Being Stopped at the Border and Visa Extensions

[travelings]

I like many others recently was stopped at immigration in the airport in Bangkok. I was eventually let go after showing them 20k Baht and booking a return ticket in front of the immigration officers. I have a tourist visa which allows 2 months within the country and a possible 30 day extension. So I booked a return flight 2 months from the date of arrival. Before leaving the office they wrote down the flight number on my departure card. 

 

I wanted to know if I was now mandated to take this exact flight out of the country because it is written on my departure card or could I take another flight out? Also, would it now be possible to get a 30 day extension on the visa even though I was flagged at the airport? Lastly, how long should I wait next time before coming back to Thailand(3 months, 6 months,etc)? 

Thank you in advance for you help.

[elviajero]

1 hour ago, travelings said:

I wanted to know if I was now mandated to take this exact flight out of the country because it is written on my departure card or could I take another flight out?

Of course you can take another flight. The IO was probably just recording the proof of flight you gave on entry.

 

1 hour ago, travelings said:

Also, would it now be possible to get a 30 day extension on the visa even though I was flagged at the airport?

Almost certainly yes.

 

1 hour ago, travelings said:

Lastly, how long should I wait next time before coming back to Thailand(3 months, 6 months,etc)? 

On a different day (even the day after you leave) with a different IO you could sail through. The longer you stay out the less likely you'll be suspected of working/overstaying as a tourist. 

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Am surprised you were stopped since you had a Tourist Visa in your passport, normally with that, people are just stamped on through.

 

Perhaps the IO was just having a bad day.

 

Mac

[Pungdo]

Most airlines use the same flight number for a particular route, so assuming all they wrote down was the flight number and not a date, you could just pay whatever fee is applicable and fly with the same airline, on the same route,  on a different date.

[JackThompson]

An interesting question: "Do you have to take the flight you should not have been forced to purchase, as mandated by Immigration Officer who was not following Thai Law by forcing you to buy it in the first place?"  I would say "no." 
 

With a Tourist Visa, there is no requirement of proof of an outgoing ticket (as differentiated from a Visa-Exempt), and no legal limit on the amount of time you can stay in the country on consecutive visas.   But at the airports and at the Poipet/Aranya crossing, there seems to be a clique of Immigration personnel who do not respect Thai law, and have taken it upon themselves to enforce non-existing rules. 

 

Anyone with a longer-stay history in Thailand, who relies on Tourist Visas to stay here would be advised to avoid Airports and the one rouge land crossing at Poipet/Aranyaprathet.  Fortunately, the other points of entry are still following written laws and police-orders - so no problem entering there.

 

The Tourist-Visa system is not corrupt, which may explain why it is being targeted.  As a newbie poster, don't be surprised if some don't believe your story is genuine, given the financial-incentives to "encourage" the purchase of visas (via agents, schools, etc) which put money in corrupt pockets - the same incentives which are likely related to cases of hassling of those entering on Tourist Visas. 

Edited August 28, 2017 by JackThompson

[3421abc]

Yes, u can do the extension and u can take another flight out.

Usually they ask u for 20k baht if something came up on their system when they entered your passport number.

Also making you purchase an outgoing ticket before they let u through is a first I hear about.

If they entered any information in the computer under your passport or it came up when u went thru immigration you will have problems again for sure.

Does sound like you had previous entries into the country for them to make you purchase a ticket and show money.

This doesn't usually happen  on a first time visit

[Briggsy]

4 hours ago, Thanyaburi Mac said:

Am surprised you were stopped since you had a Tourist Visa in your passport, normally with that, people are just stamped on through.

 

Perhaps the IO was just having a bad day.

 

Mac

Several back-to-back tourist visas in the passport now has a high chance of at least further questioning by the IO. It is not just visa exempts who get this. This is particularly so at the airport.

[Scott3000]

I had issues at BKK in January, and DMK in March. The second was particularly bad, as I was pulled aside for questioning, then allowed to take my continuing flight to CNX. The IO told me that I could "have Chiang Mai Immigration deal with this". Caused me some anxiety, but the folks at Chiang Mai processed my extension like the routine procedure that it was, without the unnecessary hassle.

 

So my question is: When folks say this problem is occurring at "the airport"  -- are you referring to the two airports in Bangkok, or any airport in general? Perhaps CNX and others would be better points of entry, when possible???

