Red Remark - Penang

[MrBingley]

Hello, 

 

This is more of a heads-up rather than a request for help/info. I was at the Thai consulate at Penang yesterday for a SETV, which I got, but it also included a red remark that reads: "The holder of this passport travels to Thailand under a tourist visa several times which may result in the refusal of a visa in future." I had no trouble getting through immigration at Don Muang. This was my first visa from Penang and my third in total during the last year. I had previously had one SETV each from Vientiane and Saigon. 

 

So anyone staying longterm on a mixture of SETVs, exemptions and extensions that has already had a recent visa from Penang might want to consider a different destination next time.

Edited April 8, 2017 by MrBingley

[LongTimeLurker]

In Penang the other day the lady in front of me was warned that she might not get another tourist visa as she had been in and out of Thailand too many times.

 

She was advised to consider a transit visa instead

[overherebc]

3 hours ago, LongTimeLurker said:

In Penang the other day the lady in front of me was warned that she might not get another tourist visa as she had been in and out of Thailand too many times.

 

She was advised to consider a transit visa instead

 

What good would a transit visa be to visit Thailand?????

[ubonjoe]

3 minutes ago, overherebc said:

What good would a transit visa be to visit Thailand?????

For person that could not enter the country without a visa that would allow them a 30 day entry to sort things out.

[overherebc]

3 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

For person that could not enter the country without a visa that would allow them a 30 day entry to sort things out.

I take it that it would not be possible to get a 30 day extension on it. Maybe 7 days?

Just asking

?

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, overherebc said:

I take it that it would not be possible to get a 30 day extension on it. Maybe 7 days?

Just asking

?

Only 7 days to leave the country.

[overherebc]

Things are changing quite a lot now on SETV's it would seem.

[Suradit69]

1 hour ago, overherebc said:

Things are changing quite a lot now on SETV's it would seem.

The key word in SETV is "tourist."

[thecyclist]

It is often said on this forum that the third visa from the same embassy/consulate will get you the warning stamp, but from my own experience and according to what one of the visa run agency told me, they often count the total of SETV IN your passport.

 

[MrBingley]

2 hours ago, Suradit69 said:

The key word in SETV is "tourist."

Yep. I have no complaints whatsoever. There aren't many other countries that I know of that would allow me to stay a whole year as a "tourist". I'm grateful for every visa or extension that I can get. Having to re-enter and extend frequently is the price I and others must pay for abusing the system. A system that most genuine tourists might use only once in their entire life. I wish there was a short-term Elite option; I think it would be popular and I bet it would bring in more money than the current system. I am currently spending more pro-rata on visa runs than I would pay on a five year Elite visa. The problem is not the cost of the Elite option but the term. 

[Grauwulf]

4 hours ago, MrBingley said:

Yep. I have no complaints whatsoever. There aren't many other countries that I know of that would allow me to stay a whole year as a "tourist". I'm grateful for every visa or extension that I can get. Having to re-enter and extend frequently is the price I and others must pay for abusing the system. A system that most genuine tourists might use only once in their entire life. I wish there was a short-term Elite option; I think it would be popular and I bet it would bring in more money than the current system. I am currently spending more pro-rata on visa runs than I would pay on a five year Elite visa. The problem is not the cost of the Elite option but the term. 

So you want to stay permanently in Thailand but less than 5 years? but I'm sure many will appreciate the heads up on multiple SETV in order to to prolong their stay. Like many of us have done, visit Thailand as a tourist then if you want to stay bite the bullet, Non Imm O marriage or retirement or Non Imm B work. It's way too difficult and costly to be a ' permanent' tourist.

Edited April 8, 2017 by Grauwulf
Addition

[spambot]

What would happen if the the op returned back to own country - got a STV - then attempted to get next STV in a neighboring country - would the home STV  act as a reset?

[dentonian]

8 hours ago, Grauwulf said:

So you want to stay permanently in Thailand but less than 5 years? but I'm sure many will appreciate the heads up on multiple SETV in order to to prolong their stay. Like many of us have done, visit Thailand as a tourist then if you want to stay bite the bullet, Non Imm O marriage or retirement or Non Imm B work. It's way too difficult and costly to be a ' permanent' tourist.

I suspect the OP is under 50, so not many options to stay permanently in Thailand.

