Ban Pakard... Trouble with valid Non-Imm O visa during border run... 2000 baht added "fee" to receive stamp

[thaistuff]

I live in Pattaya and have a Non-Imm O multi- entry Marriage Visa, and usually does border runs to Cambodia every 90 days. I do in-out stamp trips using the border run companies, as I prefer this trip to dealing with the immigration offices and the hassles that involves. I know a lot of other people do this too, but what happened to me today means I will NEVER do another border run like that again...  

I arrived at Ban Pakard, joined the queue, and waited for my turn.
Upon presenting my passport to exit Thailand, with a valid marriage visa (with a week left on it), and on the last day of my previous 90 day entry-stamp, the immigration official handed my passport over to his boss and I could tell something was up. I expected to get a few simple questions and be on my way, but that was not the case today.  

Boss waved me over, gave me a stern talking to while I politely listened. I mention this so you know that I was not rude in any way, shape or form. 
He told me that I should be going to Pattaya immigration office for extensions, not doing border runs. He said I would not be able to get a stamp today. I (politely) said that this was never a problem before, and that I was expecting to be able to do my in-out bounce and get another 90 day stamp. He repeated that, no, I should be going to Jomtien immigration.  But, he said, if I talked to his assistant (the girl who helps people at the border there) and she agreed, I could have the stamp. This would be the last time I could have it though, he said. The girl took me aside and told me in no uncertain terms, that meant I either pay 2000 baht feeor get back on the bus without my stamp.

Stuck between having to pay him 2000 baht and get what I came for, or head back to Jomtien and pay them 2000 baht to get 60 days and have to deal with that whole process, I paid him. No receipt. Nothing signed. Cash on the tables under the "no cash transactions here" signs.   

The border run boss said that this official is known for being a _______. He apparently moved away from that office a while back, but returned a couple of weeks ago. With a vengeance.   

So if you are doing a border run on your Non-imm O visa, expect to have to cough up 2000 baht. Or more, it was all under the table and the rates could change at any time.  Personally, I won't be going back there. 

I think that is my 20th, and final time at that border.


 


 

[thaistuff]

I should add that yes, I had already paid the 2300 border run fare with my driver. That covers the Cambodian visa fee.

[jimn]

I agree that your treatment is appalling however the guy does have a point. Doing a border bounce every 90 days although legal is not what its designed for. If you are living here full time, you really should be on an extension of stay based on marriage.

[SteveK]

So if you were going to meet a friend or family member in Cambodia, then you can't go? What a load of garbage.

[thaistuff]

7 minutes ago, jimn said:

I agree that your treatment is appalling however the guy does have a point. Doing a border bounce every 90 days although legal is not what its designed for. If you are living here full time, you really should be on an extension of stay based on marriage.

Thanks, my treatment was poor, but the main issue here is that anyone doing the border runs on the marriage visa should expect possible problems at this crossing, in the form of heavy fines.
That's the real reason I'm posting, to warn others. If I didn't have the 2k on me, I would have been sent back to Pattaya empty-handed and headed for an inevitable overstay of at least one day while I tried to get documents in order for the Jomtien immigration, whom probably wouldn't issue an extension if I had already overstayed? 
It would have been a right mess, and probably would have culminated in me needing to go back to Savannakhet post-haste to receive a new Visa.

Edited January 27, 2020 by thaistuff

[jimn]

1 minute ago, thaistuff said:

Thanks, my treatment was poor, but the main issue here is that anyone doing the border runs on the marriage visa should expect possible problems at this crossing, in the form of heavy fines.
That's the real reason I'm posting. If I didn't have the 2k on me, I would have been sent back to Pattaya empty handed and for an inievitable overstay of at least one day while I tried to get documents in order for the Jomtien immigration, whom probably wouldn't issue an extension if I had already overstayed? 
It would have been a right mess, and probably would have culminated in me needing to go back to Savannakhet post-haste to receive a new Visa.

Yes I fully understand your point and the IO was totally out of order. I do think though that there is a growing trend especially at the consulates outside Thailand to stop issuing Multi Entry Non O. The UK now only issues single entry and I believe a few other countries as well. I believe the reason they are doing this is to stop people doing exactly what you have been doing and live permanently in Thailand on a multi entry. They want you to get an extension of stay. I predict that at some point all the nearby consualtes in Laos, Vietnam etc will also stop issuing multi entry Non O for the same reason. 

