Problems at Savannakhet and Border July 2019 Report

[acenase]

After paying for the Mudkahan-Savannakhet bus transfer, if you plan to walk from Savannakhet Bus Station, then stay on the same bus all the way to the bus station and walk up 1km about 20 minutes.  I ended up taking a minivan after stamping into Lao for 100฿. Because I arrived at 10am and didn't want to get to the Embassy late.

 

When I got dropped off at the Embassy. I filled out my application and handed it over and he asked for Passport copy and Bank statement .

 

As he sifts through my passport, he talks with another employee looking over him  and then tells me "You can not stay in Thailand with Tourist Visas and extensions more than 6 months"

 

I told him that I am leaving to Singapore in September and have my eTicket. But he did not ask to see it. 

 

Then he asks me for 1000฿. I hand him over a crispy new banknote and I get my queue number. Hopefully this means it was approved. Or I could have a blue stamp saying I have too many visas when I pick it up. Or worst case scenario, nothing at all 

 

So this is where it gets confusing because this is the excuse everyone is saying even though there is no written law.  And if they're going by the "per year" meaning they don't want you staying in Thailand on tourist visas 6 months per year and it resets after a new calendar year (such as how you can do 4 land borders in a row with extensions if you time it right and start from September-May) then when I got denied entry in April, for the year 2019, I would have only been in Thailand for 3 months. But they were taking into account my history from 2018 and that I never went back to my homecountry.

 

So since this is July, maybe they will approve me of the tourist visa this time, since it's only 6 months in 2019 and I'll get a warning stamp with it.  It's always changing out here and everyone is making up their own idea of a law that doesn't even exist. 

 

After going to the Embassy at 1:30, there was already a line to pick up. You pick up your passport on a First Come, First Serve basis. They don't call your queue. So you line up early if you don't want to wait in the long line and you give your queue number and they give you your passport. It's not like Vientiane, where they call your number.

 

Be sure to check your passport photo before leaving. There were 2 guys in front waiting on the side because they were given the wrong passports and they were looking at everyone in line getting their passport back and found an elderly guy in front of me was given the passport of that guy who was waiting. He told the staff they are giving passport to other people. He seemed upset but a smile and "Kob khun krap" and left.

 

When I got my passport back. I got the Blue warning stamp with my Visa.  So this means time for a new passport if I want to stay in Thailand longer since I am only doing Border embassies.  So this answers my question.  It doesn't matter if this is your first time in Savannakhet! They count Tourist Visas from other embassies also. I always wondered if they do the whole "3x at this consulate only" but they count your total visas in your passport and stamp it.

 

After I picked up my passport, I left to the bus station to catch a bus back to Mukdahan Bus station.  

 

From here take a Tuktuk to the Border for 50฿ or walk down to the Bus station and catch the Savannakhet-Mukdahan bus. 

 

You still need to pay for a 50฿ Bus ticket to get across the bridge once you stamp out of Laos.

 

It seems like security is starting to tighten up a bit from what I saw. I can't speak for the other foreigners in front of me. Lots of pissed off foreigners by the scrutiny. I wish I knew what was going on and their problems. I waited in line for about an hour because the foreigners in front were at the window a good 20 minutes each from just observing they were being heavily scrutinized.  Also don't stand in the last line, which says "Thai/Laos", use the middle line which says "Foreigner/Asean". That could have also been a problem with those foreigners getting stamped in and waiting there a good 10 minutes.

 

We now have to do fingerprints here.  And always have at least 20,000฿ to show. I saw many guys in front of me changing from the front window to the side window and having to go back to the front window.  

 

They didn't ask me to show any money, but I saw other guys in front of me showing cash. I don't think I noticed anyone being denied entry, but as long as you have a new Visa and proof of funds, you should be good to go.

 

The questions that were asked to me were "Why you stay in Thailand", "Are you working?", "What province you stay", and "What condo you stay" after I answered he stamped me in and I was free.

 

I got back to Mukdahan Bus Station at 4pm with plenty of time to spare since I wanted to take the Overnight VIP Bus back to Bangkok at 5:30 PM for 584฿ and will arrive at Mo Chit Bus Terminal at 5:30 AM. 

[lkv]

Yeah man look.

