Nightmare At Immigration

[Murgatroyd]

On Monday 30th June I went to the Thai Immigration centre in soi Suan Phlu, Satorn. I had entered Thailand on the 8th of April on a Full O/A one year visa, but as this was my first 90 day report, I wanted to leave plenty of time in case there were any problems.

Not being exactly sure what I would need to make my 90 day report with, I took more or less every relevant piece of paperwork I had. I also took my fiancee with me, to confirm that I was living at her house...

When I arrived at the immigration centre, I joined the information queue, to find out exactly where I should go... the woman behind the counter looked at my passport, visa and entry stamp... she gave me a queue number and and a form to fill in, and pointed me to the longest queue in the building... my number was 40 places down the queue, which moved at anagonisingly slow pace... then all the immigration officers went to lunch... as I looked around the queue, I was suprised to see many entire families, with Dads clutching a whole sheaf of documentation... often several inches thick. Eventually the staff returned from their lesurely lunch break, and started interviewing people again... by this time about 2 hours had passed and only five places had changed in the queue... I asked a chap if this was the 90 day report queue. He replied "No Mate... this is to apply for a visa extension... we have to do this every year" I explained that I had a full O/A visa, and was only there to do a 90 day report... "You're in the wrong Queue Mate", he replied, "That queue's next door, it only takes about 10 minutes"

Heaving a sigh of relief, I collected my fiancee and my heap of paperwork, and went back to the information queue by the entrance : " I just need to make a 90 day report" I explained... "No, Wrong visa : Cannot report, You need to get new visa" Was her response... I couldn't understand this at all, as my full O/A, multiple entry visa was supposed to be the all singing all dancing version, which entitled me to stay in the kingdom, and report every 90 days without doing border runs... I had sweated blood to obtain this visa in London, and gone to a lot of trouble to assemble the qualifying paperwork, and then get it all notorised by a solicitor...

Convinced that She had misunderstood, I waited for her to become involved with another customer, and asked her collegue for a number for the 90 day report queue... this was issued, along with a different form....

I filled in this shorter, and much simpler form, and within 20 minutes my number was called : I stepped up and handed over my passport and form, and braced myself for the inevitable grilling... " No Good : I cannot stamp this Passport : Wrong Visa!" was the response...

It was at this stage that I nearly lost it bigtime... I knew that I had the right visa... but two immigration officials had now refused it... I had one week before my 90 days were up, and I would have to leave... if I couldn't sort this out. Several harried ciggies and a lot of muttering later, I rejoined the origional queue... fortunately I had retained my origional queue number, and only had to wait one more hour before this number was called...

The lady behind the desk studied my form and passport with interest : "What you do today?" she asked me... " I have sat in various queues here at immigration today"I replied, and managed to summon up a smile.

"No :What you DO?" She asked again... then the penny dropped... " I am retired... I don't work here in Thailand" I replied...

"OK, You need new visa : You need letter from embassy, say you have enough money, you need docter letter, you need Thai Bank account, You need photocopy passport, and photos... " I asked what was wrong with my origional visa, " Visa no good, you need change for retirement visa. This visa expire monday"

I was hurled into the depths of despondancy : Three months work obtaining the origional visa in London down the drain... I knew that I didn't have time to complete the application process again before monday... "Can I border run, and get another 90 days?" |I asked her... "No, Visa no good, not let you back in" Was her response... " Go get letter from embassy about money, come back tomorrow... come straight to my desk... not queue again" she kindly told me...

Wearily, I and my fiancee left the building... I was not a happy bunny. I couldn't understand what the problem was with my full O/A visa, and my lack of comprehension made me very angry... mostly with myself.

The following day, I attended the UK embassy,Filled in yet another form, and showed my bank statements, and income. "OK sir, we'll have the letter ready for you tomorrow..." Whilst I was there I applied for my "Affirmation of freedom to Marry", although by that stage I was wondering if I would be in Thailand long enough to attend my own wedding.

"No Worries sir, that will also be ready tomorrow : That will be 5800 Baht please... "

Bloody hel_l, I thought... I thought the Thais knew how to charge for paperwork... this lot evidently tought them how!...

There was no point in going back to the immigration office until I had the letter, and it was My fiancee's daughters birthday,,, I resolved to make it the happiest day I could, as I could see some bad days on the horizon... As I headed down to the place to get a cab, I bumped into a monk, and thrust 200 Baht at him : "Tam Boon" I said, and left him rather confused... two beggers also struck lucky... as I figured I needed all the merit I could gain with the gods, spirits, or lady luck...

