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Has anyone been denied entry with a valid tourist visa?


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I know that immigration is cracking down on back to back tourist visas. But has anyone ever had experience of being rejected at Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueng with a new unused tourist visa? If you get a rejection stamp, and the airlines forces you to fly to another country, does this also void your unused visa? Or do you simply just book a flight to another country like Vientiane and then use the tourist visa at the land border for 60 days? If you tell Thai airlines you will fly to Laos, dont they know that you will plan to enter the country via land border and wouldn't it raise flags at the Immigration at Laos or Thai border when they see you have a denial stamp or do they still let you in? 

 

I know that having a denial stamp doesnt mean you are banned from Thailand, so does that simply mean they deny you at this time but you can easily just try again by flying out and back in at another entry port? but then this means the next time you fly into the Airport they will see that you entered Thailand again after a denial and will even further risk denying your entry again? 

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There have, indeed, been recent cases of people denied entry at the Bangkok airports when holding a valid tourist visa.

 

The visa is unused, so it ought to be possible to use it to enter Thailand at a land crossing. Assuming you do not try to enter at Poipet/Aranyaprathet, experience to date suggests your chance of entering successfully is excellent. Certainly, the risk of a second denial would be greater if you try flying in rather than using a land crossing.

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55 minutes ago, acenase said:

I know that immigration is cracking down on back to back tourist visas. But has anyone ever had experience of being rejected at Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueng with a new unused tourist visa?

Yes, at both airports.

 

55 minutes ago, acenase said:

If you get a rejection stamp, and the airlines forces you to fly to another country, does this also void your unused visa?

Itis immigration that decide where you fly to which is usually back to where you flew from by the airline that brought you.

 

The visa is only good if stamped ‘Used’ or ‘Cancelled’, which doesn’t usually happen.

 

55 minutes ago, acenase said:

Or do you simply just book a flight to another country like Vientiane and then use the tourist visa at the land border for 60 days?

You can sometimes fly to a country of your choice, but expect to go back to the country you flew from.

 

If the visa isn’t void you can still use it.

 

55 minutes ago, acenase said:

If you tell Thai airlines you will fly to Laos, dont they know that you will plan to enter the country via land border and wouldn't it raise flags at the Immigration at Laos or Thai border when they see you have a denial stamp or do they still let you in? 

No.

 

If you attempt to re-enter again it’s up to the IO at the time whether or not to let you in.

 

55 minutes ago, acenase said:

I know that having a denial stamp doesnt mean you are banned from Thailand, so does that simply mean they deny you at this time but you can easily just try again by flying out and back in at another entry port?

Yes you can attempt to enter again.

 

55 minutes ago, acenase said:

 but then this means the next time you fly into the Airport they will see that you entered Thailand again after a denial and will even further risk denying your entry again? 

Maybe; it’s depends on the IO at passport control.

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Going one step further with the OP's question, are there any verified examples of folks with valid tourist visas getting denied at an airport, then successfully getting in by the land route?  Or anyone in that situation that's been unsuccessful, even at a land border?

 

And at which land borders?

 

Just trying to get a sense of the odds for anyone contemplating the 2nd attempt...

 

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2 minutes ago, impulse said:

Going one step further with the OP's question, are there any verified examples of folks with valid tourist visas getting denied at an airport, then successfully getting in by the land route? 

Yes.

 

2 minutes ago, impulse said:

Or anyone in that situation that's been unsuccessful, even at a land border?

 

And at which land borders?

 

Just trying to get a sense of the odds for anyone contemplating the 2nd attempt...

The chances of getting denied at a land border are currently very small even if denied at the airport or other border crossing.

 

 

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2 minutes ago, hakama said:

 

A story isn't enough for you? You need a user to proof his story to you? You say thank you even for the fact that a user joined and has shared his story. If you don't believe it -- your problem.

Sure sure

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Is there any reasons why that works? If someone gets denied entry at the airport and they get a denial stamp and are forced to book a flight out and they choose say Laos, that they would be able to just do a quick turnaround and go from Vientiane to Nong Khai and get in easily. Is it just because the IO's at land crossing borders aren't as strict as the IO's at the airports? 

Edited by acenase
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So there still kind of is a loophole, even if you fly to one of the many Thai consulars all around SEA, and fly back with a new 60 day tourist visa, even if the IO says "no too many visas" and deny your entry and gives you a rejection stamp for whatever reason 2. For lack of funds (sometimes they just use this reason even if you show proof of 20,000 baht and onward travel ticket) or suspicion of working.

