Exiting Thailand With No Entry Stamp In Passport

[jamesbrock]

A mysterious trip to Laos, with an implausible story covering his illegal border crossing from Laos to Thailand would raise alarm bells to me, trusted friend or not. I would be wary with him around my luggage in the next few days...

[Crossy]

A few years ago i traveled to Laos with a Thai friend.He entered Thailand without going thru immigration.....can be easily done at friendship bridge crossing especially at busy times.A bit chaotic to say the least.

When we exited thru airport a few months later ,he was pulled aside and fined ,i think 2,000 baht.But that was it.

My advice would be to go to the airport to take your flight.Chances are ,you will get a fine,but be allow to exit.

i really don't think the thai's will be interested in exiting Laos without stamp.But as you are leaving Thailand anyway i think they will just fine you.Good luck.

The major difference here is that your friend was Thai, you cannot be an illegal immigrant in your home country.

[edwardandtubs]

The others in our group stayed in Thailand the whole time and just have a normal entry stamp from 2 weeks ago. We have no issues.

It seems strange that your posting IP is being reported as in Cambodia. Are you sure you are in Thailand?

Busted!

[Semper]

The others in our group stayed in Thailand the whole time and just have a normal entry stamp from 2 weeks ago. We have no issues.

It seems strange that your posting IP is being reported as in Cambodia. Are you sure you are in Thailand?

Hello peanuts? Hello Cambodia? Hello.... hello? Anyone there?

I think you must look for him under some bridge.

[Jingthing]

Troll or not, this is still an interesting question.

I would be interested in hearing from an experienced lawyer on whether it would even be possible to deal with such a problem without criminal charges being filed.

[peanuts]

This is the Original Poster.

The problem has been solved.

First, a big THANK YOU to everyone who gave ideas and suggestions. This isn't a fake story, we were extremely scared, and we're very grateful to the large number of responders. Your answers really helped us.

We're posting now what we did so all the people who have looked at this post will know and to thank them, and so that anyone in the future who find himself in a similar unfortunate situation will at least know what we did.

We decided that he should cross illegally into Laos, then exit Laos legally and enter Thailand legally.

We didn't like the idea of doing another illegal border crossing. However, after reading all comments that we received from people on the internet, it seemed like a less risky option than the unknown consequences of dealing with Thai immigration (either in the airport or in Bangkok). We also explored the idea of talking to the embassy, but it didn't seem like it would help and would lead straight to Thai immigration, simply because the country is Thailand and an embassy has no real power.

(Another common suggestion - "lose the passport and get a new one" - was not realistic because Thai immigration would still notice in the computer that he had not entered Thailand... and having a new passport would make it look even more obvious that he was trying to hide his illegal entry).

About the actual crossing:

The information we got from all the responses here on the internet was very helpful, particularly to learn that it is so easy to cross without passing immigration, and that it can be finished in much less than 24 hours starting from Bangkok because it can done very close to a major city near the border. We also appreciated the clever idea that if police stop him on the river, he can say that he was on the Laos side and just returning there because his passport stamps would be the proof.

We were extremely cautious about how we went to the border, how we dealt with the crossing, even how we have been posting (as Lopburi pointed out ). We wanted no problems with police or immigration before our friend got across, and given that we were talking about a major crime - illegal crossing between Thailand and Laos, once unintentionally and a second time intentionally, as well as our help for him to commit the crime the second time - we wanted to leave no evidence in case all of this eventually resulted in a trial. Now everything seems fine and we've more relaxed, although we're still a bit nervous until we finally have leaved.

We can verify that it actually was extremely easy to cross the Thai-Laos border without pass immigration. We were very paranoid, and did our own reconnaisance and surveillance on both sides before and during the crossing, but we're laughing about it now because it was not necessary, as well as being very ridiculous since we're just students and our "paramilitary" training all comes from Hollywood movies.

Our friend now has a correct Laos exit stamp and a proper Thai entry stamp with the departure card. We should have no problem with leaving through the main immigration at the airport in a few days.

