Denied entry at Krabi airport...

[paz]

A 2nd passport will not help. All immigration has to do is look at their database and they will see your other passport entries. Swapping passports could well put up a bigger red flag.

You can be sure entering on a new passport will result in name and date of birth search for previous entries on another passport and those will part of the record for your new passport.

That's exactly what they didn't in the OP case. A passport clear of multiple visa exempt stamps satisfied the officer.

[kaobang]

that means a new blank passport would make the difference then...

[OMGImInPattaya]

Multiply this by hundreds of times on International flights landing at Swampy... coming soon. And 99% of those denied will not have a second passport. Fireworks ... when being totally denied after flying 16,000 kilometers. !!!!

Not really. I doubt very much that anyone flying 16k would come without a visa, qualify for a visa on arrival, or for a 30-day entry. People with multiple consecutive entry stamps are people living/working in thailand without proper documentation/visas and doing hops to the borders or nearby countries. They don't fly 32,000 kilometers to enter Thailand on another 30-day stamp. Nice try at scaremongering however.

If the op's story is real, and that's a very big if, then Thai immigration are doing the right thing by their lights. Someone refused entry should either go to the nearest Thai embassy on consulate and apply for the appropriate visa or return to their country of origin and do the same. With the proper visa, they should have no problem entering The Kingdom.

Edited July 19, 2014 by OMGImInPattaya

[ubonjoe]

A 2nd passport will not help. All immigration has to do is look at their database and they will see your other passport entries. Swapping passports could well put up a bigger red flag.

You can be sure entering on a new passport will result in name and date of birth search for previous entries on another passport and those will part of the record for your new passport.

That's exactly what they didn't in the OP case. A passport clear of multiple visa exempt stamps satisfied the officer.

The OP's case was marginal for refusal and probably should not of been done. I think using the other passport was just a way to say yes without actually changing their decision.

[cornishcarlos]

Seems this 2 passport option might be the new route for off shore workers.

I know that U.K passport holders can get a 2nd U.K passport if needed for work (ie off shore)

This is for travelling whilst one passport might be at an embassy waiting for a visa approval.

Maybe this will be the answer for some ??

A 2nd passport will not help. All immigration has to do is look at their database and they will see your other passport entries. Swapping passports could well put up a bigger red flag.

You can be sure entering on a new passport will result in name and date of birth search for previous entries on another passport and those will part of the record for your new passport.

A 2nd passport helped in the OPs case !!

This is a 2nd passport, not a new one.

[Howard House]

Can someone answer this question please ......

I am on double entry tourist visa at the moment . My first 60 days will be due on the 6th August so I will go to immigration and get a 30 day extention on that date and do a visa run at the end of that 30 days to activate my second visa . I have 4 other used tourist visas in my passport spread over the last 3 years . Will I be OK ? Also I am 63 . Does age matter in this situation.

[ubonjoe]

Can someone answer this question please ......

I am on double entry tourist visa at the moment . My first 60 days will be due on the 6th August so I will go to immigration and get a 30 day extention on that date and do a visa run at the end of that 30 days to activate my second visa . I have 4 other used tourist visas in my passport spread over the last 3 years . Will I be OK ? Also I am 63 . Does age matter in this situation.

If you don't' have any exempt entries you should not have a problem getting another entry.

The only people turned back in the south has been people that had a mixture of several visa exempt entries and tourist visas.

You age might help a little but they might ask why you are not on an extension or a visa based upon retirement.

[LivinLOS]

"So when I politely asked 'If I use this passport may I enter?' they quickly flipped through it and said 'Yes, no problem.'"

I'm surprised they let you use the other passport, if your KL stamp-out was in the denied passport. The passport you were stamped-in to Thailand with had no originating flight stamp-out from KL, is that right?

They never used to check outbound stamps for international flights.. I used to flip between multiple passports at will even on flights like Penang where it would have been impossible to stay airside connecting from a European flight.

[LivinLOS]

"So when I politely asked 'If I use this passport may I enter?' they quickly flipped through it and said 'Yes, no problem.'"

