Thread: My Filipina Girlfriend

If this isn't the right forum or web site, please direct me to the right one.
I have a new girlfriend, from the Philippines. She tells me the Thai immigration will ask her why she's coming to Thailand. Even if she has a roundtrip ticket(6 months), the automatic visa is for only 30 days. What should she say, bring with her to the airport, to prevent the Philippine authorities from blocking her leaving or the Thai authorities from allowing her in?
Am I asking the right questions?

the truth , aka she is visiting her boyfriend and intends to return to the Philippines .

Both are ASEAN countries. There is no visa requirement. She's going on vacation. There is no reason for immigration in either country to ask her anything further.

But 30 days. Lucky she can do it. Enjoy mate.

Look on the Thai Foreign Ministry web site. It lists the various rules that apply to different nationalities for tourist visas.

TOURIST VISA EXEMPTION


- According to the Interior Ministerial Announcements dated 1 October B.E. 2545 (2002), 20 December B.E. 2545 (2002), 18 October B.E. 2547 (2004), 6 May B.E. 2548 (2005), and 23 June 2554 (2011), passport holders from 48 countries and 1 special administrative region - Hong Kong SAR - are not required to obtain a visa when entering Thailand for tourism purposes and will be permitted to stay in the Kingdom for a period of not exceeding 30 days on each visit. If such foreigners enter the Kingdom at the immigration checkpoints which border neighboring countries, they will be allowed to stay for 15 days each time, except Malaysian nationals who cross the borderline from Malaysia whose granted period of stay will not exceed 30 days each time.
- Please note that Tourist Visa Exemption does not apply to foreigners holding Travel Document for Aliens issued by these countries.
- Foreigners entering Thailand under the Tourist Visa Exemption category must possess adequate finances for the duration of stay in Thailand (i.e., cash 10,000 Baht per person and 20,000 Baht per family).

1. Australia : Commonwealth of Australia
2. Austria : Republic of Austria
3. Belgium : Kingdom of Belgium
4. Brazil : Federative Republic of Brazil (****)
5. Bahrain : State of Bahrain
6. Brunei Darussalam : Negara Brunei Darussalam
7. Canada
8. Denmark : Kingdom of Denmark
9. Finland : Republic of Finland
10. France : French Republic
11. Germany : Federal Republic of Germany
12. Greece : Hellenic Republic
13. Hong Kong : Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
14. Iceland : Republic of Iceland
15. Indonesia : Republic of Indonesia
16. Ireland : Republic of Ireland
17. Israel : State of Israel
18. Italy : Republic of Italy
19. Japan
20. Korea : Republic of Korea (****)
21. Kuwait : State of Kuwait
22. Luxembourg : Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
23. Malaysia
24. Monaco : Principality of Monaco
25. Netherlands : Kingdom of the Netherlands
26. New Zealand
27. Norway : Kingdom of Norway
28. Oman : Sultanate of Oman
29. Peru : Republic of Peru (****)
30. Philippines : Republic of the Philippines
31. Portugal : Republic of Portugal
32. Qatar : State of Qatar
33. Singapore : Republic of Singapore
34. Spain : Kingdom of Spain
35. South Africa : Republic of South Africa
36. Sweden : Kingdom of Sweden
37. Switzerland : Swiss Confederation
38. Turkey : Republic of Turkey
39. United Arab Emirates
40. United Kingdom : United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
41. United States of America
42. Vietnam : Socialist Republic of Vietnam
43. Czech : Czech Republic
44. Hungary : Republic of Hungary
45. Liechtenstein : Principality of Liechtenstein
46. Poland : Republic of Poland
47. Slovak : Slovak Republic
48. Slovenia : Republic of Slovenia

That tells me she'd get a visa on arrival, but she might just need to prove she has enough cash on her to last the trip.

Link

she has an 11-year old daughter, living in the Philippines. Has anyone heard of a Philippine national being turned away from Thailand because they had less than 10,000 baht with them??

The fact she has a daughter is irrelevant. I have never heard of anyone being turned away for not having a certain amount of money. I suppose they could ask her to show she has enough to support herself for the length of her stay, but have never heard of anyone being asked. If she was to be asked, "My boyfriend lives in Thailand, is meeting me outside the airport, and is paying for everything", should handle it nicely.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

Both are ASEAN countries. There is no visa requirement. She's going on vacation. There is no reason for immigration in either country to ask her anything further.

This should be sufficient. She might get asked about the return ticket or proof of support (unlikely, only if she looks destitute). If she does get questioned, it's best to be truthful, but not to volunteer too much information. She's not doing anything illegal by going on frequent holidays in Thailand.

Why do you think a Filipina traveling often would raise any eyebrows at all? Both countries are in ASEAN and have trade ties. On what grounds could PI authorities possibly prevent her from leaving (apart from looking for a random bribe)?

She needs a passport and you phone number.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

The fact she has a daughter is irrelevant. I have never heard of anyone being turned away for not having a certain amount of money. I suppose they could ask her to show she has enough to support herself for the length of her stay, but have never heard of anyone being asked. If she was to be asked, "My boyfriend lives in Thailand, is meeting me outside the airport, and is paying for everything", should handle it nicely.

