Tourist visa holders denied entry to Thailand and left stranded in Malaysia

[BillR]

i stop being suprised here years ago.... ..buy a legal visa from a THAI consul (WHO HAVE THE POWER TO REFUSE) and then be refused entry at teh border...idiotic to say the least

It's again worth remembering that possession of a visa doesn't guarantee the holder admission to a country, it's the Immigration Officer at the Border that has the final say, this applies to most countries in the World, including the likes of the UK, the Schengen Area and the United States of America.

I just wish the USA enforced their immigration laws like the Thais do.

The difference is, The USA needs migrant workers, much like thailand needs burmese. Thailand does not need budget farang pretending to be here as tourists and in most cases working illegally.

[theoldgit]

It's again worth remembering that possession of a visa doesn't guarantee the holder admission to a country, it's the Immigration Officer at the Border that has the final say, this applies to most countries in the World, including the likes of the UK, the Schengen Area and the United States of America.

yeah, i agree with this. i had a nightmare trying to get my wife back into the UK after we went to Paris for a weekend last year. she had valid UK and Schengen visas too. took 15 minutes of talking before they would let us enter

15 minutes of talking? WOW, you must of been falling asleep on your foot, did you ask for a chair & glass of water because of this looong wait....?

Unless you've been through such an experience you don't really know what a nightmare it can be, I have also been through such an experience, and it's really not pleasant.

My partner and I were also returning to the UK from a short side trip to Paris a few years ago, and the IO in Paris was the most unpleasant, rude IO I have ever met. He was arrogant and insulting to both my partner and I, and whilst we were both being questioned for about fifteen minutes, it seemed much longer, and it was far from a pleasant experience.

So please don't make such condescending remarks.

[atyclb]

until they change the LAW to state that tourist can only stay so many days a year ..none of these people are breaking the law...so all the smart ass would do well to remember this.......you could be next Jack

it is immigrations job to catch illegal workers INSIDE thailand and arrest , blacklist then deport them ..........not at borders before they have entered there is a declatation on the immigration card that you sign..that is how they get you INSIDE thailand

They are all breaking the law . . . they are not "tourists" if you are using the people denied entry in the article as an example . . . they are using the tourist visa to enable them to stay long term in Thailand . . . that is NOT the purpose of the tourist visa, and THAT is what they are cracking down on.

And no, it's immigration's job to stop undesirable or illegal people at the border before they get into Thailand, not just once within the borders.

Using tourist visas in such a way although viewed by some as abuse, has been perfectly legal. They need to spend money on travel, lodging, and consular fees so it is not something being given away. If one immigration crossing deems the visa unacceptable to use to enter the country it should also be unacceptable regardless of entry point = airport, etc etc.

[Pattaya46]

Using tourist visas in such a way although viewed by some as abuse, has been perfectly legal.

Yes, but probably not in the spirit of the Immigration rules.

I think they should have just add in rules something like

:

"As a tourist you can't stay more than 180 days a year in Thailand"

or

"As a tourist you can't stay more than 90 days in Thailand for any 180 days period"

[TheAceFace]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Hopefully one of the mods will be able to offer some advice on my situation or maybe someone else in the same situation as me, im not looking to debate the rules as i agree with them being implemented, I am just looking for advice.

I work offshore 4weeks on 4weeks off and about 18 months ago i went to immigration to extend for 7 days on my exempt entry stamp. At this time i told the IO what i do and how i come in and out monthly and asked is there a better visa i could be using, his reply was just keep doing what you are doing it is fine.

So now it doesnt look like this is fine. I stay in a rented villa in a resort complex and am not married and not over 50 so i treat each trip back to thailand as basically a holiday, going to the beach, gym, restaurants and bars so i could pass as a "tourist" in my opinion.

I have applied for and been approved for the 5 year elite card however when i spoke to immigration in krabi they didnt even know about an elite visa. There is plenty of people on here saying it is a solution however the visa issued is a "special tourist" visa so there is a possibilty you could be denied entry even after buying it. I know this is highly unlikely but it is possible as other people are being turned away with legitimate visas.

What would you suggest is the best option for someone in my situation. Im just about ready to send off the form to pay for the elite visa but i am wondering if there is any other alternatives. I would not hesitate to take the elite visa if it was paid yearly however i am concerned that if the rules change again or my circumstances change in the 5 years.

