Troubles at immigration desk in BKK airport

[Emath86]

Hello to everyone, I want to ask if anyone had the same problem as me when entered to Thailand. 
I’m an Italian guy, married to a Thai wife with children living in Thailand. I work in Italy for the summer and winter season, twice a year for a total of approximately 7 months.

When I don’t work I go to Thailand to stay with my family. Actually i don’t have residence in Italy.

 

Last week I flew from Venice to BKK airport with a Visa exempt ( same as many tourists, 60 days ) because my plan was to stay in Thailand for 70 days. I had troubles at immigration office. 
The officer saw my passport and he asked why I still have an old TM6 paper ( March 2023 ). He started asking me some questions. 
Where I live, to show him a ticket for go out Thailand before 60 days ( fortunately I had a booking with AirAsia for a onward ticket Krabi Kuala Lumpur ) and at the end of conversation told me that I made a lot of extension for every permit of stay in Thailand. I want to clarify that every extension was regular, never overstay and never had problems for 13 years. 
He told me that I must ask a visa Non O for next time I come to Thailand or he wouldn’t let me come in. 

I was shocked, these are my entries of the last 2 years ( the date when I got a new passport ).

 

04/2023: enter with  visa exemption (out of Thailand after less of 1 month )

 

09/2023: I enter with visa non O visa 1 year. After 3 months I went to Laos for a border bounce and come back. Got other 90 days, at the end I applied for a 60 days extension at local immigration ( 05/2023 exit )

09/2024: enter to Thailand with visa exemption ( before the ends of 60 days made a 30 days extension at local immigration ) ( 12/2024 exit )

 

01/2025: enter to Thailand with visa exemption 60 days (  fly back to Italy in June 2025 )

In the last years I don’t want to ask for a Non O Visa because I have to stay in Thailand less of 90 days and I moved my residence from Italy to Thailand ( I sold my home in my country and I cannot be residence there ).

 

I want to ask to everyone if I try to ask a Non O Visa online when I work in Italy do you think it would be ok? ( even if my residence is in Thailand now ) 

I can proof that the hotel where I work give me  the room for live ( it’s also write in the paper of salary ).

Does the new visa non O 90 days need financial requirements? 

I would prefer to don’t go to ask a new Visa from Laos or Vietnam for avoid to loose time. 
 

thank you so much for your help and sorry for wrote a very long paper. 

 

[BrandonJT]

From multiple reports, it seems to be getting the 30-day extension on a visa exempt entry that really starts to trigger the problems.  It looks you got one of those less than a year ago so is probably why they told you that.

 

You can apply for a visa if the Thai embassy in Italy through the e-visa system.  Proof of financials is required at all embassies now that they have switched to e-visa.

[JoseThailand]

Get a proper visa!

[DrJack54]

25 minutes ago, Emath86 said:

I want to ask to everyone if I try to ask a Non O Visa online when I work in Italy do you think it would be ok?

Just picking one part of your OP.

Having a job in Italy has zero impact on obtaining a Non O marriage.

 

I suspect the io noticed past Non O entry. Meaning you have other options vs visa exempt entry. 

Yes a Non O e-Visa has financial requirements. 

400k in Thai bank account for application.

Suggest for ongoing visits to Thailand for total of 6 months + you consider other options. 

 

 

 

[NoDisplayName]

30 minutes ago, Emath86 said:

I want to ask to everyone if I try to ask a Non O Visa online when I work in Italy do you think it would be ok? ( even if my residence is in Thailand now ) 

 

No problem.

 

You can get an O-visa for marriage or retirement if over 50.

Doesn't matter how much time you spend outside of Thailand, nor whether you work outside of Thailand.

 

I had an O-visa (retirement), stayed in Bangkok with my girlfriend, worked in China most of the year.  Would return for spring festival to apply for extensions.

[Emath86]

1 hour ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

No problem.

 

You can get an O-visa for marriage or retirement if over 50.

Doesn't matter how much time you spend outside of Thailand, nor whether you work outside of Thailand.

