Problems at Chong Chom Crossing Yesterday

[Cam Khao]

Hi folks, just a quick heads up to let people know that it looks like Chong Chom border crossing is currently proving awkward.

I just spent a month down in Siem Reap, having left Thailand at the end of my last double entry tourist visa. I'm heading back to the UK next month, so thought I would pop back to Thailand for a few weeks and then fly to London from BKK.

My last visa exempt stamp was about a year and a half ago. So I figured I should be fine, as I had also been out of the country for a month. I was wrong.

I cleared immigration on the Cambodian side, and began walking across no-mans land. As I was doing this, I saw an elderly westerner wandering around near the Thai immigration entrance, he looked rather distraught. As I was sitting down filling in the immigration card, this guy came back to the immigration window. Couldn't help overhearing that they were not letting him in, and had told him to go back to Cambodia. Seems he was doing a visa run. The immigration official was very rude to him, shouting at him telling him to call his wife. The guy tried to explain that he could not go back to Cambodia, as he did not have enough money on him to pay the entry fee again. He was literally stuck in no-mans land. This fell on deaf ears.

Anyway, I finished filling in my form, and walked up to the window. The same immigration official started flicking back and forth through my (rather full) passport. This took a couple of minutes, after which he looked up at me and said rudely "Call your wife". I replied that I don't have a wife. This must have thrown him, because he grunted and then stamped my passport letting me through.

I have used Chong Chom border many times in the past, and this is the first time I have ever seen such rude, ignorant behavior from the immigration officers there. Personally, if they had turned me away it would have been annoying, but not earth shattering as I was only intending to transit through Thailand for a couple of weeks on my way to the UK. However, the elderly gentleman who was stuck in no-mans land is another story all together. He very obviously has a problem, that either the Cambodian or Thai immigration officials have to fix, they can't leave him stuck in the middle forever. I am sure that both sets of immigration officials are allowed to make decisions based on their own discretion. The logical thing would have been for the Thai side to stamp him in for 7 days and be done with it. But the guy behind the windows seemed more interested in wielding his power than applying it judiciously.

[petermik]

Thainess?

[yellowboat]

Odd behavior from an unscrupulous part of the Thai Government. "Call your Wife", what sort of nonsense is that ?

[bermannor]

Next time, make a photo of the customs officer and tell him you will post it on YouTube with title Thainess.

But be sure not to have to enter Thailand at this stage ?

[ukrules]

This is interesting, you're in no way a 'visa runner' and it sounds like this guy immigration officer should never be allowed to deal with the public.

The whole 'call our wife' thing is very strange.

[Monkeyrobot]

How much is the re entry in to Cambodia ? That guy had no money. ? Maybe him and the immigration man were in on the scam to have you donate some cash his way .

[Maestro]

Wrong advice.

Correct advice: call the immigration helpline 1178. "Good afternoon. I am here at the immigration border entry at Chong Chom with my British passport and thought I would get a visa-exempt permission to stay for 30 days, but instead the immigration officer asks me to call my wife. Would you please talk to him?" Then, without waiting for a reply, hand the phone to the officer.

[johnatong]

This is interesting, you're in no way a 'visa runner' and it sounds like this guy immigration officer should never be allowed to deal with the public.

The whole 'call our wife' thing is very strange.

Unfortunately one only hears one side of these stories !

[chrisinth]

Wrong advice.

Correct advice: call the immigration helpline 1178. "Good afternoon. I am here at the immigration border entry at Chong Chom with my British passport and thought I would get a visa-exempt permission to stay for 30 days, but instead the immigration officer asks me to call my wife. Would you please talk to him?" Then, without waiting for a reply, hand the phone to the officer.

Note to self: If ever I find myself in a similar position, make sure i bring my 450 baht 7/11 phone with me.

Follow Maestro's sage instructions and hand phone to IO.

Sounds good...................

[BuckBee]

I've seen & had "call your wife" scenario some time back at Poipet, A french guy in front of my queue got it (could not call) & was refused entry & given the hand wave to go away, he was on type-o, I got same question but I got no wife or gf & was let through after long look at passport.

These things happen at times when internal clamp down issues & staff having bad day.

Main annoyance is way immigration don't follow procedure & do paperwork on refusal of entry & shoo the victim away like cattle. I seen it a few times & since always make sure I got a netbook, money & overnight bag as any wacky outcome is possible & more so these days .

Plan your border crossing options well & be prepared to politely insist on seeing immigration supervisor if getting rude officer forcing you away, they have to complete forms for refused entry & if you stay polite you likely get entry even if only 7 days.

Edited April 28, 2016 by BuckBee

[OMGImInPattaya]

I wonder if the old guy ever made it out of no-mans land?