It looks like 4 weeks on and 4 weeks off would not expose you to immigration problems if you are one of those people who are elligible for the 30 visa exemption on arrival. This costs you absolutely nothing.

There is no Elite Visa. There is a partnership with the government and Thai Elite that includes a five year visa. It matters not if if your local immigration office has heard of it or not, they will eventually. When you receive your visa from Thai Elite it will have an expiration date of five years from the beginning date stamped in your passport. You are good to go even if the Thai Elite program dies it will have no effect on your visa. Other Elite services would be gone but not the five year visa.

Grant,

I would like to think i am not going to have problems with immigration but i suspect i will as my passport is full of visa exempt stamps. They are a month apart but there is alot of them with very few stamps in between as i dont get stamped into Malaysia.

The elite card does not give you a 5 year visa, it only gives you a 1 year visa which is renewable 5 times, hence the reason i would prefer to pay only yearly.

Any other options anyone knows of. Im not trying to find loopholes, i would like a genuine solution to stay correctly.

Hi Scott

I am in the same boat as you, I am due to leave for days off in 10 days, I have a family in Thailand and normally go back on Tourist visa's. This time I had contacted the Thai consulate in Bahrain to try and get details of the family visa Non O, I can get this next time as I do not have the correct documents with me now. I asked just for a Non O tourist visa instead, I was told by the consulate that if I get that I can not change it in Thailand to a marriage one? They said via email to just go back on a tourist 30 day visa, and next time I come I can bring the required documents and they will process my marriage visa multiple entry one.

I am also worried about what to expect at the airport this time, I have printed the correspondence with the consulate here and I have a return ticket back to Bahrain. I just hope I get in.

[KamalaRider]

"You are a tourist for 30 days, not more."

they mean business now, i hope it doesn't spread to the northern and eastern borders

"You are a tourist for 30 days, not more."

This sort of negates the fact that tourist visas are issued on a 60 day basis, with 1, 2 , or 3 entries.

Clearly the consulates don't know what the border checkpoints are doing.

Clearly it means some people up in BKK have shares in Nok air, Air asia or any other aero plane company.

People can still fly in to Thailand with the same T-visa.

[Tatsujin]

Were the ones caught up in the Op doing something other than tourism? Well, let's see what the OP said:

"Narathiwat is a popular destination for visa runners and border runners to exit and re-enter the country in order to extend their stay in Thailand.

All of the foreigners who were denied entry had a previous history of multiple visa exempt entries or back to back tourist visas."

So reading through that, they were all people that had multiple back to back tourist visa's or multiple visa exempt entries . . .

leading Immigration to come to the conclusion that they are NOT legitimate tourists here for the purposes of tourism. Simple.

Sorry but it's your interpretation of the text, not what the text said.

OP could have said "All those who where denied entry had sunglasses",

that would not mean that if someone arrives without sunglasses (or without a visa "history")

he will not be denied too...

This ambiguity in the ThaiVisa OP - and in the title - is the reason why this topic already runs on more than 10 pages...

Well, you are free to "interpret" it however you choose . . . but as it's been made law that there are restrictions on the usage of tourist visa's for purposes other than "tourism", good luck getting in again with back to back tourist visa's when they've said that THAT is what they are cracking down on.

When they state "all of the foreigners who were denied entry had a previous history of multiple visa exempt entries or back to back tourist visas", there's probably a pretty big &lt;deleted&gt; clue in there somewhere if you care to accept it and I don't see it being in any way ambiguous. Just go read the reports from the last couple of weeks, the rules are all written down and clear.

At the end of the day, it's not MY interpretation of the current laws that are important . . . but good luck arguing with any Immigration Officer when they ask to see your travel plans, your hotel booking, ask why you only went to Myanmar for 4 hours etc etc . . . when you've rented a condo in Bangkok for the past 18 months, are "working" at a school perhaps and travelled very little whilst being here . . . I would hazard an (informed) guess that they are not going to consider you a "tourist".

[MJCM]

Unless you've been through such an experience you don't really know what a nightmare it can be, I have also been through such an experience, and it's really not pleasant.

My partner and I were also returning to the UK from a short side trip to Paris a few years ago, and the IO in Paris was the most unpleasant, rude IO I have ever met. He was arrogant and insulting to both my partner and I, and whilst we were both being questioned for about fifteen minutes, it seemed much longer, and it was far from a pleasant experience.