I'm surprised they let you use the other passport, if your KL stamp-out was in the denied passport. The passport you were stamped-in to Thailand with had no originating flight stamp-out from KL, is that right?

Why is that relevant?

My Australian passport isn't out stamped when I leave Australia. If I then arrive somewhere and use, say, my. British passport, how does that matter?

You have to leave a country on the same passport as you arrived. But there's no rule that you have to arrive in a country on the same passport that you left the previous country.

I was threatened with detention when doing this at a land border, and they refused to use my almost empty legit passport and insisted on only letting me in, with the passport with the exit chop of the neighboring country.

[LivinLOS]

Seems this 2 passport option might be the new route for off shore workers.

I know that U.K passport holders can get a 2nd U.K passport if needed for work (ie off shore)

This is for travelling whilst one passport might be at an embassy waiting for a visa approval.

Maybe this will be the answer for some ??

A 2nd passport will not help. All immigration has to do is look at their database and they will see your other passport entries. Swapping passports could well put up a bigger red flag.

You can be sure entering on a new passport will result in name and date of birth search for previous entries on another passport and those will part of the record for your new passport.

Did you even read the op ??

In precisely this case.. He did precisely that.. With full knowledge and permission from immigration.

[LivinLOS]

Multiply this by hundreds of times on International flights landing at Swampy... coming soon. And 99% of those denied will not have a second passport. Fireworks ... when being totally denied after flying 16,000 kilometers. !!!!

Not really. I doubt very much that anyone flying 16k would come without a visa, qualify for a visa on arrival, or for a 30-day entry. People with multiple consecutive entry stamps are people living/working in thailand without proper documentation/visas and doing hops to the borders or nearby countries. They don't fly 32,000 kilometers to enter Thailand on another 30-day stamp. Nice try at scaremongering however.

If the op's story is real, and that's a very big if, then Thai immigration are doing the right thing by their lights. Someone refused entry should either go to the nearest Thai embassy on consulate and apply for the appropriate visa or return to their country of origin and do the same. With the proper visa, they should have no problem entering The Kingdom.

Nonsense.. Simply because you doubt it, doesn't mean that 100s probably 1000s a day don't fly into Thailand, long haul, with more than 3 recent visa exempt stamps expecting another..

I can count perhaps 10 offshore workers in my mates alone who do this exact thing every month.. Another who works around Asia who is through the airport maybe once a week or twice a month.. He has to get a new passport every year or so just for the accumulation of 30 day stamps.

Edited July 19, 2014 by LivinLOS

[paulsr]

I can't imagine why anyone would think I invented this story. I'm just trying to provide info which might be helpful to others.

But, attached (I think!) is a copy of the two chops. Exit from KL on Canadian passport, entry into Krabi on UK passport.

Happy now?

[ubonjoe]

Seems this 2 passport option might be the new route for off shore workers.

I know that U.K passport holders can get a 2nd U.K passport if needed for work (ie off shore)

This is for travelling whilst one passport might be at an embassy waiting for a visa approval.

Maybe this will be the answer for some ??

A 2nd passport will not help. All immigration has to do is look at their database and they will see your other passport entries. Swapping passports could well put up a bigger red flag.

You can be sure entering on a new passport will result in name and date of birth search for previous entries on another passport and those will part of the record for your new passport.

Did you even read the op ??

In precisely this case.. He did precisely that.. With full knowledge and permission from immigration.

I was not replying to the OP which I have already replied to.previously. I was replying to a suggestion about getting a 2nd passport.

You need to go back and look at a post of mine where I mentioned the OP having a 2nd passport gave the immigration officer a reason to change his mind about about a marginal decision he made.

[paz]

I can't imagine why anyone would think I invented this story. I'm just trying to provide info which might be helpful to others.

But, attached (I think!) is a copy of the two chops. Exit from KL on Canadian passport, entry into Krabi on UK passport.

Happy now?

Never mind, you've been challenged by a serial antagonist. At times it even gets worst than that.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

[ubonjoe]

"So when I politely asked 'If I use this passport may I enter?' they quickly flipped through it and said 'Yes, no problem.'"

