Filipinas Tourist Visa Blocked?

[praglen]

mY FILIPINA GIRL FRIEND TELLS ME SOME OF HER FRIENDS SAY WHEN SHE GETS TO sUVARNABHUM AIRPORT THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED into Thailand because they are assumed to be prostititues, bar girls and other types of low-lifes, even though they may have a round-trip air ticket. Is this true? is this recent? isthis just a bad rumor?

[Bengt]

Not only Filipinas,,,Bangkok is full of : Russians,Africans and more nationalities that interfer on a market that should be available for Thais only, other nationalities often used by organized crime gangs that in most cases size their passports and force them into the market and often takes most of their income, I feel pity the ones that been promised a real work here and forced into sexbusiness and so on.

Edited May 3, 2012 by Bengt

[Sateev]

My wife, who is a Filipina, had trouble in Manila (before we were married), and I had to FAX them a copy of my passport and a signed letter stating that I would be responsible for her. Luckily, I was around to do all that, in the couple of hours before her scheduled departure. She has never had any problem in Bangkok at the airport, however. I think there must be some sort of informal agreement between the Philippines and Thailand to screen females before boarding; otherwise, Thailand would be responsible for accommodating them and possibly repatriating them if they were denied entry.

Any such arrangement is in direct violation of ASEAN policy, whereby people from member countries are allowed to enter and exit other member countries freely. But we all know about the rule of law here (Asia) - they just do whatever they want.

My best advice: write a letter to Philippine Immigration, explaining the purpose of her visit (to be with you!), with a copy of your passport and your contact information, and let her carry it to show them if they ask questions.

And leave off your pimp hat and bling for the passport photo...kidding.

Good luck.

[lopburi3]

As poster makes no mention of being in Thailand it does not appear to be a case of not being allowed to visit. I suspect leaving Manila would be much more difficult than entry into Thailand. And it has nothing to do with Thailand. The Philippines knows why most young ladies leave and activity see it as there duty to prevent what they consider exploitation. And this is true for departures to any country.and dates back decades. There are paths for real travel and employment but when they see no visa and paperwork questions start to be asked.

[007]

As poster makes no mention of being in Thailand it does not appear to be a case of not being allowed to visit. I suspect leaving Manila would be much more difficult than entry into Thailand.

Then again, the poster mentioned 'Suvarnabhum Airport'. Unless the airport in Manila is named in the same way as Bangkok's, I'd presume he wrote about arrival in Thailand.

[Mario2008]

The OP told it was hearsay. It is much harder for Pilipino woman to leave the Pilipines than getting entry into Thailand.

[Payboy]

Same for Thai ladies going to Hong Kong / Singapore. Visa free entry doesn't guarantee anything on arrival.

[samran]

Any such arrangement is in direct violation of ASEAN policy, whereby people from member countries are allowed to enter and exit other member countries freely. But we all know about the rule of law here (Asia) - they just do whatever they want.

No such ASEAN policy.

[gregb]

A friend of mine tried to hire a Philippine girl to help him take care of his daughter. She was prohibited from leaving the country by immigration at Manilla and he lost the price of ticket. He was not a happy camper. This is fairly common it seems after he researched the issue. I have never heard of anyone being turned away by the staff in Bangkok. That seems to be a rumor by someone who got his facts wrong.

In the end, my friend had to buy a new ticket for the nanny to go to Singapore first with another family that was already going on holiday, and then fly from Changi to Bangkok. No issues at all coming through immigration on this end.

Not sure why Manilla immigration is so strict about girls leaving the country, but they are very careful about who they allow to leave.

[praglen]

Those of you who mentioned Philippine Immigration preventing filipinas from leaving the country from Manila, from which airport(s)?

I wrote the letter some of you suggested and enclosed a copy of my passport, if that helps.

Thanks.

[lopburi3]

I suspect it is true from any exit point as they are tasked to this duty to protect there citizens from international trafficking. There is only one international airprot in Manila that I am aware of but do not believe it would be any different from Clark or Cebu..

[NomadJoe]

Any such arrangement is in direct violation of ASEAN policy

But, immigration officials have absolute discretion on allowing anyone to enter or not. It is not a right, it's a privilege.

