All The Way To Kl For Bloody 30 Days

[pantagruel]

I just did a trip to KL for single entry tourist visa, after passing through immigration i checked my passport only to find to my horror that the surly cow had given me only a month to stay in the kingdom, i was of course expecting 2 with an option to extend for another month.

I don't look like a hippy, granted i have 6 cambodian visas in there but i know blokes with 20 odd and got through recently with no problem.

Does anyone have any knowledge about this kind of thing, is there any chance they'll change it down at the bureau, or even another 30 days extension . . .. bloody hel_l i'm raging over that trumped up <deleted>, whats the point of travelling at all with this kind of shit.

Edited November 10, 2006 by pantagruel

[tropo]

I just did a trip to KL for single entry tourist visa, after passing through immigration i checked my passport only to find to my horror that the surly cow had given me only a month to stay in the kingdom, i was of course expecting 2 with an option to extend for another month.

I don't look like a hippy, granted i have 6 cambodian visas in there but i know blokes with 20 odd and got through recently with no problem.

Does anyone have any knowledge about this kind of thing, is there any chance they'll change it down at the bureau, or even another 30 days extension . . .. bloody hel_l i'm raging over that trumped up <deleted>, whats the point of travelling at all with this kind of shit.

That a very worrisome event. I hope it was just an error, and not a new policy. They'll be a lot of people travelling to Malaysia soon (myself included) to get tourist visas and expecting to get the 60 days.

[pantagruel]

It's a bloody pain in the arse , i'll be going down to the bureau on friday to see if i can get it sorted out. I know they've got policies against long haired, hippies with shit locks but i'm only 25 and i dress well going through the airport. . . i wish i had noticed it there and then i would have loved to have pulled her up on it. . . ah feels a little better now gettin those bureacratic blues off my chest

[pantagruel]

so does anyone know if i can get it changed down at the bureau???

[lung]

after passing through immigration i checked my passport only to find to my horror that the surly cow had given me only a month to stay in the kingdom, i was of course expecting 2 with an option to extend for another month.

but you been in this thai-consular or not ?

[pantagruel]

If u mean consulate, of course i have. I went to 206 Jalan Ampang KL waited there for hours in a sweaty overcrowded dust bucket, paid 100 Ringgit and picked it up the next day.

[dog412]

do you mean that you received a "30 day tourist visa", or that thai immigration mistakenly stamped your entry for 30 days instead of 60 days?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

do you mean that you received a "30 day tourist visa", or that thai immigration mistakenly stamped your entry for 30 days instead of 60 days?

That seems to be what he means. If he turns up at Immigration with his present attitude I reckon he won't achieve much.

[sweetbear]

I was just denied a non imm. B in KL. Seems that new paperwork requirements came in just this week. When you filled out the form did you request a 60 day tourist visa? Just a warning to others that KL may not be a great choice for visa issues at the moment...

Edited November 11, 2006 by sweetbear

[ovenman]

I just did a trip to KL for single entry tourist visa, after passing through immigration i checked my passport only to find to my horror that the surly cow had given me only a month to stay in the kingdom, i was of course expecting 2 with an option to extend for another month.

This is nothing new. You should always check your entry stamps before leaving the immigrations area as it's not unheard of for them to mis-stamp visa holders with the wrong date. I've never had any trouble getting a stamp corrected on-the-spot.

[lopburi3]

It would be helpful to know what passport nationality you are traveling with as not all receive 60 day entry on tourist visas. Some receive 30 days; which can be extended twice.

[pantagruel]

do you mean that you received a "30 day tourist visa", or that thai immigration mistakenly stamped your entry for 30 days instead of 60 days?

That seems to be what he means. If he turns up at Immigration with his present attitude I reckon he won't achieve much.

I take extreme umbrage to that remark my current attitude is merely a result of the lack of respect that not only i but thousands of others have received by condescending and haughty immigration officials, indeed i have met many who are courteous and so i treat them likewise but there are others who abuse their authority and treat tourists like school children by ordering them this way and that with a dictatorial air of arrogance and disdain.

This i believe was one such official.

I stated at the consulate in KL that i wished to stay for a period of 90 days. I am travelling on an Irish passport.

[pantagruel]

It would be helpful to know what passport nationality you are traveling with as not all receive 60 day entry on tourist visas. Some receive 30 days; which can be extended twice.

Thank you lopburi, a helpful reply. Do u think it possible that as an Irish passport holder i could get two extensions even though i believe i was entitled to 60 days on arrival.

