Interrogation at Suvarnabhumi

[Bvor]

11 minutes ago, Peabody said:

FWIW, regarding throwaway tickets. They now want to see the email from the airline/agent and, most importantly, a payment receipt.

what form of air ticket was shown to I/O and why did she not believe it was a valid ticket?

[DrJack54]

2 minutes ago, Vae Victis said:

Immigration officers at BKK airport are losing it these days.

Got stopped myself for traveling too much on exemptions.

Yeah right... Their own website states that one can get as many as needed as long as the port of entry is an airport.

Was interrogated for 20 minutes. Empty questions with no apparent purpose.

Eventually told them kindly to get lost if they weren't happy as they had no rational reason to turn me away.

They forced me to buy a return ticket (which is fair) and let me in.

Too hard to argue with reason I guess

I'm gonna get my extension next week. I'll let you know how it goes.

I don't think there will be any problem as their ongoing shenanigans are plain dumb and don't make any sense.

But who knows... It's Thai bureaucracy after all !

Most naive post of the week/month.

You make one valid point.

There is no stated limit on visa exempt entries.

However many folk rejected entry if this is used as ongoing living in Thailand. 

 

 

[Vae Victis]

Just now, DrJack54 said:

You make one valid point.

There is no stated limit on visa exempt entries.

 

Yeah well. That's pretty much the only point I'm making so...

[Peabody]

22 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

You are confused.

A throw away flight refers to a real ticket booked and paid for.

Simply not used. 

A rent a ticket from companies such as "onwardticket.com " also work .

Zero issues. 

Please post facts

Whatever you call it, the fact is the IO demanded the email from the ticket issuer AND the receipt for payment.

[Peabody]

18 minutes ago, Bvor said:

what form of air ticket was shown to I/O and why did she not believe it was a valid ticket?

Standard printout, but I purchased the ticket from Onward.com and she therefore had no receipt or email from the ticket seller, so the IO did indeed make it an issue. That's one more than zero issues.

Edited April 14 by Peabody

[DrJack54]

6 minutes ago, Peabody said:

Standard printout, but I purchased the ticket from Onward.com and she therefore had no receipt or email from the ticket seller.

That's not correct. 

Make up your mind what onward flight you provided. 

Rent a ticket or real throw away ticket. 

 

In any event she was admitted.

Absolutely not surprised she was questioned. 

Good luck with next visa exempt entry.  

[DrJack54]

22 minutes ago, Vae Victis said:

 

Yeah well. That's pretty much the only point I'm making so...

The point is that ongoing ,especially back to back visa exempt entry via air will end up in denied entry from immigration upon landing.

 

[Bvor]

18 minutes ago, Peabody said:

the IO did indeed make it an issue. That's one more than zero issues.

interesting re I/O view of onwardticket.com. hope all goes well with the Ed Visa.

cheers

[Vae Victis]

19 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

The point is that ongoing ,especially back to back visa exempt entry via air will end up in denied entry from immigration upon landing.

 

 

Which is completely dumb because it contradicts their own guidelines.

That's what I told them and they let me in.

 

Worse part is that it has nothing to do with me being in Thailand too often.

They told me everything would be ok with a tourist visa.

This entire nonsense smells like sewage water.

 

 

 

Edited April 14 by Vae Victis

[Peabody]

42 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

47 minutes ago, Peabody said:

Standard printout, but I purchased the ticket from Onward.com and she therefore had no receipt or email from the ticket seller.

That's not correct. 

Make up your mind what onward flight you provided. 

Rent a ticket

Rented ticket from Onwardticket.com

[Phillip9]

6 hours ago, connda said:

Marry your girlfriend, then apply for a Philippines SRRV visa, and live in the PI instead of dealing with Thailand.  Then live happily ever after.

 

No need for an SRRV if they are married.  In Phillipines, if you are married to a filipina, you automatically get one year permission to stay each time you enter the country.  Just leave the country once per year, and there is no need to ever do anything else immigration related.

[AustinRacing]

When your intention/ travel history does not match the type of visa you hold is when IO start asking questions. Don’t blame the officer for doing her job. 

[Chivas]

17 hours ago, Peabody said:

Whatever you call it, the fact is the IO demanded the email from the ticket issuer AND the receipt for payment.

 

Well the one I purchased before travelling on Singapore this January was an Eticket from onwardticketing with PNR code etc and the payment of $16 was on my Chase bank account

 

The fact that Singapore at Heathrow was self check in meant it was totally superfluous as there was no one there to even check it (if asked) !