 

First of all, I understand the inconsistency that I brought to your attention in the other thread. You don't want people to know exactly where you are coming from and on what dates, for your own protection. So that's fine. That's in reference to the Bali/Manila confusion.

 

One thing that I will say is, I don't know how much "travelling" you have really done, Tokyo and all that, but what I do know is, you stretched this last one to the max.

 

You entered 13 Apr at Nong Khai, until 11 June, and extended 30 days. Now it's 12 July.

 

So on this last one, you stayed the full 90 days.

 

Which is likely what you have done on the previous ones.

 

I'm not judging you, so don't get me wrong, it's your choice of how you arrange your travels,  but I don't want some readers (including myself), to become paranoid. I for example have a less obvious travel pattern than this.

 

But yeah, I will say it's hard to travel with a pattern like this through airports, which is what created the unhappy experience a few months ago, at Suvarnabhumi.

Edited July 12, 2019 by lkv

[acenase]

I've been in Thailand since January 2018. But my passport is full of Tourist visas from embassies in other countries. When I traveled to Tokyo, I just came back on free 30 day Visa Exemption stamps and traveled on to other countries and came back without a visa.  I've only gotten visas when I plan to stay the full 90 days out of it. 

 

I don't believe tourists should have a problem if they aren't trying to live in Thailand and return back to their homecountry.  The problems I have is because I haven't returned back to my homecountry and just using Thailand as a hub to travel around.  That's why I feel like they keep pushing the "Not allowed to stay in Thailand more than 6 months of the year" as a warning to prevent being scrutinized heavily by immigration/passport control at the Airport.

Edited July 12, 2019 by acenase

[lkv]

14 minutes ago, acenase said:

I've been in Thailand since January 2018. But my passport is full of Tourist visas from embassies in other countries. When I traveled to Tokyo, I just came back on free 30 day Visa Exemption stamps and traveled on to other countries and came back without a visa.  I've only gotten visas when I plan to stay the full 90 days out of it. 

Yeah ok. So what's next?

 

Now you're confined to land borders and you know it. You have one rejection and one blue stamp. So flying through airports is out of the question for you.

 

I came to the conclusion that what you are doing now has a limited horizon during current climate. Ways to proceed next are either change passport, or go on a more solid visa, ED something. Not necessarily Thai language related.

 

Or you can push it like this until you decide you want to go back home (and change passport).

 

But no more leisure travel for you until then through airports.

Edited July 12, 2019 by lkv

[acenase]

The way I plan to do my travels is just flying to Vientiane Airport and entering and using a domestic flight from Udon to DMK, which is still very cheap. I don't plan on using Suvarnabhumi anymore. I'm not taking that risk again. It's much easier to travel where I want and book a flight to Vientiane without any hassle.

 

Although doing the land borders is not that bad at all.  Just a 12 hour bus ride and arriving to the embassy early in the morning was perfect timing.  

 

I plan to get a new passport inside of Thailand and start over. I thought about going for an ED visa but I'm just not interested in school, plus it still doesn't guarantee your entry into Thailand since there has been lots of reports of people being denied even with an ED visa too.

 

I've read that even though you get a warning stamp, they only do a visual scan of your passport, so of course with my current passport having 5 previous TV's in it means the stamp was predictable. If you go back with a brand new passport there won't be any problems.

 

I will probably take JackThompsons advice and do what he recommended if he had a fresh new passport for Tourist visas which is start with Phnom Penh, Penang, HCMC, Savannakhet, Hanoi, Vientiane x2.

[puchooay]

4 minutes ago, acenase said:

The way I plan to do my travels is just flying to Vientiane Airport and entering and using a domestic flight from Udon to DMK, which is still very cheap. I don't plan on using Suvarnabhumi anymore. I'm not taking that risk again. It's much easier to travel where I want and book a flight to Vientiane without any hassle.

 

Although doing the land borders is not that bad at all.  Just a 12 hour bus ride and arriving to the embassy early in the morning was perfect timing.  

 

I plan to get a new passport inside of Thailand and start over. I thought about going for an ED visa but I'm just not interested in school, plus it still doesn't guarantee your entry into Thailand since there has been lots of reports of people being denied even with an ED visa too.

