Denied permission to leave.

[Randy99]

Here's the deal.  Took a Visa run today from Pattaya to Pong Nam Ron to exit Tland thereby cancelling my Non Imm OA Visa.  Had planned to re-enter Tland on a Visa Exempt basis and then pursue an O.

Didn't happen.  Thai immigration there says I have to fly out of Tland on the basis that I have remained here for about 5 consecutive years.

Can anyone bring me up to speed on this?  This doesn't even begin to make any sense to me, mind you I'm not too brite either.  

Leaving this country by land, sea or air all have the same effect.  What national security risk does Tland face if I leave at a land crossing?

[OneMoreFarang]

I am pretty sure you can leave. But maybe you can't come in again the way you want.

So it seems the immigration officer did you a favor by telling you that before you left.

 

And after a couple of years in Thailand you should know that you shouldn't expect any logic. The regulations are the regulations. Don't think about why. There is no why.

[StayinThailand2much]

Never heard of such a rule.

 

But I wonder what happens, if one tries to exit this way on the last (or second-last) day of one's permitted stay, is refused, and needs, say 2-3 days to travel to Bangkok and book a flight. Will one still get an 'overstay' stamp into the passport, and be liable to pay an overstay fine?

Edited May 18, 2023 by StayinThailand2much

[Lemsta69]

16 minutes ago, Randy99 said:

Had planned to re-enter Tland on a Visa Exempt basis and then pursue an O.

Do you already have 800k in the bank for at least two months? Jomtien are insisting that the funds are seasoned for in-country non-O applications.

Edited May 18, 2023 by Lemsta69

[Randy99]

14 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I am pretty sure you can leave. But maybe you can't come in again the way you want.

So it seems the immigration officer did you a favor by telling you that before you left.

 

And after a couple of years in Thailand you should know that you shouldn't expect any logic. The regulations are the regulations. Don't think about why. There is no why.

Yes I can,,,,,,,,by air according to the IO.  I pushed back but she said "NO".

[scubascuba3]

Probably chose the wrong border, Ban Pakkard is a friendly border from Pattaya, mini van circ 3000 baht

[DrJack54]

18 minutes ago, Randy99 said:

Thai immigration there says I have to fly out of Tland on the basis that I have remained here for about 5 consecutive years

Something is wrong here.

Did you have overstay fine to pay? 

Something not right.

You mention "visa run" meaning border bounce and reenter straight away visa exempt stamp 30 day stamp. 

Did you use a visa run company? 

 

OP be aware that you have another problem.

You mention intention to obtain non O .

There is current thread running with crackpot Jomtien immigration requiring 800k to be in the bank for 2 months to apply for non O retirement.

Of course the requirement is only needed to be in bank on day of application. 

 

[StayinThailand2much]

2 minutes ago, Randy99 said:

Yes I can,,,,,,,,by air according to the IO.  I pushed back but she said "NO".

You didn't ask 'why'?

[Randy99]

8 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

Do you already have 800k in the bank for at least two months? Jomtien are insisting that the funds are seasoned for in-country non-O applications.

Been in Tland on OA for 5+ years.  Money is not an issue.

[Lemsta69]

30 minutes ago, Randy99 said:

Can anyone bring me up to speed on this?  This doesn't even begin to make any sense to me

There's a made-up rule called "Stay Thailand too much". Normally this gets invoked when you try to enter the country but at some land borders they see your history and decide you're not going to be allowed back Visa Exempt.

 

So they deny you permission to exit because...well that part I haven't figured out yet. It could be too protect you as border bouncers may not have come prepared for a trip to Phnom Penh to get a tourist visa.

 

Or it could be they just don't want to deal with the hassle of denying you re-entry when you bounce back from Cambodia.

Edited May 18, 2023 by Lemsta69

[Lemsta69]

3 minutes ago, Randy99 said:

Been in Tland on OA for 5+ years.  Money is not an issue.

@DrJack54has provided more detail about the funds seasoning issue at Jomtien.

Edited May 18, 2023 by Lemsta69

[Pink Mist]

Troll posts have been removed

[Randy99]

6 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Something is wrong here.

Did you have overstay fine to pay? 

Something not right.

You mention "visa run" meaning border bounce and reenter straight away visa exempt stamp 30 day stamp. 

Did you use a visa run company? 

 

OP be aware that you have another problem.

You mention intention to obtain non O .

There is current thread running with crackpot Jomtien immigration requiring 800k to be in the bank for 2 months to apply for non O retirement.

Of course the requirement is only needed to be in bank on day of application. 

 

No fines and yes, the idea was that that I'd re-enter Tland, 10 minutes after exiting, Visa Exempt.  Have had the minimum 800k in the bank for 5+ years.  Actually, never less than 1 million.

[DrJack54]

8 minutes ago, Randy99 said:

No fines and yes, the idea was that that I'd re-enter Tland, 10 minutes after exiting, Visa Exempt.  Have had the minimum 800k in the bank for 5+ years.  Actually, never less than 1 million.

Might be as simple as that crossing being difficult.

Not so long ago there was a series of posts where chap was refused exit. Think it was that crossing. 

He had overstay fine to pay and extensive history in Thailand on various visas. 

 

I assume you had an extension from non O-A and killing  off the O-A to obtain a non O.

 

Think you were in wrong place at wrong time. 

You would have had no issue at crossings such as Friendship bridge. 

 

Take a mini vacation to Saigon. 

Flights ain't too bad. 

Edited May 18, 2023 by DrJack54

[Randy99]

5 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Might be as simple as that crossing being difficult.

Not so long ago there was a series of posts where chap was refused exit. Think it was that crossing. 

He had overstay fine to pay and extensive history in Thailand on various visas. 

