Hi guys,

 

So I've been reading about the latest cases of IO denying entries, and I'm deliberating what should I do given that I want to re-enter Thailand.

• This is my 4th back to back SETV (each one extended for 30 days) and been in TH since Nov'16
• I have new passport with a) 30-day extension extended to my new passport b] Vietnam 30day visa c) Thai SETV
• late 20'ies; EU citizen
• Have history of working in Thailand for 1 year+ 
• True tourist by all means & not working currently anywhere

 

Now, I got an air ticket from Danang to DMK already bought, but now I'm thinking if it wouldn't be better to cross the border to Laos and get through Vientiane border to TH (like I once did). 

 

Questions: 

 

1) DMK or land? if I decide to fly I will have 20k+, bank statements, onward flight from TH + some booking.com reservations (thinking about getting VIP pass)

2) if I won't be allowed to enter TH at DMK could I fly onwards to Vientiane? I read few threads but this point is not clear to me what one is allowed to do

 

 

Best,

 

 

It really is a tough judgment call. If you just fly in, with lots of evidence of your financial status (especially foreign funds and income) the chances are high that you will have no problem. The trouble is that a formal denial of entry could make your future trips to Thailand more problematic.

 

Entering via Vientiane would avoid the risk of a formal denial (with a record in immigration's system). As against that, the hassle and expense would be annoying.

 

Whatever you decide, good luck!

Hello to the OP there.

 

OP,  you entered Thailand with an SETV issued in Kathmandu. Your date of arrival in Thailand was May 8th.

 

This permission of stay derived from this visa was up until around July 6th (lazy to calculate exactly), which you extended for 30 days until around the 6th of August.

 

Having had 4 back to back SETVs, all extended, it's hard for me to understand why you find yourself in a foreign country right now, since we are today on the 24th of July , unless they are not really back to back.

 

 

Edited July 24, 20178 yr by lkv

Furthermore, 4 SETVs extended equal about one year. You stated you have been in Thailand since Nov 16.

 

Nov '16 + 1 year = Nov '17. Today we are on the 24th of July.

 

Perhaps if you clarified the situation you would put us in a much better position to make an accurate assesment.

Edited July 24, 20178 yr by lkv

I'm flying in on 29th July. You are correct with regards to my setv from Kathmandu. But not sure if it matters for the IO if i used 15days out of the extension or 30? 

 

I mentioned this new setv is my 4th one

Edited July 24, 20178 yr by Matt199
Comment

Ok misread it. 

 

I just used my 5th, in DMK. All in the same passport.

 

Your passport is new.

 

You're good to go.

 

Cheers.

Edited July 24, 20178 yr by lkv

I will just make the point that, on entry, whether you are using a new or an old passport is irrelevant if immigration's system is working as designed. Your old passport(s) and currently passport should be linked in immigration's system.

 

They will be looking at your record of entries and exits to/from Thailand. Further, under some circumstances, there are alerts to the immigration official that you be subjected to greater scrutiny. It is generally agreed that an alert is received after six visa exempt entries. Based on anecdotal reports, I think 180+ days in a year on tourist entries is also generating an alert.

7 minutes ago, BritTim said:

Based on anecdotal reports, I think 180+ days in a year on tourist entries is also generating an alert.

Any links?

Thanks guys for comments! You never know what will happen but at least there's some more confidence there which I need.

 

I do acknowledge that passports are linked, but my personal feeling is that old passport with multiple SETV + multiple visas from neighboring countries (VN/Laos/Cambodia) raises more attention to an IO than a new passport. I remember IOs flipping through my passport back and forth multiple times and looking at me like I'm in trouble (and once stepping out of the booth and walking with me to his supervisor while pointing fingers my passport and trying to make a case - which hopefully he didn't make that time). 

42 minutes ago, Matt199 said:

Thanks guys for comments! You never know what will happen but at least there's some more confidence there which I need.

 

I do acknowledge that passports are linked, but my personal feeling is that old passport with multiple SETV + multiple visas from neighboring countries (VN/Laos/Cambodia) raises more attention to an IO than a new passport. I remember IOs flipping through my passport back and forth multiple times and looking at me like I'm in trouble (and once stepping out of the booth and walking with me to his supervisor while pointing fingers my passport and trying to make a case - which hopefully he didn't make that time). 

All the leafing through passport stuff is looking for discrepancies between what is in the passport, and what is shown in immigration's system. The conference with the supervisor was likely because something had been recorded incorrectly in immigration's system. Usually, the only problem with all this checking is that it delays your entry by a minute or so.

