Got questioned at Chiang Mai Airport and told can not come back without visa

[NancyL]

I've never understood the logic of telling someone who wants to create the impression that they're here as a tourist that they should have a Thai bank account.  Doesn't that just confirm that they're not a tourist, that they're really living here?  

 

Incidentally, OP -- the correct term for the entries you've been using is "visa exempt", not VOA or visa on arrival.  Citizens from just a few countries can obtain VOAs and Germany isn't one of them.  Believe me, you don't want a VOA -- they're valid for just 15 days, cost 1000 baht and you can't file for an extension.  You're fortunate that Germany is one of the countries eligible for visa exempt entry.

[Ronuk]

23 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

You are just saying what I have said in some of my recent posts, the under fifties who don't want to get married, need some more

assistance from Thailand Immigration, there are a lot of quality people among them who want to stay in Thailand long time and

make good contributions to their economy.

The TE visa is there for the under 50's who want to stay long term and have no wish to get married. It's a government led programme so they have  been given the option. It just isn't free but if as you say, younger people want to stay long term and make good contributions to the Thai economy, they shouldn't be too put off by the cost. As they say, 'you can't have your cake and eat it'

Very few countries offer the visa options that Thailand does.

[bkkcanuck8]

3 minutes ago, NancyL said:

I've never understood the logic of telling someone who wants to create the impression that they're here as a tourist that they should have a Thai bank account.  Doesn't that just confirm that they're not a tourist, that they're really living here?  

 

Incidentally, OP -- the correct term for the entries you've been using is "visa exempt", not VOA or visa on arrival.  Citizens from just a few countries can obtain VOAs and Germany isn't one of them.  Believe me, you don't want a VOA -- they're valid for just 15 days, cost 1000 baht and you can't file for an extension.  You're fortunate that Germany is one of the countries eligible for visa exempt entry.

 

I have known many visitors (especially if they visited annually) to Canada that opened up a bank account to put their money.  Constantly using foreign credit cards or bank cards can make it more difficult to reconcile - and quite often is more expensive.  Walking around with 3 to 6 months worth of cash - is not exactly the most prudent thing to do.   Using your credit card freely in many countries will get you into problems with having to deal with fraudulent charges, making a report to the bank (in some countries a police report) and then waiting for 3+ weeks for a new credit card... etc. etc. etc.   I may be one of the few that prefers doing everything in cash -- and opening bank accounts is easier and cheaper than carrying a wad of cash - easier and cheaper than travelers cheques.  You will get a better conversion rate for large deposits, no massive withdrawal fees etc.

[NoshowJones]

5 minutes ago, Ronuk said:

The TE visa is there for the under 50's who want to stay long term and have no wish to get married. It's a government led programme so they have  been given the option. It just isn't free but if as you say, younger people want to stay long term and make good contributions to the Thai economy, they shouldn't be too put off by the cost. As they say, 'you can't have your cake and eat it'

Very few countries offer the visa options that Thailand does.

The TE visa is very expensive and at the end of the five years you get nothing in return, and as far as I know

there is still this ridiculous 90 day reporting, I am not interested in what other countries do, but if you want to

mention other countries, does the Philipines not allow Westerners who marry Philipina girls, live in the Philipines

without all the hassle they would get in Thailand?

 

[Ronuk]

17 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

The TE visa is very expensive and at the end of the five years you get nothing in return, and as far as I know

there is still this ridiculous 90 day reporting, I am not interested in what other countries do, but if you want to

mention other countries, does the Philipines not allow Westerners who marry Philipina girls, live in the Philipines

without all the hassle they would get in Thailand?

 

Then there is a further choice. Move to the Philippines or stay here in Thailand with all its faults and expense. If you consider it bad here now, you may want to consider what could be in the pipeline in the next 12 months. 

Personally, I am quite happy here. I have absolutely zero complaints. 

I also happen to think the TE program is the best idea the Thai Government and immigration have ever come come up with for those of us that want to stay long term. And yes, I am more than old enough to get a retirement extension but prefer to use the TE option. I am left alone and nobody bothers me. As for the 90 day report, I really couldn't care less about it either way. I actually see it as something else for people to moan about.