[mamborobert]

Filipino nationals are regularly taken off planes (and in fact sometimes not even aloud into the airport) at Ninoy Aquino (Manila). I have on MANY occasions seen dozens not aloud to board planes bound for Persian Gulf countries with no appropriate visa, a dud contract, and a few times passports upping the age.

I worked at NAIA and Centenial for 18 months in a liasion role with the Bureau of Immigration.

The government survives on remittances from overseas workers and if they suspect that someone is leaving on a tourist visa and is likely to work (and there is a very low threshold for evidence) they will offload them and make them get the correct visa and register (and attend a course) by the POEA. This is the governments way of getting cut and trying to ensure that their nationals have adequate emloyment contracts/salary and heath coverage.

There is always scams going on any many nationals get tricked or end up in defacto slavery (seized passports/beaten etc) or have problems when there are civil disturbances and the embassy does not know they are there.

It is illegal to recruit in the Philipines without going through a registered agency and their harsh penalties (including imprisonment) for those who break this law.

The problem will not be Swampy....

[praglen]

If she has a roundtrip ticket and a letter from me to Philippine Imigration stating she will be staying with me, that I am responsible for her expenses while she is in Thailand and the letter is accompanied by a copy of my passport, what is likely to happen when she gets to the airport?

Filipino nationals are regularly taken off planes (and in fact sometimes not even aloud into the airport) at Ninoy Aquino (Manila). I have on MANY occasions seen dozens not aloud to board planes bound for Persian Gulf countries with no appropriate visa, a dud contract, and a few times passports upping the age.

I worked at NAIA and Centenial for 18 months in a liasion role with the Bureau of Immigration.

The government survives on remittances from overseas workers and if they suspect that someone is leaving on a tourist visa and is likely to work (and there is a very low threshold for evidence) they will offload them and make them get the correct visa and register (and attend a course) by the POEA. This is the governments way of getting cut and trying to ensure that their nationals have adequate emloyment contracts/salary and heath coverage.

There is always scams going on any many nationals get tricked or end up in defacto slavery (seized passports/beaten etc) or have problems when there are civil disturbances and the embassy does not know they are there.

It is illegal to recruit in the Philipines without going through a registered agency and their harsh penalties (including imprisonment) for those who break this law.

The problem will not be Swampy....

[mamborobert]

If she has a roundtrip ticket and a letter from me to Philippine Imigration stating she will be staying with me, that I am responsible for her expenses while she is in Thailand and the letter is accompanied by a copy of my passport, what is likely to happen when she gets to the airport?

Filipino nationals are regularly taken off planes (and in fact sometimes not even aloud into the airport) at Ninoy Aquino (Manila). I have on MANY occasions seen dozens not aloud to board planes bound for Persian Gulf countries with no appropriate visa, a dud contract, and a few times passports upping the age.

I worked at NAIA and Centenial for 18 months in a liasion role with the Bureau of Immigration.

The government survives on remittances from overseas workers and if they suspect that someone is leaving on a tourist visa and is likely to work (and there is a very low threshold for evidence) they will offload them and make them get the correct visa and register (and attend a course) by the POEA. This is the governments way of getting cut and trying to ensure that their nationals have adequate emloyment contracts/salary and heath coverage.

There is always scams going on any many nationals get tricked or end up in defacto slavery (seized passports/beaten etc) or have problems when there are civil disturbances and the embassy does not know they are there.

It is illegal to recruit in the Philipines without going through a registered agency and their harsh penalties (including imprisonment) for those who break this law.

The problem will not be Swampy....

It would help but also good is a letter from an employer if she has one saying that she on an authorised period of leave and has a job to go back to, or copy of a title dead or rent agreement for property, or clearly state if she has children there, copy of a passbook showing savings (not just a balance) or evidence that she has travelled out of the country for brief periods and returned (from stamps in passport, even better if travel is with you).

Trouble is that most filipino females will have none of this.

You can also send a few pics of you together in various locations (or family events/different clothes etc) or copy of any WU statements if you are sending money. This shows documetary (rather than just your words) evidence and history of a relationship and/or support.

Edited May 6, 2012 by mamborobert

[moe666]

In Oct. there was a story about a scholar trying to go to a conference in the U.A. E. he had all of the paper work and round trip ticket and they refused to let him on the airplane. He booked a flight to Hong Kong and then to the U.A.E. and was a couple of days late for his conference and also the presentation of his paper.

