Checking in, out of Satun w. Philippine crew

[Gone2long]

Wondering if anyone out there has any experience checking in and out of Satun and Langkawi with a Philippine crew member aboard.


I am an American, so I am wondering if my crew member will be granted entry, on the basis of sailing with me as crew or will the regs governing Filipinos coming and going in Malaysia as tourists apply? I will fly the crew member into Langkawi from PHL as a tourist. No visa is necessary under such situations, so that seems to be the simplest solution to getting my crew into Malaysia.


However, a tourist stay in Malaysia for a Filipino is limited to 30 days initially, so we would be heading over to Thailand for a while after that, and hopefully be able to travel back and forth as needed to comply with visa regulations.



Anyone have any experience with such stuff?


Thanks in advance,


G2L

[Alan Mighty]

Originally Posted by Gone2long

Wondering if anyone out there has any experience checking in and out of Satun and Langkawi with a Philippine crew member aboard.

Further to my earlier response, G2L: Sometime between 2000 and 2005 I was acquainted with a Western cruiser who was spending much time in port in MY waters. He had a Thai crew, who had the same issue you raise, of only being granted a 30 day social visit pass in contrast to the 90 day social visit pass granted to the captain.

That particular captain and crew, who supplied some chartering services for tourists, solved the problem. They were a heterosexual couple, so they obtained a marriage certificate. My memory is that resulted in the TH crew getting a social visit pass of 90 days in parallel to that of the captain.

[skipperpete]

Tread very softly with immigration in Langkawi, we just had an island wide sweep cleaning out illegal workers, a very polite but determined group of officers from the mainland.
Checking in should present no problems if your documents are in order and if you have any concerns then engage an agent. PM me for the details of a reliable agent if you decide to use one.
Immigration officers in Langkawi are very helpful and great to deal with.

[Gone2long]

Originally Posted by Alan Mighty

Further to my earlier response, G2L: Sometime between 2000 and 2005 I was acquainted with a Western cruiser who was spending much time in port in MY waters. He had a Thai crew, who had the same issue you raise, of only being granted a 30 day social visit pass in contrast to the 90 day social visit pass granted to the captain.

That particular captain and crew, who supplied some chartering services for tourists, solved the problem. They were a heterosexual couple, so they obtained a marriage certificate. My memory is that resulted in the TH crew getting a social visit pass of 90 days in parallel to that of the captain.

Thanks mate,


Yeah, my crew is female as well, but we are not planning on getting married any time soon. Probably going to be in Malaysia only about six months, so the first time around, maybe we will fly together over to Krabi. Want to take her there eventually anyway to see the temple on the mountain there.


Second time around, we will jump in the boat and cruise up to Ko Phi Phi. Stick around for a few weeks then head back. Gotta check on number of visits allowed, within a 6 mo. time frame. I think Thailand will allow a total of 90 days in any 6 months period.



Kind of a pain, but a nice part of the world to spend some time in.


Best,


G2L

[Gone2long]

Originally Posted by skipperpete

Tread very softly with immigration in Langkawi, we just had an island wide sweep cleaning out illegal workers, a very polite but determined group of officers from the mainland.
Checking in should present no problems if your documents are in order and if you have any concerns then engage an agent. PM me for the details of a reliable agent if you decide to use one.
Immigration officers in Langkawi are very helpful and great to deal with.

Thanks Pete,


Sounds like you are local. Will get back to you with some additional questions here or via a private message, once I do a bit more footwork.


Appreciate your insights,


G2L

[Alan Mighty]

Originally Posted by Gone2long

Yeah, my crew is female as well, but we are not planning on getting married any time soon. Probably going to be in Malaysia only about six months, so the first time around, maybe we will fly together over to Krabi.

Sorry, G2L, you're mis-read what I wrote.

I wrote nothing about wedding, matrimony, nuptials, the 'tie that binds', wedlock, betrothal, conjugation, vows, or anything of the kind.

I used the term "marriage certificate". An official-looking piece of paper. Original plus photocopies; only the photocopies get shown to officials except in extreme circumstances (but the original stands up to inspection). Said marriage certificate was obtained on the sidewalk of Quezon Blvd., near Clara M Recto Avenue, Binondo (or maybe it was Clara M Recto Av near Quezon Blvd). For a small fee. Made by a professional who does it every day. Carries a stock of the appropriate paperwork to suit the date chosen. Uses a typewriter for some years. Laser printer for others.

Get the picture?

[Gone2long]

Originally Posted by Alan Mighty

Sorry, G2L, you're mis-read what I wrote.

I wrote nothing about wedding, matrimony, nuptials, the 'tie that binds', wedlock, betrothal, conjugation, vows, or anything of the kind.

