A Malaysian man has alleged that certain immigration officers at the Thailand–Malaysia border are deliberately refusing to stamp travellers’ passports, only to detain them later and demand money.
The issue was highlighted by TikTok user Suresh, who shared his experience crossing the Betong border and warned Malaysians to stay alert.
“They said I never entered Thailand”
According to Suresh, his ordeal began when he entered Thailand with no issues, only to be stopped by immigration when trying to leave.
He claimed officers accused him of having no entry stamp in his passport.
When I entered, everything seemed normal. But when I was leaving, they detained me. They said my passport wasn’t stamped, so technically, I never entered Thailand. That was their ‘strategy’,” he said.
Suresh added that in Malaysia, passport verification may be digital now, but Thai checkpoints still rely heavily on manual stamping, making travellers vulnerable if officers “forget” to do so.
Claims it may be an organised scheme
The TikTok user said the incident did not appear to be accidental or isolated.
Throughout the day, he reportedly met five to six other travellers who faced the exact same situation.
Every case was the same; no stamp. I told them it wasn’t my fault, it was their officer’s responsibility. They told me to ‘find the officer yourself’. How is that even possible?” he said.
He claimed officers first attempted to intimidate travellers by citing a supposed “protocol fine” of 25,000 baht (RM3,000–RM4,000), before later pulling them aside for a quieter negotiation.
They bring you into their office for a slow talk. RM500 on the spot. My wife got this too. Not just one person, multiple people the same day,” he said.
Suresh alleged the officers even brought different victims to different office locations to avoid suspicion.
“This didn’t happen once, it happened multiple times”
He stressed that this wasn’t the first time he encountered the issue. Just last month, he said he paid a 10,000 baht fine for the same reason.
This time, he was travelling with his whole family and six passports were allegedly left unstamped.
How can one passport be missed, let alone six? It’s clearly intentional. If they collect RM500 per person, that’s thousands in a day,” he said.
Advises Malaysians to double-check their passports
Suresh urged Malaysians entering Thailand, especially via the Betong border, to ensure their passports are stamped before leaving the counter.
Please check properly. Make sure your passport is stamped and take a photo. If there’s no stamp, ask for it immediately. They will say ‘sorry, forgot’ but at least you’re safe.”
Issue draws attention online
His video has since drawn significant concern from Malaysians, with many urging the Malaysian Embassy in Thailand to step in and address the matter.
Netizens expressed worry over how easily tourists could be exploited by such tactics, especially those travelling for the first time.
Watch the clip here:
