"Easy Ride" for pensioners in Thailand now over, says Pattaya Radio

[Issanjohn]

4 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

I think it's just you.  I've been to immigration all over Thailand 80 times and never had a problem that was insurmountable. 

I was just saying the same thing immigration never does that lol.  Maybe he was just dealing with an IO having a bad day or something.  

[brling]

2 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

I think it's just you.  I've been to immigration all over Thailand 80 times and never had a problem that was insurmountable. 

Nonsense, btw is there anything in Thailand that you will not try to defend. how about road carnage/ deaths, Is that fake news ?

[balo]

Good work. It wouldn't hurt to email the newspapers as well. It would make good headlines

" thousands of expats forced to leave families behind and booted from thailand etc etc"

Yes I wonder how Ministry of Tourism are going to respond , after all we are all long term tourists in this country.
Instead of keeping the tourists they do everything they can to prevent us from spending money here. Thanks to Big Joke.

[poanoi]

2 minutes ago, Issanjohn said:

I’ve never had that problem.  If I had that problem I would have left and came back later and dealt with a different Immigration Officer.  I know they can deny it but they normally will not as long as you’re following their laws.  They never ask me for anything more than the Proof of Income Affidavit I’ve never heard of them asking for more than that for income verification.  You’re the first person I’ve ever heard say anything like that experience.  What type of visa are you on?  

it was marry visa back then, and when i returned from laos

with yet another marry visa, -it was the same fat bitch yet again at the marry visa table, stalling until i gave up.

in hindsight knowing what i know now, i would have contracted an agency

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, balo said:

Yes I wonder how Ministry of Tourism are going to respond , after all we are all long term tourists in this country.
Instead of keeping the tourists they do everything they can to prevent us from spending money here. Thanks to Big Joke.

First they came for the Chinese in boats. Then they came for the British pensioners.

[Issanjohn]

2 minutes ago, poanoi said:

its not just me, but theres no statistic available as to how much of a percentage immigration stamp or not, just in this thread i was asked how to deal with officers unwilling to do their duty, so you can find proof in this very thread its not just me

Just smile and speak to them respectfully that’s how I always deal with them and the immigration officers have always treated me with mutual respect I’ve never had any problems with them and I’ve never heard of anybody else having trouble at least not people with their paperwork in order.  I’ve heard about people having trouble because they weren’t following the rules or didn’t have the right documents but other than that no.  I always make sure my documents are up to date, organized, accurate, and that I have everything required.  As long as you do that carefully you shouldn’t have a problem.  Renewing your extension is something we have to really stay on top of once a year as long as people stay ahead of it and follow the rules they wouldn’t or shouldn’t have any problems.  

[Jingthing]

3 minutes ago, Issanjohn said:

Just smile and speak to them respectfully that’s how I always deal with them and the immigration officers have always treated me with mutual respect I’ve never had any problems with them and I’ve never heard of anybody else having trouble at least not people with their paperwork in order.  I’ve heard about people having trouble because they weren’t following the rules or didn’t have the right documents but other than that no.  I always make sure my documents are up to date, organized, accurate, and that I have everything required.  As long as you do that carefully you shouldn’t have a problem.  Renewing your extension is something we have to really stay on top of once a year as long as people stay ahead of it and follow the rules they wouldn’t or shouldn’t have any problems.  

All the pressed slacks and deferential smiles in the world won't help if they require a document such as an embassy income letter and you don't have it. 

[galt67]

2 hours ago, poanoi said:

the drawback i see with it is that it is only ever mouth-farting

from the applicant, with squat to back it up.

but anyway, to prevent more corruption,

i think the only solution is to skip requirements altogether and just demand a fixed price, for starters it will make it more transparent, an applicant can see the cost of visa and weigh it vs other countries visa,

the immigration officers cant blackmail, no money goes to corrupt police OR visa agents, its all going to thai government

5

Already available, it's called 'Thai Elite'.

 

20 years, 1M/B or 5 years, 500k/B.

 

NO age, income, bank deposit requirements.

 

 

[poanoi]

6 minutes ago, galt67 said:

Already available, it's called 'Thai Elite'.

 

20 years, 1M/B or 5 years, 500k/B.

 

NO age, income, bank deposit requirements.

