Help With Problems At Freedom Bridge Border Crossing?

[StevenHeidbriderSr]

We are awaiting a DNA test to prove she was born Thai so she can get her Thai ID etc...We have bought property in family name etc..

But in the mean time she has to cross to Laos to do a Visa run for her US Passport which she did on

April 6th and paying 1500 bht for the priveledge.She went again today and was told NO to crossing and she has to pay 9000 bht fee and late penalty

I dont speak Thai and was not there as i have a Type O category M Visa but my understanding is you get another 30 days tourist Visa and thats why people do a Visa Run.

She was also told she had to go to the US Embassy for explaination????

PS I accompanied her on April 6th when they also charges me 1500 bht to cross but since i have a Type O Category M Visa i saw no need to do that again.

[lopburi3]

You only receive a 15 day stay on any land border entry so her entry stamp would have said 20 April so likely a 7,000 baht overstay for going there today. What is the age of this person as children under 15 are not charged overstay.

[StevenHeidbriderSr]

Wow i didnt know it was only 2 weeks on a land crossing. My understanding was 30 daysTourist visa with entry into Thailand.

[lopburi3]

A tourist visa entry is 60 days and can be extended for 30 days for most nationalities. You obtain such a visa at a Consulate prior to entry. What you seem to be talking about is visa exempt entry (30 days by air or 15 days by land). This is just an entry stamp you receive at airport or border.

[harrry]

So she was not allowed into Laos and you were told to check with the uS embassy. Could it be that the US authorities have flagged tihe passport for some reason.

[Colabamumbai]

Your post is confusing. You say she has to pay 9,000 Bhat plus the late fee. Are you confusing the 9,000 Bhat as the late fee with something else????

[DennyEagle]

Were You informed the passport is ready, they should have emailed Her, also on the paper they gave her to retrive the passport there is a place where she could assign You to pick it up, easily done I had my girlfriend pick mine up because I was out of pages.

On the overstay the longer You wait the more it costs, 500 baht per day, up to a maximum of 20,000 and also she could face serious problems, basically detentsion if caught.

I really pays to study this stuff before You do something. Thai visa is good, especially listen to Lopburi, Mario, and LiteBeer

[Tomtomtom69]

OP, firstly, there is no "freedom bridge" it's called the "1st Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge" since there are now two more open and another one in the pipeline. The 1st friendship bridge opened in 1994 between Nong Khai and Tha Deua, Laos and was funded by the Australian Government (something I'm quite proud of...wink wink).

There are three types of crossing charges depending on how you cross the bridge. Most tourists (including Lao and Thai nationals) cross by bus and pay a 20 Baht fee I believe it is (maybe it's 40 now I'm not sure). If you cross by car as I have in my Lao car a couple of times recently then you pay 200Baht for the paperwork to enter Thailand, 9000Kip to get your car passport stamped when returning to Laos and 50 Baht or something like that for the bridge toll. For Thai cars crossing into Laos, the process and fees are similar but done in reverse.

The 1500Baht you are referring to is not a crossing fee but a Lao visa-on-arrival, which many foreigners including US citizens are eligible for. Incidentally, it's cheaper to bring US$ with you as the fee then becomes only US$30 or so + $1 on weekends and evenings.

I'm not sure who "she" is, but I'm assuming she is your spouse. Even though I can kinda figure out what you are trying to say, please write in more legible English next time as using bad grammar or terminology is a conversation killer and causes great confusion.

In all likelihood she overstayed her visa. Always check what the date on your entry permit says and don't overstay that. If she is a US citizen then she will be regarded as any other foreigner until or unless she can prove to be Thai. In which case she will require some kind of long-term visa to stay in Thailand legally otherwise return to the USA or another country. Overstaying costs 500Baht a day and overland crossings without some sort of visa in your passport only gets you 15 days each time, up to a maximum of 90 days in a 180 day period.

Here's a thought: if possible, get her to stay in Cambodia where she can stay indefinately on long-term visa extensions until you can sort out a long-term visa solution for her. Of course, she could also obtain a 60day Thai tourist visa if she's not refused based on her current overstay.

It goes without saying that any overstaying is considered a serious matter and don't assume the Thai authorities will look favorably at a visa application from someone that's overstayed, particularly if it's a long overstay. In the States and Australia, there is an automatic exclusion period of 3 years for even 1 day overstayed, and 10 years or more for overstays beyond 180 days (in the USA).

