Yesterday I flew into BKK after a week in Singapore and was scolded by the immigration officer for not having a tourist visa. She said a warning or flag of some sort was on her screen. She let me in with a strong warning to get a tourist visa the next time. She also said I should/must (not sure which) get it in my home country (USA).
I did a search in the group and Tod Daniels once wrote that there is a computer program in place at the international airports which "flags" people who have more than 3 or 4 visa exempt entries. I guess that is my current situation. In fact, I was warned once already, but that was more than a year ago and since then I have gotten a SETV, a METV, and one border bounce exemption (Mae Sai). So, I thought perhaps I might be OK to fly back from Singapore with a visa exemption but apparently I was wrong.
For more info, my first warning came after my fifth visa exempt air entry. The first entry was on my very first trip to Thailand 4.5 years ago and then I had a string of four in a row (visiting Philippines, Bali, Hong Kong and finally Myanmar). So, my first warning came in Sept 2016 after my Myanmar trip. This trip to Singapore was visa exempt air entry number six.
So, my questions:
1. Is this "flag" permanent? Will I never be allowed to fly in and get a visa exemption again? I don't mind getting a tourist visa but I would like to visit some countries where doing so might be inconvenient so if there is some way to get my status "reset" in the system, that would be ideal.
2. The IO said that I needed to get my visa from my home country. Do you think that was her opinion/suggestion or a direct statement of fact? I would like to visit some more SE Asia and/or European countries rather than going back to the U.S. if possible.
3. What about a land crossing? They didn't say anything when I crossed the border at Mae Sai in December. Are the systems for flight and land entry not the same? Would I likely still be eligible for two land crossings in a calendar year?
FWIW, I have always tried to follow the rules as I know them to exist (including from what I read on this group) and I do not work in Thailand (and have never done so), nor did I get the impression that the IO suspected otherwise (if they did they didn't say anything of that nature).
Thanks for any clarification or help you can provide.
TLDR : Answer Summary
A traveler recently experienced issues at Bangkok Airport due to having multiple visa exempt entries. They were warned by an immigration officer about needing a tourist visa for future entries, particularly emphasizing obtaining it in their home country. Concerns about a possible permanent flag on their immigration record were raised along with questions regarding the necessity of obtaining a visa from the USA versus other countries, and whether land crossings would be treated differently. Multiple users in the discussion provided insights on the immigration flagging system and shared personal experiences regarding visa regulations and considerations for future travel.