[leosurin]

I was there last Sunday,same 30 days exemption,the officer was very friendly,we chat a little,been asked many questions,about wife( I don't have one)all whent smoothly.

Previously one bar owner in Surin,told me they did stop give visa on arrival,so I whent two days before checking in both immigration in Kapchong and border in Chongchom,they told me there wasn't any problem.

Sorry for the farang got stuck there,very uncomfortable situation.

[FritsSikkink]

Hi folks, just a quick heads up to let people know that it looks like Chong Chom border crossing is currently proving awkward.

I just spent a month down in Siem Reap, having left Thailand at the end of my last double entry tourist visa. I'm heading back to the UK next month, so thought I would pop back to Thailand for a few weeks and then fly to London from BKK.

My last visa exempt stamp was about a year and a half ago. So I figured I should be fine, as I had also been out of the country for a month. I was wrong.

I cleared immigration on the Cambodian side, and began walking across no-mans land. As I was doing this, I saw an elderly westerner wandering around near the Thai immigration entrance, he looked rather distraught. As I was sitting down filling in the immigration card, this guy came back to the immigration window. Couldn't help overhearing that they were not letting him in, and had told him to go back to Cambodia. Seems he was doing a visa run. The immigration official was very rude to him, shouting at him telling him to call his wife. The guy tried to explain that he could not go back to Cambodia, as he did not have enough money on him to pay the entry fee again. He was literally stuck in no-mans land. This fell on deaf ears.

Anyway, I finished filling in my form, and walked up to the window. The same immigration official started flicking back and forth through my (rather full) passport. This took a couple of minutes, after which he looked up at me and said rudely "Call your wife". I replied that I don't have a wife. This must have thrown him, because he grunted and then stamped my passport letting me through.

I have used Chong Chom border many times in the past, and this is the first time I have ever seen such rude, ignorant behavior from the immigration officers there. Personally, if they had turned me away it would have been annoying, but not earth shattering as I was only intending to transit through Thailand for a couple of weeks on my way to the UK. However, the elderly gentleman who was stuck in no-mans land is another story all together. He very obviously has a problem, that either the Cambodian or Thai immigration officials have to fix, they can't leave him stuck in the middle forever. I am sure that both sets of immigration officials are allowed to make decisions based on their own discretion. The logical thing would have been for the Thai side to stamp him in for 7 days and be done with it. But the guy behind the windows seemed more interested in wielding his power than applying it judiciously.

if you can't pay the entry fee again how can you show thai immigration you have enough money to support yourself?

[Jip99]

I much prefer Chong sa Ngam

[BritTim]

In some cases, immigration officials have their own ideas about appropriate uses of tourist visas and visa exempts. It is possible that this one feels anyone with a Thai wife should be entering with a Non O visa. Sometimes I fantasize about a web site in which all individual immigration and consular officials outline the special conditions for entry/visa issuance that apply when encountering them specifically.

[khwaibah]

The OP does not give enough info about the other person. Fact..at Chong Chom Thai immigration will only allow you one 30 day visa exempt to your existing visa exempt entry or tourist visa. They red stamp it.

[OMGImInPattaya]

The OP does not give enough info about the other person. Fact..at Chong Chom Thai immigration will only allow you one 30 day visa exempt to your existing visa exempt entry or tourist visa. They red stamp it.

Aren't you supposed to have 20k in cash and a ticket out of the country when entering Thailand? Apparently he at least didn't have the cash...reason enough to deny entry.

[khwaibah]

The OP does not give enough info about the other person. Fact..at Chong Chom Thai immigration will only allow you one 30 day visa exempt to your existing visa exempt entry or tourist visa. They red stamp it.

Aren't you supposed to have 20k in cash and a ticket out of the country when entering Thailand? Apparently he at least didn't have the cash...reason enough to deny entry.

Only 20K.

[phuketrichard]

visa for Cambodia is $30

why would anyone go anywhere with no money??

there has to be more to this. ie multiple visa exempt entries.

At Ranong, they will tell you when u go to immigration to stamp out if they will let you back in or not

[Cam Khao]

visa for Cambodia is $30

why would anyone go anywhere with no money??

there has to be more to this. ie multiple visa exempt entries.

At Ranong, they will tell you when u go to immigration to stamp out if they will let you back in or not

I really don't know what the full situation was with the old guy who got kicked back. I wasn't there for the original discussion, I just caught the tail end of it.

As for myself, I met all of the requirements. I had over 20k cash in my pocket, I could have also produced proof of a plane ticket to the UK on the 19th of next month. I was asked for neither. I just got told "call your wife".

[khwaibah]

visa for Cambodia is $30

why would anyone go anywhere with no money??

there has to be more to this. ie multiple visa exempt entries.