[jayenram]

A colleague of mine here had a similar experience a few years ago. However, it came to pass that he hadn't entered his visa number on the TM 6 card so the immigration officer was unaware that he had a visa.

[lopburi3]

1. Visa is issued by Consulate under MFA and only allows a 60 day stay so if you said 90 days there may have been confusion; make sure you had a tourist visa and not a transit visa.

2. If it is a tourist visa would assume you should receive the 60 day stay with Irish passport but mistakes have been reported and are probably more common now with a 30 day stay normal for some. Always best to check before leaving airport and question if not right. Believe they can still correct at immigration but not sure where the office is located now (used to be in front entry area).

[Ned]

A friend of mine flew into Chiang Mai from Vientiane with a fresh Tourist Visa and only later noticed he'd been given only 30 days. Went down to Immigration where they saw the mistake and they sent him over to immigration at the airport where the mistake was made. They gave him the 60 days he'd paid for in Vientiane. No problem...but he's a cool headed customer.

[tropo]

A friend of mine flew into Chiang Mai from Vientiane with a fresh Tourist Visa and only later noticed he'd been given only 30 days. Went down to Immigration where they saw the mistake and they sent him over to immigration at the airport where the mistake was made. They gave him the 60 days he'd paid for in Vientiane. No problem...but he's a cool headed customer.

I hope you guys are correct on this one and that it was merely an error/oversight by the Immigration Officer at the airport.

I think it would be a good suggestion for everyone that comes in on a tourist visa (apart from being sure to write down the visa number on the entry card) make sure that the Immigration Official that is checking your passport does actually see the tourist visa. In a cluttered/full passport, it's understandable that it might not be easy to find.

[h5n1]

im of the belief that the 'hippies' are actual tourist and more inclined to be given more time (than 'types' like yourself). it seems pretty clear by now that thailand does not want us.

wake up and smell the coffee friend.

sorry about the 30 days though. i think you were mis-stamped @ border and YOU did not check it!! do yourself a favor and write it of to laziness, youll never get this 'corrected' by immigration imo.

i think the rp and cambo will become very appealing in future.

Edited November 11, 2006 by h5n1

[sriracha john]

A friend of mine flew into Chiang Mai from Vientiane with a fresh Tourist Visa and only later noticed he'd been given only 30 days. Went down to Immigration where they saw the mistake and they sent him over to immigration at the airport where the mistake was made. They gave him the 60 days he'd paid for in Vientiane. No problem...but he's a cool headed customer.

I hope you guys are correct on this one and that it was merely an error/oversight by the Immigration Officer at the airport.

thaivisa is chock full of incidents occuring exactly in that manner.. with the obligatory posted reminder after each one for everyone to check their stamps PRIOR to exiting the immigration area.

[tropo]

thaivisa is chock full of incidents occuring exactly in that manner.. with the obligatory posted reminder after each one for everyone to check their stamps PRIOR to exiting the immigration area.

That's good to hear. Considering that a lot of us have not been on this forum forever, how about some practical advice from the extensive "incident" archive. Sometimes it would be helpful for "oldtimers" like yourself to offer useful information instead of "smart-ass" suggestions for us to search the entire archive in order to track down relevant information. Most threads include repeats of old information, so what must we do?

When one goes through the Immigration check, what exactly should one do? Should one rush back and butt in, in an attempt to communicate with the officer that just stamped one's passport hoping for a "fix", or must one go somewhere else?

Should one specifically point out (especially in a passport full of previous visas and stamps) one's tourist visa to eliminate the possibility of an "incident"?

Edited November 11, 2006 by tropo

[lung]

When one goes through the Immigration check, what exactly should one do? Should one rush back and butt in

and maybe get shooted because the officer is loosing face

[sriracha john]

thaivisa is chock full of incidents occuring exactly in that manner.. with the obligatory posted reminder after each one for everyone to check their stamps PRIOR to exiting the immigration area.

That's good to hear. Considering that a lot of us have not been on this forum forever, how about some practical advice from the extensive "incident" archive. Sometimes it would be helpful for "oldtimers" like yourself to offer useful information instead of "smart-ass" suggestions for us to search the entire archive in order to track down relevant information. Most threads include repeats of old information, so what must we do?

When one goes through the Immigration check, what exactly should one do? Should one rush back and butt in, in an attempt to communicate with the officer that just stamped one's passport hoping for a "fix", or must one go somewhere else?

