Corrupted Singapore Immigration Officers ?

[Penefattore]

I just read on an Italian forum http://www.thaitravel.it/forum/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=3836 of a very disturbing story at Singapore Immigration.

An Italian tourist doing his visa run from Thailand to Singapore was denied entry , had passport and cellphone confiscated , was detained 5 hours in a waiting room sort of , and finally scammed 150 bucks to have his passport and cellphone back in time to get on his return flight to Thailand.

Has anyone else heard of similar stories involving Singapore Immigration ?

[chimsa]

BUT, its in Italian.

From what you say, I suspect there may have been other factors. Perhaps he had had a lot of vino, or worse.

I have never had the slightest problem with anything Singaporean (except some of the prices.)

[Nio]

I just read on an Italian forum http://www.thaitravel.it/forum/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=3836 of a very disturbing story at Singapore Immigration.

An Italian tourist doing his visa run from Thailand to Singapore was denied entry , had passport and cellphone confiscated , was detained 5 hours in a waiting room sort of , and finally scammed 150 bucks to have his passport and cellphone back in time to get on his return flight to Thailand.

Has anyone else heard of similar stories involving Singapore Immigration ?

I don't buy it at all. Singapore is the most straight laced law abiding country in Asia. The last time I was in Singapore, flight arrived late, there were 1,000 people in line at immigration, I went to the desk and told them I had a connecting flight and was through immigration in 5 minutes.

I have flown to Singapore at least 1,000 times and find this to be the friendliest immigration on earth, same with the Embassy there.

You can bet this tourist was some scumbag probably in violation of something, then bitching he got caught. Singapore Immigration is probably allot keener on finding things wrong than BKK.

Don't believe everything you read here in Thailand. Next thing you know sightings of flying elephants.

[harrry]

From what I can see from computer translation he tried to enter Singapore. He was asked to show he had money which is a requirement to enter. He refused and gave cheek. He was then offered the opportunity of paying for a hotel room until his deportation, refused and was locked in the lockup. He was charged the expenses for this as would many countries and deported to Thailand and is banned as a deportee from singapore for 20 years.

As a side note when a person has been deported from one country he must generallly declare it when applying to go to another. IE if he wants to go to the US he will have to apply for a visa and indicatre the deportation. Not a nice situation to be in.

[mrtoad]

Load of nonsense. I think very few people have problems with Singapore immigration, unless they deserve to. Alwats found them to be very professional and efficient in the 18 years I have been going there.

[Penefattore]

From what I can see from computer translation he tried to enter Singapore. He was asked to show he had money which is a requirement to enter. He refused and gave cheek. He was then offered the opportunity of paying for a hotel room until his deportation, refused and was locked in the lockup. He was charged the expenses for this as would many countries and deported to Thailand and is banned as a deportee from singapore for 20 years.

I clarify for non Italian speakers. He was doing a visa run with an already booked return ticket just a few hours later in the same day. That was the reason he needed no hotel, he just wanted to walk around Singapore for a few hours. He went back to Thailand with the flight he had paid before, so really I don't see what expenses he should have been charged for.

[khunjake]

From what I can see from computer translation he tried to enter Singapore. He was asked to show he had money which is a requirement to enter. He refused and gave cheek. He was then offered the opportunity of paying for a hotel room until his deportation, refused and was locked in the lockup. He was charged the expenses for this as would many countries and deported to Thailand and is banned as a deportee from singapore for 20 years.

I clarify for non Italian speakers. He was doing a visa run with an already booked return ticket just a few hours later in the same day. That was the reason he needed no hotel, he just wanted to walk around Singapore for a few hours. He went back to Thailand with the flight he had paid before, so really I don't see what expenses he should have been charged for.

The guy should not have approached immigration for permission to enter if he didn't prepare to show any documentation that might be requested by the officials when entering the country. He should have stayed in the departure lounge and just waited for his flight back to Thailand.

[Penefattore]

From what I can see from computer translation he tried to enter Singapore. He was asked to show he had money which is a requirement to enter. He refused and gave cheek. He was then offered the opportunity of paying for a hotel room until his deportation, refused and was locked in the lockup. He was charged the expenses for this as would many countries and deported to Thailand and is banned as a deportee from singapore for 20 years.

I clarify for non Italian speakers. He was doing a visa run with an already booked return ticket just a few hours later in the same day. That was the reason he needed no hotel, he just wanted to walk around Singapore for a few hours. He went back to Thailand with the flight he had paid before, so really I don't see what expenses he should have been charged for.

The guy should not have approached immigration for permission to enter if he didn't prepare to show any documentation that might be requested by the officials when entering the country. He should have stayed in the departure lounge and just waited for his flight back to Thailand.