I was asked once to prove I had 10k on me,lucky I had my Thai Bangkok Bank Bank-book with me.So sometimes it does happen

The Rules are .....

The amounts vary for different visas:
1. Transit Visa holder: Must hold minimum THB 10,000 per passenger or THB 20,000 per family.
2. Tourist Visa holder: Must hold minimum THB 20,000 per passenger or THB 40,000 per family.
3. Visa on Arrival: Must hold minimum THB 10,000 per passenger or THB 20,000 per family.
4. Non Immigrant Visa holder: Must hold minimum THB 20,000 per passenger or THB 40,000 per family.

^Cheers. Learn something new every day. Enforcement must be really spotty, however.

At least they don't do the customs declaration form any more.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

^Cheers. Learn something new every day. Enforcement must be really spotty, however.

I must admit this was about 7-8 years ago when I was asked at the boarder crossing Mae Sai to Thachilek and they did have signs up and was asking everyone.I sure most never ever gets asked at the airports......must people change there money up once they get here. Maybe at the Mae Sai /Thachilek boarder crossing you had a lot of potless druggies ( is that an oxymoron ) just doing a crossing every 30 days to stay ( was 30 days then ,not 15 days like now ) and they inforced it to kept the real dregs out

Originally Posted by Phuketrichard

I have heard many times about Philippinoes being not even allowed to board on flights out of Manila to Bangkok

I've lived here almost 16 years, and know lots and lots of Filipinos who routinely travel to Thailand; I have never known one of them to have a problem. Immigration officials here are dicks, like most countries, but if they refuse to allow someone to travel to another Asean country where no visa is required, they have to have a reason. Usually it's people trying to fly without a round-trip ticket or adequate funds. Or with totally fucked up paperwork. They are dicks, but still have to be able to justify denying someone the right to leave the country.

Good Filipino immigration story. About a year ago, there was a long line of Filipinos, mostly women with kids, waiting to go through immigration to re-enter the Philippines. Even though the line was for Filipino passport holders only, an officious prick of an immigration officer escorted a Japanese businessman to the head of the line, rudely pushed the Filipina who was next in line out of the way, and bowing and scraping escorted the Jap in front of her. Whoops, this very normal looking lady who had been next was.......wait for it.......the President's sister. Immigration guy was gone before she even finished her phone call. Sometimes justice prevails.

Incidentally the 40B-$1 was the basis for those entry financial requirements posted. Since the revaluation/appreciation of the Baht the requirements have not been adjusted to reflect the appreciation of the Baht. Same goes for the 3 month prior bank account balance of 800,000 Baht requirements for retirement visa applicants.

Sometimes I think its just an accidental error on the Thai's part. Other times I think its due to laziness. In the end I know its because of greed. Why ask for 30K when you can get 40K? Why ask for 600,000K when you can get 800,000K? Ferangs and tourists don't matter except when it comes to getting their money left in Thailand.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

Whoops, this very normal looking lady who had been next was.......wait for it.......the President's sister. Immigration guy was gone before she even finished her phone call. Sometimes justice prevails.

A good story. The Presidents sister in the same queue as the rest and the action taken, hopefully in the full view of the other immigration officials.

^Indeed it was. Stripped of rank and ID and marched out of the airport. Full TV and newspaper coverage. News met by thousands of cheering Flips, glad to see one of their oppressors get it in the neck for once.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

glad to see one of their oppressors get it in the neck for once.

"oppressors..." Indeed. You'd be the friendly American neighbor? hummm.

Just to let all of you know: She was NEVER asked about money. She had a letter of full support from me, with a copy of my passport, a RT ticket, an old(2008) passport showing she left the Philippines for 3 days to Singapore, dressed nicely and WAS BLOCKED from leaving Manila. Three days later, I flew to Clark, met her there and we both had tickets to Thailand on the same plane. We were both interviewed and allowed to leave. Clark had been the center of rrjections for single filipinas for the past 6 months(at least) until a girl friend of an executive of a Saudi Arabian oil company doing business and creating jobs for filipinos was blocked from leaving(she had been allowed to leave countless times previous to the recent purge). He was angry and let the government know it. Theentire Clark staff was either fired or reassigned.

^That's really interesting. Why was she not allowed to leave? I know nothing of coming/going through Clark. Was this all just a big extortion scam? Interesting that it never made the news here.

The rejection paper she showed me said she was rejected because 1. She needed a tourist visa stamped by the Thai Embassy in Manila and 2. She needed an affirmation letter by me stamped by the Thai Embassy in Manila, the same letter I wrote and gave to her to give them.
Total bullshit!

^No shit. Total bullshit on both counts. Sounds like a localized extortion scheme at Clark.

She was allowed to leave from Clark, following their(reputed) purge.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

^No shit. Total bullshit on both counts. Sounds like a localized extortion scheme at Clark.