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Things that could lead to denial of entry to Thailand


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Yep, by now we all know that coming to Thailand with the right visa, whatever that might be, is not the easiest thing in the world. We also know that travelling to Thailand to much in one year and enter with exempt entry method or with a tourist as well as even an education visa is getting harder. All that is things that can lead to denial of entry to the wonderful Kingdom of Thailand. A place in the world that an enormous amount of people can´t live without, if you read the many posts of panic and fear of denial in this forum. That disregarding the fact that Thailand might have had it´s years and there are other markets developing quicker in many other countries.

However, if we set the types of visas aside, and look in to this a little bit deeper. Can you then give yourself a better chance to, for example, succeed with your 4th visa exempt entry in the same year or be given the possibility to stay in Thailand 1 or even 2 year on tourist visas? What is the tricks some people use, and what do you think can be something that makes your chances better to not have any problem entering Thailand with a previous frequent history of visits?

Edited by Matzzon
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17 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Given that it always up to the individual IO as to whether anyone can enter, the only sure fire way to enter LOS is with the correct visa.

If that means some will only get one entry a year, so be it. No one said life was fair, and as the OP points out, LOS is not as lovable as it used to be.

I first visited in the 70s and felt no burning desire to become a yearly multiple entry visitor till the 90s. Were I starting today, I would probably prefer the Phillipines.

Yes, according to me all is like you post, but if we as I mentioned look away from the type of visa. Is certain persons more desirable or not. Does a certain look makes it easier or can a too good look have a negative impact? Like what chance does the hippie have against the yuppie? Do both have the same chance of denial of entry or does the regular guy stand as the winner with a clean shave, ordinary look a nice t-shirt and a pair of jeans?

Even if it´s just up to every single individual IO, they must have some kind of small marks that makes them look at things the same way. I would like to believe, anyway. ???? 

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Possibly length of previous stays may be a factor. I came visa exempt for 5 years every month. Business visa in my passport from another country so I guess that may add some legitimacy to showing  no intention of seeking work in Thailand during my, on average, 2 week stay. Over 60, black jeans, long sleeved shirt and shoes with backpack is my typical travelling attire. Only once did a female IO advise me to get a visa, which I ignored for a year. Since then I have a multi entry non o. I should add I say nothing to the IO except hello and thank you.

It would be interesting to know more about the people getting denied entry. We hear stories of snowbirds being denied, apparently. just because you are getting on in years you may fit some profile the IO does not like. Maybe 'hippy' looking which used to be a no no years ago?

Interesting topic, hope it gets some legs.

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3 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

Possibly length of previous stays may be a factor. I came visa exempt for 5 years every month. Business visa in my passport from another country so I guess that may add some legitimacy to showing  no intention of seeking work in Thailand during my, on average, 2 week stay. Over 60, black jeans, long sleeved shirt and shoes with backpack is my typical travelling attire. Only once did a female IO advise me to get a visa, which I ignored for a year. Since then I have a multi entry non o. I should add I say nothing to the IO except hello and thank you.

It would be interesting to know more about the people getting denied entry. We hear stories of snowbirds being denied, apparently. just because you are getting on in years you may fit some profile the IO does not like. Maybe 'hippy' looking which used to be a no no years ago?

Interesting topic, hope it gets some legs.

Thanks! Yes, probably your business visa was helping you a lot. However, I am also waiting to hear from more that have been denied out of curious reasons, and why they thought that happen.

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10 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

-Use the fast track lane

-Go to a male IO

-Be dressed in a long sleve shirt and slacks with prop shoes

-Be over the age of 50

-No tattoos showing

-Smile and  say Hello in Thai

-Make sure your  entry card is properly filled out and you have  the boarding pass stub.

-Come into the airport at a busy time

 

All these things will enhance one' chance of getting stamped in even without the proper Visa.

I can agree with most of the things here, except that thing to say hello in Thai. Here you can instead get the reaction that they do not like you to speak Thai after many visits on the wrong visa. Don´t you think it can be a sign you´ve been here too much without a proper visa?

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25 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

-Use the fast track lane

-Go to a male IO

-Be dressed in a long sleve shirt and slacks with prop shoes

-Be over the age of 50

-No tattoos showing

-Smile and  say Hello in Thai

-Make sure your  entry card is properly filled out and you have  the boarding pass stub.

