Can I Go In Airport And Not Take Flight, But Go Back Through Immigration?

[lostpacket]

This is a dumb question, but I have to ask. I have a double entry visa and just used my first entry (plus extension) so I will leave the country and come back to start the second entry.

I bought a ticket to fly to Malaysia and will return to Thailand the same day. My question is, could it be possible to go through the gates, but not take a flight and check in through immigration as if I just landed? I will be missing the little card you fill out for immigration. I'm sure people have thought of this before, so my guess is that it is a bad decision and will fail. My questions is, could it work and what exactly does immigration check for a return flight?

[Dirk_brijs]

as you went through a check in the airport authorities will know you are in the building and call you through their PA system to report to the gate. So you might to start with delaying the flight. Secondly not reporting to the gate will instigate a surch of the building as you are considered a stow away in the building.

[BWPattaya]

You would not be able to get to the immigration officers, they are not the same officers on the way out as they are on the way in. You would not be able to show which flight you came in on anyway, plus you would finish up with a huge bill for delaying the plane from taking off.

Bad idea all round.

[lostpacket]

wow, I never thought about the plane waiting. Thanks for the info and confirming that a dumb idea is indeed a really dumb idea.

[Mario2008]

You have to leave the country before you return. What you want is not possible and will only lead to trouble.

[moe666]

Good try anyway.

[CharlieH]

As I understand it, you have to leave the country and be "stamped" into another country before re-entering Thailand, I have read in other threads of people trying this on Land borders like Nong Khai, they have tried just stamping out and walking across the road and back in but hit problems because they dont have the stamp from the other country.

[maibork]

nice try but I wouldn´t do it.

The immigration officer will check from which country you are coming from. As your stamp only says that you left Thailand but not entered another country,

I guess that will be a problem. Another problem will be, that you are in the departure terminal and that is a different immigration check point than the arrival.

so just take the trip to Malaysia and come back in the evening.

[orosee]

As I understand it, you have to leave the country and be "stamped" into another country before re-entering Thailand, I have read in other threads of people trying this on Land borders like Nong Khai, they have tried just stamping out and walking across the road and back in but hit problems because they dont have the stamp from the other country.

That may be the case at certain checkpoints but can't be a general rule. Usually your home country (or, if you're an EU citizen, any member country) would not put a stamp in your passport.

If convenience would be an item on the immigration department's agenda, they'd allow an extension of a multi-visa by (for example) charging you a fee in the order of the cheapest trip over the nearest border

[jazzbo]

To get from Thai Immigration-Departure to Thai Immigration-Entry at Suvarnabhumi without getting on an airplane is really no problem -- You just exit from the former to the latter by going through one of those doors with the BIG RED HANDLE that says ...

[pault17]

I'm not sure this is a dumb question.

Imagine you miss your flight for whatever reason, and want to return to your home.

[jazzbo]

I did in fact last month have a similar situation where I had to re-enter a secured area at BKK -- It required that I be escorted by Thai Airways Security Personnel, sign some papers, and go through a security check point accompanied by the TG Security Personnel -- If you missed your flight and wanted to re-enter Thailand I believe the procedure would be similar. ... i.e. you could not just show-up at Thai Immigration entry by yourself.

Edited July 26, 2010 by jazzbo

[lopburi3]

As a last check passports are scanned - arrival would likely have it on there screen that you just cleared outbound immigration minutes ago and should be considered a terrorist until proven otherwise.

[ESB7]

I did in fact last month have a similar situation where I had to re-enter a secured area at BKK -- It required that I be escorted by Thai Airways Security Personnel, sign some papers, and go through a security check point accompanied by the TG Security Personnel -- If you missed your flight and wanted to re-enter Thailand I believe the procedure would be similar. ... i.e. you could not just show-up at Thai Immigration entry by yourself.

With the above,in theory it could be done, sit in the loos for 3 hours and then reapear saying you blacked out. Job done.

[jazzbo]

I believe if you missed your flight and had to re-enter Thailand, they have plenty of rubber stamps available at Thai IMM-entry to rescind your exit and to reflect that you in fact never did exit the Kingdom ...