 

 

yes, but if i had known beforehand that a visa in thailand cost 100k per year, or as has been typical for me, 40-50k per year,

i would not have come here in the first instance,

-that money negate any living cost caribbean might have

[Issanjohn]

9 minutes ago, poanoi said:

it was marry visa back then, and when i returned from laos

with yet another marry visa, -it was the same fat bitch yet again at the marry visa table, stalling until i gave up.

in hindsight knowing what i know now, i would have contracted an agency

You had just returned from Loas well I don’t know all the facts about your situation maybe you did something incorrectly I have no clue.  A good visa agency is TSL, you’ll still have to see immigration in person if you use TSL but they are very reputable and they make it a lot easier for you however you will still have to get your documents yourself.  The only document they acquire for you is the Thai marriage certificate if you were married in your home country and need your marriage certificate translated to the Thai version.  Other than that you still have to do a lot of the leg work on your own all the visa agent does besides that is walk you through the process a lot faster and smoothly and they deal with immigration for you.  But like I said you’ll still actually have to see the immigration officer in person face to face but only for a few minutes and your done then your visa agent handles the rest including picking up your passport with your new extension stamp and he’ll mail it to you EMS.  TSL provides a great service but you will still have to have a face to face meeting with the immigration officer and acquire all of your required documents for them.  So even when using the agent it is a lot easier but it’s still on you to make sure that your documents are correct and up to date.  The visa agent will walk you through it but they don’t hold your hand through the entire process you still do at least some of the work but using the agent is worth the money as long as it’s a good legal and reputable visa agent.  TSL in Bangkok is awesome I use them and I don’t even live in Bangkok but we make it workout.  

[poanoi]

14 minutes ago, Issanjohn said:

Just smile and speak to them respectfully that’s how I always deal with them and the immigration officers have always treated me with mutual respect I’ve never had any problems with them and I’ve never heard of anybody else having trouble at least not people with their paperwork in order.  I’ve heard about people having trouble because they weren’t following the rules or didn’t have the right documents but other than that no.  I always make sure my documents are up to date, organized, accurate, and that I have everything required.  As long as you do that carefully you shouldn’t have a problem.  Renewing your extension is something we have to really stay on top of once a year as long as people stay ahead of it and follow the rules they wouldn’t or shouldn’t have any problems.  

yes, i have been hinted t-shirt & shorts was inappropriate,

but at the time, i could not find any shoes my size beside flip flops, and i dont think flip flops goes with a suit

[Issanjohn]

11 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

All the pressed slacks and deferential smiles in the world won't help if they require a document such as an embassy income letter and you don't have it. 

Yes you’re right I sincerely hope that the British Embassy sorts out that mess.  I’m just glad that it’s not effecting us but I’m really sorry that the Brits have to deal with that.  I was just talking about dealing with the immigration officers under normal circumstances.  

[galt67]

2 minutes ago, poanoi said:

yes, but if i had known beforehand that a visa in thailand cost 100k per year, or as has been typical for me, 40-50k per year,

i would not have come here in the first instance,

-that money negate any living cost caribbean might have

Perhaps before moving/retiring to a foreign country, a person should ensure they understand ALL their visa options?

 

 

[poanoi]

1 minute ago, Issanjohn said:

You had just returned from Loas well I don’t know all the facts about your situation maybe you did something incorrectly I have no clue.  A good visa agency is TSL, you’ll still have to see immigration in person if you use TSL but they are very reputable and they make it a lot easier for you however you will still have to get your documents yourself.  The only document they acquire for you is the Thai marriage certificate if you were married in your home country and need your marriage certificate translated to the Thai version.  Other than that you still have to do a lot of the leg work on your own all the visa agent does besides that is walk you through the process a lot faster and smoothly and they deal with immigration for you.  But like I said you’ll still actually have to see the immigration officer in person face to face but only for a few minutes and your done then your visa agent handles the rest including picking up your passport with your new extension stamp and he’ll mail it to you EMS.  TSL provides a great service but you will still have to have a face to face meeting with the immigration officer and acquire all of your required documents for them.  So even when using the agent it is a lot easier but it’s still on you to make sure that your documents are correct and up to date.  The visa agent will walk you through it but they don’t hold your hand through the entire process you still do at least some of the work but using the agent is worth the money as long as it’s a good legal and reputable visa agent.  TSL in Bangkok is awesome I use them and I don’t even live in Bangkok but we make it workout.  

all my papers were in good order, she just didnt feel like extending. i now know of visa agents, and they do it for a price roughly 10 times above if i do it myself, guessing she wanted a cut from the agent but didnt have the nerve to tell me what the real problem was

[Jingthing]

Just now, galt67 said:

Perhaps before moving/retiring to a foreign country, a person should ensure they understand ALL their visa options?

 

 

I totally agree but that's a moving target especially for those of us that have been here a long time. 

[poanoi]

1 minute ago, galt67 said:

Perhaps before moving/retiring to a foreign country, a person should ensure they understand ALL their visa options?

 

 

i inquired the thai embassy in my home country how to go about, they gave me retirement visa in spite of being 34,

i had informed them i was on medical disability retirement,

they suggested i just live here as tourist

[marcusarelus]

29 minutes ago, brling said:

Nonsense, btw is there anything in Thailand that you will not try to defend. how about road carnage/ deaths, Is that fake news ?

Attacking the poster instead of the post is the sign of a failed argument. 

