I also faced the same situation earlier this month. Last year, I was issued 3 consecutive tourist stamps (2 months each + 1 month extensions by applying at the local immigration bureau, for a total of 9 months of government-approved stays). During that time, I had tried to obtain a retirement visa (which I qualify for financially) but was unable to obtain a required letter from the Board of Investment b/c I didn’t properly fill out a few fields on the BOI site application (one because I didn’t have the required docs on hand, and another because I couldn’t figure out how to combine all pages of my passport into one document, so I submitted them separately; a third because they didn’t approve the photo I submitted). At any rate, once it was rejected I could find no way to resubmit it, so I ultimately gave up on that and tried to re-enter as a tourist earlier this month after 5 months back in my country. I was told it was unlikely I’d be admitted for the third time after having spent 6 months last year in the country, but I received it with no questions asked. Each time I left the country a couple of days before the stamp expired, so I never overstayed. But when I came this year, I was told I “overstayed” last year and went through the same process you did, as well as having to spend the night in the detention room until my flight left the next day. I was given a form written in Thai, which I photographed and had my fiancee (who was the reason I was returning) translate it for me, and I found out that I have been banned for 5 years from re-entering Thailand. I am going to try to get that “sentence” overturned (she has a cousin who’s married to a man from my country—US—who told her to write a letter stating my case that I could take to the Thai embassy here. I am not hopeful that it can be done, though, and with yours and other horror stories I’m not sure if I want to attempt a return now. We will likely have to meet elsewhere.
Jesper Ngiam I’ve hit a roadblock with the BOI. I qualify financially, but made a couple of mistakes on their application last year and it was rejected, and there is no apparent way to reapply.
Right, but I stayed outside of Korat city for a month in a village, so I was trying to make the distinction. I should have said Korat and surrounding areas, maybe.
Another destination you might consider someday is Nepal. Wonderful country, inexpensive, welcoming people, fantastic views, and only a few hours by flight.
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