 

I had an O-visa (retirement), stayed in Bangkok with my girlfriend, worked in China most of the year.  Would return for spring festival to apply for extensions.

I’m 38 years old, I can ask the Non O Visa family ( have Thai wife and Thai children ). 
I will spend in Thailand about 70-80 days twice a year, not more. 

thank you for your answer!

[Emath86]

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

Just picking one part of your OP.

Having a job in Italy has zero impact on obtaining a Non O marriage.

 

I suspect the io noticed past Non O entry. Meaning you have other options vs visa exempt entry. 

Yes a Non O e-Visa has financial requirements. 

400k in Thai bank account for application.

Suggest for ongoing visits to Thailand for total of 6 months + you consider other options. 

 

 

 

Yes maybe the system saw a Non O entry.. anyway i will stay in Thailand not more than 70-80 days twice a year. I will try to obtain a non o evisa. 
400k in Thai bank can be a problem, is it still possible to show a minimum monthly income of 40000thb ? 

[BrandonJT]

2 hours ago, Emath86 said:

Yes maybe the system saw a Non O entry.. anyway i will stay in Thailand not more than 70-80 days twice a year. I will try to obtain a non o evisa. 
400k in Thai bank can be a problem, is it still possible to show a minimum monthly income of 40000thb ? 

As long as you are applying at an embassy, shouldn't be an issue if it's proof of income that embassy accepts.

[Jack1988]

I think immigration officer saw on your passport that you had a marriage visa, so he knows you're married to a Thai and he thinks you can get a proper visa. You're still married so this is the problem why coming too many times with a free visa exemption makes the issue with the immigration. But if for example you were already divorced I don't think you would have an issue to come back to Thailand without a visa or with a tourist visa for example. I mean, why they shouldn't let someone in if he is single or divorced? 

[thai006]

You should use safe entry bro 

[norsurin]

When i lived in Thailand my work schedule was 4-6 weeks on and off in another countries.

I worked as a offshore seaman.I had never ever problems when i arrived Thailand.I was married and had kids there at that time.They asked me sometimes why im coming so often and i just explained them and it was ok.

I have never been told to prove return tickets.Last time they asked where i will stay and i named the hotel and the officer just said ok.When i extensed my visa in Bangkok for 30 days more they asked where i stay..name and roomnumber at my hotel.I told the lady and she said good.Get my stamp and left the immigration.

[dddave]

Tourist Visa's are for tourists  You are clearly not a "tourist" by your own admission.  Your luck ran out. Get the proper visa.

[Emath86]

42 minutes ago, thai006 said:

You should use safe entry bro 

I’ll try to ask a Non O Visa 90 days but if the request will be rejected my last chance is the safe entry… I don’t want to risk to be denied. 

[Emath86]

3 minutes ago, dddave said:

Tourist Visa's are for tourists  You are clearly not a "tourist" by your own admission.  Your luck ran out. Get the proper visa.

yes it’s correct.. I’ll try to ask. Honestly it’s more convenience for me to get a Non O cause I need to renew my Thai driver license and avoid always going to local immigration for extension 30 days..

[ujayujay]

Your Residence is in Thailand, this is the Point, so you are not a Tourist! Get a proper Visa!

[Rob Browder]

6 hours ago, dddave said:

Tourist Visa's are for tourists  You are clearly not a "tourist" by your own admission.  Your luck ran out. Get the proper visa.

Also
@ujayujay

 

The term "proper" is a joke, while agent-schemes are run by immigration.  ~360 days/year on visa-exemptions are quite acceptable to immigration, with agent-facilitated entries. 

 

They do not set a fixed limit time out of country between visa-exempt / tourist entries, so they can run their greedy little schemes on the edges of some unknown variable - using the fear of arbitrary enforcement as the sales-pitch.   Clearly, agent-service is their preferred method of interaction. 

 

They make a joke of themselves by how they run their operations - might as well dress-up in clown suits.  I do everything "by the book" with them - and yet, I am the one who has often felt be-clowned, by doing so.