[YetAnother]

12 hours ago, travelings said:

Before leaving the office they wrote down the flight number on my departure card. 

They are filling out Your departure card ? That doesnt sound good

[darrendsd]

44 minutes ago, Scott3000 said:

I had issues at BKK in January, and DMK in March. The second was particularly bad, as I was pulled aside for questioning, then allowed to take my continuing flight to CNX. The IO told me that I could "have Chiang Mai Immigration deal with this". Caused me some anxiety, but the folks at Chiang Mai processed my extension like the routine procedure that it was, without the unnecessary hassle.

 

So my question is: When folks say this problem is occurring at "the airport"  -- are you referring to the two airports in Bangkok, or any airport in general? Perhaps CNX and others would be better points of entry, when possible???

Only reports of issues the 2 BKK Airports at the moment

[HerbalEd]

The real truth is that no one -- including Thai immigration -- knows the answers to your question. Indeed, the answer will vary according to the immigration official you're dealing with at the time.

[lordblackader]

53 minutes ago, Scott3000 said:

I had issues at BKK in January, and DMK in March. The second was particularly bad, as I was pulled aside for questioning, then allowed to take my continuing flight to CNX. The IO told me that I could "have Chiang Mai Immigration deal with this". Caused me some anxiety, but the folks at Chiang Mai processed my extension like the routine procedure that it was, without the unnecessary hassle.

 

So my question is: When folks say this problem is occurring at "the airport"  -- are you referring to the two airports in Bangkok, or any airport in general? Perhaps CNX and others would be better points of entry, when possible???

 

Can only speak on personal experience but I've never had problems flying into CNX (I always try to fly directly into CNX if I can) and that's with a history of visa exempts, tourist visas and ED visas over 5 years. I've also never read a report here from someone stating they've had issues at CNX either.

 

It seems the problem is the Bangkok airports - if I'm wrong, happy to proved otherwise. 

[sanemax]

Similar thing happened to me .

I arrived overland and got a visa exempt stamp

They asked when I would be leaving and I told them in 30 days time

They said that I couldnt stay that long and I had to leave earlier

"OK" I told them. I would leave in two weeks time

They gave me a 30 day VES and wrote on my departure card that I would be leaving in two weeks time .

   I got that VES stamp extended for a further 30 days and stayed for 60 days , neither the immigration at the visa extension place or the immigration at the border when I left took any notice of what was written on my departure card

[travelings]

I guess I should Clarify that I did indeed have another tourist visa and just came back from Cambodia with the purpose of acquiring another visa. 

[darrendsd]

15 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Similar thing happened to me .

I arrived overland and got a visa exempt stamp

They asked when I would be leaving and I told them in 30 days time

They said that I couldnt stay that long and I had to leave earlier

"OK" I told them. I would leave in two weeks time

They gave me a 30 day VES and wrote on my departure card that I would be leaving in two weeks time .

   I got that VES stamp extended for a further 30 days and stayed for 60 days , neither the immigration at the visa extension place or the immigration at the border when I left took any notice of what was written on my departure card

 

What border crossing was this at?

[sanemax]

4 minutes ago, darrendsd said:

 

What border crossing was this at?

Chiang Kong

They told me that I have too many VES from there and go to Vientiane to get a tourist visa . I eventually persuaded them to give me a VES and let me in. This was before the "two land entry VES per year" rule came in

[biggles45]

" Indeed, the answer will vary according to the immigration official you're dealing with at the time."

 

And that is why the whole Immigration dept is such a disgrace! They have rules and regulations and they should be made to follow them. Visitors to Thailand should have certainty not toss of a coin by IO having a bad day

[lkv]

4 hours ago, JackThompson said:

With a Tourist Visa, there is no requirement of proof of an outgoing ticket

That's incorrect. The fact that some consulates don't follow that rule or that most Immigration does not check, it is a requirement to have a paid exit ticket along with 20K baht.

http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/4908/15398-Issuance-of-Visa.html

 

Edited August 28, 2017 by lkv

[lkv]

2 hours ago, Scott3000 said:

I had issues at BKK in January, and DMK in March. The second was particularly bad, as I was pulled aside for questioning, then allowed to take my continuing flight to CNX. The IO told me that I could "have Chiang Mai Immigration deal with this". Caused me some anxiety, but the folks at Chiang Mai processed my extension like the routine procedure that it was, without the unnecessary hassle.