[Grauwulf]

Don't think there is any such thing as a ' reset'. The authorities just seem to be tighteng up more on  visas for genuine tourist purposes only. As Suradit69 said the key word is tourist. If you want to live here all the time then you basically have the 3 main options ( ok I forgot dependant). If you want to visit once a year be a tourist on an METV or SETV depending how long you want to be a tourist for. I don't think any Thai consulate has a problem with anyone wanting to visit once a year but I think they're realising now people are taking the p**s by being continuous 5 year tourists with tourist visas and back to back visa exempt entries. It was bound to happen. OP I am under 50 and first came as a tourist 5 years ago. Decided I'd like to stay , was offered a job with the relevant visa (No before anyone asks not as a teacher), eventually settled down and enjoy my life. Sure it's difficult but if you want to stay here permanently now your options are exactly those as I've listed. Otherwise come once a year and enjoy being a tourist until you either find a job, get married, have a kid or retire.

Edited April 9, 2017 by Grauwulf

[BritTim]

3 hours ago, spambot said:

What would happen if the the op returned back to own country - got a STV - then attempted to get next STV in a neighboring country - would the home STV  act as a reset?

I think others may have a different take on this. My view is that it makes no difference at the consulates. However, immigration on entry place a lot of importance on whether you have spent time back in home country.

[hawker9000]

19 hours ago, thecyclist said:

It is often said on this forum that the third visa from the same embassy/consulate will get you the warning stamp, but from my own experience and according to what one of the visa run agency told me, they often count the total of SETV IN your passport.

 

One occasionally hears this, but it makes little sense, and I've never heard or read anyone saying they were personally refused entry or received a stamp or denied an SETV strictly on that basis.  So please by all means share with us your "own experience".

Edited April 9, 2017 by hawker9000

[Essecola]

Wow so Penang totally changing regulation? I got 2 SETV visas from Penang last year even with a warning stamp from Vientiane already in my passport(stamped in small black ink). It used to be you could get 3 from Vientiane and 3 from Penang. So what now.. Penang is putting a RED (?) stamp in the passport even if u have just 2 visas from somewhere else and not from them? This is starting to look absurd. That red stamp can make it hard even to look elsewhere for a SETV. Nice job Penang.

[Grauwulf]

9 hours ago, Essecola said:

Wow so Penang totally changing regulation? I got 2 SETV visas from Penang last year even with a warning stamp from Vientiane already in my passport(stamped in small black ink). It used to be you could get 3 from Vientiane and 3 from Penang. So what now.. Penang is putting a RED (?) stamp in the passport even if u have just 2 visas from somewhere else and not from them? This is starting to look absurd. That red stamp can make it hard even to look elsewhere for a SETV. Nice job Penang.

So you are a tourist then?

[Homburg]

It must be nice for the Thai Minister of Tourism to have so many tourists that she needs to find ways to keep them out.  I am a tourist. No, really! I guess I've spent around 30 days in Thailand every year for the last 20 years or so, spread over 4 or 5 trips a year.  I have friends to visit in Thailand and neighbouring countries & on each visit would fly from Europe to Thailand, use Bangkok as a "base" for various visits & fly back from there.  Now, with all the new entry restrictions (seems a new restriction every week or so),  I just don't need the hassle & don't want to risk getting denied entry from Lao or Cambodia when my flight home is booked from BKK, or even denied entry at BKK because I've arrived more than 3 times in a year, so now when I visit SE Asia I base myself in Phnom Penh and only visit Thailand occasionally.

Edited April 9, 2017 by Homburg

[MrBingley]

On 4/9/2017 at 1:27 PM, Essecola said:

Wow so Penang totally changing regulation? I got 2 SETV visas from Penang last year even with a warning stamp from Vientiane already in my passport(stamped in small black ink). It used to be you could get 3 from Vientiane and 3 from Penang. So what now.. Penang is putting a RED (?) stamp in the passport even if u have just 2 visas from somewhere else and not from them? This is starting to look absurd. That red stamp can make it hard even to look elsewhere for a SETV. Nice job Penang.

Yes, it looks like they are tightening up. When I applied for the visa, my application was refused because I did not provide evidence of an onward flight. Luckily, on returning for more details regarding the onward flight date (to see if could factor in a 30 day extension, to which they said "yes"), they agreed to accept my application, so long as I brought a copy of my onward flight ticket the following day, which I did.

 

On returning the next day, I noticed that when I handed in the ticket that the guy said to himself "Hanoi" and then looked back through my passport, as if looking for other trips/visas from Hanoi. I had been to Hanoi six months ago but did not get a visa there.

 

My guess is that these checks, that are finally being applied, and the remarks, are really to intended to push people down the Elite route. I could understand some people buying the five year Elite visa but you would have to have a brain made of sawdust to buy a twenty year visa. The term is way too long but the price is exactly the same as four five year Elite visas (minus some small perks)!