Dakhar

Willing to help out mongrel dogs, but not his fellow man 

Classy

18 minutes ago, CMBob said:

This comment relates to CM Immigration only. You might want to distinguish between the original TM30 and updating (when you re-enter the country to the same address as reported on a prior TM30).   For some/most/all (it keeps changing) things, you need to have the original TM30 filed for an address and, frankly, CM Immigration doesn't care who does it (technically the owner/landlord/possessor is liable under the law to have it filed) and will hit you (or whoever shows up for Immigration service) for the 1,600 baht if it isn't filed.  With respect to updating (and presuming you're re-entering the country to the same address), typically the possessor (you) is the one who does that and, again, it's whoever shows up needing some service from CM Immigration who gets tabbed with the fine (i.e., you don't get any service unless it's paid).  I should note that some condominium offices do take care of this for their falang residents.

With respect to the time for updating, multiple CM Immigration officers have said that updating within a week or so is fine (i.e., you don't have to be a slave to the 24-hour law).  I've updated several times 3-5 days after re-entering without a problem or comment from them.

I've had to show my air line ticket stub to prove I had been in Thailand for less than 24 hrs. According to the ticket stub, I had been in Thailand for about 22 hrs, the IO said I was "lucky.“

Ive had other IO say that I should not care about the rule because I'm married to a Thai. 

1 hour ago, SMEinBangkok said:

Make sure that your friend has his lawyer, either in Thailand or the US, fully explain the ramifications of the affidavit of support he'll be required to sign as part of the process.

 

Here's a few highlights:

You have to show a minimum of around $20k income per year (or a much larger amount of fixed assets) if it's just him and his wife, more if there's children

This affidavit of support is for LIFE.  The only events that will stop it are:  his death, his wife gaining US citizenship, his wife working full-time for 10 years and paying into social security, or his wife giving up her green card and leaving the US.

The affidavit can't be waived in a pre-nup.  It is enforceable in local, state and federal courts.

And here's the really fun parts:  a green card holder (legal permanent resident alien) is not required to seek full citizenship.  They can keep their green card for life.  There is no requirement for the spouse to work and he/she cannot be compelled to do so under the affidavit.  Divorce does NOT revoke the affidavit, neither does remarriage.  

 

When you sign that affidavit of support is a lifetime agreement to provide monetary support to that person.

 

I know....hard to believe.  Feel free to do your own online research.  You'll see that I'm not kidding.

I was married to the devil's sister for 10 years.  She had a green card, and I had signed the affidavit of support.  

We moved to Thailand, and after 10 years of marriage (5 spent in the USA, and 5 spent in Thailand). After our tenth year together, she explained to me that she had met her one true love (and he wasn't me.)

She asked for a divorce so she could be married to her new love.

After he dumped her, she asked to be forgiven, and to return to the USA.   I said, "absolutely not."    I suspected her intention was to enforce the affidavit of support.   I would have been nailed with alimony, child support, and a life time support for her due to the affidavit.   The  mandate is to  maintain the relative/spouse/ex-spouse at 125% of the federal poverty line.

Alimony would have been around 30K a year (and I would have had to pay that for 5 years)  child support around the same amount.   

The divorce was finalized in Thailand, she still walked away with far more money/assets than she deserved.   But over all, it was a bargain to get divorced in Thailand.

(just telling you what actually happened)

and getting divorced to her was actually the BEST DAY OF MY LIFE :)

If u wired the money over to your Thai account, during the same year you earned it, then yes you would be required to file/pay tax.

But if you earned the money in 2015, and the money simmered in your bank account abroad, and moved the money into a Thai bank account in 2016, then the money would be considered "savings" and there would be no tax on that money.

I could be wrong, but that is my 2 cents

6 hours ago, rwdrwdrwd said:

For most the ones I know that would be 2 - 3 months, but I guess we move in different circles.

Still utterly ridiculous to pay that as a fee to a third party for the 'experience' and 'community' when both are freely available to anyone with the correct skills.

