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What are my chances of facing immigration issues when re-entering Thailand with a denied entry history?

Thailand visaImmigrationVisa exemptionNon-O visaDenied entryThailand tourismVisa typesExpat adviceVisa regulationsCOVID extensions
Feb 11, 2022
3 years ago
Daniele ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Hi, I had 2 denied entry stamps on my passport while trying to enter Thailand by plane because they say I have lived in Thailand as a tourist for too long. Last time I had to enter by land and then stayed another 2 years on 60 days COVID extensions.

Now, after spending a few months in Italy I am thinking of returning to Thailand, I am traveling with my Thai wife but I intend to enter on visa exemption and convert my visa later, how many chances are there that I will have problems again with immigration at airport?
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TLDR : Answer Summary
An expat expresses concern about re-entering Thailand with a history of two denied entry stamps in their passport. The individual previously stayed in Thailand for extended periods under tourist visas and COVID extensions. They are planning to enter on a visa exemption while traveling with their Thai spouse, but are worried about potential immigration issues at the airport. Several commenters suggest applying for a Non-O visa based on marriage before traveling to avoid complications. There's debate about the risk of being denied entry again and the strategies to navigate the immigration process.
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Julie ******
@Daniele **********
 how did that ended up ? I'm in a veeeery similar situation to yours
2 years ago
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Daniele ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Julie *****
 all good, I'm on 1 year multi entry now, I just have to travel out every 3 months, which I'd do anyway. No more visits at immigration office or hassles whatsoever
2 years ago
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Kim **********
@Daniele **********
A bit late to the party,

but could I ask if you had any issues passing immigration with your passport history? Stopped or extra scrutiny? and what airport did you enter through?

Thanks!
2 years ago
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Kim **********
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Tai *********
Don’t you have your own country to live?!!
3 years ago
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Tai *********
Saj Damien Thailand is MY country. And I have every right to say when I see somebody (farang kee nok) abusing rules of MY country.
3 years ago
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Tai *********
Saj Damien You are one true “farang kee nok” I mentioned … worthless!
3 years ago
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Tai *********
Saj Damien You are so pathetic! Enough said.
3 years ago
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Tai *********
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Tai *********
Saj Damien Didn’t say anything about limitations of entry. I’m talking about the limitations of the length of stay. Of course, if you have the right type of visa you can go in and out of the country as many times as you wish. This is the practice of every country in the world. And YES, Thailand is MY country. Hmmm … Where is YOUR country?!
3 years ago
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Daniele ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tai ********
 I live wherever I like
3 years ago
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Tai *********
@Daniele **********
 Then you should abide by our law. Thailand is my country and I always welcome foreigners who want to live here who respect our law, rules, and regulations. But according to your post you are not one of them.
3 years ago
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Bobby ********
@Daniele **********
 . But have no money. I think you fall into the Cheap Charlie category which Thailand is trying to keep out! Good luck with your re-entry!
3 years ago
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Daniele ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Bobby *******
 I fall in the category that doesn't pay 500k bribe to stay in "someone else's" country.
@Tai ********
 there's no law that limits how long I can stay in "your" country
3 years ago
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Tai *********
@Daniele **********
 Now! you’re amusing me with your ignorance. Of course, there is!! Every country has a law that limits the length of stay of foreigners. You should read more.
3 years ago
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Daniele ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tai ********
 nope there's not, sorry, unlimited entries by air
3 years ago
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Tai *********
@Daniele **********
3 years ago
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Prieto ****
@Tai ********
 is true, there is no such law written anywhere
3 years ago
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Tai *********
@Prieto ***
 Of course there’s no law that prevents foreigners to live in our country, provided that they are here legally with a proper visa, in which states a certain length of stay. That itself is a law… an immigration law. Those foreigners who overstay their visa are breaking the law.
3 years ago
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Prieto ****
@Tai ********
 there is no law that says you can't go in and out as many times as you want with visa exemption or TR visas.
3 years ago
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Prieto ****
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Albert ********
Good luck.
3 years ago
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Albert ********
Did you legally marry in thailand?
3 years ago
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Brett *********
Immigration just want you to have a visa suitable for your purpose of stay. You are not a tourist anymore. FFS you have a Thai driver's licence! Have a spouse? Get a Non O Spouse. It isn't rocket surgery....
3 years ago
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Nigel *********
Go for it. You'll be fine. Dress smart.
3 years ago
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Alan *******
Why is this guy asking

