Andaman Club Pier Ranong Asked for Tea Money having NonO Multi

[bangarang]

Hey guys,

 

I just wanted to share the experience I just had to prepare any other fellow travelers. This morning I went to the Andaman club pier to catch the first boat to do a visa run. I have been doing the Ranong visa run for the past 5 years without incident. I have a Multi Non O family visa. The guy told me that I cannot do visa run anymore because I do too much I think. It was a bit hard to understand his english but it seems like he was making excuses. Another american on some other type of visa had no issue at the same time while my guy was explaining that I could not do a visa run. He stated its the law for many years, blah blah blah... as I have been doing this for 5 years this just seemed strange. But the girl in the black tshirt which I think is his assistant pulled me a side and not directly but pretty much told me to put money in my passport as he would accept this time. I was shocked but she said " up to you" as to how much to put in. I just put in 1,000thb and went on my way because I made a whole trip to travel with family and my stamp expired the following day.

 

I dont know if anyone has had any similar experiences lately or if I was singled out for this because I was early and they thought a lone foreigner at the time was easy to extort but I just wanted to warn you all that this did just happen at this point so be aware. 

 

Also, if any of you have any advice for the future as this is the first time I had ever been in a position to give tea money. Do I have my wife report this? Anything I should do or just move along. I know this is Thailand and I know this stuff happens but this extortion is so dirty especially since I had a proper family visa.

 

Cheers!

 

 

[BritTim]

If you put 1,000 baht in your passport, they will remember you, and you are a marked man, and expected to be similarly generous in the future. If you had stood your ground they would have backed down, but it might have taken an hour or more and been rather stressful. 100 baht would have avoided the hassle and made you less of a future target.

[Maestro]

An immigration officer has no authority to stop a foreigner from leaving Thailand and refuse him the departure stamp in his passport unless he has a valid reason to arrest the foreigner. In your case, a call to the immigration hotline 1178 would have got him sorted out.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

[bangarang]

Thanks for the replies. Yeah I know 1,000 would be too high but like I mentioned it was the first time in 5 years this has happened so I really had no idea. But thanks for the advice on a MUCH lower amount. I thought 100 would be offensive but I know that I can go much lower in the future. Not sure if I will be marked as you say for the future because I will have to go Laos next time in 5months, so I figure I wouldnt be back to Ranong Immigration for 8-10mo so im sure its fine and its a 1-off time thing but at least I have the info for next time.

 

Also thanks for the #1178 immigration hotline. I will definitely give a call next time if that happens. I really had no idea who I could call about the situation but I will keep it handy for next time. Yeah it seemed really bizarre why I couldn't leave.

Thanks guys for the backup advice for the future. Thats why I try to help out posting my experiences so at least you know that there is a guy there doing this and you guys offer some advice. Nice that we all help each other in a place that tries to take advantage of us at every moment possible.

Cheers!

[gravity101]

Interesting post, I also did a run on Monday via Andaman Ranong, and i'll share my experience, cause something has changed. And i dont think its tea money related.

 

Upon leaving, there was an unusual grumbling coming from the big fat guy, who called in the pretty lady in uniform, i'm sure those who've been have noticed her. I was stamped out ok, but she wanted to chat with me, so she took me to one side. I have known her face for a couple of year, I think she remembers mine, as she met my wife and interacted with my baby once.

 

Bear in mind, this lady speaks fluent English, there is no room for miscommunication here. She said to me,  that I can no longer come here to do a visa run, as they will not be accepting ANY visa runs from January 1st (My next visa run will be February). I have a NON-O multiple (dependency), and she said you have to convert this to 90 day extensions in Phuket. I told her i don't like doing it this way, as its crazy busy in Phuket immigration to setup and do 90 day reporting there as well as get the re-entry permit. She laughed. But said this: From January 1st, you cannot do any more land border visa runs. I said, oh i like doing that here, and she said, no not just here, ANY land border run in Thailand, but an airport is still ok. I was taken aback, so quizzed her more, and she was very adamant, that from January 1st, there will be no more land visa runs allowed, even NON-B (I asked her specifically this twice, and she was well aware of the requirements on capital and staff levels to allow some non-b holders to do 90 day reporting as apposed to 90 day visa runs). She said, you have to get 400k into a bank account or show a pension (she laughs again, knowing i'm not old enough for that) and set up the 90 day reporting. If this was some elaborate shakedown, it has to be the worst ive ever come across, she is a very nice lady who seems very genuine.

