[denied at bkk, waiting in detention]

26 minutes ago, PaulJ said:

Thanks very much for that advice.I’m happy to get the tourist visa I was just concerned that I will get to many in my passport and they will refuse me which would be a real problem for me. I am a tourist I just like spending the UK winter in Thailand it just seems to be getting more difficult.

Having a tourist visa increases your chances, but is no guarantee of entry. 

[7 days extension]

9 hours ago, jacko45k said:

They most certainly want to see the boarding pass/card at immigration. Both on the way out and in. You could be any guy going for a wander around the international area! Anyhow, I was already on 1 day overstay, so that was clear on the entry stamp and would get him looking closely. 

I have never has to show my departure flight ticket, at departure.  Maybe just lucky.

 

How would a guy going for a wander around the departure gates "get back into Thailand?"  Departure and arrival gates are seperated. 

[Going under 400,000]

13 hours ago, utalkin2me said:

I scanned through this thread and to me it is almost as if people are acting like mortar shells are landing in their backyards. What a dicey environment this is! Then, there is an entire sect of posts inventing perils that are surely "going to happen soon".

 

My favorite bunch by far though are the "I am going to leave Thailand by golly, I'll do it!" posts. These are pure gold. "I am gonna leave I tell ya! I'll do it. There are much greener pastures out there!". I can hear Thais shudder in their flip flops at the thought of pretentious, needy, grumpy, perverted, stingy, picky, smelly, old men vacating their country. 

I think it's a case of people want to remain here legally, but not even immigration can advise them what is required.  There are reports of different requirements from different immigration offices.

 

People just want certainty. 

 

I'm one of the ones prepared to leave.  I don't say it as a threat, like you just, it's something I have to seriously consider.  I'll see how the agents are going before I make my final decision.

 

If I decide to leave, it's not as any form of protest, just what's best for me, and my circumstances, at the time.

 

"My favorite bunch" are the ones that actually think they have a right to live here, because a little sticker in their passport says so.  They put a lot of faith in that little sticker.  Perhaps, too much.  ????  

[denied at bkk, waiting in detention]

4 hours ago, Sealbash said:

And a healthy dose of paranoia to round off your day


Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

Not paranoid. 

 

Look at the tourist visa laws.  No clear policy on frequency and duration. 

 

It's ridiculous how someone who is denied at an airport, flies to a nearby country, makes their way to a land crossing, and enters on the same visa that was denied only hours earlier. Sam with entering visa exempt.   

 

Would you care to explain that to the paranoid people?  ????

[Denied at Don Mueang.]

On 4/24/2019 at 2:29 PM, JackThompson said:

Because those land-borders follow the law, and do not use lies / inapplicable reasons for denial.

 

You only get 60-days max -then must apply for an extension to max-out at 90.  No one is "living here" on short-term entries - they must leave frequently, and upon each entry and visa-application show they still have money.

 

Visa Exempt border-bouncers were scrutinized during that period, but that "crackdown" (purportedly based on illegal-workers) never affected those with valid Tourist Visas and the cash to show.

 

 

They are not denying for "not being a tourist."  They are denying for "not having long-term money" - even though the rules stay you just need 20K Baht for a 60-day permitted-stay with a Tourist Visa or 10K if entering Visa-Exempt. 

 

The rule being used for denial is inapplicable to a person entering for a short-term permitted stay.

 

In terms of Thailand's laws, a tourist don't take a Thai-job, and has their own money to spend.  But you know about the airports and the one bad land-border - the laws don't apply there.

 

Actually, it does.  There is no legal reason for denial based on "here too much/often before."

 

PR gives you the right to stay permanently.  A tourist entry gives you the right to stay for 30 or 60-days - extendable at immigration's discretion for another 30-days.  

 

 

There is no known rule or set of legal definitions relating to the dishonest denials of entry.   Some people away for a year have been hassled.  Europeans who winter here (even older people - obviously retired) have faced the same.  Off/On oil workers also had problems (many don't come any more). 

 

What happens is based on whatever they feel like doing to you for any made-up reason - nothing based on law/order/rules - quite the contrary, in fact.

I am not disagreeing with you.

 

The whole system is a disgrace. 

