Blocked at Poi Pet, nabbed at DMK... Now time for a SETV?

[Kindnessisachoice]

Hi all,

I'm doing my degree in Phnom Phen and enjoyed my trips to Thailand by bus and without visa , a couple of times in a month, in the last 10 months.

I was suddenly blocked at Poi Pet then. They told me they could not let me in because their system blocked me. There was no room for negotiation.

Since they told me I must enter Thailand by air next time, I just flew in. What happened to me? I.Os in Don Muang nabbed me for 20 mins before they let me enter.

 

I think I had enough maltreatment... I'm just a legit and humble (middle-aged) student who wish to spend every possible holidays (including longer weekends) in Bangkok "throughout a year". What's wrong with visiting Thailand frequently as a tourist when I am studying in Cambodia? Every time my stay is 4-5 days and I am not working in Thailand.

Although no I.O has ever advised me to do so, I started considering to obtain a SETV(for 60 plus 30 days, I will obtain a multiple re-entry permission). I know tourist visas cannot cover a full year, but I don't think of any other doable option at the moment.

 

So here's my questions: if I get a SETV, can I just cross the land borders between Thailand and Cambodia, or will I be continuously blocked ? If I can prove my student status and show THB20,000 in cash at the airport, will I be continuously allowed to enter Thailand by air without visa?

 

Thanks!

Edited November 7, 2016 by Kindnessisachoice
Added sentences I forgot to put.

[jethro69]

SETV's will become a costly affair for just spending a couple of days. On the other hand you might be able to get 2 or 3, and then they will not issue them anymore. I would inquire with the consulate if you can get METV. If the Thais don't want your money, prepare yourself to spend it elsewhere.

[ubonjoe]

Entering at border crossing for will continue to be a problem. You probably would have less problems at different crossing than Poi Pet.

If you got a single entry tourist visa you could get more than one entry from it by getting a re-entry permit at immigration to keep the remainder of your 60 day entry valid for additional entries. You could also get a re-entry permit for the 30 day extension of the 60 day entry. A single re-entry permit costs 1000 baht and a multiple 3800 baht.

Don Mueang is not the best airport to fly into. They have a history of denying people entry or being questioned for no good reason. If you flew in Suvarnabhumi there would be less chance of having a problem.

Having 20k baht and proof you are attending a University in Cambodia would help if questioned about what you are doing.

 

[OMGImInPattaya]

I think your story of doing a degree in Phnom Penh threw them as the city is not know as the Cambridge of Asia.

[JackThompson]

1 hour ago, Kindnessisachoice said:

I'm doing my degree in Phnom Phen...

 

Do you have legal residence in Cambodia?  If so, it might be possible to get a multi-entry Tourist Visa (METV) there.  Only citizens and legal-residents of a country can obtain METVs at a Thai consulate in that country. 

 

I am not aware of anyone reporting doing this successfully as a student.  I considered getting a yr-visa, work-permit, and permanent-address there to qualify for that - but, for now, I just rotate consulates for SETVs.

 

Otherwise, after every 3 SETV visas from the Phnom Penh consulate, they will say "no more."  Perhaps they would make an exception and allow more for you, since you can show you are a current-student in Phnom Penh - but you'd need to ask about that possibility.  If not, after 3, you would either need to get a new passport to allow for application for more SETVs in Phnom Penh, or obtain your next SETVs from other Thai consulates - Laos and Vietnam probably being the least-inconvenient to your home-base. 

Edited November 7, 2016 by JackThompson

[bokningar]

You should contact TAT and ask for help

If you come this often you make their statistic's look better 

[Kindnessisachoice]

Thank you all very much for your kind advice!

So many useful info to know, like I'd better avoid Poi Pet and Don Muang, I can get max 3 SETVs from Thai Consulate in Phnom Penh, then try Vientiane.

 

It seems I am qualified to apply for a METV as well and it's more cost-effective if I am successful. I noticed foreigners cannot apply for METV in Phnom Penh unless you have a permanent residency of Cambodia, which means you must be a K-visa holder. It doesn't bother me because I can do it in Hong Kong if I really need a METV.

 

 One sad thing is entering from Suvarnabhumi Airport would affect my budget badly. I'm a loyal customer of Airasia and I wanted to use Airasia's ASEAN Pass to enter Thailand frequently (theoretically I could fly PNH-DMK-PNH, REP-DMK-REP, SGN-DMK-SGN then 4 legs in Thailand in 1 month = USD160 plus tax. ).