I used the term "marriage certificate". An official-looking piece of paper. Original plus photocopies; only the photocopies get shown to officials except in extreme circumstances (but the original stands up to inspection). Said marriage certificate was obtained on the sidewalk of Quezon Blvd., near Clara M Recto Avenue, Binondo (or maybe it was Clara M Recto Av near Quezon Blvd). For a small fee. Made by a professional who does it every day. Carries a stock of the appropriate paperwork to suit the date chosen. Uses a typewriter for some years. Laser printer for others.

Get the picture?

Dude,

That is friggin' hilarious. Sounds like you've spent way too much time in SE Asia : ) Seventeen years for me : )

In any case, I'm concentrating at the moment on my own visa. Sounds like your aquaintance who had the 12 mo visa, actually applied in advance for a multiple entry visa.

As an American and a potential boat owner/skipper of a Langkawi registered boat, my initial research on the Malaysian Immigration Service's website suggests that I might be eligible for a one year, multi-entry visa.

Wondering if you know that to be true, and if a multiple-entry "visa" can be issued upon entry. If I am eligible, certainly seems the way to go. I could present a signed contract to buy the boat as evidence to authorities of my eligibility for such a visa.

If you have no knowledge of the above, perhaps you could refer me to someone who does. Gonna check the Malay Immigration Services sight for some kind of contact number and ask them myself, but I'm sure it might take a while to get an answer from them, if they supply one at all.

Thanks,

G2L

[Alan Mighty]

Originally Posted by Gone2long

If you have no knowledge of the above, perhaps you could refer me to someone who does.

Your local Embassy of Malaysia.

Who else would give you a special visa? If you happened to be a foreign citizen travelling to the US to buy a boat there, you'd go to your local Embassy of the USA and apply for a B1/B2 business visa.

I cannot but suggest your reconsider your dismissal of the advantages of a stroll along Quezon Blvd towards Clara M Recto Av. The small enterprises there offer a legitimate service for those in need.

Let's talk about respecting laws and law enforcement officers in Langkawi, in Kedah Darul Aman, MY. Kedah the abode of safety, has problems. One of them is that too many young people of one gender tend to want to spent time alone with a young person of the other gender. This clearly leads to no good. So Kedah, being the abode of safety, has statutes against "close proximity" or khalwat. And LEOs to enforce that statute. Further supported by regulations such that enterprises offering temporary accommodation (hotels and the like) report suspected cases of khalwat to said LEOs.

It matters not that the two young people might seek to be alone together for purposes of playing chess, parcheesi, weiqi/baduk/go/igo, bridge, mahjong, or euchre,or even debating Kant. The LEOs have grounds to enter any space to investigate suspected khalwat.

Holding a marriage certificate wards off khalwat LEOs in MY as efficaciously as garlic drives away the Living Dead.

Having a photocopy in amongst your passport and sheaf of ship's papers, marine radio station licence, amateur radio license, marine driver's licence, coxswain's ticket, marine engineer's ticket, etc, is always handy when entering CIQ at a new jurisdiction. If you carry the paperwork and spread it on the desk for casual purview, you won't be asked for it.

In addition, if you or your crew have mislaid or forgotten to carry your (or her) parchment showing your graduation with a Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation from the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy, or the like, which you might find useful to support an application to be considered crew of a vessel to MY Immigration, those small enterprises quickly and inexpensively do the job, without the time and trouble for you to go personally to the PMMA, fill out forms, pay for a re-issue of your parchment, and then pay again for registered delivery etc etc.

You don't need to present at Quezon Blvd in person. A friend of your crew, one that happens to be strolling through Binondo, can do the job for you given a supply of PhP, the name(s) of marriage celebrants and the date of the deed, the name of the graduant and the year of graduation (of course, not all courses at all academic institutions are supported by those enterprises; sometimes you have to ask what institutions and courses are supported first and shop around to other enterprises in the same service sector).

[fivecapes]

Originally Posted by Alan Mighty

Let's talk about respecting laws and law enforcement officers in Langkawi, in Kedah Darul Aman, MY. Kedah the abode of safety, has problems. One of them is that too many young people of one gender tend to want to spent time alone with a young person of the other gender. This clearly leads to no good. So Kedah, being the abode of safety, has statutes against "close proximity" or khalwat. And LEOs to enforce that statute. Further supported by regulations such that enterprises offering temporary accommodation (hotels and the like) report suspected cases of khalwat to said LEOs.

It matters not that the two young people might seek to be alone together for purposes of playing chess, parcheesi, weiqi/baduk/go/igo, bridge, mahjong, or euchre,or even debating Kant. The LEOs have grounds to enter any space to investigate suspected khalwat.

Holding a marriage certificate wards off khalwat LEOs in MY as efficaciously as garlic drives away the Living Dead.

Khalwat falls under the jurisdication of Syariah matters and as such do not apply to non-Muslims.

If on the off chance the OP is indeed muslim, khalwat applies in all of Malaysia, not just Kedah.

As with all countries, respect local customs, dress appropriately, and avoid canoodling in public in muslim countries.

