I flew in from europe yesterday and I got problems again

[parafareno]

I left thailand like 3 weeks ago when I was here on 1 entry visa, that I extended for 30 days so I stayed 3 months. I had not been in thailand for like 8 years. ANd the immigration lady already gave me trouble first time. Why I stay so long...that other tourists only stay 1 week etc...she let e go after her angry speech. 

 

But now I came back with single tourist visa, so I can stay approx 63 days.....so they immediately drag me to the side where I was a subject of all kind of questioning. It was the angry lady again... and another dude, who seems like a nice guy.....

He started asking me how much money I have, if I have more than 30000 bht, I showed him cash....so he was not happy cause I showed him more than necessary.....then he asked me to return ticket....I showed him that on the laptop...that was not enough either....then he asked me why I come here?  I said I visit my girlfriend...then he wanted her number and he called her and talked with her for like 10 minutes.....wanted to know everything......

 

ANd I also tell the angry lady I wanted to buy condo here to stay during winter....but now I will not because they give me trouble so much.....

 

It seems that there were hundreds of people there waiting for visa and only I was dragged away......and another poor old bloke

Is this normal doing by immigration?  I came twice with single entry visa...with 3 weeks pause staying in Europe back home....I am from EU.....

 

is this normal? Do they do this to everybody or only some people. I was really stressed: He wanted to decline my visa.....it was stressful....he said I came too soon after first entry.....is this just BS?

And now that corona is here...they need more tourists anyway...who will spend moneyz

Edited February 13, 2020 by parafareno

[parafareno]

I felt sick in my stomach...I spend so much money here and it is not good for them......he said that buying a condo is ILLEGAL to my girlfriend....so what is this all about.....how can it be <deleted> illegal to buy a condo? It is a legit purchase....why is it illegal for the immigration lady?

Edited February 13, 2020 by parafareno

[Tayaout]

It's not illegal to buy a condo if less than 50% of the unit in the building are Thai owned. Still not a good idea unless considered as a gift to your girlfriend. However some condo come with a Thai elite membership which would fix your visa issue. 

Edited February 13, 2020 by Tayaout

[parafareno]

9 minutes ago, Tayaout said:

It's not illegal to buy a condo if less than 50% of the unit in the building are Thai owned. Still not a good idea unless considered as a gift to your girlfriend. However some condo come with a Thai elite membership which would fix your visa issue. 

yes he mentioned thai elite...but is is 500000 BHT for 5 years.....I would do this over my dead body.....it seems like no money no homey rule always works

[ThaiBunny]

25 minutes ago, parafareno said:

is this normal? Do they do this to everybody or only some people. I was really stressed: He wanted to decline my visa.....it was stressful....he said I came too soon after first entry.....is this just BS?

Which airport?

[parafareno]

suvarnaburi, i heard before that single entry visa they dont give you any problems at all and you can come many times per year

Edited February 13, 2020 by parafareno

[Tayaout]

3 minutes ago, parafareno said:

suvarnaburi, i heard before that single entry visa they dont give you any problems at all and you can come many times per year

Not anymore. 

[UKresonant]

Maybe the nice guy was being nice, perhaps not sensible to buy a Condo, if the angry Lady won't let you stay in it ????.

If other tourists are just staying 1 week, I assume that they are refering to people that have a shorter flying time to get to Thailand. Can't see that it would be worth coming just for a week, all the way from Europe.

[parafareno]

Just now, Tayaout said:

Not anymore. 

i see falang being treated now very harsh....9 years ago when I was a frequent traveler here, falang was treated very nice......with nothing to complain at all.....

[BritManToo]

5 minutes ago, parafareno said:

i see falang being treated now very harsh....9 years ago when I was a frequent traveler here, falang was treated very nice......with nothing to complain at all.....

Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines would all like you to visit, and your gf would get a 90 day VISA free of charge.

Why Thailand? They hate us.

[ubonjoe]

Several off topic inflammatory posts and replies to them have been removed.

[JustAnotherHun]

... 

then he asked me to return ticket...

 

That's the intersting part of the story as here in many posts is stated, IOs never would ask for a return ticket and this only could happen at the checkin counter.