In fact, the only thing I see wrong in this country is the amount of ex pats and visa runners moaning about it.

If I wasn't happy living here and felt hard done by about how things are done, I'd get out.

[NoshowJones]

2 minutes ago, Ronuk said:

Then there is a further choice. Move to the Philippines or stay here in Thailand with all its faults and expense. If you consider it bad here now, you may want to consider what could be in the pipeline in the next 12 months. 

Personally, I am quite happy here. I have absolutely zero complaints. 

I also happen to think the TE program is the best idea the Thai Government and immigration have ever come come up with for those of us that want to stay long term. And yes, I am more than old enough to get a retirement extension but prefer to use the TE option. I am left alone and nobody bothers me. As for the 90 day report, I really couldn't care less about it either way. I actually see it as something else for people to moan about.

In fact, the only thing I see wrong in this country is the amount of ex pats and visa runners moaning about it.

If I wasn't happy living here and felt hard done by about how things are done, I'd get out.

I am very happy living here as the good far outweighs the bad compared to the UK, but Thailand still makes us jump through too many unnecessary hoops.

They must lose a lot of quality tourists and people who want to live here for good.

[bkkcanuck8]

9 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

I am very happy living here as the good far outweighs the bad compared to the UK, but Thailand still makes us jump through too many unnecessary hoops.

They must lose a lot of quality tourists and people who want to live here for good.

 

I have no doubt that there are opposing interests at play here, so yes they want people to visit and spend money -- especially those running small businesses or are in tourist related industries.... but then there are many "elite" (HiSo) Thais that have little interaction with foreigners and don't quite like us generally speaking.   As far as they are concerned we foreign influence to areas like Issan and cause many problems with our western influence (i.e. the wrong people getting uppity).  On average we are poorly mannered and grating on many nerves.   It is in the interest for business operators that have lots of business from tourists and bringing more of them in is their interest.   The higher you go in the food chain the more they would actually prefer to see less tourists and less western influence -- and they feel that encouraging this level of tourism is not in their interest.   IMHO, Right now the pendulum of influence at the higher level is more interest in getting control of the situation and reducing the western influence. As such I can only see an increasing number of hoops being introduced for the next several years.  I do not foresee any point where it pushes back to a more relaxed situation.... just maybe hopefully reaching a point where they just halt the progression of introducing more hoops.

[NoshowJones]

Yes, this is a very interesting post, and I agree entirely. We are not wanted here, only tolerated for

what we bring to the Thai economy.

[Thingamabob]

Well, what are you doing here ? Just answer the question put to you and move on.

[Thingamabob]

Well, what are you doing here ? Just answer the question and move on.

[Ronuk]

1 hour ago, bkkcanuck8 said:

 

I have no doubt that there are opposing interests at play here, so yes they want people to visit and spend money -- especially those running small businesses or are in tourist related industries.... but then there are many "elite" (HiSo) Thais that have little interaction with foreigners and don't quite like us generally speaking.   As far as they are concerned we foreign influence to areas like Issan and cause many problems with our western influence (i.e. the wrong people getting uppity).  On average we are poorly mannered and grating on many nerves.   It is in the interest for business operators that have lots of business from tourists and bringing more of them in is their interest.   The higher you go in the food chain the more they would actually prefer to see less tourists and less western influence -- and they feel that encouraging this level of tourism is not in their interest.   IMHO, Right now the pendulum of influence at the higher level is more interest in getting control of the situation and reducing the western influence. As such I can only see an increasing number of hoops being introduced for the next several years.  I do not foresee any point where it pushes back to a more relaxed situation.... just maybe hopefully reaching a point where they just halt the progression of introducing more hoops.

I for one, sincerely hope they do reduce the western influence. That is why I came here. The west and it's Tourism particularly, has ruined everything it has touched.

Yes it brought money in but did it really make life better for the country's people? I wish we could go back 25 years when the locals really were truly happy to see us.

Then again, you only need to get away from Tourist areas and things are a whole lot different.

I have just come back to Bangkok from 5 days in Ban Amphur and needed to go into Pattaya for the first time in 18 years yesterday.

I haven't missed anything I can tell you that. I was shocked how somewhere could go so far down the pan in 18 years.

[ubonjoe]

Topic closed at OP's request.