Dual Citizen SG + MY

[Siv]

Both of you guys are really interesting....

This now you stamp it, now you don't....is ONLY prevalent amongst the motorcycles going in and out daily.

NOT the cars.

Don't know about the rest, I haven't crossed border by foot in AGES.....

[ecureilx]

I was asked a stamp-related question once at a particular passport control. The first question was a standard "What countries have you been to within the past year?" (or similar). I answered truthfully. The officer flipped through my passport as I answered. Next question: "You didn't mention Algeria. I see you have an Algerian stamp in your passport. Would you care to explain that?" Well, that was a puzzle. It took me a couple seconds to figure that out. I replied, truthfully again, "Oh, you mean Algeciras. I probably have a stamp from Algeciras. Algeciras is a city in Spain, and I recommend visiting it." The officer grimaced, handed my passport back, and waved me on -- all without another word.

On edit: Spain doesn't routinely stamp passports any more. It's part of the 26 nation Schengen Area. There are no routine passport control checkpoints within the Schengen Area, and even when you enter/exit the Schengen Area the stamps are not always (or even often) given any more. A lot of people don't even need passports to travel internationally, regionally, in that part of the world -- national ID cards suffice -- so there isn't any passport page to stamp even if an officer wanted to. Algeciras is still a nice city to visit.

We are talking about Malaysia and you went all the way to stamp less entry in Europe ... Good Lord.

[ecureilx]

This now you stamp it, now you don't....is ONLY prevalent amongst the motorcycles going in and out daily.

Bus transfers had the same on / off thing, in Woodlands and then a odd guy gets held up.

Cekap Malayu? You escape.

Tak boleh ? Good luck!

[BBCWatcher]

Yes, and Malaysia is among the many countries that doesn't stamp every passport that crosses its desks.

[ecureilx]

Yes, and Malaysia is among the many countries that doesn't stamp every passport that crosses its desks.

Hmmm.

No comments -

[sundaymorningstaple]

Yes, and Malaysia is among the many countries that doesn't stamp every passport that crosses its desks.

Is there a parrot in this thread?

[sundaymorningstaple]

Ps, there are times MY immigration scans Malaysian passports without stamping and other times, they do stamp. Not sure what's their rationale.

Yes, and Malaysia is among the many countries that doesn't stamp every passport that crosses its desks.

Is there a parrot in here?

[Strong Eagle]

Yes, and Malaysia is among the many countries that doesn't stamp every passport that crosses its desks.

I have never NOT been stamped in and out of Malaysia... and I've done it hundreds of times... by airplane, by car, by motorcycle... KL, JB, second crossing.

It may be possible to used the quick immigration cards and avoid a stamp but if you're not Malaysian, your passport will be stamped.

Now... there have been many times when I haven't had to fill out the white debarkation card... never been able to figure out if they just ran out of cards or decided on a policy change then rescinded it.

[BBCWatcher]

Well, I'm glad we got that settled. In summary, the absence (or presence) of a foreign country's stamp is merely a pretext for a border control officer to ask a question or two. (But so is the color of your shirt.)

[Siv]

Well, I'm glad we got that settled. In summary, the absence (or presence) of a foreign country's stamp is merely a pretext for a border control officer to ask a question or two. (But so is the color of your shirt.)

Say what ??

Dude...EVERY foreign passport that comes into and out of Malaysia gets stamped. Period.

No pretext...no color of shirts for that matter

The only issue sometimes is for Malaysian motorcycles...who sometimes don't get scanned going out and they get into a bit of a pickle coming back in.

[Strong Eagle]

Well, I'm glad we got that settled. In summary, the absence (or presence) of a foreign country's stamp is merely a pretext for a border control officer to ask a question or two. (But so is the color of your shirt.)

I would ALWAYS insist that my passport be stamped unless I am clearly exempted from needing to have it stamped officially, especially when entering a country, but also when exiting. I have observed a fellow entering Malaysia trying to explain the fact there was no record of him having left Malaysia the last time, something that required him to prove he had left the last time... odd, I agree... since he was trying to get back in... but such are the perils of no stamp.

The last thing I need is to be present in a country and not have a passport that shows I legally entered. Sure, a lot of places have computerized entry systems, and... I crossed from Vietnam to Laos over a mountain pass, then back again to Vietnam. Immigration on both sides were completely manual, giant ledger books, no computers anywhere. You think that passport stamp wasn't valuable? On both sides of the trip.

Or crossing the river from Thailand to Vientiane. Thai officials looking for the stamp that showed I legally entered Thailand?

Or how about the local mayor and party comrade who pay a visit to our group in a village in the middle of nowhere in Laos or Vietnam or Cambodia? Ostensibly to ensure that we are OK (and in Vietnam, actually real... the government doesn't want tourists to be robbed or otherwise inconvenienced), but in reality, a bit of a shakedown for a few kip or dong if all documents aren't in order.

[BBCWatcher]

And yet, in the real world, many passports aren't stamped. Welcome (back) to the real world, dudes and dudettes.

[Strong Eagle]

And yet, in the real world, many passports aren't stamped. Welcome (back) to the real world, dudes and dudettes.

In the real world, one ensures that that proper process is followed. I would not enter a country that requires a stamp in the passport without having that stamp.

Why don't you let them 'forget' to stamp your passport when entering Thailand, then see what happens when you try to depart.

[BBCWatcher]

That's not the scenario here. The question asked upthread is what another government might think about a missing stamp. Answer: "Not much," except as another excuse (along with shirt color) to ask a "probing" question at the border.

[Strong Eagle]