[BritTim]

Your experience shows that the crackdown on those living long term in Thailand on tourist entries is affecting some genuine tourists. I think you are a good candidate for the METV, and would suggest that if you can meet the requirements. Otherwise, frequent trips to Thailand may just be more trouble than they are worth. If you have Thai friends you want to spend the weekend with, maybe arrange to meet them in Siep Reap instead.

[JackThompson]

3 minutes ago, Kindnessisachoice said:

Thank you all very much for your kind advice!

So many useful info to know, like I'd better avoid Poi Pet and Don Muang, ..

 One sad thing is entering from Suvarnabhumi Airport would affect my budget badly. I'm a loyal customer of Airasia...

 

Though I do not fly in, I do not recall others being denied entry at Don Muang with valid Tourist Visas. 

 

Your issue there was due to using multiple Visa-Exempts.  You should not have had an issue, if the system was programmed to take into account your short stays, but ...  they have now been made essentially non-useable for anyone who comes to Thailand frequently.

 

As to Poi Pet - yes, I have been questioned there on exit - even when only using SETVs.  It seems to be the border-point with the highest level of "issues."

[hawker9000]

Might it just not be that he's tripped the trigger WRT visa exempt entries, and an SETV now & then will break up that pattern and allow him to continue doing what he's been doing?  When he says "the system blocked me", it just sounds like the flag that comes up on immigration computers after that magic number of visa-exempt entries - whatever it is - has been reached.  The same flag would've appeared no matter where he entered.  What varies is how IOs at different locations handle it.  Poi Pet apparently said "no way".  DM apparently took him aside, but did let him in.  Suv maybe would've done nothing.

Edited November 8, 2016 by hawker9000

[Asiang]

19 hours ago, OMGImInPattaya said:

I think your story of doing a degree in Phnom Penh threw them as the city is not know as the Cambridge of Asia.

 

 

Exactly ! hahaha, what kind of degree people can get in Cambodia ? hahaha...

[Thaidream]

Whether he is doing a degree or not in Cambodia should have no bearing on the way he enters and the amount of time he enters as his trips show he is not a 'border runner' but a genuine tourist. The  fact that there are different interpretations used at Poipet Border; Don Muang and Suv tell me that the system is broken and that in the end the country will lose revenue because genuine tourists are being hassled. The Op is already irritated at the constant questioning when it it is evident by his entries and exits that he is not a person residing in Thailand on entry stamps. All the IOs have to do is open their eyes and look at his passport or the computer. To keep officialdom off his back the SETV or METV will work.

[Our Man in the Tropics]

Just on the mention of OP Kindnessisachoice's degree studies in Phnom Phen, Cambodia, I would greatly appreciate knowing from them, & indeed from other posters also,  personally about this education opportunity :

incl.

1.

possible universities

2.

recommended universities

3.

costs

4.

duration of course studies

5.

attendance options ;

5.1

Part-Time ?

5.2

Full-Time ?

5.3

Distance-learning by

5.3.1

hardcopy correspondence ?

& / or

5.3.2

online correspondence ?

6.

choice of particular degree

7.

language medium

8.

pre-conditions imposed on prospective Falang student

9.

overall standard of the teaching

10.

student-student interaction experience

11.

typical percentage, or number, of Falangs in such a course

12.

overall impression of this education experience

 

Short answers per each element are fine.

 

Thanking you in advance,

 

Out Man in the Tropics

[NoshowJones]

21 hours ago, jethro69 said:

SETV's will become a costly affair for just spending a couple of days. On the other hand you might be able to get 2 or 3, and then they will not issue them anymore. I would inquire with the consulate if you can get METV. If the Thais don't want your money, prepare yourself to spend it elsewhere.

Another would be "guest" having hassle with Thai immigration. they should be tracking down illegals, and those working without work permits, catching them and punishing them, and the people who employ them, and it will soon stop.

Instead, they are hassling decent people who want to come to Thailand, even if it is a few short trips and contribute to their economy.

The people who are employing these illegal workers are probably doing a bit of palm greasing, and so it just goes on and on.

[bangon04]

If the OP is visiting as a genuine tourist, for a few days at a time, and following the rules, then he should be just the sort of repeat visitor that the TAT needs for their wonderful statistics.

 

Can the IOs not count? Does the computer count only stamps, not days? They used to have a 180 day rule but it does not sound as though the OP is coming close to infringing this.

 

Farce....