So please don't make such condescending remarks.

10000% agree, we had the same, the first time we went to Schengen. The IO wanted to refuse her Entry (without even looking at the Evidence (hotel bookings, train bookings, money etc etc), but only after we talked to a senior official we were let in the Country. This was not fun. (And I still remember all the persons in line were looking at us when the took us to their office).

[grantbkk]

Hopefully one of the mods will be able to offer some advice on my situation or maybe someone else in the same situation as me, im not looking to debate the rules as i agree with them being implemented, I am just looking for advice.

I work offshore 4weeks on 4weeks off and about 18 months ago i went to immigration to extend for 7 days on my exempt entry stamp. At this time i told the IO what i do and how i come in and out monthly and asked is there a better visa i could be using, his reply was just keep doing what you are doing it is fine.

So now it doesnt look like this is fine. I stay in a rented villa in a resort complex and am not married and not over 50 so i treat each trip back to thailand as basically a holiday, going to the beach, gym, restaurants and bars so i could pass as a "tourist" in my opinion.

I have applied for and been approved for the 5 year elite card however when i spoke to immigration in krabi they didnt even know about an elite visa. There is plenty of people on here saying it is a solution however the visa issued is a "special tourist" visa so there is a possibilty you could be denied entry even after buying it. I know this is highly unlikely but it is possible as other people are being turned away with legitimate visas.

What would you suggest is the best option for someone in my situation. Im just about ready to send off the form to pay for the elite visa but i am wondering if there is any other alternatives. I would not hesitate to take the elite visa if it was paid yearly however i am concerned that if the rules change again or my circumstances change in the 5 years.

It looks like 4 weeks on and 4 weeks off would not expose you to immigration problems if you are one of those people who are elligible for the 30 visa exemption on arrival. This costs you absolutely nothing.

There is no Elite Visa. There is a partnership with the government and Thai Elite that includes a five year visa. It matters not if if your local immigration office has heard of it or not, they will eventually. When you receive your visa from Thai Elite it will have an expiration date of five years from the beginning date stamped in your passport. You are good to go even if the Thai Elite program dies it will have no effect on your visa. Other Elite services would be gone but not the five year visa.

Grant,

I would like to think i am not going to have problems with immigration but i suspect i will as my passport is full of visa exempt stamps. They are a month apart but there is alot of them with very few stamps in between as i dont get stamped into Malaysia.

The elite card does not give you a 5 year visa, it only gives you a 1 year visa which is renewable 5 times, hence the reason i would prefer to pay only yearly.

Any other options anyone knows of. Im not trying to find loopholes, i would like a genuine solution to stay correctly.

I know a guy on his 3rd 5 year Elite program visa. Each one is for 5 years from the issue date. You only need to get the extension of stay if you do not leave Thailand for 12 months. Every time you arrive in the country the clock begins on that 12 months. No problem for you. In a recent thread there was a picture of a new 5 year visa expiring in 2019.

Sent from my LG-V500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[thairastawoman]

Hello, sorry I have a tourist visa and I am scare to come back now, how stupid can they be to give me a visa and then deny entry !!! Whatever people who know everything here will say it is stupid to let the final decision in the hands of any employee at the border who knows nothing....

[BillR]

Hello, sorry I have a tourist visa and I am scare to come back now, how stupid can they be to give me a visa and then deny entry !!! Whatever people who know everything here will say it is stupid to let the final decision in the hands of any employee at the border who knows nothing....

Well how many times have you been back to back?

[Time Traveller]

Hmm. How can they deny entry with a valid visa? That’s impressive...

So, are the consulates still issuing Tourist visas?

Well we can't let you into our country, but you're welcome to go to our embassy and buy another visa....

[Paul888]

I think it is pretty sad that some people seem to delight in the problems that these clampdowns cause for others and whilst I understand the logic behind Thailand now enforcing their rules properly, I think this could have been handled a lot better.

Being turned away from a border (that maybe you drove to) and told to take a bus to KL and get a flight back to Thailand (no idea where nearest airport to that area that you can get a flight from KL to is) must have been a pretty bad experience for those concerned and even if they did have the required funds to do this on their person, I am sure none of them budgeted to spend those funds in that way.

