Visit from the police in Nakhon Phanom

[Ombra]

I am just starting my fifth year on a retirement visa, and yesterday the police came to the house to check that I actually lived there. They said that they had been sent by Immigration and they weren't sure what they should do, so my wife filled in the form for them. I am in Bangkok at the moment, but my quick-witted wife told them that I was out riding my bike. She said that they were very pleasant and they weren't interested in when I would be back. I didn't think that the police bothered much about foreigners in places like NKP where there aren't many of us, and I will have to follow similar stories on TV in future.

[samsensam]

 

why did your wife lie to the police?

 

immigration told me they would visit six weeks ago but never turned up. wasted five days waiting around for them and eventually gave up and got on with my life.

[Ombra]

I thought that the answer to that question would be fairly obvious. She thought that she was helping me.

[Kadilo]

Seems to be the norm. Immigration spent 2 days here is sleepy Issan hollow recently checking on a number of ferangs supposedly living here. 

If you play it by the book there is no need to lie about anything. 

[KhunBENQ]

Many similar reports in the Thai visas sub-forum.

There is no obvious pattern why some foreigners are visited and some not (yet).

Being on marriage extension seems to be more likely for a visit/check but not limited to.

Just too much abuse with fictitious marriages in Thailand.

 

Edited December 13, 2018 by KhunBENQ

[Sydebolle]

In the former Democratic Republic of Germany (GDR) this work was assigned to the Stasi. Good for Thailand being in the race of accommodating all these retirees who do nothing but spend money they earned elsewhere. The Malays give you a five year visa, you can buy one house legally in a non-Malay name, the first car is tax-free, the second car costs half the tax. Go figure! 

[IssanMichael]

I had a visit yesterday as well. I live 30k from Nakhon Phanom. The police came just the one, wanted a photo of me and the wife outside the house showing the house number, stopped and had a chat for a while. A very pleasant visit broke the day up a bit a nice sort of guy no problems or dramas.

 

I am on a retirement visa and a week before did my 1 year application. A great immigration office is NP. I made a 90 report  this year and the road outside their office had been closed off, i have a lung problem and cannot walk far, and had to leave the pickup some way away. My wife told the officer during the application. When i got the report done the Lady office came round the desk held my arm and took me to a police pickup and said we have to help where we can, and took us both back to our motor. Now how good is that?

Edited December 13, 2018 by IssanMichael

[Hummin]

7 hours ago, samsensam said:

 

why did your wife lie to the police?

 

 

Just a natural reaction to an answer is my experience about Thais, and they do not understand a lie can give more problems than actually tell the truth. A lie leads to next lie and so on

[from the home of CC]

1 hour ago, KhunBENQ said:

Many similar reports in the Thai visas sub-forum.

There is no obvious pattern why some foreigners are visited and some not (yet).

Being on marriage extension seems to be more likely for a visit/check but not limited to.

Just too much abuse with fictitious marriages in Thailand.

 

And obviously too much abuse with declared finances on the retirement visa side. 

[Ombra]

1 hour ago, Hummin said:

Just a natural reaction to an answer is my experience about Thais, and they do not understand a lie can give more problems than actually tell the truth. A lie leads to next lie and so on

I agree. I don't know why my wife didn't tell them the truth,  which is that I am an old man who is spending more and more of his time in hospitals in Bangkok. However, many people are afraid of officialdom and they react irrationally.

[Ombra]

1 hour ago, IssanMichael said:

I had a visit yesterday as well. I live 30k from Nakhon Phanom. The police came just the one, wanted a photo of me and the wife outside the house showing the house number, stopped and had a chat for a while. A very pleasant visit broke the day up a bit a nice sort of guy no problems or dramas.

 

I am on a retirement visa and a week before did my 1 year application. A great immigration office is NP. I made a 90 report  this year and the road outside their office had been closed off, i have a lung problem and cannot walk far, and had to leave the pickup some way away. My wife told the officer during the application. When i got the report done the Lady office came round the desk held my arm and took me to a police pickup and said we have to help where we can, and took us both back to our motor. Now how good is that?

I can well believe this because I have only positive experiences of the Nakhon Phanom office. I think that they are very kind and decent people.

[pagallim]

2 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

 The Malays give you a five year visa, you can buy one house legally in a non-Malay name, the first car is tax-free, the second car costs half the tax. Go figure! 

You're neglecting to say that the financial requirements are in fact higher than Thailand, plus the tax free car scheme was abolished 1st January 2018.   The biggest downside of course is that Malaysia isn't Thailand, being probably (with a couple of exceptions such as KL) the most boring country in SE Asia.

[PerkinsCuthbert]

24 minutes ago, pagallim said:

You're neglecting to say that the financial requirements are in fact higher than Thailand, plus the tax free car scheme was abolished 1st January 2018.   The biggest downside of course is that Malaysia isn't Thailand, being probably (with a couple of exceptions such as KL) the most boring country in SE Asia.

