I had this problem with a brand new passport so what

@Tod ********

said is absolutely true. The system alerted them automatically on what I assume was birth date and full names. I got my first suspicious look on the 3rd visa exempt stamp but was let in after showing my marine entry and exit stamps from the previous trip. And not even a nudge of suspicion the time after that.

either way, lets assume said party(me) does not have 500k or 1million baht to buy a visa.

seaman book is only valid for visa exemption when it is related to work, not for holiday inbetween work.

@Alan ******

thats correct I only come here in my time between jobs, but it must also be noted that you are allowed to work on vessels flagged in different countries(not thailand) as long as they are privately owned and not registered as commercial vessels.

can you give me some more info on this? Do I need to be in my home country to apply for this or can I apply in a different country eg singapore?

from what I can gather I had 5 visa exempt stamps in a year period. Including the last one that was given after being denied, and then providing return(exit) flights.