 

 Or for that matter my Evisa as I was on one way ticket (hence onwardticketing) !

[scoutman360]

I am not sure why people buy "throw away" or "rented" tickets. Just pay more for a refundable ticket and cancel the ticket after business is done. That is what my friend does all the time. Full refund. 

[Paris333]

Customs and Border Protection  officers have the authority to ask travelers questions to determine their admissibility into any country.

This includes asking about the purpose of the trip, the duration of the stay, and other relevant details.

However, Customs and Border Protection officers are expected to conduct their interactions with travelers in a professional and respectful manner. While they have broad authority to question individuals, there are limits to the types of questions they can ask.

If you believe that Officers has acted inappropriately, you can seek assistance from a supervisor or file a complaint through the appropriate channels.

For my "little" experience as frequent traveler mainly in European and Asian continents I can assure you that most Border personnel are very professional and their job is to keep Kingdom of Thailand secure so its mistake to behave them impolite even in any random question and just answer to any question. Do not argue and do not rise your voice because they will lead you in second screening room to sit down with an agent and it doesnt have to do if you are from Philippines or from any European -American States. 

I have experience many disputes at Suvarnabhumi airport as witnes with other travelers mainly from France because Border personnel found in their luggage 2 box of cigarettes that bought from Doha airport and they fine them with €500 and when I intervent as European to chill out -relax Frances screaming women someone from Thai Border personnel called me....FBI.....and they almost arrest me leading me in a border check room to.....check my one luggage middle size.

Unfortunately for them I dont smoke and my luggage was empty because I was going to stay in Thailand for 6 months and to buy many things.They were getting surpriced asking me why my luggage was empty and I answer them I wanted to buy many things from Thailand during my stay but to tell you the true during my next trip to Thailand I plan to transfer again an empty luggage with two inflated condoms inside......

 

[Skipalongcassidy]

On 4/14/2024 at 10:53 PM, Peabody said:

Whatever you call it, the fact is the IO demanded the email from the ticket issuer AND the receipt for payment.

Which you were provided by OnwardTicket.com... just because you missed it doesn't mean it wasn't provided... always look in "spam" as well as your inbox.

[mikeymike100]

On 4/14/2024 at 6:54 PM, Captain Monday said:

Perhaps because 1 day in MNL is too much?

starting with the food most of which a dog would not eat 

I worked in Makati city in Manila for 2 years, whilst most of the local food is not very good for my palate, the locals seem to enjoy it! There are many good restaurants there, including Thai restaurants.

I think most dogs would eat the local food!

[Captain Monday]

4 minutes ago, mikeymike100 said:

I worked in Makati city in Manila for 2 years, whilst most of the local food is not very good for my palate, the locals seem to enjoy it! There are many good restaurants there, including Thai restaurants.

I think most dogs would eat the local food!

Well this dog here can eat Chicken Adobo. Everything smells kind of funny. I think there is something about the oil they use 

I have some chance for MNL layovers comes up one thing that worries me is the food. So I go to Hong Kong or Osaka

[sandyf]

On 4/14/2024 at 9:43 PM, DrJack54 said:

Can you please post "normal guidelines " 

Although the Bilateral Agreement says no limitation by air, Siam legal makes this statement which some may consider the "norm".

"Those who arrive at the airport without a prior visa will continue to receive a 30-day stamp up to 6 times per calendar year. "

https://www.thaiembassy.com/thailand-visa/thailand-visa-latest-update

[Peabody]

4 hours ago, Skipalongcassidy said:

Which you were provided by OnwardTicket.com... just because you missed it doesn't mean it wasn't provided... always look in "spam" as well as your inbox.

Never said I missed it. The receipt for some $16 would have confirmed to the IO that it was not a bona fide ticket. The email with the ticketing info was from Onward ticket and, again, would have been a negative.

In the future, we will just go through the extra hassle of buying a valid, fully refundable ticket.

[Peabody]

11 hours ago, scoutman360 said:

I am not sure why people buy "throw away" or "rented" tickets.

Convenience. We'll be using fully refundables in the future.

[Skipalongcassidy]

18 hours ago, Peabody said:

Never said I missed it. The receipt for some $16 would have confirmed to the IO that it was not a bona fide ticket. The email with the ticketing info was from Onward ticket and, again, would have been a negative.

In the future, we will just go through the extra hassle of buying a valid, fully refundable ticket.

IO has never questioned anybody elses' Onward flight ticket receipts... they are valid  

[Captain Monday]

On 4/14/2024 at 7:52 PM, AreYouGerman said:

Never go to female IOs! It should be common knowledge by now.

