Reception at Suvarnabhumi immigration for Filipina

[bradiston]

From a mate whose Filipina gf (I've changed the names) recently came through immigration at Suvarnabhumi from Manila:

 

"Jenny got back but immigration gave her a lot of hassle. They took her to the Detention center and questioned her. Said she had stayed in Thailand too long and tried to get her to buy a ticket back to Phil. They kept saying you’ve stayed in Thailand long time; you buy ticket and go home now, to stay in Thailand a long time you need a Non IMM “0” Visa. She says I can’t get I’m too young and not married. They then said why you not married you’ve been in Thailand a long time with boyfriend. Fortunately, she stood up for herself and refused to buy a return ticket, said I’ve already got a return ticket and I’ve done nothing wrong and always left before my Visa expired. I Spoke with her on the phone while she’s being questioned and told her to ask for a reason for refused entry in writing if they don't let her in. I tried to speak with them but they refused to take the phone from her to speak with me. Would have said you issued her the visas so how can she have stayed too long. Three of them then took her phone off her and went through it. Asked questions about every photo, who are you with, where was it taken etc. Found nothing wrong there so they then said they didn’t believe she had paid for a return ticket although she had shown them the booking details with Cebu Pacific. She called me again and I emailed the receipt for payment. They still said they still didn’t believe she was going back and called Cebu Pacific Airlines to check the validity of the return ticket.  They eventually said they would let her in but she must leave by the XXth Sept which is her return flight to Manila or she would be banned from entering Thailand for life. Kept her in the airport for over 3 hours.   I went to the XXXXXX school on Monday with her and told the story, seems there is an issue between Airport Immigration and XXXXXX immigration, I guess because they’re not getting any money out of it. The school spoke with XXXXXX Immigration and said no problem they are just trying to scare other Asians from coming in under such Visas. Pity I wasn’t with her, could have made them look stupid. Seems they have racial issues with other Asians, I’ve seen it with Cambodians, Thais treat them like dogs.  A new education visa is now in progress, been to XXXXXX immigration today, they took her photo and should get the visa in about 2 weeks, nothing was said about earlier visas. . I’m assured there’s no problem by XXXXXX. Seems they were looking for a reason to refuse entry but couldn’t find one so had to let her in. The previous Visas were all in order and never any overstay."

 

For a citizen of an ASEAN country, it's incredible. What's the point? I recall back in the 80s when I flew to the UK with my newly wedded Thai wife, they tried it on at Heathrow, but I simply wouldn't permit us being separated. They didn't push it (until we came back from a trip to France, that is). I'd been warned by the nice lady at the British Embassy in Bangkok.

[richard_smith237]

Is she working at a School here ? Entering visa exempt ?

[Mac Mickmanus]

Why has Jenny been in Thailand for such a long time ?

If she wants to stay in Thailand for a long time, she needs to get a long time visa .

   People cannot stay long tome on short time visas 

[bradiston]

16 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Why has Jenny been in Thailand for such a long time ?

If she wants to stay in Thailand for a long time, she needs to get a long time visa .

   People cannot stay long tome on short time visas 

She had an ed visa, then COVID extensions I think, then went back to Philippines.

[Mac Mickmanus]

Just now, bradiston said:

She had an ed visa, then COVID extensions I think, then went back to Philippines.

Why did she come back to Thailand this time ?

[bradiston]

Just now, Mac Mickmanus said:

Why did she come back to Thailand this time ?

To be with her bf. She's applying for another ed visa.

[Mac Mickmanus]

1 minute ago, bradiston said:

To be with her bf. She's applying for another ed visa.

Is she working in Thailand ?

[bradiston]

3 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Is she working in Thailand ?

No.

[Mac Mickmanus]

2 minutes ago, bradiston said:

No.

A very generous boyfriend , paying for her School , Visas and flights and living expenses and everything else .

   What job does he do ?

[bradiston]

I guess I should add, I'm not really in a position to answer questions about this. I was just amazed at the hostility shown by the immigration officers at Suvarnabhumi. It's not the first time, either. She's been detained before against for no apparent reason. I've heard stories of them simply putting filipinas back on the next flight to Manila .

[bradiston]

Just now, Mac Mickmanus said:

A very generous boyfriend , paying for her School , Visas and flights and living expenses and everything else .

   What job does he do ?

Er, excuse me?

[Mac Mickmanus]

1 minute ago, bradiston said:

Er, excuse me?

Where does her income come from ?

[bradiston]

5 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Where does her income come from ?

She lives with him. But that doesn't seem to have been the gist of their interrogation. They were concerned at the length of time she'd spent in Thailand. No questions about how she supported herself. They went on to say,  "You just come to our country to enjoy enjoy". Bizarre.

