madmonk888 Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 I am on my last extension until November when I understand under the new rules I will have to go to Laos and get a new ED visa for 1 Year. That part I understand now that we can't stay for more than 1 year. I've done more than 3 years on extensions My school has recommended nobody leaves the country at this time for personal trips as apparently the IO's at the airports are denying entry and people are being asked to prove they can read and write, or prove they have sufficient funds , or just denied because they have back to back visas. Apparently there are people being refused entry even with valid re-entry permits or extensions or visas. I understand this is also happening to tourist visas too. Anyone heard or experienced any of this ??? and what would be the implications of a refused stamp in someone's passport. I was planning a trip back to the UK to visit family before the new law deadline of the 29th but the school have recommended not going and say they cannot guarantee I will be allowed back ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 There have been some reports of entry being denied. But there was not enough information to say with any certainty why. Having the equivalent of 20k baht with you and some additional financial proof to prove you are not working here would help on entry. The new rules should not effect you until you do your next extension. The 29th is only when the rules for the extensions go info effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmonk888 Posted August 10, 2014 Author Share Posted August 10, 2014 Thank you, that's what I was thinking, Speak some Thai, have 20,000 THB and be polite but the school is scaring people by saying that the IOs are denying people and that it's 50:50 if you are allowed to enter and do not recommend travel at this point. I mean I have a valid extension, I have a re-entry permit and can speak adequate Thai . Something about a crackdown on back to back visas and "pot luck" at the airport doesn't fill oneself with confidence ... I think we all need more information, as this is affecting honest genuine visa holders . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 You have been getting extensions not visas. There is only a "crack down" visa exempt entries. I think some or many that had problem on entry with a re-entry permit had been out of the country for an a long time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmonk888 Posted August 10, 2014 Author Share Posted August 10, 2014 There must be thousands of people coming through Immigration at the airport right now but there are hardly any posts about what is going on. It would be really helpful to hear people's experiences and what they are seeing at the moment. Not to scare us but to keep us informed 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horsewell Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 (edited) I've been watching this closely too... and there doesn't seem to be many posts. I know of a few people that have had to make other plans due to the changes in the visa rules. There were some reports but some where erroneous like the one that the title stated denied entry but in the end it was an issue with not getting the visa at the consulate that was known to be a problem for that ED visas in the first place. I think there is a lot of fear and uncertainty when people first started to learn about the new rules, especially when they were sitting at the border or in the airport when it happened. Everything happening so sudden and seemingly without notice. It's good that Thaivisa has been seeking out information form the relevant authorities. Everything seems fair but it has been a rather sudden change, that I'm sure some would say a little heavy handed (just for the lack of warning). Edited August 11, 2014 by horsewell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertty Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 Just a guess, but maybe the school doesn't want you to leave just yet. Then come the time you do have to leave they will arrange it all, and a nice little earner it will be for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmonk888 Posted August 11, 2014 Author Share Posted August 11, 2014 the school are offering free paperwork if you have to change now ..... I am considering moving onto a retirement visa after this one . I am just curious as to what has been said to the schools to say it's at your own risk to leave the country etc etc when I hold a valid extension, a valid re-entry permit, can speak some Thai and can have 20k in my pocket .... why would the IO refuse someone entry ? and I have 3 years of extensions in my passport what is wrong with that ? I think there is confusion, panic and not enough information that can cause some of the honest people here some real issues. Thankfully we have Thaivisa to air these things.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmonk888 Posted August 11, 2014 Author Share Posted August 11, 2014 I just received this email, not an official email, from the school, so it is only the opinion of them but I thought I would share it "There has been a case of one student from our school who was denied to re-enter Thailand because he couldn't speak Thai (he was learning Thai language according to the documents). There are unfortunately other cases of people from other schools who couldn't re-enter Thailand for various reasons. So far, if our students have to leave Thailand we prepare an official letter that states that they take a vacation from their studies, which they need to bring with them (along with the student card and 20000 baht in cash) on the way back to Thailand. Students should show the letter, student card and money only if they are asked questions. Those who learn Thai language at school should also attempt to speak Thai. And also don't forget that things may largely depend on the way you speak with the officers (politely, with a smile, calmly, etc.)The reason we advise our students not to leave Thailand is because we are waiting for the new rules to come into effect and we simply do not know how harsh the rules are going to be (you cannot find any specific information on the topic in the internet for the same reason - the situation is unclear at the moment)." