Why is Thai immigration so <deleted>ty?

[pomchop]

23 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.

never ever been asked to show printed copy of tourist visa to extend before...done it many times over the years...it is all stamped right there in passport for all to see....hardly naive when it comes to knowing immigrations love lots of paper but with advent of e visas seems time to move on to at least accept a phone grab from official thai embassy rather than yet another printed piece of paper.....

[ourdon]

There is a possibility that the IO  is just responding to pressures from within their organization because they have found indications of document forging from a nameless Northern country.

 

Just speculation from a report Tim Newton gave a few weeks ago.  My story with no details has the saving grace of not including Jewish space lasers.????

[ikke1959]

1 hour ago, Hummin said:

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. 
 

 

Maybe depends on the country... I went with mypartner to France with a Spanish Schengen visa and nothing asked.. stamped and in in seconds...

[gascooker]

Have a look at the news.

 

There is currently a big investigation here into drug dealing and money laundering by foreign nationals who acquired visas through fraudulent means, often supported by bent immigration police.

 

There is a national ‘crackdown’, and people are being asked to produce visas to prove they are in the country legally, if they are unable to do so they are being rounded up and arrested.

 

Understandably, there has been widespread fury amongst the Thai public about what’s been happening, so expect this to continue.

 

What you experienced is merely an extension of immigration officers likely being told to double check everyone leaving and entering the country.

 

When dealing with immigration just smile,  be polite, answer whatever questions they have and don’t try to go be friends with them.

[Gerard052]

11 hours ago, problemfarang said:

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

 

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. 

 

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

Some IOs are just a...hole, period.

[gascooker]

1 hour ago, Hummin said:

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? 

Vietnam, really? Vietnamese immigration is 100x worse than Thai immigration. They have a very well known and long running scam at Ho Chi Minh airport. They find the slightest mistake on somebody’s visa, be it a double spacing error, incorrect spelling of a calendar month etc then refuse them entry. They claim that they can only issue an ‘emergency entry visa’ that costs 150 dollars. Honestly, it is far easier to deal with Thai immigration.

[Gottfrid]

@gejohesch Poor you! Did the immigration officer do his work? How unpleasant they did not show special respect for you, just smiled and let you in. A good advice, is that you just line up and accept the treatment you get. Option number two is move with GF to another country. Option number three is move alone to another country.

Edited December 20, 2022 by Gottfrid

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, Hummin said:

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? 

Cambodia (55+) and Philippines (any age) are very easy, Vietnam long stay is hard but no VISA require for Brits (2 weeks waiver on entry).

 

Philippines you can just arrive and stay for 3 years, then forced to leave for 1 night, then you can repeat. 

[Gerard052]

7 minutes ago, Gerard052 said:

 

 

[BritManToo]

3 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).

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.

They only want tourists, and you clearly aren't a tourist.

Tourists stay in hotels and don't have Thai gfs when they arrive.

Edited December 20, 2022 by BritManToo

[Hamus Yaigh]

16 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 (bat prachachon, tabian baan etc)

A GF's ID and house book is not normally needed for a tourist visa. Not getting the full story methinks, like how many back to back Thai stamps you already had in pp?

[Hummin]

27 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

Maybe depends on the country... I went with mypartner to France with a Spanish Schengen visa and nothing asked.. stamped and in in seconds...

Same with my wife now, but she have copy of flight tickets, adress where she lives, insurance, visa paper reciept, and remember names places  if asked. 

 

[Robin]

Unfortunately, we have to accept that Thais do not really want Farangs to visit Thailand; we are a bad influence on Thais and give them ideas about human rights and democracy that they should not have.  Being married to a Thai makes this worse, as you have taken a lady that could be a wife/ servant/ mistress for a Thai.

Thais only want your money, and staying with your g/f is not giving any money to hotels etc.

The only answer is to grit your teeth and try to be pleasant to the I/O.  he has t power to jerk you around as much as he wants.

[zzaa09]

Suckers....

[phetphet]

I always hand over my boarding card with my passport to the IO on arrival. On the occasions I haven't, I have been asked for it.

 

Because the OP only showed the second leg boarding card, they probably wanted to see his original point of departure. They don't do the landing cards anymore, so how else would they know?

 

 

[worgeordie]

Some people who complain so much about IO , maybe need to look at themselves ,

I have been dealing with Immigration for last 35 years , on all kinds of visas' and

have never had any of the problems some complain about on here , never been

questioned like OP describes , in fact over the last few years things are much easier, 

2-3 hours at Immigration office , once a year , the online 90 day  reporting (that

many complain about ) is easy peasy, they even remind you when a report is to be done,

 

It's not a job I would like to do , not patient enough , they have a lot to put up with .

