What should expats know about denial of entry into Thailand?

ATTENTION ALL MEMBERS:

TOPIC: Denial Of Entry

More than a few people (especially ones with extensive entry/stay histories entering at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang) have been denied entry.

First off denial of entry is NOT being deported. You have to be stamped IN to thailand to get deported. On a denial of entry your attempt to ENTER thailand was denied (you didn't even get stamped in ;) :P ).

There's some confusion how it works.. When you're denied entry the OFFICER denying you entry has the choice to do one of three things;

1 - Send you back to where you just flew in from

2 - Send you back to any country you can buy a ticket for

OR

3 - Send you back to the country of passport origin. <- not all that common but can happen

One thing I want to let people know is they're going to hand you a form all in thai that they want you to sign. My advice is do NOT sign it :O . There is nothing bad that happens if you don't sign it (no matter how much they pressure you to). If you do sign it almost 100% they WILL put a denial of entry stamp in your passport but if you don't sign it, people are reporting they don't put the DOE stamp in your passport. Of course it's still in the computer as a denied entry, but it's not visible to someone just thumbing thru your passport looking at your stamp history.

One thing that people get wrong often is on a denial of entry YOU are responsible for paying your own way out, the air carrier is not responsible for your fare out.

There are holding cells at both Don Mueang & Suvarnabhumi airports where you stay until your flight out. There's wifi, and you can have them get food for you.

If you're denied entry at a land border, they just turn you around and send you back from where you just left. The country you just left cancels your exit stamp and you get back in there.

Most every case of denial of entry (no matter what they tell you the reason is) gets the same reason code in the passport for why you were denied. Immigration Act Clause 12 subsection 2 - ไม่มีปัจจัยยังชีพตามสมควร = no reasonable means of sustenance <- no proof of funds. They will use this reason EVEN if you showed them 20K baht or the equivalent in cash :O

At land entries IF you can't keep track and try to get a third free entry during the calendar year, you will get denied because of the immigration act clause 12, subsection 1 - ไม่มีวีซ่าเข้าประเทศ = no visa to enter thailand.. and it will say the border you were denied at

Long story short denial of entry is not all that bad. I mean it's not good obviously but many many people are denied entry every week in the country. Mostly due to extensive entry/stay historys, history of being here during covid extensions, an ED or Volunteer visa (gotten during covid), foolishly picking the wrong border to try to enter at (AVOID Aranyaprathet/PoiPet) OR just not paying attention to how many free entries they've made by land so far this year.

Also if you have a valid visa in your passport and are denied entry, it does NOT cancel the visa. You are free to use that visa for another entry try some other time or place :)

Almost everyone denied entry just tries to enter again, either at another border, another airport, some get tourist visas from thai consulates and enter by land, and MOST everyone does get it.

Hope this was helpful, :)