Stopped 2hrs at bkk airport immigration + wrong stamp / feedback

[Tanoshi]

8 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

You fit the profile.

 

33 years old. (Big negative)

4 months in Thailand last year (Big negative)

Coming in on a visa exempt (Big negative)

Previous long stays in Thailand in earlier years (Big negative).

 

This is the new normal.

The bigger question and not one that I expect the OP to answer, but will almost certainly be an issue to Immigration, will be how someone so young can spend so much time visiting Thailand if he has a full time job in his home Country.

That will raise suspicion he may be working in Thailand to finance his stays.

[Pepper9187]

1 minute ago, Tanoshi said:

The bigger question and not one that I expect the OP to answer, but will almost certainly be an issue to Immigration, will be how someone so young can spend so much time visiting Thailand if he has a full time job in his home Country.

That will raise suspicion he may be working in Thailand to finance his stays.

Don't worry about my financials ?

 

Kidding apart, they did not even asked me if i was working in Thailand, not even a single time !

 

[MekkOne]

5 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

How many months (cumulative total) in Thailand since August 2015 (3 years ago)? For me it is around 31 (out of a maximum of 36).

 

Of course, it is not important what you or I think is a long time, the only people that matter are immigration officers.

The thing is mostly that he uses Tourist Visa or Visa exception, IMHO if he get married and gets a multiple entry NON-O will be fine...

 

I will see it soon I'm leaving Thailand next month for 7 days (travelling to my home country with my wife) after 7 years in the kingdom and I'll flying back to BKK with multiple entry NON-O (that I already have)...

[Briggsy]

13 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

It wouldn't be at the airlines expense if denied entry under these circumstances.

The foreign would have to arrange and pay for his own return flight.

The airline isn't responsible because Immigration don't have any policy on the numbers of entries allowed within any set period by air. 

That is interesting. Is this always the case?

It throws up some interesting questions.

 

What if the return flight (to Lyon, in this case) is full or only goes twice a week or is difficult to arrange at short notice? The traveller may well be locked up for days in some airside holding cell in very poor conditions against his will without having committed any crime.

 

A one-way flight at short notice to Europe can easily run to 25,000 Baht. What if the funds are not immediately available?

 

Can the denied passenger choose another airline or choose another destination? e.g. Air Asia to KL which would be much cheaper.

[Tanoshi]

4 minutes ago, Pepper9187 said:

Kidding apart, they did not even asked me if i was working in Thailand, not even a single time !

Huh!

That isn't what you said in your opening post.

 

Quote

For somehow it did not worked too well for me, they arrested me 2 hrs and questioned me about pretty much anything you could imagine, they also called my girlfriend 3 times (3 different officers) during almost 1 hour and asked all the same, what i was doing here, where i lived, how long we had been together, what kind of place we rented, if i ever worked in Thailand / when / where, what was my income, what was my savings, why i did not had a non O visa ...

 

[Pepper9187]

1 minute ago, Tanoshi said:

Huh!

That isn't what you said in your opening post.

 

 

Yes they asked me if i worked before, which i said yes between 2011 and like 2015, but never asked me if i was currently working or teaching in Thailand.

[MekkOne]

2 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

Huh!

That isn't what you said in your opening post.

 

 

but this is the Key question of all the lot:

 

3 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

why i did not had a non O visa ...

BTW he wrote this questions where asked to the GF not to him...

[Tanoshi]

3 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

That is interesting. Is this always the case?

It throws up some interesting questions.

 

What if the return flight (to Lyon, in this case) is full or only goes twice a week or is difficult to arrange at short notice? The traveller may well be locked up for days in some airside holding cell in very poor conditions against his will without having committed any crime.

 

A one-way flight at short notice to Europe can easily run to 25,000 Baht. What if the funds are not immediately available?

 

Can the denied passenger choose another airline or choose another destination? e.g. Air Asia to KL which would be much cheaper.

It happened quite recently to a member of TV.

He was held airside by Immigration until such time he could arrange a flight back to his home Country.

His passport was returned by airline staff on landing at his destination.

 

I'm not sure if an airline would be prepared to take the risk of flying you to an alternative Country, after just being refused entry and having a refusal stamp in your passport. You'll never be refused entry back into your home Country, which is the only safe bet for an airline.

[Briggsy]

@Pepper9187

 

Forget what you think is right or wrong. The situation is what it is. You are going to continue to have difficulties staying in Thailand for months every year using your current modus operandi.

 

Either change your visa status. Use tourist visas, education visas, privilege entry visas, non-immigrant visas or work permit extensions.

 

Or use land borders to enter Thailand

 

Or decide the whole thing is too much expense and hassle and reduce your visits to Thailand to a couple of weeks every five years.

