Wongkitlo

We did call them and they did not tell us. It would have been easy to get one but a bit late when you are in the office.

Thanks. I would prefer the retirement experience but I have a work permit so can not retire. I think he was taking screenshots to be printed. I assume we are going back there today to sign them.

It was not at Rayong. The video call was fine but the witness in the bedroom seemed too weird. We did call the office before we went there and there was no mention of needing a witness. If they had told us we could have easily brought somebody. I read an earlier post about it being changed to 3 months seasoning. He did seem to be considering it by watching his calculations on paper and I am pretty sure he asked the other worker about 'sahm deuan'.

There was a post last week claiming money had to be seasoned for 90 days. I had the impression that the IO seemed to be checking if it was 90 days but as I was only 3 days short of 90 days they passed it. I can not be sure whether it was an impression or reality. The interview was by a line video call.

How come you say that?. You have only been a member for less than 2 years. I know that since Ubonjoe passed away and also the ownership changed the forum is different but shouldn't the forum members be allowed to post what they choose, in any way they choose, as long as it does not offend anybody? The byline on the forum does encourage people to share experiences. "Ask questions, share experiences, and stay current with Thai immigration policies." I can't see any mention of serious.

I am really angry at them. Both me and my wife were nearly collapsing after 5 hours in the office. We called them before to ask what they required as their website just directs to the general immigration website and they gave us a list. Then when we arrived they said they needed a witness to be in the office which was not what they requested earlier. We had a driver to take us to immigration as there is no other transport there and I bribed him 1000 baht to be the witness. Then when they found he could not come to our house for the video interview we had to find another witness. The next day we organized our staff member to come and rang them before she left and asked if my wife and I had to come with her and they said no. I had to pay another 1000 baht for her to travel to the office. Then today they changed their mind and decided all 3 of us have to go to the office again tomorrow. Another 1000 baht for a driver. Apart from the ridiculous scene in my bedroom I think it is relevant that they are making up dumb rules as they go. I know it has happened in the past but there is no point censoring that it is getting worse and worse.

It was actually Pinot's post that you <deleted> down saying it was not credible, not Brandon's. The IO did start trying to calculate 90 days my money had been in the bank and said 'sahm deuan' several times. I was 5 days short of 3 months but he talked to the other worker and as far as I can tell they allowed it. It is possible though that maybe Pinot was right and they have extended it to 3 months. My understanding of Thai is only 50 % so maybe I had it wrong.

I realise you do a lot to help people, but is it really only for serious advice? Are there forum rules saying that only serious posts allowed? Shouldn't the forum have a role to be able to give people who are p.. off to be able to vent with like minded people. I think the last thread similar to mine was Brandon's??? last week which had a similar sentiment and was shut down quickly. If immigration are going to behave like perverts and in a ridiculous manner with archaic systems shouldn't we be able to laugh about it among members? I could have picked any girl and said she was my employer, pay her to present her tabien Bahn and ID card and said she was my employer. If they had any sense they would have asked to see her health insurance certificate which we pay monthly as part of my work permit. It is no surprise to anyone that there has been a recent crackdown and a lot of new, stupid rules. Shouldn't members be allowed to react to that? We do live in a country where it is illegal to buy alcohol between 2pm and 5 pm but you can get marijuana delivered to your door 24 hours a day.

I thought the location is easy to find from my forum history but it does service the Eastern islands close to Cambodia. We are in a remote location. I realise it is put up or shut up but I do think that they have gone from beyond authoritarian to laughable. I left the office and 30 minutes later nearly fell down a metre deep hole in the middle of the sidewalk in a provincial town with no marking or protection. Worse still, I remember nearly falling down the same hole 6 months ago when last I was there. We arrived at the office at 1.30 and left at 6.30. At 5.30 I thought it was all over but then he said, no I have to interview you now.

Obviously yes. With a hooker I picked up on the beach in Pattaya pretending to be my witness

Does everything need to be serious all the time? We are expats in Thailand, members of a group of different people, fleeing a normal life in the west. Regardless of the humorous side that the IO is reaching far beyond his rights in a way that could be described as slightly kinky, the point is that the system is invasive and absolutely disrespecting of people's privacy. The situation is that I had to allow my workers into my personal space that is my wife's and my bedroom. I know you closed a discussion last week because the poster would not name the office but I am not so silly as to name the office where I am jokingly accusing the IO of being a pervert. Regardless I do believe the forum should be a place (and has been in the past) a place where people can air their grievances about the system. I do believe what was once a proud country has degenerated to one where public servants are sitting in offices, wearing gaudy uniforms with be happy signs on the wall, and behaving in ways that are just ridiculous to most people. If you can leave and enter most countries without getting a stamp on your passport, why does immigration need a signed copy of every page of my passport? If I have an electronic visa, why do they need a signed copy of the visa?. If I have a work permit for a company owned by my wife(which cost over 10 times the price of a visa), why do they need several interviews to show that I am not an Indian person with a fake marriage. In the office I asked if I should write that I was in Thailand for work on the form but they said it would just complicate things and I would have to pay extra tax and have my accountant appear in person, so don't mention it. He still wanted to video call me and look in my bedroom with the 3 girls. I could be accused of 'if you aren't happy go home' but I was in the office for 5 hours, (sometimes with 2 officers involved), plus a 30 minute video interview, and they only get 1900 baht income for the time spent. That is about 350 baht per hour income for them. If it was a private company they would go broke quickly. Personally I wouldn't get out of bed for 350 baht per hour. Is indicative of why Thailand is a third world country and will continue being until they change their systems.

I had a video interview today for marriage extension. The IO had my wife, the girl who works for us and me in the bedroom with the other girl who works for us as camera person. I thought he was going to ask us to take off our clothes and do an onlyfans show to raise money for immigration. I did also wonder that as they charge only 1900 baht for a married extension, and it takes endless hours of office works for them to do it, maybe they were looking at new ways to turn a profit. In the end I decided that it is some heinous plot by the IO to burgle me and steal my teddy bear.

I thought they were talking about Melania🤣

I think the local Amphur organizes it in Chonburi. There is another forum here under real estate that might be more helpful

I was just commenting on the "uncle" part not the rest of the phonecall as criticizing it seems a misunderstanding of Thai culture. Just because it is a familiarity in English it does not have the same connotations in Thai. You can call a waiter 'norng' which is the same you would call a younger brother. It does not mean you are treating him as a family member. I don't think Thai has a word for "Sir" which would be the English equivalent. I hate it when Thai people call me 'Mister' which could be seen as the equivalent of 'Koon".