Interesting Ranong Visa Run

[Gtto]

Just came back from a run to Myanmar. I have a non immigrant one year B visa but the job I was supposed to have didn't work out so I have no work permit. I have gone in and out before with this visa without any problems. Upon presenting my visa before departing I was asked for my work permit. I told him I didn't have one and he made a bunch of noise and told me to come inside. I was then informed I would have to pay 500 baht which I thought was crazy but not worth hassling over. When I tried to give him the money he said "Not to me. give it to him." and pointed to some guy that I saw standing around outside seeming maybe to be "in charge" of some long tails. The guy had earrings and necklaces and jeans on. Very strange. I gave him the money and was on my way but I wasn't happy about it. Afterwards I thought I should have told the immigration guy that I needed a receipt. I really didn't want to be scammed but I also didn't know what could happen if I refused. Anyone else had this happen? If so, what did you do?

[Singerman]

How much did you pay in addition for the boat trip ?

[glegolo]

Why dont you just call the scamnumber here in Thbailand, and report these a;holes and than forget about it.... If nobody is reporting anything, this shit will never stop.

Man up now and do it...

Glegolo

[Gtto]

100 baht..

How much did you pay in addition for the boat trip ?

[thaiman]

Ranong immigration is know for trying to scam people. They love to try and extort 100b out of tourists for a new depart/arrival card.

[darrendsd]

I would just be grateful that I was allowed in without the WP and wouldn't be bothered about the 500 Baht

[brewsterbudgen]

I would just be grateful that I was allowed in without the WP and wouldn't be bothered about the 500 Baht

I always thought your WP was supposed to be kept at your place of work?

[darrendsd]

I would just be grateful that I was allowed in without the WP and wouldn't be bothered about the 500 Baht

I always thought your WP was supposed to be kept at your place of work?

?? Of course it is allowed out of there when it needs to be stamped unless you expect Immigration to come round personally to stamp it?

[brewsterbudgen]

I would just be grateful that I was allowed in without the WP and wouldn't be bothered about the 500 Baht

I always thought your WP was supposed to be kept at your place of work?

?? Of course it is allowed out of there when it needs to be stamped unless you expect Immigration to come round personally to stamp it?

I meant when leaving the country. And it's stamped at the dept of Labor not at Immigration.

[phuketrichard]

Ranong immigration is know for trying to scam people. They love to try and extort 100b out of tourists for a new depart/arrival card.

and where did u hear this? as i have been in an dout of there many times and live in phuket and have NEVER heard of anyone being scammed,

in fact its one of the nicest borders to enter/exit.

PS a private boat to Kwathoung an back is 400 baht- 500 baht

a seat on a boat is 50 baht each way

PPS ur dam lucky he let u leave Thailand and come back in

Edited December 30, 2015 by phuketrichard

[anon4637435435]

Just thought i would post my latest ranong experience.

Im on a married non o visa. Never bothered to extend because my family go to my home country. I know for a fact i dont need to show 400,000thb. These <deleted> which is what they are had my wife in tears which isnt smart all the while taking bribes of alcohol from people and the excuse is its friends, soveniers.. well seems they forget they asked me for whiskey months ago.

Anyway, this was a humiliating experience and for what i see no other reason than to make a little on the side becauae we maybnot have known the rules..

They have broken the law from harrasment which is now law in thailand, discrimination, defemation, made this country look bad to all the other tourists. This is the reason tourists are dissapearing. Idiots like these immigration.

Been on the phone to consulates and government people to make sure im in the right and i am. My wife has made a formal complaint of corruption. Yes the women there has tried to threaten us without so many words but so be it. I dont want to raise a family here anymore with pigs like this to make everyday shit.

Well done thailand to employ greedy pigs that are what the rest of the world gets first hand experience with when landing here making the thai image not so amazing. Has thailand no shame?

All people need to know the rules and regulations. Be tough take the abuse but stop giving bribes and money to criminals. Expect to be deported but the way things are going theres no time like now to go. To many warning signs....

[Fithman]

7 minutes ago, bsdthai said:

Im on a married non o visa. Never bothered to extend because my family go to my home country. I know for a fact i dont need to show 400,000thb

 

What were you doing/asking for at immigration?

 

If you have a visa there was no need to go there.....................