^ they don't see much on back history unless it gets some flag on screen when scan your passport in, I got pulled in some time ago mainly as officer couldn't see my exit stamp and went through my passport and saw few tourist visas and pointed it out to the boss, Boss took over 15 minutes get my history from the computer system and even that was incomplete and had missed a lot of time I wasn't in thailand. Whole thing turned into right fiasco as my boarding pass from singapore got lost, pretty sure he put it with chinese girls docs who also in for grilling, fortunately believed I wasn't working which I wasn't & when I got my passport I found the singapore exit stamp reasonably easily :-/

reality is they don't know very much from the counter screens and most of them are pretty sloppy in working practice but that can work for or against you pending on luck :-/ luck is boosted by super good polite manners, be cocky and you paying 600bt for the B&B with barred windows lol .

IF you go through airport let us know the outcome ....

2 hours ago, BuckBee said:

reality is they don't know very much from the counter screens and most of them are pretty sloppy in working practice

This has always been my suspicion, interesting report. 

9 hours ago, lkv said:

Any links?

Links to the 15 or so threads about people getting denied? It would definitely make sense if >180 days per year on tourist visas triggers an alert too.

 

If you mean links to official rules he said 'I think' and 'based on anecode', so obviously there aren't any. 

@OP I'd come in by land 

 

If you do fly it helps to have a Thai girlfriend and/or landlord on speeddial to call and back up that you have an online business / don't work in the Kingdom etc. That helped people I know who got pulled aside.

1 hour ago, jspill said:

@OP I'd come in by land 

 

If you do fly it helps to have a Thai girlfriend and/or landlord on speeddial to call and back up that you have an online business / don't work in the Kingdom etc. That helped people I know who got pulled aside.

I have a girlfriend in TH who's on a working visa, but she's not thai. Worst come to worst, I have her visa & her financial statements showing transfers to my bangkok bank and me withdrawing that same amount of money (cause we just swap EUR on the side).

 

I'm not sure if I that story would be of interest to IO or should change that story to Thai gf, because I have some female friends that could potentially be of help.

Don't want to start another topic but I'm weighting options here.

 

Is boarder cross in Savannakhet same as Vientiane with regards to relative ease to enter?

- my Laos geography is not great, but I just saw now that Da Nang is "only" 8 hours by bus from Savannakhet vs 24 hours to Vientiane.

4 minutes ago, Matt199 said:

Is boarder cross in Savannakhet same as Vientiane with regards to relative ease to enter?

It is about the same as Vientiane.

Vientiane is in the northern part of Laos and Savannakhet is in the central part of the country.

One poster alleges that it doesn't make a difference whether you have new passport or not.That is simply untrue. I have entered Thailand scores of times , both by land and air, and rarely does the IO pay much attention to the computer screen, he usually absent-mindly leafs through the passport and stamps you in. 

You would be insane ,after all the money and preparation invested in this trip , to abort.The risk of refusal is low.Unless you do it for the pleasure of the overland trip:I did it by bicycle, crossed north of Hue at Lao Bao, nice scenery on the Vietnamese side.

35 minutes ago, Matt199 said:

Don't want to start another topic but I'm weighting options here.

 

Is boarder cross in Savannakhet same as Vientiane with regards to relative ease to enter?

- my Laos geography is not great, but I just saw now that Da Nang is "only" 8 hours by bus from Savannakhet vs 24 hours to Vientiane.

I found the IOs at the Savannakhet/Mukdahan extremely unfriendly,at Nongkhai they often even have a smile for you, rare for Thai immigration.But I haven't crossed at Savannahket in years, so things might have changed.

4 hours ago, jspill said:

Links to the 15 or so threads about people getting denied? It would definitely make sense if >180 days per year on tourist visas triggers an alert too.

 

If you mean links to official rules he said 'I think' and 'based on anecode', so obviously there aren't any. 

The 15 or so threads that are being denied do not mention any 180 day unwritten rule.

 

Assuming that is only a deduction, that may or may not be accurate. In many cases, it is because of too many visa exempt entries.

 

Anecdotal evidence can mean reports he has read over here, or third party stories that he knows about (aquaintances, friends etc), that we may not know about.

 

I was just trying to understand where the suspicion of the 180 day thing is coming from.

Edited July 25, 20178 yr by lkv

3 hours ago, lkv said:

The 15 or so threads that are being denied do not mention any 180 day unwritten rule.

 

Assuming that is only a deduction, that may or may not be accurate. In many cases, it is because of too many visa exempt entries.

 

Anecdotal evidence can mean reports he has read over here, or third party stories that he knows about (aquaintances, friends etc), that we may not know about.

 

I was just trying to understand where the suspicion of the 180 day thing is coming from.

There are more than 15 - here is one where the victim was quoted this imaginary 180 days:

Also mentioned here (though appears he got in)

:

Quote

I returned to Bangkok through Suvanabhumi Airport on the 8th of November, and was flagged by the system (having stayed 191 days) - not the Immigration Officer. Upon my passport being scanned at Suvanabhumi Airport, the computer had identified that I had come into the country 'too often' as the immigration officer had said. She had proceeded to ask me in English if I was doing business here, and why would I need to come back often...