Skills!   Facebook?   

If one was "digital savvy"  you would think they would already have all the social media. contacts etc etc figured out.  

24 minutes ago, CMBob said:

The only reports I've read about people attempting to file TM28 forms here in Chiangmai (note: other provinces may be quite different) is that the Immigration Officer handed the materials back and said they didn't want them.  You've filed the TM30 for your owner (your wife) and, based on what I've been told by Chiangmai Immigration, you need to refile that (actually, you just show up at the same office....the one behind the regular immigration office near the airport with your passport only and they'll just put another circular stamp on the same TM 30 Receipt of Notification you got before) each time you return from out of country.  A new TM30, of course, is supposed to be filed if you ever move your residence within country. I'd ignore the TM28 routine as it seems Chiangmai Immigration has no use for it.

That has been my experience as well.  

Yes,   "Don't give them any rope...."  may be the best approach

19 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

Believe you misunderstand - I am saying you must report if stay is longer than 90 days and leaving after 92 days without reporting means you did not do that and you will be subject to fine if found out (and normally that would be at the first report after return where they will check last report and when you departed and returned).  There is a provision to allow reporting up to 7 days late without fine but that does not apply if a TM47 is not submitted (as in just leaving).  

Wrong, as u have a grace prriod of 7 days to report after your 90 days have lapsed. So in theory if u left in 92 days it would not matter, if u left 98 days, then u got a problem

well, apparently the folks at my immigration office are not under your supervision, as what I have been doing has worked for over a year.   I report as soon as I get back into Thailand, (the airport is a 5 minute drive to the immigration office).

The IO issues me a new 90 receipt of notification, and my wife submits a new tm30 on the same day.

I leave again, next month, I'd be surprised if there is any change the status quo, but if there is, I'll scrounge around in my wallet, and some how manage to find 2K baht.

14 hours ago, wgdanson said:

You can do 90 days a week before or a week after, it is nothing to do with overstay. If you go over a week late, they will want Bht 2000.

http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/base.php?page=90days

1. The foreigner makes the notification in person, or
2. The foreigner authorises another person to make the notification, or
3. The foreigner makes the notification by registered mail.
4. The notification must be made within 15 days before or after 7 days the period of 90 days expires.
5. The first application for extension of stay by the foreigner is equivalent to the notification of staying in the Kingdom over 90 days.

My understanding, and I have tested this, leaving Thailand, acts as "reporting" when you come back to Thailand, the date you arrive re-starts a 90 day reporting cycle.

So in theory, you just get on the plane with no worries, and report 90 days after you arrive back in Thailand.  (do get a re-entry stamp before you go, if you don't....   you will be in a world of bother)

35k usd a month, and drive a Ferrari, that might be possible

On 7/17/2015 at 10:01 AM, rlopes said:

What you were offered is a LOT of money for any place in Thailand. 99% of the thais don't make a fraction of that.

The people saying that this isn't much are either jealous or they spend all their money with booze and girls.

Or it could be said u r jealous

12 hours ago, returnofthailand said:

oh poor baby. live with 65k will be very hard.
you will get only a 2 floor house, swimming pool, a car and a few ladies.... bouhouhouhou.... life is unfair

It is all relative, a community pool, where anyone can urinate in, could be said is a big toilet, or nothing more than a cess pool.

65k, isnt going to allow for car ownership, or at least any car 350hp and above. It wont allow for the ownership of an off shore sport fishing boat, it wont allow for a lifestyle where you dont worry about what is in your wallet, as oddly enough u just seem to have 20k in your wallet at any given moment.

65k, will allow you to eat out, often, but not allow you to have 2/3 BHT meals with your companion, but as i said before, you can run the AC (i guess that could be lavish to some)

65 k bht...  

U can survive, but it will not provide for a lavish lifestyle, but at least u will have the ability to use the air con

Haven't filled out the form yet, as I travel outside the country too often. (at least once every 10-11 weeks)  Every time I come back to Thailand the 90 day clock is re-set, so I don't need to do 90 day reporting.

