Denied entry at Don Meung even with a valid 60 day Tourist Visa

[ssizz]

I was denied entry at Don Meung even though I just recently received a new 60 day Tourist Visa in Vientiane Laos. They immigration officer said I've been using too many Visa Exempt and Tourist Visas to stay in Thailand. I've been using them since November 2017, but usually Visa Exempt on Arrival and only 1 60-day Tourist Visa before.

 

They took me to some side desk and told me I had to book a flight out of Thailand and they will give me a 30 day stamp. I booked a ticket to Laos at the desk and the lady said I will have to leave in 30 days. She gave me a stamp and I took a look and the stamp was a 60 day stamp and let me into the country.

 

Now I'm wondering...do I really need to leave at the 30 day mark, or is that 60 day stamp on my passport valid and I can stay here for the entire 60 day duration of the stamp and visa? I'm not sure if anyone else here has encountered this problem. I'm a Canadian citizen if it matters at all.

[ubonjoe]

If your tourist visa was still valid for entry you got the correct stamp. Not need to leave the country until the 60 days ends or the 30 day extension of it.

[ssizz]

20 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

If your tourist visa was still valid for entry you got the correct stamp. Not need to leave the country until the 60 days ends or the 30 day extension of it.

Thank you for the reply. If I were to stay the 60 days and I go to get a 30 day extension will they see anything on their system that will get me into trouble?  I'm just afraid they might have put something on "the system" of what happened today. 

 

Was what happened today just because I was unlucky? My previous stays were July&Aug17 on Visa exempt, Nov&Dec on Visa exempt, Jan&Feb on exempt, Mar&Apr on tourist visa, then May&June on Visa exempt. The lady said I stayed here too long without a proper work or education visa and that in the future I will be denied entry doing any tourist or visa exempts. If I decide to get a future Tourist Visa in Laos and its granted successfully, should I cross over on a land border instead of flying in to Don Meung to avoid this issue?

[elviajero]

You can stay for the full 60 days.

 

There shouldn’t be a problem getting an extension of stay. In the unlikely event it was denied they would give you 7 days to leave the country.

[ubonjoe]

I think there was a mix up when they said 30 days and then when they did the entry stamp they put the correct number of days.

I am not sure the can even put a note in the system about the 30 days. I would not worry about getting the extension.

Probably better to enter at a land border crossing next time.

[elviajero]

12 minutes ago, ssizz said:

If I decide to get a future Tourist Visa in Laos and its granted successfully, should I cross over on a land border instead of flying in to Don Meung to avoid this issue?

The consular service issuing the visa will have no idea about your problem at the border, and will issue you a visa as long as you meet their requirements. Having a visa does not guarantee entry to the country and you could get denied (highly unlikely) at any border.

[buick]

immigration tends to scrutinize someone who has 6 visa exempt entries within a certain timeframe (not sure what the timeframe is).  but does seem unlucky that you got pulled aside with a tourist visa.  did you have a ticket out of thailand that you bought in order to obtain the tourist visa ?  maybe vientiane doesn't require that ? 

 

did you write your tourist visa number on your TM6 entry card ?  it sounds like they may have thought you were coming in visa exempt again and then saw the tourist visa later on.  just speculating, at least they let you in. 

[Briggsy]

Don Meuang.

Flight in from nearby country.

Female IO.

 

3 aspects of the case that occur frequently with these type of cases and are able to be avoided.

[ssizz]

5 minutes ago, buick said:

immigration tends to scrutinize someone who has 6 visa exempt entries within a certain timeframe (not sure what the timeframe is).  but does seem unlucky that you got pulled aside with a tourist visa.  did you have a ticket out of thailand that you bought in order to obtain the tourist visa ?  maybe vientiane doesn't require that ? 

 

did you write your tourist visa number on your TM6 entry card ?  it sounds like they may have thought you were coming in visa exempt again and then saw the tourist visa later on.  just speculating, at least they let you in. 

 

The person at the immigration desk was flipping through looking at all my previous visas, he pointed to my visa exempt stamp from April and asked if I overstayed and I politely pointed that its a visa extension stamp. I then proceeded to point him to the Thai Tourist Visa page on my passport and they pretty much just shrugged off and called the other people over.

 

I didn't have a ticket out of Thailand in order to get the tourist visa, it wasn't a requirement. I did write my tourist visa on my TM6 card and pointed every single person that was looking through my passport towards my tourist visa page.

[Briggsy]

Passport full of stamps, a fourth avoidable aspect. Renew that passport, ssizz! ?