 

So on my return from the Andaman club, i asked to talk to her again after i was stamped in. She confirmed the same thing again, so i asked her, if she had any documentation on this. She duly went and got a 6 page document, in thai, and started to translate and transcribe for me the part I was interested in. Sure enough, she transcribed it, as she had told me earlier. No Visa runs over Land borders from January 1st and (interestingly) that they have the discretion until January 1st to enforce the change (This may fit into the OP post on being fleeced because they now have the power to be selective until January 1st) This document was dated 21 July (Thai script.. I asked) and takes effect 1st Jan 2017 (I saw), she wouldn't let me take a photo of it though. The document came from the Immigration Commission. We chatted for quite a bit, as it was interesting, and I asked her why, she said she didn't know. I asked her, why do you think, she said, I think because they want to verify every 3 months that you are still eligible for the visa you have, which we cant do here, she gestured to the poster on Good guys in, Bad guys out.

 

While I appreciate the nonsense info we all get, i certainly believed her, that she believed this to be a matter of fact. The document of course could have said anything, but i didn't see her making anything up while translating it while running her finger across the section i was interested in.

 

Take this as you read it. I'm only giving my factual experience this week.

[BritTim]

As you describe it, I can well believe she was sincere in what she was telling you. That said, I will be very surprised if this affects all land borders comes January 1st with no prior announcement. I do believe this could apply to all border posts between Thailand and Myanmar. They have a nasty habit of introducing changes without prior warning. It is a great shame that we do not know who sent this document outlining new rules.

[gravity101]

A good point, I could have interpreted any land border to mean all, when in fact she could have meant only Burma. Although, she qualified in the discussion, that if i didn't want to convert to 90 day reporting, i would have to 'use an airport' for the next time.

 

I wonder what the actual implications would be if they stopped out-in border runs? Seasonal workers whose employers might not have the ability to offer the paperwork for a one year 90 day local reporting would be effected, that's easily fixed by reducing the requirements for that or abolishing that all together and allow everyone to do 90 day reporting. We have to show money and other docs anyway to get the visa, so i cant imagine its that much of an upheaval to convert to 90 day reporting for most? can see the advantages to them, centralized reporting, higher degree of vetting, less room for corruption etc. By the way, the document was from the Thailand Immigration Commissioner, or his/her office, she pointed that out.

[FritsSikkink]

". Do I have my wife report this?" no, after 5 years you should be able to do that yourself

[BritTim]

5 hours ago, gravity101 said:

A good point, I could have interpreted any land border to mean all, when in fact she could have meant only Burma. Although, she qualified in the discussion, that if i didn't want to convert to 90 day reporting, i would have to 'use an airport' for the next time.

 

I wonder what the actual implications would be if they stopped out-in border runs? Seasonal workers whose employers might not have the ability to offer the paperwork for a one year 90 day local reporting would be effected, that's easily fixed by reducing the requirements for that or abolishing that all together and allow everyone to do 90 day reporting. We have to show money and other docs anyway to get the visa, so i cant imagine its that much of an upheaval to convert to 90 day reporting for most? can see the advantages to them, centralized reporting, higher degree of vetting, less room for corruption etc. By the way, the document was from the Thailand Immigration Commissioner, or his/her office, she pointed that out.

 

There is a separate commissioner for each police region, as I recall, so this may be a new regional policy. I believe a new national policy would likely come from the Minster or Director General. Not sure, though.

[4evermaat]

I had my friend and 2 or 3 of his family members cross the Andaman Club border on appx 24th or so Dec 2016.  He had non-o multiple, his family had VE entries from an airport.   He reported no problems or strange comments from Thai immigration for any of them.  (USA passports, drove themselves)

 

edit.  I just remembered I also had 2 people do Andaman runs in the first week of Jan, 2017.  One from Singapore and the other from some EU country.   Also no problems (went with visa run tour).

 

But earlier (around Nov, 2016; perhaps the time of this OP), there was another friend who was attempted his 2nd Visa Exempt entry back to back from Andaman Club.  He got a short lecture on the need to go to laos to get a visa.  And put a couple of white looking notes in his passport in before being stamped out.

 

The only problem I've ever heard of people actually being denied exit was during the VE crackdown back in Mar/May 2014.  It was anyone over 3 back-to-back and then it went down to any VEs were turned away at one point.  It just so happen I was 'between visas' and I was going to just do what everyone else was doing at the time; ended up just running to Penang. But it just suddenly went back to normal like a few weeks later.  

 

Especially if you do the run from FAME or Farang Bar in Chumphon, you will hear about any problems of people doing the run from staff there.  A good idea is to check with a border run company and see if there have been any recent problems.

 

I'm not saying it could never happen.  But I never seem to have an issue.  I usually go with a tour, but I intend to do it myself next time so I have more time to chillax at the buffet.

Edited February 9, 2017 by 4evermaat