That being said, I have been to the immigration office, as my wife was submitting the TM30 form, and there was no request for me to fill out any more documents.   (probably just lucky)

The ratio of farang to immigration officers in my area is probably 5 to 1, and there is probably only 10 farangs where I am at.  So the visitation by an immigration officer, that has been told by his boss to make a spot check is not a surprise to me.

The officers also told my wife, that we no longer needed to drive to Chiang Rai to do my 90 day check in, that I could now check in with the local police department. (which is a new development for this area)   According to my wife, their visit was short, and they didn't seem rude etc etc.  Only odd question was how much our monthly budget is.   

My documents are all up to date, and I do obey the 90 day reporting religiously.  

It was the visit by customs that was a surprise to me.

Im not sure if u folks have seen this, but Ive seen cops show up at a red box in front of a 7/11, and one cop takes a photo of his partner in front of 7/11 by the red box

The photo is being used to prove they are actually doing their job and stopping by 7/11.

I wouldnt be surprised if the photo of my passport is being used for the same function, not necessarily being used for much more than that.

Quote

I sure wish they would do a little more of this in my home country and I sure don't blame them for trying to clear out the criminals here. If you don't have a valid permission to stay here than you are a criminal. In these times of international terrorism I would think we should welcome some checking up.

One package from China 2 years ago, in my mind, doesn't constitute nefarious actions, and certainly doesn't constitute a visit to your own home....  

Further more, the contents of the package was already clearly known, as it was opened by customs 2 years ago.

keep in mind, the box was addressed to my wife, so this matter was a "Thai" on "Thai" issue, with a special twist, a Thai married to a foreigner, which then smacks of possible xenophobia, laced with harassment to me.

Or just possibly, an investigation going on within the customs department for corrupt activities. (one can always hope)

12 hours ago, Jack Mountain said:

Which immigration office?

I'm in Chaing Rias jurisdiction 

Quote

 

 

an Iron, and a simple Tefal at that! -  that costs 20K ThB !!!  

- what was packed inside it?

it all sounds like some mislead Customs Sting action!! - expecting to find something BIG.

 

 

It is one of those quality Tefal pressurized irons you can find at Robinsons. They really cut down on the time required to iron, fast and does a nice job.   I don't really care about irons that much, but my wife likes a good iron, so she gets a nice iron.

1 hour ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

If you shut the door on any government official, as well as refusing to show your passport, you might find yourself at the airport quick sharp, after a few nights in a cell. Apart from their loss of face, and nothing in Thailand trumps that, you are refusing to cooperate in what might be and probably is a legitimate query. And for what? Hmm?

My wife had no inclination to shut the door on the immigration officers, as I stated before, she recognized one of them from a past visit about 3 years back.  They didn't take my passport with them, they just took a photo of the front page (ID section) of the passport

1 hour ago, tifino said:

 I wonder what happens when the team arrives at your home,

- and you've already headed off on some all-over-thailand trip? 

- and nobody - neighbours etc know how you can be contacted, nor when you'll be back...

 

  Is there some time frame, after which - the hammer comes down on you? for you not making any plans to make yourself available/contactable, at all times?

 

(I never answer calls from an Unknown / Unlisted / nor Private numbers BTW)

 

SIM tracking is not yet up and going either 

 

I was actually in my car, in the drive way when customs pulled up.  My wife and I were about to leave to go to Lotus.

54 minutes ago, RogerP said:

If the stuff was worth so little; why pay to ship it in the first place ?

It would have cost me 20K baht to replace the iron, and the clothes....   it was a lot of clothes.  The thing was, we lived in China, my wife became pregnant, and she left China at about 6 months pregnant, so she left a lot of her clothes behind that she no longer fit.   Once she had our baby, and regained her formal shape, she wanted her clothes back.

I wouldn't say the stuff was of little worth....

The "irony" is, the iron worked for about 16-18 months after we got it back from China and then died.   So when customs asked about it, my wife told them....    We still have it, and it is broken, and if they would like to see it, they are welcome to see it.   We purchased another Tefal (newer model) to replaced the broken one about 3 months back.

