Why is Thai immigration so <deleted>ty?

[gejohesch]

I’m a EU citizen. I came in via BKK 1 month ago. As I planned to stay for a long period and did not want to go to the local immigration (in Khon Kaen), I got a visa for 60 days from the Thai embassy in the country where I am resident (not my own EU country, but another EU country). I expected to go like a breeze through immigration at the BKK airport but the officer there asked me so many questions I could not believe it. In particular he repeatedly asked for my boarding card. I could not understand as I had already given him my boarding card for the flight from Dubai to BKK. Eventually, I thought OK that guy wants the whole story, does he not? So I fished from my files and docs the boarding pass for the flight from Europe to Dubai. That seemed to satisfy him to some extent. That was beside questions on where I was going to stay, which was with my GF up country.

 

So this is where I’m a bit puzzled: with a visa from a Thai embassy, for which I already had to provide all sorts of docs including my GF’s details (bat prachachon, tabian baan etc), why should I get such a barrage at immigration? The officer was at the limit of being unpleasant. I struggled to stay calm, knowing full well that showing any sign of impatience or frustration would only make the process lengthier and more painful.

 

<deleted> is going on with those people? Is that the way to welcome foreign visitors?

 

I have a long history with Thailand, I even worked in Bangkok for a few years (with a Thai company). I must say, if it was not for my GF of so many years, I would have stopped coming back to this country a long time ago! There are quite a few nice and welcoming countries other than Thailand that I can think of, easier in many respects and not more expensive!

[problemfarang]

4 hours ago, gejohesch said:

but the officer there asked me so many questions I could not believe it.

and i cannot believe why you so surprised when an IO doing his job.

 

4 hours ago, gejohesch said:

So this is where I’m a bit puzzled: with a visa from a Thai embassy, for which I already had to provide all sorts of docs including my GF’s details

having a visa doesnt  means you will granted to the country. which is very normal if there is a reason IO believes you are not welcome here for a reason. IO has the full power to reject you. 

 

4 hours ago, gejohesch said:

I have a long history with Thailand

here it comes... you answered all of your questions. 

there must be something IO noticed on your previous visits or something like that.

 

 

so, i think you need to calm down and let it go. I dont think IO was wrong. seems you were not too. But he just wanted some info or maybe check few things which is so normal. 

I have friends cancelled their non-b and left the country to get a new tourist visa so they can find a work or do their paper work for another non-b.. thai embassy didnt give them TR visa and told them 'you stay long time already, go back to your country and get a visa from there' and believe me they deserved more than you to come back to thailand

i think that explains why you need to calm down

Edited December 19, 2022 by problemfarang

[sezze]

I can see why you are unhappy with it, but look at it the other way around. These people are just doing their job, meaning they want to find out who is coming in and why and do we have any reason to doubt it. Maybe he seen something wrong , maybe he just had a bad day , maybe they just had new instructions. For me it seems he asked some questions and not just stamp/stamp .. . You were not set aside , not had a private conversation/investigation . Yes that experience isn't the most pleasant start but imho ok . I had costums officers asking more questions or even officers asking second amount of paperwork like ID/drivers license to check if my passport was correct.

Look at people from Thailand are handled with correct paperwork are handled by EU immigration officers . They are actually set apart and do get a 10 min talk/investigation (did bring in my GF for a holiday over few years ago).

Is doing some checks correct? I think it is , it is their job and as long as you have been treated correct, i think it is fine.

[LennyW]

Having a visa from an embassy in another country is no guarantee of entry, the final decision lies with the IO at the counter you pass through on arrival in Thailand.

[JayBird]

He's suspecting that you are not a real tourist but rather someone using the tourist visa to stay for non tourist reasons.  Perhaps planning to live here or maybe even a possible over stayer.

 

Given your travel history and that you are not staying in a hotel, he has reason 

[ezzra]

Thai immigration department is a conglomerate on itself, what with the shenanigan's of dealing with agents with a huge pack of passports belongs to faceless people who pays for that service from home and never mind 400-800,000 baht and many other short cuts for the right people, so with with the Imm. department you need to dance to their tune as sill and annoying as it sounds and feels...

[essex boys]

Immigration just doing their job, they have the right to ask you questions and request your travel documents regarding  your travel to and your stay in Thailand, it’s no different than any other country, and even if your paperwork is correct they can still refuse you entry,  even those that live here are not guaranteed that their yearly extension of stay will be approved. But now you are here enjoy your stay 

[new2here]

At the end of the day, “visas” really act as an administrative advance documentation check if you will.. think of it as a “pre” approval..

but… it is in in most all countries, the mere fact that a foreigner holds a legitimately obtained visa, does not then somehow automatically mean you’ll be admitted nor does it prohibit the local on-site immigration officials from verifying your eligibility for entry *at the time of your actual arrival* in the country..

