visa problem

[EricTh]

7 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

imo another bs post with an age of 80 thrown in to elicit sympathy from the anti Thai crowd..

There are many 'new' forummers who just create a new name with only one or two posts whenever they have a problem. That's highly suspicious.

 

[from the home of CC]

5 minutes ago, EricTh said:

There are many 'new' forummers who just create a new name with only one or two posts whenever they have a problem. That's highly suspicious.

 

if I look closely at the information distribution patterns there appears to be a rough template, age, border, type of visa, genders/disposition of io's just changed up a bit and regurgitated. Due to the runaway panic threads with the tightening of the financials these phony postings feed right into the fear. Pathetic..  

[Langkawee]

17 hours ago, Matzzon said:

No, it´s not. For stating something like this you must be sure. The question is if you understood what they were asking for?

As Ubonjoe explains, they nowadays ask that you show 20k baht when entering thailand on a tourist visa, and 10k baht on exempt entry. That was probably what happened here. That is something that has been informed of and known for long time.

I understand that you see this as strange at the age of 80 years old, but unfortunately things change. It was probably you that did not roll with the changes, rather than the Immigration Officers trying to get a bribe from you. Especially that border has been regognized as a generally friendly border to enter Thailand at.

Generally friendly border compared to North Korea's borders. I totally agree 555. Friendly, and they only ask farang to show 20,000. Friendly, yes so very friendly. The delusional farang and what they define as friendly, astounding. The 80 year old OP had a tourist visa, and you call the border friendly, shame on you! The sooner people boycott Thailand the better. 80 years old God dammit. Miserable excretement of a welcome, obviously not friendly at all. 

[jacko45k]

20 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

I think they were asking to see the 20k baht that is required for entry to the country. I am sure they were not asking for a bribe.

Many reports of the Sadao and Pedang Besar crossings wanting to see the 20k baht.

It didn't sound that way as written. 

[alex8912]

I find the OP to be truthful but not understanding EXACTLY what the IO was saying/ asking him. I see this quite a lot with older people here in Thailand. The next thing I see are older people who start to get sooo up and into their tizzy that they start to hear either NOTHING or small parts of what the other person is saying. The person saying this often has an accent or is not completely fluent in English as well. Often the older man is not 100% fluent in English but often they are.  The fact that he mentions 20k baht and further on mentions this

“ person working on the forecourt also seemed to be in the scam as he the assured me that if I got there early with the money us$600+ Id be in Thailand.” 
I bet the words “ equivalent to” or something similar were after the word money. He was soo upset by this point that perhaps his already weakened hearing just got worse. 
I see these misunderstandings happen at supermarkets ,7/11’s,  banks , venders on the street ( one was asking for 5 baht more so she could give him back a 20 baht note instead of 15 baht change) He was FUMING at her for trying to charge him more!! He was not listening at all! 
 

The other thing I often experience is that these same people having gotten all fussed up is that they are still kind of so upset that even when they know they are wrong they don’t apologize at all or barely. THAT is what gets me pretty fumed actually.  Why is it so hard for stubborn old men to admit they are wrong ( when I see it in real life situations ) and they are probably the same posters on here saying a Thai can never admit they are wrong! 
 

OP if you try to cross the border and they ask to SEE the equivalent of 20k baht in ANY currency please understand this is part of their job ( even though they did not ask before and may not in the future) then say THANK YOU put on a fake smile and go! 
 

 

[ubonjoe]

Some baiting and bickering posts have been removed. Time to end it.

[recom273]

This was nothing personal and doesn’t matter if you are 30, 80 or 180. 
 

You were on a mini van out of Penang with a load of others who bought their visas from Penang, it’s people abusing the system; long-stayers on multiple 3-month visas and illegal workers doing the regular visa runs who have created this situation.
 

You came back via Sadao, as far as I know they haven’t been accepting bribes in passports - you driver would have suggested this to you, if the case.

 

They are just playing by the book, just answer the questions, show the money, you are on your way .. don’t concern yourself with others. 
 

I never travel back from Malaysia on one of the vans, and I have never once had an issue at Sadao.

[bbi1]

19 hours ago, Chivas said:

Why oh why are OPs routinely disbelieved over Visa entry issues on Thaivisa

The fella said he was asked for a 20k bung to allow entry. The subsequent isolation tells you everything

 

He's 80 years of age and will well know the difference.

Because maybe the OP was trolling being his very 1st post. Other thing is that he might've heard wrong what the IO was saying.

 

He was also on the wrong visa being 80 years old, should've been on a retirement visa which he should know as he has been "coming to Thailand for over 25 years". Seems like the other 20 people taken to the side were also on the wrong visas that's why the IO "took them to the side".