Should one specifically point out (especially in a passport full of previous visas and stamps) one's tourist visa to eliminate the possibility of an "incident"?

let's cover something else first...

what would think if I were to respond with "I made a smart-ass suggestion because you asked a dumb-ass question."

Doesn't sound good, does it? If I were to respond like that, it would justifiably bother you, wouldn't it? You'd probably even feel like getting angry, correct?

For that reason, I would never respond like that.

In other words, why don't you rachet your language down several notches, ok? It makes for a more cordial exchange of information for everyone concerned.

If you hadn't read so much into my original reply, you'd see all I was doing was attempting to verify to you that those types of human errors (misdating an entry stamp) are a frequent occurence. By relating to you that it does happen often enough, there was no need for to feel so uneasy and you wouldn't have to "hope you guys are correct."

Now then, for a little "practical advice." Some common sense comes into play a great deal whenever you are unsure about a procedure or how to best handle a situation. In the case of an entry stamp being misdated, do you really think it would be wise and prudent to "rush back and butt in line?" You're right, it wouldn't be.

How about this for a common sense solution. When you are a counter getting stamped, when your passport gets handed back to you, quickly check the date stamped while you are still standing there right in front of the counter. It takes only a few seconds. You don't lose your place in line. You don't unnecessarily slow down or impede the flow of check-ins, and you don't have to "rush back and butt in line." As most people are doing just that, no one else in line would complain that you're holding up the line. People will understand the importance of it and most will do the exact same as you. How's that sound? Pretty good, huh? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and all that stuff, correct?

Now the second part. To facilitate the immigration official finding your visa in your passport, particularly if it's a thick one or heavily utilized one... take the arrival/departure card that you've previously filled out and use it as a bookmark to the page that visa is located on. Most immigration officers when they open a thick passport will look on that page that has the arrival/departure card stuck in. Of course, it's important that the arrival/departure card is filled out completely notating any visa.

I hope this helps you. I'd like to close by just saying that I there's nothing wrong with at least attempting to use the search function of this forum. There is an almost infinite encyclopedia of information available in the nearly one million posts here. Try out the search. Experiment with it. It actually works quite well and even now, I use it EVERY time I'm on thaivisa. I'll even throw in a tip that I find works better for me. In the options, I normally check "show results as posts" as opposed to the default "show results as topics."

Lastly, I can't emphasize enough.... that choice of words is very critical in a forum. As tone and emphasis is very difficult to judge in this format, it's best to try and limit how much you read into a post. Don't assign attitudes to someone that don't exist. Don't feel slighted or belittled if the words don't specifically say that... and above all, don't swear at someone or use derivise words like "jack-ass". Your time on thaivisa will be much more enjoyable.

If there's anything else I can do for you, please don't hesitate to ask.

Have the best of all possible Sundays and enjoy your time in Thailand.

[the pleiadian]

Those girls working at BKK airport immigration counters are mostly just young little girls. My friend knows one little girlfriend working at BKK airport very well. They are basically very low pay clerks. They make from 6500 as trainees to normal from 8000 to just over 10000 bahts a month for more seniors.

They are mostly from secondary colleges or technical colleges. So don't trust their working ability too much. They will make lots of mistakes like any low level Thai workers do, interchanging 15 day, 30 days, 60 day, 90 day stamps the whole day, they surely mess up all the time. So have to remember to check your dates if properly stamped. Remenber lots of these little girls work all night or from 5 in the morning, i am sure they are very sleepy when they are stamping.

Also as a little inside story, I and my German friend and his little BKK immigration girl and another young but fat colleague met up at the Slim RCA some nights ago. My friend's little immigration girlfriend said they were told about the new rules of 90 days in 180 days rule, but were not told anything about enforcement or how to enforce. So most of them do nothing, and some of them use their own creative method like use marker or make number ect on the new stamps, but she said there is no any tool to count the days at all in the future. And there is no auto counting program in the any computer. Her opinion seems its meaningless rule because there is no tool to enforce it or any serious intention to enforce it by immigration.

Hope this is good and comforting news for you visa trippers. Some direct stories from airport counter staff themselves. So it seems like all the worries about long stay or frequent stay on 30 day visa a little blown out of proportion on this forum. We will see if her prediction to come true next Jan. I personally think it will be defunct very soon. But It won't effect me anyways because I am in and out of Thailand every week, so too many stamps in passport to count anyways . And I am finishing my 6 months stay in Asia in Jan and moving on to my next 6 month in Brazil.

