Poipet Visa Run

[RandyWhite]

Just to let you know that, not having done a visa run to Poipet for 12 months or so, there is ONE BIG DIFFERENCE. Last Sunday I found a very big pink notice taped to the counters that the Thai Police Immigration officer's work behind to the effect that intending tourists to Thailand at the Poipet boarder crossing who do not already have a visa are required to show an onward air ticket out of Thailand before the officer is allowed to issue one. The same large notice was at both the exit and entry counters and they are NOT KIDDING. I only got back home to Bangkok afetr my school emailed some documents to me at an inet cafe in Poipet about my Non-immigrant E appplication and I went back to talk to them a second time. Apparently, the word from the boys in brown is that the cheapest solution these days is actually to buy the airticket because there are no exceptions being made - at least these days.

You should not rely on this solution unless you speak Thai well and can also speak honestly to the officer(s) concerned. The nice officer who let me back also put a small mark with a yellow fluorescent marker on the entry stamp which I guess tells them that I'm special i.e. my papers have to be 100% in order within 30 days or else - which is what he indicated to me anyway without actually saying so.

Randy White / Bangkok

[Maestro]

...Last Sunday I found a very big pink notice taped to the counters that the Thai Police Immigration officer's work behind to the effect that intending tourists to Thailand at the Poipet boarder crossing who do not already have a visa are required to show an onward air ticket out of Thailand before the officer is allowed to issue one.

You are talking about the implementation by the Aranyaprathet immigration post of the old requirement to show a confirmed ticket for onward travel out of Thailand within 30 days when entering Thailand without a visa. This has been discussed in a number of other threads over the past few weeks, eg here, and according to some posts is being implemented selectively also at BKK airport and possibly other entry posts as well.

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Maestro