[Gone2long]

Wow,


Thanks Allan for the thorough briefing. Had no idea about this stuff.



I haven't been in Malaysia in about 8 years but I have read about the rise of fundamentalism in the country and the recent rise in the popularity of wearing the abaya, etc. - kind of like wearing your religion on your sleeve. Did not know how far they were carrying this new found religious zeal. I imagine that some of this stuff has technically been "on the books" for ages, but in the past was not taken so seriously, or simply not enforced.



Good to hear from Five Capes that technically this Shariaya stuff would not apply to us but I am sure that the age difference between me and my crew might raise the eyebrows of an over zealous hotel owner or LEO, and she could easily be mistaken for a local; so if not overly worrying, this update on the religious culture and law is definitely a welcomed heads up.


At the moment, I'm in Siargao, but I will be returning to MNL in order to fly out of the country. Will definitely stop by the Malaysian embassy on the way out, and I have already written them regarding some of the concerns that I have mentioned on this thread. We will see what happens next ....



Thanks again for all the info.


G2L

[Alan Mighty]

Originally Posted by fivecapes

Khalwat falls under the jurisdication of Syariah matters and as such do not apply to non-Muslims.

If on the off chance the OP is indeed muslim, khalwat applies in all of Malaysia, not just Kedah.

Right you are, fivecapes.

You might note for future reference that you do not need an "A" in jurisdiction.

What you might have missed is that one member of Q2L's crew is a Filipina, a member of the Malayo-Polynesian ethnic group. And, to a casual observer will intent, orang Melayu unless proven otherwise. Under the MY constitution, orang Melayu are defined as Muslims.

Put the legs of the logic argument together and what do get?

Grounds for suspected khalwat unless proven otherwise.

So what would you do to remove said grounds of suspected khalwat?

Display a marriage certificate and/or make explicit (to hotel desk staff, the staff of a marina etc) that the crew is a non-Muslim. If the crew were a Malaysian, they would present their Identification Card, which shows an explicit code for the religion the citizen belongs. Passports generally do not carry such a designation of religious identity.

[fivecapes]

Originally Posted by Alan Mighty

You might note for future reference that you do not need an "A" in jurisdiction.

Good grief, that completely changes the complexion of my post! Thanks for pointing it out!

[Gone2long]

Originally Posted by Alan Mighty

Right you are, fivecapes.

You might note for future reference that you do not need an "A" in jurisdiction.

What you might have missed is that one member of Q2L's crew is a Filipina, a member of the Malayo-Polynesian ethnic group. And, to a casual observer will intent, orang Melayu unless proven otherwise. Under the MY constitution, orang Melayu are defined as Muslims.

Put the legs of the logic argument together and what do get?

Grounds for suspected khalwat unless proven otherwise.

So what would you do to remove said grounds of suspected khalwat?

Display a marriage certificate and/or make explicit (to hotel desk staff, the staff of a marina etc) that the crew is a non-Muslim. If the crew were a Malaysian, they would present their Identification Card, which shows an explicit code for the religion the citizen belongs. Passports generally do not carry such a designation of religious identity.

Seems that, at a minimum, we should strictly follow MY regs by having our passports with us at all times, and you know, thinking about this, I'll make she brings a baptismal certificate and proof of having been "confirmed" by the catholic church, if she has such documentation.


Best,


G2L

[skipperpete]

G2L , you're not what immigration would consider to be a problem so relax. Compared to almost every other country that I visit , Malaysia is about the best immigration experience. In the past it was even better, no fingerprint scan and no drama for the 90 day crowd who in some cases have been doing the visa run for 20 years ( they could go to Satun on the morning ferry and return on the same day).
Fivecapes is correct about Syariah law, but on one occasion that I can confirm,the religious officers entered the apartment of an elderly American couple and really upset them to the point that they left the country( it was rumored that they later received monetary compensation) another time the religious officers raided the home of a married expat whose kids were born in Malaysia.... they had an Indonesian maid and someone started a rumour regarding that.

[Gone2long]

Originally Posted by skipperpete

G2L , you're not what immigration would consider to be a problem so relax. Compared to almost every other country that I visit , Malaysia is about the best immigration experience. In the past it was even better, no fingerprint scan and no drama for the 90 day crowd who in some cases have been doing the visa run for 20 years ( they could go to Satun on the morning ferry and return on the same day).
Fivecapes is correct about Syariah law, but on one occasion that I can confirm,the religious officers entered the apartment of an elderly American couple and really upset them to the point that they left the country( it was rumored that they later received monetary compensation) another time the religious officers raided the home of a married expat whose kids were born in Malaysia.... they had an Indonesian maid and someone started a rumour regarding that.

Thanks Pete. Where did the two negative incidents happen?


I figure that, being in Langkawi, and most likely up in Rebac Marina, we are not likely to run into any over exuberant religious police. Guess that is what you were driving at eh?