 

I assume you had an extension from non O-A and killing  off the O-A to obtain a non O.

 

Think you were in wrong place at wrong time. 

You would have had no issue at crossings such as Friendship bridge. 

 

Take a mini vacation to Saigon. 

Flights ain't too bad. 

Thanks Dr. Jack.  I've never had a issue with my OA or with Immigration, other than poor service @Sri Racha IO.  I'm slightly stunned by this because it seems so arbitrary.   Ugggg.

[DrJack54]

4 minutes ago, Randy99 said:

I'm slightly stunned by this because it seems so arbitrary

Did you use an agent? 

Recent thread of guy in Pattaya using agent for visa run.

 

Seemed good service.

He was actually picked up from his hotel..

The agent would be aware of border crossing issues and you can discuss with them.

Edited May 18, 2023 by DrJack54

[JoseThailand]

1 hour ago, Randy99 said:

Thai immigration there says I have to fly out of Tland on the basis that I have remained here for about 5 consecutive years.

When was your last (current) entry into Thailand? 5 years ago?

[BritTim]

The decision by Thai immigration at the border was unexpected but, as others have suggested, probably to do with not wanting to provide a visa exemption after a long consecutive stay in Thailand.

 

If it is convenient to travel to Mae Sai or Ranong, I do not think you will have a problem doing a border bounce there for a visa exempt entry. Alternatively, maybe just do it by air. How do you fancy a short holiday somewhere like Saigon or Penang?

[Goethe]

Recent evidence: A farang on NON-OA wished to switch to Non-O. He drove himself to the border and approached an agent who was helping a group. He paid the agent 2000 baht and was out and in without any problems. 

[asf6]

I think the problem is that you had a valid and current extension of stay in you passport and you had not cancelled it. My understanding is that you can leave by air and it's not a problem but for some reason they will not allow it by land.

 

I had the same problem a few years ago. They told me I had to go back to the immigration office that issued the extension of stay and cancel it there. I was quite annoyed as it was hundreds of kilometers from the border I was at! But I had no choice, apart from leaving by air of course. I had to turn back.

[DrJack54]

19 minutes ago, asf6 said:

think the problem is that you had a valid and current extension of stay in you passport and you had not cancelled it

He did not mention having a reentry permit.

You do not cancel extensions.

The OP was trying to kill off his non O-A.

That had already expired however to change the visa to a non O he needed to exit Thailand without a reentry permit. 

[asf6]

10 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

He did not mention having a reentry permit.

You do not cancel extensions.

The OP was trying to kill off his non O-A.

That had already expired however to change the visa to a non O he needed to exit Thailand without a reentry permit. 

No, he did not mention having a re-entry permit. I did not mention that he did either. I assumed he didn't have one. Perhaps the OP can clarify. 

 

What do you mean you do not cancel extensions? Are you trying to say that it cannot be done? It most certainly can be done. I have done it more than once. [Just to be clear, I mean permission to stay]

 

Why do you think the OP's non O-A had already expired?

 

 

.

 

Edited May 18, 2023 by asf6

[DrJack54]

15 minutes ago, asf6 said:

What do you mean you do not cancel extensions? Are you trying to say that it cannot be done? It most certainly can be done. I have done it more than once.

The OP seems to have been on extension of stay from a non O-A.

That extension and non O-A cannot be "cancelled" in Thailand.

 

Sure it can become invalid if requirements not met.

 

Anyway bit of a smoke screen.

The OP clearly wanted to kill off his non O-A.

That is very common due to insurance requirements.

He needs to exit Thailand.

End of. 

 

 

Edited May 18, 2023 by DrJack54

[JoseThailand]

I had the same problem there. They didn't want to let me out after 2+ years on covid extensions (the whole covid extensions period, including the amnesty). Contacting the superintendent's office solved the issue: they promptly let me out (and back in of course).

[DrJack54]

17 minutes ago, asf6 said:

Why do you think the OP's non O-A had already expired?

All visas have a validity period.

For non O it's a single entry provides 90 day stamp.

It is "USED" upon entry.

A non O-A visa is valid for 12 months. 

 

[cdemundo]

7 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I am pretty sure you can leave. But maybe you can't come in again the way you want.

So it seems the immigration officer did you a favor by telling you that before you left.

 

And after a couple of years in Thailand you should know that you shouldn't expect any logic. The regulations are the regulations. Don't think about why. There is no why.

"The regulations are the regulations. Don't think about why. There is no why."

 

Exactly, and not only in Thailand.

Love it when nonsensical regulations work in my favor, hate it (but accept it) when they don't.

[JayClay]

7 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

I wonder what happens, if one tries to exit this way on the last (or second-last) day of one's permitted stay, is refused, and needs, say 2-3 days to travel to Bangkok and book a flight. Will one still get an 'overstay' stamp into the passport, and be liable to pay an overstay fine?

Yes

[soi3eddie]

8 hours ago, Lemsta69 said:

Jomtien are insisting that the funds are seasoned for in-country non-O applications.

Sorry for a little bit off topic. Do you know if that's for agent based applications too? My GF was told by her agent that she needs the money in the bank for this year's Non-O extension (family, supporting Thai child). Would be good to know if anyone else has encountered same.

 

[BeerAttractedPerson]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, ( maybe I'm just an idiot), get the Elite Visa, 10 or 20 years. You will never be hassled again. You will be treated like royalty whenever ur at immigration or at an airport.....

[JayClay]

33 minutes ago, BeerAttractedPerson said:

I've said it before and I'll say it again, ( maybe I'm just an idiot), get the Elite Visa, 10 or 20 years. You will never be hassled again. You will be treated like royalty whenever ur at immigration or at an airport.....

And you'll be at least 600,000bt poorer.