How to answer the question "What are you doing here?"

[Hummin]

16 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

That's what you did.......and yet can post this earlier.....

 

"You should have visa for your purpuse of stay, no answer is correct when you have been abusing the system for so long as you have, and you continue to do so after covid amnesty was given and now finished.".

 

Don't follow your posts at all. Folk cannot currently exit to obtain tourist visa. Well at least not easily.

Also land borders are closed.

 

Then at same time you have negative attitude to those on covid extensions. 

For those not married or under 50 there are no easy "proper visa" to obtain. 

If you read my post I went home for work, not only border run! In a year I crossed the land twice, and to or three times I did fly in after I stayed abroad one to three months all depending on my work.

 

God sake it is my experience, but everything is possible when it comes to Thailand, still there is always someone who knows the rules better, and also how to do it more easy by gamble on their luck every time they do a borderun, either by land or by air.

 

Some get trouble, most others dont, and thats the problem since nobody knows what the real rules are or the real practice of the rules.

Edited March 5, 2022 by Hummin

[BangkokReady]

15 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Don't follow your posts at all.

It's called "I'm alright Jack, pull the ladder up".  He was no doubt absolutely fine with getting back to back tourist visas for non-tourist purposes when he needed them, but, now he's on a more permanent visa, all this riffraff are abusing the system and shouldn't be allowed into the country.

[Hummin]

16 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

It's called "I'm alright Jack, pull the ladder up".  He was no doubt absolutely fine with getting back to back tourist visas for non-tourist purposes when he needed them, but, now he's on a more permanent visa, all this riffraff are abusing the system and shouldn't be allowed into the country.

Man, so hard to understand the difference when you do as the rules tells you to do, and also leave the country for making money, and coming back on for instance a tourist visa after months abroad, and also done everything by the book before that. 
 

you just making a <deleted> dont you Sir

[kiteman9]

When I was a kid I'd ask my dad, What are you doing? He would always answer, milldewing 555

[Thingamabob]

It's a question that gets asked by immigration officials all over the world if you appear to be coming and going an unusually large number of times. Nobody here can provide an answer for you, you have to figure out the best genuine explanation that applies in your particular case.

[brianthainess]

I was once stopped at a road check, at the time I was on a retirement visa, the cop kept  asking me "what you do in Thailand ? '' out of devilment i suppose, i kept saying ''nothing i'm retired'' eventually he gave up asking me and waved me on.

[JimTripper]

Answer on what your visa is issued for, nothing more.

 

If the officer is going to reject they will do it anyway, explaining further will not help your case.

Edited March 5, 2022 by JimTripper

[Daithi85]

18 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Certainly does. I would go now and try.

When does your current permit end.

My current permit doesn't end until April 20,but with deadline day march 25th it means I need to apply about 25 days early.so I have 3 choices I think, 1. use a visa agent. 2. go before deadline day and hope they accept my application.3.wait and hope they do another round of extensions. 

[jimn]

This is what makes a mockery of the Covid extension process. Designed initially to help people who cannot get home to their own countries. Yes of course people have taken advantage of it. In your case if I was you I would expect increased scrutiny of why you are coming back to Thailand so soon. Be prepared to be asked for a flight out of Thailand in 30 days and 20k baht or equivalent in cash.

[Liverpool Lou]

22 hours ago, zugzug123 said:

22 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

You're asking members here what lies you should tell Immigration to con your way in?   Seriously?  

 

Why not just get the correct visa for your visit?

And what visa would that be? And who said anything about lying? I suggest you read this thread first before commenting further, you might gain a few insights

"And what visa would that be?"

Whatever visa is available that suits your circumstances is what I'd suggest.  If there is no visa applicable to you then, either you don't come, or you play the system which has already not worked for you once.   Funny how some people think that Thailand has to offer a visa for their special circumstances.

 

"And who said anything about lying?"

Well, it's very clear from your thread that you're asking for suggested reasons for coming to Thailand to tell the IO that may not entirely represent your situation accurately.  Many people would consider that to be lying.  

 

I suggest you read this thread first before commenting further, you might gain a few insights!

Edited March 6, 2022 by Liverpool Lou

[Hummin]

16 hours ago, brianthainess said:

I was once stopped at a road check, at the time I was on a retirement visa, the cop kept  asking me "what you do in Thailand ? '' out of devilment i suppose, i kept saying ''nothing i'm retired'' eventually he gave up asking me and waved me on.

Road check by immigration? 
 