The newspaper article reported that this is a common occurance with immigration as they are scamming payoffs to allow people to leave. The Philippines is such a corrupt country, I would say more than Thailand.

[praglen]

I find it interesting that so far I've read that filipinas flying to Abu Dhabi and other Middle East locations are blocked from leaving the Philippines and that one article about one guy blocked from a conference in the UAE was also blocked. That leads me to ask why aren't there dozens, hundreds, even thousands of similar stories being written about or talked about?

Two incidents out of 10's of thousands of flights aren't very convincing.

She'll find out more when she gets her passport Wednesday at DFA in Manila and asks them what it takes to leave.

In Oct. there was a story about a scholar trying to go to a conference in the U.A. E. he had all of the paper work and round trip ticket and they refused to let him on the airplane. He booked a flight to Hong Kong and then to the U.A.E. and was a couple of days late for his conference and also the presentation of his paper.

The newspaper article reported that this is a common occurance with immigration as they are scamming payoffs to allow people to leave. The Philippines is such a corrupt country, I would say more than Thailand.

[praglen]

I can check if she can get a letter from her employer agreeing to take her back when she returns. What does "clearly state if she has children there" mean?

I'll ask her to bring photos of us together.

She may have her other passport showing her trip to Singapore in 2008.

Thanks.

[tropo]

The OP told it was hearsay. It is much harder for Pilipino woman to leave the Pilipines than getting entry into Thailand.

Any Filipino. I've seen the Immigration Officers at the Manila Airport ask a Filipino to go and get an ATM receipt to check how much money he had on his bank account.

If the Filipino has a Manila Thai Embassy issued tourist visa, it's less likely they'll be prevented from leaving because the Thai Consulate in Manila is fastidious about checking everything out. The only problem is that it is virtually impossible for a single young Filipina to get a tourist visa for Thailand there.

I would advise anyone with a Filipino girlfriend to exit Manila with them. From the Philippine Immigration Officer's point of view, how serious can a relationship be if the guy is not interested in travelling with her. They have a point. Faxed letter's don't mean all that much really and there's a good chance they still won't allow her out, especially if she is young and pretty.

Edited May 6, 2012 by tropo

[tropo]

I suspect it is true from any exit point as they are tasked to this duty to protect there citizens from international trafficking. There is only one international airprot in Manila that I am aware of but do not believe it would be any different from Clark or Cebu..

I'm not sure about Cebu - but there aren't flights from Cebu to Bangkok anyway - mainly to Japan and Korea.

... but regarding Clark. They absolutely will not let any single Filipino travel out from there unless they have a visa along with a job invitation and work permit for the country they're travelling to.

Edited May 6, 2012 by tropo

[tropo]

I can check if she can get a letter from her employer agreeing to take her back when she returns. What does "clearly state if she has children there" mean?

I'll ask her to bring photos of us together.

She may have her other passport showing her trip to Singapore in 2008.

Thanks.

It's a waste of time anyway. The fact that she has children means nothing to them - it's just more incentive for her to leave and work illegally or as a prostitute in a foreign country in an effort to send support for her impoverished children/family. Living apart from family is quite normal for Filipinos. Other family member are quite happy to look after the children.

[praglen]

So, if I urge her to go to the Thai Embassy in Manila(where she lives),bringing her passport and the tourist visa fee(?), you're saying she'll have a much easier time at the airport? Is there a fee at all for the tourist visa if everyone gets an automatic 30-day visa at Suvarnabhum airport? How long will this take? Is it even possible?

If the Filipino has a Manila Thai Embassy issued tourist visa, it's less likely they'll be prevented from leaving because the Thai Consulate in Manila is fastidious about checking everything out. The only problem is that it is virtually impossible for a single young Filipina to get a tourist visa for Thailand there.

[Maestro]

...register (and attend a course) by the POEA...

Praglen, has your girlfriend attended this course and does she have a certificate to show for it? Perhaps it is the absence of such certificate that got others prevented from boarding by Philippine border control officials.

[praglen]

I'm sure she does NOT. Please tell me what the letters stand for, where can we get information about it, who teaches it, where and when it's taught, how long is it, what it costs, where and how to register. It may be too late, since she's scheduled to leave on May 29th. The cost isn't a problem, but the other info is important, because of the time factor.

