larryX

I have searched the internet but cannot find exactly what I am looking for, I am sure many of you guys on the spot will be able to point me to what I need.

I am going to make an official complaint regarding a 30 day entry stamp I was given when I re-entered Malaysia on a land crossing from Thailand, with my Filipino wife (after one night in Thailand) and that the immigration officer said that we should have stayed for at least 3 nights outside Malaysia before we returned.

(I am aware that usually an UK national gets a 90 day stamp and a Filipino a 30 days stamp).

I am not looking for info on normal practices but the law so would appreciate, if anyone can direct me to an official Malaysian Government web page which sets out the rules and regulations regarding entry stamps?

Thanks guys

ex reg

I would advise against any complaint unless it directly effected something very important.
Complaints against Customs and Immigration staff rarely turn out well.

I've got a long but strangely funny tale about being turned back into Mexico at the Juarez/El Paso border but I won't bother you with it now.

larryX

Reg I don't live here and quite probably after the current 3 month stay (it's the third such stay) I am unlikely to return.

Although any result from my complaint will not assist me, it may improve the lot of others in similar situations.

bakedbean

I'm not sure what is "official". I'll see if I can find the info on another site I go on, and post back here..... BUT.... you do find that quite often you get different rules going across land borders.

I know that going in the opposite direction at Sadao border crossing, you only get 14 days (as a Brit) in Thailand, whereas if you fly into Thailand, you get longer.

As exReg said, I really wouldn't bother reporting. It won't achieve anything. Just forget about it IMHO.

Personally, I've gone across the Sadao border crossing more times than I care to remember and had all sorts of funny rigmaroles.

One time I travelled with 2 passports. My Malaysian visa was in my old passport, and I'd just got a new UK passport. A friend had travelled like this several times through KL airport and no problem. For me, I got dragged in to see Immigration Officer at Sadao who was not impressed, and defaced a whole page of my spanking new passport with as many rubber stamps as he could find, and ordered me down to KL Immigration to get my Visa transferred rather swiftly into new passport. And, by the way, I got a 30 day stamp in the new passport that time, so maybe that is the norm at Sadao crossing.

The best story was when I was travelling out of Penang Int'l airport in January this year, and the Immigration guy looked at my passport and got the giggles and, through his tears, said You've travelled back in time I hadn't noticed that my previous entry stamp at Sadao border crossing was stamped Arrived 09 Nov 2012

I've digressed a bit <sorry> but just trying to say that this is part of Malaysia life. It's not so precise sometimes but, t'ak apa, why worry.

bakedbean

I've searched and googled and not entirely sure this is an answer, but on wikitravel under Bukit Kayu Hitam (which is the Malaysian side of Sadao border crossing) it states

"Bukit Kayu Hitam is not a visa on arrival entry point"

You can read here
http://wikitravel.org/en/Bukit_Kayu_Hitam

larryX

Bakedbean

"Bukit Kayu Hitam is not a visa on arrival entry point" Would seem to mean that those nationalities who need a visa to enter cannot get one there, unlike those, like Brits, who just need an Entry Permit stamp

http://www.kln.gov.my/web/guest/requ...-for-foreigner. Seems clearly to say that Brits get a 90 day entry permit which can been renewed for a further 2 months.


That same address says that Filipinos get a 30 entry stamp. I do not see that an extension is permitted, however, in 2008 my wife (Filipino) did get a further 30 days permission to stay when we applied at the Butterworth Immigration Centre. I think there was a fee.

There is not mention of having to stay outside the country for any period before a Filipino can get another entry stamp.

Thanks Bakedbean for leading me to that web page.

bakedbean

I may be wrong but I thought that Visa on Arrival was the same as Entry permit. I'll go and check my passport later

larryX

No they are different. Brits don't need a visa

winston_1

The 90 day entry for Brits may be normal but it is discretionary. If the immigration officer doesn't like the look of you of your dress he can give you only 14 days or refuse entry altogether. Complaining will get you nowhere.

bakedbean

so you think the Immi guy may not have taken a shine to Larry? Crikey