8 months on VE, got warning at Don Muang Airport but let in

[Theveryphil]

Hello everyone, i would like to ask for some advice on re-entering Thailand given my following scenario:

I'm from Hong Kong. By default my passport allows 30 days visa exemption to enter Thailand. From October 2023 till roughly June 2024 i have repeated entered Thailand on visa exemption, every time by flight, with 2 extensions done at Laksi, totaling about 8 months of stay in Thailand. The last time i entered, i unfortunately queued up to a very angry IO and she angrily muttered that i had 8 months of stay in Thailand, what i was doing here and i said, tourism (meh), and she angrily said it's not tourism, it's too long, something like that. So i got pulled to the little open area behind where a few other inbound travelers also sat, i didn't really know what their cases were, didn't really have the mood to inquire. Moments later another IO, this one a young, rather calm, gentleman, said to me i should have some visa next time i want to enter. I asked, can i never use visa exemption to enter again? He said i still can, but didn't specify for how long apart. What kind of visa, i asked, first he said Tourist Visa (the paid one, by conjecture), but given what that female IO told me, i asked was it okay with Tourist Visa, and then he said "business" (i don't know what that means) or student visa. Required me to book an onward flight on the spot, which i complied. They let me book any ticket outbound, not only my home country, and so on the spot i purchased the cheapest one to KL on exactly the 30th day. He stamped me in for 30 days. (so it was June, the 60 days visa exemption still hadn't kicked in yet) Time flied and i lacked the will to gamble on extension, fearing rejection or making my case more noticeable to the immigration, i flied to KL.

 

But i want to get back to The Land of Smiles (i'm not smiling rn).

 

My questions are:
 

1. Does anyone know if immigration have a record of my warning on their systems? Or a recent history of long stay (long as in > 6 months) automatically triggers an IO? Perhaps they have some guidelines to pull people who had that?

2. Should i gamble with entering on visa exemption again after a month away? If at all possible, is Chiang Mai reportedly the safer option? What about land crossing? I haven't had one in the above period.
3. If visa exemption is off the table for a month's break away, so then i should apply for Tourist Visa? will i be denied even with that? Because i've read cases that happened.
4. I don't really have sufficient funds to go with anything on the upper shelf of Visas (Elite etc), or DTV, because i have no income, are there any other ways?

 

Thank you for taking the time to read and very much appreciated your advices.

 

Edited August 15 by Theveryphil

[at15]

1. They have your full lifetime entry and exit history on the computer. It was reported but not confirmed that 6 lifetime visa exempt entries provides some alert on the computer. But I would say its more up to the discretion of the officer, if they think you are not a genuine tourist they will question you further. And lets face it 8 months holiday is not a tourist.

 

2. I would definitely not gamble with another visa exempt by air. You were lucky to get in with 8 months under your belt. Chiang Mai was safer in the past, but they seem to be more on the same page nowadays, not really worth it. Land crossing should be safer than air, but its a bit more shaky now. In the past you could always get 2 land entries per year. But recently they have started treating them like airports removing this stated limit. So its up the discretion of the officer. Its very early days with this so nobody can really tell you for sure.

 

3. A month off is not enough to feel safe, you would still face the same scrutiny on arrival. You would need 6 months outside thailand to really reset yourself. Tourist Visa should be granted because you have never even had one before. But be advised you can still face the same scrutiny on arrival with a tourist visa, some have even been denied entry with one but its rare.

 

4. Not really any other ways if you have a tight budget like this.

 

[raz0r21]

Hey,

 

What is the reason you fly in/out so many times? If you like Thailand so much, you should stay in country and use visa run companies to stay there. If you have to fly in so often, look into some options for "safe entry". I dont know if its allowed to show links here, so my suggestion is to contact some of the big visa agencies in Bangkok (Thaivisaservice, Bangkok Buddy).

 

Good luck.

[NanLaew]

If the OP is working remotely and not a tourist (?), the new Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) is a perfect fit. This new five-year visa will grant a period of stay of up to 180 days per visit, with multiple re-entries, to digital nomads, remote workers, and those participating in activities such as traditional Thai martial arts (Muay Thai), Thai cooking classes, sports training, medical treatment, etc..

[Srikcir]

3 hours ago, NanLaew said:

If the OP is working remotely and not a tourist

He says, "I don't really have sufficient funds to go with anything on the upper shelf of Visas (Elite etc), or DTV, because i have no income"

His financial status seems a mystery.

[Tim K]

Get TV while you are in Malaysia, try in Penang.  KL can be very strict.

After that fly back, and extend the TV getting 90days. Then apply for a school (35k + 5k + 5k + 5k) ED visa, getting you 1 year.