[ssizz]

4 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

Don Meuang.

Flight in from nearby country.

Female IO.

 

3 aspects of the case that occur frequently with these type of cases and are able to be avoided.

I see, would you suggest flying in from Suvarnabhumi if arriving by Tourist Visa and Visa Exempts? I had thought a lot of people have encountered issues going through there with asking to show 20k THB which is why I chosed Don Meung ?

Edited July 5, 2018 by ssizz

[BEVUP]

Did you have a return or forwarding ticket - You obviously didn't 

& you still need the 20,000 - What if DM asked for it 

Edited July 5, 2018 by BEVUP

[Briggsy]

7 minutes ago, ssizz said:

I see, would you suggest flying in from Suvarnabhumi if arriving by Tourist Visa and Visa Exempts? I had thought a lot of people have encountered issues going through there with asking to show 20k THB which is why I chosed Don Meung ?

Don Meuang is worse than Suwannaphum.

 

If coming from Vientiane, get the bus/fly package from Vientiane ==> bus to Udon ==> fly to Bangkok. No problems at the land border.

[buick]

here is a recent thread with addtl advice on your situation.

 

 

Edited July 5, 2018 by buick

[Chou Anou]

Gotta love ThaiVisa. Everyone's bending over backwards to tell this guy how he can keep abusing the Thai immigration system, with nobody stopping to say: if you've continually been in Thailand since 2017, you are NOT a tourist, and you're abusing a system (visa-exempt stays and tourist visas) meant for tourists. I'd love to sit down with the OP over a beer and hear his opinion on immigrants to his country and their (real or imagined) abuse/skirting of his country's immigration laws.

[Briggsy]

I'm happy to give sound advice to @ssizz . He seems like a stand-up type of guy and even forked out his hard-earned cash for a tourist visa. Only a straight shooter would do that. Even the Immigration Officers let him in in the end. So, they saw him as a good guy (Good guys in, Bad guys out). You don't meet many bad Canadians, do you, eh?

[AlexRich]

You should go to immigration and double check, why take the risk? Also, you might want to spend more time outside of Thailand, to make you look more like a traveller and less like a long-term resident who might have a job. There are some great places to go for a few weeks, you're spoilt for choice.

[tumama]

Seems like the general advise is to avoid DMK like the plague unless you have a new passport with few stamps/visas in it. 

[4evermaat]

Gotta love ThaiVisa. Everyone's bending over backwards to tell this guy how he can keep abusing the Thai immigration system, with nobody stopping to say: if you've continually been in Thailand since 2017, you are NOT a tourist, and you're abusing a system (visa-exempt stays and tourist visas) meant for tourists. I'd love to sit down with the OP over a beer and hear his opinion on immigrants to his country and their (real or imagined) abuse/skirting of his country's immigration laws.

Thailand is still relatively lax about their visa situation. You just cant breathe on the application anymore and get unlimited consecutive SETVs.

 

You also have to remember that they are somewhat inconsistent about applying the rules.

 

I always tell people to try to use TVs or Non-immigrant as often as possible. Save visa exempts for when you really need them OR if you only intend to come for a few weeks once or twice a year.

 

Unless you come from a country with 60-90 day visa exempt entry. Then it is tempting to just do those exclusively.

 

Sent from my ASUS_X00ID using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

[scubascuba3]

Gotta love ThaiVisa. Everyone's bending over backwards to tell this guy how he can keep abusing the Thai immigration system, with nobody stopping to say: if you've continually been in Thailand since 2017, you are NOT a tourist, and you're abusing a system (visa-exempt stays and tourist visas) meant for tourists. I'd love to sit down with the OP over a beer and hear his opinion on immigrants to his country and their (real or imagined) abuse/skirting of his country's immigration laws.

The big difference assuming he isn't working is he is spending money as a tourist, he isn't claiming benefits or getting free medical treatment such as you get in the UK

[tumama]

11 minutes ago, Chou Anou said:

Gotta love ThaiVisa. Everyone's bending over backwards to tell this guy how he can keep abusing the Thai immigration system, with nobody stopping to say: if you've continually been in Thailand since 2017, you are NOT a tourist, and you're abusing a system (visa-exempt stays and tourist visas) meant for tourists. I'd love to sit down with the OP over a beer and hear his opinion on immigrants to his country and their (real or imagined) abuse/skirting of his country's immigration laws.

 

No. Europe and U.S are pretty lax about abusing the immigration system. Thailand is just plain ridiculous. I live here and spend money here. That means I'm paying a lot of VAT which is not only income for the Thai government, but also supports local businesses. You would think they would like that, but no. 