But when you come back to Thailand don't they check you also have entry and exit stamps from the country you come from ? When you make a visa run to Cambodia border you can't just go to the casinos and come back, you have to purchase Cambodia visa and get your passport stamped by Cambo Immigration. Edited October 24, 2009 by Penefattore

[spongeman]

Obviously using words like "Air nazi police" will not help.

[IMA_FARANG]

I just read on an Italian forum http://www.thaitravel.it/forum/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=3836 of a very disturbing story at Singapore Immigration.

An Italian tourist doing his visa run from Thailand to Singapore was denied entry , had passport and cellphone confiscated , was detained 5 hours in a waiting room sort of , and finally scammed 150 bucks to have his passport and cellphone back in time to get on his return flight to Thailand.

Has anyone else heard of similar stories involving Singapore Immigration ?

No but like any country Singapore does have its own entry requirements.

I've heard before of backpacker types, usually those coming over from Malaysia into Singapore being advised that there hair was "too long" and being given the option of geting a haircut before they enter or not entering. (This applied to males with long hair).

And Singapore can ask if you have funds sufficient to live on while you are there. But in my experience that is rarely used if you are dressed well...no shabby clothes.

I once watched a Saudi try to enter Thailand at the old Don Muang airport. He was so drunk he could not walk by himself through the immigration entry point. His friends would hold him up until he got to the immigration. Then the Thai immigration officer would insist that he walk through himself without falling down. I watched this for about 15 minutes while I waited in queue to go through, but this Saudi was never able to walk the 10 or 15 steps to get through.

I suppose if you p*ssed off a Singaporean immigration officer enough...he/she could find a reason to keep you out. like in other countries, they always have the final word. But Singapore probably has the most honest immigration/police/etc. that I know of. Even offering to bribe someone there would be a reason for you to go to jail.

[wintermute]

Ah, so basically this Italian guy acted like a total ass to immigration and is wondering why he got deported and fined. Mystery solved. Singapore is less corrupt than his native country of Italy in the UN corruption index so I don't see what his accusations are about.

[RedBullHorn]

I just read on an Italian forum http://www.thaitravel.it/forum/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=3836 of a very disturbing story at Singapore Immigration.

An Italian tourist doing his visa run from Thailand to Singapore was denied entry , had passport and cellphone confiscated , was detained 5 hours in a waiting room sort of , and finally scammed 150 bucks to have his passport and cellphone back in time to get on his return flight to Thailand.

Has anyone else heard of similar stories involving Singapore Immigration ?

I don't buy it at all. Singapore is the most straight laced law abiding country in Asia. The last time I was in Singapore, flight arrived late, there were 1,000 people in line at immigration, I went to the desk and told them I had a connecting flight and was through immigration in 5 minutes.

I have flown to Singapore at least 1,000 times and find this to be the friendliest immigration on earth, same with the Embassy there.

You can bet this tourist was some scumbag probably in violation of something, then bitching he got caught. Singapore Immigration is probably allot keener on finding things wrong than BKK.

Don't believe everything you read here in Thailand. Next thing you know sightings of flying elephants.

After living in S'pore for 9 out of 10 of my life....i don't buy it either. S'pore have very good reputation in term of very low corruption rate and Changi airport had been voted best or second best airport many times since i can't remember when...Their prime minister are paid salary in over of a million S'pore dollars and ministers earn 3 times more than US president annually, qualified school teachers are earning S$3000+/month, my ex-classmate who is holding the rank of Station Inspector in the police force is earning S$2800+fringe benefits/month and he's only a GCE 'O' level ( Cambridge Exam Certificate ), i paid my part time waitresses S$10+tip an hour and full time staff are earning S$12 an hour,tips,incentives and bonus, i made S$3000+bonus/month as a Club Operations Manager in a pub/discotheque before i move to Thailand and dumpster trunks drivers earn slighly over S$2000/month....... All the high salary are justified to the work and effort in productivity.

All i'm saying is that i would not risk my high earning pay for peanut and high pay act as a kind of deterrence agains corruption in S'pore.

[hazz]

As someone said he did not need to enter singapore if he was doing a visa run.

A number of countries do not put exit and entry stamps in the passports of their own citizens; also quite a few people have two passports and will use one on departure and one on entry. So immigration cannot expect to see a exit stamp from the country you have left. This is what I am doing at the moment as my older passport has just enough space to live out its life if I just have thai stamps in it.

I believe this is why sometimes immigration at some airports will ask to see your boarding card so they know you came off a plane.

[antony77]

I just read on an Italian forum http://www.thaitravel.it/forum/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=3836 of a very disturbing story at Singapore Immigration.

