Blocked at Poi Pet because spent 94 days totally in 2014

[Kinoubkk]

Good Morning everybody,

I'm French and live in Cambodia.

I use to come oftenly in Thailand where I use to spent per trip 4 to 7 days.
Usually as European citizen, I use to have every time free 30 days visa when I accross the land border or even at the airport

Yesterday, I tried to accross the Thai Border in Poi Pet but the Thai Immigration Officer informed that I spent totally in 2014 94 days in Thailand

and for this time, I have to apply for a tourist visa in the Thai Ambassy in Phnom Penh.

I was surprise and a little confused according the new immigration process since last August.

Thai Immigration Officer showed me on his computer screen, the warning message which was blocked my profile for accrossing the border without visa.

I asked to the Thai Immigration Officer if I accross the border after New Year, if the counter would reset to Zero day, but he was not sure.
A few foreigner were in the same situation than me yesterday.

My question is: do you think after 1st January the counter will come back to Zero and I can to spent 90 free days without visa totally in one year or I have to apply a tourist visa anyway?


Thank you in advance for your precious feedback and Happy New Year 2015

Cheers
Michael

[Mario2008]

Since the 90 day rules was abolished, your story is surprising. Also in that you do not fit the profile of someone staying in Thailand continuously, let alone working in Thailand.

[ubonjoe]

There is no rule that limits the amount of time you can spend in the country on visa exempt entries over any period of time. The officer was flat wrong in denying your entry.

Perhaps try going a south a bit and enter at Ban Laem.

[steve187]

Strange things going on with immigration, its like the hand doesn't know what the elbow is doing

Edited December 28, 2014 by steve187

[samsensam]

I asked to the Thai Immigration Officer if I accross the border after New Year, if the counter would reset to Zero day, but he was not sure.

haha! excellent. what a professional and helpful response.

perhaps politely asking to speak to the supervisor may have answered your question?

[Kitsune]

It seems to be a rule now that there are no rules anymore.

Each immigration office is acting as they please.

[Kinoubkk]

I guess it will be better to apply for me to a tourist visa at the Ambassy and let see next time how it will be.

Tks for all your comments

[dbrenn]

There is no rule that limits the amount of time you can spend in the country on visa exempt entries over any period of time. The officer was flat wrong in denying your entry.

Perhaps try going a south a bit and enter at Ban Laem.

Haven't they always had the discretionary right to refuse entry to anyone whom they don't believe is entering the country for the stated reason?

Rather than any official decree, the 90 days per year may be just an arbitrary threshold, above which the officer no longer believes that the traveller is a tourist.

With tourism in such a dire state, one wonders why they are behaving like this.

[IMA_FARANG]

As ubonjoe correctly said it is probably not the amount of time you spent, it is most likely the NUMBER of visa free entries you had last year.

By getting many visa exempt entries you trigger the alarm bells that you may not be a valid tourist, but are living and working in Thailand without a work permit.

This may NOT be true, but you fit the pattern and that arouses suspicion with immigration at the border.

To change that to being "not suspect" you should get a tourist visa, and if you need to make frequent trips in and out of Thailand, use re-entry visas along with your tourist visa to break that pattern of frequent visa free 30days entries.

Make yourself look like a tourist and that will take away some of their suspicions.

[stevenl]

There is no rule that limits the amount of time you can spend in the country on visa exempt entries over any period of time. The officer was flat wrong in denying your entry.

Perhaps try going a south a bit and enter at Ban Laem.

How does that explain the warning that came on the computer?

[ubonjoe]

There is no rule that limits the amount of time you can spend in the country on visa exempt entries over any period of time. The officer was flat wrong in denying your entry.

Perhaps try going a south a bit and enter at Ban Laem.

How does that explain the warning that came on the computer?

Perhaps a leftover from when there was a limit to 90 days in 6 months that was cancelled over 6 years ago.

[BritTim]

There is no rule that limits the amount of time you can spend in the country on visa exempt entries over any period of time. The officer was flat wrong in denying your entry.

Perhaps try going a south a bit and enter at Ban Laem.

What do you make of the computer warning, Joe? Perhaps, it is there as a warning to the IO that the traveler should be scrutinized more closely rather than denied entry?

[Kinoubkk]

Yes the main issue, it's this computer warning. I guess every border is connected to the same computer system.

[stevenl]

There is no rule that limits the amount of time you can spend in the country on visa exempt entries over any period of time. The officer was flat wrong in denying your entry.

Perhaps try going a south a bit and enter at Ban Laem.