[thaistuff]

13 minutes ago, jimn said:

Yes I fully understand your point and the IO was totally out of order. I do think though that there is a growing trend especially at the consulates outside Thailand to stop issuing Multi Entry Non O. The UK now only issues single entry and I believe a few other countries as well. I believe the reason they are doing this is to stop people doing exactly what you have been doing and live permanently in Thailand on a multi entry. They want you to get an extension of stay. I predict that at some point all the nearby consualtes in Laos, Vietnam etc will also stop issuing multi entry Non O for the same reason. 

Yes, I have noticed that trend too. The contrast between the process of extending (photos of house, family, wife being present, etc etc) compared to simply turning up on the bus at the border is fairly stark. That disparity needs to be closed, and I don't see the requirements for extension becoming that lax any time soon, which means the border-crossing options will likely become tougher.  

If my experience today is the new norm at this crossing, it means that day has finally come for many in Pattaya. I can get used to doing extensions, but today (and the rest of this week, maybe even month) would have gone a lot differently for me if I didn't have the extra 2k baht in my pocket when the figure was scribbled on a piece of paper and slid across to me earlier. 

Edited January 27, 2020 by thaistuff

[johnmell]

Must be quite a big revenue source from these one year visas.5,000 baht in Savannakhet and 200 USD in Ho Chi Minh City, plus 1,900 baht for any 60 day extensions, as opposed to 1,900 baht for one year extension.

[gk10002000]

I was always a bit confused why having a O visa, people were still making 90 day border runs. I just assumed they could and would do one year extensions, similar to O visa holders that do retirement extensions but don't make 90 day border runs.  Reading some of the posts above, I think I now understand.

 

4 hours ago, thaistuff said:

The contrast between the process of extending (photos of house, family, wife being present, etc etc) compared to simply turning up on the bus at the border is fairly stark.

 

Edited January 27, 2020 by gk10002000

[gk10002000]

5 hours ago, SteveK said:

So if you were going to meet a friend or family member in Cambodia, then you can't go? What a load of garbage.

That is not what they are saying at all.  The issue was this person had been doing border runs often and regularly.  Had he been doing extensions and an occasional border trip to visit Cambodia there would be no issue

[ukrules]

There is one word that describes what happened here : extortion

 

You were extorted by a border official. It's very illegal for them to do this, the immigration officers should be arrested and sent to prison for these crimes.

[ukrules]

1 hour ago, gk10002000 said:

That is not what they are saying at all.  The issue was this person had been doing border runs often and regularly.  Had he been doing extensions and an occasional border trip to visit Cambodia there would be no issue

So what, that's no excuse for extorting money out of him under threat of denial.

[Matzzon]

6 hours ago, jimn said:

I agree that your treatment is appalling however the guy does have a point. Doing a border bounce every 90 days although legal is not what its designed for. If you are living here full time, you really should be on an extension of stay based on marriage.

What are you talking about? That is exactly what the Non-0 Multiple Entry Visa based on marriage or child in Thailand is designed for. A holder of that type of visa must leave the country every 90 days to get a new stamp. The only choice is to go to immigration and receive a 60 day extension first, but still have to exit and enter for a new permission to stay after that. What can be seen as wrong is that people are doing border bounces, instead of staying outside for one or two nights before renewing their permission to stay.

[jacko45k]

Isn't this the second post on exactly this, the other being at Bang Laem.

[bbi1]

7 hours ago, thaistuff said:

I should add that yes, I had already paid the 2300 border run fare with my driver. That covers the Cambodian visa fee.

You should go and report your case to the national and international press of immigration officers asking for bribes via extortion. Plus posting it all over social media and getting people to share this. That way the whole world finds out about the corruption and maybe some action will get taken when enough people post their stories.

Edited January 28, 2020 by bbi1

[bbi1]

1 hour ago, ukrules said:

There is one word that describes what happened here : extortion

 

You were extorted by a border official. It's very illegal for them to do this, the immigration officers should be arrested and sent to prison for these crimes.

Exactly. That's why the OP needs to go to the press and social media to raise awareness. The more people that do, the better.

[steve187]

was this on the way out of Thailand, or had you been stamped in and out of Cambodia, i have used a multi entry non 'O' numerous times at ban pakard over the last 14 or so years.

[Lovethailandelite]

The shutdown is coming.

