Expelled at BKK today

[RJRS1301]

3 minutes ago, JohnnyBKK said:

Weird, that is not what I have been told by those on exempt entries. I guess every officer has its own rules.

I think the operative word was WRITTEN limit, IO seem to have extreme discretion without being discreet

[Pattayabeerbacon]

Seems odd.

 

Perhaps have your onwards ticked, hotel reservation and 20000 baht ready just in case.

 

Or just goto cambodia or loas, cheaper and friendlier than Thai.

[1RDN]

On 5/29/2019 at 8:53 AM, DingDongLing said:

When they denied you, did they make you buy a plane ticket back or gave u one? lol

 

Can anyone summarize 18 pages of what happened?  thanks

EVA Air escorted me all the way to SFO like a criminal. They never said anything about a return ticket. I found out later that they did charge my return ticket.

[MKumar]

The OP definitely did not deserve it, if his story is true. Immigration should not have been so harsh. He should have at least been allowed to stay a week with a warning. 

[MKumar]

1 hour ago, 1RDN said:

EVA Air escorted me all the way to SFO like a criminal. They never said anything about a return ticket. I found out later that they did charge my return ticket.

Very unfair. You should register a protest in your country against Thai Immigration. You are an American for God's sake and you dont deserve to be treated like that. 

[MKumar]

On 5/30/2019 at 3:16 PM, Pattayabeerbacon said:

Seems odd.

 

Perhaps have your onwards ticked, hotel reservation and 20000 baht ready just in case.

 

Or just goto cambodia or loas, cheaper and friendlier than Thai.

I have been to Cambodia, their immigration at least does not turn away people like this. It would not occur to them to do so. Thai Immigration sucks. 

[MKumar]

By turning away OP in this fashion, Thai immigration have incurred serious bad karma. 

[Briggsy]

On 5/29/2019 at 8:53 AM, DingDongLing said:

When they denied you, did they make you buy a plane ticket back

They make you buy one or change the date of any return leg to ASAP. While I was in the dungeons at Suvannaphum being processed, there were Africans shouting into telephones trying to beg or borrow the money to buy a ticket out. No money, you are stuck there for some time.

[BritTim]

23 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

They make you buy one or change the date of any return leg to ASAP. While I was in the dungeons at Suvannaphum being processed, there were Africans shouting into telephones trying to beg or borrow the money to buy a ticket out. No money, you are stuck there for some time.

The airline tries to make you believe this, but it is not true. The airline is obliged to remove you from Thailand whether you pay or not. Denied entry is subject to completely different rules than deportation. With deportation, you are locked in the Immigration Detention Centre until you can pay for your travel back to home country. With denied entry, the airline can try to recover the money for your airfare, but immigration will insist they take you out of Thailand regardless.

[lkv]

31 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

While I was in the dungeons at Suvannaphum being processed, there were Africans shouting into telephones trying to beg or borrow the money to buy a ticket out. No money, you are stuck there for some time.

Sorry if you posted this in the past, but I forgot. What was the outcome of the "processing" for you?

[Briggsy]

3 minutes ago, BritTim said:

The airline tries to make you believe this, but it is not true. The airline is obliged to remove you from Thailand whether you pay or not. Denied entry is subject to completely different rules than deportation. With deportation, you are locked in the Immigration Detention Centre until you can pay for your travel back to home country. With denied entry, the airline can try to recover the money for your airfare, but immigration will insist they take you out of Thailand regardless.

You are right. But as a foreigner denied entry, you are faced with the choice between the reality (pay X,XXX Baht or you stay here!) and your "legal rights".

 

I would add with denied entry, you are detained in the detention area. This is of course not a prison but you cannot leave this area. It consists of a room with bunks, a corridor with seats and a toilet. There are no windows. It feels like you are imprisoned.

 

Of all the denial of entry reports, I don't recall reading any in which the person got a free flight out of Thailand. There may well be somebody though.

[Briggsy]

2 minutes ago, lkv said:

Sorry if you posted this in the past, but I forgot. What was the outcome of the "processing" for you?

