Denied Entry at Suvarnabhumi on METV

[BrakkaToss]

Hello, everyone,

 

Just want to share this for everyone to prep themselves properly while trying to enter Thailand.

My friend just got denied entry and is deported back to Europe from Suvarnabhumi airport.

 

He had a METV last year. He spent like four months back in his country working and saving for another trip to Thailand just for leisure again on METV.

 

Just now he was trying to come into Thailand via Suvarnabhumi. He told us that the officer didn’t even ask any questions, straight away voided his visa and told him, that he is not coming in.

 

When asked why this happened, the answer was “why u stay in Thailand many months”, “you stay here too long”. Reminding you, that he did spend few months back home and it is only his second METV.

 

After some unpleasant talks they asked for proof of funds. He does have enough in his card, tho no one even bothered to give him a chance to prove his funds.

 

Only after that they issued him a letter stating the reason “no cash”, tho all they talked was about “staying too long in Thailand”. Tho when they voided his visa, they didn’t even say a word or asked for any proof, stamped “Void” straight away.

 

Now he is forced to be deported to Ukraine, tho he doesn’t hold a ukrainian passport, nor he lives there. Probably because he had a connecting flight there.

 

He got dened today (Tuesday) and the flight is only on Thursday.

 

Seems like this weeding out is going out of hand and it’s not only the ones who had loads of visas, but also people visiting Thailand for a second time.

 

Yes, it’s his own fault for not having enough cash. But for people who don’t even intend to work or live here, it’s not the best practice take all nescessary steps for avoiding problems with immigration, like for those who do live, work or study here. I mean ask any second time tourist, how much they know about angry picky immigration at the airport.

 

Be aware and travel safe.

 

 

 

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[Briggsy]

Thanks for the post.

 

Happened to me too, denied with an METV. I am now in Thailand having been in and out twice since on the same visa using land borders. 

 

Are you absolutely sure they voided his visa? They usually don't do that.

[BrakkaToss]

Yes. He has his visa stamped with denied stamp. He can’t use that visa anymore. He must fly back where they demanded him to go. So now he will be spending a couple of days in detention. I am sure he won’t come back here, coz he rather spend his holiday elsewhere struggle free.:))


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[ukrules]

Don't go to Thailand more than once a year as a tourist - the message is very clear.

 

Airlines will need to start screening passports prior to boarding or just stop flying to Thailand

 

I know an airline is fined when a person doesn't meet entry requirements, I wonder if this kind of denial also results in a fine for the airline....

Edited August 6, 2019 by ukrules

[SteveK]

Has this guy ever had any trouble in Thailand before? What is his ethnicity? There must be more to this.

[Briggsy]

3 minutes ago, BrakkaToss said:

Yes. He has his visa stamped with denied stamp. He can’t use that visa anymore. He must fly back where they demanded him to go. So now he will be spending a couple of days in detention. I am sure he won’t come back here, coz he rather spend his holiday elsewhere struggle free.:))


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Everybody gets the square shaped denial stamp. However, unless they have stamp the visa sticker itself with the word "VOID", "USED" or "CANCELLED", then the visa is still valid. 

 

But if he ain't coming back, it's a moot point.

 

It is really dysfunctional that the embassies and consulates are selling these visas at around 7000 Baht each and then Immigration are not honouring them, detaining people and then causing them great expense and stress by denying them entry. There is no justification for this lack of clarity. There is also a deafening silence coming from Immigration about it.

 

[ukrules]

Just now, Briggsy said:

 

It is really dysfunctional that the embassies and consulates are selling these visas at around 7000 Baht each and then Immigration are not honouring them, detaining people and then causing them great expense and stress by denying them entry. There is no justification for this lack of clarity. There is also a deafening silence coming from Immigration about it.

They also audit your bank account prior to issuing this visa so we know this denial of entry is nothing to do with having funds available.

