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my retirement visa is now no good


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I have been living in Chiang mai for ten years on a retirement visa. On Jan 20 I went on a cruise from singapore. Before I went I arranged for a single re-entry permit. The cruise ship stopped at Pataya I explained to the crusie staff that I did not want and could not get off the ship because getting off the ship would use up my permission to re-enter thailand once. After the cruise I was refused entry to Thailand because without my knowledge or permission and against my wishes the cruise staff had my passport stamped as having vacated the ship at pataya. I am now back in Thailand but with just a one month tourist visa....can anyone  offer advice

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4 minutes ago, OJAS said:

If necessary, maybe another option for him would be a non-O conversion, but are Chiang Mai one of the offices which can deal with such conversions without the need for 2 trips to Bangkok 15 days apart?

That is what I wrote about doing in my post. Chiang Mai can do it.

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a sad story but at least it shows that Immigration is "on the ball". I wonder if the crew had no choice but to report you, if so, they should have given you the opportunity to let you put your case to Immigration. You were probably the only passenger who didn't get a visa exempt entry.


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1 hour ago, Suradit69 said:

As said in several posts above, he entered Thailand when the ship entered Thai territorial waters. Immigrations would expect to have the passports of all those on board handed over, whether or not they chose to go ashore. Immigrations would probably work from the shipping company's manifest of all those aboard, so they couldn't pick and choose which passports to present.

 

If the O/P had realized the ship would have a stop in Thailand he could have obtained a multi-re-entry permit and saved himself all the grief. The extra cost would have been money well spent.

 

 

 

But wasn't he, in effect, in the same position as someone transiting between international flights at BKK? Although they have, arguably, set foot on Thai soil the moment they step off their first flight, the issue of stamping their passports into (and out of) Thailand does not arise as long as they remain airside for the duration of their layover.

 

And presumably all those of his fellow passengers who were proposing to disembark at Pattaya would have head their passports handed back to them beforehand. It would surely not have beyond the wit of Immigration or the cruise company to have had someone stationed at the bottom of the ship's gangplank to check whether all passports of those disembarking had been correctly stamped, so as to prevent anyone sneaking into Thailand under the radar?

 

I just wonder what redress the OP might have against the cruise company for their possible negligence, given that, according to his report, he did specifically inform the crew that he wasn't intending to disembark at Pattaya. That would, of course, depend on the company's T&C's for this particular cruise, which he might therefore wish to check carefully - and ASAP in case the initiation of any action on his part against them is time-limited.

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There may be grounds to appeal if the entry stamp at Pattaya did not give you permission to stay until the end of your extension. Also if they admitted you for the duration of your extension and at the same time stamped you out, had you decided not to return to the ship they would have forced an illegal status on you without your knowledge.


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It seems that Pattaya was the first port of arrival in Thailand, and all the passengers were treated as entering the country at that point. The OP hasn't said where the ship went after Pattaya or where he disembarked, but I think his only gripe  against the pursers' staff is that they should have explained that he would be regarded as entering the country, which would have given him the opportunity of disembarking there. When the IO gets on board his word is law, the staff would have had no other option. But I wonder where and when the passengers' passports were endorsed with an embarkation stamp?

 

It's all a bit academic, though, the OP will have to write it down to experience and start the retirement application process from scratch.

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23 minutes ago, tgeezer said:

There may be grounds to appeal if the entry stamp at Pattaya did not give you permission to stay until the end of your extension. Also if they admitted you for the duration of your extension and at the same time stamped you out, had you decided not to return to the ship they would have forced an illegal status on you without your knowledge.


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I doubt it.  If they stamped his passport in Pattaya as having entered and even included the proper stay term (until the end of his current retirement extension), then the exit stamp without another re-entry permit would have killed his retirement extension (which appears to be exactly what happened).

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21 minutes ago, OJAS said:

But wasn't he, in effect, in the same position as someone transiting between international flights at BKK? Although they have, arguably, set foot on Thai soil the moment they step off their first flight, the issue of stamping their passports into (and out of) Thailand does not arise as long as they remain airside for the duration of their layover.

 

And presumably all those of his fellow passengers who were proposing to disembark at Pattaya would have head their passports handed back to them beforehand. It would surely not have beyond the wit of Immigration or the cruise company to have had someone stationed at the bottom of the ship's gangplank to check whether all passports of those disembarking had been correctly stamped, so as to prevent anyone sneaking into Thailand under the radar?

 

I just wonder what redress the OP might have against the cruise company for their possible negligence, given that, according to his report, he did specifically inform the crew that he wasn't intending to disembark at Pattaya. That would, of course, depend on the company's T&C's for this particular cruise, which he might therefore wish to check carefully - and ASAP in case the initiation of any action on his part against them is time-limited.

When you book a cruise ( I have been on many), you will be told which port stops require a visa for your nationality. The ship will check when you board. If you do not have the required visa, they will not board you ( and will not refund your fare!). 

The ship keeps your passport so that when they dock, immigration can come on early and do the checks. That's so the passengers don't have to line up at 6:00 or 7:00 AM for immigration check.

I was took a cruise that ended in Rio, Brazil. Brazil required a visa for all US citizens. Even those that were going directly from the ship to the airport for flights home had to pay $140.00 for a visa.

It's unfortunate for the OP this happened, but it was his responsibility to understand the rules.

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You entered a Thai port and you will be stamped in and out whether you choose to go ashore or not. You 'could' of decided to go ashore after immigration had boarded the ship and you would then of been in the country illegally. That's why cruise lines work how they do. They take your passport when you board and give you a receipt.You won't see or need the passport again until shortly before you disembark for the last time. The same way it works if the ship enters a country where you need a visa. The cruise line will have organised a visa for you whether you choose to go ashore or not it doesn't matter. 

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Without trying to or being argumentative if you knew the ship itinerary and you knew it was going to Pattaya and you as you must hand in your passport. You knew in other countries the ship docked in that you would have passport stamped regardless of Wether you got off or not. My question is why didn't you get a multi entry re entry permit before leaving.!

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7 minutes ago, Deepinthailand said:

Without trying to or being argumentative if you knew the ship itinerary and you knew it was going to Pattaya and you as you must hand in your passport. You knew in other countries the ship docked in that you would have passport stamped regardless of Wether you got off or not. My question is why didn't you get a multi entry re entry permit before leaving.!

 

I've been to many "countries", many, around the world, by ship, my passport has hardly ever been stamped by immigration

as a matter of routine/formalia.

 

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Just now, melvinmelvin said:

 

I've been to many "countries", many, around the world, by ship, my passport has hardly ever been stamped by immigration

as a matter of routine/formalia.

 

I can not comment on your experiance.  Before I came to Thailand. Myself and then wife (God rest her soul) had many cruises around the world our passports where stamped at almost all ports of call.in and out which I presume was done at the same time.

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