Refused exit from Thailand.

[sipi]

I know this sounds like a dream, but I was recently refused exit from Thailand on a tourist visa. I can understand refused entry, but exit? Do they have the legal right to do that? The situation was at the 3 pagodas pass border crossing into Myanmar. The firs officer gave me the all clear and his senior officer pulled me up. There were no conflicts going on. I can only think he was after a bribe. I did a u-turn back to Sangkhlaburi, back to Bangkok and flew out.

[mesquite]

How many visa runs had you done in the last few months?

[PoorSucker]

They do that when they will refuse you re-entry to Thailand and you don't have a visa or means to travel to Yangoon.

Moved to visa forum.

[sipi]

How many visa runs had you done in the last few months?

1 entry about 2 weeks before. The one before that was at least 6 months. I was actually just going into Myanmar for a quick look at a Mon village before coming home. It didn't bother me, just strange. I'm sure he was pointing at his wallet, there was no-one within sight (Thai or otherwise) and he looked surprised when I turned around.

[ubonjoe]

Three Pagodas is not an entry point for Myanmar unless you have a visa from the embassy in Bangkok. They do not do border passes for foreigners.

[sipi]

Three Pagodas is not an entry point for Myanmar unless you have a visa from the embassy in Bangkok. They do not do border passes for foreigners.

Thanks, I was wondering what the problem was. My experience with border crossings (and I have done hundreds, mostly through Africa) is that you formally exit a country into "no-mans-land", and then formally enter the next country. If you don't have the appropriate visa/ pass, then you return to the previous country. I have never been refused exit from a country, ever. I have been "detained on entry" until the paperwork was sorted.

And I mean my thanks. So what happens, hypothetically, if you are refused "exit" from Thailand (say at Savarnabhumi) because you don't have the pass for your place of arrival. Can you still be held in contempt of your Thai visa, although you have been refused exit? If you are refused "exit" and not detained for travel to your place of origin, can you hypothetically "stay forever". Maybe I'll just play by the rules next time.

I still think it is wrong that you can't check out a Mon Village for a few hours, especially at the end on one of the worlds most famous railway lines, without all the "crap".

[ubonjoe]

From an airport it is the airlines responsibility to check that you can enter the country you are traveling to.

In your case at the crossing they were aware you could not enter Myanmar and get stamped for an entry there. If you returned back to Thailand they would have to cancel your departure to allow your re-entry without entering another country.

There have been reports of them not allowing people to leave if they were not be able to re-enter because of to many visa exempt stamps at the Mae Sai crossing because there is no where you can go from there unless you had a visa for Myanmar.

When they first started the visa exempt rule enforcement they were denying people departure and they were given 7 day extensions at several crossings.

[Mario2008]

If you are refused entry into another country coming from Thailand the standard practice is that Thai immigration allows you to return (as required by international treaties) and takes you into immigration detention to be send back to your home country at your own expense.

[sipi]

Yes, I'm sure the senior bloke was after some pocket-money. The info I had was that I could get a border pass for $US10 on-the-spot. He hadn't even looked at my passport before refusing my exit. And the look on his face when I said "Ok, I'll just return" was priceless.

[ubonjoe]

There are only 4 crossings where you can get a border pass. Mae Sai, Mae Sot, Ranong and the Andaman club (also in Ranong).

[stevenl]

Yes, I'm sure the senior bloke was after some pocket-money. The info I had was that I could get a border pass for $US10 on-the-spot. He hadn't even looked at my passport before refusing my exit. And the look on his face when I said "Ok, I'll just return" was priceless.

So your info was wrong. He actually did do you a favour, your accusation he was after pocket money is ludicrous,

[sipi]

Yes, I'm sure the senior bloke was after some pocket-money. The info I had was that I could get a border pass for $US10 on-the-spot. He hadn't even looked at my passport before refusing my exit. And the look on his face when I said "Ok, I'll just return" was priceless.

So your info was wrong. He actually did do you a favour, your accusation he was after pocket money is ludicrous,

The reliable source of my info was "wrong", including his junior. I didn't just travel by bus, train, bus, and truck to do a border crossing for fun.

[Aussieroaming]

I haven't been stopped leaving Thailand but I was stopped from leaving Indonesia for a work visa infringement (expired). My fine was 2 bottles of Johnny Walker to be delivered when I flew back in for my new rotation.

[adammike]

when ever I fly to Thailand and the the return date is over the 30 days the airline need to see visas or an ongoing

ticket,I normally have a AirAsia ticket to PP,so if you have a problem getting into your destination you won't get

a boarding pass so you never get to immigration,

I half expected a lot of trouble with airlines refusing to

board passengers who had multiple touristvisas it may happen yet it would be a shit storm though.

[tuk1]

Are you suggesting that after passing through numerous police checkpoints between Kanchanaburi and the 3 pagodas pass border, that you were challenged by a corrupt cop for a bribe right at the border when no-one was looking? Oh, come on. What are the chances?...5555

[Arkady]

Legally they get to decide who goes in and out past their border check points. Sounds as if this was not one of the points where the Burmese let you in without a proper visa, so they were doing you a favour. I have had this type of experience leaving China by land to Kyrgyzstan. The Chinese needed to see Kyrgyz visas and checked our booking for transportation at the other side because they won't let people walk across and then get stranded at a border crossing that is miles from civilization with no public transport.

[Suradit69]

Yes, I'm sure the senior bloke was after some pocket-money. The info I had was that I could get a border pass for $US10 on-the-spot. He hadn't even looked at my passport before refusing my exit. And the look on his face when I said "Ok, I'll just return" was priceless.

And the look on his face when I said "Ok, I'll just return" was priceless.