I had a return leg. I was told to pay for a date change on my return flight. This was 8,300 Baht. Then I had to withdraw dollars (!) from my Thai a/c and then immediately change them back to Baht (!) losing another 700 Baht to pay this in cash which was used to put me back on the same carrier that brought me in.

[lkv]

13 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

I had a return leg. I was told to pay for a date change on my return flight. This was 8,300 Baht. Then I had to withdraw dollars (!) from my Thai a/c and then immediately change them back to Baht (!) losing another 700 Baht to pay this in cash which was used to put me back on the same carrier that brought me in.

No "hotel" charges for the dungeon? 

 

Sorry to hear about it. Makes me think the tea money route is more cost effective, should I get in that position, and should that work.

Edited June 5, 2019 by lkv

[brewsterbudgen]

15 hours ago, MKumar said:

Very unfair. You should register a protest in your country against Thai Immigration. You are an American for God's sake and you dont deserve to be treated like that. 

Should Americans get special treatment?

[ThaiBunny]

1 minute ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Should Americans get special treatment?

They do have special needs

[Briggsy]

23 minutes ago, lkv said:

No "hotel" charges for the dungeon? 

I declined to sign the paper as I said I had done nothing wrong and was not prepared to accept being incarcerated (in Thai). The junior officer said it is not incarceration it is a horng phak (that is referred to as the "Detention Room"!). Anyway, he didn't press the point just accepted I wouldn't sign and passed me over to the airline liaison guy saying, "Deal with the farang first." 

 

It is possible they may have ended this 800 Baht lark anyway. I imagine it got people's backs up and caused a lot of arguments. When I glanced at the sheet I didn't sign, I saw no mention of it.

[Date Masamune]

I declined to sign the paper as I said I had done nothing wrong and was not prepared to accept being incarcerated (in Thai). The junior officer said it is not incarceration it is a horng phak (that is referred to as the "Detention Room"!). Anyway, he didn't press the point just accepted I wouldn't sign and passed me over to the airline liaison guy saying, "Deal with the farang first." 
 
It is possible they may have ended this 800 Baht lark anyway. I imagine it got people's backs up and caused a lot of arguments. When I glanced at the sheet I didn't sign, I saw no mention of it.

Signing nothing was a good choice I had a similar experience when I was told I had to buy a ticket back to America. I flat out refused and said I was going back to Korea where I was legally working. Ended up escorted to a Business class lounge, not jail. They told me could not come back to Thailand for 6 months 36 hours later I flew direct from ICN to CNX and nothing was said. Huge expense and hassle.

[usviphotography]

On 5/29/2019 at 5:27 AM, JohnnyBKK said:

I think the limit of exemption visas per 180 days is 3. After 3 the entry is refused.

Personally I have the elite visa and I don't feel safe neither, I also live in constant fear of visa problems.

I think this is the thing that causes the most ill will- the fact that they refuse to come out with any actual written policy and instead people have to rely on rumors, guesswork, and prayer to determine whether or not they'll be allowed in or not. Just figure out a policy and post it. Visitors are no longer stressed. Immigration's life is made easier. Everybody is happy. 

[rott]

On 3/19/2019 at 9:42 AM, visarunner said:

They tried that one years ago and it failed.

Yes I remember it being announced but do not remember it ever being enforced.

 

How and why did it fail? I have always wondered what happened to it.

[1RDN]

On 6/4/2019 at 1:18 PM, MKumar said:

Very unfair. You should register a protest in your country against Thai Immigration. You are an American for God's sake and you dont deserve to be treated like that. 

I have been treated much worse by US border patrol at the Mexican border, recently because someone with my name has a warrant out. Just last year. In 4 hours nobody was cleaver enough to see that race, age, tattoos, city, state and other obvious things didn't fit. I was in handcuffs more than 4 hours and had no idea why. I was not allowed to talk, isolated in a room. Much worse then the Thailand immigration. Then, like nothing ever happened, I'm free to go. Every time I came back to the US, always a hassle until one kind person spent the 30 seconds to make the connection. Nowhere is perfect. 

[1RDN]

5 hours ago, FredGallaher said:

The first post says he's been doing this for two years. A month in and a week out. Isn't this what elite visas are for. Using Visa on Arrival is scamming the system. I'm surprised it last two years. If he's doing it for the GF then he should get married. He could also get multiple entries if it requires trips back. 