 

You still always have another opportunity to book the next flight out to Laos (It needs to be on the same airlines you flew on, you can't change airlines, so it will be a lot more difficult if you flew in on an airlines that doesn't fly to Lao) but say you used Thai Airways to fly in, you can book a flight from BKK to Vientiane on the same day and then use the Thai-Lao friendship bridge and get stamped in for 60 days for your tourist visa since it would still be valid even if you get a rejection stamp, they don't cancel your tourist visa. Thats the thing I am confused about.... they deny you at the airport but then you tell Thai airlines you will now fly to lao and then you will enter successfully using the Thai-Lao bridge, so whats the whole purpose of being denied at the airport if you can just use that same tourist visa to come into Thailand anyways from Lao border? When the IO at the border sees what you just did, why don't they question it? Or say you just got a rejection stamp from Suvarnabhumi and you just came here to come in that wouldn't raise red flags?

Edited by acenase
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9 minutes ago, marke985 said:

If any interest to the original poster, I was denied entry in Don Meuang on March 16.  I flew in from Manila after staying in the Philippines for 7 days.  The reason was, they determined I was not a tourist.  The only reason they gave was I spent 180 days in the past year in Thailand so I was not a tourist thus did not have the correct Visa.

 

My flight was a late night flight and I was really tired so I didn't make too much of an argument.  The 180 days must of been close to exact since I spent May 1 2018 - October 14th 2018 in the USA.  Since returning to Thailand I only spent a few days out if the country each 60 days while applying for a new Visa.  

 

*During the last 5 years I've spent most (90%) of my time in Thailand on single entry tourist visas or visa exempt stamps. With the exception of 2 trips back to the USA for about 6 months each time.

 

*I did not have a Visa last month when I was denied entry. I was planning for a 30 day exempt stamp.

 

* Tomorrow April 14th, I will board a plane back to Don Meuang, this time with a tourist Visa issued from the consul in Manila.

 

If I get denied entry again, I will refuse to sign the form that I've read on this forum allows them to hold me in the detention center and we will see how that goes.

 

I applied for the Thai Elite card on March 20th but still waiting for the immigration background check to clear.  I can show them I've moved 1,000,000 baht to a checking account to pay for the elite card. (I'm not sure if I'll use this information if I get denied again, or tell them to <deleted> off and keep my money and go back to the USA and explore south America for a while)

Anyway, I'll try to remember to come back and update everyone.  If anyone wants me to try/ask immigration anything within reason (in the event I do not get granted entry) let me know or if anyone has any suggestions post them here.

 

Yes, please update us if you are denied again and refuse to sign their form.  I followed that thread and am interested to find out what that form they ask folks to sign REALLY says.

 

Thanks

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Last month when you got denied for your 30 day visa exempt stamp, did you return back to your home country and then you traveled to Manila? Or did you fly to Lao or Malaysia and enter from land border and then flew to Manila?

 

also what do you gain from refusing to sign the form? If they already denied entry, wont you still be forced to buy a ticket to another country if you sign or not sign?

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58 minutes ago, acenase said:

Last month when you got denied for your 30 day visa exempt stamp, did you return back to your home country and then you traveled to Manila? Or did you fly to Lao or Malaysia and enter from land border and then flew to Manila?

 

also what do you gain from refusing to sign the form? If they already denied entry, wont you still be forced to buy a ticket to another country if you sign or not sign?

When I was denied I was assigned an AirAsia representative who met me outside the immigration office at the airport.  At first, immigration told me I had to fly back to Manila.

 

The AirAsia representative told me since there were no flights available on AirAsia for the next day to Manila, I could fly anywhere on AirAsia where a Visa was  not required to enter the country.  I asked him if Visa in arrival was OK thinking I would fly to Laos and enter via land, but he said I could not. (I really got the impression he wasn't sure if i could or not and think it would of not been a problem if i had.) I ended up buying a ticket to Kuala Lumpur for the next morning at his advice since i was going to have to pay for the detention room and the longer you stay in there the more you pay.

 

#2.)  By refusing to sign the form I am under the understanding they can't put you in the detention room which is an extra 800 baht if you stay for a few hours like I did, would be more if you stay longer.

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2 hours ago, marke985 said:

If I get denied entry again, I will refuse to sign the form that I've read on this forum allows them to hold me in the detention center and we will see how that goes.

It doesn’t matter whether you sign or not, they can still detain you. This issue is who they charge for the detention.

 

The airline that brought you are responsible to pay unless you sign something agreeing to pay.