That evening, I went on the internet, and tried to figure out what I had done wrong with my Visa... needless to say, just about every website contradicted every other website on some details... and all seemed intent on selling me an expensive deal with representation... I photocopied every page of my passport, as most of the sites suggested this, and prepared to go dressed in suit and tie, ordering another 8.00 am taxi...

Wednesday morning I and my fiancee attended the UK embassy again, Picked up the financial letter, which seemed to be fine, and the Affirmation of freedom to marry.

Taking a dog leg to a photocopiers, and making two copies of the embassy letter, We headed back to the Immigration Office, filled with dread and forboding... I had no doctors letter, and no Thai Bank account... I could only hope for the best.

When We arrived back at the immigration office I joined the information queue again... even though the lady at desk 17 had asked my to go directly to her... with my luck, I thought, she wouldn't be in today, and I'd better have a number in the queue to be on the safe side...

Behind the desk sat an altogether more impressive immigration officer, covered in decorations and obviously master of all he surveyed.

He took my passport... " Sir This Passsport has wrong stamp..." My heart faltered again... " The Immigration officer at the airport has only stamped this passport for 90 days... he should have stamped it for a whole year... I'm very sorry sir... Please take it to desk 519, and the stamp will be corrected"

My heart started to beat again... Light at the end of the tunnel!

At desk 519 the young lady cheerfully corrected the stamp, and suggested that I make my 90 day report :" Only 3 more days sir... Why not do it today?"

Ten minutes later, and one very simple form later, I was at the report desk, " OK Sir, no problem". Not a single question about my address or finances...

Then I was out of the building, secure in the knowledge that I had obtained the correct visa in the first place, and that I now had 9 more months before I had to do my visa extension paperwork again...

So all I can suggest is : Make merit, as often as you can...

Murg

PS : After all that, I've now managed to loose the piece of paper that was given to me after making my report... so I guess I'm in for a 2000 baht fine... Typical

Edited August 8, 2008 by Murgatroyd

[digitalchromakey]

.... Then I was out of the building, secure in the knowledge that I had obtained the correct visa in the first place, and that I now had 9 more months before I had to do my visa extension paperwork again...

Please remember that if you have an OA visa then your can leave and re-enter Thailand up to one day before your 'Enter before' date and you should get an entry stamp in your passport for another year.

Edited August 8, 2008 by digitalchromakey

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Oh, wow, I really love this tale of woe, sure glad it didn't happen to me!  At least worked out in the end.

Mac

[JetsetBkk]

.... Then I was out of the building, secure in the knowledge that I had obtained the correct visa in the first place, and that I now had 9 more months before I had to do my visa extension paperwork again...

Please remember that if you have an OA visa then your can leave and re-enter Thailand up to one day before your 'Enter before' date and you should get an entry stamp in your passport for another year.

Not correct. What you describe is true only for a "Multiple-Entry O-A visa".

[Murgatroyd]

Fortunately It is a Multiple Entry O/A visa... so I'll try that...

Thanks for the Info.

Murg

[Ianatlarge]

Sorry to hear you had so much trouble--and expense, but at least you got it sorted in the end.

Something similar happened to me a few weeks back. I got a 7 day extension, no hassles, but then as I was walking out of the office I looked closely and realised that the officer had given me a stamp with the wrong month, the previous month! She corrected, but if I had not noticed the guy at the border could have given me a hard time.

When I do a visa run I always take with me enough personal items to handle being stranded, jic the Thai immig officers do not grant me a visa.

[Maestro]

The OP proves once again how important it is to check if the entry stamp one gets on arrival is correct, a habit I must admit I have not yet acquired myself. Interesting, though, that on his first visit none of the four immigration officers who looked at his passport noticed the mistake in the entry stamp. It might have been due to overwork at that office on that day.

--

Maestro

[tartempion]

And how would the OP, on his first entry into the kingdom with a so difficult to get (many embassies simply refuse to provide it) one year Multiple entries O-A visa, know what should be on his entry stamp?

I wonder who knows exactly when one needs to perform a 90 days report versus leaving and re-entering the country with or without re-entry permit.

