Why is Thai immigration so <deleted>ty?

[rose33]

Dude, this is Thailand. No criticism is welcome. No improvement is ever going to happen. Thais don't want to hear it from Thais or farang, and Stuck Here farang don't want to hear about it, either.

 

No expat is ever going to admit they made a huge mistake in ever having anything to do with this place. The fault will always be said to be with you for failing to 'adapt' (lower your standards).

 

Thailand. If you don't like it... FIND A WAY TO LEAVE!

[sezze]

On 12/20/2022 at 4:13 AM, BritManToo said:

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

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

So far as i know , no visa is there for "visiting or staying with GF" . I can be wrong , but not any country will have a visa like that . In this view , the only legit visa is tourist visa .

[gejohesch]

On 12/20/2022 at 7:02 AM, gejohesch said:

 

It would be too much work to scroll through the entire discussion and decide which comment to my OP I should have responded or followed up on, but missed. I'm just going to bring my experience a few days ago, coming back from Siem Reap and entering (this time) on the visa exemption basis i.e. for another stay in Thailand but this time of 45 days (then back to Europe for a few months).

 

The IO this time was a pleasant woman of ca. 30-35 years age. She did not ask any question re. where I was going to stay, only needed my passport + boarding pass + finger scans + shot with the immigration photo system.

 

The photo system did not work, obviously there was sthg wrong and after a good few minutes her trying again and again, I asked in Thai "khreuang tham thai roop sia laeo reu khrap?". She was quite surprised : "oh, you learnt to speak thai?". That seemed to make her even more pleasant.

 

We had to go to another counter, opened by another IO, probably a supervisor. She just commented : "no visa this time?", to which I replied no, now it's on the visa exemption basis, and I said I was going to stay "45 bpii" which means "45 years", a slip of the tongue which I immediately corrected to "45 wan" = 45 days. She laughed, stamped my passport and that was it. She apologised for the delay! All in all, it took 15 minutes maybe but I did not have any problem with that.

 

I'm giving this experience because it was such a contrast to my entry in november with a 60 days TR visa, which I related in my OP.  I just find it curious that, for me at least, it was such a breeze entering on the visa exemption basis, with nearly no question asked, whereas I had a more painful experience with a visa before.  

[gomangosteen]

This is my year #15. Dealt with four regional immigration offices in that time and yet to be declined or have issues.

 

Since 2011 in Chanthaburi and maybe it's different to the big centres, but never a problem, wouldn't say they're friendly but certainly no hostility or attitude.

 

When we lived in Sa Kaeo it was a 180km round trip to Aranyaprathet immigration,  always sorted ok in one visit, made sure I had everything to avoid a second trip.

 

There was a UK man who lived a few km away, he was declined/sent back for something else every time he attended Aranyaprathet, attitude issues I believe (plus hygiene and basic manners), he once asked if he could accompany me and I said no, really didn't want to be associated with him and share in his 'double visit' curse.