Help, Very Worry, They Stop Me At Airport!

[ricoloca]

hello,

is somebody have already had the problem i had this morning at phuket airport?

i tell the story:

i'm in thailand since 2 years already and have many stomps and visas on my passport. it almost full (4 or 5 pages remaining).

i get my last double entry in paris, france and since my come back in thailand, it has been 6 months.

i was in phuket airport this morning to take a plane to go to KL to get a tourist visa and when i gave my passport to the immagration policeman, he looked it for about 5 or 6 real minutes, looked all the stomps and visas and asked me "if i work in thailand?", i answered him that i never work (and it's really true) and i told him also that i only spend money in thailand (it's still true).

he called a colleague and i had to follow his colleague fews meters around and i am sitting to he's desk. he took a picture of me with the same webcam as bangkok airport and just asked me if i already worked in thailand and i answered him the same thing as told to his colleague before.

it took about 5 minutes, he gave me back my passport and that's all. i'm now in KL.

so, i'm worry about 2 things:

1) i'm not surprised that they asked me if i work because when you stay longtime in a country, if you are not retired, then they can ask their self how can he get money? but i have monthly income from the rent of my parisian condo and i can show my bank statement... they could see that every month i have income. they can also see that every month i take cash to atm with my visa card. (i already prepared a copy of it for my come back to phuket friday). but i'm surprised because they asked all these things before living thailand! why these questions before my departure? i'm not worry about to get my visa in KL. will see...

2) is somebody already had this problem because now i'm WORRY ABOUT MY COME BACK TO PHUKET? and especially what could happend at airport? could they give me only one month? or 8 days (same somebody in penang)?

thanks to answer me and good luck to all!

[learndutchbkk]

HI just get a new passport when you are back in Thailand

[ricoloca]

hi and thanks for ur answer.

you want to mean that i should not have problems when i will back to phuket but i have to do a new passport for my next visa?

thank you

[britmaveric]

New passport wont do you any good after all - you are in a computer and that will inform the entry/exit dates, not to mention if they flagged you.

[Maestro]

It is very unusual for an immigration officer to question a visitor’s motive for staying in Thailand upon his departure. Never heard of this before.

--

Maestro

[ricoloca]

all these things for what?

i'm not a bad boy and i'm not illegal, i follow the rules same everybody to stay in thailand.

i only spend money, that's all!

anyway, will see!

somebody told me maybe the immigration policeman didin't like you and was heavy with you? the second one wasn't so unpleasant...

[Tammi]

Maybe they just didn't have a photo of you or perhaps your passport photo and how you look now don't match up?

[sweetchariot]

Have you made any enemies in Thailand?

Sounds similar to a friend of a friend, who's ex-business partner paid to have him flagged at immigration. He was harassed evry time he went for his 90 day report. He was OK until he went to renew his marriage extension, then was deported for working illegally - which he was, so serves him right really.

[jonniebkk]

Possible troll but if not, here is my 2 baht. I think your answer is in your original post. From your post, I take it you are younger than a typical retired expatriate and seeing that you spend allot of time in Thailand, the officers were naturally curious as to if you were working (as you only held tourist visas). I admit that such scrutiny at the airport is unusual. I am in your same situation (very young for a retiree and a passport full of tourist and non-imm visas and 30-day entries) but have never been asked at the airport about my employment status.

Like it sounds you have already done, I would maybe carry some proof of funds transfers to Thailand to support yourself when you travel in and out of the country. Best would be to open an account at a Thai bank and then transfer money monthly/quarterly to this account. Then take the bank book for this account with you when you travel. Simple.

[PhilHarries]

Probably was a slow day for them and they wanted a little entertainment shaking down a farang and you just walked by at the right (wrong) time.

The crunch will come, if it does at all, when you re-enter Thailand.

[garro]

I have received similar types of questions in the past during visa runs - even with a multiple non-o. It happened last year at Mai-Sai and the immigration officer gave me a real grilling. I returned there three months later, and she just ignored me. I think that some days they are more interested in a passport than other days. It is all a bit nerve-racking, and I must admit that I am now relieved to be on yearly extensions.

[Macx]

Had similar thing happened to me three times at Phuket Airport. First time was back in early 2004. Last time just a few months ago on a visa run to Singapore. Each time it was the normal rude behavior, curt questions (Why are you in Thailand? You work?). It's not a huge problem, just unpleasant. Basically, each time I stood there for about 5-10 minutes while he frowned and flipped the passport back and forth, turned it this way and that, and the rest of the travelers behind me were getting curious and restless and I got to feel like a crook. Very unpleasant.

These days, I usually use BKK as a departure/entry point, but who knows maybe someday they'll get nasty as well.

[ricoloca]

many thanks to all for your answers.

i start to have an idea about what's happened in phuket airport.

i'm just back from thai ambassy and have to take back may passport tomorrow morning...

so, will see at phuket for return.

i'm, of course a little bit worry but and for sure i will not miss to inform everybody about the final part of this story...

so...

to finish, my friend use to say: accept what you can't change!

i would be really desappointed...

[wasabi]

Even if this is a troll, which I don't think. This is good information, one should be prepared for a possible grilling when renewing your stamps at immigration.

