A re-entry permit means nothing at the Southern Borders

[LifeOverHere]

I have just had one of the worst immigration experiences ever. I took my Filipino girlfriend to Penang so that she can get a Non-Immigrant ED visa for her studies at Ramkhamheang University.

I am on a 1 year extension based on retirement, so I duly applied for a single entry re-entry permit at Chaengwantana in Bangkok, so that I could accompany her on the trip.

The trip to Penang was smooth and without any problems and the application for the visa was very straightforward. We spent an extra day in Malaysia to take in the sights before making an early morning trip back to Thailand.

On arrival at the border (Padang Besar) things started to go badly. We were advised (by various people at the border) to slip 500 baht into each of our passports to ensure that we don't have any issues. I refused and simply handed my passport to the official at the border. He looked at it and indicated that I should go into the office on the side which I did. Once inside I was greeted by a very rude immigration official who started going off at me about my life in Thailand. Why am I here? Why did I go to Malaysia? How do I have enough money to fund my retirement? etc. It went on for a long time. My girlfriend saw what happened and duly stuck 500 baht into her passport and they allowed her through without any issues. She had to spend the next hour waiting for me to get through.

I had to show that I had 20000 Baht in cash on me, which I didn't have at that moment and was told to go and cash it at an ATM. It was all an extortion hoping for me to just give in and pay them some cash. I held my ground and eventually they stamped my passport with a 90 day permission to stay. I still have over 9 months left on my initial extension, so I will go get the stamp corrected in Bangkok when I get back.

All in all I am rather shaken and upset. We are going to spend some time on the islands down here so that I can relax before heading back up to the city.

[hmficc]

Report it to the Army.

[ubonjoe]

There have been several reports of this happening at that border crossing. They are as corrupt as corrupt gets.

[lujanit]

A sad story. Any of us who have lived in Thailand for a while know that corruption exists at all government and police levels. I applaud you for not giving in to an attempted extortion demand.

There is no need to go to Immigration to have your Passport corrected. The new 90 day date is correct You just need to report your address to Immigration at that date. You can do this by mail. Plenty of threads on how to do it by mail. Your extension of stay is still valid until the original date some 9 months away.

Edit: spelling

Edited August 28, 2014 by lujanit

[ubonjoe]

A sad story. Any of us who have lived in Thailand for a while know that corruption exists at all government and police levels. I applause you for not giving in to an attempted extortion demand.

There is no need to go to Immigration to have your Passport corrected. The new 90 day date is correct You just need to report your address to Immigration at that date. You can do this by mail. Your extension of stay is still valid until the original date.

The 90 days is not correct. He should been stamped in up to the date his extension ends.

The 90 day report has nothing to with permit to stays. They are not extensions.

[CiaranO]

Report it to the army - do something about it

[lujanit]

A sad story. Any of us who have lived in Thailand for a while know that corruption exists at all government and police levels. I applause you for not giving in to an attempted extortion demand.

There is no need to go to Immigration to have your Passport corrected. The new 90 day date is correct You just need to report your address to Immigration at that date. You can do this by mail. Your extension of stay is still valid until the original date.

The 90 days is not correct. He should been stamped in up to the date his extension ends.

The 90 day report has nothing to with permit to stays. They are not extensions.

You made me look at my Passport. I came in from Vietnam about 2 weeks ago and the stamp gave me 90 days. So it looks like that was wrong too. I am leaving again next Friday so it shouldn't be an issue. Sorry for the wrong info.

[samran]

There have been several reports of this happening at that border crossing. They are as corrupt as corrupt gets.

Any chance of providing the links? Be interested to read about this myself.

[bapoboy]

is Thailand-Malaysia border the worst border where they are corrupt ?. I've never had Thai immigration is corrupt've only experienced at the Cambodia immigration are very very very corrupt. now i know this

[ubonjoe]

There have been several reports of this happening at that border crossing. They are as corrupt as corrupt gets.

Any chance of providing the links? Be interested to read about this myself.

There is one here and another one after it. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/753869-report-third-world-ed-visas-and-work-permits-in-penang/?p=8287252#entry8287252

I don't have the time go back search a bunch of topics for more.

[YaiJung]

is Thailand-Malaysia border the worst border where they are corrupt ?. I've never had Thai immigration is corrupt've only experienced at the Cambodia immigration are very very very corrupt. now i know this

In Phuket they are also pretty bad, both at the airport and in town at the immigration office(Patong office as well).

[TerryLH]

"You made me look at my Passport. I came in from Vietnam about 2 weeks ago and the stamp gave me 90 days. So it looks like that was wrong too. I am leaving again next Friday so it shouldn't be an issue. Sorry for the wrong info."

90 days was wrong for the situation you posted about, but it might be right for you. It depends on what visa or extension you have.

[LifeOverHere]

How do I go about reporting it to the army? I would do it if I knew actual steps would be taken to sort out the problem.

[Time Traveller]

unfortunately, things like this still happen. Basically immigration can do whatever they feel like and then justify it however they want.

Surprisingly, there are still people on this forum that believe Thai immigration are all lowly paid hard working honest friendly people that have never asked for or taken bribes, then suggest that this happened to people like the OP because they are "undesirables rorting the system".

I wouldn't bother reporting it to the Army. That's likely that why they are now so brazenly shaking foreigners down for money. At some point, these officials will slip up.