[Briggsy]

1 minute ago, SteveK said:

Has this guy ever had any trouble in Thailand before? What is his ethnicity? There must be more to this.

You may be behind the times. Years ago, that would have been the case. Now, stay over 50% of your time in Thailand on tourist visas and you are liable to be denied, no matter how saintly you are. I am pretty saintly and I was denied. It is just a secret rule based on how long you stay here.

[BritTim]

16 minutes ago, BrakkaToss said:

straight away voided his visa

I generally believe posts like yours until there is good reason to suspect something. However, immigration does not have the power to void visas. Perhaps, there is a problem in communication, but (if this report is not a complete fabrication) immigration is ignoring the visa, not cancelling it.

 

If your friend was not carrying cash, immigration can validly deny entry under Section 12 (9).

[BrakkaToss]

Has this guy ever had any trouble in Thailand before? What is his ethnicity? There must be more to this.

Never had any problems:)


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[SpanishExpat]

does he have a gf here? GF is the magical word, where you got at last a slight chance, as the may call her. But he also had no cash and there`s nothing more to discuss for the IO. They don`t care if you have 100Mio Baht or whatever on your card. Hard cash or nothing. So it was easy for them, as they had an official reason (not the stay too long BS but the no 20k in cash )

 

ok..just saw your answer.. Lithuania...for Thai IO that passport isn`t worth at all. Sad, but I think with G7 PP he would have had better chances. 

Edited August 6, 2019 by SpanishExpat

[BrakkaToss]

Never had any problems:)


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He is Lithuanian.


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[Peterbilt]

You wrote, that the IO told him that he gets rejected because "he stayed Thailand too mutt".
So, how long did he stay in Thailand during his previous trip?

 

[pookondee]

8 minutes ago, BritTim said:

I generally believe posts like yours until there is good reason to suspect something. However, immigration does not have the power to void visas. Perhaps, there is a problem in communication, but (if this report is not a complete fabrication) immigration is ignoring the visa, not cancelling it.

 

If your friend was not carrying cash, immigration can validly deny entry under Section 12 (9).

When it is the poster himself who gets denied, i generally wait to see if they post a pic of the stamp/denial before i believe it.

Everything else, "friend" and "friend of a friend" i would suspend belief and tend to call <deleted>, since any proof wont be forthcoming.

 

Especially sus when the OP is answering all questions straight away, off the cuff about said "friend" without even having to check

[thaitero]

One thing to remember. Do not have open facebook account saying that you live in Thailand if you are on exempt/touristvisastatus.

[madmen]

dodgy first post. void a visa?

[david555]

39 minutes ago, ukrules said:

They also audit your bank account prior to issuing this visa so we know this denial of entry is nothing to do with having funds available.

What is on the bank when applying visa can be wit draw the next day/week , is a requirement not a guarantee , but the 20 000 is a real time requirement .Before I got my ret. ext. status I always had with me on my multiple entry visas border runs the needed Baht in pocket , but never being asked ..,but 1 man once on our bus was denied for not having it.

 

Edited August 6, 2019 by david555

[Just Weird]

36 minutes ago, ukrules said:

They also audit your bank account prior to issuing this visa so we know this denial of entry is nothing to do with having funds available.

But it is to do with having cash.  That is the point.

There is a difference between having the necessary funds in the bank to justify a visa being issued and showing an IO cash if it is requested.

[xvend]

Just to clarify something here, this exact same story is in a facebook group where the person affected has a facebook profile saying that they "live in Bangkok" SO.................

[chainarong]

19 minutes ago, thaitero said:

One thing to remember. Do not have open facebook account saying that you live in Thailand if you are on exempt/touristvisastatus.

Good point thanks for reminding me, I'll shift mine to Singapore, haven't had anything to do with Thailand for some time. 

[SteveK]

8 minutes ago, xvend said:

Just to clarify something here, this exact same story is in a facebook group where the person affected has a facebook profile saying that they "live in Bangkok" SO.................