[WalkingOrders]

A type O visa extension for marriage. Ok well you lost me at "making a border run" . Sorry man, but if you have a type O marriage extension for marriage it makes zero sense to make border runs. If I was an immigration official I would be scratching my head, and searching you head to toe, and all your bags as well, and calling cheng wattana for direction.

[WalkingOrders]

1 hour ago, Matzzon said:

What are you talking about? That is exactly what the Non-0 Multiple Entry Visa based on marriage or child in Thailand is designed for. A holder of that type of visa must leave the country every 90 days to get a new stamp. The only choice is to go to immigration and receive a 60 day extension first, but still have to exit and enter for a new permission to stay after that. What can be seen as wrong is that people are doing border bounces, instead of staying outside for one or two nights before renewing their permission to stay.

A multi entry visa allows someone to leave and come back its not meant as replacement to 90 day reporting. It allow someone to travel, home or otherwise, who is living in Thailand with a longterm type O.

[steve187]

6 minutes ago, WalkingOrders said:

A type O visa extension for marriage. Ok well you lost me at "making a border run" . Sorry man, but if you have a type O marriage extension for marriage it makes zero sense to make border runs. If I was an immigration official I would be scratching my head, and searching you head to toe, and all your bags as well, and calling cheng wattana for direction.

please read the op, he is talking about a visa, not an extension, which only allow a stay of 90 days.

[WalkingOrders]

1 minute ago, steve187 said:

please read the op, he is talking about a visa, not an extension, which only allow a stay of 90 days.

He said a type O visa for marriage with multiple re-entry. If married to a Thai and living here, why a 90 day border run? Sorry it made no sense to immigration officials or me either.

[jacko45k]

5 minutes ago, WalkingOrders said:

He said a type O visa for marriage with multiple re-entry. If married to a Thai and living here, why a 90 day border run? Sorry it made no sense to immigration officials or me either.

Quote

Non-Imm O multi- entry Marriage Visa,

 

[steve187]

27 minutes ago, WalkingOrders said:

He said a type O visa for marriage with multiple re-entry. If married to a Thai and living here, why a 90 day border run? Sorry it made no sense to immigration officials or me either.

are you just trying to get your post count up, the op said '' I have a Non-Imm O multi- entry Marriage Visa''

Savannakhet is busy every day (Mon -Fri) with people getting a Non-Imm O multi- entry Marriage Visa,  they are not a rare thing

[ubonjoe]

42 minutes ago, Lovethailandelite said:

The shutdown is coming.

Nothing new there really. They have been telling people that they have to stay overnight at some Malaysian border crossing for many years. I am not sure that is a Thai immigration requirement. It could be something that Malaysian immigration has been telling them.

No big deal really if your are prepared to stay at least one night. Arrive late stay overnight and return the next morning.

 

[BritManToo]

49 minutes ago, WalkingOrders said:

A type O visa extension for marriage. Ok well you lost me at "making a border run" . Sorry man, but if you have a type O marriage extension for marriage it makes zero sense to make border runs. If I was an immigration official I would be scratching my head, and searching you head to toe, and all your bags as well, and calling cheng wattana for direction.

Discussion is about a VISA, not an Extension of stay.

Please try and keep up.

 

OP was extorted by a corrupt border immigration official, that's all there was to it.

Should have asked for an official appeal form (TM11).

Edited January 28, 2020 by BritManToo

[zappalot]

36 minutes ago, WalkingOrders said:

He said a type O visa for marriage with multiple re-entry. If married to a Thai and living here, why a 90 day border run? Sorry it made no sense to immigration officials or me either.

we fly out of thailand at least 6 times spread all over the year, so why waste 1 day at immigration for an extension of stay? Not the same as a border run, yes but still...

[scubascuba3]

Not good news that Ban Pakard has turned to the dark side, this border was always friendly and problem free, i used to do by METV border runs there, glad i no longer need to go there

[sucit]

I wonder what they would do if you requested to record the transaction on your phone. 

 

If someone got a recording of just one of these transactions it would pressure them. I suppose the person who recorded it would have to worry about repercusions is the problem. 

[scubascuba3]

1 minute ago, sucit said:

I wonder what they would do if you requested to record the transaction on your phone. 

 

If someone got a recording of just one of these transactions it would pressure them. I suppose the person who recorded it would have to worry about repercusions is the problem. 

At that border it says no telephones, there's a sign up, so i guess you wouldn't be allowed