 

And please, don't give me something like respect the local laws. TIT. Where you can overthrow the democratically elected government and not get punished for it. 

 

[Cadbury]

12 minutes ago, AlexRich said:

You should go to immigration and double check, why take the risk? Also, you might want to spend more time outside of Thailand, to make you look more like a traveller and less like a long-term resident who might have a job. There are some great places to go for a few weeks, you're spoilt for choice.

Go to Vietnam and stay there. They don't carry on with all this visa crap.

[lkv]

I don't know what's going on here, but having landed at 18:05 today into DMK from Phnom Pehn with yet another SETV i would say that:

 

1. Female officers could not be avoided, all were female.

 

2. The one I went to smiled at me after she stamped the passport for another 60 days. The others seemed quite friendly also.

[scubascuba3]

I don't know what's going on here, but having landed at 18:05 today into DMK from Phnom Pehn with yet another SETV i would say that:
 
1. Female officers could not be avoided, all were female.
 
2. The one I went to smiled at me after she stamped the passport for another 60 days. The others seemed quite friendly also.

Maybe one of the IOs has gone rogue

[lkv]

3 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

25 minutes ago, lkv said:

I don't know what's going on here, but having landed at 18:05 today into DMK from Phnom Pehn with yet another SETV i would say that:
 
1. Female officers could not be avoided, all were female.
 
2. The one I went to smiled at me after she stamped the passport for another 60 days. The others seemed quite friendly also.

Maybe one of the IOs has gone rogue

Sure sure, only new members of this forum seem to encounter Immigration issues lately.

Edited July 5, 2018 by lkv

[ssizz]

28 minutes ago, lkv said:

I don't know what's going on here, but having landed at 18:05 today into DMK from Phnom Pehn with yet another SETV i would say that:

 

1. Female officers could not be avoided, all were female.

 

2. The one I went to smiled at me after she stamped the passport for another 60 days. The others seemed quite friendly also.

If you dont mind me asking, how many previous SETV and Visa Exempts have you used this year?

[Freed1948]

55 minutes ago, Chou Anou said:

Gotta love ThaiVisa. Everyone's bending over backwards to tell this guy how he can keep abusing the Thai immigration system, with nobody stopping to say: if you've continually been in Thailand since 2017, you are NOT a tourist, and you're abusing a system (visa-exempt stays and tourist visas) meant for tourists. I'd love to sit down with the OP over a beer and hear his opinion on immigrants to his country and their (real or imagined) abuse/skirting of his country's immigration laws.

Why do you need to pontificate your questionable knowledge?

Just respond to the OP.

We don't need to hear your opinion on anything!.

[lkv]

8 minutes ago, ssizz said:

If you dont mind me asking, how many previous SETV and Visa Exempts have you used this year?

My first advice to you is maybe change the name of this thread from "Denied entry" into "asked to show an exit plane ticket and allowed entry".

Edited July 5, 2018 by lkv

[Kieran00001]

50 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

1 hour ago, Chou Anou said:

Gotta love ThaiVisa. Everyone's bending over backwards to tell this guy how he can keep abusing the Thai immigration system, with nobody stopping to say: if you've continually been in Thailand since 2017, you are NOT a tourist, and you're abusing a system (visa-exempt stays and tourist visas) meant for tourists. I'd love to sit down with the OP over a beer and hear his opinion on immigrants to his country and their (real or imagined) abuse/skirting of his country's immigration laws.

The big difference assuming he isn't working is he is spending money as a tourist, he isn't claiming benefits or getting free medical treatment such as you get in the UK

 

If the immigrant had skirted the immigration laws then how could they claim benefits or get free medical treatment?  They couldn't even get a legal job, so is there a big difference after all?

[chippendale]

1 hour ago, Chou Anou said:

Gotta love ThaiVisa. Everyone's bending over backwards to tell this guy how he can keep abusing the Thai immigration system, with nobody stopping to say: if you've continually been in Thailand since 2017, you are NOT a tourist, and you're abusing a system (visa-exempt stays and tourist visas) meant for tourists. I'd love to sit down with the OP over a beer and hear his opinion on immigrants to his country and their (real or imagined) abuse/skirting of his country's immigration laws.

Too many assumptions there, mate:

 

1. What makes you absolutely certain he's not a tourist?

2. Don't be presumptious about his opinion on immigrants.

3. Who'd want to have a beer with you? Mind-numbing tedium

4. This topic is not the Rants About Immigrants forum.