Edited August 29, 2022 by bradiston

[richard_smith237]

 

So... she was returning to Thailand after a series of recent longer visits. 

She lives with her older boyfriend. She doesn’t work in Thailand. 

 

She was profiled...   Its a (sometimes) harsh reality of travelling and younger attractive women travelling alone are often profiled more..... 

 

 

I see single Thai girls arriving in the UK getting asked far more questions than my Wife and I are upon entry. 

I travel in and out of Thailand monthly. If I was returning on a Tourist Visa or Visa exempt each time I would expect to get asked some questions as the Immigration officials ascertain if I am working here etc... 

 

 

 

 

[Mac Mickmanus]

18 minutes ago, bradiston said:

She lives with him. But that doesn't seem to have been the gist of their interrogation. They were concerned at the length of time she'd spent in Thailand. No questions about how she supported herself. They went on to say,  "You just come to our country to enjoy enjoy". Bizarre.

Yes, but She entered Thailand on a tourist visa and her intention was to stay long term in Thailand .

   Immigration could have refused her entry for trying to enter Thailand on the wrong visa 

[bradiston]

<defamatory comment removed>

12 hours ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Yes, but She entered Thailand on a tourist visa and her intention was to stay long term in Thailand .

   Immigration could have refused her entry for trying to enter Thailand on the wrong visa 

So how many of us have come in on a short term visa and converted to a non imm o? In fact I've no idea what her plans are, or were. They didn't accuse her of trying to flout any rules, just that they didn't like that she'd stayed here before long term, mostly due to COVID. Her mum died in that time and she wasn't able to fly back. It's just the way they denigrated her, insisting she buy a ticket and fly straight back. I know they do that. And like I said before, these are ASEAN countries. They seem to get the very worst treatment, as my mate pointed out.

Edited August 30, 2022 by ubonjoe

[BritTim]

1 minute ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Just out of curiosity, where did they meet and how long have they been a couple for and why did She initially go to Thailand ?

While about it, how about asking if his children approve of the relationship, his religion, and what kinds of presents he buys for his GF's children. I find your line of questioning absolutely disgusting.

[Scott]

Off-topic, inflammatory, troll posts and replies reported and removed.

 

[BritTim]

2 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Its only the same line of questioning immigration world wide as young single females travelling alone.... 

 

The guy (Op and his ‘friend’) are upset that Immigration profiled a single, 32 y/o female, repeat visitor, no work.... 

 

It seems you [BritTim] are also upset by this and have brought an ‘ism’ into this... when its profiling and Mac is asking the same questions many of us are thinking.... 

 

Why was this lady questioned in this harsh manner ???.... its pretty obvious IMO, even if we all agree that its not nice. 

They had no evidence of the young lady doing anything wrong. In spite of this, they tried to pressure her into buying a ticket and immediately returning to Manila. You and I disagree if you think that every good looking woman up to a specific age should be pressured into returning to her home country if she dares to try to spend more than some arbitrary amount of time (as determined by the official) in Thailand. Do you think the same rule should be applied to attractive young men?

[bradiston]

9 minutes ago, BritTim said:

They had no evidence of the young lady doing anything wrong. In spite of this, they tried to pressure her into buying a ticket and immediately returning to Manila. You and I disagree if you think that every good looking woman up to a specific age should be pressured into returning to her home country if she dares to try to spend more than some arbitrary amount of time (as determined by the official) in Thailand. Do you think the same rule should be applied to attractive young men?

Good question. Why is it that "young" women are forced to undergo this treatment. My daughter flies out here usually twice a year. She's never had this treatment. I guess the problem is, young Thai women get the ball rolling by getting repeatedly caught and deported in, for instance, South Korea. Little ghosts? Yeah, nudge nudge wink wink. We men know what's going on, don't we? And even if we spend half our remaining years hanging out in bars and xxxxxing young Thais, doesn't mean we have to let the other ASEAN tarts in, does it? Oh, the wretched male ego!

[it is what it is]

 

to back up this criticism you need to provide further details, how long had she previously been in thailand and on what basis? possibly immigration had a point, but without the full facts we don't know

[AsianAtHeart]

One thing to be aware of, that I see alluded to in the OP's description of the questioning, is that the Philippines has some unusual rules, which are similar to some rules Thailand has, but the Philippines has typically been more strict.