 

At the border about twenty people were taken to one side and questioned by a woman officer .There were several senior citizens in

 this group.[\quote]

[bbi1]

20 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Just realised i recall an article that Immigration were to target high risk tourists who may use hospitals here without paying. Maybe that was their motive as the op was 80

That very well could be another reason why the OP was asked for 20k baht to be shown, but then again, he was apparently on a tourist visa so being asked to show 20k baht is normal based on past reports.

[impulse]

1 minute ago, bbi1 said:

Because maybe the OP was trolling being his very 1st post. Other thing is that he might've heard wrong what the IO was saying.

 

He was also on the wrong visa being 80 years old, should've been on a retirement visa which he should know as he has been "coming to Thailand for over 25 years". Seems like the other 20 people taken to the side were also on the wrong visas that's why the IO "took them to the side".

 

Why would someone only visiting Thailand occasionally (even for 25 years) choose to be on a retirement visa, lock up 400-800K in a Thai bank and go through the formalities of extending every year?

[bbi1]

19 hours ago, EricTh said:

You're obviously wrong because you should have applied for a retirement visa instead of staying long term as a tourist for the past umpteen years.

Spot on with that comment.

[bbi1]

1 minute ago, impulse said:

 

Why would someone only visiting Thailand occasionally (even for 25 years) choose to be on a retirement visa, lock up 400-800K in a Thai bank and go through the formalities of extending every year?

Because that's the correct visa for a long-stay person of the OP's age. And you obviously don't know what's required to get a retirement visa, you don't need to have 400-800k in a Thai bank to get that visa. It's for EXTENSIONS

Edited November 6, 2019 by bbi1

[Isaanbiker]

OP, something like "You have $ 600, you go in " or similar doesn't mean that they wanted to scam you.

 

   I understand that the language barrier and the immigration officers' good English skills have helped a lot to make that clear.

 

  These days with Facebook and other social media, they'd shuffle their own grave doing that.

 

Try it again with 20 K, please. 

[impulse]

Just now, bbi1 said:

Because that's the correct visa for a long-stay person of the OP's age. 

  Where did he say he was long stay?

 

[jacko45k]

Just now, bbi1 said:

Because that's the correct visa for a long-stay person of the OP's age. 

He said he was coming to Thailand for a holiday  of 60 days.  Do you know whether he is living in Thailand or Malaysia?

[Thaidream]

1 hour ago, alex8912 said:

The other thing I often experience is that these same people having gotten all fussed up is that they are still kind of so upset that even when they know they are wrong they don’t apologize at all or barely. THAT is what gets me pretty fumed actually.  Why is it so hard for stubborn old men to admit they are wrong ( when I see it in real life situations ) and they are probably the same posters on here saying a Thai can never admit they are wrong! 

Yes- I see the same thing- mostly people in ther 20s and 30s who have no patience; know nothing about Thailand; speak no Thai; speak broken English and are generally  arrogant.  

 

 

[NoshowJones]

22 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Wow.

I  just read what Ubon Joe said, and I think he is right, but the OP is 80 years old, so surely the IOs could have explained it a bit better.

 

 

Edited November 6, 2019 by possum1931

[NoshowJones]

19 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

imo another bs post with an age of 80 thrown in to elicit sympathy from the anti Thai crowd..

Big difference from being anti Thai and being anti Thai immigration and there policies.

[from the home of CC]

Just now, possum1931 said:

Big difference from being anti Thai and being anti Thai immigration and there policies.

the only folks who have an issue with Thai immigration are those low on funds - my comment reflected on made up threads feeding the fire of those living in fear...

[NoshowJones]

4 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

the only folks who have an issue with Thai immigration are those low on funds - my comment reflected on made up threads feeding the fire of those living in fear...

I am not low in funds, I just refuse to put too much money in to a Thai bank in a country which changes policies at

a whim. The vast majority of my money will always stay in my UK bank.

[ChakaKhan]

22 hours ago, Matzzon said:

No, it´s not. For stating something like this you must be sure. The question is if you understood what they were asking for?

As Ubonjoe explains, they nowadays ask that you show 20k baht when entering thailand on a tourist visa, and 10k baht on exempt entry. That was probably what happened here. That is something that has been informed of and known for long time.

I understand that you see this as strange at the age of 80 years old, but unfortunately things change. It was probably you that did not roll with the changes, rather than the Immigration Officers trying to get a bribe from you. Especially that border has been regognized as a generally friendly border to enter Thailand at.

So if I arrive in bKK seeking a exempt stamp and then do it again in Mae sai-burma border by land I only need to carry 10k instead of 20k?...both of which I hate doing to begin with....

[from the home of CC]

1 minute ago, possum1931 said:

I am not low in funds, I just refuse to put too much money in to a Thai bank in a country which changes policies at

a whim. The vast majority of my money will always stay in my UK bank.

