Interesting experience at BKK immigration this morning

[PerkinsCuthbert]

20 hours ago, dick turpin said:

 

…….personally I am of a British appearance

Warty?

[dcnx]

On 6/21/2019 at 12:12 PM, ThaiBunny said:

But that isn't what happened. They were questioning whether you had previously worked while here on a tourist visa because you now have business visa

Absurd questioning. 

 

What idiot would come to Thailand and start a business or lock down into a job without visiting and spending a lot of time there? Obviously a few posters here would, as would the dolts at immigration. 

 

[RJRS1301]

On 6/21/2019 at 3:08 PM, LongTang said:

 

Agree, So far i have been only questioned by female IO.

I think its a kind of women to women jealousy thing..

 

Could it be that the women are actually more efficient at the job?

Able also to pick those who are being "dodgy"??

[kmw]

Hey all, thanks for all your replies, OP here,

 

Well first I hope this forum is anonymous, so I will be honest,

 

I have been living in thailand for the last 4-5 years, I work for a hedge fund based in Sydney that allows me to work remotely, the back to back metv was the cheapest option for me to stay long periods in thailand, I'm definitely not a normal digital nomad, I don't use any co working spaces instead i work from home as I have a home office and don't really disclose to anyone that I work online abroad, 

 

When at immigration yesterday I knew and also the IO and supervisor probably knew exactly what I was doing over the last few years, but no way was I going to admit I was working when on a tourist visa, I knew they were trying to trap me, as someone my age being on holiday for the last 4-5 years just does not add up, anyway now I'm legitimately here I just was a bit annoyed i was grilled for doing the right thing, while before I was abusing the metv by doing them back to back and I knew that one day it will all catch up with me and I will probably get arrested or denied entry in the future,

 

I did look at the PE visa but the business visa was cheaper, and even if I got the PE visa i still would have been "working" illegally,

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, alex8912 said:

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

The Op has been here for a while on a METV... this time he's re-entered on a Non-Imm B (Business Visa).

Questioning if he was working in the past seems a rather common sense assumption.  

The Op answered their questions, they accepted the answer and stamped him in. 

 

I'm really not sure what the issue is with any of this, the Immigration officers were doing their jobs and had no issues with letting the Op enter Thailand after he'd answered their questions. 

 

Yah after he answered their questions for 30 minutes! 

Now you can reply like “ I don’t find being questioned on a proper visa for JUST 30 minutes a problem blah blah blah” 

 

And so, by the Op's own admission (below) he was working here illegally.... So I can reply "I don’t find being questioned on a proper visa for JUST 30 minutes a problem"... the Immigration Police correctly had suspicions that the Op had been working in the past, there were very right to question him about it. 

 

Where do you now stand that the Op has admitted to working illegally? do you think he should not have been questioned and just allowed in?

 

 

 

13 minutes ago, kmw said:

Hey all, thanks for all your replies, OP here,

 

Well first I hope this forum is anonymous, so I will be honest,

 

I have been living in thailand for the last 4-5 years, I work for a hedge fund based in Sydney that allows me to work remotely, the back to back metv was the cheapest option for me to stay long periods in thailand, I'm definitely not a normal digital nomad, I don't use any co working spaces instead i work from home as I have a home office and don't really disclose to anyone that I work online abroad, 

 

When at immigration yesterday I knew and also the IO and supervisor probably knew exactly what I was doing over the last few years, but no way was I going to admit I was working when on a tourist visa, I knew they were trying to trap me, as someone my age being on holiday for the last 4-5 years just does not add up, anyway now I'm legitimately here I just was a bit annoyed i was grilled for doing the right thing, while before I was abusing the metv by doing them back to back and I knew that one day it will all catch up with me and I will probably get arrested or denied entry in the future,

 

I did look at the PE visa but the business visa was cheaper, and even if I got the PE visa i still would have been "working" illegally,

[RJRS1301]

Dodgy previously

Sanctimonious when legal for first time>> ironic

[richard_smith237]

32 minutes ago, dcnx said:

On 6/21/2019 at 9:12 AM, ThaiBunny said:

But that isn't what happened. They were questioning whether you had previously worked while here on a tourist visa because you now have business visa

Absurd questioning. 