If they were in and outers caught on the way back in, surely they should have been warned that this would happen on the way out and if they were newly issued tourist visas then they should have been told that they were not valid at that land border.

I would have let them in but stamped no more tourists visas until whatever date.

[rjcampbe]

Refusing entry to all people with tourist visas, how can you obtain a visa and then be denied entry to the country unless you fly into it?

Classic Thailand

You must have read a different article to me . . . they are not refusing entry to "tourists", they are refusing entry to people who consistently abuse the Tourist Visa, i.e. "visa runners", and with all the recent reporting on this subject, why are you surprised or shocked about this?

As per the article:

"All of the foreigners who were denied entry had a previous history of multiple visa exempt entries or back to back tourist visas."

Thailand is currently undergoing some fairly major changes, reducing corruption and following the law a lot more closely. I have no idea how long this will last for, but the message is clear . . . we're trying to do things better, and you (foreigners) need to follow the law as it is written now.

Although the visa situation here isn't easy, simple or convenient, most of us manage to stay here for years at a time by doing things "properly" . . . I suggest some of these others start to do the same, and perhaps, just perhaps, when they see that we can do things correctly, they might just make it easier for us doing it properly to stay here even longer/easier at some future point in time.

First, two disclaimers...

1) Thailand has the right to create whatever laws they want to regarding immigration, and of course have the right to enforce those laws.

2) I have non immigrant B visa with WP... So this doesn't affect me, other than my frustration with poor communication of the rules and the inconsistency of the enforcement.

The problem is that there is no "master plan" for how to get from the situation they currently have on visas for foreigners (which is to say absolute chaos, corruption, and confusion), to a reasonable, well communicated, understood, and EQUALLY ENFORCED policy like most other countries.

Also, as usual, any thinking person with even HALF a brain could develop a new set of visa rules, a transitional system to implement the rules, and communicate that information to visitors. Alas, that seems to be beyond the abilities of the Thai officials, and it is my frustration with that organizational incompetence that has prompted me to post this now.

They currently have thousands of people who are abusing the tourist visa system. I support them in the desire to fix that problem, but it needs to be done in a reasonable way. Clear rules need to be created and communicated that state what is and is not permitted. How many extensions will be granted? 1? 2? None?? What if a person already has more than the limit? How will you transition them to a different visa when the current one expires? How long must they remain out of Thailand before a new tourist visa will be issued? and probably a few more things...

And MOST importantly, they need to have CONSISTENT ENFORCEMENT of the rules.

I don't know why this is so complicated for them to figure out. Just TIT, I guess.

[MrWorldwide]

For the past years I've been living in Thailand during European winter months (November-March). My work is online and has nothing to do with Thailand, can do it anywhere but I like living in Thailand. I travel around quite often within Thailand and rent a house for 5 or 6 months. I used to apply for a triple entry tourist visa as I can't get a non-o because I'm 34. Does anybody know what I should do for next winter?

My advice is to never mention that you are doing online work from Thailand - not here and definitely not to Immigration or anyone in this country. Regardless of what it is or who it involves, the argument put forward by many here will inevitably be that you need a work permit - it's a thread unto itself and I wouldnt even go there. Given that you still have a few months of Summer in the Northern Hemisphere, why dont you wait and see what happens in August before making any decisions ?

[martin81]

As the news of this spreads, more and more people will likely put of trips here as the confusion reigns.

WHY ????

Because people get nervous they cannot get into Thailand and may be deported even if arriving by air after 12 AUG.

I am worried because my passport is filled with 25 pages of thai visa exempt entries. Only for up to 2 weeks at a time. But I travel a lot and have been a very frequent tourist to Thailand.

But when the immigration officer sees all these stamps they may think I am not a tourist. They probably wont use time looking thru 25 pages of stamps to get all details of visits.

[laislica]

If this crackdown is aimed at flushing out people working illegally why don't the Imm Authorities simply look at their database of addresses that the tourist has stayed at.

All hotels and Guest Houses automatically send passport details of their foreign guests to Immigration so folk moving or staying at hotels are most likely to be genuine tourists. Imm could update their database to note the passport number of those who don't appear to be tourists. Subsequent requests for tourists visas could then be better handled by the Embassies.

Also they could go and visit the address that the "Tourist" gave on the entry card, not there, blot on the database and a warning given next time they pass immigration.