[ubonjoe]

25 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

The foreign would have to arrange and pay for his own return flight.

It does not have to be a return flight. He already had a ticket to KL and he could of used that if it was for leaving from the same airport.

For deportation they do insist on it being a ticket to your home country. For a denial of entry it can be a ticket to about anywhere.

[Tanoshi]

6 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

It does not have to be a return flight. He already had a ticket to KL and he could of used that if it was for leaving from the same airport.

For deportation they do insist on it being a ticket to your home country. For a denial of entry it can be a ticket to about anywhere.

Deportation Immigration control your destination.

 

For refusal of entry, it's the airlines decision where they will allow you to fly to.

Lao for one will refuse entry if you were denied entry into Thailand.

[MekkOne]

3 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

Lao for one will refuse entry if you were denied entry into Thailand.

Why? do Thailand and Loas share the same immigration police?

[Pepper9187]

Okey, i'm officially having a hard time following all the questions / comment ?

 

Somebody asked me my overall P.O.S during august 2015 and august 2018, i'm not quite sure for 2015 it's on an old passport somewhere, but i can say for sure :

 

31 July 2016 => 31 December 2016 : France (5 months)

31 December 2016 => 9 June 2017 : Thailand (5 months +)

9 June 2017 => 14 December 2017 : France (4 months)

14 December 2017 => 4 April 2018 : Thailand (4 months)

4 April 2018 => 3rd August 2018 : France  (4 months)

Number of visa on arrival : 2 (including the one i had yesterday).

 

So yes, i used to stay a long time in Thailand, mostly 2 years ago, but at the end of the day I've only done 4 months in Thailand since June 2017, and only 1 visa on arrival yesterday (the first one was somewhere in 2016).

I got it, if they can kick you out of Thailand because you used to stay too long a couple of years ago, it's probably their right, i thought it would be more focused on the "recent activity" and not some period of stays 3 years earlier.

Edited August 4, 2018 by Pepper9187

[Pepper9187]

Also, it's a feedback, i'm not trying to say : I'm right, they're wrong

[MekkOne]

5 minutes ago, Pepper9187 said:

31 July 2016 => 31 December 2016 : France (5 months)

31 December 2016 => 9 June 2017 : Thailand (4 months and half)

9 June 2017 => 14 December 2017 : France (4 months)

14 December 2017 => 4 April 2018 : Thailand (4 months)

4 April 2018 => 3rd August 2018 : France  (4 months)

 So for example, you could have stayed with a NON-O multi for the first 3 times 

 

31 July 2016 => 31 December 2016 : France (5 months)

31 December 2016 => 9 June 2017 : Thailand (4 months and half)

9 June 2017 => 14 December 2017 : France (4 months)

 

and the second 2 plus this one you're in with another NON-O multi...

 

14 December 2017 => 4 April 2018 : Thailand (4 months)

4 April 2018 => 3rd August 2018 : France  (4 months)

 

 

[MekkOne]

and you where there while they were making the move to their favourite tourist...

 

 

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, Thian said:

Then why do they always search back in my passport and check all the stamps? Much easyier to read that info in the computer me thinks?

They cross-check SOME of the stamps in your passport with SOME of the entries on their computer.

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, Pepper9187 said:

I admit, in 2016 i was in Thailand like 8 months ... but i mean that was 2 years ago !

And maybe that is what triggered the red flag this time?

 

I mean that was ONLY 2 years ago.

[Pepper9187]

9 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

And maybe that is what triggered the red flag this time?

 

I mean that was ONLY 2 years ago.

Could be, probably.

 

Where does it ends ? 3 years ? 4 years ? Are they gona check if you stayed too long 5 years ago !?

 

I think it was a whole package : Too many stamps, stayed too long 2 years ago + we don't really understand the lasts "in and out" stamps so you're screwed !

[NanLaew]

27 minutes ago, Pepper9187 said:

Okey, i'm officially having a hard time following all the questions / comment ?

 

Somebody asked me my overall P.O.S during august 2015 and august 2018, i'm not quite sure for 2015 it's on an old passport somewhere, but i can say for sure :

 

31 July 2016 => 31 December 2016 : France (5 months)

31 December 2016 => 9 June 2017 : Thailand (5 months +)

9 June 2017 => 14 December 2017 : France (4 months)

14 December 2017 => 4 April 2018 : Thailand (4 months)

4 April 2018 => 3rd August 2018 : France  (4 months)

Number of visa on arrival : 2 (including the one i had yesterday).

 

So yes, i used to stay a long time in Thailand, mostly 2 years ago, but at the end of the day I've only done 4 months in Thailand since June 2017, and only 1 visa on arrival yesterday (the first one was somewhere in 2016).