That's pretty freaking dumb.

[jackdd]

The airline is responsible for taking him back out of Thailand. If he offers to buy a ticket with them to somewhere else, they will probably accept it.

Would be good to know if it is officially possible to buy a ticket out with another airline.

[TaoNow]

Regarding the Facebook info, why would anyone use their passport name to create a FB account? 

 

Why relinquish your privacy? 

 

There is no way FB can verify whether a proposed account name is the passport name or not.

Edited August 6, 2019 by TaoNow
clarity

[cerox]

Thanks for your update.

 

Although for now it only concerns visa-exempt, METV, tourist visas etc., as a precaution I do not dare (with ed visa)  to fly into Thailand from far away, esp. not into BKK.

 

It really seems best, when you only visit as a tourist for a short time, to use visa-exempt. What is the point of getting a tourist visa, with all the money and time involved? It seems not worth it.

 

The word "live" in Thailand is really evil. Whenever Immigration or any officials ask me where I live, I name my home country. Here I am a temporary guest, again and again, but I never "live" here.

[tabarin]

1 hour ago, xvend said:

Just to clarify something here, this exact same story is in a facebook group where the person affected has a facebook profile saying that they "live in Bangkok" SO.................

What is strange about that, the post here is also made by a friend, who most likely lives in Thailand and so reporting it here to other expats / long stayers.

Anyway, I think his origin passport not really helped him. Wonder how he dressed up like too / shaved or not / hair style etc.
They are careful with those countries, often people with little to no money gives a potential red flag upfront.

Regardless I think it is disgusting if the story is true, he been away for months and this is only the second METV, they lost their brains at immigration.
I really hate-love that we have a good running start-up here, otherwise it been easier to divert to Vietnam, not trusting the direction this stuff is going at all.

Makes me feel unwelcome entirely, even I am welcome under my own visa etc. arrangements (for now).

Edited August 6, 2019 by tabarin

[drbeach]

1 hour ago, ukrules said:

Don't go to Thailand more than once a year as a tourist - the message is very clear.

 

Airlines will need to start screening passports prior to boarding or just stop flying to Thailand

 

I know an airline is fined when a person doesn't meet entry requirements, I wonder if this kind of denial also results in a fine for the airline....

A lot of airlines have stopped flying here in recent years or reduced their flights. Some examples off the top of my head:

 

THAI Airways:

 

Suspended flights to/from Los Angeles and Johannesburg around 2015. Suspended all international flights to Australia from Phuket (including Perth, Sydney and Melbourne). Also suspended all international flights out of Chiang Mai (only recent one was Chiang Mai-Kunming).

Briefly stopped flying to Madrid and Moscow, then reinstated these flights. Reduced flight frequency to Zurich, Frankfurt, Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

 

Emirates:

 

Suspended flights on the route Sydney-Bangkok on 31 May 2019

 

British Airways:

 

Suspended flights on the route Sydney-Bangkok a few years ago

 

United Airlines:

 

Suspended all flights to Thailand back around 2015; no sign of them ever returning

 

And many more...

Edited August 6, 2019 by drbeach

[StayinThailand2much]

1 hour ago, pookondee said:

When it is the poster himself who gets denied, i generally wait to see if they post a pic of the stamp/denial before i believe it.

That would indeed be very useful.

 

Could you please post a pic (with the passport holder's name blacked out), OP?

[thaitero]

Similar story on Thai visa advice FB-group posted by someone from Lithuania also. That story ended telling that guy in detention cell was allowed to enter Thailand after all. ????

[looplaw]

The Immigration Officers were doing their job. Your friend did not have adequate funds.

[elviajero]

2 hours ago, BritTim said:

I generally believe posts like yours until there is good reason to suspect something. However, immigration does not have the power to void visas. Perhaps, there is a problem in communication, but (if this report is not a complete fabrication) immigration is ignoring the visa, not cancelling it.

Of course they can void/cancel visas.