I got grilled at HKT for staying just 90days and going to KL for 1 night and back the next day. IOs made me buy ticket to Russia and told me that if I had TV they would be ok.
I'll go for DTV of course in 2 weeks, hope that will put an end to my visa problems.

Edited August 16 by Tim K

[thecyclist]

18 hours ago, Theveryphil said:

Hello everyone, i would like to ask for some advice on re-entering Thailand given my following scenario:

I'm from Hong Kong. By default my passport allows 30 days visa exemption to enter Thailand. From October 2023 till roughly June 2024 i have repeated entered Thailand on visa exemption, every time by flight, with 2 extensions done at Laksi, totaling about 8 months of stay in Thailand. The last time i entered, i unfortunately queued up to a very angry IO and she angrily muttered that i had 8 months of stay in Thailand, what i was doing here and i said, tourism (meh), and she angrily said it's not tourism, it's too long, something like that. So i got pulled to the little open area behind where a few other inbound travelers also sat, i didn't really know what their cases were, didn't really have the mood to inquire. Moments later another IO, this one a young, rather calm, gentleman, said to me i should have some visa next time i want to enter. I asked, can i never use visa exemption to enter again? He said i still can, but didn't specify for how long apart. What kind of visa, i asked, first he said Tourist Visa (the paid one, by conjecture), but given what that female IO told me, i asked was it okay with Tourist Visa, and then he said "business" (i don't know what that means) or student visa. Required me to book an onward flight on the spot, which i complied. They let me book any ticket outbound, not only my home country, and so on the spot i purchased the cheapest one to KL on exactly the 30th day. He stamped me in for 30 days. (so it was June, the 60 days visa exemption still hadn't kicked in yet) Time flied and i lacked the will to gamble on extension, fearing rejection or making my case more noticeable to the immigration, i flied to KL.

 

But i want to get back to The Land of Smiles (i'm not smiling rn).

 

My questions are:
 

1. Does anyone know if immigration have a record of my warning on their systems? Or a recent history of long stay (long as in > 6 months) automatically triggers an IO? Perhaps they have some guidelines to pull people who had that?

2. Should i gamble with entering on visa exemption again after a month away? If at all possible, is Chiang Mai reportedly the safer option? What about land crossing? I haven't had one in the above period.
3. If visa exemption is off the table for a month's break away, so then i should apply for Tourist Visa? will i be denied even with that? Because i've read cases that happened.
4. I don't really have sufficient funds to go with anything on the upper shelf of Visas (Elite etc), or DTV, because i have no income, are there any other ways?

 

Thank you for taking the time to read and very much appreciated your advices.

 

 "was reported but not confirmed that 6 lifetime visa exempt entries provides some alert on the computer"

No way, 6 lifetime exemption trigger an alert. I probably have over 100 of those, the computer would freak out ,if that was the case. They are mainly interested in recent entries. 

[Liquorice]

11 minutes ago, thecyclist said:

 "was reported but not confirmed that 6 lifetime visa exempt entries provides some alert on the computer"

No way, 6 lifetime exemption trigger an alert. I probably have over 100 of those, the computer would freak out ,if that was the case. They are mainly interested in recent entries. 

You're misquoting the OP. He never mentioned 'lifetime' VE entries.

 

He stated;

18 hours ago, Theveryphil said:

Or a recent history of long stay (long as in > 6 months) automatically triggers an IO?

 

[Katatonica]

22 minutes ago, Tim K said:

Get TV while you are in Malaysia, try in Penang.  KL can be very strict.

After that fly back, and extend the TV getting 90days. Then apply for a school (35k + 5k + 5k + 5k) ED visa, getting you 1 year.


I got grilled at HKT for staying just 90days and going to KL for 1 night and back the next day. IOs made me buy ticket to Russia and told me that if I had TV they would be ok.
I'll go for DTV of course in 2 weeks, hope that will put an end to my visa problems.

I would suggest Penang too, went there recently after too many VE entries and almost 90/180 days. You do need to show bank statements though. Only wanted 5 days in country but wanted to be safe, IO’s were much more pleasant.. That was just before the new 60 day thing unfortunately.

[Bangkok Alex]

You can always use a visa agency with connection at DMK or Bkk airports. You'll be let in within minutes with no question or no need to present anything. Price I paid is 4,500 to 5,000 baht. Hope that helps you as another safe option.

[DrJack54]

5 minutes ago, Bangkok Alex said:

Price I paid is 4,500 to 5,000 baht. Hope that helps you as another safe option.

Might help if you posted contact details.

Otherwise......

[LukKrueng]

21 hours ago, Theveryphil said:

because i have no income

So what do you live of? You're obviously not a tourist. What are you doing here? 

There are so many visa options to select from. Don't you fit into any of the categories?

[Bangkok Alex]

2 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Might help if you posted contact details.