[Issanjohn]

1 minute ago, poanoi said:

all my papers were in good order, she just didnt feel like extending. i now know of visa agents, and they do it for a price roughly 10 times above if i do it myself, guessing she wanted a cut from the agent but didnt have the nerve to tell me what the real problem was

Either she was just a bad officer which is unusual from my experience but then again I don’t know which office you were at and obviously I haven’t seen them all or you must have done something wrong one of the two must be correct.  Maybe you were dealing with a bad officer I only know what you’re saying I wasn’t there with you.  

[marcusarelus]

1 minute ago, poanoi said:

i inquired the thai embassy in my home country how to go about, they gave me retirement visa in spite of being 34,

i had informed them i was on medical disability retirement,

they suggested i just live here as tourist

Do I have this correct an Imm officer failed to grant you an extension based on retirement and you are 34 years of age?  Or did I miss something?

[sambum]

34 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

I think it's just you.  I've been to immigration all over Thailand 80 times and never had a problem that was insurmountable. 

No - it's not just him/her! The problem is that Immigration Offices all over the country appear to play by different rulebooks. I recall an instance where someone wanted to renew his visa before he went on a holiday and was refused because he was "too early". When he said "there's nothing in Immigration Rules that says I can't" the Immigration Officer said "I make the rules here" and he did - the guy didn't get his visa! 

[Issanjohn]

4 minutes ago, poanoi said:

i inquired the thai embassy in my home country how to go about, they gave me retirement visa in spite of being 34,

i had informed them i was on medical disability retirement,

they suggested i just live here as tourist

WOW they gave you a retirement visa at 34 cool.  I’m retired in my 40’s but I’m on a marriage visa.  I hope immigration here doesn’t take it away from you or deny your extension because of your young age.  If I were you I’d try not to let them know here your age.  

[marcusarelus]

1 minute ago, sambum said:

No - it's not just him/her! The problem is that Immigration Offices all over the country appear to play by different rulebooks. I recall an instance where someone wanted to renew his visa before he went on a holiday and was refused because he was "too early". When he said "there's nothing in Immigration Rules that says I can't" the Immigration Officer said "I make the rules here" and he did - the guy didn't get his visa! 

I think we can ignore hearsay as too many vested interests around.  What has happened to you? You will notice I only said what happened to me. 

Edited October 10, 2018 by marcusarelus

[Issanjohn]

7 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

Attacking the poster instead of the post is the sign of a failed argument. 

This is what I meant by my earlier comment about people being confrontational to each other.  I wish we could respect each other a little more.  Some people just get really brave from behind the keyboard under a screen name especially.  

[galt67]

4 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I totally agree but that's a moving target especially for those of us that have been here a long time. 

The original comment that I responded to was seeking a 'flat rate' visa option with no additional requirements.

 

TE is the only option that fits that I'm aware of. And has been available, albeit with changes, since 2003.

 

[poanoi]

9 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

Do I have this correct an Imm officer failed to grant you an extension based on retirement and you are 34 years of age?  Or did I miss something?

yes, you missed something, i had no issues with the retirement visa i was granted in my home country,

but 10 years later when i was fed up with ED visa runs i married,

and IO refused to extend marry visa

[poanoi]

8 minutes ago, Issanjohn said:

WOW they gave you a retirement visa at 34 cool.  I’m retired in my 40’s but I’m on a marriage visa.  I hope immigration here doesn’t take it away from you or deny your extension because of your young age.  If I were you I’d try not to let them know here your age.  

i had that retirement visa only the first year

[bkk6060]

3 minutes ago, galt67 said:

The original comment that I responded to was seeking a 'flat rate' visa option with no additional requirements.

 

TE is the only option that fits that I'm aware of. And has been available, albeit with changes, since 2003.

 

TE is a Thai government run program.

Good luck with that I would never do it in a million years...

[poanoi]

4 minutes ago, galt67 said:

The original comment that I responded to was seeking a 'flat rate' visa option with no additional requirements.

 

TE is the only option that fits that I'm aware of. And has been available, albeit with changes, since 2003.

 

i came here before 2003

[marcusarelus]

7 minutes ago, poanoi said:

yes, you missed something, i had no issues with the retirement visa i was granted in my home country,

but 10 years later when i was fed up with ED visa runs i married,

and IO refused to extend marry visa

The Immigration officer looked at your record and saw a retirement visa at 34 and then 10 years of ED visa's and refused to extend a marriage visa applied for a week before the due date.  Correct?

[sambum]

15 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

I think we can ignore hearsay as too many vested interests around.  What has happened to you? 

You are correct about hearsay of course, but this was not hearsay - I was there when it happened, and saw and heard it with my own eyes and ears!

 

Personally I have had the same Immigration Officer say that my income was not enough as he was working to his own exchange rate!  And he wasn't joking - I had to get another letter with a higher amount just to satisfy HIS requirements - once again not hearsay! (Apparently - and this is hearsay, so you can ignore it if you want - I should have put a 500 baht note in with my application to this particular Immigration Officer!)

Edited October 10, 2018 by sambum