I got it, if they can kick you out of Thailand because you used to stay too long a couple of years ago, it's probably their right, i thought it would be more focused on the "recent activity" and not some period of stays 3 years earlier.

 

But the following was possibly another red flag?

 

43 minutes ago, Pepper9187 said:

Yes they asked me if i worked before, which i said yes between 2011 and like 2015, but never asked me if i was currently working or teaching in Thailand.

Was that working in Thailand between 2011 and like 2015?

 

If I have misunderstood and this work was in your home country, then there may be questions of how a 30-something is getting by if he stopped working maybe 3 years ago and has subsequently spent a fair chunk of time in LOS.

[scubascuba3]

Could have been !
 
No self flattering but i'm a "good looking" 33 yo farang + i was well dressed (no cheap charly backpacker), they could have thought i was illegally working in Thailand but they did not even asked me if i was a teacher or anything, really it was just about "too many visas" on your passport, we don't care about the dates, there's just too many end of discussion.
 
Between august 2017 and august 2018 i was in Thailand only :
14 December 2017 until 4 April 2018. (i said it was 2 April before, checked and it was 4th).
 
August 2017 until 14 December 2017 = France
April 4th until August 3rd = France
 
I admit, in 2016 i was in Thailand like 8 months ... but i mean that was 2 years ago !
 
Bloody hell, right !?

I arrived through the fast track at bangkok airport a couple of weeks ago, the IO looked a little worried (didn't say anything) then relieved when he saw my METV even though the arrival card was marked and right next to it. No smile from him before, smile after the stamp. Might have been nothing but getting a visa does seem to reduce the chances of being closely analysed

[Pepper9187]

4 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

 

But the following was possibly another red flag?

 

Was that working in Thailand between 2011 and like 2015?

 

If I have misunderstood and this work was in your home country, then there may be questions of how a 30-something is getting by if he stopped working maybe 3 years ago and has subsequently spent a fair chunk of time in LOS.

I was working in Thailand like 4 years until, not sure, i think the end of 2015 and I've been sitting in between France and Thailand ever since.

Of course it was with WP and visas, no fancy illegal stuff.

 

I feel like i'm being dragged in a "you were wrong" and that i'm supposed to argue "i'm not", so again : It was a feedback, not trying to convince anyone or persuade myself that i was right.

 

At the end of the day, they let me through so they must have finally understood i had not spent much time in Thailand the last year and half + and that they were no "tricks" from me, otherwise i would not be sitting in BKK right now, i would have died form an earth attack after a 48 hrs trip :D.

[Briggsy]

12 minutes ago, Pepper9187 said:

I was working in Thailand like 4 years until, not sure, i think the end of 2015 and I've been sitting in between France and Thailand ever since.

Of course it was with WP and visas, no fancy illegal stuff.

 

I feel like i'm being dragged in a "you were wrong" and that i'm supposed to argue "i'm not", so again : It was a feedback, not trying to convince anyone or persuade myself that i was right.

 

At the end of the day, they let me through so they must have finally understood i had not spent much time in Thailand the last year and half + and that they were no "tricks" from me, otherwise i would not be sitting in BKK right now, i would have died form an earth attack after a 48 hrs trip :D.

First of all thanks for the valuable information.

 

Whenever you stay a long time in Thailand and you are not on a work permit or a retirement extension, you can guarantee a load of guys (almost all on retirement extensions) on Thaivisa will attack you. Don't worry about that. Just ignore them. They know who they are.

 

TBH a fair few of your comments expressed displeasure or exasperation with being almost denied entry. So, to be fair, you are not just giving feedback, you have staked out a position (which others then criticise).

 

I am not sure you have fully moved on from this annoying experience and the resulting indignation to the acceptance of your situation (you can't keep doing what you're doing) and then to the solutions phase of your immigration experience.

 

It is a process that many have been through including myself.

 

Genuine thanks for all that you have posted.

[NanLaew]

22 minutes ago, Pepper9187 said:

I was working in Thailand like 4 years until, not sure, i think the end of 2015 and I've been sitting in between France and Thailand ever since.

Of course it was with WP and visas, no fancy illegal stuff.

 

I feel like i'm being dragged in a "you were wrong" and that i'm supposed to argue "i'm not", so again : It was a feedback, not trying to convince anyone or persuade myself that i was right.

 

At the end of the day, they let me through so they must have finally understood i had not spent much time in Thailand the last year and half + and that they were no "tricks" from me, otherwise i would not be sitting in BKK right now, i would have died form an earth attack after a 48 hrs trip :D.

