Questioned by Immigration at the Airport on a 30 day entry

[BuckBee]

I'm not referring to the OP, I referring to my post & own experiences of immigration not following written policy .

Okay, please provide a link to the written policy [in English] and provide an exact breakdown of what you can expect to achieve with a thirty-day visa exempt.

guidelines for exempt entry (Bilateral Agreement) can be found on embassies & consulates websites, immigration policy on exempts can be found direct via immigration website or links from tv as been covered enough, purpose of use is for tourism/leisure .

Exactly! Tourism and leisure.

Taxi for BuckBee.

Correct tourism & leisure breaks while commuting between Europe & Singapore... i'll take the airport link thank you .

[nzexpat]

BuckBee

Of course and you will be explaining your expectations to the next Immigration Officer who dares to challenge you ?

Best be prepared with plenty of cash and a ticket out of Thailand within 30 days !

[wooloomooloo]

I'm not referring to the OP, I referring to my post & own experiences of immigration not following written policy .

Okay, please provide a link to the written policy [in English] and provide an exact breakdown of what you can expect to achieve with a thirty-day visa exempt.

guidelines for exempt entry (Bilateral Agreement) can be found on embassies & consulates websites, immigration policy on exempts can be found direct via immigration website or links from tv as been covered enough, purpose of use is for tourism/leisure .

Exactly! Tourism and leisure.

Taxi for BuckBee.

Correct tourism & leisure breaks while commuting between Europe & Singapore... i'll take the airport link thank you .

You haven't provided any examples of where you feel so hard done by, BuckBee.

Please provide one example of immigration unfairness. Thanks.

[BuckBee]

BuckBee

Of course and you will be explaining your expectations to the next Immigration Officer who dares to challenge you ?

Best be prepared with plenty of cash and a ticket out of Thailand within 30 days !

Never likely of being refused entry as I read the rules & follow them, all I wish is for immigration to do same ;-)

[wooloomooloo]

Yawn

[BuckBee]

I'm not referring to the OP, I referring to my post & own experiences of immigration not following written policy .

Okay, please provide a link to the written policy [in English] and provide an exact breakdown of what you can expect to achieve with a thirty-day visa exempt.

guidelines for exempt entry (Bilateral Agreement) can be found on embassies & consulates websites, immigration policy on exempts can be found direct via immigration website or links from tv as been covered enough, purpose of use is for tourism/leisure .

Exactly! Tourism and leisure.

Taxi for BuckBee.

Correct tourism & leisure breaks while commuting between Europe & Singapore... i'll take the airport link thank you .

You haven't provided any examples of where you feel so hard done by, BuckBee.

Please provide one example of immigration unfairness. Thanks.

The issue is not fairness the issue is immigration officers who do not know the rules or have there own version of them & thus complicate & cause confusion for many who use exempt entries by giving false information. Plenty of evidence on tv ..

[BuckBee]

Yawn

:-/ have a can of sponsor ....

[wooloomooloo]

Use your own example.

Whilst you dream one up I'm going to do the crossword then read a few chapters of War and Peace.

[BuckBee]

^ I would put the crossword down before you have a stroke :-)

rather than war & peace, read the thread again & you will see one example problem I have already outlined.

Edited May 8, 2015 by BuckBee

[FritsSikkink]

It almost feels like they are informally doing the the 90 days stay out of 180 without a visa like they did the last time the military was in power in 2006.

I had not heard that you were only allowed 3 entries on 30 day stamps within a 6 moth period. That would be good to know if it were true Richard. They weren't bored at the time. The queue was stacked.

Mario, they didn't tell me I had to have a visa the next time I came. They suggested that that it would be better for me and told me it would be more convenient for me. Certainly no stamp to that effect was put in my passport. I do wonder if that suggestion was more a requirement than they said it was.

" they didn't tell me I had to have a visa the next time I came. They suggested that that it would be better for me and told me it would be more convenient for me."

This is the Thai way of saying " get a visa next time or you will have a problem" So DO get a visa next time.