If Police or army ask, they are just courious and interested, just be polite back and answer what you want, its really not their business.

 

 

 

[connda]

On 3/4/2022 at 7:56 PM, zugzug123 said:

I will be going to Cambodia in 2 weeks and apply for a tourist visa. I am worried that on my way back at the Thai airport, the officer will leaf through my pages, see all the covid extensions and ask me what I am doing here.

It's a valid question. 

[Liverpool Lou]

21 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

For those not married or under 50 there are no easy "proper visa" to obtain. 

Exactly, that's why the answer to his situation (because he's trying to stay here in a category for which Thailand provides no visa) is not to come here unless he wants to play the tourist visa system, illegally, which has not been successful for him in the past.

 

He seems to think that Thailand has to provide a visa to suit him that enables him to live here even though that visa does not exist.     

[Liverpool Lou]

21 hours ago, Hummin said:

Some get trouble, most others dont, and thats the problem since nobody knows what the real rules are or the real practice of the rules.

Who said no one knows the Immigration rules for your circumstances?  It's very clear what they are, there is no visa that allows the OP to live here the way he wants to.  There's no disagreement about that.

Edited March 6, 2022 by Liverpool Lou

[Liverpool Lou]

On 3/4/2022 at 8:47 PM, zugzug123 said:

On 3/4/2022 at 8:46 PM, aussiexpat said:

You're on a 60 day tourist visa, immigration ask what are you doing here, oh I live here with my girlfriend in my rented condo...

 

Not hard to see why your answer does not match your visa and so would likely be questioned in any country?

 

So what should I've answered in your opinion?

In a previous response to me you said "who said anything about lying" yet here you are, clearly, asking for answers that would not have been the truth.  That would be called lying.  

Edited March 6, 2022 by Liverpool Lou

[Hummin]

15 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Who said no one knows the Immigration rules for your circumstances?  It's very clear what they are, there is no visa that allows the OP to live here the way he wants to.  There's no disagreement about that.

What I ment, there is changes to the rules to often, and practice differ from office to office and officer to officer. 
 

I posted the rules from 2016 earlier and from what I know, it is the same practiced just up to covid started. Yes, I have pointed out that earlier, that we arecnot supposed to live here by using the system in that way to stay contenious in the country by doing back to back every time crossing the border. 
 

Someone pointed that out for me yesterday, that I was abusing the system to, since I used the system how it is ment to be, by going home to my home country and work for a few months before returning on every cycle of 1-3 sometimes 4 months since project delayed, and something I could not plan for. 

[Rimmer]

A flame and a reply have been removed

[Sparktrader]

On 3/5/2022 at 12:01 AM, BritTim said:

Often, it is your demeanour rather than your actual words that carry the most weight with officials. At all costs, resist the temptation to say "answering idiotic questions from an immigration official". Otherwise, have a smile on your face, and say something in a pleasant, low volume voice.

Im here to spend $

Smile

Love yr country

[tonray]

On 3/4/2022 at 9:34 PM, stigar said:

The first thing i would ask is where you get ur money from.I would like to see ur income.Then i would do a criminal check on you.If ur statements not look rigth i would put you on a holding cell and contact ur embassy to verify if ur wanted in ur home country.The embassy could verify if you noticed ur home country and if you left with benefits ur suppose to only recive if ur in ur country of origin.

Someone's been watching NCIS Los Angeles

[Hummin]

1 minute ago, tonray said:

Someone's been watching NCIS Los Angeles

Border security Australia? Tv show

[Daithi85]

2 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Exactly, that's why the answer to his situation (because he's trying to stay here in a category for which Thailand provides no visa) is not to come here unless he wants to play the tourist visa system, illegally, which has not been successful for him in the past.

 

He seems to think that Thailand has to provide a visa to suit him that enables him to live here even though that visa does not exist.     

What's illegal? Nothing illegal about getting back to back visas.

 

 

 

Edited March 6, 2022 by Daithi85
.

[KhunLA]

5 minutes ago, Daithi85 said:

What's illegal? Nothing illegal about getting back to back visas.

 

 

 

Getting visa, no prob, but them allowing you to use is a different story.  Pre C19 and they frowned upon staying more than 90 days at a time or 180 day a year, if PP showing long stay by those means.   As OP realizes, paging through his PP, it will be easy to see he abused the system, with different ways to stay, and TV simply another.   Exhausting other types of visas.

 

It may get issued, but using it on return quite possible could be a problem.   Though since starving for tourist, I don't think they'll be turning anyone away.