Thanks for the tip.

...register (and attend a course) by the POEA...

Praglen, has your girlfriend attended this course and does she have a certificate to show for it? Perhaps it is the absence of such certificate that got others prevented from boarding by Philippine border control officials.

[moe666]

I'm sure she does NOT. Please tell me what the letters stand for, where can we get information about it, who teaches it, where and when it's taught, how long is it, what it costs, where and how to register. It may be too late, since she's scheduled to leave on May 29th. The cost isn't a problem, but the other info is important, because of the time factor.

Thanks for the tip.

...register (and attend a course) by the POEA...

Praglen, has your girlfriend attended this course and does she have a certificate to show for it? Perhaps it is the absence of such certificate that got others prevented from boarding by Philippine border control officials.

I cannot give you info on the course but it is a requirement to leave a friend in the states married a Pinoy and before she could leave she had to attend the course. The story I was mentioning appeared in a news paper on Palawan Island as I was there in Oct. Why haven't more of the stories appeared, who knows as they only affect Philippinos who else cares unless you are trying to get out of the country

[Mario2008]

POEA information here: http://www.poea.gov.ph/

It is a government labour office for people wanting to work overseas.

[tropo]

So, if I urge her to go to the Thai Embassy in Manila(where she lives),bringing her passport and the tourist visa fee(?), you're saying she'll have a much easier time at the airport? Is there a fee at all for the tourist visa if everyone gets an automatic 30-day visa at Suvarnabhum airport? How long will this take? Is it even possible?

If the Filipino has a Manila Thai Embassy issued tourist visa, it's less likely they'll be prevented from leaving because the Thai Consulate in Manila is fastidious about checking everything out. The only problem is that it is virtually impossible for a single young Filipina to get a tourist visa for Thailand there.

They will check out her employment and financial status. They will want to see substantial evidence of your relationship if she doesn't work or is broke. They will also want to know about your employment and financial status. They will want to see booked accommodation etc etc etc.

It will be difficult.

Why not just get on plane and meet her in Manila? If she doesn't manage to board she'll be blowing her ticket anyway. It's only a 3 hour flight and it is not expensive. Problem solved. No more worry. That's what I would do. There's too many variables if she's trying to come on her own and even when you think you've covered all bases you can still fail. You can run around in circles and stand on your head to please them and still fail.

I met a Canadian guy on my last trip who blew 2 tickets trying to get his girlfriend over for a visit. He ended up going there to get her. He told me that on one attempt to leave Manila the airport immigration said they didn't believe the age on her passport. She looked young (don't they all) but she was 25 - they thought she was underage using a fake passport. They can come up with all kinds of reasons to refuse boarding - and they don't care about anyone blowing tickets.

Edited May 7, 2012 by tropo

[CaptainSplod]

I tend to agree with Tropo - go get her, yourself!!

I have an American friend who has a Filipina girlfriend. A couple of years (or maybe 3) ago, he wanted her to come to Thailand to stay for a while. No sweat (you'd think) as they'd known each other for quite some time.

However, it's well known that young, unaccompanied ladies are still stopped from boarding planes out of the country. He did what he thought was necessary - took off over to the P.I., spent a few days there, and accompanied his gf back to Thailand. No problem & no hassles.

My advice to you - do the same, tho there's no 110% guarantee that there'll be no hassle. At least you'd be there, on the spot, to answer any questions.

Cheers - and good luck!

Splod

Edited May 7, 2012 by CaptainSplod

[praglen]

I have two questions:

If she finds her past expired passport, showing her previous trip to Singapore, will that make a difference?

If I bring her back to Thailand, will I have to repeat this process every time she returns to the Philippines(assuming we don't get married for a few years)?

[tropo]

The fact that you don't travel with her sounds suspicious on it's own - from an immigration official's point of view. It's kind of showing them you're not too serious. Why don't you travel with her? Do you have a aversion to going there?

Think about it from the Immigration officer's point of view. Even if she had a letter from you stating you intend to support her, what good is that really? Anyone could write such a letter.

A previous passport with a visit to Singapore would be of no use. There just is no guarantee. Even if someone else has been successful, there's no guarantee your girlfriend will be.