I have not thought this through thoroughly, and it would need updates to their computer system and possibly extra staffing.

That money would need to be found - big fines for infringement?

The scary thing is that they would see which wives didn't report the presence of their husband in their house.....

One of the really great things about Thailand is\was the fact that the laws were so flexible (if you had money anyway).

If it becomes a nanny state like so many of the "First World" countries, it will surely lose it's appeal to many?

[BillR]

As the news of this spreads, more and more people will likely put of trips here as the confusion reigns.

WHY ????

Because people get nervous they cannot get into Thailand and may be deported even if arriving by air after 12 AUG.

I am worried because my passport is filled with 25 pages of thai visa exempt entries. Only for up to weeks at a time. But I travel a lot and have been a very frequent tourist to Thailand.

But when the immigration officer sees all these stamps they may think I am not a tourist. They probably wont use time looking thru 25 pages of stamps to get all details of visits.

They dont have to "use time" its all computerized now. As long is you are not an in-out-in tourist you will be fine.

[Jip66]

I have stayed in Thailand for 1 and a half years on tourist visas in the past (an indefinite tourist) without working here. I am now on an education visa as I am studying Thai. My girlfriend is pregnant at the moment and I am worried about when my education visa runs out. I make enough money back home to support us but not to qualify for a non O visa. What can I do? I realize they won't have any sympathy for splitting up a young family and I am worried I am going to have to leave my wife and young child here. Any ideas would be much appreciated.

Option 1) Well, you can MARRY your girlfriend then start doing the paperwork to take her and your child back to your home country.

You may have to move in with family back in your home country - but it can be done. Luckily - as you said, you make enough money back home while sitting here in Thailand. Chances are, there is additional public assistance in your home country to help you get your life together.

Option 2) Get MARRIED, then go back to your home country, save up enough for the non-O requirement (400k baht) then return. Might take up to a year and a couple months (depending on what you claim you already earn) - but staying with family will help minimize your spending while trying to save.

Additionally - taking a year away from your wife and kid might seem like forever - but military folks do this ALL THE TIME. It can be done.

No he does not.

He can get a non-O visa just because he has a Thai kid. Getting married is not required.

He just needs the 400k OR can prove he has 40k per month income.

He can also get a an education visa.

If he is rich, he can get an Elite card.

MANY options.

And this is exactly what I shall be doing in two weeks time, crossing the border into Laos at Vientiane, going to the Thai Embassy there with evidence of having a 5 month old Thai son & earning 40k+ per month in the UK, to get a 3 month Non-O Visa, after two months of said Visa I will apply at Immigration in Nong Khai for a 12 month extension, job done, not a tourist & not working illegally

[kjhbigv]

So why did I pay 75 quid for a triple entry tourist visa in London?

I can not even use it!

[scottyinthai]

Hopefully one of the mods will be able to offer some advice on my situation or maybe someone else in the same situation as me, im not looking to debate the rules as i agree with them being implemented, I am just looking for advice.

I work offshore 4weeks on 4weeks off and about 18 months ago i went to immigration to extend for 7 days on my exempt entry stamp. At this time i told the IO what i do and how i come in and out monthly and asked is there a better visa i could be using, his reply was just keep doing what you are doing it is fine.

So now it doesnt look like this is fine. I stay in a rented villa in a resort complex and am not married and not over 50 so i treat each trip back to thailand as basically a holiday, going to the beach, gym, restaurants and bars so i could pass as a "tourist" in my opinion.

I have applied for and been approved for the 5 year elite card however when i spoke to immigration in krabi they didnt even know about an elite visa. There is plenty of people on here saying it is a solution however the visa issued is a "special tourist" visa so there is a possibilty you could be denied entry even after buying it. I know this is highly unlikely but it is possible as other people are being turned away with legitimate visas.

What would you suggest is the best option for someone in my situation. Im just about ready to send off the form to pay for the elite visa but i am wondering if there is any other alternatives. I would not hesitate to take the elite visa if it was paid yearly however i am concerned that if the rules change again or my circumstances change in the 5 years.

It looks like 4 weeks on and 4 weeks off would not expose you to immigration problems if you are one of those people who are elligible for the 30 visa exemption on arrival. This costs you absolutely nothing.

