2 hours ago, baboon said:

It isn't only tourist visas. Non 'O's are gradually coming under suspicion too. I have yet to be refused entry, but lately at border points in the south, I have this feeling that they are just itching to bring the hammer down but the time is not right. Yet.

Funny, I had the same impression recently at Phuket airport.

On ‎10‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 2:59 AM, BritTim said:

On ‎10‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 2:15 AM, nailbrains8 said:

On ‎10‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 12:52 AM, TooMuchTime said:

Why do they force a flight back to London?  Can he choose to take a flight somewhere else?  Do they just force your last departure origin or home country?

Yes, he wanted to fly to Vietnam but they wouldn't allow it.

There is a rule that the airline that brought you to Thailand is responsible for your removal. He arrived on British Airways. I doubt BA has flights from Bangkok to Vietnam, so that would not have been an option

what if the airline that brought me here flies directly outside of Thailand
only to china and vietnam and in both cases I have to get a visa

in advance for these two countries ???

4 minutes ago, marqus12 said:

what if the airline that brought me here flies directly outside of Thailand
only to china and vietnam and in both cases I have to get a visa

in advance for these two countries ???

The decision is made by the airline but in the case you have stated above, you are likely going back to your passport country.

6 hours ago, sanemax said:

Which debit card do you have ?

 

5 hours ago, UKresonant said:

Will you avoid the per withdrawal 220baht flat fee charged at Thai ATMs with that card? 

 

5 hours ago, sanemax said:

He will if he doesnt use an ATM and gets cash over the counter

If you are from USA I use TD bank. You do get charged the fee but you get reimbursed the money at the end of the month. Thats why i don't bother carrying much cash anymore. 

10 hours ago, Hk810 said:

ugh lol what documents should i bring? i don't plan on bringing cash since my debit card doesn't charge any fees. I guess a bank statement? 

 

Thanks 

If you are arriving on a tourist visa or plan on using tourist exempt, you are required to have the cash on you (20,000 baht or equivalent). They won't want to see a bank statement.

5 hours ago, marqus12 said:

what if the airline that brought me here flies directly outside of Thailand
only to china and vietnam and in both cases I have to get a visa

in advance for these two countries ???

In that case, it becomes complicated. Your airline needs to negotiate with airlines that can return you to home country, generally indemnifying the airline that agrees to carry you against all costs they incur. In the end, your home country's national airline will be obliged to carry you if it becomes clear that no other option is available.

5 hours ago, Hk810 said:

Thats why i don't bother carrying much cash anymore. 

Whatever your reason may be, having a certain amount of cash on you is a formal entry requirement when entering Thailand. If they happen to ask you and you cannot show it, you could be denied entry.

 

Personally, while I think that this rule is silly in this day and age, I also think that having some emergency cash cannot hurt.

8 hours ago, marqus12 said:

Funny, I had the same impression recently at Phuket airport.

So it isn't only me, then...

14 hours ago, Lovethailandelite said:

The decision is made by the airline but in the case you have stated above, you are likely going back to your passport country.

 

8 hours ago, BritTim said:

In that case, it becomes complicated. Your airline needs to negotiate with airlines that can return you to home country, generally indemnifying the airline that agrees to carry you against all costs they incur. In the end, your home country's national airline will be obliged to carry you if it becomes clear that no other option is available.

what worries me the most is that I am heavily addicted to nicotine

and caffeine. I may have a nervous breakdown locked in some cell

without it 555

 

thanks for the reply

20 hours ago, jacko45k said:

If you are arriving on a tourist visa or plan on using tourist exempt, you are required to have the cash on you (20,000 baht or equivalent). They won't want to see a bank statement.

 

18 hours ago, Caldera said:

Whatever your reason may be, having a certain amount of cash on you is a formal entry requirement when entering Thailand. If they happen to ask you and you cannot show it, you could be denied entry.

 

Personally, while I think that this rule is silly in this day and age, I also think that having some emergency cash cannot hurt.

guess ill carry some cash then, Thanks guys

On 10/17/2019 at 3:26 PM, marqus12 said:

 

what worries me the most is that I am heavily addicted to nicotine

and caffeine. I may have a nervous breakdown locked in some cell

without it 555

 

thanks for the reply

Talk to a good doctor. A combination of a nicotine patch and anti anxiety drug should allow you a relatively smooth journey.

On 10/13/2019 at 4:50 PM, Selatan said:

I think the Thai government knows exactly what they are doing. I think they are trying to get rid of Thailand's image as a sex tourist attraction

In that case, they would stop all short-term vacation visitors to Thailand, since they make up 99% of that clientelle.

 

On 10/13/2019 at 4:50 PM, Selatan said:

is now common for Malaysians to visit Thailand with the whole family, unlike in the past, where mostly only men would go to Thailand solely for the whores.

