I got stopped at BKK last week!!

[Katmanzu]

Hi All,

 

After I cancelled my Non-B, I went to Malaysia

and came back to Thailand by land on a visa-

exemption last year. I did the same border run

earlier this year before I left Thailand. And I flew

back to BKK last week, where I got stopped!

 

The IO asked me why I had some many Thai

stamps in my passport and I answered him

that I had worked in Thailand on Non-B for

years, but then another IO showed up and

took me to the office!

 

In the office I saw 2 Chinese and 1 Filipino

grilled by IOs, who sounded so rude to them!

One of the IOs kept saying, 'You must stay

in their country and not come back to

Thailand again!' The one that attended

me tried his best to scare me by shooting

me a scary look and wasn't nice at all when

he was speaking to me! He was saying to

me by showing me my 2 latest visa-exempt

entry stamps in my passport, 'Why are you

doing so many "Ins-and Outs?" You made a 

visa-exempt entry into Thailand twice already!!'

 

I ended up having to fill in a form named

'Passenger Statement' where I had to write

down the reason I'd enter Thailand!

 

I handed the form over to the IO, but he

started to smile at me and walked me to

the gate! I asked me what the problem

was and if I could enter Thailand again,

and then he answered, 'Yes, No Problem!'

 

What was the point in their stopping me at

Immigration this time!? Is that T.I.T.? I've already

left Thailand by now because I spent only 2

days there just in transit!

[Ben Zioner]

They wanted to know why you were coming so often to Thailand. If I was them I'd ask too, add ask also how you make a living, etc. If you stretch the visa system you must be prepared to be asked some questions. What you wrote just shows that the IO did their job.

[DrJack54]

25 minutes ago, Katmanzu said:

 

After I cancelled my Non-B, I went to Malaysia

and came back to Thailand by land on a visa-

exemption last year. I did the same border run

earlier this year before I left Thailand. And I flew

back to BKK last week, where I got stopped!

Your stays in 2023 do not seem over the top.

You state "did same border run earlier this year" 

Then you state "flew back last week"

Visa exempt can only provide 30+30 day stay. 

So how long between your two visa exempt entries in 2023? 

 

[impulse]

I hate to ask this, because it shouldn't matter (but it does...)

How were you dressed?

 

Edit:  Also, what's your nationality?

 

Tomorrow, I'm flying in for my 5th or 6th exempt entry this year.  We'll see how it goes...  Hopefully okay because I can never stay more than a week.

 

Edited September 12, 2023 by impulse

[DrJack54]

13 minutes ago, impulse said:

Tomorrow, I'm flying in for my 5th or 6th exempt entry this year.  We'll see how it goes...  Hopefully okay because I can never stay more than a week.

Will be fine due to length of your stay only being a week each time..

Clearly not living in Thailand 

[Katmanzu]

20 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Your stays in 2023 do not seem over the top.

You state "did same border run earlier this year" 

Then you state "flew back last week"

Visa exempt can only provide 30+30 day stay. 

So how long between your two visa exempt entries in 2023? 

 

I flew back to BKK from home last week, which is a G7

country, on my 2nd visa-exempt entry (my first one by

air) this calendar year, more than half a year after I

made my 1st one by land earlier this year. One thing

for sure is that the IOs were so rude and arrogant! 555

[OneMoreFarang]

22 hours ago, Katmanzu said:

What was the point in their stopping me at

Immigration this time!?

Possibly it's similar like a police officer stopping a vehicle and then asking: You know what you did wrong, right? 

I am sure lots of people break down under pressure. If all is harmless and ok then there is no reason to break down. Answer the questions and all will be fine. 

[OneMoreFarang]

21 hours ago, impulse said:

I hate to ask this, because it shouldn't matter (but it does...)

How were you dressed?

Of course, it matters. And why should it not matter?

 

[Caldera]

23 hours ago, Katmanzu said:

What was the point in their stopping me at Immigration this time!?

Airport immigration really dislikes "out-in" land border runs with a passion. Just spotting that you did this was enough to get you flagged by an overzealous officer. You "survived" the interview that followed because your overall history didn't amount to too much.

[impulse]

Update...  Came in today at around 5:00 PM and there was no line at all at immigration.  Walked up to one of about 6 officers with nobody being checked.  Took all of 1 minute (visa exempt).  Sadly, that just revealed how slow they are getting the bags on the carousel.  Still took 45 minutes to an hour to get out of the airport.

 

Kinda scary for TAT, especially after seeing row upon row of Thai Airways 747's and A380s parked like they hadn't moved n a loooong time.  The 737-800 I was on (from Xiamen) was full.   Booked my next RT between North China and BKK for $258, so good luck to Thai Airways making money by adding flights to China.  Edit:  That's about half of what it cost pre-Covid.

 

Shameless plug- If you gotta fly Xiamen air, they're really okay.  Not as nice as one of the Middle East airlines, but nicer than most US and Canadian airlines.

Edited September 13, 2023 by impulse