[Just Weird]

59 minutes ago, parafareno said:

Is this normal doing by immigration?  I came twice with single entry visa...with 3 weeks pause staying in Europe back home....I am from EU.....

 

is this normal? Do they do this to everybody or only some people. I was really stressed: He wanted to decline my visa.....it was stressful....he said I came too soon after first entry.....is this just BS?

So Immigration questioned you, as is their privilege, then stamped you in.  So the problem is what, exactly?

[transam]

4 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

So Immigration questioned you, as is their privilege, then stamped you in.  So the problem is what, exactly?

Hassle and his bird being interrogated on a phone is rather embarrassing, I would have thought...

[madmen]

29 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines would all like you to visit, and your gf would get a 90 day VISA free of charge.

Why Thailand? They hate us.

Because those countries never ask questions, just a big hug and instant stamp. Your in dream world 

[scubascuba3]

Op was unlucky i was using tourist visas for years without 1 question, lucky I'm 50 now....I agree that buying a condo is a mistake if under 50 plus until the uncertainty over health insurance requirements in the future is gone.

 

I do wonder why the Op was targeted, did they profile you?

[Tayaout]

26 minutes ago, JustAnotherHun said:

 

 

 

That's the intersting part of the story as here in many posts is stated, IOs never would ask for a return ticket and this only could happen at the checkin counter.

I was asked for an onward plane ticket and to show cash at Poipet over a year ago. I already had a bus ticket but it wasn't accepted. 

Edited February 13, 2020 by Tayaout

[madmen]

2 minutes ago, Youlike said:

Then he shouldn't have gotten a tourist visa in the first place...and they can ask you to show 20.000 baht that's the rule, not 30k.

 

Also he didn't come too often me thinks, hence he got the visa.

Also he didn't come too often me thinks, hence he got the visa."

 

Yep and was also stamped in. 

 

Lots of" I was nearly rejected posts which are simply not true. Being questioned is NOT nearly rejected but simply just questioned. 

 

[Caldera]

The "nice guy" didn't seem nice at all, to be honest, more like a complete and utter PITA.

 

OP, how much money did you show? And when's your flight out, 63 days after your arrival? What did you write on the arrival card with regards to length of stay?

 

They really don't seem to like extensions (of tourist visa and visa exempt entries, to be clear) at some airports. Those IOs who process these extensions, on the other hand, quite literally dole them out like candy (at 1900 baht a pop), hardly ever seems anyone to be questioned or denied by them. They don't seem to have the same rule book.

Edited February 13, 2020 by Caldera

[parafareno]

5 minutes ago, madmen said:

Also he didn't come too often me thinks, hence he got the visa."

 

Yep and was also stamped in. 

 

Lots of" I was nearly rejected posts which are simply not true. Being questioned is NOT nearly rejected but simply just questioned. 

 

even though I showed him money, ticket back...he still was not happy....he had to call my igirlfriend and interrogate her for 10 - 15 minutes...stressful for her and stressful for me... I felt like I was the worse kind of criminal.......I really wanted to just say to him keep the visa......and he also said what if thai come to my country...how does immigration treat them? ANd then you see hudreds of people going through immigration with no problem.....I wrote only the truth on arrival card....I will stay 63 or 64 days....when I go back....what I do here....etc....and the angry lady raised her voice...like how dare I come back here as a tourist.....I think they want to push for elite...so they get money......feels like being targeted....same first time I came last year....questioned at the check in why I stay so long....and you see all other peolple arrive with no questioning only me......how it will be next time.....seems like something is really weird and I will be declined next time if I dont dish out moneyz for elite visa.....maybe the lady meant in her head why would I buy condo, buy elite visa for 1 million better.....I think this is the logic.....

Edited February 13, 2020 by parafareno

[rastlin]

I think a big part of the problem is the lack of clarity as to just what the rules are and how they will be enforced.

 

I have no problem with the concept of immigration questioning those who would enter Thailand as this is their job.  I also have no issue with rules being enforced and those who are not tourists being required to get a different sort of visa, of which there are many.  What I do have a problem with is not knowing exactly how a "tourist" is defined.

