Christmas and New Year in THailand BKK or Pattaya suggestions on what to do?

[vnman]

Anyone ever bring a filipino or VC thru immigration? the 10,000b of money proof of finance irritates me. How do he/(you) prove that?

Ohhh, this question brings back memories. I was together with a boy from the Philippines for a few years. We met when I lived in Manila, and we traveled a lot. The first few times that we left the country from manila, we were together and went to immigration together. He was 18, and it was a struggle to get him out of the country. They usually had 1000 questions. We lived together, and he was also registered as an employee of my company, so it would always work out. However, once when I already was in Hong Kong, and he came later, it turned out that immigration didn't ask him a single question. And yes, I am still talking about leaving the country - Philippines.

He came to visit me a couple of times when I stayed in Thailand for a longer period. He was in his last year of university, yes they finish two years earlier than in western countries, and he often visited me. One time, he stayed with me in Pattaya for 4 weeks, and then he went home. But after a few days in the Philippines, he would rather come back to Thailand. So he booked a ticket and came. When he arrived, immigration asked him many questions. Obviously, they saw that he had just stayed for 4 weeks. Anyway, they asked how much cash he had, and he said, none :-( ugh, he had a visa card and could take money from the machine, but they didn't let him. He called me desperate, and my Thai neighbor spoke to immigration. They just would not let him go through. So they put him in a cell overnight and sent him back the next day...crazy!!

Then a week later he booked a new ticket and made sure he had 1000 USD in cash with him, and of course Thai immigration gave him a stamp without even asking a question.

edit:

I just remember, the first boy I met in de Philippines. I invited him to come to Pattaya where I already was. When he wanted to leave the Philippines, they wanted proof that he already knew me. Luckily, we had taken 1 picture when we ate together in Manila. That was a coincidence because I hardly ever take pictures. Without that proof, they might not have let him leave.


So my problems have mostly been getting the boy out of the country rather than into Thailand, even though that went wrong once.