[7 days extension]

11 hours ago, jacko45k said:

I recall I was expecting to get off free with a single day overstay on that basis, but they noticed my flight left after midnight and hit me for 2 days overstay anyhow. It was the old BA010 and only shortly after midnight! 

How did they know your flight time?  I have never been asked to show my boarding pass when departing.  That's not to say it doesn't happen.  We all know how inconsistent immigration are. 

[denied at bkk, waiting in detention]

12 hours ago, ocddave said:

Time to go full on digital, scan in all Passports, have a head office make the determination online, not some corrupt officer at a desk. Any issues with an officer can then be made via the traveler by phone to the head office referencing the passport thats just been scanned (and the picture taken at the desk). Time to eliminate the middleman (a.k.a the brown envelope collector). Thailand 1.0 needs to fast-track itself to Thailand 4.0

 

It blows my mind that things are completely digital by now, all Visa's and Passports should be validated online, that way there is no fake Visa's, etc. All checks online will be done based on already entered data in the system, none of this paperwork madness and corrupt officials, Agents, etc.

They should, but they will not do it, because a computer would give certainty to the system, and we can't have farang having any rights here.

 

The system is uncertain on purpose, so it can be manipulated as immigration officers see fit. 

[90 year-old Don is leaving Thailand]

21 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

Agreed.

 

Sympathy is zero.

It's not about sympathy.  The Thai's have no sympathy. 

 

It's about the world media focusing on Thailand's visa laws that would see a 90 old go to jail, after residing in Thailand for decades. 

[90 year-old Don is leaving Thailand]

On 4/24/2019 at 11:24 PM, Ctkong said:

If enough people play the loyalty card or sympathy card, maybe some one high up in the authority like the king could take note and make it a foreign policy on compassionate ground ? Given the possibility of Thailand’s image of welcoming foreigners to stay in Thailand being sullied, perhaps they can make an exception for those longtime residents of say 20 years and above a different requirement ? People like don can be the poster child of what is wrong with thailand’s policy .

The only way Don, or anyone else in similar circumstances, could force the hand of the Thai authorities, is to overstay a few days, then ring all the media outlets and arrange for them to be there when he hands himself in and is detained.

 

With the right headline, a story like that will go global, and this may shame the Thai's into some change.

 

Problem is, at 90, Don probably would not survive detention. 

[TM30 about to get serious in Bangkok?]

This will make a lot of work for all the short time hotels across the country.  ????

[7 days extension]

5 hours ago, Kopitiam said:

I don't think you can do that.  You need both passports for the check-in.

Have you ever heard of "online check in?"  Google it.

 

It depends where the OP is flying to, and with which airline, but if the OP is flying to a country that offers visa on arrival or visa exemption for many nationalities, there's a fair chance there is no document check.

 

Having carry on luggage only, there is noting to hand over to check in staff, so no need to go to the counter. 

 

Go through airport security and immigration, and present your "e ticket" which you have printed up at home, or an internet cafe, or let them scan the bar code or Q Code on your phone, at the gate. 

 

Immigration don't want to see your departure ticket when you are departing, so they don't know if your flight is in 1 hour, or 8 hours time. 

 

In the OP's case, if both have carry on only, easy done.  No overstay for either of them.  If there is luggage, one goes through with carry on, no overstay, and the other has to wait until the counter opens to check in the luggage in their name, and will be an overstay.  

[denied at bkk, waiting in detention]

19 minutes ago, sweatalot said:

I wonder why so many long stayers on the wrong visa (obviously not aware that they are cheating) believe they have a right to be admitted to Thailand.

They should try to enforce their right to be allowed to stay in  China or NK or, or ...

 

He should know that he has not legal right to be allowed to enter the country. If he don't play to their rules he has to accept what IOs decide.

 

He should check how foreign long stayers on Tourist visa are treated in his humane and high morality country

 

The lawless is him - not Thai Immigration.

Maybe because they have no rules pertaining to his circumstances to follow.

 

Would you consider that if they did, he would?   

[7 days extension]

15 minutes ago, heythere7 said:

Yeah I understand - but my flight is at 6:30 (the day after the expiration) 

Since immigration is after the check in, which opens at 3:30 am, it would mean I would still be overstaying by about 3 and a half hours

 

am I missing something?