 

I had thought the rule was you were allowed up to 180 days in a year on either tourist visas or the 30 day permissions to stay granted on arrival in the airport.  I had thought the rule was if you were staying in Thailand less than 6 months in any given year you were a "tourist".  But honestly I am not sure this is really the rule.  And if it is not the rule what exactly is the rule?

 

This poster, for example, had spend 90 days in Thailand and returned for another Visa on entry.  O.K., why exactly is he not a tourist?  He has spent a few winter months in Thailand for the first time in 8 years.  Now, after *this* stay, he would be around 6 months.  If he came back *again* then that would put him over 6 months in the year.  But that is not the case as of his current arrival.  He had spent 3 months in Thailand and returned.  

 

I had planned on spending 6 months in Thailand every year.  I had planned on using one tourist visa for a 3 month stay and 3 one month permissions to stay spread out over the year.  But I also was "questioned" although less aggressively and decided to just get a retirement Visa to avoid the hassle. 

 

It would be nice to have a clear cut rule that people could then follow.  This not knowing exactly what will be enforced is very stressful and makes for difficult planning. 

[ubonjoe]

45 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Several off topic inflammatory posts and replies to them have been removed.

And again.

[Youlike]

6 minutes ago, parafareno said:

and he also said what if thai come to my country...how does immigration treat them?

Well they just let them do what they're good at...i would show him the website of that kind of business...

[rastlin]

1 minute ago, parafareno said:

I have to make a corrrection here.....he asked me for 20000 bht to show.....I told him I have 200k on my bank but he did not want to hear about it....luckily I had few thousand euros as a cash...if I would not bring it I would be f....ed....this is new Thailand....if you come from EU you better stay for 10 days or less or there will be trouble......I will never forget the angry face of thai immigration lady and her angry voice....

 

That is what upset me too when I was questioned.  It was not the fact the lady was asking me questions, it was she was so obviously angry.  It really did bother me even though I was stamped in.  

 

I have been questioned by immigration when travelling into the U.S.  And while such situations are never fun, the fellow that questioned me was polite, not angry and very professional.  

[parafareno]

what hurts is that I dont see other people posting stories like this on a simple tourist visa.....so I dont know who I am now, apparently not a tourist for them to come for a holiday and visit my girlfriend......

[scubascuba3]

3 minutes ago, parafareno said:

.....I will never forget the angry face of thai immigration lady and her angry voice....

Try to put it behind you, can't let an angry bad apple put a downer on your time in Thailand. I dislike those matron types

[Vacuum]

41 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

So Immigration questioned you, as is their privilege, then stamped you in.  So the problem is what, exactly?

He was harassed by the IO's, and for no apparent reason.

[parafareno]

4 minutes ago, rastlin said:

 

That is what upset me too when I was questioned.  It was not the fact the lady was asking me questions, it was she was so obviously angry.  It really did bother me even though I was stamped in.  

 

I have been questioned by immigration when travelling into the U.S.  And while such situations are never fun, the fellow that questioned me was polite, not angry and very professional.  

same...many officers there are really angry...i saw one falang at the booth so freaked out when the guy told him to step away and returning him the passport cause he did not wrote down the hotel where he stay....so he was so angry at the guy.....and the guy just stepped back and did not know what to do.....they are not nice anymore like they were 9 years ago.....things changed......a lot......seems like all the girls wore fake contact lenses 9 years ago, now nobody does it anymore....same goes for immigration and treatment of falangs...you are not important to them anymore.....and there is a rule apparently that the kindness is not necessary anymore...

Edited February 13, 2020 by parafareno

[Beggar]

55 minutes ago, JustAnotherHun said:

 

 

 

That's the intersting part of the story as here in many posts is stated, IOs never would ask for a return ticket and this only could happen at the checkin counter.

The airline reports all passengers to the immigration before they arrive. So expect that the immigration knows you already. 

[jacko45k]

14 minutes ago, parafareno said:

what hurts is that I dont see other people posting stories like this on a simple tourist visa.....so I dont know who I am now, apparently not a tourist for them to come for a holiday and visit my girlfriend......

Why do YOU think you were selected for this treatment?

Your ethnicity, or perhaps long term record of time in Thailand?