 

I did get a 6 month tourist - multiple entry visa. This has made things better. We have applied for a K1 visa. 4 months and nothing. We have a child on the way, I was hoping the child could be born in the US. At this rate it's doubtful. 

[Date Masamune]

I have been treated much worse by US border patrol at the Mexican border, recently because someone with my name has a warrant out. Just last year. In 4 hours nobody was cleaver enough to see that race, age, tattoos, city, state and other obvious things didn't fit. I was in handcuffs more than 4 hours and had no idea why. I was not allowed to talk, isolated in a room. Much worse then the Thailand immigration. Then, like nothing ever happened, I'm free to go. Every time I came back to the US, always a hassle until one kind person spent the 30 seconds to make the connection. Nowhere is perfect. 

Best to apply for Global Entry get what is known as a redress number. Having the same name as a notorious criminal is also a good reason to change your name permanently.

[spidermike007]

When I used to visit I got either double entry four month visas, or triple entry six month visas as the consulate in the US. Easy to get. Never had any issues with them. 

 

The less information you provide, the better. I do not think the explanation about the Thai girlfriend helped you one iota. If anything, they seem to be discouraging that kind of thing. I have even heard of foreigners being turned down for marriage licenses, at their local amphur. That is how toxic the current government is. 

Edited June 20, 2019 by spidermike007

[Toosetinmyways]

Was not going to bother relating this as it is unimportant.

Four months ago I flew in to DMK. The airport was deserted at 1900. One passenger decided to duck under the tapes instead of following the route. The Thai helper who directs passengers to a vacant booth went over to the queue jumper and loud words were exchanged. What a plonker I thought creating a disturbance in view of immigration. The farang was in the next queue to me and I have seen better dressed homeless people.

He presents his passport but of course no TM6. Female IO (maybe the famous wicked witch) waves blank card at him. He goes into his cloth monks bag and retrieves a crumpled TM6. He then goes to the side of the booth. The IO told him to get to the front. Two seconds later he is back at the side. After three times of this, I saw the red light above the booth switched on.

Checking my passport before leaving I hear a disturbance from another booth and there is a farang <deleted> and blinding, arms waving with what looked like a bankbook. Apart from the swearing the only word decipherable was money. Yes, you guessed, next thing that happens is red light goes on above booth.

In all the years of entering Thailand I have never seen an event like this before. Perhaps IO see this every shift and that is the reason they have became anti farang.

 

The cynic in me thought that after seeing this, that tomorrow I will read in TV about someone denied entry at DMK and they were completely innocent.

[BritTim]

On 6/20/2019 at 4:27 PM, spidermike007 said:

When I used to visit I got either double entry four month visas, or triple entry six month visas as the consulate in the US. Easy to get. Never had any issues with them. 

Your experiences from several years ago are no longer relevant. Two significant changes are:

• Double and triple entry tourist visas are no longer available anywhere. At consulates outside your home country, only single entry tourist visas are possible. There is a multiple entry tourist visa available from home country, but the requirements are far more onerous than those you remember.
• Even if you have a valid visa, if you are spending a lot of time in Thailand, you need to be very careful where you try to enter Thailand. Some immigration officials at some entry points reserve the right not to honour your tourist visa, and deny you entry.

[tropo]

On 3/19/2019 at 6:55 AM, Date Masamune said:

A proper visa??

There have been plenty of reports of people being refused entry with "real" tourist visas too.

[Daryle]

I can't remember ever being greated with a smile from a Thai Immigration Official while entering the so-called land of smiles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[G950]

I can't remember ever being greeted with a smile from any US or British immigration official, and i have been to both countries a lot.

[Burma Bill]

On 3/19/2019 at 6:55 AM, Date Masamune said:

A proper visa??

With a multiple re-entry permit. 

[OffshoreMig]

As  understand it You can get two visa free visits per calandar year than you need to apply for a "proper" visa.  Not sure but i think this resets the counter. 

Edited July 6, 2019 by OffshoreMig
minor correction