Expelled at BKK today

[onera1961]

1 minute ago, ChristianBlessing said:

I work in Malaysia and visit Thailand 5-6 times annually, rarely for more than 8-10 days. A visa-exempt is perfect for me. A rule stipulating 2 visa-exempt entries a year would impact me and nearly anybody else living in the region.

They can put exception for the residents of neighboring countries. It is not rocket science. It is all about  an intelligent policy that will restrict perpetual tourists and at the same time stop harassing and detaining visitors and forced them to pay extra money for the return ticket.

[Sheryl]

Get an Elite Visa if you are under age 50. This is a 5 year, multiple entry visa.  https://www.thailandelite.com/faqs

 

If over 50, get an O-A visa. You will get a 1 year permission of stay on each entry, which means that with an entry towards the end of the 1 year visa period you can get a total of 2 years validity out of it. Be sure to get a re-entry permit at that point, though.

http://www.thaiembassy.org/hochiminh/en/services/2912/35220-Non-Immigrant-Visa-"O-A"-(Longstay).html

 

With either of these you will have no problem coming and going as often as you like.

[Date Masamune]

1 hour ago, visarunner said:

They tried that one years ago and it failed.

Another try with a more modern immigration management system it will succeed.

 

1 hour ago, Peterw42 said:

Anyone doing back to back visa exempt or tourist visa, raises the question, "how are they supporting themselves". I would ask the question and I am not immigration. You are either independently wealthy at age 35, or doing something illegal.
 

Sorry this is quite uninformed. There are many good jobs that allow various rotation schedules. Start with oil workers, consultants (me) the list goes on and on. And not just elite technical occupations I know a quite young guy who is tree surgeon/arborist in Scotland after the leaves fall he spends all winter in Thailand with his girlfriend. Seen him coming for several years.

 

Edited March 19, 2019 by Date Masamune

[1RDN]

23 minutes ago, holy cow cm said:

Yeah, but it is well known the crack down now. You just got caught. Even us long stayers are starting to wonder if the IO has her period or they just don't like our look and deny us on reentry. 

 

BTW.

-Was the IO a man or woman?

-Do you travel business or economy?

-Your age?

-How do you dress?

Travel business, flannel shirt and jeans. Age is near 60. Male. 

[holy cow cm]

4 minutes ago, 1RDN said:

Travel business, flannel shirt and jeans. Age is near 60. Male. 

Yikes. Criteria seemed to change. You should have had a warning to let you prepare.

And there goes the old female theory for IO's and there hardcore attitude. All new ball game.

[ChristianBlessing]

4 minutes ago, onera1961 said:

They can put exception for the residents of neighboring countries. It is not rocket science. It is all about  an intelligent policy that will restrict perpetual tourists and at the same time stop harassing and detaining visitors and forced them to pay extra money for the return ticket.

Fair enough, but I carry a US passport and am not a resident of Malaysia. That said, we've already identified the first complication of having a hard and fast "2 visa-exempt" entries per year. If, as has been suggested, software can track and record a visitor's collective length of stay(s) and use that data to determine permission to enter, there would be little need to change or restrict the various visas; my collective stays in Thailand typically don't exceed 45 or so days, so I really don't see an alternative visa regimen that would suit folks like me.

[buick]

in another thread, the OP here talks about getting a K1 visa so it sounds like a marriage is imminent.  so the answer here is simple, to stay in thailand get a non imm O based on marriage or retirement (since OP is over 50).

[jackdd]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

The visit is strictly for tourism purposes! 

Which this isn't. 

If going to Thailand to visit the GF doesn't fall under toursim, then every year thousands of people enter Thailand illegally

[poohy]

Read the first 2 pages of sanctimonious replies

Hes working presumably earning good money

Hes on holiday between jobs living with girlfriend

 

visa exempt is exactly what suits him

 

You remember they will come for you soon!

[Essecola]

2 hours ago, onera1961 said:

If you're a perpetual tourist, your safest bet is to fly to KUL, then to Penang, and then cross the border by land, at least at present Of course, they may start attacking that border soon, if people started using it frequently. And in two years when their software will be in all borders (highly likely), any border will be risky to enter for perpetual tourist. 

 

Did they send you directly to US or the country or your last boarding airport?

What is your plan now? May be members can suggest a better or less riskier plan for you to keep visiting your GF.

How old are you?

Did you ask them when can you can come back?

If you don't mind answering, r u a digital nomad (or a remoter worker)?

 

BJ said recently they would be using AI software at the border crossing. This is the most dangerous use of AI. They can simply amend their laws to give peace of mind to travelers who won't risk a denial at the airport. It is becoming a huge crisis for travelers. I hope they do something after the new government is formed to ease the mind of travelers.

After new gov't is formed? You reckon it will be any different after the 250 "hand picked" senators votes are added on to the 500 normal votes? ..Only need 376 to win.