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertty Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 (edited) Why would they deny you entry indeed. I'm sure they wouldn't. Also I don't get the 20,000 baht bit. Do they assume if you have *SO MUCH CASH* you can afford to live for a whole year on that amount ? Including accomadation.... Edited August 11, 2014 by bertty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Suradit69 Posted August 11, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted August 11, 2014 There must be thousands of people coming through Immigration at the airport right now but there are hardly any posts about what is going on. It would be really helpful to hear people's experiences and what they are seeing at the moment. Not to scare us but to keep us informed Reliable, accurate accounts of personal experiences would indeed be useful, but ... If you came back to Thailand fully expecting to be readmitted and were refused entry, it's unlikely most people would consider it their first priority to post the details on Thai Visa and if/when they got around to it, it would most likely be a catalog of misinformation and emotional ranting. And many people start babbling about having this or that visa ... visa on arrival or 30 day tourist visa or a non-Imm O they got ten years ago or whatever nonsense ... that bears no relation to reality. So the first hand "information" is often inaccurate and misleading and then becomes "proof" of something never really happened. Quite often they are/were trying to enter using a visa exempt entry or they have been in the country on an extension of stay or they may have or not had a re-entry permit but these facts are buried in incorrect terminology. On top of that, they quite often misunderstand the reason they are being refused entry or fabricate some reason to fit in with their "righteous" indignation. Then some other people join the circus by jumping in with irrelevant and confusing tales that begin with "I had a friend who ..." Separating fact from unsubstantiated rumor or a mishmash of fact & fiction ends up causing more unwarranted anxiety and little clarification. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenl Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 Unfortunately people are scaring one another with half and inaccurate information, about both the rules and the reasons why entry was refused. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai Visa Service Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 Many people bought Yearly extensions based on ED, clause2.9, through Agents for THB xxxx.-. These extensions are real, but not correctly obtained, hence Thai Immigration will deny you entry. You will have no problem in leaving, even getting a Re-Entry is OK, but upon return you will be denied and asked to return to your home country. No exception. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paz Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 Many people bought Yearly extensions based on ED, clause2.9, through Agents for THB xxxx.-. These extensions are real, but not correctly obtained, hence Thai Immigration will deny you entry. You will have no problem in leaving, even getting a Re-Entry is OK, but upon return you will be denied and asked to return to your home country. No exception. Tell us, how immigration would know if an extension has been obtain illegally, or not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 Perhaps the name of the school on the paperwork to get the extension.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicolas18 Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 Why would they deny you entry indeed. I'm sure they wouldn't. Also I don't get the 20,000 baht bit. Do they assume if you have *SO MUCH CASH* you can afford to live for a whole year on that amount ? Including accomadation.... I've also heard the 20,000 baht bit from a separate source. You may need to show 20,000 in cash if you attempt to re-enter the country on an ED visa. And there were other reports in this forum of people being heavily questioned upon their return on an ED visa. My guess is that if someone leaves for 3 days or so, it won't be much of an issue, but if you leave for 2 or 3 weeks, the immigration officer may suspect you are not really studying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmonk888 Posted August 11, 2014 Author Share Posted August 11, 2014 Many people bought Yearly extensions based on ED, clause2.9, through Agents for THB xxxx.-. These extensions are real, but not correctly obtained, hence Thai Immigration will deny you entry. You will have no problem in leaving, even getting a Re-Entry is OK, but upon return you will be denied and asked to return to your home country. No exception. That's very interesting and might explain some of the panic. I have a 90 extension I got at the Immigration Office so I assume I am ok, is that right Thai Visa Services ????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai Visa Service Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 Perhaps the name of the school on the paperwork to get the extension.. Correct, only study at Universities can get you a straight yearly extension. Further indication is that initial Non Immigrant Visa was a "B" and from that people got the yearly extension based on 2.9. Easy to spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai Visa Service Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 Many people bought Yearly extensions based on ED, clause2.9, through Agents for THB xxxx.-. These extensions are real, but not correctly obtained, hence Thai Immigration will deny you entry. You will have no problem in leaving, even getting a Re-Entry is OK, but upon return you will be denied and asked to return to your home country. No exception. That's very interesting and might explain some of the panic. I have a 90 extension I got at the Immigration Office so I assume I am ok, is that right Thai Visa Services ????? You will be OK 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmonk888 Posted August 11, 2014 Author Share Posted August 11, 2014 Why would they deny you entry indeed. I'm sure they wouldn't. Also I don't get the 20,000 baht bit. Do they assume if you have *SO MUCH CASH* you can afford to live for a whole year on that amount ? Including accomadation.... I've also heard the 20,000 baht bit from a separate source. You may need to show 20,000 in cash if you attempt to re-enter the country on an ED visa. And there were other reports in this forum of people being heavily questioned upon their return on an ED visa. My guess is that if someone leaves for 3 days or so, it won't be much of an issue, but if you leave for 2 or 3 weeks, the immigration officer may suspect you are not really studying. Have you got the link for the report in this forum of people being heavily questioned it would really help .... I'm actually leaving with a letter from the school for 12 days only my 2nd exit in 3 years hoping that will be ok Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmonk888 Posted August 11, 2014 Author Share Posted August 11, 2014 Many people bought Yearly extensions based on ED, clause2.9, through Agents for THB xxxx.