 

I've read that even though you get a warning stamp, they only do a visual scan of your passport, so of course with my current passport having 5 previous TV's in it means the stamp was predictable. If you go back with a brand new passport there won't be any problems.

 

I will probably take JackThompsons advice and do what he recommended if he had a fresh new passport for Tourist visas which is start with Phnom Penh, Penang, HCMC, Savannakhet, Hanoi, Vientiane x2.

I was of the impression that recent developments now means that a new passport won't work. 

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, puchooay said:

I was of the impression that recent developments now means that a new passport won't work. 

The new passport tends to be a solution when applying for visas at an embassy/consulate. It helps much less at immigration who should be able to link your old and new passports in their system, and see your complete history of stays in Thailand. As a result, entry through most of the big airports is likely not safe. As far as we know, entry at most land crossings is still OK. It is all getting harder, and I think the Thai authorities will sooner or later need to let the international community know their immigration rules.

[holy cow cm]

Honestly, this is exactly the reason they are becoming hard on all of us. We all get lumped into one big bowl because of the people trying to keep staying here that obviously need to do a better thing than trying to do back to backs or escape evading the system anyway they can. The fingerprints will all link you to a repeat too many time offender, so you need a better plan or need to just stay away. The days of no problem are gone and so good luck to you. Get a job here or get married or do a retirement if old enough or an elite visa. But please stop making it hard for all the above the table retiree or other long term foreigners doing the correct way. They just will make more hurdles for everyone to jump thus possible to ruin everyone's day and life. 

For the ones who are in the same boat for what your doing, your post is important. 

Again good luck.

[SpanishExpat]

I can confirm, that a new passport won`t work at all. Was faced 2 days ago with 5 full Pages of my entries to Thailand, when I tried to enter via BKK airport on an economy class ticket. I was on a METV in a brand new passport. I saw the list, they had both my Spanish and German Names on it, as I alternated the passports to enter Thailand in the last years. Just could pass immigration, as my gf phoned 30min with the IO and I was able to prove that I always arrived on Business/First class tickets in the past (according to the IO the premium lane won`t bother at all...she told me that after I asked her 10 times. If it`s true or not...i don´t know). 

 

Don`t know how long the game might still work with the land-borders, but a new passport isn`t the solution for sure.

 

 

 

Edited July 12, 2019 by SpanishExpat

[lkv]

1 hour ago, holy cow cm said:

Honestly, this is exactly the reason they are becoming hard on all of us. 

For many many years, they were not worried at all stamping passports and could not care less.

 

Took them quite a while indeed to awaken.

 

We might just well blame everybody then. Blame the overstayers, blame the multi non B/O/ED holders, blame the triple/double entry tourist visa users, blame the agencies that were teaching people how to "correctly live in Thailand" for a long time.

 

Seriously, I commented once on Thai visa advice on FB in reference to multi non O holders, that were blaming it on tourist visa abusers, and when I told them they should be on extensions and not do visa runs every 90 days, I got angry comments from shocked individuals that "saw no problem" with what they were doing. This was only a few months ago btw.

Edited July 12, 2019 by lkv

[lkv]

8 minutes ago, SpanishExpat said:

I can confirm, that a new passport won`t work at all.

 

Seems to have worked for you, with all your 5 page entry list, so that's wonderful news.

 

Enjoy your stay.

 

Oh and by the way, welcome to the forum.

Edited July 12, 2019 by lkv

[FritsSikkink]

3 hours ago, acenase said:

I've been in Thailand since January 2018. But my passport is full of Tourist visas from embassies in other countries. When I traveled to Tokyo, I just came back on free 30 day Visa Exemption stamps and traveled on to other countries and came back without a visa.  I've only gotten visas when I plan to stay the full 90 days out of it. 

 

I don't believe tourists should have a problem if they aren't trying to live in Thailand and return back to their homecountry.  The problems I have is because I haven't returned back to my homecountry and just using Thailand as a hub to travel around.  That's why I feel like they keep pushing the "Not allowed to stay in Thailand more than 6 months of the year" as a warning to prevent being scrutinized heavily by immigration/passport control at the Airport.

You are not a tourist, so get a proper visa.

[Leaver]

Maybe you should ask yourself, "Is it worth the effort?" 

