A big THANKS in advance for your time and consideration !!! I have been in TH for several years. Tourist visas, with visa runs. I attended college, education visas and I worked for an NGO, volunteer visas. I have to go back to CA to get a new passport and see family. I will apply for a 60 day tourist visa there. Is there a period of time out of country, TH, that will minimize the ire of immigration officials upon re-entry at the BKK airport? 1/2/3/6 months? Am I better served to re-enter via a border crossing or one of the other "local" airports? THANKS !!!

 

PS I ask this because a Canadian friend of mine who lived here for years, visa runs, special visa, was denied entry at BKK in 2019 having a 60 day tourist visa in hand. Evidently, many people were denied entry in 2018/2019 because of their "visa history". Stepping out of TH for 1 day only works for so long if your under age 50. 

Why was he denied entry to the kingdom? Overstay?

at some stage chiang mai airport might open for international arrivals. Probably in the autumn.

Stay in canada, until you have connection to chian mai

10 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Why was he denied entry to the kingdom? Overstay?

No overstay. They did not like his "visa history". Evidently it was very common in 2018/2019, cracking down on visa runners. 

11 minutes ago, CaptainAdcap said:

No overstay. They did not like his "visa history". Evidently it was very common in 2018/2019, cracking down on visa runners. 

Never heard they did that arriving BKK airport with TV without some kind of warning the last entry.

 

But if you say so, it's my first. 

2 hours ago, CaptainAdcap said:

Evidently, many people were denied entry in 2018/2019 because of their "visa history". Stepping out of TH for 1 day only works for so long if your under age 50. 

That's exactly correct.

BKK airport and also DMK in the main.

Since then we have basically had covid and what happens with folk that have been here last couple of years and now exit and reenter with a tourist visa is difficult to predict. 

Obviously obtain a tourist visa. 

How long to stay out is anyone's guess. 

You have the option of PE visa.

Uta-pao, Chiang mai, and Hat Yai were a safe bet pre covid. No denial reports but again the numbers of international arrival were minuscule compared to BKK and DMK. BKK and DMK were  notorious in denying entry to perpetual tourists. There is no way to predict the current situations. Only time will tell. 

3 hours ago, internationalism said:

at some stage chiang mai airport might open for international arrivals. Probably in the autumn.

Stay in canada, until you have connection to chian mai

I have always found immigration at CNX to be reasonable. For very long stayers who knows. Flights operating now from KUL with AA or SIN with Scoot.

8 hours ago, CaptainAdcap said:

1/2/3/6 months?

Nobody will be able to give you a definitive answer to that question. Different IOs have different ideas, and ultimately, they can make things up as they go.

 

With a fresh passport and having a tourist visa, at least your history won't stare the IO in the face when inspecting your passport. Now, if you happen to get a stickler who looks it up in the computer, who knows. Make sure you have the itinerary of a tourist, and proof to back it up if questioned (hotel booking, onward flight, cash).

16 minutes ago, Caldera said:

Make sure you have the itinerary of a tourist, and proof to back it up if questioned (hotel booking, onward flight, cash).

OP, this advice from Caldera is 100% on the money. 

Have an organized itinerary to show exactly as suggested in above quote.

Does not need to be genuine but requires detail rather than vague statement of your plans.

27 minutes ago, Caldera said:

With a fresh passport and having a tourist visa, at least your history won't stare the IO in the face when inspecting your passport.

Immigration have the passenger list (APIS/APPS), already scanned and highlighted within 30 minutes of the aircraft's departure to THL.

 

While thailand is sieve-like for criminals, convicted drug traffickers and hit-men, they may bounce your name/nationality against their database for additional scrutiny.

 

Maybe wait an extra few months to see how others fare first?

 

 

11 hours ago, Hummin said:

Never heard they did that arriving BKK airport with TV without some kind of warning the last entry.

 

But if you say so, it's my first. 

There have been many scattered reports of this over the years. Seems to be luck of the draw.

 

Basically it occurs when the IO thinks, based on the history of visas/extensions/stays, that you are actually living long term in Thailand without the correct type of visa -- and is in the mood to make an issue out of it.

 

Sometimes people are let in after a lot of questioning and then a warning that it is "last time, and get a proper visa". I other cases people have been refused entry. Not super common but it does happen.

 

Things that seem to set them off are: virtually back to back entries on TR or visa exempt, or being here more than 180 days out of a year without a long term visa. (Presumably OP did have a long term Ed visa for part of the time he was here).

 

That does not mean everyone who meets those descriptors will have a problem. Most get stamped right in. Others, stamped in after a few questions. It is a minority that get seriously hassled or refused entry. But there is no way of predicting if it will happen to you.

 

OP, if it were me, I'd give it a few (2-3) months, longer if that is nto to inconvenient for you.  And have answers prepared in case asked about your prior stays and current reason for entry.

 

 

 

19 hours ago, CaptainAdcap said:

Evidently, many people were denied entry in 2018/2019 because of their "visa history". Stepping out of TH for 1 day only works for so long if your under age 50. 

I had problems too in late 2019 and early 2020, and I was already 50.