Visa Cock-up At Airport

[Mel Brooks]

A mate got a double entry tourist visa from Sydney, issued on 24th February 2008. He flew here on 28th Feb and has just checked his passport and found that instead of utilising the visa they just gave him the 30 day permission to stay on arrival. His initial intention was to use the first entry (2 months) then extend that for another month, then leave and come back in on the 2nd entry and then extend that for another month: in total he'll be here for 6 months.

Now he is concerned over the following:

1) Does his entry here on the 30 day permission to stay invalidate his unused tourist visa?

2) If not, can he just nip across the border after 30 days and then start using his tourist visa? Can that entry be then extended for another month?

3) It states on his visa that it must be used before 28th May 2008 - can he use his 2nd entry after that date as long as the 1st entry was before it?

Hope this makes sense and any replies greatly appreciated.

[lopburi3]

1. No. Visa is still valid unless marked "used" or has number 1 and date. That would mean they used the visa but he got the wrong stamp and should visit immigration to get it corrected. Check the visa area carefully and what is written in the 30 day stamp area.

2. Yes. But why extend? Use the two months and then the second entry and extend the second entry. Visa will expire after the 30+60 so why not use it?

3. Yes. Do as 2 above (assuming it is not a stamp error per 1).

[Mel Brooks]

Thanks L3 for your quick response. I'm speaking to him tonight so I'll find out if the visa has been used and just the wrong date entered by immigration. If it has been used, but the wrong date entered can he get it fixed by Nong Khai Immigration or would he have to return to the airport in BKK?

Thanks again.

Edited March 7, 2008 by Mel Brooks

[lopburi3]

Immigration in Bangkok could correct so suspect Nong Khai can also.

If visa was properly used there would normally be a circled 1 and entry date near or on the visa.

[Crossy]

Thanks L3 for your quick response. I'm speaking to him tonight so I'll find out if the visa has been used and just the wrong date entered by immigration. If it has been used, but the wrong date entered can he get it fixed by Nong Khai Immigration or would he have to return to the airport in BKK?

Immigration will fix an erronious stamp for free The visa will have been marked if any entry has been used, if there is no mark (usually a "1" and a signature) then he's in on a 30 day exemption and can just start his visa by doing a border run.

IMPORTANT NOTE: He MUST start his second entry before the 'must enter before' date regardless of what's been going on previously.

[Jandajoy]

Well, I'm sorry to say that I'm forced to disagree.

As Lopbhuri is aware I got an erronious stamp. Thanks to his help the panic was off and I went into Pattya to get the problem rectified.

The tall pale faced, dyed haired officer at the reception / info desk smiled as he told me that Pattya couldn't correct the stamp. "You have to go to Bangkok".

"OK' says I, "Can they do it at the airport?" "Hmmm" says he, "maybe".

"Will I have to pay?"

"I don't know."

Apologetic grovel "Are you sure you can't do it here?"

"Hmmm, maybe I can, wait please"

2 minute absence

"Yes, can make here. Pay 1,900 bht."

Er, why must I pay for mistake? Not my mistake."

"Up to you. Pay 1900bht or go Bangkok. No problem".

"Will I get a receipt for the 1900 bht?"

"No, no receipt. Up to you. Go Bangkok and maybe pay or pay here and finish."

Consult with g/f

She speaks to officer and is told that I might have to pay in BKK.

I pay.

He smiles

I watch him put money in pocket.

He takes out pen, adjusts tourist stamp and adds date, smile at me and gives back the passport.

"Kop khun kap"

Yes, Thanks mate.

I go home and drink beer.

Happy days

LESSON LEARNT --- ALWAYS CHECK YOUR STAMP AT THE AIRPORT.

[Crossy]

LESSON LEARNT --- ALWAYS CHECK YOUR STAMP AT THE AIRPORT.

Yes, yes, yes!!!!

OK, I'll change my wording to "immigration SHOULD fix it for free", as we are all increasingly aware Pattaya (and it seems Hua Hin) seem to have their own set of rules, personally I would have gone to BKK just to piss him/her/it off!

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Well, I'm sorry to say that I'm forced to disagree.

As Lopbhuri is aware I got an erronious stamp. Thanks to his help the panic was off and I went into Pattya to get the problem rectified.

The tall pale faced, dyed haired officer at the reception / info desk smiled as he told me that Pattya couldn't correct the stamp. "You have to go to Bangkok".

"OK' says I, "Can they do it at the airport?" "Hmmm" says he, "maybe".

"Will I have to pay?"

"I don't know."

Apologetic grovel "Are you sure you can't do it here?"

"Hmmm, maybe I can, wait please"

2 minute absence

"Yes, can make here. Pay 1,900 bht."

Er, why must I pay for mistake? Not my mistake."

"Up to you. Pay 1900bht or go Bangkok. No problem".

"Will I get a receipt for the 1900 bht?"

"No, no receipt. Up to you. Go Bangkok and maybe pay or pay here and finish."

Consult with g/f

She speaks to officer and is told that I might have to pay in BKK.

I pay.

He smiles

I watch him put money in pocket.

He takes out pen, adjusts tourist stamp and adds date, smile at me and gives back the passport.

