It's Official: No more tips, back-handers or tea money to corrupt immigration officers

[crazykopite]

Extension of stay visa is 1,900 baht not 2,000 baht unless it has changed in the last couple of weeks . Another way they make money is when they state that your photocopies have been done the wrong way and then charge you 200 baht to redo them , but it’s a step in the right direction let’s hope it is not short lived maybe they should post a phone number in every imo office so that you can call that number if you have been wrongly charged for a visa or have been asked for other monies .

[Phuketshrew]

I think that the use of the word 'Tip' is misleading. A tip is something that you normally give as a reward for great service. I think the word 'extortion' would be more appropriate.

[Petchou]

15 hours ago, giddyup said:

If that happens there will be a mass exodus of falangs from Thailand.

That's true and I always believed the concerned by fraudulent visas are mainly farang.  On agents Facebook pages, exclusively farangs are the ones who are interested to deal with them and ready to pay.   Some in TVA will deny this for sure.

[bbbbooboo]

hmmm..... i’m not holding my breath....

[elgenon]

16 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

That sign would be a great tee shirt.

Hey, I thought of it first. A $million idea! ???? 5555

[on wards and up wards]

For those who have to pay an agent it can be between fifteen and twenty five thousand baht, that's money going into Thailand, plus while their living here they spend their money here, if they leave they take their money with them and spend it the country they then settle in. Other country's have easier immigration laws, without all the expense that Thailand have. 

[jesimps]

For this to be rigorously applied, he'll first have to start paying the IOs a living wage.

[Vacuum]

14 hours ago, The manic said:

Why do you hate IO do much?  What have they ever done to you? I find them helpful and efficient 

 

This must be a joke, right?  I'm talking about the local Immi offices, not the airport branches. Working efficiently does not come naturally to Thai people, they're more of the laid-back types. No Thai bashing intended, this is just the way they are.

[wvavin]

Let’s see how long does this last.

[LomSak27]

7 minutes ago, Petchou said:

15 hours ago, giddyup said:

If that happens there will be a mass exodus of falangs from Thailand.

That's true and I always believed the concerned by fraudulent visas are mainly farang.  On agents Facebook pages, exclusively farangs are the ones who are interested to deal with them and ready to pay.   Some in TVA will deny this for sure.

 

Don't you worry he wont streamline, say Chiang Mai Immigration, Legit visa recipients will still get forced into paying visa agents to process their legit visas, who then give a backhand to Immigration. or spend a couple days in line hah

That is not illegal just semi and not anything to concern Jok. No crying now OK

[Wallander4]

Should be "No Corrupt Immigration" in Chinese, Russian, English, Indian and Thai

[nickmondo]

What a load of old bull.

Aint ever going to happen

i remember this rule coming in last year, did not happen then, will not happen now.

in Hua Hin, you want a Res Cert, they ask for 500 admin fee.

is this going to stop?

of course it wont.

[THE REVERAND]

How long are they going to leave this person loose. He is a total embarrassment and is  defiantly living  up to his title "The Big Joke" 

[stanleycoin]

Bugger me, 

I thought there was only one, 1st of April per year. 

 

 

 

[Aupee]

16 hours ago, wirat69 said:

Spoilsport..... the odd tip or two is quite pleasant, occasionally!!!!!

Was that a shirt implying the ladies are now charging double. Are they the new source IO income

[Howiehotspur]

I did my yearly extension on tues/weds just this week . 

I had a problem where my bank statement, although was updated  ( BKK bank ) the lady forgot to make sure it that days date on it , because there been no movement for about 4 weeks , so I had to stop right there and go back to BKK bank , the nearest one was fine to get that done , no problem bit of a pain as it took me a couple of hours , went back , never had to start again , never had to queue .. while he was going through my paperwork for the second time , I mentioned to him , it’s a bit stressful although I don’t know why as everything is in order ( this was my 4th extension) .. and he said , maybe go to agent they will do everything for you , but you must pay more money you understand . I was stunned and said , what is that where they , the agent put money into you account for a few days etc ? .. , yes he said ????????. I couldn’t believe my ears ...

[Henryford]

Is it 1st April?

[bristolgeoff]

at lest not on camera or someone you can not trust  if they are with you

[rwill]

41 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

 

This must be a joke, right?  I'm talking about the local Immi offices, not the airport branches. Working efficiently does not come naturally to Thai people, they're more of the laid-back types. No Thai bashing intended, this is just the way they are.

I have only dealt with the immigration offices in Nakhon Pathom and Ratchaburi.  I have never been asked to pay anything extra.  And all of them were friendly and helpful.  Have not had to pay anything for a residency statement either.  