[chuang]

I know a friend from Singapore who uses to fly into Chiangmai quite often on visa exempted 30 days stay.. stays in Chiangmai for 20+ days and flies back to Singapore and comes back to Chiangmai after 40-50 days, has been doing this for the past many years. Not a visa-runner, has confirmed R/T tickets and funds all the time.

Just three weeks ago arriving at CNX, he was brought to a room and questioned why he comes so often, why was he doing here..blah blah blah. He was not given a 30 days stay but instead only seven days..and was cautioned to have a tourist visa the next time or no entry. He has a house here and staying with g/f.

Needless to say he bought a new ticket to fly home after seven days stay.

The irony of it is the Thai embassy in SIN refuses to give him a tourist visa saying....1) staying less than 30 days.....2) too many entries into Thailand...

Now he has to forfeit the tickets he bought for June travel....

[nzexpat]

chuang

Easy solution for your friend !

He should marry the girl friend and become eligible for an extension of stay or a multiple entry visa !

[ubonjoe]

The guidelines that immigration posted last year are here. ImmigratioNotice4-English_PDF.pdf

What happened to the OP is certainly not new. But his 30 day extensions were certainly taken in consideration. Doing those and then going out for another entry looks bad,

The OP could get a 2 entry tourist visa in Laos that would give almost 6 months of total stay. If he wanted to make a trip out during on of the 60 day entries and or the 30 day extension he could get a single re-entry permit. Or as suggested a multiple entry non-o visa for being 50 or over for retirement.

[siam2007]

There was some rule that you could have no more than 3 Visa Exempt entries in any 6 month period - I'm not sure if this is remains so...

Now that you are 50 years old you should be able to get a Retirement Visa (keeping THB 800,000 in your Thai bank account).

I suspect that sometimes the Imm officer gets a little bored and starts to question a random visitor occasionally.

if you are okay with a non-O-multiple entry Visa, good for 90 days per stay, then it is even a lot easier. The honorary consulat in my home town obviously only wants to see 5K € in cash or on a bank account, as long as you are 50+ years old. Never tried though as I still can get a perfectly legal non-B-multiple

[vermin on arrival]

The "rules" are clear and simple !!

Want to enter Thailand "visa exempt"?

Best have on an onward an onward ticket out of Thailand within 30 days and be able to produce a minimum 10,000 Bht cash .

Easy ?

I had thought the income requiremnet is 20,000 baht. If it is 10,000 baht that is good to know since 20,000 is a lot to have in hand. Thanks.

Edited May 9, 2015 by vermin on arrival

[vermin on arrival]

OP .... If you plan on continuing to come in and out of Thailand on a basis similar to your travel history. When back in the states get a Non Immigrant Multi-Entry 'O' Visa for $200.00. This visa will allow you to zip in and out of Thai airport or land immigration. You do have to exit and reenter Thailand at least every 90 days - more often if you wish. If you were out of the Thailand for say ... 3-4-5 months and then come back - no problem your Multi 'O' Visa does not go stale - as long as you do not go past the Enter Before Date. The term of the Non Imm Mult-Entry 'O' visa is 12 months from issue and is extendable up to about 15 months with proper timing of the last exit / reentry.

At 50 years of age you are fully qualified to apply for and get this Visa issued in America at a Thai Consulate or the Thai Embassy ... or at any one of the several Royal Thai Honorary Consul General Offices - which I highly recommend.

There are no real qualifications except being age 50 or more and showing that you have enough money in a bank account to sustain yourself over a year of going in and out of Thailand... This is not related to the 800,000 Baht or Equivalent required for an Extension of Stay based on Retirement. This Visa I speak of is not a Retirement Visa. There are several reasons the Non Imm Multi 'O' Visa is granted but you do not really have to have a reason - just extensive travel in and out of Thailand and the adjacent region.

The Non Immigrant Multi-Entry 'O' Visa can be used (at anytime) as a basis to apply for an Extension of Stay based on Retirement. You would of course have to meet all other requirements for the Extension. You can apply for this Extension of Stay at the nearest local Thai Immigration office in Thailand.