Again, that's the short-term folks packing walking-st, etc.

 

As to family-visitors - like the Russian families who used to "winter" here, before immigration drove them out - resulting in the closing of businesses which catered to them?  Many Thais lost their jobs from this - and many more from the general-crackdown against Westerners, which saw entire streets boarded-up. 

 

I get the feeling those doing this don't particularly like poorer Thais getting good jobs and starting businesses.  The Chinese tour-group types put all their money in 'connected' Thai businesses - not small businesses which provide "upward mobility' to working-class people. 

 

And, I suppose, if I had paid a small fortune to "buy my job" in a corrupt govt agency, I wouldn't like seeing "lower people" getting ahead by being entreprenuers, either - and certainly not longer-term visitors who obtained Visas through another govt-agency, so aren't providing ROI on my "buy a job" investment, by paying me off via the expected corruption-payments via agents, etc.

On 10/11/2019 at 2:54 AM, nailbrains8 said:

Don't fly in from a country far away. Fly into a neighbouring country first. Then fly to Thailand.

Better - fly to a neighboring country, then use a law-abiding land-border.  If that entry point changes policy (i.e. paid off) before you get there, at least you can just walk back to the other country.

 

On 10/13/2019 at 4:00 AM, MattDM said:

Can you try again without consequence?

Other than possible denied-entry, yes.

 

On 10/13/2019 at 4:00 AM, MattDM said:

will a new passport help?

No, Immigration will have a full-record of all entries/exits going back years.

 

Using a law-abiding entry-point is the only solution.

 

 

On 10/16/2019 at 7:39 PM, Hk810 said:

ugh lol what documents should i bring? i don't plan on bringing cash since my debit card doesn't charge any fees. I guess a bank statement? 

 

Thanks 

20K Baht worth of CASH, a flight out within 60 days or sooner, and proof of hotel-bookings for a good portion of your stay.   Even then, they may ignore all that, and stamp your passport rejected - claiming you are, basically, "indigent."  

 

I'd change the flight to somewhere else - Chiang Mai is a better bet, though I personally will never fly into Thailand, due to the blatantly-corrupt airport immigration situation.

 

On 10/17/2019 at 3:26 PM, marqus12 said:

what worries me the most is that I am heavily addicted to nicotine

and caffeine. I may have a nervous breakdown locked in some cell

without it 555

 

thanks for the reply

Bring a small amount of chewing tobacco - works for the plane, too.  You could pay off staff/guard to get you coffee in detention, but avoiding the situation ENTIRELY would be my choice.

On 10/13/2019 at 2:38 AM, baboon said:

A multiple entry Non O and time spent out of Thailand? Chances are you will sail through or at worst, be asked a couple of questions before sailing through. Where are you flying in from?

London Heathrow.

Hi Jack. 

what in your opinion is the the best and safest land border crossing?

 

There is a possibility that i will fly directly into Chiang Mai from vietnam so that I am hoping may work. I am getting a new passport regardless, but I assume your entry history is only available on a search, which they may not do when you enter the country. Do you have any knowledge of what an immigration officer sees when the passport is scanned?

 

Thanks, Matt

6 hours ago, JackThompson said:

As to family-visitors - like the Russian families who used to "winter" here, before immigration drove them out

Pray tell, what exactly did immigration do to crash the Ruble?   

5 hours ago, MattDM said:

Hi Jack. 

what in your opinion is the the best and safest land border crossing?

 

There is a possibility that i will fly directly into Chiang Mai from vietnam so that I am hoping may work. I am getting a new passport regardless, but I assume your entry history is only available on a search, which they may not do when you enter the country. Do you have any knowledge of what an immigration officer sees when the passport is scanned?

 

Thanks, Matt

The consensus is any land border except Poipet and to a lesser extent Padang Besar. The safest land border is probably Nong Khai but from experience Ban Laem is another one. 

6 hours ago, MattDM said:

Hi Jack. 

what in your opinion is the the best and safest land border crossing?

 

There is a possibility that i will fly directly into Chiang Mai from vietnam so that I am hoping may work. I am getting a new passport regardless, but I assume your entry history is only available on a search, which they may not do when you enter the country. Do you have any knowledge of what an immigration officer sees when the passport is scanned?

 

Thanks, Matt

What does an IO see when he scans your passport. That is a very interesting question. My guess is not very much without scrolling down or clicking on to some link, or I, with a long history of (decades) excemptions and TVs, would be getting a lot more scrutiny than I have gotten over the last few years since the crackdown on serial tourists started. They can see a lot, if they choose to,  if something makes them suspicious, but they don't see it right after scanning, and in vast majority of cases they can't be bothered to look further :They are half asleep or daydreaming most of the time anyway. 

