lambous Posted October 25, 2013 Author Share Posted October 25, 2013 As the OP has been actively seeking work in Thailand at least according to his TV post in MARCH 2013, it seems the suspicions of the IMM Agents at BKK were not totally without substance. Yes, I was interested in working in Thailand previously, but as no opportunities came about I've given up on that. I want to travel to Brazil for the world cup next year so it is too late to commit to a new job. I'm just enjoying my time here untill then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taotoo Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 Once again: a visa is NOT an automatic right to enter the country. The link explaining this has already been posted herein. Errr you haven't read the thread have you. See my first post perhaps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lambous Posted October 25, 2013 Author Share Posted October 25, 2013 and FWIW I did enquire at the Thai consulate in Brisbane about applying for the Thailand working holiday visa that is supposedly available to Australians aged under 30, however the lady there told me not to bother as it takes months for the embassy in Canberra to process. She suggested the triple entry tourist visa and told me that if I did find a job, I could then apply for a non immigrant - B once a future employer provided me with the necessary paperwork, so I did exactly what the Thai consulate told me to do!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YeaBiGgiEs Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 Nice. Im surprised those triple entries still exist as the USA will only give double. Dont know why there should be a question though.. sometimes it takes people longer to "tour" a country than others. USA gives a 10year tourist Visa and I cant imagine what or where I'd go for 10 years in that 3rd world country HAHA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdido Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 ...maybe not really relevant, but was questionned on arrival at S airport last september, on first ever visit to thailand on normal 30 day basis, as to how I could afford to make such a trip. Questionning was carried out by fairly severe female IO in her 40s, maybe;was a bit gobsmacked by this totally unexpected intervention, but recovered sufficiently to tell her had been saving for a couple of years. This seemed to satisfy her;maybe I'd have sailed through if had been like the little totally pissed wee Irish bloke, who caused big problems in arrivals, by not allowing ANYONE to get ahead of him in queue-fair enough, but he persisted in not keeping up with queue by attending to matters mobilephone, practically nonstop, allowing huge gap to develop, into which no-one was allowed. Everyone just obeyed his whims, so as not to delay getting into thailand through being involved in trouble.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stickylies Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 (edited) i have had the same in mae sot. so what. the immigration officer can ask what he wants (actual questions below): 1/ do u work here? NO krap 2/ how do u finance 9 months here? SAVINGS krap 3/ how do u spend your days here? SLEEP+EAT krap 4/ ehmmm, ehmmm, ehmmm?! EHMMM, EHMMM, EHMMM krap edit: ps. after question 4 the officer became more relax as I replied all in thai and told him in thai i'm studying thai and burmese history. point is, immigration police have the right to ask these questions. they are not just/simply "stamp" clowns right ? Edited October 25, 2013 by stickylies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loles Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 They have right to do this anytime. This is their job. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PattayaPhom Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 If one is fluent in the native language, in a situation like this it would be a natural instinct to converse in the local dialect. I suspect the OP has misintepreted what the immigration officials actually said to eachother. Being fluent and studying for one year many years ago isnt the same. Didnt the drug chick from UK get refused entry a few years ago even though Hull had issued her a valid visa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Estrada Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 Immigration must be able to legally refuse you entry, otherwise what would be the point in having them? I didn't say they couldn't, I said that they cannot legally send me back to Burma. And as a result of that, I wanted to know what would be the next case of action had I been refused entry. I suspect that if they had rejected your entry you would have been detained until you could obtain a flight to your home country. Immigration have every right to carry out checks and questions, however, its a little unnerving as they don't usually do this. In the UK they grill every non EU citizen (politely). You obviously explained your situation clearly and to their satisfaction. I am British and I have been grilled not politely at UK immigration for 20 minutes when I arrived with my Thai wife and children all with valid visas. I worked in Libya for 6 years on a 10 week on 3 week off rotation so I came in as a tourist during my vacation days. They tried to refuse my entry on one occasion, 8 years ago and were about to send me back, until I showed them that I was a friend of the former head of Thai Immigration and then they couldn't stamp the passport fast enough. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paz Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 If one is fluent in the native language, in a situation like this it would be a natural instinct to converse in the local dialect. I suspect the OP has misintepreted what the immigration officials actually said to eachother. Being fluent and studying for one year many years ago isnt the same. Didnt the drug chick from UK get refused entry a few years ago even though Hull had issued her a valid visa. Natural instict often clashes with effectiveness in such situations. OP had a tourist visa, he did perfectly good doing what a tourist does, that is not to speak Thai. And I don't think he misunderstood anything, there were trying to determine (basically have him admit) that he is working in Thailand, speaking Thai would have been just one hint that he might have. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paz Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 As the OP has been actively seeking work in Thailand at least according to his TV post in MARCH 2013, it seems the suspicions of the IMM Agents at BKK were not totally without substance. Good bless the Internet investigators and their sticking noses. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suradit69 Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 (edited) As the OP has been actively seeking work in Thailand at least according to his TV post in MARCH 2013, it seems the suspicions of the IMM Agents at BKK were not totally without substance. Good bless the Internet investigators and their sticking noses. Yes, it's a real bummer knowing that someone can easily check on what you've done or said before. Gives one less leeway to be creative and selective with his facts. In this case it just demonstrates that the Thai Immigrations officers were correct in suspecting that he might be someone who could have been working or looking for work rather than just killing time until the World Cup ... assuming that's actually the current reality and remains to be the case until kickoff. I'm sure Immigrations officers have a lot of tales to tell regarding stories told them. And, probably the Thai Visa -Visa & Immigrations Forum is a must-read for everyone at Immigrations Headquarters ... if only for the laughs. Edited October 25, 2013 by Suradit69 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prbkk Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 In my previous passport I had entries for Iran, Syria and Libya ( multiples). In fact, the first page of it had a translation in Arabic ( required by Libya at the time). Thailand was the only country not to give me grief on entry ( UK and Australia the worst...and lots of questions in the USA). But BKK, no problem at all ( not sure if that's good or not). I was very pleased to get a new passport . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Tiger Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 The landing card that you complete asks questions about your income - I recall there are boxes to tick to indicate a broad range within which your income falls. Maybe the immigration officers are asking questions about financial support only to those who enter the country who have ticked boxes which suggest income in the lower end of the ranges on the form? Or maybe not everyone even bothers to answer the questions on the landing form about income - and those who do not answer find themselves being asked about financial support while in the country? There are any number of ways people entering the country could be 'screened'; maybe it's people with long hair and beards who get stopped and questioned; maybe it's people wearing sandals; maybe it's people wearing shorts; maybe it's people with the wrong colour suitcase; or maybe it's people who just look poor to the immigration officer. Who knows? But a person's answer to the question about income on the landing card might be a reason. If a traveller has what appears to be a low income when compared to other landing cards, then perhaps the immigration officer would ask the traveller how he intends to financially support himself while in Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paz Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 (edited) The landing card that you complete asks questions about your income - I recall there are boxes to tick to indicate a broad range within which your income falls. Maybe the immigration officers are asking questions about financial support only to those who enter the country who have ticked boxes which suggest income in the lower end of the ranges on the form? Or maybe not everyone even bothers to answer the questions on the landing form about income - and those who do not answer find themselves being asked about financial support while in the country? There are any number of ways people entering the country could be 'screened'; maybe it's people with long hair and beards who get stopped and questioned; maybe it's people wearing sandals; maybe it's people wearing shorts; maybe it's people with the wrong colour suitcase; or maybe it's people who just look poor to the immigration officer. Who knows? But a person's answer to the question about income on the landing card might be a reason. If a traveller has what appears to be a low income when compared to other landing cards, then perhaps the immigration officer would ask the traveller how he intends to financially support himself while in Thailand. These questions are for statistics purposes only (I think from Tourism Authority), and do not appears to be mandatory or even less check'd by officers. I've never filled them and never been asked to do it. Edited October 25, 2013 by paz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falcon Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 Just FYI, if trying to enter a country and refused entry at the border, the international law says that the person denied entry should be returned to the country that you last boarded the aircraft from so, in the case of the OP, he would have haen returned to Burma if he was not allowed entry. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qdinthailand Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 You haven't been to the United States since 2001? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paz Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 Just FYI, if trying to enter a country and refused entry at the border, the international law says that the person denied entry should be returned to the country that you last boarded the aircraft from so, in the case of the OP, he would have haen returned to Burma if he was not allowed entry. First of all I'm not aware of any such intenrational law, if you have a reference post it. Second, it seems Thailand can't or won't mandate airlines to fly passengers at their own expensese, so unless one can buy a ticket on the spot, the next destiation is the IDC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeThaiEvo Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 (edited) When i first time come to Thailand i took TR Visa on 6 months with 3 entries. They asked me to put on my account in that time 200.000 THB so i can get the Visa. Soon as i have arrived on the airport they asked me how long i plan to stay, what is my purpose and business in Thailand, why i took Visa on 6 months, blah blah blah, while my friend just pass everything (with same Visa) without one question, and it was FIRST TIME. Recently i had a visit from a policeman to the house where my future wife and me are living, with many unreal questions, even if i'm not anymore on TR Visa. It's quite normal to have headache from Thai's IO on the airport, street, house (after few years of being local here) but it really depends on Your luck and their mood, not on the actually suspicios or not. This is land of smilies, but their smiles make our money. So just always be polite, talk straight and set them a story they cannot put down. Easy if u're communicative. Give them a same "smile" back Edited October 25, 2013 by MikeThaiEvo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLCrab Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 As the OP has been actively seeking work in Thailand at least according to his TV post in MARCH 2013, it seems the suspicions of the IMM Agents at BKK were not totally without substance. Good bless the Internet investigators and their sticking noses. It was a hard core ThaiVisa investigation: go to 'Profile' then Topics started BTW I am a pre-internet legal researcher/law library rat from the days when you actually had to go into the libraries and use the binder indexes, then get the hard copy off the shelf, and then read it or Xerox-copy it and take it home. Nowadays it's duck-soup. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLCrab Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 (edited) Just FYI, if trying to enter a country and refused entry at the border, the international law says that the person denied entry should be returned to the country that you last boarded the aircraft from so, in the case of the OP, he would have haen returned to Burma if he was not allowed entry. First of all I'm not aware of any such intenrational law, if you have a reference post it. Second, it seems Thailand can't or won't mandate airlines to fly passengers at their own expensese, so unless one can buy a ticket on the spot, the next destiation is the IDC. This is from the QANTAS website site and seems to follow the standard International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) protocol: 14. Refusal of Entry and Fines 14.1 Payment of costs a. If you are refused permission to enter a country and a government or government authority orders us to return you to your place of origin or remove you to another country, you must pay for: - any detention costs; and - the return or other fare We will not refund the fare for carrying you to the place where you were denied entry but we may set off the value of any unused Flight Coupons against the amount of that return or other fare. b. If we have given you information which is incorrect and inconsistent with the official information that is reasonably available to us, and you have relied on it, we will pay any reasonably incurred costs arising as a result. 14.2 Reimbursement to Qantas If we are ordered to pay any fine or penalty at any time, or incur any expense, costs, loss or damage ("losses") by reason of you being denied entry into any country, or because of your failure to comply with any law, regulation, order or requirement, or because of your behaviour, health or medical condition, you must reimburse us for all losses plus all legal costs and other expenses reasonably incurred. We may set off any refund owing to you for unused Flight Coupons against any such amounts. Edited October 25, 2013 by JLCrab 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceN Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 If it makes you feel any better, I was once taken aside and questioned in similar fashion, only I was entering the US on my US passport, where I was born and lived most of my life. You did the right thing by answering calmly and honestly. I agree with the folks who said the officers were doing their job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacko45k Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 Was the fact that you were here studying the language for a year apparent in the passport? The sum total of your time in Thailand may have seemed a lot for a 'tourist' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IMA_FARANG Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 Not saying they would but...... If they had refused you entry (and they legally can) ..... it is then up to the airline to return you to your point of origin. The airline would probably make you pay for the return flight to .... wherever, But that's unlikely to happen..... it is possible however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaurene Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 Hi You have the entry visa but it does not mean you are allowed into the country it all depends on the immigration at the border, if they suspect ant thing you will be questioned. This is the way it is done in all country's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfbandung Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 I had the same thing happen in Australia recently . My Thai girlfriend has a one year multiple entry Tourist Visa & they said that she has been to Au to often to use a tourist Visa and they could refuse her entry .i am puzzled that why would they give a multiple entry Tourist Visa to anyone if you can't use it . Multiple means two or more and she had used it three times for a couple of months at a time because we have commitments in both countries and can't stay too long at each . My missus gets asked what she's doing when she enters Oz without me sometimes. Long stays and short exits bother them. With airfares the way they are now people can stay three months, leave for the weekend then come back for another three months. And so on. I don't know about Thailand but Australia calls that "residence by stealth" and will eventually refuse to allow another entry saying you should make application for residency. And Australia have more problem with my numerous trips to Thailand than Thailand has. They told me once my travel profile made me look like a drug courier ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechnikaIII Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 Dare I ask how you present at the airport? Are you dressed respectfully? Is your demeanor respectable? What you have in your passport is one thing. What you are is another. (Just asking) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSpade Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 I found the topic interesting as I've known several people that would do boarder runs on a monthly bases, to avoid a visa, and just live off the entry stamp. On my last border run I met a guy who had been doing border runs every 2 weeks for almost 3 years and had the stamps in his passport to prove it. Apparently with no hassle either and never once asked what he was doing in Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paz Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 Because it has not mentioned yet. If refused entry, it is possible, but difficult to do, to appeal. So far I've known (from this forum) of one person only that has been refused entry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MILT Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 Correct me if I am wrong (which I know someone will) LOL In my understanding having visa does not guarantee entry! As in my wife having a visa to the US states that this visa does not mean that she will be automatically allowed entry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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