-Come into the airport at a busy time

 

All these things will enhance one' chance of getting stamped in even without the proper Visa.

 

I wouldnt be suggesting this to people if they've spent alot of time in Thailand in recent years. I came in on the 13th using the fast track and the IO looked at my passport and said something about "come alot no good" and he sent me to the regular line. I got let in through the regular line but got no refund on my fast track. I've also read about this happening on here to one other person a couple months ago using fast track. 

 

Another thing I noticed was rather then take my passport and escort me through the line the fast track representative went through a diff lane and waited behind the IO. I told this story on the border runs thread and a guy confirmed the fast track representative did the same thing with him(he was allowed through fast track) I'm thinking they changed some polices and its not really a advantage to use if you've spent alot of time here in recent years. My history was 9 months all TV last year and 6 months a year for a few years before that. I used Thailimo fast track service.

 

 

Edited by lovesthespicy
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12 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I first visited in the 70s and felt no burning desire to become a yearly multiple entry visitor till the 90s. Were I starting today, I would probably prefer the Phillipines.

I've done Thailand, Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos many times in the past few years.

If I had to choose a place to live from scratch, it'd probably be Cambodia but I can't decide between SR and PP.

Probably PP, as it gets a bit hot in SR during the summer.

Edited by BritManToo
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1 hour ago, lovesthespicy said:

 

I wouldnt be suggesting this to people if they've spent alot of time in Thailand in recent years. I came in on the 13th using the fast track and the IO looked at my passport and said something about "come alot no good" and he sent me to the regular line. I got let in through the regular line but got no refund on my fast track. I've also read about this happening on here to one other person a couple months ago using fast track. 

 

Another thing I noticed was rather then take my passport and escort me through the line the fast track representative went through a diff lane and waited behind the IO. I told this story on the border runs thread and a guy confirmed the fast track representative did the same thing with him(he was allowed through fast track) I'm thinking they changed some polices and its not really a advantage to use if you've spent alot of time here in recent years. My history was 9 months all TV last year and 6 months a year for a few years before that. I used Thailimo fast track service.

 

 

Ok, that was new to me. So, have fast track been something that made it easier before? In that case that has changed, and that of course complicates things for some people. Anyway, nice to hear something that I´ve totally missed out on.

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My $0.02 worth... my (Thai) wife is living here (in Chiang Mai) and I'm working in Singapore and come up once a month for six days, since July last year. I've come in visa exempt for the last six times. I fly direct to CM - of course who wouldn't? Never a problem - put my home address (well some of it - it's so long it won't fit on the form) and never do these TM30/TM6 things that you're supposed to do when not staying in a hotel. In - no questions except once "Is that a hotel?" "No it's my address here, it's a house" - one minute, sometimes two.  Out - stamp, stamp, "put your fingers on the pad" - thirty seconds - apart from that never a word spoken. I have a picture of my wife in my wallet just in case ???? Maybe helps that I'm a person of mature years but I'm always in shorts and T-shirt. Occasionally say hello and thank you (in Thai) when I arrive but often don't - five times out of six no conversation whatsoever.

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30 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I've done Thailand, Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos many times in the past few years.

If I had to choose a place to live from scratch, it'd probably be Cambodia but I can't decide between SR and PP.

Probably PP, as it gets a bit hot in SR during the summer.

I have also been around, and like Cambodia very much. However, I would probably chose SR cause I prefer hot weather as well as I´ve always gotten a more bad smell in the air in PP.

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57 minutes ago, lovesthespicy said:

 

I wouldnt be suggesting this to people if they've spent alot of time in Thailand in recent years. I came in on the 13th using the fast track and the IO looked at my passport and said something about "come alot no good" and he sent me to the regular line. I got let in through the regular line but got no refund on my fast track. I've also read about this happening on here to one other person a couple months ago using fast track. 

 

Another thing I noticed was rather then take my passport and escort me through the line the fast track representative went through a diff lane and waited behind the IO. I told this story on the border runs thread and a guy confirmed the fast track representative did the same thing with him(he was allowed through fast track) I'm thinking they changed some polices and its not really a advantage to use if you've spent alot of time here in recent years. My history was 9 months all TV last year and 6 months a year for a few years before that. I used Thailimo fast track service.

 

 

Suwarnabhumi Fast Track for economy class passengers is restricted from July 1st 2019.