At Ranong, they will tell you when u go to immigration to stamp out if they will let you back in or not

I really don't know what the full situation was with the old guy who got kicked back. I wasn't there for the original discussion, I just caught the tail end of it.

As for myself, I met all of the requirements. I had over 20k cash in my pocket, I could have also produced proof of a plane ticket to the UK on the 19th of next month. I was asked for neither. I just got told "call your wife".

Plan tickets is not required by immigration into Thailand that is a requirement by a Thai foreign embassy or consult for their issuing of a visa. Also airlines require you to have an onward air ticket not Thai immigration. Thai immigration is under the Thai Royal Police while Thai Embassy's are under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

[khwaibah]

visa for Cambodia is $30

why would anyone go anywhere with no money??

there has to be more to this. ie multiple visa exempt entries.

At Ranong, they will tell you when u go to immigration to stamp out if they will let you back in or not

You would be amassed by the noobs that are about. They can not be helped.

[Thaidream]

The call your wife scenario may have been for 2 reasons:

1. If you had entered on a prior visa free entry that was their way of finding out that you should be using a Non O Visa.

2. He may have wanted to explain to the wife that there was an extra fee to enter and for her to explain to her husband to pay it.

In either event or for another reason the IO acted illegally- If he was denying entry he had to fill out a form and explain the appeal process or get a supervisor involved. The solution of calling Immigration directly and handing him the phone would have ensured entry of at least 7 days. It's time for all foreigners to assert themselves. When the supervisors get enough complaints they will clue their staff into the proper procedure.

[Cam Khao]

I wonder if the old guy ever made it out of no-mans land?

I went through immigration, did the quick check of passport at the guard post, bought a cup of coffee and then went and waited for the minivan to take me to Surin.

He was still wandering around in no-mans land about 40 minutes later when the minivan finally left. Poor guy.

[MJCM]

The OP does not give enough info about the other person. Fact..at Chong Chom Thai immigration will only allow you one 30 day visa exempt to your existing visa exempt entry or tourist visa. They red stamp it.

So the whole problem (maybe) was about that the guy that got send away had to maybe too many (more then 1) 30 days Visa exempts. That the guy didn't have enough money with him, I really can't understand. When I did the 1 day Border Runs, I always made sure that I had 10k plus on me with at least a credit card and 1 atm card. I wouldn't like to be stuck there.

Edited April 29, 2016 by MJCM

[stevenl]

visa for Cambodia is $30

why would anyone go anywhere with no money??

there has to be more to this. ie multiple visa exempt entries.

At Ranong, they will tell you when u go to immigration to stamp out if they will let you back in or not

I really don't know what the full situation was with the old guy who got kicked back. I wasn't there for the original discussion, I just caught the tail end of it.

As for myself, I met all of the requirements. I had over 20k cash in my pocket, I could have also produced proof of a plane ticket to the UK on the 19th of next month. I was asked for neither. I just got told "call your wife".

Plan tickets is not required by immigration into Thailand that is a requirement by a Thai foreign embassy or consult for their issuing of a visa. Also airlines require you to have an onward air ticket not Thai immigration. Thai immigration is under the Thai Royal Police while Thai Embassy's are under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Plane ticket is immigration requirement but hardly ever enforced.

[BuckBee]

A lot of the reason of wanting call a gf or wife is not about what visa you entering on or the marriage status but fact it easy way to catch out farang as the thai gf or wife will squeal every detail in 5 minutes flat when pushed by immi officer, they then will know about possible illegal working etc or differing facts to what you been feeding them.

I seen this done at times for years, one time was poipet after they had bollocking for letting farang through with fake 1yr O visas (about 10 boiler room workers went through via Jack Golf and got arrested day later then backlash at poipet for over a month)

Nothing wrong with them ask for call but thing that is wrong is way they handle it & habit of never wanting to legally sign off a refused entry.

In my travelling I seen a few refused at counter with awfully rude staff & as good as told f00k-0ff by staff with no proper reasoning or legal refusal procedure.

I've even had rude staff at swampy airport when came in on double entry tourist with no previous entry history for over 2yrs as had fill in my expected stay period for 4 months & old female officer told me I would be lucky if could stay that long & incredibly rude :-/

Indeed many farang are being incompetent with visa entry but bigger issue is the bad, lazy & poorly trained immi staff.

There are a few times when they seem helpful/polite but soon as have minor detail to discuss you will get bad information or varying info as none of then understand the rules fully or struggle with language barriers & bad attitude is generally a favourite once they got real issue deal with.

Main thing is be up to speed on regulations & prepared with knowledge & plans of action when things go bad ...