Experience at PoiPet border yesterday

[PercyinOz]

Hi,

Had a bizarre experience entering Thailand at the PoiPet crossing yesterday which I am hoping someone can help me make sense off.

I have a Non-O based on Marriage, this is my 2nd such visa and it expires next Feb 2017.

I haven't bothered to get the 12 month extension by showing proof of funds as I am quite happy to leave the country every 3 months.

Anyway yesterday when coming back into Thailand the Border officer studiously studied every page of my passport over and over again and (her English was hard to understand) told me that in future I am not to come across the border at PoiPet as I will "get blocked on the system"

I tried to clarify what she mean't and one of her colleagues explained it is fine if I fly out of the country and come back in via an airport. But that I shouldn't come across the land border.

I was a bit surprised as normally I do fly out of the country and this was only the 3rd time in 21 months that I crossed the border at PoiPet.

Has anyone else had any similar experience and can shed light on this?

Thanks in advance,

Michael

[ubonjoe]

Something strange is going on at Poi Pet.

A post here from yesterday from a member who was not allow to leave the country at Poi Pet with a valid multiple entry non-o.

No reports for other crossings about this happening.

When Poi Pet does things like this I tend to suspect they are trying to reduce their work load to discourage people from using the crossing.

[PercyinOz]

It was so busy exiting Poi Pet there yesterday (midday), took 2 hours from entering the building to get to the counter...not fun.

[ubonjoe]

10 minutes ago, PercyinOz said:

It was so busy exiting Poi Pet there yesterday (midday), took 2 hours from entering the building to get to the counter...not fun.

They are always busy on weekends. I think it is because most people are doing border runs because they are working (illegally ?) during the week.

I have sent an email to a visa run service that goes to Ban Laem to get to find out if they have heard anything about it.

[visarunner]

these are no visa runners, 99% Thai or Cambodians.

[elviajero]

Only time will tell if the two reports from Poipet are local policy or end up being national policy. As it is one of the borders regularly used for border hops it does raise a flag for me.

 

There is a definite move by Thai authorities to limit the issue of ME Non 'O' visas to limit, maybe stop, people living in Thailand using visas intended for people living abroad that frequently visit.

 

5 hours ago, PercyinOz said:

I haven't bothered to get the 12 month extension by showing proof of funds as I am quite happy to leave the country every 3 months.

IMO the reason you want the visa is the reason why the authorities appear to be clamping down on ME visas. It is crazy that foreigner 1 has to prove his financial standing to live in the country when his neighbour, foreigner 2, using a ME visa doesn't. I beleive it is yet another loophole that, as visitor/expats numbers increase, will get closed.

[Maestro]

Also I see a clear trend evolving here.

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[wobalt]

ME visa makes absolute sense to me as I has to travel out of the country at least two times per months. As my wife works overseas, traveling to many countries as well,it is not that easy to get an extension under the current conditions, independent from financial aspects.

[Chao Lao Beach]

So being married for 10 years living in Thailand with your Thai family, they still make you go out every 3 months, now by air.

[sandgroper2]

3 hours ago, Maestro said:

Also I see a clear trend evolving here.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Thaivisa Connect mobile app
 

Couldnt agree more. Its gunna happen sooner or later ,the writing is on the wall.

[ubonjoe]

20 minutes ago, Chao Lao Beach said:

So being married for 10 years living in Thailand with your Thai family, they still make you go out every 3 months, now by air.

Nobody makes a person go out every 90 days. It is their choice.

A person can apply for a one year extension of stay based upon marriage at immigration.

[muzmurray]

9 hours ago, elviajero said:

IMO the reason you want the visa is the reason why the authorities appear to be clamping down on ME visas. It is crazy that foreigner 1 has to prove his financial standing to live in the country when his neighbour, foreigner 2, using a ME visa doesn't. I beleive it is yet another loophole that, as visitor/expats numbers increase, will get closed.

Edited 9 hours ago by elviajero

 

Where is the "loophole" ? Visas and extensions of stay are two totally different beasts, each with their own application criteria.

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, Chao Lao Beach said:

So being married for 10 years living in Thailand with your Thai family, they still make you go out every 3 months, now by air.

 

I've been married over 25 years. Same for me, and the only place in the whole of SE Asia that I can get a multi-entry visa (and STILL have to leave every 90 days) is Savannakhet. Unless I want to keep a load of money in the bank which I don't have and don't need.They certainly have something against us whities supporting a Thai family. My friends and family overseas don't believe me when I tell them..