I wasn't commenting on your case particularly. imo the majority of folks who have a beef with Thai immigration (and fill these pages with complaint after complaint) are those who are having trouble making ends meet and are reacting by lashing out at a convenient target. These imaginary threads that instill hate and panic into folks are very unhelpful and actually do a disservice to the people who provide the revenue to the site . A shame really, the site has a potential to be a lot more..  

[NoshowJones]

2 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

I wasn't commenting on your case particularly. imo the majority of folks who have a beef with Thai immigration (and fill these pages with complaint after complaint) are those who are having trouble making ends meet and are reacting by lashing out at a convenient target. These imaginary threads that instill hate and panic into folks are very unhelpful and actually do a disservice to the people who provide the revenue to the site . A shame really, the site has a potential to be a lot more..  

I respect your post, but you are missing the point, there are many folk who retired to Thailand, taking everything in to consideration up to about 2006.

Lots of folk rightly have a beef with Thai immigration, folk who retired here, married, bought houses, took Thai families out of poverty, then find things gradually changing to their detriment over the years. They have every right to have a beef with the Thai authorities.

[from the home of CC]

1 minute ago, possum1931 said:

I respect your post, but you are missing the point, there are many folk who retired to Thailand, taking everything in to consideration up to about 2006.

Lots of folk rightly have a beef with Thai immigration, folk who retired here, married, bought houses, took Thai families out of poverty, then find things gradually changing to their detriment over the years. They have every right to have a beef with the Thai authorities.

Been here about 17 yrs on marriage visas and never had any issues but then again I could always fund my stay. Sorry, I just don't agree with your point. If people really had all the funding to be here and they felt they were being hard done by from immigration all they would need to do is use an agent like what is bragged about so much on this site. These issues you write about, the gradual changes etc, to me can be pinpointed to one particular time - when some of the embassies stopped authorizing income statements. To me that's really the crux of the majority of issues that retirees faced.  Personally, I spend a few hours a year on my extension and that's on a busy day..

[Max69xl]

23 hours ago, kelboy said:

Fly into Thailand next time.if it was me I would go back to the Thailand embassy and complain. Good luck.

Thai embassies/consulates just issues visas and Thai Immigration can always deny entry. If the reason is valid or not is sadly not important. In this case it might have been a misunderstanding regarding the 20k baht. 

[Max69xl]

53 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

I respect your post, but you are missing the point, there are many folk who retired to Thailand, taking everything in to consideration up to about 2006.

Lots of folk rightly have a beef with Thai immigration, folk who retired here, married, bought houses, took Thai families out of poverty, then find things gradually changing to their detriment over the years. They have every right to have a beef with the Thai authorities.

The problems with Immigration started early this year and is only about endless tourist visas with border runs and phony ED-visas. There's no problem with visa extensions based on retirement or marriage and the requirements haven't changed that much. We have the new requirement for health insurance for O-A Visa holders,but I think in the near future immigration officers will understand the police order. 

Edited November 6, 2019 by Max69xl

[Matzzon]

1 hour ago, ChakaKhan said:

So if I arrive in bKK seeking a exempt stamp and then do it again in Mae sai-burma border by land I only need to carry 10k instead of 20k?...both of which I hate doing to begin with....

Yes, for one person and wxwmpt entry the rules say 10k, but I always carry 20k with me all the time, and I live on Non-O. ???? 

[jacko45k]

2 hours ago, possum1931 said:

I  just read what Ubon Joe said, and I think he is right, but the OP is 80 years old, so surely the IOs could have explained it a bit better.

 

 

Requirements written on a sheet of paper in clear English, large Font! End of.... 

No rubbing together of thumb and fingers under nose at the same time!

Edited November 6, 2019 by jacko45k

[Thingamabob]

Well, I'm 78, and hopefully I'll never make such a shambles of entering Thailand as you did. Firstly, they were simply asking you for a sight of your 20,000 baht in accordance with the law. Secondly, you said you complained. Big mistake. Speak politely at all times. I would think that after 25 visits you should be fully aware of both of these issues. 

[NoshowJones]

3 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

Been here about 17 yrs on marriage visas and never had any issues but then again I could always fund my stay. Sorry, I just don't agree with your point. If people really had all the funding to be here and they felt they were being hard done by from immigration all they would need to do is use an agent like what is bragged about so much on this site. These issues you write about, the gradual changes etc, to me can be pinpointed to one particular time - when some of the embassies stopped authorizing income statements. To me that's really the crux of the majority of issues that retirees faced.  Personally, I spend a few hours a year on my extension and that's on a busy day..

Most expats here are to frightened to use an agent as they think it is illegal. I still say the problems for a lot of retirees started around 2006. There is no point in carrying on with this debate as we are not going to agree.