[Hummin]

12 minutes ago, Daithi85 said:

What's illegal? Nothing illegal about getting back to back visas.

 

 

 

Only thing you risk is a note in your passport, and next time you will be asked to go back and get a proper visa. 
 

 

[Daithi85]

11 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Getting visa, no prob, but them allowing you to use is a different story.  Pre C19 and they frowned upon staying more than 90 days at a time or 180 day a year, if PP showing long stay by those means.   As OP realizes, paging through his PP, it will be easy to see he abused the system, with different ways to stay, and TV simply another.   Exhausting other types of visas.

 

It may get issued, but using it on return quite possible could be a problem.   Though since starving for tourist, I don't think they'll be turning anyone away.

There  was never any problem staying more than 90 days out of 180 at least not in the past 15 years, I've never once been stopped or questioned when coming back across the border after getting my visa..some might get a red warning stamp when applying at an embassy if they have a few visas already,  which makes it more difficult to get another visa but not impossible. 

[Hummin]

35 minutes ago, Daithi85 said:

There  was never any problem staying more than 90 days out of 180 at least not in the past 15 years, I've never once been stopped or questioned when coming back across the border after getting my visa..some might get a red warning stamp when applying at an embassy if they have a few visas already,  which makes it more difficult to get another visa but not impossible. 

Always somebody who was questioned for some reasons out of the x numbers of those I have met who where diving instructors, dj/bar workers or just lazy beach bums, and a few of them got in trouble of different reasons. Most likely the officer had a bad day or didnt like the person out of many reason’s  ????

 

Still see many at the Islands around where expat working restaurants, bar, dj, even selling stuff at the markeds openly among locals now on covid amnesty. 

Edited March 6, 2022 by Hummin

[BKKTRAVELER]

3 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Though since starving for tourist, I don't think they'll be turning anyone away.

That would be logical thinking but I don't they are going that far. I can see immigration at airports turning people away as easily as they did pre Covid without realizing it is actually hurting their own country (hotels, restaurants, shops, travel agencies etc.).

 

Also, if they wanted to keep foreigners in as they are desperate for tourists, they should not have stopped Covid extension and would have alerted each immigration office to offer them to foreigners at all cost. They get income from these extensions and foreigners stay here and spend their money here.

 

Clearly, this is not their angle. Go figure...

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, BKKTRAVELER said:

That would be logical thinking but I don't they are going that far. I can see immigration at airports turning people away as easily as they did pre Covid without realizing it is actually hurting their own country (hotels, restaurants, shops, travel agencies etc.).

 

Also, if they wanted to keep foreigners in as they are desperate for tourists, they should not have stopped Covid extension and would have alerted each immigration office to offer them to foreigners at all cost. They get income from these extensions and foreigners stay here and spend their money here.

 

Clearly, this is not their angle. Go figure...

Most countries, including first world countries, have a certain amount of paranoia over foreigners. Why expect Thailand to be different? Sure, benefits foreigners bring to the economy far outweigh the rare cases where they cause serious problems. However, that is not the way government officials, and most of the public at large, think. Look at how they overreact to the idea of some foreigners overstaying their permissions to stay while causing absolutely no other issues. It is the tribal instinct that we have inherited from the stone age.

[Lacessit]

On 3/5/2022 at 12:07 PM, bkk6060 said:

Just answer honestly. 

I had an officer once ask me: you come here you like to boom boom Thai lady?  I said; Yes sure.  We both laughed and on I went.

I've been tempted to say I am here to pay 2 million baht in sin sod, but I have never had the courage to test an IO's sense of humor.

[Onerak]

On 3/4/2022 at 8:42 PM, Hummin said:

If your intention is to stay longer you have to apply for proper visa for your purpose because you are no longer reckoned as a tourist 

What's the proper visa and any info when the five year nomad visa will be available for 40/80K USD incomes?

Edited March 6, 2022 by Onerak

[BKKTRAVELER]

3 hours ago, BritTim said:

Most countries, including first world countries, have a certain amount of paranoia over foreigners. Why expect Thailand to be different? Sure, benefits foreigners bring to the economy far outweigh the rare cases where they cause serious problems. However, that is not the way government officials, and most of the public at large, think. Look at how they overreact to the idea of some foreigners overstaying their permissions to stay while causing absolutely no other issues. It is the tribal instinct that we have inherited from the stone age.

I understand your point, but not many countries rely on tourism as much as Thailand. The overall economic situation is still precarious and they should recognize that. That's all I'm saying.