(by the way, my most familiar Brasil also has some similar rule as tourists can stay 180 days out of a year rule, but its never enforced, unless you are Bolivian, Peruvian, Argentinian, Colombian, Paraguyan or some other south Americans get caught in illegally working in Brasil)

My friend has invited his little airport cutie to bring a few more cute collegues to RCA later this week. Hope she brings some cuter ones this time, not like last time brought a fat collegue for me.

By the way, I was in Yanhee hospital fixing my teeth yesterday, and also did some face botox, many of these young nurses are so cute, I was amazed, and I find them very fond of meeting "nice" foriegn guys, easy to get numbers, I think i will make Yanhee my regular pick up points. . I am not too willing to share my personal findings on visa and Yanhee, but I will be gone from Asia in over a month, I won't need them anymore anyways, so I share them with you.

[tropo]

let's cover something else first...

what would think if I were to respond with "I made a smart-ass suggestion because you asked a dumb-ass question."

Doesn't sound good, does it? If I were to respond like that, it would justifiably bother you, wouldn't it? You'd probably even feel like getting angry, correct?

For that reason, I would never respond like that.

In other words, why don't you rachet your language down several notches, ok? It makes for a more cordial exchange of information for everyone concerned.

If you hadn't read so much into my original reply, you'd see all I was doing was attempting to verify to you that those types of human errors (misdating an entry stamp) are a frequent occurence. By relating to you that it does happen often enough, there was no need for to feel so uneasy and you wouldn't have to "hope you guys are correct."

Now then, for a little "practical advice." Some common sense comes into play a great deal whenever you are unsure about a procedure or how to best handle a situation. In the case of an entry stamp being misdated, do you really think it would be wise and prudent to "rush back and butt in line?" You're right, it wouldn't be.

How about this for a common sense solution. When you are a counter getting stamped, when your passport gets handed back to you, quickly check the date stamped while you are still standing there right in front of the counter. It takes only a few seconds. You don't lose your place in line. You don't unnecessarily slow down or impede the flow of check-ins, and you don't have to "rush back and butt in line." As most people are doing just that, no one else in line would complain that you're holding up the line. People will understand the importance of it and most will do the exact same as you. How's that sound? Pretty good, huh? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and all that stuff, correct?

Now the second part. To facilitate the immigration official finding your visa in your passport, particularly if it's a thick one or heavily utilized one... take the arrival/departure card that you've previously filled out and use it as a bookmark to the page that visa is located on. Most immigration officers when they open a thick passport will look on that page that has the arrival/departure card stuck in. Of course, it's important that the arrival/departure card is filled out completely notating any visa.

I hope this helps you. I'd like to close by just saying that I there's nothing wrong with at least attempting to use the search function of this forum. There is an almost infinite encyclopedia of information available in the nearly one million posts here. Try out the search. Experiment with it. It actually works quite well and even now, I use it EVERY time I'm on thaivisa. I'll even throw in a tip that I find works better for me. In the options, I normally check "show results as posts" as opposed to the default "show results as topics."

Lastly, I can't emphasize enough.... that choice of words is very critical in a forum. As tone and emphasis is very difficult to judge in this format, it's best to try and limit how much you read into a post. Don't assign attitudes to someone that don't exist. Don't feel slighted or belittled if the words don't specifically say that... and above all, don't swear at someone or use derivise words like "jack-ass". Your time on thaivisa will be much more enjoyable.

If there's anything else I can do for you, please don't hesitate to ask.

Have the best of all possible Sundays and enjoy your time in Thailand.

Thank you for adding some practical advice on what is the best course of action to take when the incorrect stamp has possibly been given.

Personally I would feel uncomfortable standing next to the immigration booth (or holding it up) while looking for my stamp and if it was wrong trying to approach the officer who by that time will be attending to the next person in line. I would prefer to take the matter to another area if that were possible. Is that possible?

I understand that this forum has an advanced search function, but considering the rapid changes to visa regulations and enforcement thereof, I would not use it to obtain visa information, especially post October 1. I keep a close eye on all new posts in this section, and on occasion an older member will indicate some appropriate historical precedents such as you did in this thread. That works fine for me, and thanks for your input.

I'm sorry if you (and a moderator) took offense to my terminology. I'm active on several more animated forums and I've inappropriately carried it over to this forum. I shall endeavour to "rachet" my language down a few notches.

Edited November 11, 2006 by tropo

[aussiestyle1983]

let's cover something else first...

what would think if I were to respond with "I made a smart-ass suggestion because you asked a dumb-ass question."