Otherwise......

Am I allowed to? Was thinking could PM interested people.

[DrJack54]

20 minutes ago, Bangkok Alex said:

Am I allowed to? Was thinking could PM interested people.

Up to you.

Folk post often re agents for extensions.

PM is an option.

Few hours ago I was at Maneerat visa agent brief meeting. 

Will post that info in future if requested 

[thecyclist]

6 hours ago, Liquorice said:

You're misquoting the OP. He never mentioned 'lifetime' VE entries.

 

He stated;

 

I got the quotes mixed up. The lifetime was in the first reply , not in the original post.

[Rob Browder]

 

On 8/15/2024 at 7:04 PM, Theveryphil said:

I don't really have sufficient funds to go with anything on the upper shelf of Visas (Elite etc), or DTV, because i have no income

Well, if no income, I am guessing you have savings, or could not be eating / sleeping indoors here.  For DTV, need to show 500K worth of money in some bank account - and can use "soft power" options to avoid showing income / employment.   If that isn't possible, and you are under 50, an education-visa could work for a year (someone posted above on this).  Also the METV, but need to apply for that Visa in your home-country.

 

As others reported, all they really want at the Bangkok airports is agent-money in their pocket - is all what that hassling was about.  They are not permitted to hassle "occasional" tourists, but folks who stay longer/often are targeted.

Also, you could just enter by land from Malaysia.  If they decline-entry, you just turn-around and get your exit stamp from Malaysia canceled - nothing lost but the trip to the border.  This is much better than being forced-back from an airport.  I would come by train, if in KL now.

[Scouse123]

23 hours ago, Srikcir said:

He says, "I don't really have sufficient funds to go with anything on the upper shelf of Visas (Elite etc), or DTV, because i have no income"

His financial status seems a mystery.

 

If he can afford to fly back and forth, surely, he can get a DTV visa?

 

Sorry, I forgot, you must have 500K.

 

Education visa, Muay Thai learning visa, etc

 

OP needs to research and get a bit more resourceful.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 17 by Scouse123

[Jack1988]

I know a visa agency that offer border run by air and by land, by air they ask you to pay for the flight ticket, they come to pick you up at your local place and bring you to the airport, fly out and fly back to Thailand in one day. Very easy and of course no issues with these immigration officers. You just pay here, this is how the system works here, it's all about money money money and immigration like that

Edited August 18 by Jack1988

[Theveryphil]

UPDATES: I'm in Thailand again.

apologies for my lack of interactions here, i read all your advices and got lost in deliberations for quite a while, with DTV still beyond my current status, eventually i settled on going with TR as @Tim K and @Katatonica suggested, (thank you there). But instead of Penang, which i thought i would go, following your two concurring, i decided to do it in Kuala Lumpur because the lowest bracket of hostels are cheaper on average in KL (and paying cash at the reception to circumvent the malevolence of 10 rm tourism tax per day), and i needed time to gather my docs. And i thought if they reject they will reject, so, eff it, come what may.

The Day of submitting my TR visa docs at embassy:

I had with me 3 months' bank statements, accommodation proof (invitation letter + house registration + Thai citizen id copy) , my passport id page copy, 2 passport pics, to and onward tickets (as required), completed form stating purpose of visit is tourism + others: stay with Thai citizen. @Rob Browder I went with flight ticket KL to BKK instead of land entry because I wasn't sure land route tickets were admissible as travel itineraries in the Visa application, also because man it's a long way from south borders to BKK. If i got stuck at the Thai-Malay border, i would have to go back down to whatever Airport, Penang or KL depending on flight prices, because ask me if i wanted to stay in Malaysia my answer is an expletive no. Presented my appointment QR as instructed, arrived 20 mins early, waited extra half hour to get called. The embassy was not empty of other applicants, as i've hoped, but packed a few dozens of them. It was my turn and I wasn't even sure the officer would accept my submission, because i walked up to a guy who i saw got turned away from the counter. He's from Nepal trying to apply for some sort of Visa (not TR), told to apply from his home country. With half an expectation that i would be turned away too, it was my turn to hand over my papers. Upon her scrutiny the officer asked me to provide my final bank account balance, which i didn't have yet from the bank, as it's due to release next month, but she was ok that i make a screenshot of it on my bank app, and in hard copy, then come back again (same day morning session). So I went to the print shop about 5 mins walk opposite street (a small independent shop running on a ground floor attached to a hotel), asked the shop keeper to take a photo of my phone showing bank app coz it prohibits screenshots, then she printed this photo for me for 2 ringgits. Went back to embassy, waited for a few people, back to the same officer who then accepted my application, took my 160 ringgit fee, and gave me a pick-up slip in return chop chop, which indicated next day. Viola, but i still had to wait 1 more day. Fast forward next day, many from the day before went early too, we all queued up before the embassy opens for afternoon session (2:30 pm). The return of passport was a much quicker process. BAM I got the TR. A full page sticker, 3 months validity from the date of retrieving my passport.