Edited May 6, 2012 by Tomtomtom69

[lopburi3]

up to a maximum of 90 days in a 180 day period

That rule ended 3 years ago.

It goes without saying that any overstaying is considered a serious matter and don't assume the Thai authorities will look favorably at a visa application from someone that's overstayed, particularly if it's a long overstay.

There is no refusal of entry or visa because of a simple overstay stamp from Thailand.

[TerryLH]

"...and overland crossings without some sort of visa in your passport only gets you 15 days each time, up to a maximum of 90 days in a 180 day period."

I think they did away with that years ago.

"In the States and Australia, there is an automatic exclusion period of 3 years for even 1 day overstayed, and 10 years or more for overstays beyond 180 days (in the USA)."

Where is that info from?

This must be something very new, if even true.

[tig28]

"In the States and Australia, there is an automatic exclusion period of 3 years for even 1 day overstayed, and 10 years or more for overstays beyond 180 days (in the USA)."

Where is that info from?

This must be something very new, if even true.

Exclusion from Australia

Persons who overstay their visa by more than 28 days may become subject to an exclusion period that prevents them from being granted a temporary visa to travel to Australia for three years. This exclusion period applies whether they leave voluntarily or not.

http://www.immi.gov....-citizens.htm#e

[moe666]

To the OP you need to do a bit of research and become more familiar with the Thai immigration laws.

[StevenHeidbriderSr]

Sorry for any typos etc.. I am using 3g in low light because of the bugs

My wife is a Thai Born Woman 56 years old and in ill health and i decided to retire here so she could be near her family.

My understanding of Thai law is she is Thai even though she is a naturalized US citizen. But she has to prove it as her records have been lost here in Thailand , and people standing up for her ie:School principal, Family members etc.. wont suffice but a DNA test will. Which as most things takes longer than needed.

In the meantime we made a visa run across the bridge to Laos at Nong Khai and was either mis-informed , or didnt check that visa was only good for 14 days as US tourist visa is 30 days which she is on at the moment.

OK i understand 14 days between visa runs waiting for DNA showing Thai Born.

My question now is since i already have a Non-Immigrant category O Visa do i need to provide police report,bank record,health report etc.. to Immigration or just report at my 90 days?

[StevenHeidbriderSr]

I answered my own question. Yes i do need to go to Immigration with Bank account etcc to get a retirement visa.

[samran]

Sorry for any typos etc.. I am using 3g in low light because of the bugs

My wife is a Thai Born Woman 56 years old and in ill health and i decided to retire here so she could be near her family.

My understanding of Thai law is she is Thai even though she is a naturalized US citizen. But she has to prove it as her records have been lost here in Thailand , and people standing up for her ie:School principal, Family members etc.. wont suffice but a DNA test will. Which as most things takes longer than needed.

In the meantime we made a visa run across the bridge to Laos at Nong Khai and was either mis-informed , or didnt check that visa was only good for 14 days as US tourist visa is 30 days which she is on at the moment.

OK i understand 14 days between visa runs waiting for DNA showing Thai Born.

My question now is since i already have a Non-Immigrant category O Visa do i need to provide police report,bank record,health report etc.. to Immigration or just report at my 90 days?

I am curious...your wife would have had to enterd the US 'once upon a time' as a Thai citizen. Doesn't her Thai ID from that era still exist? Surely that could be used as evidence?

[lopburi3]

If you have a visa it only allows 90 day stay without exit but you said in post one you do not need to exit so did you extend your stay for one year at immigration office using a TM.7 form and paying 1,900 baht? If you have a multi entry O visa of any type other than O-A it should only allow a 90 day stay without leaving. If you have the O-A (which is what requires police check/medical) and after the permitted year (or longer if multi and you return while still valid as new one year from date of entry) you obtain retirement extensions of stay with proof of financials but no medical or police report required at Immigration.

[Mario2008]

You need to go to immigration, but don't need a police record check or health check. Just proof of income or ...........

Explain the situation of your wife to immigration. There is a provision to grant her an extension of stay based on the fact that she is proving her Thai citizenship. 2.29 of police order 777/2551

If you can proof she once was Thai she can also get a 1 year extension of stay as a former Thai citizen, under 2.23 of police order 777/2551