It would have been interesting to see what Thai immigration would have done if he had just appeared at the airport or Bangkok immigration office without a Thai entry stamp and no record of his most recent entry in their database. We've received on the internet so much conflicting information about the consequence: long-term jail time, massive 50,000+ baht bribe to get out, a lecture, a dirty look, no reaction at all and just tell him to leave...

So we actually are still curious what the real truth is because we still have no idea.

Going to immigration still seems to us the correct, legal solution, and it very much bothered us (most of us, at least) to commit another crime in order to fix the first crime. But not knowing what would happen was too scary for us, so an illegal crossing which was surprisingly easy was in our case the best solution because it turned out to be less risky. It might not be the best for anyone else reading this in the future, but that is what worked for us.

Thanks again to everyone with their help and suggestions.

[Jingthing]

Not sure what I think about all this now, but in any case, great story! International intrigue indeed.

I am still curious about whether this could have been solved with a lawyer at Thai immigration (a case like this whether this is all real or not) or whether jail time would have been inevitable. I agree if you were going to try the border gambit contacting the embassy would have irreversibly started down the other track of facing the law, so a choice had to be made.

Edited December 29, 2011 by Jingthing

[Maestro]

I have deleted an off-topic post.

[david555]

Sorry but.....what happen to those REALLY lost the passport? Or have the passport stolen?? How can immigration officer object against a police report of lost passport?

Every day in every Country this happens......lost or stolen passport......all these unfortunate people end up in jail?

your history would be in computer just by number arrival/departure card

[beethovenzz]

This is my story. I'm a Thai citizen and I forget my arrival card in my checked in luggage during the return flight from Macau to Bangkok (It is actually my mistake because the immigration officer already tag it in my passport but i remove it ) So on the plane I asked the air crew for the new arrival card and fill it. When i arrived in Bangkok. I hand my passport to the immigration officer . I wait for a while until i found out that there are something wrong because it takes longer time than it should be. She curious with my passport and scan it. So she asked me that where is my departure stamp ? So I told her that I lost my arrival card and i fill the new one. and tell her where the departure stamp is. She said " Oh i see" then she scan my passport again and said the she already lookout the record in her computer and let me pass . That's it

I'm going to tell you that each pair of departure and arrival card has a matching number to check you whether you enter or leave the kingdom legally or not and the immigration system has all the record whether when you leave or enter the country. if something is tricky they will find out for sure.

[marshall stanley]

This identical thing happened to a Canadian friend last year - Thai Immigration instructed him to return to the original entry point on the Laos/Thai border and get the proper stamps so he traveled all the way back up there from South Thailand for that.

Hope this helps - but I would suggest you visit the nearest Thai Immigration office as soon as possible for their instructions.

S

[F4UCorsair]

Go to your embassy and tell them your PP is lost or possibly stolen, be issued with a new one for a considerable fee and use it to exit Thailand. If the Thai authorities question you, the PP was stolen and an obvious look alike used it to exit and hasn't returned. Easy enough to me.

[yumidesign]

Go to police and declare that you have LOST the passport......no passport.....no stamps to check!

this is absolutely the best advise ! Do it now!

from personal experience involving the embassy will be a disaster, they will go for the worst case and the idea of trying to be tricky with the immigration at the border is just plain stupid and asking for trouble

[chrisinth]

Sorry but.....what happen to those REALLY lost the passport? Or have the passport stolen?? How can immigration officer object against a police report of lost passport?

Every day in every Country this happens......lost or stolen passport......all these unfortunate people end up in jail?

As hard as it may be to believe, all your "ins & outs" are on computer and have been for many years. When you get issued a new passport you have to go to immigration for any in date visa information to be transfered across from the old one. In the case of a passport issued because the original was lost or stolen, they will refer back to the computer records.

[nongamp]

Peanuts / Guys / All

I think that what you did under the circumstances has worked out for the best, but maybe not good advice for all. I still think your friends story is / sounds suspicious, and he is not telling the whole story. If it is / he is, I think your friend is stupid, not silly. 10 year old children are silly, not fully grown and mid 20's adults.