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7 hours ago, acenase said:

Is there any reasons why that works? If someone gets denied entry at the airport and they get a denial stamp and are forced to book a flight out and they choose say Laos, that they would be able to just do a quick turnaround and go from Vientiane to Nong Khai and get in easily. Is it just because the IO's at land crossing borders aren't as strict as the IO's at the airports? 

Yes, because most entry points follow the actual laws - rather than make up illegal reasons to deny entry such as "here too much before," and then hide their illegal-denial by using another stamp about having the funds to support their stay (beyond the 20K Baht, even though immigration's own info says the 20K baht covers it).

 

5 hours ago, acenase said:

Thats the thing I am confused about.... they deny you at the airport but then you tell Thai airlines you will now fly to lao and then you will enter successfully using the Thai-Lao bridge, so whats the whole purpose of being denied at the airport if you can just use that same tourist visa to come into Thailand anyways from Lao border? When the IO at the border sees what you just did, why don't they question it? Or say you just got a rejection stamp from Suvarnabhumi and you just came here to come in that wouldn't raise red flags? 


The purpose is to get you to use another form of stay, or "just go away."  Those pushing this anti-Farang agenda have choked-off key entry points (the Bangkok airports), and most will not be willing to come across by land, then take a van to Udon Thanni, then catch a domestic flight - or similar via Penang -> Train -> Pedang Besar -> Hat Yai -> domestic-flight.

 

The underlying reason, is that there is no "extra money" to be made from Tourist-type entries - but there are many "extra fee" scams running for ED other types of extensions via agents.  Then consider the outrageously-priced 500K+ Baht "Elite Visa" they are trying to sell (10x the cost of a visa in Cambodia, The Philippines, or Vietnam - with 5 years of that 10x-price paid up-front).  Then throw in the xenophobia of this clique of IOs, used to justify the "pay us tribute to get out" mentality.

 

Fortunately, most IOs at most entry points are not part of that clique.

Edited by JackThompson
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8 hours ago, BritTim said:

Immigration officials at most land crossings deny entry strictly according to the reasons given by Section 12 of the Immigration Act. At some airports, while citing Section 12 (2) of the Immigration Act as the reason for denied entry, this is actually a bogus use of that subsection, with the real reason being that the immigration official believes the tourist visa was wrongly issued by the consulate (not officially a valid reason for denied entry).

That’s not true. Often IO’s at land borders turn people way without following any formal procedure; whereas, it’s a big deal denying entry at the airport so IO’s have to follow formal procedure and issue an expulsion notice.

 

If someone has spent too long in the country as a tourist, AND they qualify to be denied entry for any reason under the immigration act or regulation, they can be denied.

 

IO’s cannot, and do not, deny entry specifically for time spent as a tourist even though it’s the underlying reason, but there is nothing stopping them using other qualifying reasons, which is what happens.

 

It is ridiculous to believe that border officials at the major airports  — issuing formal legal expulsion notices — are doing so without authority.

 

And until you or others can provide evidence that these denials, at multiple borders, are unlawful your opinions should be ignored. Report after report prove you’re wrong.

 

Immigration at the airports are responding to the change in MO of long term tourists who have been forced to trawl SEA for TR’s and fly in. It’s part of the ongoing clampdown.

 

I bet that, before the year is out, reports of denials at land borders start coming in again if long term tourists go back to using land borders in significant numbers.

Edited by elviajero
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That's so crazy... I know my time is coming once I go to DMK or BKK because I have a history of being in thailand for 3 years but I've made use of it by visiting all different Embassys in Asia. Even my last entries I was looked at weird because I went to Hanoi in October for a TV and then I did a Phu Nam Ron border in December extended that, and then another Phu Nam ron border run in February and extended that, now I was planning on going to Bali for yet another TV and I'm super scared that if I come through DMK or BKK i will get denied entry for sure. My passport is nothing but filled with TV's from different countries in SEA the last 2 years. But now at least i know that I can still get a TV and get denied entry and still have a valid visa for when i go to Laos and enter thru Nong Khai

Edited by acenase
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Just now, acenase said:

That's so crazy... I know my time is coming once I go to DMK or BKK because I have a history of being in thailand for 3 years but I've made use of it by visiting all different Embassys in Asia. Even my last entries I was looked at weird because I went to Hanoi in October for a TV and then I did a Phu Nam Ron border in December extended that, and then another Phu Nam ron border run in February and extended that, now I was planning on going to Bali for yet another TV and I'm super scared that if I come through DMK or BKK i will get denied entry for sure. But now at least i know that I can still get a TV and get denied entry and still have a valid visa for when i go to Laos and enter thru Nong Khai

So in reality you're living here on tourist visas?

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