For clarification, there is a Visa Category 'O-A' that is for Long Stay -- sometimes called a Retirement Visa -- but this is not what I write about ...

So this type of visa is only able to be gotten in home country or country of residence? I don't usually go back to the US often, but it is good to know that this is an option. Thanks. Do you know the income requirement in bank?

[vermin on arrival]

The guidelines that immigration posted last year are here. ImmigratioNotice4-English_PDF.pdf

What happened to the OP is certainly not new. But his 30 day extensions were certainly taken in consideration. Doing those and then going out for another entry looks bad,

The OP could get a 2 entry tourist visa in Laos that would give almost 6 months of total stay. If he wanted to make a trip out during on of the 60 day entries and or the 30 day extension he could get a single re-entry permit. Or as suggested a multiple entry non-o visa for being 50 or over for retirement.

Thanks for the info ubonjoe. It is interesitng that Chaneg Wattana gives the out so easliy when the airport considers them ot be something to be used sparingly. I had called 1st to ask if there was some limit to their use, but was assured that that was not the case. Oh well.

Certianly, my entries to Thailand were not same day back to back. I was out of country for 2 to 3 weeks each time taking care of matters, but evidently that is irrelevant now.

Does Penang issue theses multientry tourist visas as well? Can I get the non-immigrant O for travel (non-retirement) in Lao, or does it need to be home conutry?

[vermin on arrival]

I know a friend from Singapore who uses to fly into Chiangmai quite often on visa exempted 30 days stay.. stays in Chiangmai for 20+ days and flies back to Singapore and comes back to Chiangmai after 40-50 days, has been doing this for the past many years. Not a visa-runner, has confirmed R/T tickets and funds all the time.

Just three weeks ago arriving at CNX, he was brought to a room and questioned why he comes so often, why was he doing here..blah blah blah. He was not given a 30 days stay but instead only seven days..and was cautioned to have a tourist visa the next time or no entry. He has a house here and staying with g/f.

Needless to say he bought a new ticket to fly home after seven days stay.

The irony of it is the Thai embassy in SIN refuses to give him a tourist visa saying....1) staying less than 30 days.....2) too many entries into Thailand...

Now he has to forfeit the tickets he bought for June travel....

Ouch. Maybe he needs to go to Lao or Penang to get his visa.

[vermin on arrival]

Unfortunately the written rules & the implementation of then by immigration are not matched, if want go down this root they ideally want change rules & clearly state a maximum amount of exempt entries in 12months but that too simple :-/

i had same experience at swampy with TR visa, European friend from Taiwan had same as you with exempt entries at swampy.

Worth picking up a TR visa for next visit or at least keep an eye on the status on entry hassle & plan accordingly.

It really would be nice if they would spell out the number of entries and days in country that are considered acceptable under the 30 day stamp. Then people could plan and choose the most appropriate option for themselves while adequately following the rules and not giving anyone any problems.

[IMA_FARANG]

There is a new procedure that started on 1 August 2014 that allows you to get one (and only one) extension to a visa exempt 30 day entry.

It was made to allow people to get that new 2nd visa exempt entry basically due to compensate for the latest crackdown on back to back visa free entries no longer being allowed.

It allows only a single (second) visa free 30 day entry.

But as I say it is new, only since August 1 2014.

That is why now it is more important to get a 60 day single entry tourist visa before you head to Thailand and not rely on repeated 30 day visa fee entries.

All things change.

Edited May 9, 2015 by IMA_FARANG

[vermin on arrival]

There is a new procedure that started on 1 August 2014 that allows you to get one (and only one) extension to a visa exempt 30 day entry.

It was made to allow people to get that new 2nd visa exempt entry basically due to compensate for the latest crackdown on back to back visa free entries no longer being allowed.

It allows only a single (second) visa free 30 day entry.

But as I say it is new, only since August 1 2014.

That is why now it is more important to get a 60 day single entry tourist visa before you head to Thailand and not rely on repeated 30 day visa fee entries.