How does that explain the warning that came on the computer?

I agree with another poster that the warning was more likely triggered by the number of entries, not by the number of days.

[ubonjoe]

There is no limit on the number of entries or days.

The OP wrote it showed the number of days. I wrote about the number of days in a previous post.

If immigration officer had taken the time to note that all entries were short ones and all after the OP being out of the country for a period of time there should of not been a problem.

OP did a supervisor get evolved? Did you get a stamp stating you were denied entry?

[donmeurett]

If people would get the proper visa there would not be any problems. Thai Immigration knows what it is doing. It is those who try to be smarter than the system that get caught eventually. They get advice from people who do not have the slightest idea what they are talking about when it comes to immigration law. If I want advice on Immigration law I would go to Thai Immigration not thaivisa.com. Some do know what they are talking about but most do not. If you follow the law good things happen. If you do not be ready to pay the price ether in cash or time in the monkey house it is up to you. Some here on TV.com will give you great advice others will get you into more problems than most can handle If you drive a BMW you do not ask people at the Proton dealership for their advice when you have a problem with your vehicle. .

[BritTim]

If people would get the proper visa there would not be any problems. Thai Immigration knows what it is doing. It is those who try to be smarter than the system that get caught eventually. They get advice from people who do not have the slightest idea what they are talking about when it comes to immigration law. If I want advice on Immigration law I would go to Thai Immigration not thaivisa.com. Some do know what they are talking about but most do not. If you follow the law good things happen. If you do not be ready to pay the price ether in cash or time in the monkey house it is up to you. Some here on TV.com will give you great advice others will get you into more problems than most can handle If you drive a BMW you do not ask people at the Proton dealership for their advice when you have a problem with your vehicle. .

If your point is intended as relevant to this thread, then I disagree with you. Using visa exempt entries for short visits of 5-7 days seems perfectly appropriate. Someone living in Cambodia with friends in Thailand that he visits frequently is quite likely to want to spend 94 days out of 360 in Thailand. What is the alternative? 14 tourist visas?

[glassdude007]

If people would get the proper visa there would not be any problems. Thai Immigration knows what it is doing. It is those who try to be smarter than the system that get caught eventually. They get advice from people who do not have the slightest idea what they are talking about when it comes to immigration law. If I want advice on Immigration law I would go to Thai Immigration not thaivisa.com. Some do know what they are talking about but most do not. If you follow the law good things happen. If you do not be ready to pay the price ether in cash or time in the monkey house it is up to you. Some here on TV.com will give you great advice others will get you into more problems than most can handle If you drive a BMW you do not ask people at the Proton dealership for their advice when you have a problem with your vehicle. .

What a load of Bull crap......

The 30 day stamp is a LEAGAL way to enter Thailand with no written restrictions other than valid for 30 days, perfect for short stay visits for people who work and live here in asia and around the world to holiday in Thailand....Why on earth would anybody waste the time and money involved getting a 60 days tourist visa when only traveling to Thailand for short 7 to 10 day trip and the free 30 day stamp is STILL A VALID LEGAL OPTION as advertised today by Thai Immigration...No visa required for that trip...

KOJAI ?

[jpeg]

Just bung 'em some baht. That's why they're making problems for you. Defy anyone on here to tell me that wouldn't work.

[paz]

If people would get the proper visa there would not be any problems.

What proper visa ? Thailand allows visa exempt. Plase keep your "expertise" talk limited to BMWs and Protons.

[JohnThailandJohn]

Thai Immigration Officer showed me on his computer screen, the warning message which was blocked my profile for accrossing the border without visa.

If true, this doesn't sound like a specific border issue.

[paz]

Thai Immigration Officer showed me on his computer screen, the warning message which was blocked my profile for accrossing the border without visa.

If true, this doesn't sound like a specific border issue.

If true, there would be hundred of cases reported here, because it's very normal that people spend more than 90 days on visa exempt in Thailand. But, there is none except this one and some from Don Muang airport, where the person was just hassled but not refused entry.

[Sviss Geez]

Just bung 'em some baht. That's why they're making problems for you. Defy anyone on here to tell me that wouldn't work.

"Defy anyone on here to tell me that wouldn't work."

It wouldn't work!

Advising anyone to try to bribe a government official is not good advice.

[paz]

Just bung 'em some baht. That's why they're making problems for you. Defy anyone on here to tell me that wouldn't work.

"Defy anyone on here to tell me that wouldn't work."

It wouldn't work!