Another strange aspect about this tale is, customs (2 years back) opened the box that contained the iron and clothes and called us about the box, and they stated what the fees were going to be etc etc.   

So, I just find it strange, that customs officers come to our house asking what was in the box, as they already knew.....

As I said, my wife offered her account regarding the box, and then they said.... "Your account matches our records."   They also told her, that they were checking in on our box, as they wanted to make sure she wasn't bringing in goods from China and then selling them....

Which I think is strange, 1 box from China, over two years, makes a blip on the radar?

The more I ponder on this, I think they are ivestigating someone in the customs department (just a guess)

The immigration officials were legitimate, as my wife recognized one of the officers, that had done the first spot check after I applied for my first extension based on marriage.   But I have never had any subsequent spot checks, and I have renewed my extension 3 times.  (my 4th extension is due in a few months)

Regarding the budget question, it makes me wonder if they are taking a survey in order to increase the required monthly income demands for an extension based on marriage to a Thai. (I don't know, just a guess)

Regarding customs, yes, I wondered as well if they might be investigating corruption in the customs department.  We didn't do anything in the gray area, nor did we attempt to ask to pay off the customs officers etc etc.    

First round of Visitor

I had an unexpected visit from immigration officers today.  I was home, but unaware they were at the house, they spoke to my wife, asked if I still lived at the house, asked to see my passport, (took a photo) and asked how much we spent for a monthly budget.  

Second round of Visitors

About one hour after the immigration officers left the house, customs officers showed up, asking about a box that was shipped to my wife 2 years ago from China.  

The box contents:

1 - some her clothes

2 - a used Tefal iron  (the iron was 2 years old, and retailed new for 20K Bht)

We lived in China and moved back to Thailand, and we couldn't carry all of our belongings, so we shipped her clothes and the iron a little over a year after we moved back to Thailand.

Any how, the customs officers asked my wife to give her accounting of the box

1 when it was shipped

2 contents of the box

3 value of the contents of the box

4 the customs fees for the contents of the box

My wife gave a written account of the box, the officers told her that her accounting matched their records, and they left.

I have heard of immigration officers doing spot visits before, but never customs officers ?   Have any of you folks heard of such a thing? 

if u think the aiport sucks.... just think of something more positive, like "Thailand is the hub of ......."

Fill in the blank. This is what the govt does, and it seems to work for them.

Thais DO expect farangs to be better than them so being respectable in dress is expected. So if confronted by a cop, especially an officer, which can happen any day, then one should be dressed to show respect and get respect otherwise it will upset. The beach is different.

My mrs won't let me out to town in shorts , says not respectable for farang.

I agree they probably do expect more from us, but they don't just pick on foreigners. My old girlfriend got sent home when she showed up in a pair of jeans and a T shirt to apply for her passport.

Wow, that is a bit strong.

But l have noticed that when the mrs and l go to government place they always give you the visual once over. Must admit l sometimes wear a pink shirt with the Kings crest on it and always get first class treatment. What's the saying, every little helps.

..... and do u put ur balls in wife's purse

Dirty black truck with NO taillights, van shielded with pitch black window films (maybe some peepholes), overworked driver, maybe stimulated by drugs. Just guessing. But this is the reality I have experienced on my frequent trips between BKK and Krabi. And this is well tolerated by the police. I have no idea what those checkpoints are good for. Even the most obvious junk cars can pass.

Checkpoints are to check your wallet. They need coffee and donuts.

I have been riding the busses and vans in this country for 12-years and never seen the police steal from anyone at a checkpoint inspection. FYI the inspections are to check traveller ID's because interprovince travel is restricted for the native population. Your post is pure ignorant speculation. Typical.

I have seen the claimed event, and I have been here for 6 long years. I guess I am "lucky" or just more observant???

So less visits to thailand with the wife.... = less visits with the in-laws....

This could have saved my marrriage