 

So my question is: When folks say this problem is occurring at "the airport"  -- are you referring to the two airports in Bangkok, or any airport in general? Perhaps CNX and others would be better points of entry, when possible???

 

What was that on, visa exempt, extension of a visa with Reentry Permit....It's a bit unclear.

[stevenl]

13 minutes ago, lkv said:

 

What was that on, visa exempt, extension of a visa with Reentry Permit....It's a bit unclear.

Especially since Scott continues with 'at Chiang Mai they processed my extension', so I am thinking his entry to Thailand was processed in DMK, as it should be, and the extension at a later date in CM. But without any information on the reason of the entry issues, posts like this only cause confusion.

[Guest Jerry787]

had similar issue on the bkk Suvarnabhumi airport, pulled out, questioned and let it go, once i proved i am a business person that travel in and out often, well the first officer could have check my stamps in and out max no more then 7 days the longest.

[elviajero]

6 hours ago, JackThompson said:

An interesting question: "Do you have to take the flight you should not have been forced to purchase, as mandated by Immigration Officer who was not following Thai Law by forcing you to buy it in the first place?"  I would say "no." 
 

With a Tourist Visa, there is no requirement of proof of an outgoing ticket (as differentiated from a Visa-Exempt), and no legal limit on the amount of time you can stay in the country on consecutive visas.

Yes there is a requirement. It just isn't usually enforced by consular services or the border IO's.

 

From the MFA website;

2. TOURIST VISA

- Evidence of travel from Thailand (air ticket paid in full)

[ubonjoe]

45 minutes ago, elviajero said:

Yes there is a requirement. It just isn't usually enforced by consular services or the border IO's.

That is to apply for the visa not entry to the country. The airlines do not even ask to see a ticket out of the country if you have a valid visa for entry.

I am sure you are also aware that many embassies and consulate do not ask to see the ticket out of the country.

[elviajero]

2 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

That is to apply for the visa not entry to the country.

So if you need the ticket to apply for the visa it is reasonable for an IO to ask to see that ticket when you enter.

 

3 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

I am sure you are also aware that many embassies and consulate do not ask to see the ticket out of the country.

I think I made that clear in my post. "It just isn't usually enforced by consular services".

[ubonjoe]

7 minutes ago, elviajero said:

So if you need the ticket to apply for the visa it is reasonable for an IO to ask to see that ticket when you enter.

No it is not. There is no rule that states a ticket out is needed for an entry with any visa.

An entry from a visa is open ended since most can be extended. 

[chainarong]

Try Cambodia next time,  spend else where

[lindlake]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

That is to apply for the visa not entry to the country. The airlines do not even ask to see a ticket out of the country if you have a valid visa for entry.

I am sure you are also aware that many embassies and consulate do not ask to see the ticket out of the country.

about 4 years ago we were in newzealand for a hoilday my son was 3 years old my wife was going back to thailand with my son i was going back to work . my wife has a thailand passport and  australia passport my son only australia they made us buy a one way ticket out off thailand in 4 weeks one way him alone 3 years old they would not let us leave nz to we bough the ticket

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, lindlake said:

about 4 years ago we were in newzealand for a hoilday my son was 3 years old my wife was going back to thailand with my son i was going back to work . my wife has a thailand passport and  australia passport my son only australia they made us buy a one way ticket out off thailand in 4 weeks one way him alone 3 years old they would not let us leave nz to we bough the ticket

You son apparently did not have a valid visa for entry. A ticket out out of the country within 30 days is required for a visa exempt entry.

[darrendsd]

1 hour ago, elviajero said:

So if you need the ticket to apply for the visa it is reasonable for an IO to ask to see that ticket when you enter.

 

I think I made that clear in my post. "It just isn't usually enforced by consular services".

How would the I/O know you were asked to produce a ticket when you applied for the visa?

 

I doubt even the best I/O in Thailand knows the visa application requirements for every single Thai Embassy/Consulate in the world

[BEVUP]

2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

No it is not. There is no rule that states a ticket out is needed for an entry with any visa.

An entry from a visa is open ended since most can be extended. 

Correct Joe 

OR what if your plans were to leave by sea or cross a land boarder ( like some of these idiotic airlines need to realize )