for advice, he isn't taking notice of any suggestions (eg) Non O Visa, so let him travel visa exempt as he wants and risk the denied entry.
3 years ago
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Miguel *************
Just get an elite visa and stop worrying for 5 years.
3 years ago
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Daniele ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Miguel ************
 I'd rather change country than paying 500k for a visa. And not sure that's easier than getting a non-o
3 years ago
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Craig **********
@Daniele **********
 getting non o spousal Visa cost 1900. You do have to get a non o 90-day Visa first and then before 45 days that ends you can get your spousal Visa
3 years ago
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Miguel *************
@Daniele **********
 you’d rather keep abusing their immigration policy. Ok.
3 years ago
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Miguel *************
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Peter *****************
Ho capito bene? hai fatto un overstay per via del covid perche' non potevi uscire e ora non ti fan rientrare? se tua moglie non e' thailandese la vedo dura. sono severissimi...
3 years ago
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Lee ************************
Your not a tourist hence being fucked off from the “tourist visa” your married so they will want you on that like you should be to travel in and stay on. Just get a non o 90 Dayer based on marriage to start then you can smash out the year extension
3 years ago
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Ahsan *******
100% chances hopefully. The law breakers shud be in jail
3 years ago
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Shelley ********
@Ahsan ******
 why would you spell should like that, it's like 2 letters.
3 years ago
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Daniele ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Ahsan ******
 sorry bro, there's no law that limits visa exempt entries, just a-holes immigration officers
3 years ago
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Ekkehard *******
@Daniele **********
 Yes there is. No more than 2 visa exempt entries via land border per year.
3 years ago
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Daniele ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Ekkehard ******
 was talking about air. They refuse entry on the assumption that someone that stays so long must be working illegally, which is not the case. Also the reason for the denial that they put on passport most of the times is not true.
3 years ago
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Daniele ***********
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Maxim ***********
As long as you avoid entering from Bangkok you won't be denied (and sometimes Phuket). Every other airport like Chiang Mai you won't get denied ever.
3 years ago
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Daniele ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Maxim **********
 most international flights go to Bangkok, I don't know if I can take a flight to Phuket without passing immigration
3 years ago
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Daniele ***********
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Rei ***********
Go to Myanmar then cross the river to Thailand.
3 years ago
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Kate ********
Hi Daniele, would you mind telling me how long you were in Thailand before you received the first denied entry stamp? I am curious for my own info 🙂
3 years ago
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Kate ********
Thanks a lot!
3 years ago
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Daniele ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Kate *******
 first time after 1 year, of which 10 months spent in Thailand
3 years ago
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Daniele ***********
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Burnard ************
It is a gamble. Depends on who looks at the record and what mood they are in.

They can apply a policy of 6 months in a calendar year or a rolling 12 months. Or just chose to ignore it because it isnt an immigration law at all.

Obviously, if you can spend 2 months outside Thailand, you couldn't be realistically working here. But they can be a-holes. The 2 refused entry stamps are not going to help you.
3 years ago
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Luc ************
Not a chance.
3 years ago
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Av **********
Be prepared 2 be turned around
3 years ago
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Steve *******
Just get the Non Imm O based on marriage in Italy before you travel.

Job done!
3 years ago
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Stuart **********
You loonatic 🤣🤣🤣 just get a non o based on marriage unless you aren't actually married?
3 years ago
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Daniele ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Stuart *********
 would be easier and cheaper to enter on visa exempt if the risk is low
3 years ago
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Lynnette *******
@Daniele **********
 how is it cheaper to do in thailand?
3 years ago
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Daniele ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Lynnette ******
 not sure about the procedure, but there's the extra duration for the COVID insurance, the trip to the consulate, and I can't get 60 days COVID extensions on non-o visa
3 years ago
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Paul *********
@Daniele **********
 you dont need 60 day extensions on a non o visa. Just renew it every year like most people.
3 years ago
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Lynnette *******
@Daniele **********
 not sure why you'd need a covid extension. Based on marriage you have 12 months then renew/extend, surely.
3 years ago
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Daniele ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Lynnette ******
 I'd prefer to avoid the deposit and get a 1 year multiple entry once borders reopen, if that will ever be possible again
3 years ago
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Kool *******
@Daniele **********
 so you are doing exactly what they refused you entry before for, living here long term as a tourist. If you have not returned to your home country for a decent length of time you've got a better than average chance of being refused again. You are in their system, and they do use facial recognition software now.
3 years ago
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Anthony *********
@Daniele **********
 have I got this right, you have been kicked out of Thailand because you have been, in their opinion, taking the piss and living in Thailand too long as a tourist, and your plan is to come back with no visa, as a tourist, and try to exploit Thai immigration rules by getting more covid extensions? 😂😂😂

Ballsy, I give you that, but I honestly don't think they're going to give any more covid extenions now, I highly doubt they intend to extend it again and it would be unwise to rely on that. Even if they did you have two no entry stamps In your passport that surely immigration will pick up on.

The best way I could think of is saying you lost your passport and apply for a new one, then your no entry stamps are gone 😃
3 years ago
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Anthony *********
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Michael ********
Why dont you get a non O based on marriage first and not take the risk and all the waste of money
3 years ago
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Carlos *********
No, they let hitmen and mobsters in phuket. No question asked. Even let the hitmen leave knowing who they are
3 years ago
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Daniele ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Michael *******
 because it would be much easier to enter on visa exempt. All depends on what's the risk of getting rejected
3 years ago
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Kat ********
maybe don’t look for what’s easier but what’s less risky
3 years ago
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Michael ********
@Daniele **********
 You said in your post you have been denied entry twice so thats quite a high risk of getting rejected.