[lemonjelly]

12 minutes ago, Fithman said:

 

What were you doing/asking for at immigration?

 

If you have a visa there was no need to go there.....................

I think maybe referring to 90 day border crossing necessary for a 1 year non-b.

[Fithman]

4 minutes ago, lemonjelly said:

I think maybe referring to 90 day border crossing necessary for a 1 year non-b.

 

Maybe but the does not explain the rant about 400K Bht ! 

 

In years gone by I have used the Ranong boarder crossing on many occasions without any difficulty.

 

However let us which the OP well. I wonder who the  formal complaint of corruption was made to and what evidence was supplied to support the claim.

[anon4637435435]

41 minutes ago, Fithman said:

 

What were you doing/asking for at immigration?

 

If you have a visa there was no need to go there.....................

Its a marriage visa non immigrant O 1yr Multi entry. 90day border runs the requirement of the visa. Visa issued in australia by the thai consulate who also verified someones telling porkypies.. 

If i extend this visa type beyond a yr i need to show 400,000 and report every 90days. Im not required as i never extend because i always head back to australia to visit family once per year which is the right way as inteded by the visa type. I hadnt had issues until the last 3runs i had been told of new ridiculous laws saying i need to show i can support a family and so on. Its a load of rubbish. However 40,000thb in the pocket if doing a run with family or 20,000thb cash doing a run alone. Thats the rule yet never ever asked.

I can show them 400,000thb. But i have never also opened a bank account here becauase i was told no as i dont have a work permit. So never bothered. Because im not required on my type of visa to do any of what immigration asked today i just dont need a local account and just more caredul with cash.

At the end of the day its just a shame ranong immigration try to tell you black and blue what laws are yet never show you proof of such new laws and dont listen and love to humilate it seems. The reason being is obvious...... Trying to take advantage..

Had enough. These people should not be the type of people tourists see when they land. Good honest and helpful would be far better for tourism.

[Fithman]

Sounds as though you have "had enough" and will be returning to Australia never to return. 

 

I do not have a work permit but I do have a Thai bank account.

 

Good luck with the complaint.

[anon4637435435]

58 minutes ago, Fithman said:

 

Maybe but the does not explain the rant about 400K Bht ! 

 

In years gone by I have used the Ranong boarder crossing on many occasions without any difficulty.

 

However let us which the OP well. I wonder who the  formal complaint of corruption was made to and what evidence was supplied to support the claim.

Audio, photos. Started with the complaints hotline and handed over to corruption department. For people that dont know even the suspicion of corruption is enough to have a look see. Others have complained by the sounds of it. Nothing will happen, they will continue on to harass the odd tourist here and there im sure..

Been here for way to long, little respect at immigration wouldnt be too much of a stretch. But yes weve decided to leave. Not a place to raise an honest family anymore but never really was i guess.

Cheers.

[pistachios]

Can you tell us what happened exactly? They asked you to show 20.000 thb which you didn't have on you?

Last time I went there I wasn't aware of this new "rule" and didn't have that money on me. I had to pay some bribe to go through, around 1000 thb, don't remember exactly. I've read some recent reports about them asking for extra 1000 or 2000 even if you can show the cash.

[anon4637435435]

12 hours ago, pistachios said:

Can you tell us what happened exactly? They asked you to show 20.000 thb which you didn't have on you?

Last time I went there I wasn't aware of this new "rule" and didn't have that money on me. I had to pay some bribe to go through, around 1000 thb, don't remember exactly. I've read some recent reports about them asking for extra 1000 or 2000 even if you can show the cash.

I dont want to delve in to the specifics too much yet. We all know what can happen when posting things. Sure ill be blacklisted anyway for questioning officials but people should for the security of the country.

 

To clarify what requirments i have to fullfill whilst on this visa.

On my o-type multi entrant nonimmigrant visa that is applied for and recieved in austrlia. Part of the requirements are that i have to leave the country every90days. Doesn't matter where, how or for howlong i cross the border solong as im back in before the experation of the visa and will recieve a further 90day stamp.

People on a non imO visa are required to be able to show 20,000thb if doing a border run alone or 40,000thb with family if asked. 

Its a no brainer really.

I was NOT asked to show the 20-40k and never have been. This ia just reference to rules and regs that they can ask.