I'm surprised they let you use the other passport, if your KL stamp-out was in the denied passport. The passport you were stamped-in to Thailand with had no originating flight stamp-out from KL, is that right?

Why is that relevant?

My Australian passport isn't out stamped when I leave Australia. If I then arrive somewhere and use, say, my. British passport, how does that matter?

You have to leave a country on the same passport as you arrived. But there's no rule that you have to arrive in a country on the same passport that you left the previous country.

I was threatened with detention when doing this at a land border, and they refused to use my almost empty legit passport and insisted on only letting me in, with the passport with the exit chop of the neighboring country.

You can't do a passport swap at a border crossing which you learned about the hard way, They do check for entry and departure stamps for the other country to be sure you didn't just turn around and come back without entering the other country.

[JDGRUEN]

Multiply this by hundreds of times on International flights landing at Swampy... coming soon. And 99% of those denied will not have a second passport. Fireworks ... when being totally denied after flying 16,000 kilometers. !!!!

Not really. I doubt very much that anyone flying 16k would come without a visa, qualify for a visa on arrival, or for a 30-day entry. People with multiple consecutive entry stamps are people living/working in thailand without proper documentation/visas and doing hops to the borders or nearby countries. They don't fly 32,000 kilometers to enter Thailand on another 30-day stamp. Nice try at scaremongering however.

If the op's story is real, and that's a very big if, then Thai immigration are doing the right thing by their lights. Someone refused entry should either go to the nearest Thai embassy on consulate and apply for the appropriate visa or return to their country of origin and do the same. With the proper visa, they should have no problem entering The Kingdom.

Nonsense.. Simply because you doubt it, doesn't mean that 100s probably 1000s a day don't fly into Thailand, long haul, with more than 3 recent visa exempt stamps expecting another..

I can count perhaps 10 offshore workers in my mates alone who do this exact thing every month.. Another who works around Asia who is through the airport maybe once a week or twice a month.. He has to get a new passport every year or so just for the accumulation of 30 day stamps.

Perhaps my use of the 16,000 K. figure was not a good way to explain my point. Rather, how about what LivinLOS just said, plenty of offshore oil workers flying in on International flights. I know of other people who have flown in from the U.S. expecting extry on an Exemption (even when advised not to). People do go 'home' where ever that might be in between flurries of ins and outs with only a few months since the last 'flurry'. What we don't know is how that will be seen by IOs. Maybe ignored - maybe not.

[LivinLOS]

"So when I politely asked 'If I use this passport may I enter?' they quickly flipped through it and said 'Yes, no problem.'"

I'm surprised they let you use the other passport, if your KL stamp-out was in the denied passport. The passport you were stamped-in to Thailand with had no originating flight stamp-out from KL, is that right?

Why is that relevant?

My Australian passport isn't out stamped when I leave Australia. If I then arrive somewhere and use, say, my. British passport, how does that matter?

You have to leave a country on the same passport as you arrived. But there's no rule that you have to arrive in a country on the same passport that you left the previous country.

I was threatened with detention when doing this at a land border, and they refused to use my almost empty legit passport and insisted on only letting me in, with the passport with the exit chop of the neighboring country.

You can't do a passport swap at a border crossing which you learned about the hard way, They do check for entry and departure stamps for the other country to be sure you didn't just turn around and come back without entering the other country.

Thing is, I wasn't trying to hide it, I was trying to get from a full passport, to a nearly empty one, so I had pages to have a visa extension put in.. The denial of using the legal second passport had no grounds, and simply meant I had to go book an out in flight simply for the purpose of flipping passport.

If you legally have 2 passports.. And ones full, it's pretty petty to refuse to move over to an empty one !!

[paz]

Perhaps my use of the 16,000 K. figure was not a good way to explain my point. Rather, how about what LivinLOS just said, plenty of offshore oil workers flying in on International flights. I know of other people who have flown in from the U.S. expecting extry on an Exemption (even when advised not to). People do go 'home' where ever that might be in between flurries of ins and outs with only a few months since the last 'flurry'. What we don't know is how that will be seen by IOs. Maybe ignored - maybe not.

