SaamBaht Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 A friend with little international travel experience decided to make a run up to Laos from Udon Thani. He's on holiday with an airport visa on arrival and thought he might have a look around across the boarder. So he gets to the Thailand exit booth, gets his exit stamp and heads over to the Laos entry line. He said the line was a mile long, no shady place to wait and about 100 degrees. So he comes back to the Thai side and the Thai immigration officer tells him he must enter Laos before he can return to Thailand. No way does he want to wait in that line so he somehow slips past Thai immigration and heads over to a tuk-tuk, which takes him back to the bus station. He's got an exit stamp and no proof of legal entry in the country. What are his options? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beechguy Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 (edited) Correct the situation or go to jail. It seems with his situation, it will be difficult to leave Thailand legally, or enter another country legally. Edited March 6, 2012 by beechguy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokie36 Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Lose his passport... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoneyboy Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Read this to start with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario2008 Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 He has entered Thailand illegally and is in serious trouble. He better see if the embassy can give him advise, or get a good lawyer to help him. Immigration will not be amused by this. Losing the passport only will make the problems worse, as Thai immigration will check their computer and find out that there are no entry details into Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopburi3 Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 As said he is illegal entry and subject to detention and deportation. If this just happened would suggest he immediately return to place of crossing and try to actually enter Laos this time and return for a new entry stamp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gone Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 True. His best bet if it was just yesterday or something is to go back to the same Immigration officer and if he cannot speak Thai then bring someone who can, tell the officer (while wying him high) that he got nauseous and went back into Thailand and BEG for forgiveness and even offer to pay whatever they want. He is in SERIOUS trouble now all for the sake of impatience. The other 100 people had to wait so why does he think he is any different? If that is not an option then yes I suggest he call his embassy a.s.a.p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mstribling Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 According to his PP he is in Laos? Just cross back into Laos and stand in line and come back. 1000's of crossing points. Ask any construction worker up there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lite Beer Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 From what I read his passport shows him as being nowhere. He has a stamp leaving Thailand and nothing else. He is in the country illegally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pseudolus Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 From what I read his passport shows him as being nowhere. He has a stamp leaving Thailand and nothing else. He is in the country illegally. Concur - this is how I read it as well. If the Thai immigration boys will not let him back in without having been to another country (which I find doubtful, lots of people must leave a country, find they left something in their car, pop back and get it or similar), then his best bet is to cross into Laos, head to the immigration point there and tell them he did not get an entry stamp, get one, leave, then cross into Thailand legally. Dress up in filthy trekking cloths to fit the lost rambler look. Really do not know what planet these people are on though; aside from the entering a black money riddled country illegally, the pissing around to get it sorted out mentality as well. Anyone with half a brain surely would think "Sh!T I am in a world of trouble here. Lets get it sorted straight away". I get the distinct impression that the longer is takes to get it sorted the harder it would be to get it sorted. After all, if you innocently cross a border while walking through the hills, end up in Laos, and then go straight to the border guards and tell them and get it sorted, I would think it would be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kriswillems Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 I would just go to the immigration office at the border, apologize and pay whatever is necessary. The chances are low the immigration officer at the border can fix it because there would be prove of what the immigration officer did (in the passport). The immigration officer could decide to give him an entrance stamp to Thailand, but this would be illegal, because he never went to Laos (and he can also not go to Laos anymore because the exit stamp of Thailand has the wrong date on it - immigration in Laos will not let him in). Or the immigration officer could manually change the date on the exit stamp and let him go to Laos (for a few days and come back). But then the date on the exit stamp will not match with the date in the immigration computer. Maybe the immigration officer will use the first option, because it's not traceable in the immigration computer, but I personally don't think the immigration officer is going to risk his job for this. Be prepared to have someone supporting him when he would end up in jail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1bbcd5 Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 He has entered Thailand illegally and is in serious trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Semper Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 (edited) He said the line was a mile long, no shady place to wait and about 100 degrees. Maybe he should consider another part of the world for his next holiday. SE Asia is known to be rather hot. I have a friend who made the same mistake i Mae Sai. He got stamped out of Thailand but somehow he didn't get a stamp when entering Thailand. He was lucky that the Immigration in CM sorted it out a couple of days later. So, the best thing for him to do is to contact the Immigration Office and correct the "mistake". Good luck. Edited March 7, 2012 by Semper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario2008 Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Illegal entry carries a prison term of 2 years and/or a fine of up to 20,000 baht. (The same as overstay). He should at least have 20,000 baht with him and a ticket out of the country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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