 

Upon return at the arrival counter the immigration officer actually stamped 90 more days in my passport. Put his head down and asked where do i live. Told him because he obviously cant read. He asked what i do there and i said i live there as i do. Suddenly i was whisked into office with my family and asked to show 400,000thb. This is NOT a requirement of my visa. I was told its a new law. It isnt. I was told i need to show i can look after my wife which is the reason for the new law. Also rubbish. Told this money is supposed to be in a thai bank account. Rubbish in this circumstance.

 

I have an option to further extend my visa here in thailand as many people do. This requires i have 400,000thb in a thai bank account. I never extend as my family goes to aus each year.

 

It was clear that we were being pulled aside in the hopes of a bribe because we probably didnt fit their image of rich or something or perhaps they assume im working being a convvienient trigger for the harassment to follow.

Yes, immigration has a right to question however not when they're asking for things that are irrelevant.

 

Just a few things that were said during the argument that i feel to be of really ill charachter to say.

Women officer says to wife "if your so rich put 400,000thb in his bank account"

Women officer says there is many german men that dont look after there wifes and family. Not german and sure this isnt completely true. I could say theres many germans that have met early departures, lost everything and so on but it werent the time and place.....

I was told to use different border points as to not set off warnings in the system which common sense says is completely backwards as wouldnt it appear strange to be erratic with what borders are crossed. I keep it simple..

I was told that thai males in aus married to white women will also be asked to show money periodically after the initial visa. Do they exist?

Told us to go to what they think are closer borders which makes sense if i didnt need to waste 2days minimum in bangkok getting visas first and a further day for the run. We have no interest to travel. We are gettting old so keep it quick, simple and right.

I know i can open a bank account but i know its the banks that make the laws. I applied for an account in rawai many years ago and they said no and i didnt further investigate as i dont really need it and certainly not required to. They told me to have the police contact them. Not sure but i think that is an abuse of power to force banks to open accounts. If so sonmeone more than the banks are proffiting off the interest fatang will never see.

Women officer smirked and said "another one" when  guy with similar isuess walked in.

Women officer speaking to a korean guy in koren made more ill intent comments to have both the officer and korean turn round and roll there eyes.

Farang comes in and puts alcohol on the table only after having a hassel before departure to myanmar then came back with alcohol and put it on the table of the female officer. The look of guilt on her face was hysterical. She said its a friend and a souvenir. Souvenir from thailand. That makes sense! 

I was told over and over again that i need to show money. Made to fill out a form that had nothing but name, address etc. It was a way out of loss of face to make them appear like they are doing something legitimate when they realized we wont be harassed. 

Was told immigration police will be now coming to our house. Probably but couldnt careless. Something else for the neighbours to snicker about and embarassing for my family.

I am quite sick and basically dying with a liver diesease issue. I was aksed whats my job and so on. They say they dont care that im sick and still want to see 400,000. Telling them youve wasted millions on 2life saving treatments that were botched by incompotent thai doctors that had an ove 90% success rate fell on deaf ears. These people are not human and shouldn t be placed at borders. Should be collecting rubbish or something.

 

I could go on all day with he said and she said dribble but the fact remains that there is NO requirments that i do anything that they say and all was a scam for me to feel like i had done something wrong and offer a little something i think.

We all know immigration offices are corrupt. I dont think there had been an arrival at phuket where i hadnt witnessed money handed over. Many stories on tv also.

 

I will not be harrased and have things demanded that arent regulation and will not be forced to bribe people as others do.

It seems the good guys in bad guys out campaign does not mean what i thought. It must mean good guys bribe and bad guys dont. Silly me.

Thats great for national security and the national image. Drive out the good and ecourage the corrupt farang. Genius.... 

 

The officer said this is law that all people need to show 400,000 since the erewan bombing where didnt these people bribe immigration? Seems the problems with this country is the officials in these delecate positions and these people need to be held responsible. Enough is enough. 

I for one do everything asked of me and my special circumstances allow me to live by their unrealistic guigelines which obviously raise suspicion or jealousy and therefore a possible bribe could be had which is how i see it becsuse nothing else makes anysense.

 

We were only able to go after i said can i show you 400,000 in my account or what about 4m which is no problem or let me organize 4b which i could somehow pull that together somehow.