Yes indeedy, if it ever came to a choice between boring myself to death in Kota Nowhere and drinking myself to terminal stupor in Nakhon Nowhere, wheel me to the latter and leave me to enjoy.

[NoshowJones]

4 hours ago, Kadilo said:

Seems to be the norm. Immigration spent 2 days here is sleepy Issan hollow recently checking on a number of ferangs supposedly living here. 

If you play it by the book there is no need to lie about anything. 

Politicians lie to us all the time, so if it is to our advantage, why shouldn't we lie?

[rott]

47 minutes ago, pagallim said:

You're neglecting to say that the financial requirements are in fact higher than Thailand, plus the tax free car scheme was abolished 1st January 2018.   The biggest downside of course is that Malaysia isn't Thailand, being probably (with a couple of exceptions such as KL) the most boring country in SE Asia.

Pagallim on the subject of Malaysia how do you rate Langkawi, or if you are not familiar with it yourself what is the general feeling. Interesting/boring/affordable/pricey/bars etc.

[Kadilo]

29 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

Politicians lie to us all the time, so if it is to our advantage, why shouldn't we lie?

Matters not a jot to me what you choose to do. We all live by the standards we set ourselves. 

[MyFriend You]

7 hours ago, Ombra said:

I thought that the answer to that question would be fairly obvious. She thought that she was helping me.

Just suppose they are checking because there are so many "contract marraiges" out there.........if you were temporarily in Bangkok, no reason to lie, but if you are scamming the marraige Visa extension rules, then its a problem idin'it............????? 

[timendres]

2 hours ago, possum1931 said:

Politicians lie to us all the time, so if it is to our advantage, why shouldn't we lie?

007 has a license to kill... Politicians have a license to lie...

We have neither.

[catman20]

13 hours ago, samsensam said:

 

why did your wife lie to the police?

 

immigration told me they would visit six weeks ago but never turned up. wasted five days waiting around for them and eventually gave up and got on with my life.

 

why did your wife lie to the police?

 

cos shes Thai ?

[NoshowJones]

1 hour ago, timendres said:

007 has a license to kill... Politicians have a license to lie...

We have neither.

Want a bet?

[Benmart]

16 hours ago, samsensam said:

 

why did your wife lie to the police?

 

immigration told me they would visit six weeks ago but never turned up. wasted five days waiting around for them and eventually gave up and got on with my life.

I have learned to minimze my use of the word "why". Often it is none of my business, and other times the reply puts me in my place.

[DJ54]

10 hours ago, Hummin said:

why did your wife lie to the police?

 

She probably didn’t want them hanging around all day. Wasn’t like he was hiding in the closet. Some visitors annoy me and I make up and excuse I’ve got to go somewhere 

[DJ54]

 

Had them visit outside of Kumphawapi nothing really few questions pictures of tattoos and off the go

[ballpoint]

18 hours ago, timendres said:

007 has a license to kill... Politicians have a license to lie...

We have neither.

16 hours ago, possum1931 said:

Want a bet?

Do you have a license to bet?

 

 

[NoshowJones]

1 hour ago, ballpoint said:

Do you have a license to bet?

 

 

I do not believe in licenses except for driving, riding motorbikes. and having fire arms.

[cooked]

There still exists a law stating that the police (not immigration police) have to check up on the whereabouts of all foreigners in their area. Apparently this still gets applied occasionally, probably when a newly prompted officer wants to prove himself.

THREE years ago, in the month of February, an immigration police officer told me that he had already arrested 19 people, all from places like Uganda, Kenya etc, for marriage visa extension scams.

The OP is on a retirement extension but I'm sure there would be good reasons for checking up occasionally. I heard of a lady that didn't tell anybody that her Farang husband had died and continued to collect his pension for years...

[UncleTouchyFingers]

On 12/13/2018 at 3:51 PM, IssanMichael said:

I had a visit yesterday as well. I live 30k from Nakhon Phanom. The police came just the one, wanted a photo of me and the wife outside the house showing the house number, stopped and had a chat for a while. A very pleasant visit broke the day up a bit a nice sort of guy no problems or dramas.

 

I am on a retirement visa and a week before did my 1 year application. A great immigration office is NP. I made a 90 report  this year and the road outside their office had been closed off, i have a lung problem and cannot walk far, and had to leave the pickup some way away. My wife told the officer during the application. When i got the report done the Lady office came round the desk held my arm and took me to a police pickup and said we have to help where we can, and took us both back to our motor. Now how good is that?

 

What the hell man you shouldn't have had to do any of that. 

[sandyf]

2 hours ago, cooked said:

The OP is on a retirement extension but I'm sure there would be good reasons for checking up occasionally.

It has become the norm here, when I did my retirement extension a few weeks back they asked for a map, first time ever. Couple of weeks later had the visit.