An acquaintance with a retirement extension went home to visit family to fond out he lost his retirement extension on re-entering the country. Shaking his head, he simply started doing monthly visa runs.

It's a jungle created by immigration authorities themselves at the point they don't even see an immigration officer made an error.

At my last entry the officer at Savanaboom also made a date error which I had her to correct.

Edited August 8, 2008 by tartempion

[Jingthing]

O/A, multiple entry visa was supposed to be the all singing all dancing version, which entitled me to stay in the kingdom, and report every 90 days without doing border runs... I had sweated blood to obtain this visa in London, and gone to a lot of trouble to assemble the qualifying paperwork, and then get it all notorised by a solicitor...

A bit off topic, but coming in on a regular O visa and starting the retirement extension IN Thailand is MUCH easier. Cheers. Happy you got this sorted out. Kind of an initiation, really.

[JetsetBkk]

And how would the OP, on his first entry into the kingdom with a so difficult to get (many embassies simply refuse to provide it) one year Multiple entries O-A visa, know what should be on his entry stamp?

How difficult it is to get the visa is irrelevant. One reason for getting an O-A visa is that you get a one year stamp at the airport immigration desk on arrival. It's up to you to make sure that's what you get.

I wonder who knows exactly when one needs to perform a 90 days report

I do! Anyone who stays longer than 90 days in the country must do a 90 day report.

versus leaving and re-entering the country with or without re-entry permit.

If you leave before your visa or extension expires, you must get a re-entry permit to keep your visa/extension active, or it will expire.

An acquaintance with a retirement extension went home to visit family to fond out he lost his retirement extension on re-entering the country. Shaking his head, he simply started doing monthly visa runs.

I'm amazed that he didn't know he must get a re-entry permit. My extension stamp has the following stamp beneath it:

"Please contact the Immigration office for a RE-ENTRY PERMIT before leaving Thailand."

It's a jungle created by immigration authorities themselves at the point they don't even see an immigration officer made an error.

There is an office at Suan Phlu specifically for correcting mistakes made by the airport immigration officers - maybe "desk 519" that the OP mentions. I've seen it, but not used it.

At my last entry the officer at Savanaboom also made a date error which I had her to correct.

Glad to hear that you knew what to expect on your entry stamp. It's not so hard, is it?

Edited August 8, 2008 by JetsetBkk

[Jimjim]

All the information I can find on Thai visas says that O-A visas give you a year stamp once you enter Thailand and no information about a multiple-entry for this type of visa. Is OP confused?

[Patriciachas]

All the information I can find on Thai visas says that O-A visas give you a year stamp once you enter Thailand and no information about a multiple-entry for this type of visa. Is OP confused?

You either pay for multi entry or single entry when you get it (we got ours in London)it states multi entry on the visa.

[JetsetBkk]

All the information I can find on Thai visas says that O-A visas give you a year stamp once you enter Thailand and no information about a multiple-entry for this type of visa. Is OP confused?

You either pay for multi entry or single entry when you get it (we got ours in London)it states multi entry on the visa.

I believe that a multiple-entry O-A visa is the same as a normal (single-entry) O-A visa PLUS a multiple re-entry permit. This means you can come and go as you please in the first year. But you must do 90-day reports if you stay more than 90 days at any time.

If you plan to be out of Thailand when the first year finishes, you must get another re-entry permit (single or multiple, up to you) BEFORE you leave to keep the visa active.

Otherwise you have to start all over again and get another O-A visa.

[lopburi3]

It is not a re-entry permit. It is a multi entry visa the same as any other multi entry visa. It allows unlimited entry for a one year period at any time during the one year validity of the visa. You are free to come and go and do not have to apply for a re-entry permit while the visa is valid. For permitted to stay time beyond the validity of the visa a re-entry permit is required.

[CosmicSurfer]

.... Then I was out of the building, secure in the knowledge that I had obtained the correct visa in the first place, and that I now had 9 more months before I had to do my visa extension paperwork again...

Please remember that if you have an OA visa then your can leave and re-enter Thailand up to one day before your 'Enter before' date and you should get an entry stamp in your passport for another year.

WRONG...

The stamp you can get on the Last day of Visa validity is ONLY for 90 DAYS... Not another year.

Maximum time you can get on this Visa is therefore 15 Months.

CS

[lopburi3]

No you are the one who is wrong. We are talking about an OA visa and each entry is one year.