3 hours ago, thecyclist said:

What does an IO see when he scans your passport. That is a very interesting question. My guess is not very much without scrolling down or clicking on to some link, or I, with a long history of (decades) excemptions and TVs, would be getting a lot more scrutiny than I have gotten over the last few years since the crackdown on serial tourists started. They can see a lot, if they choose to,  if something makes them suspicious, but they don't see it right after scanning, and in vast majority of cases they can't be bothered to look further :They are half asleep or daydreaming most of the time anyway. 

They get automated alert after 6 entry. You have been lucky or use the right visa ????

6 hours ago, Tayaout said:

They get automated alert after 6 entry. You have been lucky or use the right visa ????

6 entries over what time period? 

1 hour ago, Tuvoc said:

6 entries over what time period? 

I believe this only applies to visa exempt entries, and is six visa exempt entries since around the middle of 2015. The notification is not that you should be denied entry, but that you should be scrutinised more closely as a genuine tourist, and you are not using visa exempts as a way of living long term in Thailand.

44 minutes ago, BritTim said:

I believe this only applies to visa exempt entries, and is six visa exempt entries since around the middle of 2015. The notification is not that you should be denied entry, but that you should be scrutinised more closely as a genuine tourist, and you are not using visa exempts as a way of living long term in Thailand.

Uh ?

I thought there was a limit of 2 visa exempt / calendar year, but what now !?

1 minute ago, Pepper9187 said:

Uh ?

I thought there was a limit of 2 visa exempt / calendar year, but what now !?

Only at a land border.

2 hours ago, BritTim said:

I believe this only applies to visa exempt entries, and is six visa exempt entries since around the middle of 2015. The notification is not that you should be denied entry, but that you should be scrutinised more closely as a genuine tourist, and you are not using visa exempts as a way of living long term in Thailand.

Crikey, since 2015 I've probably had double that number. Doesn't seem right to me. Visa exempts only allow 30 days so that should be the least of their worries. 

3 hours ago, FredGallaher said:

I'm having a hard time believing you. This is about visa entries not trips to the can.

12 visa exempt entries in 4 years, which is how I read Tuvoc's post, is not particularly high.  I have a similar amount and until earlier this year I was just a regular holidaymaker making the most of my leave.

On 10/17/2019 at 12:57 AM, marqus12 said:

what if the airline that brought me here flies directly outside of Thailand
only to china and vietnam and in both cases I have to get a visa

in advance for these two countries ???

to china there are visa exempt entries for those with onward flights within 24 hours, i just did that last week.

Edited October 21, 20196 yr by orchis

I was scrutinized the last time coming through BKK with a SETV (my second in a row). I was asked if I was working and then asked if I had a GF there. I replied no the two questions. 

The Girlfriend question, should i've replied yes or no? 

I did have a 4 month rental contract in BKK in my bag, but I never brought it up. I figured it would work to my disadvantage having a rental contract since it doesn't really imply travelling. Any thoughts on this? 

 

 

10 hours ago, aldriglikvid said:

The Girlfriend question, should i've replied yes or no? 

Do you have a girlfriend?

 

You replied no, so let's assume you don't have a Thai girlfriend. If you had replied yes, there's a chance they would have wanted to talk to her on the phone.

 

Best to answer truthfully, I'd say.

 

10 hours ago, aldriglikvid said:

I was scrutinized the last time coming through BKK with a SETV (my second in a row). I was asked if I was working and then asked if I had a GF there. I replied no the two questions. 

The Girlfriend question, should i've replied yes or no? 

I did have a 4 month rental contract in BKK in my bag, but I never brought it up. I figured it would work to my disadvantage having a rental contract since it doesn't really imply travelling. Any thoughts on this? 

 

 

 

I would agree with answering "No".

 

Having myself been in the "interrogation" area twice now when entering through BKK, it does seem that the questions are all around trying to demonstrate that you are not just a visiting tourist, and getting you to say something which indicates that, such as a girlfriend, ability to speak thai, or any form of long term connection. They do not listen to anything you say unless it helps them prove this, so I would suggest saying as little as possible, as they seem to have made up their mind before you sit. Just keep it simple and keep explaining your on holiday and show youre flight ticket home.

 

On the second time I think I only got through because I kept on repeating "No", that I was on holiday only,  and also that they were much more interested in the gentlemen seated next to me who was also being questioned who was telling them he speaks Thai and that as he has 20,000 baht they must let him in.

 

Even then it did seem 50/50. Just before I was let through , I heard one officer say to his colleague that he would let me in, to which his colleague looked at the printout of my entries and said to him "You can't!", to which he shrugged as if he couldn't really be bothered to reject me or something. So I think you can help yourself by "being a tourist", but a lot must also come down to the luck of which IO you get

 

 

Edited October 22, 20196 yr by GeraldB22