[darrendsd]

Post 5 reports a similar experience at Ranong recently, wonder if this is about to become a new rule, the poster was told from January 1st he could only do by his 90 day out/in by air

 

 

[Bullie]

12 hours ago, elviajero said:

Only time will tell if the two reports from Poipet are local policy or end up being national policy. As it is one of the borders regularly used for border hops it does raise a flag for me.

 

There is a definite move by Thai authorities to limit the issue of ME Non 'O' visas to limit, maybe stop, people living in Thailand using visas intended for people living abroad that frequently visit.

 

IMO the reason you want the visa is the reason why the authorities appear to be clamping down on ME visas. It is crazy that foreigner 1 has to prove his financial standing to live in the country when his neighbour, foreigner 2, using a ME visa doesn't. I beleive it is yet another loophole that, as visitor/expats numbers increase, will get closed.

I am one of the foreigner 2 types, and I certainly had to prove my financial standing to the tune of 20,000,- euro's in my bank account. Only difference is that I get to keep the monies in my home country.

[Mangostin]

17 hours ago, visarunner said:

these are no visa runners, 99% Thai or Cambodians.

 

They cannot be Thai, their life it's much easier and got their id's checked at the ground floor, while all the foreigners have to climb up the stairs and cue up on the first floor...

[Mangostin]

19 hours ago, PercyinOz said:

I am hoping someone can help me make sense off

I made already sense of it on another thread discussing Poipet, however, i noticed that my explanation had been deleted.

I think it as all got to do with the change of the boss, trying to shine up above the rest by cracking down the foreigners, no matter what, it's as easy as that

[Thaidream]

It appears to me that they are trying  to limit all  land border crossings to those who actually cross for actual tourism or business and force those who really live in Thailand for retirement or marriage to get extensions of stay annually so they can verify their continuing  eligibility.  The next step maybe at airports is  to start tracking and counselling people to get extensions. I wish the Imigration Department would put out some guidance. I find it hard to believe that after January if a person  has a multiple non O and wants to visit another country- they will deny exit or deny re entry. How can you deny entry to a person who has a valid visa without a specific reason although they can make it tough on the traveller and cause enough stress to curtail the border runs.

[JackThompson]

The solution is to use other crossings.  If you get caught in Poipet, and have a ME visa, just go on to Battambang, and back to Ban Laem. 

 

I use SETVs, and do not use Poipet any more - the wait-times were insane, so I do not miss it.  A shared-taxi from BanLaem to Battambang gets you back on track to Phnom Penh for the next Thai Visa, and avoids that long queue at Poipet.  My last departure at BanLaem was uneventful - the IO even smiled and was friendly.  This after getting interrogated (politely - credit where due) upon my last departure at Poipet.

 

If you take their advice, and they get you into an airport, they can send you all the way home if they choose - even if your 2nd choice for where you would live is Cambodia or the Philippines.  That is a very expensive and time-consuming punishment for someone who did everything legally / by the book.  We have seen them use the excuse of "insufficient funds" even when the person denied did have the funds, so there is nothing honest in that process - it is random-odds whose life will be impacted.  I stopped using airports for this reason.   I'm not playing immigration-roulette with my life, no matter what the "odds" are.

 

If I recall correctly, the Poipet border is where the shrine-bombing terrorists bribed their way in.  No doubt that crew got some harsh words.  Are they are now retaliating against innocent farangs?  Note what happened when the army shut down some "happy ending" massage parlors in Bangkok, and the local cops retaliated (for their loss of tea-money) by urine-testing random foreigners on the street - a practice that only stopped when it hit the foreign press.  This seems to be how it works - they do something wrong, and we pay for it.

[BritTim]

37 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

It appears to me that they are trying  to limit all  land border crossings to those who actually cross for actual tourism or business and force those who really live in Thailand for retirement or marriage to get extensions of stay annually so they can verify their continuing  eligibility.  The next step maybe at airports is  to start tracking and counselling people to get extensions. I wish the Imigration Department would put out some guidance. I find it hard to believe that after January if a person  has a multiple non O and wants to visit another country- they will deny exit or deny re entry. How can you deny entry to a person who has a valid visa without a specific reason although they can make it tough on the traveller and cause enough stress to curtail the border runs.

 

As long as multiple entry Non O visas are issued, there will be ways to use them. Possibly, in/out may have to be by air. Also, they might just stop issuing multiple entry Non Imm O visas altogether: highly inconvenient for some, disastrous for a few living here with their families on the breadline.