[CosmicSurfer]

No you are the one who is wrong. We are talking about an OA visa and each entry is one year.

Ooops... So Sorry....

Got confused with Regular "O".

CS

[tracer]

No you are the one who is wrong. We are talking about an OA visa and each entry is one year.

Sorry to ask...

I have been here 21 years (!) but immigration rules can stll be a pain!

As far as I know IF you ask for and obtain a 1 year extension (or essentially any kind of extension) you MAXIMALY can extend by 90 days... If this different for OA please let me KNOW...

[digitalchromakey]

No you are the one who is wrong. We are talking about an OA visa and each entry is one year.

Sorry to ask...

I have been here 21 years (!) but immigration rules can stll be a pain!

As far as I know IF you ask for and obtain a 1 year extension (or essentially any kind of extension) you MAXIMALY can extend by 90 days... If this different for OA please let me KNOW...

The OA is a visa type, obtained overseas; It's not the same as an Extension of Permission to Stay, which you obtain from Immigration within Thailand.

The possibly confusing aspect of the OA is that if you stay in Thailand for more than 90 days you must report your address to your local immigration dept, the same as for a one year Extension of Stay.

With many categories of non immigrant visa you can extend for one year; after ninety days stay in Thailand you must report your address. However the stamp in your passport is for one year (once approved).

[Artamus]

No you are the one who is wrong. We are talking about an OA visa and each entry is one year.

I have just obtained this (Multi-entry one year O-A visa) outside Thailand, and am intending to arrive next month for retirement.

Reading the above this implies that this visa is effectively valid for two years, as I can use it now (and get a year on arrival), and then leave and return to Thailand a few days before it expires (it says "enter before 9 Aug 09")., and effectively get almost another year.

Therefore other than the 90 reporting this visa will last me almost two years potentially.

By the way there's nothing stamped on this visa about "Retirement" specifically. Would there normally be?

[Lite Beer]

No you are the one who is wrong. We are talking about an OA visa and each entry is one year.

I have just obtained this (Multi-entry one year O-A visa) outside Thailand, and am intending to arrive next month for retirement.

Reading the above this implies that this visa is effectively valid for two years, as I can use it now (and get a year on arrival), and then leave and return to Thailand a few days before it expires (it says "enter before 9 Aug 09")., and effectively get almost another year.

Therefore other than the 90 reporting this visa will last me almost two years potentially.

By the way there's nothing stamped on this visa about "Retirement" specifically. Would there normally be?

No problem.

As you said , exit and enter just before it expires.

[tartempion]

snipped to cut the crap

So it is beyond your understanding that many people simply don't master the 125 immigration rules?

I have a friend who gets a one year O visa in his home country every year (based on marriage) and he must EXIT the kingdom every 90 days, so NO 90 days reporting for him, see your comment "I do! Anyone who stays longer than 90 days in the country must do a 90 day report. "

And I don't have such wording in my passport: "Please contact the Immigration office for a RE-ENTRY PERMIT before leaving Thailand."

cheers

[Flash500]

The OP proves once again how important it is to check if the entry stamp one gets on arrival is correct, a habit I must admit I have not yet acquired myself. Interesting, though, that on his first visit none of the four immigration officers who looked at his passport noticed the mistake in the entry stamp. It might have been due to overwork at that office on that day.

--

Maestro

It happened to me twice on a non Imm B.....so now I have aquired the habit, like checking at the desk after the stamp and not moving till I am sure everything OK...peace of mind

[Flash500]

There is an office at Suan Phlu specifically for correcting mistakes made by the airport immigration officers - maybe "desk 519" that the OP mentions. I've seen it, but not used it.

Yes 519 it is...used it once on one of the mistakes above post.....takes literally 5-10 mins

[lopburi3]

No you are the one who is wrong. We are talking about an OA visa and each entry is one year.

Sorry to ask...

I have been here 21 years (!) but immigration rules can stll be a pain!

As far as I know IF you ask for and obtain a 1 year extension (or essentially any kind of extension) you MAXIMALY can extend by 90 days... If this different for OA please let me KNOW...

If you obtain a 1 year extension of stay from Immigration it is valid for one year stay. Don't understand what you mean about maximaly 90 days.

If you have a normal (multi entry) one year non immigrant visa each entry is for 90 days. The OA visa is different in that any entry is for one year. That "A" indicates it has been approved for a one year stay.