Immigration At Bkk

[chiangdan]

I hear a lot of stories in relation to immigration officials and other parties at Suvarnabhumi Airport. I am sure a lot of these stories have merit.

I just want to share a good news story with the people here.

I am an Australian citizen married to a wonderful Thai lady and have a young son in Chiangmai. I fly in and out of Thailand every month normally just returning to Aust for a few days. I have a 1 year multiple entry Category "O" type visa as this suits me just fine.

On my recent return flight back from Australia I handed my passport to the male official at passport control who seemed to take a lot of time reading it, looking at me looking down again. He then told me that my visa (expires in January 2010) was not valid and I need to get visa on arrival and need return ticket.

Well my heart sank hearing the stories of the going ons at the airport. I was wondering how I was going to explain my case to him without appearing rude or disrespectful. Anyway I tried to explained that it was a multiple entry and I could come and go many times in a 1 yrs period. He informed me in broken english that it was good only for two entries and I had come and gone 4 times already on the one visa and I was breaking thai law. At this time a female immigration Colonel attended at the counter took my passport looked at me looked at it. The whole time images of the Bangkok Hilton were going through my mind. She then asked me to come with her to another desk my heart pounding even more. The lady then picked up a stamp stamped my passport gave it to me. In almost perfect english she said sorry to me and proceeded to have a general conversation about how I met wife and how I like Thailand etc. She was or is a wonderful lady and a credit to thai officials. She handled the matter in a very proffesional manner saved the face of the male and did not seemed concerned that she appoligised on his behalf. There was no inference of corruption at all. I did give her a jar of lanoline cream at my own request for her help as I was bringing a couple of extras. Oh yes she was very attractive also and apparently attended school in England for awhile as she informed me.

[marsteele]

Sounds like you were lucky on this day. Educated in england? umm the Prime minister was also so maybe there is hope for thailand.

[barrybankruad]

Glad you didn't have any hassle. Ther is no doubt that the Thai woman who are harder working and more consientious than their male counterparts will eventually end up by running this country. The Thai males don't like it at all.

[venturalaw]

Glad you didn't have any hassle. Ther is no doubt that the Thai woman who are harder working and more consientious than their male counterparts will eventually end up by running this country. The Thai males don't like it at all.

If the Thai women bring in a new climate of non-corruption I'm all for it.

[TheMysteriousMrTesla]

Since there is no such thing as a 2 entry non-o what we actually have here is yet aonther instance of inadequately trained / incompetent (or just plain vindictive) immigration officials!!

You should not need to have been rescued by the supervisor, there was nothing to be rescued from.

[torrenova]

Since there is no such thing as a 2 entry non-o what we actually have here is yet aonther instance of inadequately trained / incompetent (or just plain vindictive) immigration officials!!

You should not need to have been rescued by the supervisor, there was nothing to be rescued from.

True, but there is a double entry tourist visa which, as they are now free, probably means that Somchai has remembered seeing this somewhere and that is occupying his available RAM.

[new2bangkok]

Some of the immigration passport stampers or how to call them? Really are incompetent. I have a non-imm. multiple entry business visa for 1 year. When i handed over my passport, the guy didn't know what it was. He was looking at me like <deleted> is this? After being awake for 48 hours i really didn't feel much for a discussion or interrogation. I was standing there like 10 minutes while he was checking some kind of book and stuff on his computer. His colleague finally said something like yeah whatever just stamp the dam_n thing.