There is no Elite Visa. There is a partnership with the government and Thai Elite that includes a five year visa. It matters not if if your local immigration office has heard of it or not, they will eventually. When you receive your visa from Thai Elite it will have an expiration date of five years from the beginning date stamped in your passport. You are good to go even if the Thai Elite program dies it will have no effect on your visa. Other Elite services would be gone but not the five year visa.

Grant,

I would like to think i am not going to have problems with immigration but i suspect i will as my passport is full of visa exempt stamps. They are a month apart but there is alot of them with very few stamps in between as i dont get stamped into Malaysia.

The elite card does not give you a 5 year visa, it only gives you a 1 year visa which is renewable 5 times, hence the reason i would prefer to pay only yearly.

Any other options anyone knows of. Im not trying to find loopholes, i would like a genuine solution to stay correctly.

I know a guy on his 3rd 5 year Elite program visa. Each one is for 5 years from the issue date. You only need to get the extension of stay if you do not leave Thailand for 12 months. Every time you arrive in the country the clock begins on that 12 months. No problem for you. In a recent thread there was a picture of a new 5 year visa expiring in 2019.

Sent from my LG-V500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

The 5 year visa is only issued if you buy the 2million baht (+VAT+20,00 per year) elite card. The 500k elite card you are given a 1 year visa, renewable 5 times. Will still work for me.

This is the info i recieved from Thailand Elite as i have already applied and been approved and will go to Bangkok after this month at work to pay and recieve the visa in my passport if there is no other solution.

[BillR]

it will surely lose it's appeal to many?

let me correct that for you you, It will lose its appeal to many people working illegally and cheating the system. Genuine Tourists will have no problems whatsoever. Get the proper visa and problem solved.

[noonms]

So why did I pay 75 quid for a triple entry tourist visa in London?

I can not even use it!

Yes the chaos is complete!

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[transam]

From the number of hits on this topic there is for sure a lot of....... .................

[BillR]

So why did I pay 75 quid for a triple entry tourist visa in London?

I can not even use it!

Yes you can, if you are a legitimate tourist.

[noonms]

From the number of hits on this topic there is for sure a lot of....... .................

the chaos is complete what a country

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[MrWorldwide]

I think it is pretty sad that some people seem to delight in the problems that these clampdowns cause for others and whilst I understand the logic behind Thailand now enforcing their rules properly, I think this could have been handled a lot better.

Being turned away from a border (that maybe you drove to) and told to take a bus to KL and get a flight back to Thailand (no idea where nearest airport to that area that you can get a flight from KL to is) must have been a pretty bad experience for those concerned and even if they did have the required funds to do this on their person, I am sure none of them budgeted to spend those funds in that way.

If they were in and outers caught on the way back in, surely they should have been warned that this would happen on the way out and if they were newly issued tourist visas then they should have been told that they were not valid at that land border.

I would have let them in but stamped no more tourists visas until whatever date.

You're working on the assumption that the IOs even have that option. They have clearly been given instructions to make it clear that Immigration isnt messing around this time - your imaginary stamp would do the exact opposite. From the OP, none of the people who were bounced were newbies getting their first Tourist Visa then trying to return to Thailand via a land border - lets not try to paint them as girl scouts in tears after being turned away by the Immigration ogre whilst trying to get to that big Jamboree in Yala.

[Interman]

I agree with this, and actually it's not like this hasn't been done before, accept for already having a visa. Get rid of these beach bum back packers taking jobs from the locals.

[dexterm]

"You are a tourist for 30 days, not more."

they mean business now, i hope it doesn't spread to the northern and eastern borders

"You are a tourist for 30 days, not more."

This sort of negates the fact that tourist visas are issued on a 60 day basis, with 1, 2 , or 3 entries.

Clearly the consulates don't know what the border checkpoints are doing.

and it's worse..catch 22..in many countries they will issue double entry 60 day visas but you only have 3 months to activate them both. In other words you can more or less only use them as back to back visas because you haven't got much time to visit anywhere else before the 3 months expires and you have to rush back to Thailand.

[kjhbigv]

So why did I pay 75 quid for a triple entry tourist visa in London?

I can not even use it!

Yes you can, if you are a legitimate tourist.

Can you clarify tourist?

So, can I stay here for 6 months using my back to back triple entry tourist visa that I paid for and was issued for the purpose of tourism?

If that is not the case, then why could I buy the visa in the first place?