 

They gave up and off we went and told to expect an immigration visit as retaliation for doing the right thing required of me by law. Great job thailand. If im harassed further black listed or any such garbage i will fight back. These officials need to be sacked immediately and replaced with people that understand family values, equality, national security and the law.

 

We are building our own house by ourselves. Everything from foundation, plumbing to the roof. Perhaps we look a littly ratty and they figured we were poor or something. Even so its got nothing to do with them as im not aplying for a visa. I already have it. What ever the reason for the public humiliation and harrassment isnt completely clear. No apology, just dumb officers with inflated egos that know nothing about there original job requirements and prefer to belittle innocent people and humilate them publically. 

Its inexcusable and i feel an apology is deserved. Perhaps on national tv. They wouldnt suit the agenda...forget where i am.

 

On a side note my family has had to move house 10times due to corruption and racism. My children have changed schools for racism and bullying reasons, i was attacked with a machete for asking a neighbour to move his car from blocking my car, my family was attacked by taxi mafia for parking in a taxi spot, lost a car ridden off by an unlicensed driver not tying the load down and thebinsurance company went broke and the bilnout money amounted to just 5000thb, Been ripped off money by mafia land developers which is the only time i ever got money back funnily enough. We have firecrackers, and rocks thrown at our house almost daily and for what?

I fix roads for people, make way for waterways so peoples house dont flood because i bought an excevator to do so for myself on land i later found out was illegally change land title type, help build, buy cooking equiptment for local resterants, donate money to charities, always help schools my children are in, lent money to people in need, offer tools and such as we are good giving people. The amount of taxes we have given this government is frightening. The amount of vehicles with some exotic putting it into the billions when accumulating the amount of time i have been here.

I honestly dont think this type of behavior of immigration is just. 

 

Thats my 2cents.

[anon4637435435]

13 hours ago, pistachios said:

Can you tell us what happened exactly? They asked you to show 20.000 thb which you didn't have on you?

Last time I went there I wasn't aware of this new "rule" and didn't have that money on me. I had to pay some bribe to go through, around 1000 thb, don't remember exactly. I've read some recent reports about them asking for extra 1000 or 2000 even if you can show the cash.

Sorry pistachios i left out the specic part i wanted to mention with regards to you post.

Your 100% right. Others have told me of such requests.

Had my wife not been there thats a bit of a freedom fighter i would of stupidly handed out a couple though to walk through.

This is corruption and allowing criminals in. These people need to get tough on these people but also inform farang of regulations with absolute clarity so they dont fall in the trap like yourself that didnt have the cash on the day and what would have happened to me if my wife hadnt witnessed this. 

At the end of the day IT IS NOT OK. A threat to national security and abuse of power and reflects negatively on thailands image. If they wish to get tough then gt tough on yourselves i say. 10yrs ago it was all innocent enough but the egos, selfishness and greed seems to be on an ever expanding rate that left the solar system years ago.

People arent going to put up with corruption for ever. My wifes one of them and i have to second it as corruption has cost my family too much. When you call the police in the middle of the night and they say to call in the morning or you go to the station and they say go home and call the hotline or say my neighbours can attack me with a machete and solong as they dont kill me its ok. Enoughs enough! Not so innocent anymore and thais image is suffering. 

 

[phuketrichard]

wow.seems like a sad story and i feel for you but ....
in my 32 years in phuket, and on many different visas, i have had only a few local problems ( like when i ran the Titanic disco in Patong)  but nothing near the problems u have had.  Are u hot blooded and easily to anger??

 

seems u just joined here and i wonder why,  as all ur posts only describe your problems with authorities and than go on about how bad Thailand is   and then go on about how much u have done for thailand.

[Peterw42]

2 hours ago, bsdthai said:

I dont want to delve in to the specifics too much yet. We all know what can happen when posting things. Sure ill be blacklisted anyway for questioning officials but people should for the security of the country.

 

To clarify what requirments i have to fullfill whilst on this visa.

On my o-type multi entrant nonimmigrant visa that is applied for and recieved in austrlia. Part of the requirements are that i have to leave the country every90days. Doesn't matter where, how or for howlong i cross the border solong as im back in before the experation of the visa and will recieve a further 90day stamp.

People on a non imO visa are required to be able to show 20,000thb if doing a border run alone or 40,000thb with family if asked. 