How they will we don't know but reports of today indicate no problems.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/744170-2828-rotations-is-there-a-maximum-of-30-day-visa-on-arrivals-per-year/

[LivinLOS]

Multiply this by hundreds of times on International flights landing at Swampy... coming soon. And 99% of those denied will not have a second passport. Fireworks ... when being totally denied after flying 16,000 kilometers. !!!!

Not really. I doubt very much that anyone flying 16k would come without a visa, qualify for a visa on arrival, or for a 30-day entry. People with multiple consecutive entry stamps are people living/working in thailand without proper documentation/visas and doing hops to the borders or nearby countries. They don't fly 32,000 kilometers to enter Thailand on another 30-day stamp. Nice try at scaremongering however.

If the op's story is real, and that's a very big if, then Thai immigration are doing the right thing by their lights. Someone refused entry should either go to the nearest Thai embassy on consulate and apply for the appropriate visa or return to their country of origin and do the same. With the proper visa, they should have no problem entering The Kingdom.

Nonsense.. Simply because you doubt it, doesn't mean that 100s probably 1000s a day don't fly into Thailand, long haul, with more than 3 recent visa exempt stamps expecting another..

I can count perhaps 10 offshore workers in my mates alone who do this exact thing every month.. Another who works around Asia who is through the airport maybe once a week or twice a month.. He has to get a new passport every year or so just for the accumulation of 30 day stamps.

Perhaps my use of the 16,000 K. figure was not a good way to explain my point. Rather, how about what LivinLOS just said, plenty of offshore oil workers flying in on International flights. I know of other people who have flown in from the U.S. expecting extry on an Exemption (even when advised not to). People do go 'home' where ever that might be in between flurries of ins and outs with only a few months since the last 'flurry'. What we don't know is how that will be seen by IOs. Maybe ignored - maybe not.

Every report from the south.. Phuket immi, Phuket airport, and now krabi airport is 3 times and no more..

What they have not defined is 3 times in how long.. 6 months.. 1 year.. The life of the passport.. Etc..

Clearly a few days does not stop it being an out in in the eyes of krabi immigration.

[stevenl]

Multiply this by hundreds of times on International flights landing at Swampy... coming soon. And 99% of those denied will not have a second passport. Fireworks ... when being totally denied after flying 16,000 kilometers. !!!!

Not really. I doubt very much that anyone flying 16k would come without a visa, qualify for a visa on arrival, or for a 30-day entry. People with multiple consecutive entry stamps are people living/working in thailand without proper documentation/visas and doing hops to the borders or nearby countries. They don't fly 32,000 kilometers to enter Thailand on another 30-day stamp. Nice try at scaremongering however.

If the op's story is real, and that's a very big if, then Thai immigration are doing the right thing by their lights. Someone refused entry should either go to the nearest Thai embassy on consulate and apply for the appropriate visa or return to their country of origin and do the same. With the proper visa, they should have no problem entering The Kingdom.

Nonsense.. Simply because you doubt it, doesn't mean that 100s probably 1000s a day don't fly into Thailand, long haul, with more than 3 recent visa exempt stamps expecting another..

I can count perhaps 10 offshore workers in my mates alone who do this exact thing every month.. Another who works around Asia who is through the airport maybe once a week or twice a month.. He has to get a new passport every year or so just for the accumulation of 30 day stamps.

Perhaps my use of the 16,000 K. figure was not a good way to explain my point. Rather, how about what LivinLOS just said, plenty of offshore oil workers flying in on International flights. I know of other people who have flown in from the U.S. expecting extry on an Exemption (even when advised not to). People do go 'home' where ever that might be in between flurries of ins and outs with only a few months since the last 'flurry'. What we don't know is how that will be seen by IOs. Maybe ignored - maybe not.

And plenty of offshore workers have arrived in Thailand the last week without any problems.