 

regards worgeordie

 

[lopburi3]

16 hours ago, gejohesch said:

I have a long history with Thailand,

Suspect that says it all - they are police and checking those with history intensely.  

[Photoguy21]

3 hours ago, lom said:

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

Or Israel...

Been to the US and those guys are way worse than anything I have experienced here in Thailand.

[cowellandrew]

2 hours ago, chuang said:

Entry to any country is a privilege no a right .

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

 

Unless you are travelling to England by dingy then it's a God given entitlement to free hotel, medical care and benefits!

[itsari]

3 hours ago, Hummin said:

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? 

Yes, you are 100 percent correct . Take bringing a Thai citizen to Europe and see the hurdles you must go through to achieve that result. Why ? Because so many have abused the regulations over the years .

[SunsetT]

3 hours ago, new2here said:

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 

 

 

And because Thailand is so corrupt and the IO is well aware of this, as far as he knows the perfectly legit. visa that you have obtained might be fake. And in the current climate, with the crackdown on so many Chinese entering illegally with fake visas, perhaps all IO's have been instructed to check arrivals more thoroughly; especially those with visas not obtained in their home country.

[Sheryl]

5 hours 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? 

They need to enter flight number in the computer. Always have.

 

In the past there was an arrival form which provided flight number. Now that this has been done away with they need to see  boarding pass.

 

Arrival forms also used to list  where you will be staying and I note that since they were abolished some IOs now ask that information.  Presumably this too is a field in the computer tho I'm not sure it is a mandatory one.

 

Either they did not think through the implications of abolishing the arrival form or did not orient IOs on changes in terms of what fields must still be entered.

 

I entered on Saturday along with a Cambodian  friend. I was not asked any questions but I have re-entry permit and my long standing address is already in the system, and I provided my boarding pass with the passport.

 

My friend,   entering visa exempt, also provided her boarding pass but  was asked how long she planned to stay and the address where she would be staying. As her English is limited they let her call me over to  translate. I did not get the impression IO had any special issue with her but rather was struggling to enter the  data. 

[Purdey]

Immigration does its job and if it is a series of verbal questions, there is nothing much to do other than jump though the hoops of answering with a smile on the face.

The onus is on the visitor to keep all relevant paperwork (including stuff you assumed you wouldn't need after entry) on hand to show as evidence. Always have an envelope and keep everything in it until leaving Thailand.

[Stevemercer]

I recently went through immigration when I flew into Bangkok from Australia. At customs the officer asked me for my boarding pass which I couldn't find (I suspect I left it on the plane). Eventually I managed to find my booking confirmation which satisfied him.

 

Maybe they always ask for your boarding pass on entering Thailand? I can't remember. God knows, you have to show it so many times when you are passing through the airport for departure overseas from Thailand..

[billd766]

2 hours ago, Gerard052 said:

Some IOs are just a...hole, period.

Some foreigners are also a...holes too.

[Lee65]

A lot of folks are content being treated poorly by authority.  Witness the last 3 years.

 

[Ali Katz]

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

Not everyone's cup of tea but India issues 5 year tourist evisa for round $80US. Easy to get, no paperwork and few requirements. 

Edited December 20, 2022 by Ali Katz

[gejohesch]

5 hours ago, lom said:

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

Or Israel...

Yes I have (USA, many times) and it's true it's not usually a very cozy experience either. One difference here is that the online process to prepare to enter the USA (I cannot remember what it's called, used to cost sthg like 15-20 USD) did not ask for much info, whereas to obtain the Thai TR visa, I already had to pass a number of hurdles / justifications.

[gejohesch]

15 hours ago, problemfarang said:

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. 

Oh, thanks for the info! I have traveled around the world for easily half of century and I did not know that! ????

 

That btw is not unique to Thailand, it's rather worldwide.

[Sheryl]

1 hour ago, Stevemercer said:

I recently went through immigration when I flew into Bangkok from Australia. At customs the officer asked me for my boarding pass which I couldn't find (I suspect I left it on the plane). Eventually I managed to find my booking confirmation which satisfied him.

 

Maybe they always ask for your boarding pass on entering Thailand? I can't remember. God knows, you have to show it so many times when you are passing through the airport for departure overseas from Thailand..

There is a clearly posted sign before the immigration counters asking people to provide passport and boarding pass.

 

As explained, they need to enter your arriving flight number. In the past, they could get that from your arrival form.These are no longer used, so they need the boarding pass or lacking that, some other document with flight number.