 

You cannot even board a plane to the Philippines, as a visitor to the country, without having a return ticket.  Because return tickets to the Philippines typically do not extend to a full year (is it six months?), students going to the Philippines may buy a ticket that they must throw away--just a "sunk cost" or a tax, however you choose to see it, to get into the country.  Of course the airlines have plenty of incentive to enforce it, so you won't even get on a flight from KL without having the proof of return ticket.

 

Because so many tickets of this nature were just wasted, companies have sprung up which now allow people to "rent" a ticket--go figure.  And Thailand would have been a bit suspicious, especially of a Philippine airline, that this lady's return ticket might have been unauthentic, just a temporary, perhaps rented, one.  Because Thailand also wants proof of onward travel.

[nightfox]

Tell your friends girlfriend that her immigration at Manila airport does the same exact thing to other Asians as I had a few Thai friends that went through the same drilling questions at Manila airport as my experience with Philippine immigration are no better then the Thais.

[scubascuba3]

5 hours ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

I just wondered what the back story was .

30 year olds Filipina woman  goes on holiday to Thailand , meets a 75 year old  Western man, falls in love and decided to quit her life in Philippines  and live in Thailand instead ?

Usually they meet them in Philippines and bring them to Thailand, much more difficult to meet one in Thailand

[steve187]

7 hours ago, bradiston said:

It's really quite odd. I posted here really to see what people's reactions would be to the treatment she got from the 3 chimpanzees down at Suvarnabhumi, who acted like the dawn of consciousness hadn't quite su

So how many of us have come in on a short term visa and converted to a non imm o? In fact I've no idea what her plans are, or were. They didn't accuse her of trying to flout any rules, just that they didn't like that she'd stayed here before long term, mostly due to COVID. Her mum died in that time and she wasn't able to fly back. It's just the way they denigrated her, insisting she buy a ticket and fly straight back. I know they do that. And like I said before, these are ASEAN countries. They seem to get the very worst treatment, as my mate pointed out.

it seems to me she is staying under any means that she can, ed visa, repeated covid extensions, and immigration are suspicious, the same thing has been reported on here many times over the years, for many different nationalities, it used to be visa exempt border hops, but they put restrictions on them at land borders, then it was repeated tourist visa's then ed visas and now its volunteer visa's,

there will always be people trying to stay long term in Thailand when there is no suitable long term visa for them, maybe the 'rich' boyfriend should buy her an elite visa.

[OJAS]

1 hour ago, steve187 said:

maybe the 'rich' boyfriend should buy her an elite visa.

Or marry her. If he is a Thai national she would then become eligible for a non-O visa for marriage followed by annual extensions of stay when she would be given a much easier time by Immigration than is the case with foreign men married to Thai women. If he is not a Thai she would then become eligible for a non-O visa and subsequent annual extensions of stay on the grounds of being his dependant.

 

 

Edited August 30, 2022 by OJAS

[swm59nj]

Immigration officers in all countries might overly question someone.  Based on the persons entering the countries history.  And they probably do profile certain people.  That is the way immigration functions.  
When I go to the private hospital here in Bangkok for example.  My health insurance pays for my medical care 100%.  But when I go to a cashier to sign the paperwork.  Some have insisted I have to pay or pay something. Some even have gotten argumentative.   Even though they see paperwork from my insurance saying I don’t.  Like I’m a foreigner trying to escape without paying. 

[iaminwa]

11 hours ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

A very generous boyfriend , paying for her School , Visas and flights and living expenses and everything else .

   What job does he do ?

A lot of guys living in Thailand prefer Filipina girlfriends over Thai girls. I am one of them.

 

I know quite a few guys living here in retirement who bring in their girlfriends from the Philippines to live here with them.

 

He still comes out way ahead in costs with his Philippine investment!

<removed>

Edited August 30, 2022 by iaminwa
A Thai bashing comment has been removed (forum rule)

[BritTim]

5 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Usually they meet them in Philippines and bring them to Thailand, much more difficult to meet one in Thailand

More difficult, but not impossible. I have had dates with two "respectable" Filipinas in Thailand, though neither lead to a physical relationship.

[mikeymike100]

11 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

So... she was returning to Thailand after a series of recent longer visits. 

She lives with her older boyfriend. She doesn’t work in Thailand. 

 

She was profiled...   Its a (sometimes) harsh reality of travelling and younger attractive women travelling alone are often profiled more..... 

 

 

I see single Thai girls arriving in the UK getting asked far more questions than my Wife and I are upon entry. 

I travel in and out of Thailand monthly. If I was returning on a Tourist Visa or Visa exempt each time I would expect to get asked some questions as the Immigration officials ascertain if I am working here etc... 

 

 

 

 

I have seen a similar thing happen in Singapore, when Thai girls or Filipinas  try to enter at immigration.