Now BKK allows only First and Business class passengers to use Fast Track facility

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1 hour ago, Matzzon said:

I can agree with most of the things here, except that thing to say hello in Thai. Here you can instead get the reaction that they do not like you to speak Thai after many visits on the wrong visa. Don´t you think it can be a sign you´ve been here too much without a proper visa?

Good point- agreed.  

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The closest an IO came to taking issue with me in the Fast Track line was checking my boarding pass.  Once seeing it was business class he waved me on my way. 
 

But for a 20-30-something that has been living and working here under the table for years, with gap-year visas to Australia as their primary breaks, I imagine it is going to get much harder. Your profile will look a lot like a dive instructor (or something), and it is not going to be getting easier. I am starting to get it more and more; there are still some pretty egregious violations that are not being addressed. Still after 20 years I am not really sure if they are “good” or “bad,” but changing it would alter things in a way I would not be happy about. 

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2 hours ago, Matzzon said:

Ok, that was new to me. So, have fast track been something that made it easier before? In that case that has changed, and that of course complicates things for some people. Anyway, nice to hear something that I´ve totally missed out on.

I dont really know if it helped at all to be honest. I used it 3 times total this being my 3rd out of maybe 25 flights in lifetime. I thought it might lower the chance a couple % but it could of been a complete waste of money. I never had even been stopped by regular immigration. I'm not going to use it anymore though after this experience. 

Edited by lovesthespicy
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2 hours ago, lovesthespicy said:

I dont really know if it helped at all to be honest. I used it 3 times total this being my 3rd out of maybe 25 flights in lifetime. I thought it might lower the chance a couple % but it could of been a complete waste of money. I never had even been stopped by regular immigration. I'm not going to use it anymore though after this experience. 

I also can't say if it helps or not. I have used it three times in total as well, the first time being almost a year ago after having stayed for almost 6 months and entering on a visa exempt before flying back home a couple of weeks later. I have got through without any comments each time but my feeling is that going to the IO accompanied by the company representative helped. The second time it was actually surprisingly the same guy meeting me as on the first occasion. He grabbed my luggage and passport and took me straight to the IO booth handing over my documents to him. I felt it was worth the money especially considering the long lines during the high season. The third time was this month, different guy who as you say didn't actually take me directly to the IO but just showed the way and then waited behind the IOs. I thought first that they just don't have a standardized practice but if it is a policy change I would consider if it makes sense to use the service anymore.

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7 hours ago, Matzzon said:

Ok, that was new to me. So, have fast track been something that made it easier before? In that case that has changed, and that of course complicates things for some people. Anyway, nice to hear something that I´ve totally missed out on.

No nothing has changed, but the IO‘s differentiate btw economy ticket + fast track service or business/first class ticket. They won’t ever dare to send a business/First class passenger to the normal line with a valid visa. That ‘s the Thai mentality. 

But in the end it’s cheaper to fly economy + get an EV in comparison to premium tickets. 

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With the advent of social media, blogs, forums etc, its widely known its difficult. I think most people  have the correct visa, don't come as often or just visit somewhere else. Will always be a few that keep trying but the proof is in the demographics, you just don't see the young nomads, or non marriedcunder 50s anymore, so the immigration policies have achieved what they were implemented for.

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39 minutes ago, baansgr said:

With the advent of social media, blogs, forums etc, its widely known its difficult. I think most people  have the correct visa, don't come as often or just visit somewhere else. Will always be a few that keep trying but the proof is in the demographics, you just don't see the young nomads, or non marriedcunder 50s anymore, so the immigration policies have achieved what they were implemented for.

Okey! That´s strange. I still see a lot of young people in Bangkok, Pattaya, Rayong and on many of the islands. Yeah, sure it might have been getting a smaller amount of them, but not that big change in my opinion. The correct via visa is also a very hard thing to judge. That due to there is no correct visa for certain demo-groups that you are mentioning. Here it needs one visa for freelancers where they could only be allowed to work with clients outside the borders of Thailand. The other one that would be needed is a long stay visa for tourism. Here they could also make a year and have the need to show 400k or 600k baht in a Thai bank account. Just dreaming, I guess ???? ????

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8 hours ago, treetops said:

You're talking about the Priority Lane between the two main immigration halls. Fast track lanes for OAPs, pregnant ladies, monks, young kids etc can still be used by Economy Class passengers.