I have been travelling for work and pleasure all over the world, including some undesirable places, among them Yemen, Syria, Kyrgyz Republic, and others. I always ensure that my paperwork is in order, and seek advice and make sure I research before I go anywhere new, and revisit. Forewarned is forearmed. He should have known he needed the Laos exit & Thai re-entry, and ensure he got it, I am sure he knows now, and I am sure he never does this again! I definately think you guys will learn, even if he is stupid and does not?

Lastly you guys are real friends and stood by him, but be careful as a previous reader mentioned, he has probably not told you the whole truth either, and if there is something more sinister? Beware all of you.

Take care, Happy New Year. Safe trip out and onwards.

[featography]

I wont get into a situation I found myself in with my visa and passport, but trust me, when I discovered the mess up, I knew that I would be facing jail time if I went to the airport. Im a short time retiree (5 yrs) compared to the majority of farang living here, but I know deep shit when I fall in it. I figured it cant get any worse if I go straight to the immigration office, show them the ''errors of my way'' explain that it was not intentional, and show, act, humble and apologetic over it. It worked. I got ''my hands slapped'' warned that it would be instant out of the country if it happened again. My wife got a neighbor that works with Burmese migrants on getting their visas, and that neighbor wasn't too worried about it if she were to go with us. We took her with us. She actually vouched for my character, and good standing in the village. Everything got sorted out that day, although it took a few hours, but that I didn't consider a big deal compared to what could have happened.

You might try your consulate to see if they will accompany your friend to immigration. If not, try Sunbelt Law firm for a lawyer. Prices of lawyers here are most likely cheaper than back home, so.....

Bottom line, fess up at immigration asap. whether it be with representation or not. It would even help if your entire group went with you with their passports. It might show/prove that you and they are in the up and up.

Best of luck

Happy New Year

[parallaxtech]

My 85-yr-old, partly senile, friend was in the exact same situation. In fact he didn't know what country he was in so the police told him to go back to Koh Samui Immigration. KSIO immediately threw him in prison and after 40KB he was released to his home without a passport. He then was ordered to return to his home country, which was not on his agenda. He also had to pay for the plane ticket to Bangkok for the accompanying officer. He had a hearing in KS, banged up for a few hours, and then when he arrived in Bangkok he was banged up again to wait for his flight. He had to pay BIB, judges, etc. all along the way -- something in the neighborhood of 100KB. All IOs are not the same, and none are as bad as KS, but I would strongly advise that you not just humbly approach an IO with hat in hand. I can remember the Laos border guards around the Golden Triangle being very lax and friendly in fact they just gave us a 30B ticket to enter. So I would probably try to go to one of those border crossings where there are no Thai officers and just give the border guard a few hundred baht and ask him for an exit stamp. I would then ask him where the nearest official Thai entry point was and go there for the entry stamp. Mario can correct me if I am wrong as I trust his judgement.

[sysardman]

This is the Original Poster.

The problem has been solved.

First, a big THANK YOU to everyone who gave ideas and suggestions. This isn't a fake story, we were extremely scared, and we're very grateful to the large number of responders. Your answers really helped us.

We're posting now what we did so all the people who have looked at this post will know and to thank them, and so that anyone in the future who find himself in a similar unfortunate situation will at least know what we did.

We decided that he should cross illegally into Laos, then exit Laos legally and enter Thailand legally.

We didn't like the idea of doing another illegal border crossing. However, after reading all comments that we received from people on the internet, it seemed like a less risky option than the unknown consequences of dealing with Thai immigration (either in the airport or in Bangkok). We also explored the idea of talking to the embassy, but it didn't seem like it would help and would lead straight to Thai immigration, simply because the country is Thailand and an embassy has no real power.

(Another common suggestion - "lose the passport and get a new one" - was not realistic because Thai immigration would still notice in the computer that he had not entered Thailand... and having a new passport would make it look even more obvious that he was trying to hide his illegal entry).

About the actual crossing:

The information we got from all the responses here on the internet was very helpful, particularly to learn that it is so easy to cross without passing immigration, and that it can be finished in much less than 24 hours starting from Bangkok because it can done very close to a major city near the border. We also appreciated the clever idea that if police stop him on the river, he can say that he was on the Laos side and just returning there because his passport stamps would be the proof.