[ginjag]

4 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Nobody makes a person go out every 90 days. It is their choice.

A person can apply for a one year extension of stay based upon marriage at immigration.

As a non married person aged 74 and living here 14 years all on a non immigrant 0.    issued at Hull UK.   We have to leave the country every 90 days,    filling a ten year passport in 4 years.  Laos fills 1 page and charges 35 US dollars.

So the other choice is 800 K in the bank and forms and forms and still report every 90 days.   and the y want persons to spend money here and need tourists ??   ( I am aware of the retirement visa)

 

[DLang]

5 hours ago, Chao Lao Beach said:

So being married for 10 years living in Thailand with your Thai family, they still make you go out every 3 months, now by air.

 

Of course not.

 

Go to an immigration office and get a 12 month extension of stay. :)

 

If you are female you don't need to show any funds and can apply for PR after 5 years of extensions. :) 

[ubonjoe]

I just got an email confirming there is no problem to do a crossing with a multiple entry visa at Ban Laem. Two people using a visa run service did a crossing this morning with non-o visas issued in Savannakhet.

Both Ranong and Poi Pet are crossings to avoid if at all possible with any type of visa or to do a visa exempt entry.

[BuckBee]

Poipet has been one to avoid for ages, due to high volume of problems from corruption and use of fake visa stamps etc it always having odd rules imposed and odd days of over the top crack downs thai style .

[ldiablo72]

Immigration at Poipet are a bunch of corrupt, lazy officials who should all be fired.

[4evermaat]

I just got an email confirming there is no problem to do a crossing with a multiple entry visa at Ban Laem. Two people using a visa run service did a crossing this morning with non-o visas issued in Savannakhet.

Both Ranong and Poi Pet are crossings to avoid if at all possible with any type of visa or to do a visa exempt entry.

Ranong 'Saphan Pla' or Ranong 'Andaman'?

Lots of people cross at the Saphan Pla border.... as both western and neighboring foreigners do their runs there.

I think at this stage it is more fear mongering than anything else, and a little premature. I could see an 'express fee' requested though [emoji44]

[Maestro]

...
I find it hard to believe that after January if a person  has a multiple non O and wants to visit another country- they will deny exit or deny re entry. How can you deny entry to a person who has a valid visa without a specific reason although they can make it tough on the traveller and cause enough stress to curtail the border runs.

Immigration has no authority to deny you exit when you leave Thailand with a multiple-entry non-O visa. When you do a back-to-back entry with such visa they may try to fob you off but if you stand your ground they will either allow you entry or write the reason for the denial of entry into your passport.


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[Maestro]

4 hours ago, ginjag said:

As a non married person aged 74 and living here 14 years all on a non immigrant 0.    issued at Hull UK.   We have to leave the country every 90 days,    filling a ten year passport in 4 years.  Laos fills 1 page and charges 35 US dollars.
So the other choice is 800 K in the bank and forms and forms and still report every 90 days.   and the y want persons to spend money here and need tourists ??   ( I am aware of the retirement visa)
 

 

If you had started with the retirement extensions 14 years ago the financial requirements for it would be much lower. Presumably, you made an informed decision when you chose the visa route but a change to one-year extensions remains open to you, albeit at the current conditions. It is up to you to decide which route you find more convenient and practical.

 

From a legal point of view, the retirement extensions would be the correct type of permission to stay for you, not back-to-back entries with visas or visa-exempt.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Thaivisa Connect mobile app
 

 

[Happy Grumpy]

What is the immigration hotline number? 1178?

 

There should be a little banner at the top of every Thai Visa Thread in the Visa Subforum. Something like:

 

"If an immigration officer is refusing you entry or exit, at a border, or requesting money, ask them to call 1178 on your telephone and to clarify the reason why with you through the hotline."

[PattayaAJF]

PercyinOz .. i have had (and currently have) a Retirement visa (extension??) for the last 5 years and my wife is Cambodian with a Thai Elite Visa.  when crossing the border at Klong Yai a year or so ago the immigration officer said after stamping our passports that our 5yo son (Australian Passport) would not be allowed to cross the border again because he has overstayed his 30 day entry so many times in the last 5 years that be will be "block" .. i of course asked to clarify that kids under 15yo don't require visas if their parents have valid visas which he confirmed however he stated that he would still be refused entry because he has overstayed so many times .. since then we have repeatedly gone in and out at the airport with no problems .. i have no idea why this is the case however if that's the rules (local or national) then that's the rules i guess ..