 

What idiot would come to Thailand and start a business or lock down into a job without visiting and spending a lot of time there? Obviously a few posters here would, as would the dolts at immigration. 

Do you still think its 'absurd questioning' now that the Op has admitted to having worked here while on 5 back to back METV's and 7 Visa Exemptions? 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

21 minutes ago, kmw said:

Hey all, thanks for all your replies, OP here,

 

Well first I hope this forum is anonymous, so I will be honest,

 

I have been living in thailand for the last 4-5 years, I work for a hedge fund based in Sydney that allows me to work remotely, the back to back metv was the cheapest option for me to stay long periods in thailand, I'm definitely not a normal digital nomad, I don't use any co working spaces instead i work from home as I have a home office and don't really disclose to anyone that I work online abroad, 

 

When at immigration yesterday I knew and also the IO and supervisor probably knew exactly what I was doing over the last few years, but no way was I going to admit I was working when on a tourist visa, I knew they were trying to trap me, as someone my age being on holiday for the last 4-5 years just does not add up, anyway now I'm legitimately here I just was a bit annoyed i was grilled for doing the right thing, while before I was abusing the metv by doing them back to back and I knew that one day it will all catch up with me and I will probably get arrested or denied entry in the future,

 

I did look at the PE visa but the business visa was cheaper, and even if I got the PE visa i still would have been "working" illegally,

 

21 minutes ago, kmw said:

Hey all, thanks for all your replies, OP here,

 

Well first I hope this forum is anonymous, so I will be honest,

 

I have been living in thailand for the last 4-5 years, I work for a hedge fund based in Sydney that allows me to work remotely, the back to back metv was the cheapest option for me to stay long periods in thailand, I'm definitely not a normal digital nomad, I don't use any co working spaces instead i work from home as I have a home office and don't really disclose to anyone that I work online abroad, 

 

When at immigration yesterday I knew and also the IO and supervisor probably knew exactly what I was doing over the last few years, but no way was I going to admit I was working when on a tourist visa, I knew they were trying to trap me, as someone my age being on holiday for the last 4-5 years just does not add up, anyway now I'm legitimately here I just was a bit annoyed i was grilled for doing the right thing, while before I was abusing the metv by doing them back to back and I knew that one day it will all catch up with me and I will probably get arrested or denied entry in the future,

 

I did look at the PE visa but the business visa was cheaper, and even if I got the PE visa i still would have been "working" illegally,

Honest admission...  its good that you returned on a Type B Visa.

 

Having had so many back to back METV's and Visa exemptions there is a possibility you may have been refused entry (others have posted such stories) thus, while you felt some annoyance for being questioned at 'doing the right thing', Immigration were quite right to question you. It should also also be mentioned that having the Non-Imm Type B was perhaps the difference between rejection and admittance, thus, a very wise move. 

[kmw]

OP here, Well I guess I was working illegally over the years officially, however my line of work is totally online, I get paid in Australia and pay tax in Australia, I don't even have a Thai bank account, well I will soon open one,

 

So in relation to working here in the capacity that takes a job away from a Thai national I think that's a bit of a grey area, but that's then a totally different story and a different can of worms 

Edited June 22, 2019 by kmw

[jacko45k]

1 hour ago, PerkinsCuthbert said:

Warty?

Swarthy....

[Skeptic7]

On 6/21/2019 at 12:28 AM, somtumwrong said:

Oh, back in 2014, with pages after pages of visa exempts, I can remember the look on the face of the male IO.

'You have girlfriend in Thailand?'

'Yes'

A smile and a <STAMP>

 

Pretty different now haha

Right...and you shoulda seen it in 2004...1994. WAY different now haha. 

[Caldera]

8 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Do you still think its 'absurd questioning' now that the Op has admitted to having worked here while on 5 back to back METV's and 7 Visa Exemptions? 