I got two passports and one got flagged because they thought i was working. (I wasnt it was just oil prices were low so less offshore work) after a couple of years used passport that was flagged. Yep still problems. Getting non o prior is easy enough. I was in same situation and i solved it by getting non O based on marriage. You ask for advice and then brush it off.
3 years ago
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Burnard ************
@Daniele **********
The risk is very high.
3 years ago
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Karim ***************
@Daniele **********
 by applying for a visa beforehand, you know whether or not you are going to be flagged up. Just get some sort of visa… Even a tourist visa.
3 years ago
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Daniele ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Karim **************
 that's not how visas work, it's all up to the officer at airport, first time I got denied I had a visa
3 years ago
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Daniele ***********
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Steven ***************
@Daniele **********
 . O visa is virtually 0% risk.. unless you are an international fugitive..
3 years ago
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Dana *******
@Daniele **********
 I would not take even 1% of risk... Get a non-O before going !
3 years ago
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Dana *******
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Steven ***************
@Michael *******
 . Exactly..
3 years ago
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Steven ***************
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Henning *********
Get a new passport?
3 years ago
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Hristo ***********
Funny but worked for me. Ofc they can check your past history otherways, however they use to check only the passport. With new passport i came without any problem, with the old almost full with thai visas and extensions they always were checking it long, asking some extra questions and showing that they re not happy but still let me in. If you got many extensions its smart to look at the immigration workers and try to choose someone that atleast looks in good mood. And if already had problems with someone try to avoid him 🤣 I know many people living here on tourist/edu visas or similar and almost never had problems, its win win situation - you come and spend your money boosting their iconomy... just doesnt make sense to me to go for thai elite as its too expensive compared to other options and you still have to do immigration reports. Anyway i almost solve this as gonna be officially married soon and gonna be father of thai baby as well 😋😉 GL.
3 years ago
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Nigel *********
@Henning ********
 new passport and a new set of fingerprints and you're good to go
3 years ago
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Burnard ************
@Nigel *********************
Don't forget news eyeballs.
3 years ago
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Burnard ************
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Burnard ************
@Henning ********
They have Databases now. If you don't show both the old & new passports (if recent) then they are more likely to reject you. That is what you fingerprints and ete scan are for.
3 years ago
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Henning *********
@Burnard ***********
 old passport cant show, its taken by government.
3 years ago
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Burnard ************
@Henning ********
USA punches a hole in it and gives it back to you.

In any case, Immigration has a database of all your entry/exits.

Last time I was almost refused, for the same reason, it would have helped if I had the old passport in carry-on but I packed it in checked luggage.

It would have showed that I visted 7 countries in 1.5 years. But they already knew this. They were just being dickheads.
3 years ago
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Burnard ************
Btw, each time I was away was 30 days or more. Not just a border crossing and coming back. Yet they still claimed and noted in my passport that I was trying to live in Thailand.

At least one Thai became homeless because he depended on house-sitting in the small room I kept for my short visits.
3 years ago
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Henning *********
@Burnard ***********
 EU takes them.
3 years ago
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Burnard ************
@Henning ********
Doesn't really matter. They know. But if you have a paper copy they know you know also.

So they don't think they have exclusive information that you can challenge them with.
3 years ago
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Burnard ************
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Daniele ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Henning ********
 I'd have to get that from my embassy in Bangkok anyway
3 years ago
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Steven ***************
@Henning ********
 passports have microchips in them for a few reasons. They scan it ,regardless of the stamps you have, and previous passport travel history is logged.
3 years ago
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Henning *********
@Steven **************
 travel history logged?
************************************************
reason seams to be to deliver personal data not travel history. Its a stupid chip not a sd-card. But maybe the countrys log something yes. You could also request a 2. passport. Can request in EU if you travel between countries that would let you allow entry with a stamp from another country. Israel and Iran, China and Saudi (i think).
3 years ago
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Steven ***************
@Henning ********
 . If you've been denied entry I wouldn't be so sure it's not logged. A lot of countries don't stamp passports anymore because of the chip. Entries,exits and visas are added electronically, because of the chip.And with covid, if you arrive with a clean passport,how do they know you've been in a low risk country long enough? If a stupid chip can hold your biometrics, it can hold your travel history too
3 years ago
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Steven ***************
Having said all that.. it may not be physically be logged in your passport, but there is every possibility when they scan it and your biometrics show up in their internal database, the entry denials are logged in history.
3 years ago
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Michael ********
@Steven **************
 i thought that with the biometric passport but i got two British passports both biometric, one was flagged and was still able to enter no problem with other. But that was four years ago maybe they upgraded there system now.
3 years ago
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Michael ********
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Alan *********
@Steven **************
 the chip confirms the information printed on the passport not your travel history.
3 years ago
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Alan *********
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