 

It is what it is… and to be fair to Thailand, IMHO, not unique to Thailand nor a practice that’s not equally used around the world either 

 

 

[andygrr]

No different to any other country if the IO thinks you look nervous or a little out of place, they might want to question you. They also randomly stop and check visitors. If you have nothing to hide what's the problem. They are just doing their job. 

[lom]

13 hours ago, gejohesch said:

<deleted> is going on with those people? Is that the way to welcome foreign visitors?

I guess you have never been to the U.S and been questioned by their immigration staff.

Or Israel...

[Hummin]

I guess you will be surprised when you bring your gf for a visit to europe, the smount of details, questions and papers needed to be presented at the border of your destination. 
 

 

[daveAustin]

You’re not really a tourist but have a tourist visa. They’ll dig a bit on every one-in-so-many that doesn’t quite fit. Can also attest to the hassle of visiting the US (pre-911) even with minimal previous visits. I’ll take Thai immigration any day over that kind of ‘welcome’, thanks. 

[TimeMachine]

Most of us think how it used to back 10,15 years ago and compare it to the easy got visa for 1 year and no hassles from immigration at all. But now the new generations are being more and more controlled and hindered. I feel sorry for the future generations. It's not gonna be pretty.

[Hummin]

5 minutes ago, TimeMachine said:

Most of us think how it used to back 10,15 years ago and compare it to the easy got visa for 1 year and no hassles from immigration at all. But now the new generations are being more and more controlled and hindered. I feel sorry for the future generations. It's not gonna be pretty.

I hear Cambodia and Vietnam is better for those who can not and will not accept how Thai Immigration works. 
 

Being annoyed by an officer who is doing his job, is a personal thing. If every tourist followed the rules, and behaved, we would not have any problems meeting the immigration, right? 

Edited December 20, 2022 by Hummin

[Sydebolle]

Maybe a silly question but why on Earth does an immigration officer need to see you boarding pass once you have arrived? 
On departure I would understand, although there as well it is irrelevant. What counts is valid travel papers and, depending on local regulations, presentation of a visa which allows to arrive in the country. Access into the country remains at the decision of the immigration department as per pre-defined rules. 

Hence, what is that story with the boarding pass now? 

[Caldera]

Nothing much to see, it's just a blend of incompetence and power tripping at work.

 

They're members of the same police farce that can comb Pattaya and claim they haven't found any prostitutes, after all.

[pomchop]

5 minutes ago, Sydebolle said:

Maybe a silly question but why on Earth does an immigration officer need to see you boarding pass once you have arrived? 
On departure I would understand, although there as well it is irrelevant. What counts is valid travel papers and, depending on local regulations, presentation of a visa which allows to arrive in the country. Access into the country remains at the decision of the immigration department as per pre-defined rules. 

Hence, what is that story with the boarding pass now? 

good question..

 

another one:   when i went to jomtiem immigration to extend my 60 day tourist visa an extra 30 days they wanted a copy of my original e visa which of course i had shown to bkk immigration on arrival and there was no problem and it was all stamped into my passport tourist visa and given 60 days...so the jomtiem  immigration want to see what bkk immigration had already seen 60 days before...not sure why but pull it up on phone and show it to them... but NO have to provide a printed copy to them...so  back to the copy place to get printed  to give them a copy of the original tourist visa provided by the thai govt and already looked at and approved by bkk immigration.....can't think of any reason why they need printed copy but they were insistent so no choice.  Nothing weird or suspicious  re my visits or previous visas to thailand and haven't even been here in 3 years....Any idea why this was required?

[BumGun]

14 hours ago, gejohesch said:

why should I get such a barrage at immigration?

??? odd question,  a visa isn't a guarantee of entry THAT decision is made by the immigration official upon arrival. AFAIK that's the same in every country in the world

[mlkik]

22 minutes ago, Sydebolle said:

Maybe a silly question but why on Earth does an immigration officer need to see you boarding pass once you have arrived? 
On departure I would understand, although there as well it is irrelevant. What counts is valid travel papers and, depending on local regulations, presentation of a visa which allows to arrive in the country. Access into the country remains at the decision of the immigration department as per pre-defined rules. 

Hence, what is that story with the boarding pass now? 

Previously all non Thais would have to fill out a landing card and this would have your flight details on it and the flight number is always hand written near the entry and departure stamps.

The Landing cards have been suspended at the moment ,hence the need to give Immigration your boarding pass.