We were extremely cautious about how we went to the border, how we dealt with the crossing, even how we have been posting (as Lopburi pointed out ). We wanted no problems with police or immigration before our friend got across, and given that we were talking about a major crime - illegal crossing between Thailand and Laos, once unintentionally and a second time intentionally, as well as our help for him to commit the crime the second time - we wanted to leave no evidence in case all of this eventually resulted in a trial. Now everything seems fine and we've more relaxed, although we're still a bit nervous until we finally have leaved.

We can verify that it actually was extremely easy to cross the Thai-Laos border without pass immigration. We were very paranoid, and did our own reconnaisance and surveillance on both sides before and during the crossing, but we're laughing about it now because it was not necessary, as well as being very ridiculous since we're just students and our "paramilitary" training all comes from Hollywood movies.

Our friend now has a correct Laos exit stamp and a proper Thai entry stamp with the departure card. We should have no problem with leaving through the main immigration at the airport in a few days.

It would have been interesting to see what Thai immigration would have done if he had just appeared at the airport or Bangkok immigration office without a Thai entry stamp and no record of his most recent entry in their database. We've received on the internet so much conflicting information about the consequence: long-term jail time, massive 50,000+ baht bribe to get out, a lecture, a dirty look, no reaction at all and just tell him to leave...

So we actually are still curious what the real truth is because we still have no idea.

Going to immigration still seems to us the correct, legal solution, and it very much bothered us (most of us, at least) to commit another crime in order to fix the first crime. But not knowing what would happen was too scary for us, so an illegal crossing which was surprisingly easy was in our case the best solution because it turned out to be less risky. It might not be the best for anyone else reading this in the future, but that is what worked for us.

Thanks again to everyone with their help and suggestions.

It seems quite a story but I'm having some trouble with the timings - the OP was 3.30pm 28th with a follow up at 6pm 28th. So somehow you managed to decide on what to do, book flights (at a very busy period), go to Laos, do some 'reconnaisance and surveillance', perform the crossing, return to the airport and fly back to Bangkok to post a lengthy 'mission accomplished' post at 8pm 29th. Pretty impressive stuff and well done if it's true - you could have careers as travel agents based on that performance.

Smoke me a kipper - I'll be back in time for tea

Edited January 1, 2012 by sysardman

[jobsworth]

Local people cross the borders illegally all the time.

They can get away with it for a time.

Khmers, Viets Lao and Thai people should not do this but they do.

No passport, no visa, no id card, nothing. Fishermen, taxi girls, business people, smugglers etc.

But you and I cannot.

The borders are what the Americans describe as porous.

The advice and the action are good.

Go back where you came from and exit/entry at a legal crossing point.

Otherwise risk imprisonment. Local people just get sent back.

[dude007]

Easy: go back to Laos same way he goes out.....and exit by Laos border

Not my advice! If he get caught by this operation either way (leaving Thailand without official exit, entering Laos without official entry) then he has a manifold problem: all illegal operations and surely ending in jail! How and where did he left Laos and entered Thailand? Just crossing the Mekong river?

My advice is to go to the Immigration (perhaps after having consulted his own Embassy which could eventually issue a Verbal Note requesting assistance from Immigration, although the chances that they will do so are extremely slim) and openly explain the problem. There will of course be an investigation that will take much longer than the time left to catch his flight. I guess about two or three months. He could indeed end in jail... that's why I recommend him to go first to his Embassy and if possible let someone from his Embassy accompany him to immigration.

I wish him the best but he should realise that he is in deep problem!

[BWPattaya]

A few years ago i traveled to Laos with a Thai friend.He entered Thailand without going thru immigration.....can be easily done at friendship bridge crossing especially at busy times.A bit chaotic to say the least.

When we exited thru airport a few months later ,he was pulled aside and fined ,i think 2,000 baht.But that was it.

My advice would be to go to the airport to take your flight.Chances are ,you will get a fine,but be allow to exit.

i really don't think the thai's will be interested in exiting Laos without stamp.But as you are leaving Thailand anyway i think they will just fine you.Good luck.