[Knocker33]

Oh dear that means they are going to be even more sour faced and miserable now

[Pedrogaz]

A good an encouraging start....lets see where we are in 3 months time.

I have some strong and possibly unusual views about this. Civil servants, including police, are paid only a fraction of a decent living wage to do their jobs. The authorities get away with this because they know that the civil servants get tips, tea money, or bribes to supplement their income. The only way to stop this this to pay these folk a wage that they will not want to jeopardise for the sake of a few hundred baht. This is how it is in the West. If you make 50,000 pounds a year, you do not want to jeopardise your job for the sake of a 10 pound bribe...and this corruption slowly disappears at this low level. Of course major corruption with government contracts worth millions with large scale kickbacks still exist, but this low level bribery tends to get severely reduced.

I lived in India once. When I was quite new there, I was complaining to a colleague about the awful postal service and he asked me if I affixed the stamps to the letters myself. I answered no, that the post office clerk took my money and said he would put the stamps on for me. "That's your problem right there" he said. "The clerk takes your money and throws your letters into the waste bin, next time, buy the stamps and put them on the envelopes yourself." After that I never had a problem with letters being delivered. Again the clerks in the post office earn so little that unless they engage in this sort of practice they cannot survive.

Perhaps if Big Joke can organise three things for immigration....first a zero tolerance policy, get caught accepting a tip or a bribe and you are out (not transferred to inactive duty) and second, increase pay to levels that deter such petty crime. Third encourage customer to record and report any solicitation from immigration officials.

Finally, what I have observed in Thailand is that the institutions that facilitate commercial and mundane living transactions are all failed institutions. The price is a classic. We all know the job of the police is to enforce the laws of the land.....they simply do not do this and are not fit for purpose. But think of other government institutions like driving licenses available for sale, or your local PuYai demanding 2500 baht for his signature on a document. Think of the complexities of the bureaucracy here, asking for endless reams of photocopies for every transaction that are filed never to see the light of day again. Think of the meaningless documents needed for immigration. Think of the fact that all immigration offices enforce the law differently. See that the laws themselves, that hand power to low level clerks, are designed to encourage corruption, not deter it. The law should be the law and if you are in compliance with the law you should not be molested or refused a visa. It is black and white elsewhere in the world, but 50 shades of grey here in Thailand.

Sorry for the rant.

[Belzybob]

17 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

That sign would be a great tee shirt.

Make sure you wear it when you next pass through immigration!

[thesetat2013]

17 hours ago, KamnanT said:

A good start - full credit to the man for confronting the issue head on in his first days in the position.  Next stop: land border crossings with Laos and Cambodia, where the immigration police have been demanding "stamping fees" for years.  Millions of baht per month going into someone's pocket.

I am curious as to why you think this is a good start? Do you actually believe that putting a sign up saying no tips will stop anyone from having to pay a bribe to get what they need? or from an official to ask for additional fees to process easier of faster or without complications.   

This action is simply window dressing for the press to see and make a show.. If BJ was serious he would be going after the corrupt officials demanding and accepting the bribes or "tips haha. 

[soalbundy]

Does this mean that there will shortly be no immigration officials? All down the labour office looking for a better paying job.

[Petchou]

1 hour ago, LomSak27 said:

 

Don't you worry he wont streamline, say Chiang Mai Immigration, Legit visa recipients will still get forced into paying visa agents to process their legit visas, who then give a backhand to Immigration. or spend a couple days in line hah

That is not illegal just semi and not anything to concern Jok. No crying now OK

Who is talking about those who don't want to Line up?  We are talking about thousands who don't qualify for any type of Visa and they are living here in big number.   You may need to get more focused when reading.  Do you feel concerned because you belong to same category?

[Leatherneck]

Going in to renew my visa in 2 weeks...so I'll put this to the test.

[Vacuum]

50 minutes ago, rwill said:

I have only dealt with the immigration offices in Nakhon Pathom and Ratchaburi.  I have never been asked to pay anything extra.  And all of them were friendly and helpful.  Have not had to pay anything for a residency statement either.  

 

Right, and I never mentioned anything about bribes. My point was about lack of efficiency.

[kwilco]

If enforced to any serious degree, this could put a lot of visa run companies out of business.....hey, but this is Thailand....they usually find a workaround....just involves higher tips?

[kamahele]

I have never been asked for a tip at the airport. No comment about the land borders.

[Rod the Sod]

Does anyone seriously think that one little sign at one location will eradicate a practice that has gone on forever, and feeds thousands of families.