[Sujo]

Anyone not working is a tourist. So that is the proper visa.

[Leaver]

17 minutes ago, Sujo said:

Anyone not working is a tourist. So that is the proper visa.

Don't you mean, "Anyone on a tourist vise shouldn't be working." ???? 

 

By the way, we are all tourists here. The only difference is the length of time on a sticker in your passport, and all of those stickers give a foreigner the same rights here, and that is, zero rights.

Edited July 12, 2019 by Leaver

[acenase]

1 hour ago, FritsSikkink said:

You are not a tourist, so get a proper visa.

 

This debate has been hammered to death.

 

Forcing me to invest in an education visa to pretend to go to school since I have absolutely no interest in going to school is just as bad. So that wouldn't be the proper visa anyways since I'm always traveling. What do you call someone who's always traveling? 

 

[lkv]

23 minutes ago, acenase said:

 

This debate has been hammered to death.

 

Forcing me to invest in an education visa to pretend to go to school since I have absolutely no interest in going to school is just as bad. So that wouldn't be the proper visa anyways since I'm always traveling. What do you call someone who's always traveling? 

 

Because they want you to pay more money. That's why.

 

A few years ago, people using visa exempt were being advised at the airport: no more free for you. Get a tourist visa.

 

So in 2015, visa exempt made you a bad guy, but tourist visa made you a good guy.

 

In 2019, both those two stretched the way you are doing it make you a bad guy, ED visa makes you half bad (at least he paid our corrupt colleagues), so does METV, non O multiple makes you a little naughty, extensions of stay (not the ED ones), make you a nice guy, O-A you are doing the right thing, O-X and Elite, you are a friend of Thailand.

 

A few years ago, Elite meant "you can live like a Thai citizen", then they modified the wording to "friend".

 

This is the current visa system of Thailand.

 

PS: Ah and by the way, there is a demographic here that is uninsured, and "does not care about their well-being". That's work in progress coming up in the next episode, the way things are moving.

Edited July 12, 2019 by lkv

[SpanishExpat]

1 hour ago, lkv said:

Seems to have worked for you, with all your 5 page entry list, so that's wonderful news.

 

Enjoy your stay.

 

Oh and by the way, welcome to the forum.

Thanks. Well ,I made it, but it opened my eyes. An ED Visa for lets say 2 consecutive years isn`t a problem as alternative right? I intend to go to a language school, to finally learn proper Thai, as I just know like 300 words.

If I had known that forum earlier I just would have sticked to the Elite Visa 2 yrs ago, but now it`s not worth anymore. And with 34 I am quite far away from the retirement visa.

[lkv]

1 minute ago, SpanishExpat said:

And with 34 I am quite far away from the retirement visa.

You have the visa list in my previous post. ????

[jackdd]

1 hour ago, FritsSikkink said:

You are not a tourist, so get a proper visa.

He doesn't work in Thailand, so looks like a tourist to me.

Why do you think he is not a tourist?

[lkv]

3 minutes ago, jackdd said:

He doesn't work in Thailand, so looks like a tourist to me.

Why do you think he is not a tourist?

Because he did not go home in 1 and a half years, and Immigration is not buying: "I live off my passive investments".

[jackdd]

Just now, lkv said:

Because he did not go home in 1 and a half years, and Immigration is not buying: "I live off my passive investments".

Thailand Elite is also a tourist visa, and allows the person to stay in the country for however long he wants.

So staying in Thailand for an extended period of time doesn't make somebody not-a-tourist.

[lkv]

7 minutes ago, jackdd said:

Thailand Elite is also a tourist visa, and allows the person to stay in the country for however long he wants.

So staying in Thailand for an extended period of time doesn't make somebody not-a-tourist.

Yes, I know.

 

I have always said it's an idotic thing, this Elite. Pay them off so that they let you stay. It's like a legal bribe. You are buying the opportunity to breathe Thai air.

 

Which confirms my previous post, they just want money.

 

You think this latest stunt they are trying to pull with local insurance is because they are concerned about the well being of old people?

 

No, they want to milk them for more money.

Edited July 12, 2019 by lkv

[SpanishExpat]

Just now, jackdd said:

Thailand Elite is also a tourist visa, and allows the person to stay in the country for however long he wants.

