SE23inPhuket

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

Never hear of that being needed for unless the owner is not Thai. The owners house book is enough for a Thai.

She is Thai. 

Interesting to see if anyone else has this, otherwise I will just hope for the best next time I have to report.

I have a retirement extension, with a multi-entry permit. I recently returned to Phuket after a trip abroad.

I went to Phuket Town Immigration office to carry out the requisite ‘24 Hour Address Registration’ (as I have done maybe 6 times in the past 8 months). I have never overstayed, reported late, or had any issues with Thai Immigration. 

I provided the copy documents I have always been asked for:

The Notification Form for House-Master etc.

Passport title page

Entry stamp and departure card

Landlord’s Tabien Baan

Landlord’s ID 

Copy of my lease contract

I also provided the (relatively newly required) Power Of Attorney, signed by my landlord and with the proper Revenue Stamp.

The IO spent a good 10 minutes scrutinising all of the documents, then grudgingly accepted them and gave me a new 90 day reporting date. 

But before he gave me my passport back, he said that from now on it is also necessary to provide copies of the front and back of the chanote for my rented house (or first and second pages, never having seen a chanote I don’t really know what they consist of).

To say that my (friendly and helpful) Thai landlady was taken aback would be an understatement. She was utterly incredulous. She explained that the chanote is stored at the bank, and she is not even sure if she can get a copy.

Has anyone else had a similar experience?

 I recently renewed my Temporary Thai driving licences (2year to 5 year) in Phuket.

To renew, amongst the other documentation, I  needed the Certificate of Residence from Phuket Immigration. 

When I went to the Phuket Town office, I had the same issue as the OP. They told me to complete the TM30.

It took me a while to understand what the, overworked, volunteer was trying to tell me: Phuket Immigration use the TM30 form as the application form (effectively) for the necessary letter to the Transport department (C of R). 

Once I’d completed the TM30 and paid the thb500 fee (twice, in fact, as they told me I’d need two original Certs - one for motorcycle and one for car), they gave me the Certs no problem.

Yes, I do know there’s not meant to be a charge!

17 minutes ago, lvr181 said:

I have had to use same many times after recommendation from my skin cancer specialist.

My (British) GP here in Thailand recommended Aldara 3% cream, but said it was unavailable at that strength in Thailand.

Can I ask whether you got your Aldara in Thailand and, if you did, where you bought it?

39 minutes ago, Monomial said:

As far as I can tell there is nothing in the AMLA act that would pertain this. It only details movement of funds obtained from 21 "predicate offenses".  None of those are applicable here.

 

Immigration is not a problem if I am not doing anything wrong.

 

So the question remains. Does anyone have any idea of a rule that prohibits this?

 

Have you considered doing this the other way round i.e. taking Thai baht to Cambodia and exchanging the money there? 

Ly Hour Money Exchange has a number of branches across Phnom Penh (including a large one on Charles De Gaulle avenue - about 500 metres from Psaa  Thmei (central market). Ly Hour offer very competitive exchange rates on ThB - not sure how they would stack up against Superrich, but certainly much much closer to the rates on Xe than any bank.

I’ve used Ly Hour for years, and never been asked for any form of ID, even when exchanging large amounts. It is an entirely painless process. 

3 hours ago, BritTim said:

Thank you for a good report, but I am pretty sure you will have paid 1,900 baht for the extension of stay.

Yes, thanks, my mistake.

Phnom Penh - Non-Immigrant O visa:

In October 2017 I obtained a single-entry non-immigrant O visa (for purpose of obtaining a retirement extension) from the Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh. Despite three local travel/visa agents having told me ‘cannot do’, or that the non-immigrant O visa application process was ‘too difficult’ and/or that the PP Embassy very rarely granted these visas, the process was entirely painless.

Documents required were:

• A completed visa application form (it was the only application form available at the counter and appeared to be for tourist visa applications);
• A copy of the passport title page;
• One passport photo; and
• Copies of my Thai bank book ‘account details’ page and the last-used page in the book (showing a balance exceeding the required ThB 800,000).

At the time of the application, the funds had been on deposit for less than 2 months. Nobody asked to see the original savings account book, or asked where the funds originated, or asked for a letter from the bank.