Advising anyone to try to bribe a government official is not good advice.

You should tell that to people lining up at Sadao / Dannok:

"Don't bribe! Remain in Malaysia!"

[Sviss Geez]

Thai Immigration Officer showed me on his computer screen, the warning message which was blocked my profile for accrossing the border without visa.

If true, this doesn't sound like a specific border issue.

If true, there would be hundred of cases reported here, because it's very normal that people spend more than 90 days on visa exempt in Thailand. But, there is none except this one and some from Don Muang airport, where the person was just hassled but not refused entry.

"If true, there would be hundred of cases reported here,..."

Well that's not true, you're assuming that every visitor to Thailand who has an immigration problem immediately reports it to ThaiVisa. The vast majority of the world that have to come through Thai immigration have no idea this forum exists so no reason for those incidents (if there are any) to appear here.

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

Well i thought I was the only one singled out. But last month I went out from Cambodia and the same thing happened to me. I was told by the immigration officer that I have entered Thailand too many times. The officer told me I need interview. I waited 20 mins before a supervisor came to interview me. They ask me what is the problem. I said the officer said I have entered Thailand too many times. The interviewer said it is not how many times you enter but how long you stayed. The first officer said an American citizen is only allowed 90 days per year in the Kingdom. The interviewer reviewed my passport from November 2013 until December 2. He saw I entered Thailand on 30 days visa free a total 108 days. But from April to December I entered and exit Thailand stay 1 or 2days then spending the rest of the time out of Thailand. He said in my case I was OK to go if just a few days. So I was allowed to go. I stayed out a few days only. To answer your reset question, I say no it will not rest on January 1.they just review backwards 12 months. To avoid this stress just get a tourist visa and they won't say a thing.

[thaibreaker]

Thai Immigration knows what it is doing. It is those who try to be smarter than the system that get caught eventually. They get advice from people who do not have the slightest idea what they are talking about when it comes to immigration law. If I want advice on Immigration law I would go to Thai Immigration not thaivisa.com.

Really? That is maybe the most ridicolous thing I have read here.

I am sure Ubonjoe, Mario2008 and the rest of the people who are helping us out with their expertise, appreciate comments like yours. They use their own free time to give us their advice, which are as far as I know, always correct.

You obviously have no idea what you are talking about.

Edited December 28, 2014 by thaibreaker

[OMGImInPattaya]

If people would get the proper visa there would not be any problems. Thai Immigration knows what it is doing. It is those who try to be smarter than the system that get caught eventually. They get advice from people who do not have the slightest idea what they are talking about when it comes to immigration law. If I want advice on Immigration law I would go to Thai Immigration not thaivisa.com. Some do know what they are talking about but most do not. If you follow the law good things happen. If you do not be ready to pay the price ether in cash or time in the monkey house it is up to you. Some here on TV.com will give you great advice others will get you into more problems than most can handle If you drive a BMW you do not ask people at the Proton dealership for their advice when you have a problem with your vehicle. .

If your point is intended as relevant to this thread, then I disagree with you. Using visa exempt entries for short visits of 5-7 days seems perfectly appropriate. Someone living in Cambodia with friends in Thailand that he visits frequently is quite likely to want to spend 94 days out of 360 in Thailand. What is the alternative? 14 tourist visas?

Agree, what's today, December 28, so then I've spent 362 days in Thailand this year, the first half on the remainder of a non-imm visa and then a couple tourist visas, and for the past couple months, 30-day entries. My last entry a couple weeks ago at swampy and no problem. I think the combination of a land border crossing and a misinformed border officer was just bad luck on the op's part.

[paz]

"If true, there would be hundred of cases reported here,..."

Well that's not true, you're assuming that every visitor to Thailand who has an immigration problem immediately reports it to ThaiVisa. The vast majority of the world that have to come through Thai immigration have no idea this forum exists so no reason for those incidents (if there are any) to appear here.

No need for every person to know the forum. The number of members is statistically very significant and every major event is typically reported and discussed the same day it happens.

Other than that I know for sure that not only the 90 days rules doesn't exist, but that posts bordering to Cambodia normally allowed multiple visa exempt entries this year just as before.

Edited December 28, 2014 by paz

[Xircal]

Yes the main issue, it's this computer warning. I guess every border is connected to the same computer system.

I was wondering if the reason might be that you inadvertently exceeded your stay when you entered Thailand via a land border. You only get 30 days visa free when you enter Thailand via an airport. If you enter via a land border, you only get 15 days.

Do you have any overstay stamps in your passport?