And your imagination as to what he wanted and what his response to you meant is priceless too. Try reading the posts above to understand what the reason was. If you wouldn't be allowed back into Thailand and you had no visa for Myanmar entry, would you prefer that they let you wander back and forth in limbo?

[Banzai99]

Yes, I'm sure the senior bloke was after some pocket-money. The info I had was that I could get a border pass for $US10 on-the-spot. He hadn't even looked at my passport before refusing my exit. And the look on his face when I said "Ok, I'll just return" was priceless.

And the look on his face when I said "Ok, I'll just return" was priceless.

And your imagination as to what he wanted and what his response to you meant is priceless too. Try reading the posts above to understand what the reason was. If you wouldn't be allowed back into Thailand and you had no visa for Myanmar entry, would you prefer that they let you wander back and forth in limbo?

THAT would be priceless.

[sipi]

Yes, I'm sure the senior bloke was after some pocket-money. The info I had was that I could get a border pass for $US10 on-the-spot. He hadn't even looked at my passport before refusing my exit. And the look on his face when I said "Ok, I'll just return" was priceless.

And the look on his face when I said "Ok, I'll just return" was priceless.

And your imagination as to what he wanted and what his response to you meant is priceless too. Try reading the posts above to understand what the reason was. If you wouldn't be allowed back into Thailand and you had no visa for Myanmar entry, would you prefer that they let you wander back and forth in limbo?

THAT would be priceless.

I am aware that the 3 pagodas pass periodically opens and closes, depending on conflict; and is now permanently closed. I checked with the Police at Sangklaburi and it was definately open at the time. The hotel staff were stunned when I told them what had happened. And no, this wasn't "in my imagination". Have any of you actually been to that particular border crossing, or are just google experts?

[paz]

I am aware that the 3 pagodas pass periodically opens and closes, depending on conflict; and is now permanently closed. I checked with the Police at Sangklaburi and it was definately open at the time. The hotel staff were stunned when I told them what had happened. And no, this wasn't "in my imagination". Have any of you actually been to that particular border crossing, or are just google experts?

OK, so let's just state facts. You had no Myanmar visa, no day pass, and did not look if indeed was possible to get one, correct ?

But based on what you interpreted as a request for a bribe, instead of asking how much and for what, you had a sudden rise of pride and decided to travel all the way back to Bangkok to take a flight instead, correct ?

And then that pass is surely closed "now", but it was open back then, even if it is not said when.

[JusMe]

Perhaps related to the idea of being refused exit from a country:

A good number of years ago, I'd just finished working for one year with the appropriate one year visa in Japan. However, as a result of initial timing and a few days before leaving, I was actually there for 53 weeks.

Airport in Tokyo and I was refused by Japanese immigration of leaving Japan. I was "without a visa" and therefore could not leave. Eventually, they issued me another full one year visa (working) so that I could actually get on the plane back to my home country.

Weird, as with that visa, I could have walked out of the airport and remained in the country for another year, legally, and found myself another job!

I know the Three Pagodas border is variable, but years past, I have managed day trips across just to look about the Mon village.

[A. BOOZER]

The crossing at Three Pagoda Pass is open to Thais and Burmese only.

[impulse]

Try reading the posts above to understand what the reason was. If you wouldn't be allowed back into Thailand and you had no visa for Myanmar entry, would you prefer that they let you wander back and forth in limbo?

Unlike the movies, Catherine Zeta Jones isn't there to make your stay in limbo tolerable....

[moe666]

Yes, I'm sure the senior bloke was after some pocket-money. The info I had was that I could get a border pass for $US10 on-the-spot. He hadn't even looked at my passport before refusing my exit. And the look on his face when I said "Ok, I'll just return" was priceless.

And the look on his face when I said "Ok, I'll just return" was priceless.

And your imagination as to what he wanted and what his response to you meant is priceless too. Try reading the posts above to understand what the reason was. If you wouldn't be allowed back into Thailand and you had no visa for Myanmar entry, would you prefer that they let you wander back and forth in limbo?

THAT would be priceless.

I am aware that the 3 pagodas pass periodically opens and closes, depending on conflict; and is now permanently closed. I checked with the Police at Sangklaburi and it was definately open at the time. The hotel staff were stunned when I told them what had happened. And no, this wasn't "in my imagination". Have any of you actually been to that particular border crossing, or are just google experts?

,

The hotel staff was just being nice to you and wanted you to be happy it is the Thai way. Stop trying to make this into something it wasn't, you were given incorrect info and not allowed to cross move.on

[HUAHIN62]

I think your choice was either what they did or they refused you re-entry into Thailand or they deported you on re-entry into Thailand. Which one would you prefer. If you however had grounds for bribery claims, why didn't you take the officers details and reported him, everyone is always going off about corruption but don't do anything to stop it.

[larsjohnsson]

Why complain when he actually did you a favor

[garyinhuahin]

Off-topic, but the original 'death railway' teminated at Thanbyuzayat near the coast in Mon State, Myanmar (then Burma, of course). Myanmar never took interest in maintaining the line or cultivating its tourist potential, and the route has been broken (including part of it under the waters of reservoir) for a long time.

[slipperylobster]

Three Pagodas is not an entry point for Myanmar unless you have a visa from the embassy in Bangkok. They do not do border passes for foreigners.

Aha!

[sitti]

That officer at the border HELPED you from not being able to get back in to Thailand. I hope you didn't behave like a jerk. Because of a few people like this, others pay the price.

[hhfarang]

The crossing at Three Pagoda Pass is open to Thais and Burmese only.

I've crossed there, but only on a 1 day visa given to me at the border. There was a small fee, a photo taken, and a one sheet visa paper issued. Had to return before midnight. We just went to shop in the border town.