Screwed At Mae Sai ... Double Entry Visa ...

[orang37]

Sawasdee Khrup,

November 13 : leave Laos, enter Thaland with fresh double entry Tourist visa.

Ten day overstay in Chiang Mai due to health problem : paid Chiang Mai Immigration fine plus 1900 baht for one month extension to February 20th.

Went to Mae Sai (Feb. 21) paid one day overstay.

On re-entering Thailand from Mae Sai told my double-entry visa had expired because it said on it "Enter before 11 February 2010." Was given only fifteen days. Talked to a supervisor and was given same story. Knew better than to try and argue with them

I've had other double-entry visas before, and never had a similar problem.

My interpretation of the statement on the Thai visa "Enter before 11 February 2010" was that it meant that the first entry of the double entry had to occur before February 11, 2010.

Would appreciate your help in understanding what went wrong here.

thanks, ~o:37;

[apetley]

Either entry, first or second had to have been made before 11th Feb.

[sceadugenga]

You should have gone out on a VIP pass, no stamps in passport.

I would have had the same problem last week otherwise.

[lopburi3]

You always have to make all entries prior to the use before date on a visa. They were right.

[Crossy]

ALL entries on any type of visa must occur before the 'enter before' date stamped on the visa.

[Tod Daniels]

I believe WHEN you get your visa you can ask at the thai consulate that it have a validity for entry for a 6 month time frame (I know you can at the honorary consulates in the US, but not sure in neighboring S/E Asian countrys). It appears in looking at friends’ tourist visas that Lao is giving just the 90 day validity (Enter before).

So in essence, you weren't "Screwed At Mae Sai" which I thought was the beginning of a titillating tale of nefarious activity at the border.

In reality you didn't understand the true meaning of the the words "Enter Before" , so this hasta go down under "user error" category, and there is no great conspiracy behind your falsely perceived persecution and/or being screwed.

At least you got the 15 day stamp, you’re a day older and hopefully wiser.

By NO MEANS are you the only person who this has happened to, and there are posts nearly every day of similar situations by foreigners who are also unaware of the true meaning of "Enter Before".

The upside to this tale of woe and misery; for sure the NEXT double entry tourist visa you get, you'll be 100% dialed in on how it works.

[Maestro]

No, sceadugenga, your situation was completely different from that of the OP.

orang37, any and all entries with a visa must be made not later than one day before the "enter before" date stamped on the visa. The expiration date of the permission to stay you received from the immigration office is irrelevant for the use of the visa. See this information posted on the website of the Immigration Bureau:

What does the Visa Expiration Date Mean?

The visa expiration date is shown on the visa. Depending on the alien’s nationality, visas can be issued for any number of entries, from as little as one entry to as many as multiple (unlimited) entries, for the same purpose of travel.

* This generally means the visa is valid, or can be used from the date it is issued until the date it expires, for travel for the same purpose, when the visa is issued for multiple entry.

* This time period from the visa issuance date to visa expiration date as shown on the visa, is called visa validity. If you travel frequently as a tourist for example, with a multiple entry visa, you do not have to apply for a new visa each time you want to travel to Thailand.

* The visa validity is the length of time you are permitted to travel to a port-of-entry in Thailand to request permission of the immigration officer to permit you to enter Thailand. The visa does not guarantee entry to Thailand.

* The Expiration Date for the visa should not be confused with the authorized length of your stay in Thailand, given to you by the immigration officer at port-of-entry. The visa expiration date has nothing to do with the authorized length of your stay in Thailand for any given visit.

* Each time you arrive at the port-of-entry, an immigration officer decides whether to allow you to enter and how long you can stay. Only the immigration officer has the authority to permit you to enter Thailand.

Example of a double-entry tourist visa issued by the Thai consulate in Vientiane:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Tourist-2-jo...image10220.html

--

Maestro

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

I am glad to read its not like the headline at all. whew

[H2oDunc]

Not screwed / scammed YOU messed up. Plain and simple! And overstay both times ?

[Ulysses G.]

In fact, you did interpret incorrectly, but many people makr the same mistake as the language is not very clear. Thanks for making others aware of this, so they do not suffer the same mistake.

[KK-Mike]

Either entry, first or second had to have been made before 11th Feb.

Your right, I found out the hard way the other day, so going to Vientiane Wed.

[PoeDogg]

I too found this out the hard way in Poipet a few months ago.

Apparently their “Enter Before” is different from my “Enter Before”, only mine doesn’t count.

[BLUEEYEDTHAI]

You should have gone out on a VIP pass, no stamps in passport.

I would have had the same problem last week otherwise.

Whats a VIP pass? that is a new one for me