Malaysian traveller claims Thai border officers “purposely” skipped passport stamp, then demanded RM500
He said that Malaysia now uses digital verification, but Thai checkpoints still depend on manual stamping and that gap, he claimed, was being exploited.
NUR ADNIN MAHALIM
SHAH ALAM - A Malaysian’s border-crossing trip turned into a viral cautionary tale after he alleged that Thai immigration officers intentionally left his passport unstamped, only to accuse him of illegal entry and demand cash on the spot.
In a TikTok video, user @therealsurresh said the issue unfolded when he was exiting Thailand at the Betong border.
While entering the country had been smooth, things shifted dramatically when officers stopped him for having “no entry stamp” in his passport.
He said that Malaysia now uses digital verification, but Thai checkpoints still depend on manual stamping and that gap, he claimed, was being exploited.
“When I entered, everything looked normal. But when I was leaving, they detained me.
“They said my passport wasn’t stamped, so technically I never entered Thailand.
“It felt like a syndicate, all working together to make money off us, that was their ‘strategy’,” he said.
The situation became even more suspicious, he added, when he discovered several other Malaysians facing the exact same accusation.
He said he met “about five or six other travellers” experiencing the same problem, describing it as anything but accidental.
According to him, the officers demanded RM500 from each traveller to “settle” the supposed offence.
Suresh claimed the authorities first tried to scare visitors by mentioning a “protocol fine” of THB25,000 (RM3,193) before later pulling them aside for private negotiations.
“Every case was the same, no stamp. I told them it wasn’t my fault, but instead it was their officer’s responsibility,” he said.
He also recalled another incident a month earlier when he was stopped and asked to pay THB10,000 (RM1,277) again linked to a stamp issue.
Suresh alleged that officers separated 'victims' into different office rooms to avoid drawing attention.
“They’d take you into their office to ‘talk’ and demand RM500 on the spot. My wife went through the same thing.
“It wasn’t just one person; multiple people were targeted that day,” he added.
He ended his video with advice for Malaysians crossing into Thailand:
“For anyone crossing into Thailand, make sure your passport is stamped before leaving the counter.
“Take picture if you have to. If they haven’t stamped it, make sure you get them to do so.”
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