Legend says the BAM could still be heard in the distance future where I lay 6 feet under.

Day of landing at Don Mueang: 

Inadvertently queued up to an IO with stars on her shoulders, because i also like to live dangerously. She took time to inspect my case, gossiped with her partner sitting adjacent, after moments of tense silence, then asked my purpose of visit, to which i answered quite honestly: tourism and stay with Thai citizen, and i showed her the invitation letter, the content on which she traced with a finger. Then she asked if i had a return ticket. I showed her. Then I was stamped and let in.

 

Verdict:

Stayed on VE over 8 months within a calendar year with many border runs and 2 extensions, applied for TR visa with legit docs and reasons, after scaffolding my passport with stamps from a couple of other countries in little less than 2 months, was let in. Couldn't tell if this works for everybody but for the record this one time it worked.

Visa agency:

Thanks for your inputs but I have trust issues with people let alone 3rd party middlepeople who are dead set on ripping off foreigners with legally questionable means and I didn't feel like putting my name on the money boat that tries to get around the official gov immigration who in my impression happens to be quite sensitive with disrespects. I'm afraid i might end up paying for another money boat being turned away with a parting gift of unknown future consequences. Not to mention that I don't think these middlepeople deserve the money they extort.

FInal thoughts:

I need to pull my fecal matters together get a remote job (again), aim for a long term visa. Aka juicing the grits to earn the rights to a life I want, like a normal person does. That's actually how i see this or any other current system, unfortunately, works.

Thank you everybody who took the time to response and advice. You helped me. And I hope my rundown helps someone else in similar situation too.

Edited September 25 by Theveryphil

[Tim K]

Welcome back)

Maybe you can get DTV with dental appointment like I did myself, if you have 500k just for 10 days). No income statements  were needed  at Phnom Penh.

[Rob Browder]

5 hours ago, Theveryphil said:

tries to get around the official gov immigration

There is no "around" about it.  Agent service is provided directly in partnership with immigration.  That is why no matter the "crackdown" on this or that means of stay, the service persists, and grows with each instance.

 

Glad you made it in.  I'd never want to subject myself to all that stress and worry, for something so easily solved the way immigration obviously prefer - but, to each their own.

[DrJack54]

7 minutes ago, Rob Browder said:

 Agent service is provided directly in partnership with immigration.  That is why no matter the "crackdown" on this or that means of stay, the service persists, and grows with each instance

 

 

Boring ongoing reference to fraud.

[Theveryphil]

58 minutes ago, Rob Browder said:

There is no "around" about it.  Agent service is provided directly in partnership with immigration.  That is why no matter the "crackdown" on this or that means of stay, the service persists, and grows with each instance.

 

Glad you made it in.  I'd never want to subject myself to all that stress and worry, for something so easily solved the way immigration obviously prefer - but, to each their own.

Thank you. Indeed it was stressful, but i did it for personal imperatives. Very lucky I got it.  And that it worked this one time, doesn't mean the next one will too. I don't want to go through this again just to fail like it's a toss of a coin (and that's how much faith i have for the Thai immigration, even as someone who committed no crimes)

About agency services, to me the legitimacy and outcome both seem to be variables, because the ultimate say is from the government (isn't it?), which is also a variable, and a whimsical one at that. I try to avoid going through an additional layer of variables on top of the official variables which alone were already maxing out on my nerves, all the more with additional pays and i've always spent carefully. Would rather spend it on Japanese buffets.

 

Edited September 25 by Theveryphil

[Rob Browder]

58 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Boring ongoing reference to fraud.

Ongoing attempt to keep people in the dark on how the system works, so they will keep banging their head against a wall, wondering why "it's not fair."

[Rob Browder]

17 minutes ago, Theveryphil said:

About agency services, to me the legitimacy and outcome both seem to be variables, because the ultimate say is from the government (isn't it?), which is also a variable, and a whimsical one at that. I try to avoid going through an additional layer of variables on top of the official variables which alone were already maxing out on my nerves, all the more with additional pays and i've always spent carefully. Would rather spend it on Japanese buffets.

I never used agents either - but, when I was staying here before getting married, I also didn't go one of the most difficult consulates for tourist-visas, then enter to the 2nd-worst entry-point in terms of likelihood of success. 

 

If, today, I had to enter at that entry-point, in your shoes, for some reason, I would have avoided the whole tourist-visa part, and saved money by using this for a 1-day visa-exempt bounce:

 

Edited September 25 by Rob Browder