Doesn't sound good, does it? If I were to respond like that, it would justifiably bother you, wouldn't it? You'd probably even feel like getting angry, correct?

For that reason, I would never respond like that.

In other words, why don't you rachet your language down several notches, ok? It makes for a more cordial exchange of information for everyone concerned.

If you hadn't read so much into my original reply, you'd see all I was doing was attempting to verify to you that those types of human errors (misdating an entry stamp) are a frequent occurence. By relating to you that it does happen often enough, there was no need for to feel so uneasy and you wouldn't have to "hope you guys are correct."

Now then, for a little "practical advice." Some common sense comes into play a great deal whenever you are unsure about a procedure or how to best handle a situation. In the case of an entry stamp being misdated, do you really think it would be wise and prudent to "rush back and butt in line?" You're right, it wouldn't be.

How about this for a common sense solution. When you are a counter getting stamped, when your passport gets handed back to you, quickly check the date stamped while you are still standing there right in front of the counter. It takes only a few seconds. You don't lose your place in line. You don't unnecessarily slow down or impede the flow of check-ins, and you don't have to "rush back and butt in line." As most people are doing just that, no one else in line would complain that you're holding up the line. People will understand the importance of it and most will do the exact same as you. How's that sound? Pretty good, huh? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and all that stuff, correct?

Now the second part. To facilitate the immigration official finding your visa in your passport, particularly if it's a thick one or heavily utilized one... take the arrival/departure card that you've previously filled out and use it as a bookmark to the page that visa is located on. Most immigration officers when they open a thick passport will look on that page that has the arrival/departure card stuck in. Of course, it's important that the arrival/departure card is filled out completely notating any visa.

I hope this helps you. I'd like to close by just saying that I there's nothing wrong with at least attempting to use the search function of this forum. There is an almost infinite encyclopedia of information available in the nearly one million posts here. Try out the search. Experiment with it. It actually works quite well and even now, I use it EVERY time I'm on thaivisa. I'll even throw in a tip that I find works better for me. In the options, I normally check "show results as posts" as opposed to the default "show results as topics."

Lastly, I can't emphasize enough.... that choice of words is very critical in a forum. As tone and emphasis is very difficult to judge in this format, it's best to try and limit how much you read into a post. Don't assign attitudes to someone that don't exist. Don't feel slighted or belittled if the words don't specifically say that... and above all, don't swear at someone or use derivise words like "jack-ass". Your time on thaivisa will be much more enjoyable.

If there's anything else I can do for you, please don't hesitate to ask.

Have the best of all possible Sundays and enjoy your time in Thailand.

Thank you for adding some practical advice on what is the best course of action to take when the incorrect stamp has possibly been given.

Personally I would feel uncomfortable standing next to the immigration booth (or holding it up) while looking for my stamp and if it was wrong trying to approach the officer who by that time will be attending to the next person in line. I would prefer to take the matter to another area if that were possible. Is that possible?

I would also feel un-comfortable checking my entry stamp right there in from of the immigration officer. This could also make the immigration officer loose face if they think you are checking their work. I usually move just past the window when I check my stamp, and always the next person in the line gets served and the immigration officer usually doesnt notice me checking their work. If I were to find a mistake, i would simply get the officers attention and point it out to them as they were the one to make the mistake and they could fix it on the spot, if not, they could tell me where to go.

The only time i recieved the wrong stamp was on a 90 day visa run to Poi Pet. The officer stamped my passport and then handed it back to me. Before I could grab it, he pulled it back in again and started going through it, I thought i had a problem untill I saw him automatically changing the dates and signing his corrections in my passport and on my departure card. I then realised he stamped me in for 30 in stead of 90 days. He must of realised he made a mistake before handing my passport back, how strange. I cant say I blame him for the mistake as he was proably tired and at poi pet he would be use to just giving 30 days stamps to visa runners. But the mistake was fixed at the window on the spot without any problems.

I wonder what action would of happened if I were to notice the mistake at a later time.......

[dsfbrit]

So it seems like all the worries about long stay or frequent stay on 30 day visa a little blown out of proportion on this forum. By the way, I was in

Interesting post, especially the part about the computers at the airport not set up to handle counting days. Are you sure about that?

The bit that really made me smile though is highlighted above.

I am not trying to attack forum members I assure you, but when I read some of the attitudes expressed on TV forum then leave the little room in my house with my computer and go out into the 'real world' of Thailand - I sometimes wonder if we are discussing the same country??