"Kop khun kap"

Yes, Thanks mate.

I go home and drink beer.

Happy days

LESSON LEARNT --- ALWAYS CHECK YOUR STAMP AT THE AIRPORT.

Checking the visa stamp is always the legal responsibility of the foreign entrant to Thailand.

[jstumbo]

I hate to correct you Lobburi3, but I think you got the answer to number 3 incorrect. He was asking if he could use the second entry after the visa expires if he had used the first one before it expires. Both entries must be made before the visa expires. Must be that old age thing again.

[Jandajoy]

Whilst I can understand and accept that checking the stamp is the legal responsibility of the foreigner entering Thailand. I find it hard to accept the blatant rort of 1900 bht for a 2 second correction.

[jstumbo]

He takes out pen, adjusts tourist stamp and adds date, smile at me and gives back the passport.

Have you tried to exit yet on this entry? If your situation was the same and they gave you a 30 visa exempt entry, and you tried to change it to an entry using your visa, seems like it would take more than just changing the date on the permission to stay stamp. Seems like it would take some entry into the computers that you were using your visa, that your permission to stay had been changed. If all it takes is someone to manually change the date on the stamp and that made it valid, I would think that lot's of people would do that themselves.

Hope you don't get nicked at immigration when leaving for forging your documents.

[Jandajoy]

A fair point.

No I haven't tried to exit on this yet. I only got it this morning.

Christ knows, well he might. I don't. I guess I'll just have to go with flow. I didn't see any computer work being done. Just a pen and a date stamp.

He did also write "Visa P.11" underneath the date, whatever that means.

[Jandajoy]

LESSON LEARNT --- ALWAYS CHECK YOUR STAMP AT THE AIRPORT.

Yes, yes, yes!!!!

OK, I'll change my wording to "immigration SHOULD fix it for free", as we are all increasingly aware Pattaya (and it seems Hua Hin) seem to have their own set of rules, personally I would have gone to BKK just to piss him/her/it off!

I was sorely tempted mate, but I've got rellies arriving tomorrow for a months stay.

[lopburi3]

I hate to correct you Lobburi3, but I think you got the answer to number 3 incorrect. He was asking if he could use the second entry after the visa expires if he had used the first one before it expires. Both entries must be made before the visa expires. Must be that old age thing again.

Didn't read far enough - thought he was asking if he could still use the second entry (did not read the after visa expires). No you can not make an entry after a visa expires. But you can remain in Thailand after it expires - you just have to enter by that date.

[sungod]

Same thing happened to me at the airport once. My fault as I didn't check, but I will only make that mistake once. I have a multi entry B, but was only given 30 days. Noticed the problem on return to Pattaya, so I went to immigration. "Sorry, we cannot do in Pattaya, you must go to Immigration in Bangkok." After a little wrangling the problem was rectified with a 1500 baht fee 'with no receipt'

[Jandajoy]

Same thing happened to me at the airport once. My fault as I didn't check, but I will only make that mistake once. I have a multi entry B, but was only given 30 days. Noticed the problem on return to Pattaya, so I went to immigration. "Sorry, we cannot do in Pattaya, you must go to Immigration in Bangkok." After a little wrangling the problem was rectified with a 1500 baht fee 'with no receipt'

SNAP

[Mel Brooks]

Thanks for everyone's help.

Just spoke to my mate and luckily the visa hadn't been used so he's going to go the way L3 advised - leave after 30 days, in on the 1st entry, go out and in for the 2nd (before 28th May) and then extend that one at the end.

[Crossy]

Just spoke to my mate and luckily the visa hadn't been used so he's going to go the way L3 advised - leave after 30 days, in on the 1st entry, go out and in for the 2nd (before 28th May) and then extend that one at the end.

Make sure he remembers to fill in the 'visa number' slot on the TM-6 landing card, if he doesn't the immigration chap/chapess may not spot the visa and give him another 30 day visa exemption

[Mel Brooks]

^ Yeah this appears to be the cause of the initial problem. He was supposed to fly into Phuket on Singapore Airlines but there were many problems and delays and he ended up at BKK instead without his luggage. There was a rep there who met him and took his passport and filled out his landing card for him and fast lined him through immigration.

[EmptyMind]

Just out of interest a long time ago, I got a 30 day stamp instead of a 60 day stamp at the airport and didn't realise until I was in the cab on the way home. Not knowing any better, I went back to the airport the next day (Probably I should have gone to Immigration in BKK), I explained my problem at customer service who then called an Immigration guy, He took me behind the counters at the entrance hall and after looking through a stack of TM47 forms for ages eventually found mine and saw that I had in-fact filled in my Visa number so should have been granted 60 days and not 30.

He apologised for the error and simply re-stamped the passport and problem solved.

Later in life I have learned for myself that the guy behind the Information desk at BKK Immigration does not speak English and has no idea what he is doing. Just last week I went there knowing I needed a ticket for counter 1 but over and over again he just smiled and said Counter 3, Counter 3.

I attracted the attention of the girl behind the counter who looked at my Passport and said "Counter 1" here is your ticket.

Just don't let them push you if you know that they are wrong, but don't be rude to them, Some of them simply don't know so they will give you anything just to get rid of you.