Its a no brainer really.

I was NOT asked to show the 20-40k and never have been. This ia just reference to rules and regs that they can ask.

 

Upon return at the arrival counter the immigration officer actually stamped 90 more days in my passport. Put his head down and asked where do i live. Told him because he obviously cant read. He asked what i do there and i said i live there as i do. Suddenly i was whisked into office with my family and asked to show 400,000thb. This is NOT a requirement of my visa. I was told its a new law. It isnt. I was told i need to show i can look after my wife which is the reason for the new law. Also rubbish. Told this money is supposed to be in a thai bank account. Rubbish in this circumstance.

 

I have an option to further extend my visa here in thailand as many people do. This requires i have 400,000thb in a thai bank account. I never extend as my family goes to aus each year.

 

It was clear that we were being pulled aside in the hopes of a bribe because we probably didnt fit their image of rich or something or perhaps they assume im working being a convvienient trigger for the harassment to follow.

Yes, immigration has a right to question however not when they're asking for things that are irrelevant.

 

Just a few things that were said during the argument that i feel to be of really ill charachter to say.

Women officer says to wife "if your so rich put 400,000thb in his bank account"

Women officer says there is many german men that dont look after there wifes and family. Not german and sure this isnt completely true. I could say theres many germans that have met early departures, lost everything and so on but it werent the time and place.....

I was told to use different border points as to not set off warnings in the system which common sense says is completely backwards as wouldnt it appear strange to be erratic with what borders are crossed. I keep it simple..

I was told that thai males in aus married to white women will also be asked to show money periodically after the initial visa. Do they exist?

Told us to go to what they think are closer borders which makes sense if i didnt need to waste 2days minimum in bangkok getting visas first and a further day for the run. We have no interest to travel. We are gettting old so keep it quick, simple and right.

I know i can open a bank account but i know its the banks that make the laws. I applied for an account in rawai many years ago and they said no and i didnt further investigate as i dont really need it and certainly not required to. They told me to have the police contact them. Not sure but i think that is an abuse of power to force banks to open accounts. If so sonmeone more than the banks are proffiting off the interest fatang will never see.

Women officer smirked and said "another one" when  guy with similar isuess walked in.

Women officer speaking to a korean guy in koren made more ill intent comments to have both the officer and korean turn round and roll there eyes.

Farang comes in and puts alcohol on the table only after having a hassel before departure to myanmar then came back with alcohol and put it on the table of the female officer. The look of guilt on her face was hysterical. She said its a friend and a souvenir. Souvenir from thailand. That makes sense! 

I was told over and over again that i need to show money. Made to fill out a form that had nothing but name, address etc. It was a way out of loss of face to make them appear like they are doing something legitimate when they realized we wont be harassed. 

Was told immigration police will be now coming to our house. Probably but couldnt careless. Something else for the neighbours to snicker about and embarassing for my family.

I am quite sick and basically dying with a liver diesease issue. I was aksed whats my job and so on. They say they dont care that im sick and still want to see 400,000. Telling them youve wasted millions on 2life saving treatments that were botched by incompotent thai doctors that had an ove 90% success rate fell on deaf ears. These people are not human and shouldn t be placed at borders. Should be collecting rubbish or something.

 

I could go on all day with he said and she said dribble but the fact remains that there is NO requirments that i do anything that they say and all was a scam for me to feel like i had done something wrong and offer a little something i think.

We all know immigration offices are corrupt. I dont think there had been an arrival at phuket where i hadnt witnessed money handed over. Many stories on tv also.

 

I will not be harrased and have things demanded that arent regulation and will not be forced to bribe people as others do.

It seems the good guys in bad guys out campaign does not mean what i thought. It must mean good guys bribe and bad guys dont. Silly me.

Thats great for national security and the national image. Drive out the good and ecourage the corrupt farang. Genius.... 

 

The officer said this is law that all people need to show 400,000 since the erewan bombing where didnt these people bribe immigration? Seems the problems with this country is the officials in these delecate positions and these people need to be held responsible. Enough is enough. 

I for one do everything asked of me and my special circumstances allow me to live by their unrealistic guigelines which obviously raise suspicion or jealousy and therefore a possible bribe could be had which is how i see it becsuse nothing else makes anysense.

