Repeatedly Coming On Tourist Visas - "No Problem"

[ChiangMaiThai]

xxx

[ChiangMaiThai]

CMT,

I'm sure glad I took the advice of thaivisa.com and rushed back to the US LAST OCTOBER to get a proper visa due to the imminent deportation of anyone coming in on consecutive tourist visas...... Can you guys reimburse my expenses?

Don't quite understand why you had to fly all the way to the USA to get your visa(?). Wouldn't it have been easier and cheaper to get the same visa much closer, like in Penang?

Just curious.

I was being told by a couple people on this forum who I spoke with at length on the phone that the sh#t was about to hit the fan. At the time I had about 12 consecutive 30 day stamps in my passport. They told me that this would be very dangerous. These people told me that it wasn't enough to 'lose' your passport and have a new one issued at the consulate here as this would attract suspicion. According to them, the only way out would be to get a new passport in the US. These people informed me that they had connections high up and knew what they were talking about. Additionally, as far as I know, a non im isn't automatic in Penang. It is at certain consulates in the US.

I looked at both sides and decided better safe than sorry.

As it turns out, I could have kept the same passport and never left Chiang Mai and I never would have had a problem.

Whether these people were insane or just misinformed, I don't know. But certainly the atmosphere of paranoia at thaivisa.com last year also influenced my decision. Now I know not to believe the hype.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Good for you CMT.

[ChiangMaiThai]

Good for you CMT.

The part about flying back to the US to become legit or the part about not believing the hype?

[rockhardbkk]

Well I will be going to Cambodia or Penang in a few days. I've already had my non-immigrant O visa and the time for the extension is here. Instead of giving in and paying up, I'm going to go out of the country and get another non-immigrant O. I am married to a Thai, have two children and earn my income outside of Thailand. If I have it my way I will continually get non-immigrant O's but will not get the extension. This way I don't have to transfer money into a Thai bank. I am interested in seeing if they will tell me I am not allowed to get another non-immigrant O visa....I highly doubt it. I will report back in a few days.