[mikethevigoman]

hello,

is somebody have already had the problem i had this morning at phuket airport?

i tell the story:

i'm in thailand since 2 years already and have many stomps and visas on my passport. it almost full (4 or 5 pages remaining).

i get my last double entry in paris, france and since my come back in thailand, it has been 6 months.

i was in phuket airport this morning to take a plane to go to KL to get a tourist visa and when i gave my passport to the immagration policeman, he looked it for about 5 or 6 real minutes, looked all the stomps and visas and asked me "if i work in thailand?", i answered him that i never work (and it's really true) and i told him also that i only spend money in thailand (it's still true).

he called a colleague and i had to follow his colleague fews meters around and i am sitting to he's desk. he took a picture of me with the same webcam as bangkok airport and just asked me if i already worked in thailand and i answered him the same thing as told to his colleague before.

it took about 5 minutes, he gave me back my passport and that's all. i'm now in KL.

so, i'm worry about 2 things:

1) i'm not surprised that they asked me if i work because when you stay longtime in a country, if you are not retired, then they can ask their self how can he get money? but i have monthly income from the rent of my parisian condo and i can show my bank statement... they could see that every month i have income. they can also see that every month i take cash to atm with my visa card. (i already prepared a copy of it for my come back to phuket friday). but i'm surprised because they asked all these things before living thailand! why these questions before my departure? i'm not worry about to get my visa in KL. will see...

2) is somebody already had this problem because now i'm WORRY ABOUT MY COME BACK TO PHUKET? and especially what could happend at airport? could they give me only one month? or 8 days (same somebody in penang)?

thanks to answer me and good luck to all!

Dont be paranoid, il bet it was nothing and it wont happen again,.

[tijnebijn]

I have received similar types of questions in the past during visa runs - even with a multiple non-o. It happened last year at Mai-Sai and the immigration officer gave me a real grilling. I returned there three months later, and she just ignored me. I think that some days they are more interested in a passport than other days. It is all a bit nerve-racking, and I must admit that I am now relieved to be on yearly extensions.

If that woman was in her mid thirties , I think I know who you mean .

Haven't seen this horrible person for a while , I remember she was telling everybody

she has to report us to Thaksin ( couple of years ago indeed ), when travelling in and out

so much from Mae Sai , extra ordinary behaviour , saw her perhaps 2 more times and she still

remembered me , telling me I should go for an extension blablabla .....

She was the only one in 9 years time who ever even spoke or asked me something , guess she

comes something short at home

By the way women are more worse then man at immigration , guess they feel the need to prove

themselves , they are ice cold when they need to be .....

[Daffy D]

Get a new passport in KL then take a quick trip down to Singapore where you’ll have to show your old and new passport on the way out but after that only use your new passport. The new empty passport should not raise a flag when entering Thailand again.

Your passport is nearly full so a legitimate reason and good plan to get a fresh one anyway.

If I remember right you can get a bus from KL to Singapore and back in a day, don’t even have to stay there.

[Maestro]

...Get a new passport...

ricoloca, as already mentioned by another member, disregard the above advice. It is wrong and would not eliminate your problem.

--

Maestro

[ajarnmark]

Have you made any enemies in Thailand?

Sounds similar to a friend of a friend, who's ex-business partner paid to have him flagged at immigration. He was harassed evry time he went for his 90 day report. He was OK until he went to renew his marriage extension, then was deported for working illegally - which he was, so serves him right really.

Oh no, not again....

Where do you get such friends who have their other friends

[ricoloca]

one time more, thanks to all!

i'm asking a question?

the few minutes i sitted at the desk of the policeman, as i told before he took a picture of me as the immigration did it already fews months ago in bangkok, but did he do it to check if i have a problem with the law or flagged he me?

in the second case, why he would have flagged me? in the hope to do what after?

i really don't understand...

only spend money in thailand...

maybe one day i would go to live cambodia or vietnam, i have enough of these bullshit!

p.s: the people at the police immagration wasn't a woman.

[chrisspursbkk1]

one time more, thanks to all!

i'm asking a question?

the few minutes i sitted at the desk of the policeman, as i told before he took a picture of me as the immigration did it already fews months ago in bangkok, but did he do it to check if i have a problem with the law or flagged he me?

in the second case, why he would have flagged me? in the hope to do what after?

i really don't understand...

only spend money in thailand...

maybe one day i would go to live cambodia or vietnam, i have enough of these bullshit!

p.s: the people at the police immagration wasn't a woman.

You've had enough of this bull**** ok, not the best choice of wording on this fourm.

[ricoloca]

ok, i can understand, sure!

i didn't want to hurt someone (maybe only one?) with this word, i understand...

but what is the worst?

my word or that stupid problem at phuket airport?

[aries27]

changed my mind... i have nothing to share...

[Maestro]

...maybe one day i would go to live cambodia or vietnam, i have enough of these bullshit!

What guarantee do you have that immigration officers will not photograph you and ask you questions in Cambodia or Vietnam? After all, that’s their job.

--

Maestro

[aries27]

yes, i agree with maestro. nothing wrong with being photographed either. in my country, people like being photographed. we even smile our sweetest. like that!

[ricoloca]

I just wanted to inform people who feel concerned by this type of problem in order to prevent them from meeting such a situation next time. know if it already happened? I will therefore not tell you about my return to phuket!

[Maestro]

...know if it already happened?

Two posters in this thread have reported being questioned by immigration officials, one of them three times in Phuket:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?s=...t&p=1942908

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?s=...t&p=1942996

--

Maestro

[ricoloca]

yes, of course, is their work and a rare profession where people are generally rather unpleasant.

I recall simply that I am neither a villain nor outlawed and that I am only spend money in thailand, that's all.

I just wanted to inform people who feel concerned by this type of problem in order to prevent them from meeting such a situation next time. know if it already happened? I will therefore not tell you about my return to phuket!

./

[ricoloca]

i'm going to look at it, thank you.

[Maestro]

...we even smile our sweetest...

I believe you are not allowed to smile nowadays for an immigration photograph. Something to do with the face recognition software.

--

Maestro