Decent Dress Code

[easyride]

I'm doing a visa run from Pattaya next week and was wondering how I should dress? Shorts & flip flops are my usual attire but I don't want to disrespect the immigration officers. This is my 1st visa run since I used to visit various places in Soi Chaiapoon who did everything for me, so many years ago..

[MJCM]

Neat casual attire that's what I wear when visiting "official" offices.

Edited February 4, 2013 by MJCM

[Crossy]

Yup ^^^, slacks, polo, shoes with socks (or proper sandals without) sort of gear

No wifebeaters, crappy shorts, flipflops.

[Morakot]

If you are a man:

Edited February 4, 2013 by Morakot

[Cuchulainn]

I'm all in favour of proper attire, but surely it doesn't really matter if it's a simple visa run to a border?

[Satcommlee]

Chang Vest, 200 Baht shorts and a pair of flip flops was standard attire last time I went on a Visa Run.. I seemed quite over dressed wearing a shirt.

[NancyL]

I vote for the attire depicted in post #4. Come on, how hard can it be? I figure I can do enough things to unintentially irrate the Immigration people, why would I want to do something intentional like dressing as if I just rolled out of a cheap guest house?

Edited February 4, 2013 by NancyL

[marstons]

been doing visa runs 12 years until last year, but always wore normal short sleeved shirt, shorts and decent sandals, I wear same attire now to do 90 day reports. Never had a problem.

[BrianCR]

How about a pair of shorts, crumpled tee-shirt and a big packet of condoms?

[davejones]

There isn't a dress code. Obviously if you turn up like a slob you may get problems, but flip flops are ok. I've always worn them, and so have plenty of others. I doubt an immigration officer has ever seen my feet, because I'm the other side of the desk. Anyway, you can't be refused a visa extension because you wear flipflops. Just use some common sense.

[pattayadingo]

Have to admit I too wore shorts, T-shirt with sleeves and sandals on 30+ visa runs to Cambodia and never ever had a problem.

[hullupullo]

[mca]

If they genuinely enforced these regs Pattaya would resemble Chernobyl on early closing day.

I love number 3. Roll up at immi in full Hanuman get up.

BTW IT'S BAHT,BAHT,<deleted>' BAHT NOT <deleted>' BATH FOR THE TRILLIONTH TIME!

Edited February 5, 2013 by mca

[Misterwhisper]

You already have answered your own question: no flip-flops, shorts, Jesus sandals, and most importantly, no soiled "I love Singha beer" t-shirt. Also try to avoid 3-day stubble and rasta dreadlocks.

How would you turn up at the authorities in your own homecountry? Common sense sometimes can put answers right at your feet...

[davejones]

How would you turn up at the authorities in your own homecountry?

There isn't a dress code for visiting authorities in the UK. You can turn up dressed however you want. Don't know why grown men have to come on here asking for advice on how to dress. How did you manage to get through life?

[geriatrickid]

I wonder what the transgender people wear? A delightful chiffon, or a pleasing pattern?

In respect to the ladies, if they wear a dress, are they obliged to shave their legs? There was a girl in one of my classes that was anti shaving and she'd show up to class in shorts with legs hairier than most guys.

[geriatrickid]

How would you turn up at the authorities in your own homecountry?

There isn't a dress code for visiting authorities in the UK. You can turn up dressed however you want. Don't know why grown men have to come on here asking for advice on how to dress. How did you manage to get through life?

Umm, my father. He was very good at giving instructions.

Mind you it took a woman to tell me that if my undies had a hole in it, I was to dispose of them. Not that immigration would ever know.

[Morakot]

I wonder what the transgender people wear? A delightful chiffon, or a pleasing pattern?

In respect to the ladies, if they wear a dress, are they obliged to shave their legs?

This problem can be easily avoided, as one chooses the following attire on this occasion:

Edited February 5, 2013 by Morakot

[Morakot]

There isn't a dress code [...] You can turn up dressed however you want.

A common misconception.