I had to explain several times that the visa was for a retirement extension (the Khmer counter staff kept asking ‘for business?’). Eventually, they took the application away to be checked while I waited, and before they asked me for the $80 fee. After half an hour, and presumably someone in authority giving the application the nod, they collected the fee from me and told me to come back in two days.

Visa granted, no drama.

Phuket Town - Retirement extension:

It is worth noting that the Patong office will not process retirement extension applications. Also that both Patong and Phuket Town immigration offices will accept only manually completed versions of forms.

I made the mistake of trying to apply for the retirement extension when only around 30 days had elapsed on the 90-day entry permission from my non-immigrant O visa. They told me I was too early, and to come back after 45 days had elapsed.

At the same time, they required me to complete form TM30, which my landlord in Phuket had failed to submit when I leased my house. Although the form is intended to be completed by the landlord, the official allowed me to complete and sign the form ‘on the landlord’s behalf’. Even though they could see that the lease was already six months old, and that I had been (on the latest arrival) in Thailand for nearly 5 weeks already, there was no mention of a fine for late notification (i.e. they were commendably pragmatic about it).

After 45 days had elapsed (on 46^th day), I went back to immigration. They required the following documents:

• Manually completed form TM7 (application for extension of stay);
• One 4 x 6cm passport photo;
• Single photocopies of passport title page, non-immigrant O visa, arrival stamp (‘admitted until…’, and departure card TM6 (photocopies cost only ThB 3/page from the copy desk in the Phuket Town building);
• A copy of my lease agreement;
• A copy of my landlord’s ID card;
• A copy of the blue book for the house;
• A photo of me standing outside my house, with the house number clearly visible;
• Copies of every used page in my recently updated (the day before the application) bank account book;
• A signed copy of form entitled ‘Acknowledgement of Terms and Conditions for Permit of Temporary Stay in the Kingdom of Thailand’;
• A letter from Bangkok bank confirming the balance on the account, and reconciling to the account book.

N.B. you must sign every copy document.

The immigration officer who accepted the papers then asked for a ‘statement’ from my bank, and was on the point of rejecting the application, when his superior (sitting behind him) intervened and said that wouldn’t be necessary.

This ‘statement’ wasn’t mentioned to me on my previous (abortive) visit at 30 days when the same official had inspected all my documents (although he did ask for the bank letter confirming the account balance), and I am unsure what he he meant (possibly a statement that the funds originated from overseas?).

The fee was ThB 1800 and I had to return to pick up my passport the next day at 13:00.

The one-year retirement extension was ‘added on’ to the 44 days remaining on the non-immigrant O visa ‘admitted until’ date i.e. the permission to stay is for one year and 44 days.

Phuket Town - multiple re-entry permit:

On the day I picked up my passport and retirement extension, I also obtained a multiple re-entry permit.

Documents required were:

• Manually completed form TM8 (re-entry permit application);
• Signed photocopies of passport title page, non-immigrant O visa and retirement extension stamp, TM6 (departure card);
• One 4 x 6cm passport photo;

The fee was ThB 3800. There was a 10 minute wait from submitting the application, to getting the stamped passport back.

The multiple entry permit was issued for the same period as the permission to stay on the retirement extension (i.e. one year and 44 days).

I am a Brit. I’ll drink pretty much any good ‘standard’ tea blend from UK, including the cheap Tesco Red Label. The Lipton’s Yellow Label bags sold here are overpriced muck. I bring a half suitcase of teabags back with me every time I visit the UK - mainly Lapsang Souchong (Twinings) and Earl Grey (the Clipper Organic Earl Grey are better and cheaper than the Lipton’s regular). One Earl Grey teabag and one Lapsang in a pot makes three mugs of a great blend - very refreshing with a dash of skimmed milk

4 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

Oh contraire, just can't handle those Turks that keep correcting spelling or pronunciation when it comes to slang, especially when they have to Google it, nothing better to do except pick, just goes to show their character.

 

But your more than welcome to av a go ya mug, as you have been, it would take more than a swot to ruffle my ego, tantrum, you'll be waiting a while.

  

Or  'au contraire' perhaps? French spelling not your strong suit either...

32 minutes ago, Brewster67 said:

My sister in the UK messaged me to make sure I was OK... She said talking with her workma=tes who have just cancelled their holiday in Thailand....   So yes, it is already having an effect on tourism.

That's the spirit. Makes you proud to be British!