Of course it's absurd. They didn't have proof and there wasn't any hope that the OP would fess up. It was just a waste of time for all parties concerned. Now that he has the right visa, that round of questioning simply came too late, it was a pointless exercise.

[lamyai3]

14 hours ago, kmw said:

OP here, Well I guess I was working illegally over the years officially, however my line of work is totally online, I get paid in Australia and pay tax in Australia, I don't even have a Thai bank account, well I will soon open one,

 

So in relation to working here in the capacity that takes a job away from a Thai national I think that's a bit of a grey area, but that's then a totally different story and a different can of worms 

It's long been admitted by immigration that they can't really catch (and don't try to catch) online workers here. So as long as you're discreet and answer questions in the right way there's very little they can do except wave a finger at you and say they suspect you've been a very naughty boy. One difference that could potentially occur in the future relates to the draconian bills they pushed through at the beginning of the year just prior to the election, allowing them to seize any computers or devices for up to 30 days without a warrant - the newspapers commented at the time that this was a very retrograde step and would ward off foreign businesses from wanting to set up here. While it might seem far fetched at present, this is theoretically and legally possible now, where before this year it wasn't.

 

On a side issue, did you get a business visa on the basis of setting up a company? I can't see how you'd have been sponsored for one by a non Thai company, and setting up a company involves jumping through a whole further bunch of hoops (including 4 Thai staff) so you may actually be no more legal than you were previously if it's just a foil to allow you to keep working for the Australian company. 

[MadMuhammad]

I had a similar experience recently coming into Suvarnabhum from Laos, fresh ED. 

I have a history of 30+ VE’s, 2 SETV & 2 METV over the last 7 years. 

Mom arrival there was much flipping through my passport, it’s only new so not much to see, looking at my visas & stamps (I fully extended my last METV to almost 9 months), looking at the screen, back to me. Eventually she called over her supervisor and the questions started ‘why you come to Thailand so much’ ‘what you do for work’ ‘study what she for how long’. 

They seemed to be counting my months in country since I had last left. I had 20K on me in preparation, just in case. 

 

After around 15mins I was stamped through with nothing else said. Definitely a sweaty palms moment lol

[cornishcarlos]

On 6/21/2019 at 5:35 PM, kmw said:

Totally agreed , I think female IOs are on some kinda power trip

 

I think some female IOs are just jealous and bitter... They know that there is some lucky lady on the receiving end (no pun intended), of the majority of guys coming through (again, no pun) on a regular basis. 

These IOs get a government wage, which isn't a great deal, and have to put up with us arriving with a smile and cash to spend ???? 

Next time, try asking one out on a date !! Bet you get stamped in quick sharp... 

[cornishcarlos]

16 hours ago, Skeptic7 said:

Right...and you shoulda seen it in 2004...1994. WAY different now haha. 

 

2001

I remember everyone on Koh Tao, working illegally and leaving their passports with Mr J.. 

You wouldn't see your passport unless you were actually leaving the country, he just kept them and a runner used to take them to the border every month.

Or maybe he just put false stamps in them all !!

Anyway, after more than a year, I picked mine up from him, paid my bill and left for Australia ????

[kmw]

4 hours ago, lamyai3 said:

 

On a side issue, did you get a business visa on the basis of setting up a company? I can't see how you'd have been sponsored for one by a non Thai company, and setting up a company involves jumping through a whole further bunch of hoops (including 4 Thai staff) so you may actually be no more legal than you were previously if it's just a foil to allow you to keep working for the Australian company. 

Hi, it's a subsidiary of an Australian company, BOI so 100% foreign owned, in thaialnd, no need to employ any Thai Nationals, I'm just an analyst,

Edited June 23, 2019 by kmw

[spidermike007]

On 6/21/2019 at 11:50 AM, Stocky said:

I usually try to pick a queue with a female IO as they're more efficient and quicker!

Women run this nation. Without them, Thailand would grind to a halt in 48 hours. They are smarter, more ambitious, willing to work harder, and overall, they are the superior gender here. They were never coddled growing up, and were not subjected to the nonsense about being special. They have had to earn everything they have gotten in life. 

Edited June 23, 2019 by spidermike007