[ThaidDown]

I thought that this was the correct attire...

.

[Eff1n2ret]

How would you turn up at the authorities in your own homecountry?

There isn't a dress code for visiting authorities in the UK. You can turn up dressed however you want.

Maybe so, but in my days on the desk at Heathrow and elsewhere, if someone in scruffy attire walked up and sought entry as a visitor they almost inevitably attracted a little more questioning than normal. However, being scruffily dressed wasn't per se a reason for refusal.

The other side of the coin was passengers from certain third world countries who may only have worn a loincloth or similar up till then and looked hugely uncomfortable in the cheap suit and shoes they were wearing. It was quite often an indicator that the passport was forged or there was something unsatisfactory about the visa issue.

[Morakot]

I thought that this was the correct attire...

.

I personally prefer something a little less formal. I usually sport a combo like this when visiting officials:

Edited February 5, 2013 by Morakot

[easyride]

How would you turn up at the authorities in your own homecountry?

There isn't a dress code for visiting authorities in the UK. You can turn up dressed however you want. Don't know why grown men have to come on here asking for advice on how to dress. How did you manage to get through life?

I'm a little peturbed by your saying "how did I..." since I'm still alive and getting through life quite nicely.

The reason this grown man sought advice was because Thailand cares about appearance and will judge accordingly - and I'm a guest in this country.

I could wear 100 baht shorts up my ass like a bar girl, a chang vest, be unshaven and reek of beer or as ThaidDown suggests.

[NancyL]

As my mother taught me, you can never go wrong if you dress "one notch up" from what you think is expected. Then she said something about how you can always "remove accessories" to fit in. I think she meant gloves, hat, maybe a broach. I guess in a guy's case that means, removing your tie and jacket. (not that you'd show up at Immigration wearing those items, anyway)

[Mosha]

So adopting Thai normal dress codes isn't on? Never had a problem on visa runs or 90 day reports with shorts and tea shirt with sandals

[wayned]

I go in shorts, polo shirt and flip-flops. Last time I was greeted by a nice officer in blue jeans, pink polo shirt and Pooh Bear bedroom slippers. I have never been to immigration in Nakhon Sawan where there was a officer dressed in uniform, normally blue jeans, even the boss.

[NanLaew]

Agreed that there's no need to go with formal button-down shirts; polo's or t-shirts are more than adequate. Seeing acne-scarred shoulder blades and hairy- dripping armpits is a total disgrace. I consider that despite being generally warm and the fact that one may be retired and fitting in their immigration business between a game of golf and a late lunch with friends, long pants are really more appropriate. Whatever style you choose is OK but it is a government office after all and there's a wee bit of difference between casual (shorts) and smart-casual (jeans). Loafers look nice and more comfy than flip flops; those with gnarly, fungus-yellowed toenails should take note.

Edited February 6, 2013 by NanLaew

[doji]

[davejones]

How would you turn up at the authorities in your own homecountry?

There isn't a dress code for visiting authorities in the UK. You can turn up dressed however you want. Don't know why grown men have to come on here asking for advice on how to dress. How did you manage to get through life?

I'm a little peturbed by your saying "how did I..." since I'm still alive and getting through life quite nicely.

The reason this grown man sought advice was because Thailand cares about appearance and will judge accordingly - and I'm a guest in this country.

I could wear 100 baht shorts up my ass like a bar girl, a chang vest, be unshaven and reek of beer or as ThaidDown suggests.

But don't you have enough life experience to know how to dress fro certain situations. Just dress tidily. Sounds like you want a list like... white shirt, ble tie, grey underwear, black socks, black shoes, grey trousers, etc. Still don't see why a grown man has to ask advice on how to dress. 1000s of other grown men manage to get to immigration without any how-to-dress advice.

[bartender100]

I went to renew my 90 day permission to stay this week in Jomtien, the place was packed, I would say less than 1% had on long pants, or had bothered to make an effort from their normal attire. I felt out of place wearing long pants. Its always the same

So to the OP, don't worry what you wear