 

thank you so much

One of you could "take a red card for team" and do the few hours overstay to check in, whilst the other one passes immigration with carry on luggage.  One over stay is better than two. 

 

As another member said, it's not a big issue, but an over stay is an over stay, and in the current climate, no over stay is better than any over stay, no matter how small. 

[7 days extension]

1 minute ago, heythere7 said:

is that possible?? I would totally do that if it's possible - i thought i can only do immigration after i check in? (check in opens only 3 hours before the flight) 

You have until 23:59 on the date of the visa expiry to depart.  You need to calculate the check in, the 23:59, and the flight.  

[7 days extension]

Cross immigration way earlier than your flights, and hang round in the departure lounge for 5 or 6 hours.

[Immigration got easier, my experience.]

Meanwhile, out of public view, in the back office, was hundreds of thousands of baht from agents sitting on a table, and immigration officers processing hundreds of extensions.  These people didn't even need to show up, let alone have 800k in a Thai bank.  ????

[denied at bkk, waiting in detention]

30 minutes ago, borderlesss said:

Update: successfully entered via laos friendship bridge visa exempt, no questions asked

What's your plan for next time?

[Going under 400,000]

2 hours ago, Gumballl said:

We call it an 'ante'. It is what it costs to play in Thailand. If a retiree cannot afford to always have the ante on the table, then they should not play in Thailand.

"Upping the ante" may have been fine when Thailand was the only place to "play." 

 

Now there are other places to play, that are not so far away, where the ante is a lot less to play the same game, which means more to the player and less to "the house."  ????

[Going under 400,000]

7 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

No the are not. Just a check of the balance 3 months after date of application.

 

And if a check of the balance reveals the balance is under 400k............................?

 

The 400k law is now there.  We now have to see how they "interpret" the punishment for going under it.  ????

[How to get temporary work permits for ex-pats to join non_profit project]

On 4/23/2019 at 8:25 PM, onera1961 said:

Most wealthy and most expensive? How about Singapore (wealthier than USA) and Malaysia (wealthier than Thailand)?

Read again.

 

I said: "ONE OF THE MOST wealthy and more expensive."  Not "the most wealthy and most expensive." 

[Going under 400,000]

6 minutes ago, Kenchamp said:

I'm sure that is coming.

I'm quite sure the 800k will be increased in the future as well.

 

Interesting times ahead. 

[Going under 400,000]

Just now, Kenchamp said:

Not really acceptable to me either which is one of the reasons why i'm considering going back to a non o visa based on marriage.

 

How long before that visa gets "tweaked?"  

[Going under 400,000]

4 hours ago, khastan said:

I think you will be denied your next extension for breaking the rules, but who knows

You may be detained at your next 90 day report and have your visa revoked. 

 

I believe Jomtien Immigration are asking to see your bank book with bank balance when reporting.  

[90 year-old Don is leaving Thailand]

43 minutes ago, mike787 said:

Feelings mutual re: "Compassion".  However, action speaks louder than words.  Thailand's compassion is absent as narrated by the 90 year old and other expats on TVF that have felt the recent wrath of Thai immigration.  There is an active exodus of expats from Thailand, wether it be slow, gradual, or expedited but it is an efflux. 

Western tourists numbers have been in decline here in recent times, so it would stand to reason expat numbers would also eventually decline. 

 

If one does not holiday in Thailand, fair chance is one does not retire to Thailand. 

 

This has nothing to do with visas, and everything to do with "Thainess" but yes, you are correct, of the expats here now, seriously considering a Plan B was something they procrastinated on, but not now.  Many are making serious enquiries in other countries, myself included. 

[Long Stay vs Frequent Visitor]

16 minutes ago, Darkside Gray said:

I would disagree with this comment, Im an person working in the Oil and Gas industry and I and many of my fellow workers are still rotating in and out of Thailand.

Of the few I met, they saw the writing on the wall and went next door.  They told me of others in the industry not coming to Thailand on their rotation as well.  Miners, particularly from Australia, were the same.

 

For how much longer do you think you will be able to get away with it?