[tpazzi]

As a US citizen, I am never stamped out of or into the US. However, there have been a number of times that I had to find the stamp-out of the previous country before Immigration would stamp me into the country I had just arrived at. Most immigration officers are good at finding the last stamp-out, but my passport has had so many pages added to it, with so many stamps, that there have been times when I had to find the stamp-out for them...that is the only reason I know that it is looked for, at least by some.

In what countries?

I have been a regular traveller for 25+ years all over the world having lived in a number of countries and worked/travelled to many more. I've never had it happen, so I'm interested to know where

Something along these lines happened to me in 2012 in Europe. I had originally entered the EU territory (with US passport) in Paris on a flight from Sao Paulo. I toured around for about a month, then flew over to Turkey for a week. So my passport was stamped out of the EU in Amsterdam.

When I came back to the EU, via Berlin a week later, the Immigration official took an unusually long time flipping thru the visa pages and finally pointed out that the exit stamp out of Brazil was dated after the arrival stamp in Paris. He challenged me on this and I had to convince him that the Paris official had used the wrong date.

I have no idea how it would have played out if I didn't happen to have the printout of the itinerary of the Paris flight still in my backpack. And I'm happy I didn't find out.

[ubonjoe]

Every report from the south.. Phuket immi, Phuket airport, and now krabi airport is 3 times and no more..

What they have not defined is 3 times in how long.. 6 months.. 1 year.. The life of the passport.. Etc..

Clearly a few days does not stop it being an out in in the eyes of krabi immigration.

I think it means 3 out/in trips. In my opinion that would be 3 departures and re-entries with the intention of getting another 30 day entry, An indication of that would be staying for the full 30 days and then just spending a short amount of time out of the country before returning.

It would not be practical for them to set the 3 entries over a fixed amount time. There could be legit tourists that might make 3 trips in a short period of time. Perhaps entering for a week then going out and back after a few days then leaving after a few days for another short trip somewhere and returning.

[kriswillems]

As long as immigration doesn't make clear what the rules are, we'll get all kinds of stories - some people being accepted - some refused.

At this moment it's hard to predict with 100% certainty if you'll be allowed or refused if previously came in on a visa exempt or tourist visa.

It's a very confusing situation.

[LivinLOS]

Every report from the south.. Phuket immi, Phuket airport, and now krabi airport is 3 times and no more..

What they have not defined is 3 times in how long.. 6 months.. 1 year.. The life of the passport.. Etc..

Clearly a few days does not stop it being an out in in the eyes of krabi immigration.

I think it means 3 out/in trips. In my opinion that would be 3 departures and re-entries with the intention of getting another 30 day entry, An indication of that would be staying for the full 30 days and then just spending a short amount of time out of the country before returning.

It would not be practical for them to set the 3 entries over a fixed amount time. There could be legit tourists that might make 3 trips in short period of time. Perhaps entering for a week then going out and back after a few days then leaving after a few days for another short trip somewhere and returning.

That's clearly not what Phuket immigration have told my offshore working friend..

Who knows until we hear more but the definition of out in is currently no where to be found.. Southern officials are simply saying you get 3.. But not saying over how long..

What if someone visits for the weekend every weekend from sing ?? In less than one month they will have used 3, yet clearly are living and working in sing..

[OMGImInPattaya]

Multiply this by hundreds of times on International flights landing at Swampy... coming soon. And 99% of those denied will not have a second passport. Fireworks ... when being totally denied after flying 16,000 kilometers. !!!!

Not really. I doubt very much that anyone flying 16k would come without a visa, qualify for a visa on arrival, or for a 30-day entry. People with multiple consecutive entry stamps are people living/working in thailand without proper documentation/visas and doing hops to the borders or nearby countries. They don't fly 32,000 kilometers to enter Thailand on another 30-day stamp. Nice try at scaremongering however.

If the op's story is real, and that's a very big if, then Thai immigration are doing the right thing by their lights. Someone refused entry should either go to the nearest Thai embassy on consulate and apply for the appropriate visa or return to their country of origin and do the same. With the proper visa, they should have no problem entering The Kingdom.