I doubt that it was a 2,000 Bt fine. If you had entered via a land border you would have received a 15 (or 30, the rules changed a couple of years ago) day visa so going to the airport several months later would have meant a very long overstay and incurred a 20,000 Bt fine as that is the maximum. However, if you didn't go through immigration on entry into Thailand you wouold have been an illegal alien. They would have seen this at the airport.

[BWPattaya]

It has just occured to me that a friend I helped to get a new passport, after reporting his lost/stolen to the Tourist Police, was told by the British Embassy that someone had used his passport to exit Thailand. He hadn't gone to Cambodia where it was being used.

So, the Embassy issued a new passport and went to immigration where they sorted it out for him. They accepted that he hadn't left Thailand.

[thailand49]

You are asking a legal matter in a public forum which is good and dandy but has no legal experts? but your best answer you got was from Mario and that is go to the people that have the Legal expertist and that is your Embassy for which I believe can help you best. You got 1 week left, tell your stupid friend who has good friends like you to bail them out again. Am I not right? If he doesn't want to go and take care of the problem he created then leave him behind!

[Jingthing]

The OP has reported this problem solved.

People still posting as if it's still a live problem:

[Danbit]

I have 2 passports, I lost the one with the entry stamp, just informed in the airport that I did over stay and paid 20.000 Baht and left with the passport without entry stamp.

My embasssy sugested that way and informed me not to argue about anything, just pay the 20,000 Baht.

[sydneyjed]

Thanks for the responses so far, both here and mailed to me.

Unfortunately, some ideas won't work:

- We thought about the idea that our friend should go back to Laos the same way and re-enter Thailand legally. Unfortunately:

a) he/we really don't want him to do another illegal border crossing, as the potential problems just get worse the more he does it if he were to be caught;

b ) he probably doesn't have enough time before the flight in 4 days;

c) he doesn't really know how exactly he crossed the border (I know that might sound silly, but I believe him... he really didn't know what he was doing, doesn't know the area, and apparently just stumbled his way around with help from locals, and just ended up back in Thailand. As I wrote, he's adventurous but silly... which is why we have this problem). (And which is why we are trying to help him solve it rather than leave it to him ).

d) the story Chris links to is interesting, but I don't really want my friend to run across the border and "hope" that neither the Thai guards nor the Lao guards notice him. (Also, the story is 5,5 years old. I don't know, but I guess that it has only become stricter every year).

- His Thai exit stamp was unfortunately put directly next his only Thai entry stamp. So the idea that hopefully airport immigration will just see the entry stamp almost definitely won't work. They'll see Thai entry, exit... and no re-entry.

- Our goal is just that he is able to leave Thailand. We don't want to pay a fine, but we have enough emergency money between us that we can all help pay if it's necessary, and leaving is the most important. What we really don't want is that he is arrested, put in jail, trial. Again, we don't know if this situation is big enough that arrest and jail would be involved, or if they would just wave him through with a lecture and possible a fine, or some other consequence...?

Any other experiences or advice would really be appreciated.

.Lose his passport and then report it missing is the last resort other than fronting up to your embassy and telling them...What the bloody hell was he doing anyway as he is actually an illegal alien(Geneva Convention)full stop!!This may sound like 'Bourne Identity 'stuff but your mate needs to leave Thailand illegally(by land)then cross at the Cambodian border then get a entry stamp into Cambodia...How he does it I'm not willing to advise on here..but that's what he needs to do..Good Luck!

[wayned]

The guy already reported that he sloved his problem in post number 36. He illegally re-entered Laos and legally left Laos and re-entered Thailand. Why is this dribble continuing 20 posts later as if he still has a problem?

Edited January 1, 2012 by wayned

[lopburi3]

False attack on forum removed.

[DickFarang]

This is not Europe, where illegal immigrants are pampered.

In Cambodia some Thai spies, who crossed the border illegally, are still in prison.

[ALFREDO]

Its all solved now for that boy and his comrades, I can only give my 10 cent.

At the Nong Khai Friendship bridge you can easily sneak threw the controls on both sides.

The separated car crossings and that of the people and the Casino on the Lao side and the whole border on both sides,

are a bit confusing and not well controlled.