All things change.

Yes, things do change. It is interesting to note though that #1, at the main immigration at Chaeng Wattana, they are giving the extensions out more often than that, without comment. And #2, they are also allowing more than 2 back to back visa free entries at the airport. I was out for a few weeks between each time and don't fit the profile of someone working in Thailand (I'm not). I'm just saying. It makes one wonder exactly what is the policy that is being enforced on this issue, and how in synch all the immigration offices are, or maybe how flexible they can be in interpretng the stated directive. But thanks for the info on what the stated policy was to be in August 2014.

[paz]

Last Friday, I had an interesting experience at Suvarnabhumi airport, which I thought people at Thaivisa might be interested in.

...

I think when I leave again next week on the 13th I will try to talk to an immigration supervisor to get more information. They clearly have some clear guidelines/rules at the airport, but they don’t seem to want to let people know.

...

The guidelines for secondary interview is 6 visa exempt entries in one year, flagged automatically by the system. As you said, this is completely unpublished, and is not legal reason to deny entry. Another thread:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/809844-getting-problems-for-frequent-entries/

And there are more.

[Maestro]

These are the guidelines issued to immigration officers:

Immigration Bureau guideline 0029.1712076 - visa-exempt out-in checklist

The computer program giving immigration officers the instruction on the screen to interview a tourist also when the database shows that this is his sixth visa-exempt entry within 12 months is an unpublished addition to or variation of the above guidelines.

[lazygourmet]

There is a new procedure that started on 1 August 2014 that allows you to get one (and only one) extension to a visa exempt 30 day entry.

It was made to allow people to get that new 2nd visa exempt entry basically due to compensate for the latest crackdown on back to back visa free entries no longer being allowed.

It allows only a single (second) visa free 30 day entry.

But as I say it is new, only since August 1 2014.

That is why now it is more important to get a 60 day single entry tourist visa before you head to Thailand and not rely on repeated 30 day visa fee entries.

All things change.

Yes, things do change. It is interesting to note though that #1, at the main immigration at Chaeng Wattana, they are giving the extensions out more often than that, without comment. And #2, they are also allowing more than 2 back to back visa free entries at the airport. I was out for a few weeks between each time and don't fit the profile of someone working in Thailand (I'm not). I'm just saying. It makes one wonder exactly what is the policy that is being enforced on this issue, and how in synch all the immigration offices are, or maybe how flexible they can be in interpretng the stated directive. But thanks for the info on what the stated policy was to be in August 2014.

When applying for a visa they will get more details about you and your whereabouts in Thailand.

That's why, I think, they are pushing regular visitors to obtain one's.

[ubonjoe]

The guidelines that immigration posted last year are here. ImmigratioNotice4-English_PDF.pdf

What happened to the OP is certainly not new. But his 30 day extensions were certainly taken in consideration. Doing those and then going out for another entry looks bad,

The OP could get a 2 entry tourist visa in Laos that would give almost 6 months of total stay. If he wanted to make a trip out during on of the 60 day entries and or the 30 day extension he could get a single re-entry permit. Or as suggested a multiple entry non-o visa for being 50 or over for retirement.

Thanks for the info ubonjoe. It is interesitng that Chaneg Wattana gives the out so easliy when the airport considers them ot be something to be used sparingly. I had called 1st to ask if there was some limit to their use, but was assured that that was not the case. Oh well.

Certianly, my entries to Thailand were not same day back to back. I was out of country for 2 to 3 weeks each time taking care of matters, but evidently that is irrelevant now.

Does Penang issue theses multientry tourist visas as well? Can I get the non-immigrant O for travel (non-retirement) in Lao, or does it need to be home conutry?

At an immigration office such as CW they will issue the extensions without any questions. It is a little different on entry because they have been instructed to look for people that are attempting to live here on visa exempt entries.

Penang will only issue a single entry tourist visa. Vientiane and Savannakhet are the only neighboring countries doing 2 entry tourist visas.

You can get them at other locations within the region by showing tickets out of the country for each entry. Bali will issue a 3 entry visa with tickets up to 90 days apart.