[swm59nj]

Immigration officials will ask questions in any country you are entering.  They will ask as many as they feel necessary.  
If you show you are hesitant or act bothered.  You will look suspicious and they will ask even more questions.  Possibility taking you to a private area 
 

[chuang]

Entry to any country is a privilege no a right .

Getting feral over the IO wanting to see your boarding pass is hilarious ????????

 

[OJAS]

2 hours ago, sezze said:

Look at people from Thailand are handled with correct paperwork are handled by EU immigration officers . They are actually set apart and do get a 10 min talk/investigation (did bring in my GF for a holiday over few years ago).

And this coming on top of the various bureaucratic hurdles which you and your GF no doubt had to surmount in order to obtain the necessary Schengen visa for her (which appears to me to require considerably more effort being expended than that required by a Westerner in obtaining a tourist visa for Thailand).

 

@gejohesch - so is it really the case that you and your GF have, to date, never attempted to obtain a Schengen visa to enable her to visit your home country, then?

 

 

 

Edited December 20, 2022 by OJAS

[jimn]

36 minutes ago, pomchop said:

good question..

 

another one:   when i went to jomtiem immigration to extend my 60 day tourist visa an extra 30 days they wanted a copy of my original e visa which of course i had shown to bkk immigration on arrival and there was no problem and it was all stamped into my passport tourist visa and given 60 days...so the jomtiem  immigration want to see what bkk immigration had already seen 60 days before...not sure why but pull it up on phone and show it to them... but NO have to provide a printed copy to them...so  back to the copy place to get printed  to give them a copy of the original tourist visa provided by the thai govt and already looked at and approved by bkk immigration.....can't think of any reason why they need printed copy but they were insistent so no choice.  Nothing weird or suspicious  re my visits or previous visas to thailand and haven't even been here in 3 years....Any idea why this was required?

You are so naive. To get an extension of any kind, even a 1 year extension of stay. You need paper copies of previous visa, entry stamp, copy of previous extension. Its always been like that, surprised you dont know.

[Lacessit]

IMO the IO saw something in the OP's passport that did not jibe with the OP's details on other documents. Perhaps he wanted the boarding pass to check if the OP was arriving from his country of birth.

I've only encountered a rude IO once, IME most are courteous and helpful.

[sandyf]

1 hour ago, Sydebolle said:

Hence, what is that story with the boarding pass now? 

There has been a requirement for a long time to show boarding card, how would the IO check what you put on the landing card.

In current times with no landing card it would be more of a requirement. Also with the introduction of the E-visa it is not surprising the IO would want to see proof of journey origin. You cannot rule out the possibility of people trying to abuse the E-visa system, can you.

[weelegs]

As pointed out in other posts, a visa is nothing more than permission to apply for entry to Thailand at an entry point. The IO makes an independent evaluation and decision to grant, or refuse, entry. That's pretty much the standard in most countries is far as I know.

As for shxttxyness of Thai immigration, my Thai wife and I maintain residences in the US and Thailand, and while I have been consistently treated in a professional manner on return to Thailand, the treatment of my wife by US immigration has often been abusive, even cruel. I guess the EU isn't like that.

(And thanks for the word shxttx. It's almost Shakespearean.) 

 

[KhunLA]

2 sides to every story ... maybe you fit the look and disposition of undesirable folks coming to TH, and he was simply doing his job.

 

Many undesirables are caught out during questioning.  Kudos to IO for taking the time and effort.

[sandyf]

19 minutes ago, jimn said:

You are so naive. To get an extension of any kind, even a 1 year extension of stay. You need paper copies of previous visa, entry stamp, copy of previous extension. Its always been like that, surprised you dont know.

Quite.  As a sticker in your passport the visa was just another copy. Now the E-visa is separate it has become an inconvenience and a complaint.

[CharlieH]

Welcome to the club ! All of us have to jump the immigration hoops, especially those who are married to a Thai ! 90 day reports like criminals, and annual scrutinity  (games?) despite being  married and living here many years. It is what it is and dont expect it to get any easier thats for sure.

[Doctor Tom]

1 hour ago, essex boys said:

Immigration just doing their job, they have the right to ask you questions and request your travel documents regarding  your travel to and your stay in Thailand, it’s no different than any other country, and even if your paperwork is correct they can still refuse you entry,  even those that live here are not guaranteed that their yearly extension of stay will be approved. But now you are here enjoy your stay 

All quite true.  I would add one further comment, despite the arrogance of many who look to enter the Country, thinking that they have an absolute right to admittance,  Thai immigration do not have any remit to admit anyone, or ease their time here, or in any way to facilitate their visit.  Their only remit is to apply Immigration Law as each IO sees fit. The message: live with that or don't come.