Edited August 28, 2014 by Time Traveller

[Chillout101]

Can I ask you what your girlfriend is studying? Reason for asking is that we ran into a big surprise yesterday when trying to extend ED visa for my wife http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/755263-ramkhamhaeng-university-ed-extension-denied-at-chaeng-watthana/.

Going back tomorrow as ubonjoe is fairly sure this is wrong by immigration.

[smedly]

"You made me look at my Passport. I came in from Vietnam about 2 weeks ago and the stamp gave me 90 days. So it looks like that was wrong too. I am leaving again next Friday so it shouldn't be an issue. Sorry for the wrong info."

90 days was wrong for the situation you posted about, but it might be right for you. It depends on what visa or extension you have.

just to clarify

if you enter Thailand on a re-entry permit and have a retirement extension then surely the stamp of 90 days indicates when you need to do the 90 day report - you retirement extension is still live and dated as it should be - 12 months from when it started

[billd766]

unfortunately, things like this still happen. Basically immigration can do whatever they feel like and then justify it however they want.

Surprisingly, there are still people on this forum that believe Thai immigration are all lowly paid hard working honest friendly people that have never asked for or taken bribes, then suggest that this happened to people like the OP because they are "undesirables rorting the system".

I wouldn't bother reporting it to the Army. That's likely that why they are now so brazenly shaking foreigners down for money. At some point, these officials will slip up.

Why is it surprising?

I have spent 21 years coming in and out of Thailand for work, holidays marriage and retirement and I certainly have never had any problem except of my own making 10 years ago when I went to the UK and forgot my re-entry permt. That was MY fault and not that of the Thai immigration officers or their system.

In all that time I have never paid a bribe to anybody in immigration.

The best thing the O/P can do is report it to the military. If nothing happens then he has lost nothing and if something gets done then he did the right thing.

[lopburi3]

Return using a re-entry permit gets the same permitted to stay stamp you have in passport - it would only be exactly 90 days if that was what your previous permitted to stay until date was; 90 days from this entry date - but it is a new stamp - and next 90 day report would be due 90 days from that new entry if no other exit made.

A 90 day entry would indicate a non immigrant visa entry rather than use of a re-entry permit - did poster by chance have a multi entry visa in passport that had not expired?

[TerryLH]

"just to clarify

if you enter Thailand on a re-entry permit and have a retirement extension then surely the stamp of 90 days indicates when you need to do the 90 day report - you retirement extension is still live and dated as it should be - 12 months from when it started"

They don't stamp anything in your passport about when to do a 90 day report. They give you a small slip of paper with that info, but they don't even do that on entry. They only tell you when the next report is due when you are actually doing a 90 day report.

[paz]

if you enter Thailand on a re-entry permit and have a retirement extension then surely the stamp of 90 days indicates when you need to do the 90 day report - you retirement extension is still live and dated as it should be - 12 months from when it started

Immigration at entry never stamps to indicate next date of reporting.

OP clearly indicated he was given the wrong "admitted until" stamp as a punitive mean for not having bribed.

[paz]

There have been several reports of this happening at that border crossing. They are as corrupt as corrupt gets.

Any chance of providing the links? Be interested to read about this myself.

Search "Sadao". The report are various in distinct threads. Some date back years.

[96tehtarp]

Question for the OP: When did you discover the incorrect 90 day stamp?

The reason I ask is that it has been my experience at land crossings that I have been given incorrect stamps approximately 1 out of 10 times. It is very important to check your stamps before leaving the booth window as soon as the passport is handed back. I once was given 7 months on a visa exempt entry!

Edited August 28, 2014 by 96tehtarp

[smedly]

ok again just to clarify

If my retirement extension expires the 24th July 2015 then if I leave Thailand (with a re-entry permit) then when I return the stamp at immigration should be dated 24th July 2015 - is that correct ?

[paz]

If my retirement extension expires the 24th July 2015 then if I leave Thailand (with a re-entry permit) then when I return the stamp at immigration should be dated 24th July 2015 - is that correct ?

Yes.

[Jungle Jim]

I will never forget my very first border crossing at Sadao 15 years ago. I was one day early and the guy told me to come back the next day. When i asked for what reason he demanded 200 baht to fix my so called problem. Every single time i have crossed there i have had some sort of problem . That bunch all needs to be kicked out.

[lopburi3]

OP is not talking about Sadao.

On arrival at the border (Padang Besar)

[Ned]

Avoid the hassle I say. Throw 'em a 500 bone.

[lopburi3]

You do not pay dirty money for normal service - I have used those border crossings many times and yes, I did spend some time in office filling out needless forms on one occasion - but this only happened once in several dozen trips and the asking price in those days was 200 baht (overtime fee - regardless of time). Those paying are the cause of the problem as much as those asking - don't risk illegal action - there is no way you can prove a requirement to pay as there is none. The more people reporting such activity the harder it becomes for those taking advantage of such conditions - and even a post here and other social media may be read by higher levels and start that ball rolling.

[hotsoup]

Has anyone ever asked for a receipt for money paid? What happened?

Every transaction with immigration normally produces a receipt on a piece of blue paper. What we do at the local immigration...a nice new year present with its provenance quite clear..to say 'thank you' for all your help Of course that is not so easy at a border

Edited August 29, 2014 by hotsoup

[Mario2008]

2 post removed.

The political situation is not being discussed in this forum.