[dreaming]

1 hour ago, Peterw42 said:

Anyone doing back to back visa exempt or tourist visa, raises the question, "how are they supporting themselves". I would ask the question and I am not immigration. You are either independently wealthy at age 35, or doing something illegal.
 

Most fly in fly out workers (mining, oil rigs etc) fall into that category. Nothing illegal with what they are doing.

 

There are plenty of guys in aus that fly straight from the mines to thailand for the 2 week rotation - dont even have a house in aus. Cheaper to stay in a hotel for 2 weeks then rent a house in aus permanently

[tabarin]

3 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Millions of tourists still visit Thailand without any problems.

I don't believe it when people claim there was no reason at all.

Poor argument. Those millions have nothing to do with the frequent and long stay foreigners, then we are talking about thousands only in this situation.

Also I know many people with proper visa's, perfect Thai language skills (written and spoken), work permits and still getting idiot questions from time to time.

There is a problem with IO's and nothing has to happen or been done wrong by that person, aside of coming and leaving frequently.
Just a shit show country and their minions as usual.

And please stop the bloody nonsense about telling people to get a proper visa or elite visa, that is simply not always realistic nor fair to say,
also please slip in the bathroom if the next reply is that Thailand should not be blamed if you chose not to get those visa's.

Edited March 19, 2019 by tabarin

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, Pilotman said:

Yes I see that would be easier, but there is a measure of profiling here. One of my friends, a 55 year old and the CEO of a large company in the UK, regularly flies through BKK on visa exempt.  He stays with me for a couple of days, then goes off to other parts of Asia on business.  He has a large number of Thai VE stamps in his passport, but he never gets questioned. This OP clearly does not fit that kind of profile and is not truly a tourist, so he gets picked off.   It may not be as arbitrary as it looks. 

Interestingly enough, many who fit the profile of your friend are coming in visa exempt to conduct business. One of the things that puts the lie to the notion that visa exempt entries and tourist visas are only for a narrow definition of tourism is that it has been publicly announced that conducting certain kinds of business on "tourist" entries is officially permitted.

[ThaiBunny]

To cap it all, he wasn't expelled since he wasn't in Thailand (except physically, at a port of entry) - he was denied entry

[tabarin]

Just now, ThaiBunny said:

To cap it all, he wasn't expelled since he wasn't in Thailand (except physically, at a port of entry) - he was denied entry

O really Sherlock? That was hard to figure out.

[mokwit]

12 minutes ago, tabarin said:

please stop the bloody nonsense about telling people to get a proper visa or elite visa, that is simply not always realistic

Yes, please stop with this.

[jackdd]

1 hour ago, Pilotman said:

Yes I see that would be easier, but there is a measure of profiling here. One of my friends, a 55 year old and the CEO of a large company in the UK, regularly flies through BKK on visa exempt.  He stays with me for a couple of days, then goes off to other parts of Asia on business.  He has a large number of Thai VE stamps in his passport, but he never gets questioned. This OP clearly does not fit that kind of profile and is not truly a tourist, so he gets picked off.   It may not be as arbitrary as it looks. 

In the last 24 months i spent about 20 months in Thailand on tourist visas / visa exempts (and the years before also maybe half of the year), i have not been questioned once.

You can not make conclusions from single persons. If you just look at people who spend extended time in Thailand on tourist visas, then the number of people who have problems because an IO makes up his own rules and denies such a person for an arbitrary reason, is probably still a very small percentage.

[BritTim]

46 minutes ago, 1RDN said:

Travel business, flannel shirt and jeans. Age is near 60. Male. 

Get the O-A visa. That will sort you out for nearly two years. After your last entry at the end of year one, get a re-entry permit (at Bangkok airport when leaving) to protect your one-year permission to stay granted just before the expiry of the visa. Arranging the visa is a bit of a hassle, but not too bad when you only need to handle it about once every two years. Perhaps, you can get one of your staff to do the legwork.

[chrisinth]

2 hours ago, onera1961 said:

They can always buy a 20 year elite for one mil. If the option remains (like unlimited visa exemption), nobody in their right mind will buy elite. The only way to rectify the situation without harassing, detaining, and sending  visitors back for unnecessary expense is to limit visa exempt entry at airport to two and total time on tourist visa in the country for 180-day in a calendar year. Any software can figure it out how many days the person was in the country in the calendar year. 

The main reason I didn't mention the Elite option in my original post. Whereas this a means to visit the country/live in the country without hassle, even though most of the FI-FO could probably afford it, would most even consider it as a safe investment over the long term?

 

That said, if someone went for the 500k baht 5 year plan and broke the costs down against getting visas/extensions/hassle free travel over the five year period, then perhaps it would be worth it.