What is the qualification for OAP?  (Aside from being obviously over 60, that is.)

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It's no secret I have a freelance job outside of Thailand, where I earn my money and pay my taxes.
But I am also semi retired, over the age of 50, with a valid 1 year visa based on retirement. I am in and out of Thailand several times yearly.

I have never been questioned what I am doing in Thailand, never overstayed or anything like that. So far so good. 






 

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1 hour ago, balo said:

It's no secret I have a freelance job outside of Thailand, where I earn my money and pay my taxes.
But I am also semi retired, over the age of 50, with a valid 1 year visa based on retirement. I am in and out of Thailand several times yearly.

I have never been questioned what I am doing in Thailand, never overstayed or anything like that. So far so good. 
 

No, in my opinion there is no problem with that, due to that nothing is enforced. The only thing that could happen, is that they up their system and get connected more than today. In that case you could have problem where you should pay tax if you stay more than half year in Thailand. On the other hand, that will also depend on what country you are coming from and if there is a tax treaty. Regarding the classification of work, you will not have to worry too much. That out of the reason they do not have that classification of work in the labour act. If it is not in the labour act, then it can not be seen as a work. If it was, they would have enforced that long time ago.

Edited by Matzzon
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11 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

The 'correct visa' is a Valid Visa on which one has not overstayed, and having the requisite things which are necessary to obtain that visa (can include things like "onward flight ticket" 20K Baht worth of cash, etc).  "Visa Exempt" have additional restrictions (which are public). 

 

Any denial for non-published reasons, or using an inapplicable reason ("dont have "means of support" when you do) - to spite meeting the published criteria (visa, cash, ticket-out, etc) - is a violation of Thai Law, and indicates the immigration personnel in question are corrupt (paid-off to violate the law).  Fast-Track "working" is an indication that the fast-track fees are being shared with IOs (corruption).

 

The way to avoid being denied-entry, is to use entry points which Follow Thai Immigration Law.  Some research on this site will provide ample information on which entry-points are run by the corrupt, and which are not. 

 

Generally, one should avoid flying in, as the airports were bought-off first.  But if you must, fly into Chang Mai.  Avoid entering at the few bad land-entry points like Poipet.  Carry everything required.  Avoid the Mogidishu-style-run entry points (a blight on Thailand), and you will be fine.

That´s all good advices. Unfortunately there are many that have to take certain ways to reach their destinations, and therefore it will still be of interest to know if some people have some ideas of what is always working for them. That disregarding if they enter at an airport, Poipet or another land crossing. Thanks for the good advices, though. It will surely give some people better choices to enter. ???? 

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22 hours ago, SpanishExpat said:

No nothing has changed, but the IO‘s differentiate btw economy ticket + fast track service or business/first class ticket. They won’t ever dare to send a business/First class passenger to the normal line with a valid visa. That ‘s the Thai mentality. 

But in the end it’s cheaper to fly economy + get an EV in comparison to premium tickets. 

Depends on the case. If you want to spend 5 years living full-time in Thailand or just with short breaks, then yes. Otherwise I am not so sure. I could fly in and out twice a year in Business class from Europe and pay roughly same or a bit more than EV over five years. Get two SETVs per year and extensions and spend six months each year in Thailand. Or just fly Business on arrival and Economy going back home, that would be clearly cheaper than EV.

 

If six months is not enough, you could get one METV per year (assuming the Embassy will cooperate) and stay up to 8 or 9 months per year, go back home for the summer and repeat when the cold creeps back again. Do a couple of visa runs and use land borders for arrival or fly Business in regional flights on return leg, not too expensive. Everything included that could be just a bit over 50% of the cost of EV. Normal Business class perks would obviously apply in terms of travel comfort and accumulating more miles to use for upgrades so there wouldn't be always even the need to buy the ticket outright.

Edited by rabang
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The best way IMHO is to get a tourist visa SETV or better still METV, then fly into neighbouring country and land border in. 

 

My preferred way is into Vientianne, Laos then bus it over the Udon Thani and fly domestic into Bangkok. Yes it adds an extra 1/2 day of travel, but i kind of like to just zone out and enjoy the journey.

 

I can't remember seeing a post of being denied entry at Vientianne with a valid visa. Secondly, there are no limits to how many land border entries per year if you have a valid visa - the 2 land entries per year only applies to visa on arrival.

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