-. These extensions are real, but not correctly obtained, hence Thai Immigration will deny you entry. You will have no problem in leaving, even getting a Re-Entry is OK, but upon return you will be denied and asked to return to your home country. No exception. That's very interesting and might explain some of the panic. I have a 90 extension I got at the Immigration Office so I assume I am ok, is that right Thai Visa Services ????? You will be OK Thanks, I hope you are right :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicolas18 Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 Why would they deny you entry indeed. I'm sure they wouldn't. Also I don't get the 20,000 baht bit. Do they assume if you have *SO MUCH CASH* you can afford to live for a whole year on that amount ? Including accomadation.... I've also heard the 20,000 baht bit from a separate source. You may need to show 20,000 in cash if you attempt to re-enter the country on an ED visa. And there were other reports in this forum of people being heavily questioned upon their return on an ED visa. My guess is that if someone leaves for 3 days or so, it won't be much of an issue, but if you leave for 2 or 3 weeks, the immigration officer may suspect you are not really studying. Have you got the link for the report in this forum of people being heavily questioned it would really help .... I'm actually leaving with a letter from the school for 12 days only my 2nd exit in 3 years hoping that will be ok Here's the first one I found: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/747598-my-friend-almost-denied-entry-at-suvarnabhum-yesterday-with-non-imm-ed-visa/ There was another one somewhere... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmonk888 Posted August 11, 2014 Author Share Posted August 11, 2014 Why would they deny you entry indeed. I'm sure they wouldn't. Also I don't get the 20,000 baht bit. Do they assume if you have *SO MUCH CASH* you can afford to live for a whole year on that amount ? Including accomadation.... I've also heard the 20,000 baht bit from a separate source. You may need to show 20,000 in cash if you attempt to re-enter the country on an ED visa. And there were other reports in this forum of people being heavily questioned upon their return on an ED visa. My guess is that if someone leaves for 3 days or so, it won't be much of an issue, but if you leave for 2 or 3 weeks, the immigration officer may suspect you are not really studying. Have you got the link for the report in this forum of people being heavily questioned it would really help .... I'm actually leaving with a letter from the school for 12 days only my 2nd exit in 3 years hoping that will be ok Here's the first one I found: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/747598-my-friend-almost-denied-entry-at-suvarnabhum-yesterday-with-non-imm-ed-visa/ There was another one somewhere... Thanks, it almost seems like it's a lottery and pot luck, and I understand new rules also come into play this month .... not very reassuring , but I have to go back for 2 weeks ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mataleo Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 20k is for visas exempt. If they ask for it with visa in passport i think thats abuse... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 20k is for visas exempt. If they ask for it with visa in passport i think thats abuse... It is 10k baht for visa exempt entries and 20k for any visa. But an entry on a re-entry permit has no written financial requirements. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicolas18 Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 Thanks, it almost seems like it's a lottery and pot luck, and I understand new rules also come into play this month .... not very reassuring , but I have to go back for 2 weeks ... You should ask your school to give you a letter stating that there are no courses during the period you are out of the country (or something along those lines). If I had to take a guess, I would think that's the big red flag for immigration officers (long stay abroad = not attending classes = not a student). Also, take your student ID with you. That's required as well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertty Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 I don't get why just because someone takes a 2 week holiday he is considered to be 'not serious' is there any other job/hobby, call it what you will, where by people are not allowed a holiday ? If the officer asks you why you have taken 2 weeks off for the first time in 3 years, ask how many days holiday he has had in that time. if more than 2 weeks you can tell him he doesn't warrant his job as many people on TV reckon he isn't taking it serious enough. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falang07 Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 I would say my grandfather just died so I had to fly back. What is the issue with taking holidays abroad, this is not daily University study, just a relaxing 4 hours per week Thai language course. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falang07 Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 ...and since my country is over 8,000 km far from Thailand and the ticket costs a few monthly salaries of the immigration officer, who would go just for 2 or 3 days? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmonk888 Posted August 11, 2014 Author Share Posted August 11, 2014 Thanks, it almost seems like it's a lottery and pot luck, and I understand new rules also come into play this month .... not very reassuring , but I have to go back for 2 weeks ... You should ask your school to give you a letter stating that there are no courses during the period you are out of the country (or something along those lines). If I had to take a guess, I would think that's the big red flag for immigration officers (long stay abroad = not attending classes = not a student). Also, take your student ID with you. That's required as well. Good advice ..... the school say they will write a letter giving me permission to miss class for the dates I am away due to a family commitment. I will take my student card too. The red flag you mention makes a lot of sense . Well the date the new rules come in are the 29th so fingers crossed what I have will suffice when I come back after that date Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now