An Italian tourist doing his visa run from Thailand to Singapore was denied entry , had passport and cellphone confiscated , was detained 5 hours in a waiting room sort of , and finally scammed 150 bucks to have his passport and cellphone back in time to get on his return flight to Thailand.

Has anyone else heard of similar stories involving Singapore Immigration ?

When I was living in Singapore I had a Thai girlfiend and at that time they allowed single Thai girls to make only one visit every six months. This was because there were so many girls s"soliciting" there. But it was a well known fact that many immigration officers took a bribe of $200 or more and allowed the girls in. My girlfriend stayed with me several months and every two weeks I drove her to the border and gave her the $200 bribe money. She said all her friends did this. The way it worked was certain immigration officers would inform the girls what time they would be on duty and at what counter.

[thaihome]

I just read on an Italian forum http://www.thaitravel.it/forum/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=3836 of a very disturbing story at Singapore Immigration.

An Italian tourist doing his visa run from Thailand to Singapore was denied entry , had passport and cellphone confiscated , was detained 5 hours in a waiting room sort of , and finally scammed 150 bucks to have his passport and cellphone back in time to get on his return flight to Thailand.

Has anyone else heard of similar stories involving Singapore Immigration ?

When I was living in Singapore I had a Thai girlfiend and at that time they allowed single Thai girls to make only one visit every six months. This was because there were so many girls s"soliciting" there. But it was a well known fact that many immigration officers took a bribe of $200 or more and allowed the girls in. My girlfriend stayed with me several months and every two weeks I drove her to the border and gave her the $200 bribe money. She said all her friends did this. The way it worked was certain immigration officers would inform the girls what time they would be on duty and at what counter.

I also heard about this in the late ’90’s. I think it was a very small number of low level immigration officers at only certain checkpoints. The one I heard about was at the causeway from JB and he did it on a very limited basis.

TH

[Penefattore]

As someone said he did not need to enter singapore if he was doing a visa run.

A number of countries do not put exit and entry stamps in the passports of their own citizens; also quite a few people have two passports and will use one on departure and one on entry. So immigration cannot expect to see a exit stamp from the country you have left. This is what I am doing at the moment as my older passport has just enough space to live out its life if I just have thai stamps in it.

I believe this is why sometimes immigration at some airports will ask to see your boarding card so they know you came off a plane.

So in a Cambodia visa run you need the Cambo stamps because it's a land entry, while they don't care if you show up at an airport ? But if you show up with a boarding card showing a country different from yours, don't they ask why your passport isn't stamped ?

[Nio]

To clarify, when you arrive in Singapore, you first go through arrival Immigration as if you wanted to leave the airport. Once you go through arrival immigration you are in the outer hall of the airport where the hotels, rental cars, money changers etc. are located and all the doors to the outside of the airport.

If you have a return flight in a hour or so, instead of leaving the airport, you have to go from downstairs 1st floor in the airport and take an escalator to upstairs 2nd floor. Once you are upstairs you have to pass back through the departing immigration area to get access to the gate departure areas.

At arrival immigration, beside your passport, you will out an arrival card that states where you will be staying in Singapore or staying at airport for departure flight.

Since immigration has this arrival card and it clearly states what hotel or address you are staying in or if you are on a return flight, why in the world would they ask for clarification of money? This makes no sense what so ever.

I am sure some beligerent attitude and no respect for the immigration officials is what landed this bloke in trouble.

[RubbaJohnny]

il signor is regularly in Cha Am

I rest my case

[samran]

As someone said he did not need to enter singapore if he was doing a visa run.

A number of countries do not put exit and entry stamps in the passports of their own citizens; also quite a few people have two passports and will use one on departure and one on entry. So immigration cannot expect to see a exit stamp from the country you have left. This is what I am doing at the moment as my older passport has just enough space to live out its life if I just have thai stamps in it.

I believe this is why sometimes immigration at some airports will ask to see your boarding card so they know you came off a plane.

So in a Cambodia visa run you need the Cambo stamps because it's a land entry, while they don't care if you show up at an airport ? But if you show up with a boarding card showing a country different from yours, don't they ask why your passport isn't stamped ?

at land crossings they try and make sure you have exited the last country properly as it is in most cases fairly easy just to avoid getting stamped in and out of the next country when doing a border run....

When flying, that is kind of implied that you have left the last country properly....otherwise you wouldn't have been allowed to board the flight. In addition, many countries don't stamp out departing passangers (UK, US, many EU countries; Australia, NZ don't stamp out their own citizens). As a result, when flying immigration don't check for 'stamp trails'.

My Thai passport has about 30 exit and re-entry stamps for Thailand over the past 3 years, but hardly any stamps for most western nations as they are all in my Australian passport, and even then, going to Australia or NZ, my Australian passport never gets stamped.