Nonsense.. Simply because you doubt it, doesn't mean that 100s probably 1000s a day don't fly into Thailand, long haul, with more than 3 recent visa exempt stamps expecting another..

I can count perhaps 10 offshore workers in my mates alone who do this exact thing every month.. Another who works around Asia who is through the airport maybe once a week or twice a month.. He has to get a new passport every year or so just for the accumulation of 30 day stamps.

I would imagine offshore workers who want to spend their down-time in Thailand as genuine tourists would have no trouble entering even with multiple 30-day entry stamps, separated by 4-6 weeks, in their passports. This would be especially true if they had outbound tickets to and hotel bookings to show if challenged. Those who have condos, cars, wives, and children, etc. and are actually living in Thailand may have to actually obtain the appropriate visa. We will just have to wait and see how it all gets sorted out. However, I would expect that just showing the ownership papers for a condo/car and/or a bank book with a decent balance would be enough to get an offshore worker in, no matter his circumstances.

It's been said many times, the purpose of the crackdown is to prevent people for working illegally in Thailand. I don't think there is any push to give free-spending offshore workers the boot and prevent them from spending their loot in Thailand.

[JDGRUEN]

Presumably these oil workers mentioned who recently arrived came by air - probably mostly in Bkk... The only report that I know of for being denied entry at any airport based on new enforcement levels is this one at Krabi. Implementing the new enforcement levels is not supposed to take place at all Thailand International Airports until August 12.

What I don't like about the current situation (and I read that many others feel the same way) is the subjectiveness and arbitrariness of what may go on when one presents a passport / visa to any given IO... Are there any mitigating circumstances to gain leniency? It seems from a few examples - no.

Everything is okay so far for these oil workers and other similar type and we are all pleased for that. But arbitrariness can rear its ugly head...

My two German friends were denied re-entry at a Thai/Malaysian Border Checkpoint a week ago today. They innocently had used an Exemption on arrival and 3 more ins and outs - seeing this as the norm. They had a flight booked out of Thailand on July 29 - booked in June.. had the papers in their pockets. They mentioned it but the IO would not even look at them. One would think that booked tickets out of Thailand would hold some sway - after all it was only 17 days in the future. So will we hear sometime in August ... But sir... I'm an offshore oil worker and this is my work and holiday schedule."

Regardless of what seems to be the target of the IOs scrutiny now - (many back to back ins and outs), I think a prudent person would want to consider - what if ? Because it is not implausible that we will see a ratcheting up of the enforcement level criteria to 'catch offenders' of the recent past or just arbitrarily expand them by any given IO done on a subjective basis... Without asking oneself 'what if' questions it is difficult to create contingency plans. And these days I think everyone ought to have a contingency plan.

I hope that with the many citations over the years on TVF of Thai Immigration's subjectiveness, arbitrariness, and even of capricious actions would cause people to be wary of what lies ahead on this current issue.

And it is not hyperbole or scare mongering to ponder the near future.

What happened here in this Krabi Airport example will begin at Swampy on August 12. So - we'll see.

[Howard House]

Can someone answer this question please ......

I am on double entry tourist visa at the moment . My first 60 days will be due on the 6th August so I will go to immigration and get a 30 day extention on that date and do a visa run at the end of that 30 days to activate my second visa . I have 4 other used tourist visas in my passport spread over the last 3 years . Will I be OK ? Also I am 63 . Does age matter in this situation.

If you don't' have any exempt entries you should not have a problem getting another entry.

The only people turned back in the south has been people that had a mixture of several visa exempt entries and tourist visas.

You age might help a little but they might ask why you are not on an extension or a visa based upon retirement.

ok, thanks for reply , I will see what happens ..........

[xray]

"So when I politely asked 'If I use this passport may I enter?' they quickly flipped through it and said 'Yes, no problem.'"

I'm surprised they let you use the other passport, if your KL stamp-out was in the denied passport. The passport you were stamped-in to Thailand with had no originating flight stamp-out from KL, is that right?