There have been reports of getting a multiple entry non-o in Penang based upon being over 50 if you can show 800k baht in the bank. If you have the money in the bank or 65k baht income you can get an extension of stay based upon retirement.

[timberpond]

Sometimes it is quite confusing, from last year March till today, I have enter by visa exempt 11 times. This year alone 4 times and right now I'm typing this post in CM. Yesterday passed the custom as usual with no question asked. I didn't utilise the full visa exempt. I usually stay a week or 2. I was never asked to show cash or onward ticket.

[natas]

Just a quick note.

All around the world a visa is the right to get to an immigration checkpoint. At said checkpoint the officer has final word as to wether or not on May or may not enter. For any reason they see fit.

That's just a fact that should be kept in mind when botching about immigration policy.

A visa exempt of course would be even more unsure under these circumstances.

All non citizens are guests and have absolutely no rights to be allowed to enter. It's 100% up to immigration officers. Rules are guidelines for them only.

Now tell me I'm wrong!

[vermin on arrival]

Thanks for directing me to this thread Paz...it's very helpful

Last Friday, I had an interesting experience at Suvarnabhumi airport, which I thought people at Thaivisa might be interested in.

...

I think when I leave again next week on the 13th I will try to talk to an immigration supervisor to get more information. They clearly have some clear guidelines/rules at the airport, but they don’t seem to want to let people know.

...

The guidelines for secondary interview is 6 visa exempt entries in one year, flagged automatically by the system. As you said, this is completely unpublished, and is not legal reason to deny entry. Another thread:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/809844-getting-problems-for-frequent-entries/

And there are more.

Edited May 10, 2015 by vermin on arrival

[vermin on arrival]

These are the guidelines issued to immigration officers:

Immigration Bureau guideline 0029.1712076 - visa-exempt out-in checklist

The computer program giving immigration officers the instruction on the screen to interview a tourist also when the database shows that this is his sixth visa-exempt entry within 12 months is an unpublished addition to or variation of the above guidelines.

Thanks for the clarification Maestro. It really helps to know what is going on. I certainly don't want to do anything wrong here. I just want to know the precise rules and policies so that I can then choose the option which works best for me. It can be very frustrating to think one is doing things that were thought to be legal and then to be told that they are improper.

[vermin on arrival]

The guidelines that immigration posted last year are here. ImmigratioNotice4-English_PDF.pdf

What happened to the OP is certainly not new. But his 30 day extensions were certainly taken in consideration. Doing those and then going out for another entry looks bad,

The OP could get a 2 entry tourist visa in Laos that would give almost 6 months of total stay. If he wanted to make a trip out during on of the 60 day entries and or the 30 day extension he could get a single re-entry permit. Or as suggested a multiple entry non-o visa for being 50 or over for retirement.

Thanks for the info ubonjoe. It is interesitng that Chaneg Wattana gives the out so easliy when the airport considers them ot be something to be used sparingly. I had called 1st to ask if there was some limit to their use, but was assured that that was not the case. Oh well.

Certianly, my entries to Thailand were not same day back to back. I was out of country for 2 to 3 weeks each time taking care of matters, but evidently that is irrelevant now.

Does Penang issue theses multientry tourist visas as well? Can I get the non-immigrant O for travel (non-retirement) in Lao, or does it need to be home conutry?

At an immigration office such as CW they will issue the extensions without any questions. It is a little different on entry because they have been instructed to look for people that are attempting to live here on visa exempt entries.

Penang will only issue a single entry tourist visa. Vientiane and Savannakhet are the only neighboring countries doing 2 entry tourist visas.

You can get them at other locations within the region by showing tickets out of the country for each entry. Bali will issue a 3 entry visa with tickets up to 90 days apart.

There have been reports of getting a multiple entry non-o in Penang based upon being over 50 if you can show 800k baht in the bank. If you have the money in the bank or 65k baht income you can get an extension of stay based upon retirement.

Thanks again Ubonjoe. This is very helpful.