Answered7 years ago

What should I do about my immigration database issue in Thailand after entering on a SETV?

SETV TM30 Registration Non-O Visa Visa Run Immigration Issues Database Discrepancy

Mark *********

asked Oct 8, 2019

1.2k

views

replies

likes

I am in the process of retiring, not everything in order yet and the desired end game is that I am living in Thailand with my thai wife (married 18 years). Beginning this month I flew from London with SETV. Next day after arrival went to the immigration office (Phayao) to register TM30. The guy in the office initially said that a 30 day extension should be OK at the end of the 60 days but then he looked in the database and discovered that although I had the entry stamp from the airport my arrival was not registered in the database.

He said this could only be put right when I left Thailand via an airport and the discrepancy would come to light. At my request he added a postit note to my passport explaining what needed to be done (I hope!). He said that if I wanted the extra 30 days I should do a visa run to Myanmar or Laos.

What can possibly go wrong?

My plan was to go back to UK after 90 days and then apply for the Non-O marriage visa. This is endangered if the database issue is not fixed.

My plan now is to go back to UK after the 60 days, I am concerned that the visa run may expose the database issue and leave me stranded.

Has anyone experienced this sort of issue?

Any advice?

Another issue was with the entry card. Immigration guy said the barcode indicated that I was coming from the philippines!

Fortunately this did not seem to have any consequence, how would I or Thai airways know that in the plane?

Answer summary

A user shares their experience entering Thailand on a SETV but encountering a problem with the immigration database, resulting in uncertainty regarding their visa extension and future plans to apply for a Non-O marriage visa. They express concern about a possible visa run exposing the issue and seek advice from others who may have faced similar situations.

11 repliesnewest first

Click comment and we will ask for your email, then OTP, then name.

Tod *********

I think it's much ado about nothing and that you should just get the 30 day extension from the immigration office like normal. There is no way you were stamped in but not entered into the system. Did they have biometrics at the airport you entered from? (The hand scanners?)

7 years ago

Tod *********

@Mark ********

the stamp doesn't have any specific information on it at all (just the border of the entry stamp has the officers badge number)

7 years ago

Mark *********

@Tod ********

Yep, all that stuff except that I could not scan my left hand because of an old injury, maybe that was a distraction. I don't agree that stamp and database entry are linked, both are manually initiated.

7 years ago

Oliver ********

I had an issue where one border officer made a mistake with the stamp in my passport, which didn't match my record in the system (which was noticed by another immigration office). I had to drive half way across the country to the original office to fix it. It seems although the system is connected nationally, each office only has access to edit some parts and there's still some human input and humans make mistakes.

7 years ago

Robert *******

If you mean with entry card, the TM6 Arrival/Departure card, there are hundreds of these cards available at every border and airport check point to fill in. How would it be connected to where you come from?

7 years ago

Robert *******

nothing surprise me anymore on Thai visa advice, but that a person can almost instantly see and tell that a barcode is incorrect is getting close to be surprised.

7 years ago

Mark *********

@Robert ******

He did look at the card and immediately said it was wrong so, unless he was bluffing , there must be some picture coding in the serial number

7 years ago

Mark *********

@Robert ******

Yes, how would you check.

7 years ago

Robert *******

The Immigration Officer did check the Immigration Database, found out you are not in Thailand, wrote down the procedure to fix this and sent you to an Immigration Officer to do this?

7 years ago

Robert *******

if it can be fixed at an airport it can be fixed at every Immigration Office as it is one database system. I guess he tried to tell you, you have to go back to the point of entry and ask their if one the Immigration Officers there want to fix the mistake of one of their colleagues.

7 years ago

Mark *********

@Robert ******

Apparently can only be fixed at an airport. I guess because I will effectively have to say that someone messed up, that is why I got him to write the note.

7 years ago