Immigration at airports never check for a departure stamps from another country when you enter because it is not required. Also many countries do not stamp you out.

My experience tells me otherwise. There have been a number of times that I had to find the exit stamp of the previous country in my passport for an immigration officer before he would stamp me into his country. In Europe I didn't find this to be the case when I was last there, some years ago. But other places yes.

When I fly from Hkg to Bkk, I don't get stamped out of Hkg (nor do I get stamped into Hkg) as I pass through the electronic gates. Ditto when I fly from KL to Bkk. So far, I have not had any immi official ask for the exit stamp (as there is obviously none).

Same for me when I fly out of LA, thru Seoul (or anywhere else that I don't go through immigration), to BKK. They don't look for an exit stamp there because they know there will not be one. However, when flying into Thailand from India, I have been asked by Thai Immigration for the exit stamp. It doesn't happen often in airports, but happens regularly to me at land borders. I would say I end up offering to find the exit stamp half of the time at all land borders, because the officer is having difficulty finding it in my passport. Sometimes they have me locate the exit stamp, sometimes they insist on finding it themselves.

[xray]

"So when I politely asked 'If I use this passport may I enter?' they quickly flipped through it and said 'Yes, no problem.'"

I'm surprised they let you use the other passport, if your KL stamp-out was in the denied passport. The passport you were stamped-in to Thailand with had no originating flight stamp-out from KL, is that right?

Why is that relevant?

My Australian passport isn't out stamped when I leave Australia. If I then arrive somewhere and use, say, my. British passport, how does that matter?

You have to leave a country on the same passport as you arrived. But there's no rule that you have to arrive in a country on the same passport that you left the previous country.

As a US citizen, I am never stamped out of or into the US. However, there have been a number of times that I had to find the stamp-out of the previous country before Immigration would stamp me into the country I had just arrived at. Most immigration officers are good at finding the last stamp-out, but my passport has had so many pages added to it, with so many stamps, that there have been times when I had to find the stamp-out for them...that is the only reason I know that it is looked for, at least by some.

In what countries?

I have been a regular traveller for 25+ years all over the world having lived in a number of countries and worked/travelled to many more. I've never had it happen, so I'm interested to know where

Thailand wanting to see the exit stamp from India at BKK. Qatar wanting to see the exit stamp from Egypt. China, Kunming wanting to see the exit stamp from Thailand. It doesn't happen often to me at airports, but my impression at land borders is that they always (or nearly so) want to see the exit stamp. The situation with China is possibly a bit different for US citizens, because of the high visa cost for a US citizen. It is reciprocal between those two countries. The Chinese don't want US citizens who happen to hold dual citizenship, switching passports while traveling in order to avoid the high visa fee. That is just a guess on my part, as I only have one passport and one citizenship. I read something about that, with an Israeli who tried to switch passports (switch away from his US passport) and was denied.

Switching a passport in mid flight is one thing, doing it right in front of the IO is another. I am still a bit surprised that our OP was able to do it, in the current situation.

Edited July 19, 2014 by xray

[xray]

What I don't like about the current situation (and I read that many others feel the same way) is the subjectiveness and arbitrariness of what may go on when one presents a passport / visa to any given IO... Are there any mitigating circumstances to gain leniency? It seems from a few examples - no.

I feel the same way. I bought my ticket before this crack down began. My main purpose on my upcoming trip is to spend time in India. I wanted to stop in Bangkok for a week or two on both sides of my India visit, but had I known what was going to happen, I certainly would have avoided Thailand and made a stop in Malaysia instead. As it is now, I will go through Bangkok at the end of July, but go back home through Bangkok long after August 12th. I don't relish being in a state of uncertainty as to what will happen when I try to go back through Thailand after August 12th. My passport, with numerous 15 and 30-day waivers, back-to-back, could be a problem for me. For a $100 US I will be able to change my return routing, so that I go through KL rather than BKK. I really have been nothing but a tourist in Thailand, and I don't need this kind of concern. I have seen Thailand well enough over many years; I don't want to go back if there is even the slightest possibility of having a problem.