BTW my situation above had to do with a TG flight being cancelled from LAX, my being booked on another airline, and my baggage arriving 6 hours later on another TG flight so that I had to re-enter the baggage claim ... it was not a simple procedure.

[InterestedObserver]

wow, I never thought about the plane waiting. Thanks for the info and confirming that a dumb idea is indeed a really dumb idea.

It's amazing how many nut cases seem to find their way to Thailand everyday. Hasn't this guy every heard of airport security and segregated arrivals/departure areas.

[Digitalbanana]

nice try but I wouldn´t do it.

The immigration officer will check from which country you are coming from. As your stamp only says that you left Thailand but not entered another country,

Despite the op's idea being impossible, I think this is misleading. I do not think immigration officers check passport stamps to see where you came from? For example some countries (UK) don't even have an exit / entry stamp in the pport. I have arrived in Thailand from UK with a completely blank passport.

[frankthetank]

Going back a few years, I was booked with BA to come back to the UK early, due a family member being seriously ill.

When I landed at Heathrow, I received a text saying not to worry, all was better!

Checking the time sent, it would have been literally a minute after I switched the phone off, in the boarding queue, back at BKK.

If I had actually received that text before boarding, I would not have wanted to fly at that time!

I assumed that I could have just refused to fly, stating that I was too frightend. They would have had to remove my bags, and then what??

I would have had to go to IMM, or just sit in the airport forever??

I think I would have been taken to IMM and an explanation given! Then a 30 day stamp!

Any ideas on this?

[SantiSuk]

I doubt you would get charged for delaying a flight. I have missed two flights in the last 5 years (yes - I am a bozo, but I do travel a lot!). Once I overslept in the lounge and once I sat at the wrong gate (the B1Cs etc at Swampy domestic can be a bit confusing to a bozo).

Both times there was no call for me - they simply threw my luggage off and I went back through immigration and customs.

No charges, financial or penal were levelled. The lack of interest shown indicated to me that this is a regular occurrence.

[rich54321]

Dont you get an arrival card on the aircraft coming into Thailand - or can you get one before imirgration - either way i would say it would be foolish to sit in the loos for 3 hours, try to enter through a different area of the airport - there are secrurity camears and im sure they would pick you up and a team of security would swoop down on you

[Will27]

Going back a few years, I was booked with BA to come back to the UK early, due a family member being seriously ill.

When I landed at Heathrow, I received a text saying not to worry, all was better!

Checking the time sent, it would have been literally a minute after I switched the phone off, in the boarding queue, back at BKK.

If I had actually received that text before boarding, I would not have wanted to fly at that time!

I assumed that I could have just refused to fly, stating that I was too frightend. They would have had to remove my bags, and then what??

I would have had to go to IMM, or just sit in the airport forever??

I think I would have been taken to IMM and an explanation given! Then a 30 day stamp!

Any ideas on this?

Assuming that they would allow you not to fly, your baggage would be offloaded,

your passport would be stamped something like "did not depart" and you would

be escorted back thorough departures. Your current visa would still be in effect.

Regards

Will

[phuketrichard]

just a note if ur in the south. I have had numerous friends that have foreign registered motorcycles that have taken them to the Sado border with Malaysia, exited thailand, gone to duty free and then driven back into thailand. No stamp for malaysia.

Never has anyone had problems doing this.

[frankthetank]

Going back a few years, I was booked with BA to come back to the UK early, due a family member being seriously ill.

When I landed at Heathrow, I received a text saying not to worry, all was better!

Checking the time sent, it would have been literally a minute after I switched the phone off, in the boarding queue, back at BKK.

If I had actually received that text before boarding, I would not have wanted to fly at that time!

I assumed that I could have just refused to fly, stating that I was too frightend. They would have had to remove my bags, and then what??

I would have had to go to IMM, or just sit in the airport forever??

I think I would have been taken to IMM and an explanation given! Then a 30 day stamp!

Any ideas on this?

Assuming that they would allow you not to fly, your baggage would be offloaded,

your passport would be stamped something like "did not depart" and you would

be escorted back thorough departures. Your current visa would still be in effect.

Regards

Will

I really cannot see how they can force you to fly.

I am sure the airline would be a bit upset, but what can they do?

Surely same if one was taken ill before boarding!