[cerox]

Hello guys,

 

hope someone can help me:

I have been using ED visas for almost 3 years - visa ends soon. My last visa exempt entry was before that so 3 years ago. I have never used a tourist visa.

 

In a few months (end of the current ED visa) period I will go to my home country for around 2 months and come back on a visa exempt entry to organize a normal visa again. How likely am I going to be denied entry?

 

Last time I left for 6 weeks within the visa with a re-entry permit but I did not want to pray again this time that they will ask why I went away so long within the school period. So I figured I would go out at the end of the visa period.

This might sound ridiculous to some here, but I just do not know a better solution for going out once a year. I do not want to buy elite card for 20 years in advance.

[RJRS1301]

1 hour ago, holy cow cm said:

Yeah, but it is well known the crack down now. You just got caught. Even us long stayers are starting to wonder if the IO has her period or they just don't like our look and deny us on reentry. 

 

BTW.

-Was the IO a man or woman?

-Do you travel business or economy?

-Your age?

-How do you dress?

Couple of really unnecessary gender based comments.

I doubt gender has any bearing on the fact that the use of Visa exempt has been used very often for entry.

IO do not ask what section of the aircraft you travelled in to my experience

[RJRS1301]

2 hours ago, onera1961 said:

I agreed. That's the reason I wish to see a rule that says, for example, two visa exempt entry and no more than 180-day in the country with a Tourist visa. Problem solved. No arbitrary decision based on the mood of an IO. 

Agreed, should be made clear when given entry what the rules are, written in different languages and have to sign you read and understand them

 

[RJRS1301]

1 hour ago, onera1961 said:

Big joke recently announced they are going to use AI in major airport entry points. 

AI??? In this case does not necessarily relate to IT 

[onera1961]

46 minutes ago, Essecola said:

After new gov't is formed? You reckon it will be any different after the 250 "hand picked" senators votes are added on to the 500 normal votes? ..Only need 376 to win.

My assumption is with the current regime in the new government and the current policy. I wish they would streamline the process, instead of harassing, detaining, and denying entry to restrict perpetual tourists. I understand the relaxed rules of the past may not come back again. I wish only the peace of mind so that I could plan what will be my next move for living 6-month in Thailand (tourist visa O-A) starting from 2020. I guess lots of people are with the same situation. 

[ThaiBunny]

25 minutes ago, tabarin said:

O really Sherlock? That was hard to figure out.

I'm merely pointing out what a farrago of inaccuracies the OP's post was

[onera1961]

7 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

Agreed, should be made clear when given entry what the rules are, written in different languages and have to sign you read and understand them

If given entry, I wont read the rules ????. If denied, the computer will print out the reason. English and Thai only will be OK. 

[holy cow cm]

14 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

Couple of really unnecessary gender based comments.

I doubt gender has any bearing on the fact that the use of Visa exempt has been used very often for entry.

IO do not ask what section of the aircraft you travelled in to my experience

Maybe so for unnecessary, but IO's Gender has been one of the main statements of OP's saying who crossed them. Guess your not married or have a girl friend, but this is not a myth or a joke. I do and have daughters as well, and do not cross them during that time, and actually have had the non pleasure of having a renewal with an IO one time with cramps. Was with my wife as well, and even she was grimacing and kept super quiet.. And business class they see your boarding pass if you do not use priority lane and it is considered a better position.  

[RJRS1301]

11 minutes ago, onera1961 said:

If given entry, I wont read the rules ????. If denied, the computer will print out the reason. English and Thai only will be OK. 

But if you have to sign that you have read and understand them, then your refusal to read them , then if denied at a later trip, you will have no reason to whine and moan about immigration

Many other persons entering the Kingdom neither read nor speak nor understand those two languages, and computer generated information sheets in a persons native tongue is the way to go

Edited March 19, 2019 by RJRS1301

[BobbyL]

I fully agree with the clamp down on people working here illegally, but Thailand really need to issue something like the UK or USA 10 year tourist visa which my wife has. She can go and visit multiple times but not stay for over 6 months in any one year.

 

It would solve lots of these issues and allow the people (who I know quite a few) that want to come in and out at different times throughout the year. These people are here on holiday, they mostly work abroad or remotely and spend their money in Thailand. A few guys I know work offshore and come here when they aren't working to visit their GFs. 

 

Thailand is going to regret this foreign witch hunt I think. 

[BritManToo]

47 minutes ago, chrisinth said:

That said, if someone went for the 500k baht 5 year plan and broke the costs down against getting visas/extensions/hassle free travel over the five year period, then perhaps it would be worth it.

I get 90 day non-os, 4x a year = 8,000bht.

At the same time I have a week or two holiday, 10-20k, say 80k/year inc tickets.

5 years costs including 20 holidays = under 450,000bht 

 

Non-os + 20 holidays Vs 5 year Elite

Thanks, but I'll have the 20 holidays for less money.