Recently, a Facebook post regarding a guy who got stopped at the immigration centre has gone viral. In a short interview with WORLD OF BUZZ, Jordan, who is also a magician told us how the incident unfolded for him.
Here’s what happened:
- On Thursday 7 July, Jordan wanted to visit Dannok, Thailand for a short getaway
- When he was about to enter the Immigration checkpoint at Sadao, Thailand, he was told to wait
- The immigration officer took his passport and went into his office
- After 30 minutes, the immigration officer came out and told him that they found a record of him entering Thailand on September 2, 2017
- The system showed that he did not ‘leave’ Thailand and that would mean he has been ‘illegally’ in Thailand for 5 years!
- Due to language barriers, a man (possibly a tour guide) was helping him translate
- The officer left after explaining as he had other matters to attend to
- The man asked if he had his old passport with him or if he could call anyone from his family to help prove that there was a record of him leaving Thailand.
He said he didn’t have anyone to help and the man told him that “This is a serious offence.”
“You could be blacklisted by Thailand for up to 3 years and have to pay a summon of 2o thousand Baht or… You could pay 35 thousand Baht to ‘wipe’ your records clean,” the man added.
Jordan then asked, “If that’s the case, is it possible for me to get my passport back and I’ll not enter Thailand for now?”
He was told to wait as the officer was still attending to certain matters.
This was what happened next:
- He called a friend out of panic and they’ve told him to remain calm, reminded him to NOT give any money if they asked for it
- His friend pointed out that if he paid now and entered Thailand, there’s a high possibility that when he leaves, the same issue would arise
- While waiting for the immigration officer to return his passport, he met another lady who was with her family
- He found out that they’re going through the same issue but what’s worse for her is that her whole family left Betong just 3 days ago and now the immigration system has shown that they did not leave Betong.
- Then, he met another uncle who was also facing the same issue as him
- The uncle mentioned that his friend can speak Hokkien and Thai who could help out
Finally, his name was called and he went to the immigration officer. The immigration officer asked if he has anyone at home who could take a picture or video call him to show his old passport.
He said no and the immigration officer told him that “If you were to enter Thailand now, you will be detained.”
He then asked the officer “Is it okay if I get my passport back and not enter Thailand? The next time I want to enter Thailand, I’ll bring my old passport to prove that I did leave Thailand.”
The officer gave him back his passport and he quickly thanked the officer.
Joran mentioned that, “This time round my conversation with the officer was translated by the uncle’s friend, I thanked him and left the immigration office after.”
“When I got home, I checked my passport and there was a record in there proving that I left Thailand,” he added.
Jordan said that this ‘trip’ to Thailand was certainly memorable, although unpleasant.
As a reminder, next time you’re travelling, make sure to bring your old passport with you just in case something like this happens! Apparently, it’s fairly common! It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Also read: “No need to queue” – Most Passport Renewals Must Be Done Online Now, Here’s How