 

3

3

from https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/955228-3-tourist-visas-in-one-year-too-much/?page=2

Edited July 25, 20178 yr by Matt199

1 hour ago, Matt199 said:

from https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/955228-3-tourist-visas-in-one-year-too-much/?page=2

@jspill Tell us more about what happened last year in November when you entered with 210 days of visa exempt.

 

 

2 hours ago, lkv said:

@jspill Tell us more about what happened last year in November when you entered with 210 days of visa exempt

Yes I did but the sharp uptick in denials is a 2017 phenomenon. Looks like I just missed it.

 

I'd be skeptical too but I know 4 people denied. I'm part of a community of under 50 digital nomads on a different forum. French guy in early Feb, Hong Kong guy in late Feb, US guy in April, then a German guy in July (the one who had 25k on him), and he met another TVF poster while he was in the detention room.

 

I'd be the last person to make this stuff up or over-exaggerate it, I'm usually the one deliberately pointing out how long I've been here on tourist visas / exempts, that's why I made two threads about it in 2016. 

 

I understand why you think it's a troll but on Thaivisa the opposite would be a troll, someone claiming to have lived here ages on exempts to wind up the main demographic of TVF. Which I did in 2016 and maybe I'll be able to do again in 2018, these things come and go.

Edited July 25, 20178 yr by jspill

Since this topic is still live I will ask  - where would I be allowed to fly if I'm not allowed an entry ? Back to home country only or anywhere? Thanks!

6 minutes ago, Matt199 said:

Since this topic is still live I will ask  - where would I be allowed to fly if I'm not allowed an entry ? Back to home country only or anywhere? Thanks!

Back where you just flew from.  I'd make it a short-hop.  Those last-minute tickets aren't cheap, and you don't want to have to travel too far back to make a trouble-free crossing at a land-border.

7 minutes ago, Matt199 said:

Since this topic is still live I will ask  - where would I be allowed to fly if I'm not allowed an entry ? Back to home country only or anywhere? Thanks!

Not anywhere of your choice, but recently many had to fly back to the country they flew in from, one flew to Manila, one to Laos, both had flown from there. 

15 hours ago, jspill said:

@OP I'd come in by land 

 

If you do fly it helps to have a Thai girlfriend and/or landlord on speeddial to call and back up that you have an online business / don't work in the Kingdom etc. That helped people I know who got pulled aside.

I want to prep immediate boss of my gf to vouch for me (I guess that's not a standard first contact but better than nothing). I imagine her on the call doing well. Do you know what kind of questions are being asked? thx!

28 minutes ago, Matt199 said:

I want to prep immediate boss of my gf to vouch for me (I guess that's not a standard first contact but better than nothing). I imagine her on the call doing well. Do you know what kind of questions are being asked? thx!

The GF herself is a good contact too, many reports of people being let in after a phone call to a Thai girlfriend, or simply the person saying they had a Thai GF. Often they'll say ok we'll let you in this time but marrying her would be a more appropriate long term visa route. I know one guy who had his phone inspected for photos / conversations with said girlfriend.

 

Also, Thai landlords have been called and that helped in some other cases. 

 

General questions would be them wanting to know how you support yourself, i.e. that you work remotely online, not in the Kingdom. Many have said they work on the internet for overseas clients in some capacity and been waved through. 

Edited July 25, 20178 yr by jspill

3 hours ago, jspill said:

Yes I did but the sharp uptick in denials is a 2017 phenomenon. Looks like I just missed it.

 

I'd be skeptical too but I know 4 people denied. I'm part of a community of under 50 digital nomads on a different forum. French guy in early Feb, Hong Kong guy in late Feb, US guy in April, then a German guy in July (the one who had 25k on him), and he met another TVF poster while he was in the detention room.

 

I'd be the last person to make this stuff up or over-exaggerate it, I'm usually the one deliberately pointing out how long I've been here on tourist visas / exempts, that's why I made two threads about it in 2016. 

 

I understand why you think it's a troll but on Thaivisa the opposite would be a troll, someone claiming to have lived here ages on exempts to wind up the main demographic of TVF. Which I did in 2016 and maybe I'll be able to do again in 2018, these things come and go.

@jspill Look I have been following your posts for quite a while now. You are being given as examples in other websites such as tripadvisor, if i am not mistaken. It comes up when you google jspill visa exempt. :)

 

My questions to you are:

 

- What makes you believe you had no problems this year?

 

- What type of visa are you on atm, is it SETV?

 

-Are you still doing visa exempts?

 

- How many days have you spent in Thailand in 2017?

 

- How many days have you spent in Thailand in the last 12 months?

 

- How many times were you interviewed by an IO?

 

-When is the last time you entered Thailand (approximate)?

 

- Did you get asked any questions last time and if not, when is the last time you have?

 

I'm not trying to be intrusive, but your answers may help me get a better idea of what is happening here.

 

Feel free to answer any of the above you feel comfortable with, but I think you can understand  what I am trying to work out here.

 

Thanks.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 25, 20178 yr by lkv