You don’t have a choice when guided to the line. 

My harshest grilling was from an older lady when I was a member of Thailand Elite no less

Not too bad looking. Do you have house, wife , girlfriend, kids, business in Thailand?

I think she wanted to “be” with me. 

 

 

[Ralf001]

On 4/14/2024 at 5:52 PM, AreYouGerman said:

Never go to female IOs! It should be common knowledge by now.

 

Why's that ?

 

The female I/O that stamped in recently was nice as pie.

[KanchanaburiGuy]

Surely everyone here on AN saw the reports that Immigration has been INSTRUCTED to tighten-up and clamp-down on how they handle entries and extensions. And not just clamp-down, but to file periodic reports of their efforts, showing that they're doing their jobs.

 

This, of course, as in pretty much any bureaucracy, often leads to people "finding" problems...... even where there are none....... so they have something to report! (Having NOTHING to report being, of course, the fastest way to get into trouble! 😂)

 

All this caught my attention  because 1) I was literally just about to do my one-year extension, so it made me a little leery; and 2) At the very same time as this INSTRUCTION came down...... they were announcing how they planned to make entry quicker, simpler, and more streamlined at the airport! Pretty Thailand Funny, that!

 

(Extension went flawless. [Very nice and professional IO, a young woman at Kanchanaburi, where I've NEVER had the kinds of problems I read about here on AN -- 14 years, knock on wood!] Home inspection and interview, no problem. Now in that waiting period after everything is done...... and before going back in to finalize. Easy Peasy!)

 

So, sorry Peacock, seeing your GF's troubles doesn't suprise me much. They TOLD US there would be some kind of cracking-down coming! Her story may just be a part of that.

 

She may have just gotten stuck with an Immigration Officer who had to show she was doing........ something!

 

*

 

I'll be looking forward to an update. It's the 17th, now. Did she leave on the 16th? Braving it out until May 9? Or braving it out to get the ED visa?

 

Hurry please! Holding my breath!

Hahahaha.

 

Cheers!

[Peabody]

6 hours ago, KanchanaburiGuy said:

I'll be looking forward to an update. It's the 17th, now. Did she leave on the 16th? Braving it out until May 9? Or braving it out to get the ED visa?

Braving it out! Will go to Jomtien immi early next month for an extension of stay and see what happens.

Before she returned, we spoke about the various foreigner crackdowns taking place and to be prepared for questions. A small group of her friends just became stuck in Lao after being denied entry. I'm not sure about their details, but it sounds like they may have been on multiple visa-exempt entries also.

[Captain Monday]

Maybe they are hip to the “onward” gig

The famous “listing without a booking”

I bought one once to see if they are real 

It is a real PNR listing, just not paid for yet

So not a confirmed flight  reservation
I guess if you called the airline and completed 

the payment in time it is a flight  you could actually use

 

I traveled for years on staff  standby tickets 

Those are by definition not confirmed, but nobody ever asked

 

 

 

[Mike Lister]

On 4/14/2024 at 10:35 PM, Vae Victis said:

Immigration officers at BKK airport are losing it these days.

Got stopped myself for traveling too much on exemptions.

Yeah right... Their own website states that one can get as many as needed as long as the port of entry is an airport.

Was interrogated for 20 minutes. Empty questions with no apparent purpose.

Eventually told them kindly to get lost if they weren't happy as they had no rational reason to turn me away.

They forced me to buy a return ticket (which is fair) and let me in.

Too hard to argue with reason I guess

I'm gonna get my extension next week. I'll let you know how it goes.

I don't think there will be any problem as their ongoing shenanigans are plain dumb and don't make any sense.

But who knows... It's Thai bureaucracy after all !

You should join the discussion on tax, there are people over there who think Thai tax rules have to make sense too, you'd fit right in!

Edited April 18 by Mike Lister

[FritsSikkink]

On 4/14/2024 at 7:17 PM, Peabody said:

Retirement for me, since 2015

If you are together over 10 years, get married and there isn't a problem anymore.

[AreYouGerman]

On 4/14/2024 at 7:29 PM, Phillip9 said:

 

No need for an SRRV if they are married.  In Phillipines, if you are married to a filipina, you automatically get one year permission to stay each time you enter the country.  Just leave the country once per year, and there is no need to ever do anything else immigration related.

I never heard of that before. You would still do the regular tourist visa extension and aren't those 6 months max? And it also seems it's different in each immigration office.