I know from recent, personal experience with Thai immigration inbound at Suvarnabhumi have access to one's entire history on their computers. Whether that was information that was always available and just never checked or they have a new directive to dig deeper into what the computer shows, the end result is the same; higher due diligence on who they are letting into the country which includes active linkage of passports for those who legally have more than one travel document. For me, over 10 years of easily passing in and out of Thailand up to 6 times a year using either marriage or retirement extensions and visa-exempt entries was curtailed last June. I was told that despite being legally entitled to 2 passports, I can only ever enter Thailand on the passport with the extension.

 

Agree with Briggsy though and thank the OP for a factual and reasonably un-opinionated post about his recent experience despite the obvious exasperation of being dealt what seems like an unfair hand. Like IO's in any country, they have the ultimate call on entry or re-entry and in Thailand with their Operation X-Ray Foreigner malarkey, I can only see it getting 'hotter' with regard to visitors passing through Immigration.

[OJAS]

2 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

It wouldn't be at the airlines expense if denied entry under these circumstances.

The foreign would have to arrange and pay for his own return flight.

The airline isn't responsible because Immigration don't have any policy on the numbers of entries allowed within any set period by air. 

All the more mystifying, then, as to why he was apparently not denied permission to board when checking-in for his outbound flight from France.

 

1 hour ago, Briggsy said:

That is interesting. Is this always the case?

It throws up some interesting questions.

 

What if the return flight (to Lyon, in this case) is full or only goes twice a week or is difficult to arrange at short notice? The traveller may well be locked up for days in some airside holding cell in very poor conditions against his will without having committed any crime.

 

A one-way flight at short notice to Europe can easily run to 25,000 Baht. What if the funds are not immediately available?

 

Can the denied passenger choose another airline or choose another destination? e.g. Air Asia to KL which would be much cheaper.

Neither Air France nor THAI operate direct flights between BKK and Lyon as far as I can tell. In these circumstances the only way in which he could have minimised his stay in the IDC would have been to book the first available flight to CDG (Paris) - and find his own way back to Lyon from there.

Edited August 4, 2018 by OJAS

[Proboscis]

Patience patience. When they are totally sick of the millions of Chinese taking over the country and the falang have stopped coming, they will change their tune. This will happen sooner than you think. Fast-track lanes for Chinese visitors at the airport will just speed up the process.

[ubonjoe]

6 minutes ago, OJAS said:

All the more mystifying, then, as to why he was apparently not denied permission to board when checking-in for his outbound flight from France.

Why would he of been denied boarding his flight. He has a onward ticket to KL within 30 days that he may of shown.

 

4 hours ago, Pepper9187 said:

Last time i was in Thailand was April 2nd,  and yesterday i arrived without a visa but i had an outbound ticket BKK to KL on 29 August so that should have been more than enough to get a 29 days visa on arrival, right !?

 

[Pepper9187]

1 hour ago, Briggsy said:

First of all thanks for the valuable information.

 

Whenever you stay a long time in Thailand and you are not on a work permit or a retirement extension, you can guarantee a load of guys (almost all on retirement extensions) on Thaivisa will attack you. Don't worry about that. Just ignore them. They know who they are.

 

TBH a fair few of your comments expressed displeasure or exasperation with being almost denied entry. So, to be fair, you are not just giving feedback, you have staked out a position (which others then criticise).

 

I am not sure you have fully moved on from this annoying experience and the resulting indignation to the acceptance of your situation (you can't keep doing what you're doing) and then to the solutions phase of your immigration experience.

 

It is a process that many have been through including myself.

 

Genuine thanks for all that you have posted.

 

Well yes i was (and still am) pissed off, obviously (who wouldn't be!? ? ).

 

Of course my personal opinion would be that it went a bit too far and that maybe i should not have been arrested 2 hours and maybe it was a bit unfair, after all i do have an opinion !

BUT i just don't want the thread to be a he/i was wrong vs he/i was right, wouldn't help.

 

It's a feedback so that it can eventually help a few guys not to end up in a similar situation, by not doing a VOA even if you have a valid outbound ticket within the next 29 days or starting to think about non O visa when possible, there must be guys in much worst situation than mine, i know some guys who have been here on tourist visa for years (classic ventiane touriste 2+1 months run).

 

TX for your comment anyway.

[gaff]

it's just an evidence about how smart they are. it's not easy to jump from the farm job to an official office job...

 

 

[NoshowJones]

6 hours ago, Thian said:

They should make it clear and just write on the website how many VOA one can get in a year and how many visa's.

 

For the stamp i would just act like i hadn't seen the mistake...why would this have to cost another day at the immigration?

 

It seems they are tired of farang who come often, maybe they only want westerners who come ones on a holiday and not every year. I also am always stressed when i need a new visa even when i know i can easy jump all the hoops.

Buy an Elite Visa, that will keep them happy, then it won't matter if any IO gets out of bed on the wrong side.