45 day visa exempt entry after volunteer and than ED visa

[12Gon]

Hi!

 

I arrived in Thailand on a tourist visa from home EU country October 2019. Followed by a visa run to Vietnam I arrived in Thailand with a tourist visa Jan 2020. Visa exempt entry from Laos in late March 2020, then staying a few more months on the no need for visa because of Covid. 

After that, I got tricked by the agent and got a dodgy volunteer visa from Korat . Next year I was on a student visa, which expires soon.

 

Question number 1. 

If I now go to a neighboring country and fly in on a 45 day visa exempt entry is it likely to cause any problems at the arrival back in BKK?

I heard immigration is asked to look after the volunteer visa's issued in Korat.

If it would create any problems would that problem go away in case I get a real 60 days tourist visa instead?  

 

Question number 2.

If going in on 45 day visa exempt entry is possible without causing any problems. Would it likely be OK to repeat the same procedure in 2.5 months? (45 days visa exempt entry from neighboring country + one month extension at the local immigration office) 

 

Does this seem to be an OK plan to stay longer or should I find other solutions?

 

Thanks in advance:)

 

Edited September 27, 2022 by 12Gon

[BritTim]

Nobody can say for sure, but you would be well advised to arrange entering by land if you want to rely on visa exemptions. When you enter by air, it is up to the discretion of the immigration officials whether to grant you the visa exemption. With your recent immigration history, I would be very nervous.

 

At most land crossings, you are pretty safe relying on visa exempt entry twice per calendar year. Avoid the Poipet/Aranyaprathet border crossing with Cambodia, though.

[12Gon]

34 minutes ago, BritTim said:

Nobody can say for sure, but you would be well advised to arrange entering by land if you want to rely on visa exemptions. When you enter by air, it is up to the discretion of the immigration officials whether to grant you the visa exemption. With your recent immigration history, I would be very nervous.

Thanks a lot for your reply.

In case I get a proper 60 days tourist visa it is no longer up to the discretion of the immigration officials whether to grant entrance to Thailand or could they still stop me?

[JayClay]

4 hours ago, 12Gon said:

In case I get a proper 60 days tourist visa it is no longer up to the discretion of the immigration officials whether to grant entrance to Thailand or could they still stop me?

Technically I believe they still have the power of discretion, but they're far, far less likely to exercise it if you have a valid visa.

[BritTim]

7 hours ago, 12Gon said:

Thanks a lot for your reply.

In case I get a proper 60 days tourist visa it is no longer up to the discretion of the immigration officials whether to grant entrance to Thailand or could they still stop me?

According to the Thai Immigration Act, Immigration officials are only supposed to deny you entry with a visa for reasons specified in Section 12 of the Act. Unlike with visa exemption, the intent is that entry with a visa is permitted or denied according to clear cut criteria, with the officials not having discretion. At some airports, the law is strictly followed in that respect. However, in recent years, at some airports, notably both Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang, officials have occasionally taken to denying entry with tourist visas.

 

When they do so, they must pretend, officially, that it is pursuant to one of the reasons specified in Section 12 of the Act. They will only tell you verbally the real (improper) reason why they decided to deny you entry. The denial stamp in your passport will give a bogus reason (often claiming, for instance, that you have no visible source of income for your stay in Thailand). Under Section 22 of the Act, you are supposed to be able to appeal this, but Immigration will prevent you from submitting an appeal.

[DrJack54]

10 hours ago, 12Gon said:

Question number 1. 

If I now go to a neighboring country and fly in on a 45 day visa exempt entry is it likely to cause any problems at the arrival back in BKK?

I heard immigration is asked to look after the volunteer visa's issued in Korat.

If it would create any problems would that problem go away in case I get a real 60 days tourist visa instead?  

 

Question number 2.

If going in on 45 day visa exempt entry is possible without causing any problems. Would it likely be OK to repeat the same procedure in 2.5 months? (45 days visa exempt entry from neighboring country + one month extension at the local immigration office)

Keep in mind the answers are just people's opinions as there is no stated limit to visa exempt entries via air.

IMO with your history and very little time spent out of Thailand I would suggest flying out and back in visa exempt would be crazy.

That's my advice for Q1 and that means Q2 is a no brainer.

If you had to fly then trip to nearby city eg Saigon where you could apply for tourist visa MIGHT be possible. 

 

My advice would be to stick to land border entries (border bounce) 

You can do 2 per calendar year with extension to each. 

[travelerjim]

Whatever you do...

Don't fly into Thailand.

Your history makes you a marked man.

Enter only by land border crossings...

Laos is Best bet for you... Good Luck ????