In the monkey house for no exit stamp

[wowpow]

"prison story

I just got back from a wondeful 2 month trip through Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. My trip was cut short after spending a week in Immigration Detention Centre (ie, prison) after which i was deported. I think its important people know what happened to avoid it happening to them.

Lonely Planet does not mention anything about this, and even provides false information which could put you in some seriously shitty situiations, read on

When I left Thailand to go to Laos via the Chiang Kong / Huay Xai border crossing, i forgot to pass by the time immigration. I crossed the mekong, proceeded through Lao immigration and continued my trip without problems. I then went from Laos to Cambodia. When i flew back from Siem Reap to Bangkok, i was told at the airport immigration that my Thai exit stamp was missing and some things had to be cleared up.

A couple minutes turned into a couple hours, after which i was taken to prison in downtown bangkok. After 2 days some one from my embassy showed up, and started the procedure to get me out. I had to go to court, pay some fines, some bribes, etc. All in all i spent 7 days in prison and had to buy a new ticket, after which i was deported.

As you probably know, bangkok prisons are not the nicest places to be. I was in a cell with about 60-70 other people, all sleeping on the floor, getting really bad food etc etc. Believe me its a situation you want to avoid. Thai people are lovely, but i could not help but feel treated very unfairly, this is a side of Thailand that most people never see, but it does exist

While i understand that i had to pass by immigration and i needed that stamp, the punishment did not really fit the "crime".

Now, in prison, there were people who had overstayed their visa by a couple of days - something that could happen to anyone without having any bad intentions. They ended up in this prison (IDC), did not have money to buy for a new ticket and their embassies did not really care to help them out. In the LP it says clearly that you merely have to pay 200baht / day that you overstay, well trust me there are lots of people in IDC that will tell you different.

i think LP should stress the need to pass by immigration whenever you cross a border. this may seem obvious, but believe me, Chiang Khong is a small sleepy town and it is very easy to miss / forget passing by immigration, as i did.

if anyone wants to know the itinerary i followed or wants to know more about the above topic, feel free to contact me at stef@sk-audio.org

take it easy
happy travels
Stef

From Lonely Planet's Thorntree website

Similar Threads:

• Question about rules for EXIT PERMITS from Immigration
• The Brass Monkey fantasic body
• Monkey Island near Bang Saray/Sattahip
• Big monkey trouble in tourist Thailand 9
• Monkey Island Cruises

Thanks for that warning and report. You are very correct. The punishments Thailand doles out for minor immigration violations are downright barbaric.

Now, in prison, there were people who had overstayed their visa by a couple of days - something that could happen to anyone without having any bad intentions. They ended up in this prison (IDC), did not have money to buy for a new ticket and their embassies did not really care to help them out. In the LP it says clearly that you merely have to pay 200baht / day that you overstay, well trust me there are lots of people in IDC that will tell you different.

There are some people whom I wonder are able to get themselves out of bed in the morning. The "200 baht/day" rule applies only to those who are leaving the country (ie. on a ticket) and get picked up as they pass through Immigration control. Clearly people in the immigration prison who don't have the money for a ticket don't fall into this category, "without bad intentions" or otherwise. Why should their Embassies be concerned in the sense that they'll spring for an airfare home every time one of their nationals is foolish enough to run out of money while abroad? All travel is At Your Own Risk, whether it's pickpockets, hijacking or Immigration officials. This guy has the true "victim" mentality and needs to grow up

Homi,

Excuse me for a moment. I am an American. When some idiot mountain climbers are stuck on mountain in the dead of winter, hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent to rescue them. When the US embassy helps a national with money, the American promises to pay back every penny (probably with interest). What do we pay taxes for if not to be rescued by our embassies?

For many people with poor health and needing medication, a stay in a Thai prison is very life threatening. You have the gall to assume that you are morally superior and know the specific circumstances of everyone in Thai prison on immigration violations? Shame on you!

The fault is on unbelievably harsh policies of THAI immigration. They could create the same effect with huge fines, which granted not all could pay, but those that couldn't could be blacklisted for life. Problem solved. Someone ought to start a website highlighting this Thai barbarism to balance out the TAT pablum.

TeePee, congrats on getting released. You did indeed suffer a great injustice way out of proportion to your supposed "crimes".

To those idiots who continue to think this could never happen to them, or that these punishments are justified ...
There But For The Grace Of God Go I

In most countries a straight foreword “invitation into governments own secured accommodation” will be issued to any foreign person without appropriate legal documents, visa, or right of stay for subsequent deportation.

For Schengen and most other Asian countries this is the common routine.

The US immigration is not well known for kindness and great hospitality regarding illegal immigrants and even decline consular support.

Some must be pretty ignorant leaving a country illegally – and this is what happened – and wondering that troubles occur while crossing the borders again.

You can't even read the article correctly. It was a typical wowpow/teepee cut'n'paste from the comfort of wowpow's desk. It was written by some young fool posting on the Lonely Planet Web site. It is ludicrous to equate search and rescue missions with people who are so disorganised, lazy or stupid as to run out of money in a foreign country (mind you, I don't have a lot of sympathy with those who put themselves in harm's way either and have to invoke search and rescue). Perhaps you can point us all to the State Department directive on Embassies providing funds for the indigent traveler?

Whoever it was, it was wrong (the treatment).
I am not saying the US embassy would help with that. I am saying they should. I do know for a fact when they buy you a ticket, you promise to pay back the money.

Whoever it was, it was wrong (the treatment). I am not saying the US embassy would help with that. I am saying they should. I do know for a fact when they buy you a ticket, you promise to pay back the money.

Oh, so we're on our moral high horse here, are we? A lot of good that does anyone. A reality check would be much more useful

What a dreadful story you have unearthed TeePee! There was clearly no intent to deceive in the part of this traveller, but I suppose in these days of heightened tensions it is still more important that we follow all the rules. It sounds as though the individual caught out was young and fit enoug to stand the rigours of sleeping on a floor and surviving poor food for seven days, but it might not be so easy for those of us getting on in years, or not in such good health.

A timely warning simply to make sure we all folow the rules, and even at quiet border crossing points, make sure that immigration puts the necessary stamps on passports.

Just a question here. He was deported but was he blacklisted (never to return) as well?