 

We were only able to go after i said can i show you 400,000 in my account or what about 4m which is no problem or let me organize 4b which i could somehow pull that together somehow.

 

They gave up and off we went and told to expect an immigration visit as retaliation for doing the right thing required of me by law. Great job thailand. If im harassed further black listed or any such garbage i will fight back. These officials need to be sacked immediately and replaced with people that understand family values, equality, national security and the law.

 

We are building our own house by ourselves. Everything from foundation, plumbing to the roof. Perhaps we look a littly ratty and they figured we were poor or something. Even so its got nothing to do with them as im not aplying for a visa. I already have it. What ever the reason for the public humiliation and harrassment isnt completely clear. No apology, just dumb officers with inflated egos that know nothing about there original job requirements and prefer to belittle innocent people and humilate them publically. 

Its inexcusable and i feel an apology is deserved. Perhaps on national tv. They wouldnt suit the agenda...forget where i am.

 

On a side note my family has had to move house 10times due to corruption and racism. My children have changed schools for racism and bullying reasons, i was attacked with a machete for asking a neighbour to move his car from blocking my car, my family was attacked by taxi mafia for parking in a taxi spot, lost a car ridden off by an unlicensed driver not tying the load down and thebinsurance company went broke and the bilnout money amounted to just 5000thb, Been ripped off money by mafia land developers which is the only time i ever got money back funnily enough. We have firecrackers, and rocks thrown at our house almost daily and for what?

I fix roads for people, make way for waterways so peoples house dont flood because i bought an excevator to do so for myself on land i later found out was illegally change land title type, help build, buy cooking equiptment for local resterants, donate money to charities, always help schools my children are in, lent money to people in need, offer tools and such as we are good giving people. The amount of taxes we have given this government is frightening. The amount of vehicles with some exotic putting it into the billions when accumulating the amount of time i have been here.

I honestly dont think this type of behavior of immigration is just. 

 

Thats my 2cents.

 

Hard to follow. Is it possible that immigration is trying to switch you to a marriage extension (so you dont have to leave every 90 days) ? That would explain why they want to see 400k.

[anon4637435435]

1 hour ago, phuketrichard said:

wow.seems like a sad story and i feel for you but ....
in my 32 years in phuket, and on many different visas, i have had only a few local problems ( like when i ran the Titanic disco in Patong)  but nothing near the problems u have had.  Are u hot blooded and easily to anger??

 

seems u just joined here and i wonder why,  as all ur posts only describe your problems with authorities and than go on about how bad Thailand is   and then go on about how much u have done for thailand.

Not at all hot blooded but will get agressive if pushed like any red blooded male for whats right. Corruption isnt paying me so why protect it. Ill give my 2cents as i see fit. Thats what its all about. Read in to things as you wish i guess. If i see a good thread i can post something positive i will. Ok, with you? 555

 

 

[anon4637435435]

37 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

 

Hard to follow. Is it possible that immigration is trying to switch you to a marriage extension (so you dont have to leave every 90 days) ? That would explain why they want to see 400k.

In short your right peter. Is a bit hard to follow im sorry.

Issue is though there is no need for myself to extend. I prepay the plane tickets to leave well before and my family take adavantage of these border runs for family outings so make the most of the ridiculous requirements. It just makes sense for us. No need for any extention or any such thing. No need to try enforce it also. 

Cheers.

[4evermaat]

This is very recent.  I did a ranong border run about 2+ months ago, (non-o multiple) the only thing worth noting is that they were more strict on the home address on the arrival card.....had to be filled out with the district, province, and postal code.   I usually go with FAME minivan.  A friend with the same visa did the same thing....no issues.   

 

Normally the neighbor countries (Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos) get shaken down for what appears to 100 baht or so when they return to arrivals section.

 

edit:  it could be also that there was a string of overstayers or something like recently.  I did a run several months ago and then even I was scrutinized after several other people in our group were overstayers.   He encouraged me to do an extension at immigration...but let me in.  No problems the next time doing a border run with the same visa.

 

I've always wanted to try the Andaman Club run.  You go to some casino and it is done in the afternoon.  A little more expensive (1450 vs 1100 baht includes $10 USD bill), and it is only done on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  I'm interested to do it once and see it through.

Edited October 10, 2016 by 4evermaat