrutiny. Entering with an actual visa, you should be OK if you take reasonable precautions. Of course, you must have 20,000 baht equivalent in cash (or travelers' checks). Given your age, also have printed evidence of your financial means to spend time in Thailand without working. If you have Thai bank statements showing regular foreign transfers over the last few months, so much the better. Lastly, ensure you can explain clearly why you have wanted to spend a solid year in Thailand as a tourist. A romantic involvement is the most common acceptable answer.

 

You say could be singled out, but should be okay with a visa?  I'll be getting a Visa in HCMC.  I'll prepare all the evidence and hopefully that's okay.

But are you sure about the Thai bank account?  I would think that would make it look more like I'm settled here long term than a tourist.  Wouldn't that work against me?

 

1 hour ago, phoetriu2 said:

careful buddy, they single out people doing over 90 or even this 180 days on tr visas, esp at dmk airport. bkk also is in on this.

 

Yikes!

 

7 minutes ago, oldskoolbeatz said:

If the O.P is worried,  would it be safer to cross though a land border?  Say,  Cambodia (not poipet)  or Laos? Thanks as I will be in a similar situation soon. Sorry if I am hijacking the thread. 

Now worries.  And yes.  I've read that Mukdahan/Savannakhet and NongKai/Vientiane are the best.

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, asdfrules said:

You say could be singled out, but should be okay with a visa?  I'll be getting a Visa in HCMC.  I'll prepare all the evidence and hopefully that's okay.

But are you sure about the Thai bank account?  I would think that would make it look more like I'm settled here long term than a tourist.  Wouldn't that work against me?

The big risk is trying to enter visa exempt. Thai immigration were instructed back in 2014 to prevent people using visa exempt entries as a means to stay long term in Thailand. With actual visas, there are no limitations, but immigration will tend to profile younger people staying extended periods as warranting special scrutiny. As long as they are satisfied with the answers to their questions, all will definitely be fine. If the official does not like you, they will look to deny you entry either for planning to work illegally, or not having sufficient funds to support your stay. Just make sure they cannot reasonably use either of those justifications.

 

They already know you have been spending a lot of time in Thailand. The fact that you have a Thai bank account makes no difference. What works in your favor is being able to show an account with money being transferred from abroad, no evidence of local income, and you spending plausible amounts based on withdrawals from the account. If you do not have this, it probably will not matter, but if you have it that is great.

[jspill]

I entered recently at DMK with a way worse looking passport, had no issues, I think these 'crackdowns' come and go and lately things have cooled down. I'd say if you take the precautions in post #3, there's very little chance of being denied entry. Maybe 10% chance of being pulled aside for questioning, 5% of being questioned and not let through.

[lkv]

5 hours ago, phoetriu2 said:

careful buddy, they single out people doing over 90 or even this 180 days on tr visas, esp at dmk airport. bkk also is in on this.

Who told you that?

[Belzybob]

The issue is not so much the number of Tourist visas, but the time you have spent in the country. Tourists do not live in a country for 9 months out of 12, even Thai immigration can suss that out.

[buick]

i spent about 8 months a year in thailand from 2006 to 2017 (turned 50 and got the non imm O in 2017).  i was interviewed about five years into that period due to too many visa exempt entries (i never used a tourist visa).  i passed the interview, didn't have to show anything, but things have changed since then.  i didn't even know thaivisa.com existed until 2016 so i was blissfully unaware of any risks, etc..  after the interview, i used a combo of SETV's and visa exempts.  advice i would offer is (in no particular order):

 

avoid female immigration officers (don't get in their line)

pay for the premium lane service (1,200thb)

have at least 20,000thb on you

have a story for why you are here so often

have a flight out of thailand (even though you have a visa and don't need it to board at SGN)

make sure your social media accounts don't reflect any type of working activity in thailand

 

 

 

[oldskoolbeatz]

18 minutes ago, buick said:

i spent about 8 months a year in thailand from 2006 to 2017 (turned 50 and got the non imm O in 2017).  i was interviewed about five years into that period due to too many visa exempt entries (i never used a tourist visa).  i passed the interview, didn't have to show anything, but things have changed since then.  i didn't even know thaivisa.com existed until 2016 so i was blissfully unaware of any risks, etc..  after the interview, i used a combo of SETV's and visa exempts.  advice i would offer is (in no particular order):

 

avoid female immigration officers (don't get in their line)

pay for the premium lane service (1,200thb)

have at least 20,000thb on you

have a story for why you are here so often

have a flight out of thailand (even though you have a visa and don't need it to board at SGN)

make sure your social media accounts don't reflect any type of working activity in thailand

 

 

 

Were you ever asked to show them your facebook? 

[lkv]

7 hours ago, oldskoolbeatz said:

Were you ever asked to show them your facebook? 

There was an American kid that arrived on a visa exempt a while ago, and got sent back to the US. His Facebook pictures were clearly indicating participating in Muay Thai fights on a regular basis here in Thailand. He also had 3k baht in his pocket if I recall correctly and a Thai wife (that he said he is coming to visit). Not sure if a baby as well or not. He had no return ticket, his friends bought him one after it was made clear to him he would not be entering Thailand. (this info was posted by him on his FB at the time, how he was sent back and the whole experience).

 

If i could find out this information by typing Cody Moberly into Google or Facebook (pics of him working in Thailand on visa exempt), then surely Immigration can as well.

Edited May 21, 2018 by lkv

[asdfrules]

Wait.... buick says avoid female immigration officers?  

Is that really a thing?  I was thinking to avoid male officers, assuming the females would be nicer.

[buick]

On 5/21/2018 at 6:19 AM, oldskoolbeatz said:

Were you ever asked to show them your facebook? 

i don't use facebook.  when i was interviewed, i didn't have to show them anything.  they 'bought' my story (which was true) that i retired at a young age and couldn't qualify for the non imm O yet (was 45 or so). 

 

46 minutes ago, asdfrules said:

Wait.... buick says avoid female immigration officers?  

this is just one of the things i've read on this forum.  i was taken aside by a male and then interviewed by a male.  some believe there are 'rogue' immigration officers and it may well be the same person(s) that are refusing to admit certain people.

[elviajero]

1 hour ago, asdfrules said:

Wait.... buick says avoid female immigration officers?  

Is that really a thing?  I was thinking to avoid male officers, assuming the females would be nicer.

No it’s not a thing. It’s opinion based on anecdotes.

[buick]

i believe this is the report that i had read that involved immigration checking facebook/social media:

 

 

[lkv]

2 hours ago, buick said:

i believe this is the report that i had read that involved immigration checking facebook/social media

 

And that's the sort of post that I am skeptical about from the very beginning, for reasons I am not going to go into right now.

 

To put it in a different way, I don't believe a word of it.