So staying in Thailand for an extended period of time doesn't make somebody not-a-tourist.

But that doesn`t interest the IO. I told the IO the exactly same thing 2 days ago and she obviously had no real argument. She kept telling me *but this is the immigration, this is Thailand*. It`s perfectly possible to live on a METV by earning passive money at home and they know it. But they won`t get 500k-2Mio like with the Elite visa. They are just narrow-minded. In my case after she called my gf and I proved I had flown several times Thai First Class= money for the country, she didn`t even bother to ask for the 20k Baht. 

[acenase]

No one knows who will win.

Right now it's like a battle between Border Entry vs. Airport Entry.

 

Right now whoever is in charge of Airport immigration are cracking down on a law that doesn't exist.

 

Border immigration sees it as if you get issued a Visa from an Embassy then you're good to go. Because the embassy has requirements to be approved for the Visa. If you didn't have money and couldn't show a bank statement you won't get the Visa to begin with. As long as someone has the money, truly not illegally working and not overstaying their Visa, I don't see a crime with that. 

 

I just believe that it's part of corruption at the airport because if what they are doing is legit, then they shouldn't be denying people if they can show 20k cash and onward flight, that means the person should be good and spend the money in Thailand. And another shady thing is they also don't "Void" the Visas along with the denial. Because why would they keep the Visa valid only for them to use it at another entry point. It's like their way of saying if you really have money then you can try to enter again at another entry point.

 

 

[lkv]

20 minutes ago, acenase said:

Right now whoever is in charge of Airport immigration are cracking down on a law that doesn't exist.

You are close to violating the Computer Crime Act right now. You are damaging the image of the fine people of Immigration, by making unsubstantiated statements.

 

You had no money in April at Suvarnabhumi.

 

They gave you the opportunity to appeal, right? Said there on the paper it can be appealed. 

 

You acknowledged you had no money, when you were rejected under 12.2.

 

Makes sense? ????

 

(I'm being sarcastic about the whole thing, just showing you what this Thailand is all about).

Edited July 12, 2019 by lkv

[elviajero]

4 hours ago, acenase said:

No one knows who will win.

Right now it's like a battle between Border Entry vs. Airport Entry.

 

Right now whoever is in charge of Airport immigration are cracking down on a law that doesn't exist.

 

Border immigration sees it as if you get issued a Visa from an Embassy then you're good to go. Because the embassy has requirements to be approved for the Visa. If you didn't have money and couldn't show a bank statement you won't get the Visa to begin with. As long as someone has the money, truly not illegally working and not overstaying their Visa, I don't see a crime with that. 

 

I just believe that it's part of corruption at the airport because if what they are doing is legit, then they shouldn't be denying people if they can show 20k cash and onward flight, that means the person should be good and spend the money in Thailand. And another shady thing is they also don't "Void" the Visas along with the denial. Because why would they keep the Visa valid only for them to use it at another entry point. It's like their way of saying if you really have money then you can try to enter again at another entry point.

Can you explain what “corruption” is taking place when people get denied?

 

All sounds like more baseless uninformed conspiracy rhetoric. The simple fact is that since 2006 the authorities have been clamping down on long stay tourism and the most recent focus has been at the airport. 

[elviajero]

4 hours ago, jackdd said:

Thailand Elite is also a tourist visa, and allows the person to stay in the country for however long he wants.

So staying in Thailand for an extended period of time doesn't make somebody not-a-tourist.

No it’s not, Tourism is limited to a maximum stay of 90 days. It is a Privilege Entry visa issued under investment rules.

 

We are visitors visiting for various reasons, tourism is just one ‘specific’ reason.

[jackdd]

2 hours ago, elviajero said:

No it’s not, Tourism is limited to a maximum stay of 90 days. It is a Privilege Entry visa issued under investment rules.

 

We are visitors visiting for various reasons, tourism is just one ‘specific’ reason.

https://www.thailandelite.com/faqs?locate=en

Elite Visa is categorized under Tourist Visa

[mike787]

9 hours ago, Leaver said:

Maybe you should ask yourself, "Is it worth the effort?" 

Leaver is right!  Why bother?  Is there no other place on earth? Choose the path of least resistance.  Thailand is NOT it anymore, but up to you it's your money and time.