A crackdown on visa runners means Phuket expats trying to renew their documentation at the border port of Ranong are being turned back after three renewals.

I have a querstion concerning this;

When u go to Ranong, u go to thai immigration at the pier where you are stamped out, you then take a boat across to Kawthong, pay $10 get stamped in and out of Burma, take the boat back to Ranong where you go to immigration again

SO where are you refused?

If you take the boat back ur already on thai soil, so what will they do?

Send you back to Burma on a boat?

what if u refuse to go?

What I read was they were warning people on the way out that they would not be permitted back if they choose to go.

Hence stuck in Kawtong !!

If you tried to re-enter thailand and "refused to go", they have a nice IDC there packed floor to ceiling with burmese.. I am sure they could accommodate.

I would expect that departure immigration might warn a person that they would not be allowed back in because they had already reached the limit.

At other locations they warned people that they had reached the limit on their last entry.when they got it.

They more than likely would give a person a 7 day entry entry instead of sending them back. This has happened at other crossings.

so when they get stamped out at immigration they are told, "you wont be allowed back in",

so they dont go ( whats the purpose in leaving >) and get a 7 day extension and told to leave.

They wont be stuck in Kawthong as they are stamped in and out of burma at the same time an take the boat back

Seems this has not really been thought thru

If they are not permitted back into Thailand, their options would be

1) return to Myanmar and stamp back in there

2) try to enter illegally (stupid)

3) a stay in the IDC.

I think anyone who has been specifically told by immigration "if you go out we wont let you back in" wants to test that same mans patience and chance it. Simple face will say he told you now he will want to punish you.

The 7 days is after they come back from the other side of the border. It is a 7 day permit to stay not an extension.

Thats a maybe tho.. At the officers discretion and after doing what they tell you not to do ??

The initial comments in the Phuket gazette clearly said "dont go against the officers advice or you will get stranded in Myanmaar" or words to that effect.

http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Visa-crackdown-risks-stranding-Phuket-expats-Myanmar/29346

“We have already spoken with several foreigners and strongly advised that they do not exit Thailand to arrive in Kauthaung [in Myanmar], as there is no Thai embassy or consulate there.

“We explained that if they went and tried to re-enter Thailand without first obtaining a visa from a Thai embassy or consulate, we would have to refuse them entry because they would have already entered Thailand three consecutive times on ‘visa exemption’ status.”

Any foreigners who ignore the advice risk being stranded in Myanmar, the officer warned.

Fly out instead...

so when they get stamped out at immigration they are told, "you wont be allowed back in",

so they dont go ( whats the purpose in leaving >) and get a 7 day extension and told to leave.

They wont be stuck in Kawthong as they are stamped in and out of burma at the same time an take the boat back

Seems this has not really been thought thru

"Seems this has not really been thought thru"

By whom? You're told if you go out, you won't be allowed back in.

If a policeman tells you not to park your car here and you park it here, does that mean the policeman hasn't thought it through?

They might allow you 7 days to get out of the country, but obviously if they start doing that then that means their warning can be ignored with impunity and everyone who is stuck is going to expect to be given a free extra week.

Can't see that gaining traction with the upper echelons of Immigrations. If you've reached the end of your allowed stay then you're certainly not going to do yourself a favor by refusing to follow a police directive.

Edited May 18, 201412 yr by Suradit69