Interesting morning at immigration today.

 

Arrived 10am and with the morning rush over was promptly given my desk 6 ticket.

My wife and a Thai friend who was my witness also attended to cover all "just in case" bases. Paperwork all done at home meeting all requirements including the sitting bed picture and house number pose. We also had our trusty Thai witness in a couple of shots. My formulae had previously worked perfectly for the last four extensions. This was to change.

 

The officer reviewed all documentations including the copy. No originals were asked for. All relevant documents signed by my wife and I. Some documents were returned as not required, apparently. So far so good. We waited patiently. Finally my passport was stamped under consideration 30 days. I signed the usual "farang be good" declaration. Normal. At this point a receipt was issued for 1,900 baht, we were ask to copy it and return the copy - 10 baht. Then the officer asked us to wait, and she passed all papers and passport to her collegue sitting next to her. We were called a minute later whereupon my wife and I were seemingly led through an online questioner. The first question do you work. Yes, I replied, my wife has a company. You have work permit? Yes I said. Please give it to me. I was very lucky, I accidently carried it with my documents today. The officer then asked my wife to make two "colour" copies at front of immigration.

110 baht. Good grief! The next question was how much money you making? I bit my tounge, could taste some blood ????. I then told her the minimum wage. She was still following the form script on the screen. Where you meet your wife? How you meet her? I was so tempted to be flippant here but bit my tounge again and plainly gave the short version of our matrimonial bliss to date. I was going to present my secret phone folder to establish that it was in fact a genuine marriage but she cut me off which was a shame and began grilling my wife in Thai. I have observed that Thai's generally get nervous if questioned by authrotive figures, my wife is no exception and this officer was very intimidating. She felt very worried she might make a mistake or say the wrong thing to jeopardise things. I turned to her and just said relax sweetheart, the lady just wants to checking you are a "real wife". Suddenly the officer watching our interaction smiled a number 16 smile then quickly said, is OK now, just sign this. I was presented with two additional forms to sign, linking my work permit and immigration extension. My wife also had to sign an additional form. Then we were asked to wait and my witness was called and interrogated. That over, 40mins had passed. My passport returned, all smiles and the standard mister come back 30 days for the extension stamp. Totally bizarre in some respects to my previous extensions.

 

Recommend:

 

1. Bring originals, you may not be asked for them but be prepared that you may.

 

2. Bring a witness. It seems to carry more weight for an extension based on marriage.

 

3. If you work now under the terms of your extension or visa, make sure you bring documentation or a work permit. It appears that now that you will be grilled about it!

 

4. Do not say "NO" if asked if you work and have previously registered with the work permit office. They are data matching. For tax and security purposes now. They know. I looked at the screen when the officer mucked my phone number up.

 

Overall not a bad experience but just a very very different one from previous visits.

 

Good luck!

 

Sent from my JKM-LX2 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

It must be sad to be a cog in the government wheel etching out any power you can find.  Harassing citizens and non-immigrants turns into a sport.  There is a huge difference between the professionalism exhibited in Bangkok vs Pattaya Immigration.  

 

The last marriage extension for me was at Jomtien in 2008 and they were inventing new requirements back then.  Why do they play these games everywhere but Bangkok?

1 hour ago, TonyClifton said:

It must be sad to be a cog in the government wheel etching out any power you can find.  Harassing citizens and non-immigrants turns into a sport.  There is a huge difference between the professionalism exhibited in Bangkok vs Pattaya Immigration.  

 

The last marriage extension for me was at Jomtien in 2008 and they were inventing new requirements back then.  Why do they play these games everywhere but Bangkok?

Not everywhere else - just some locations.  The idea in Jomtien is to make the experience so unpleasant, you will use an agent to save yourself - or more likely your wife - from having to live through it.

 

@bofhman - If you got your extension on the first try, that is an impressive feat at that office.  I am guessing you own your own condo?  Renter's "Landlord docs" were what was used to block my application based on marriage to a Thai at that office (though my TM-30 was up-to-date).  Similar has been reported by others, in a pattern now reported in some other offices, also.

That's interesting but not to surprising. My first attempt some years ago required a great deal of information and attendance to the office by our Thai landlord. I gathered she almost had to give them her first born. Was lucky to have her rent to us. We have been loyal to her for those efforts since and choose to continue renting from her since. The copy of our agreement is always given with my application as are the 6 additional pages about my landlord. Three of these are always returned including the TM-30. Mind you if I had not supplied these I have a feeling they would have required them! Go figure!

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Well yesterday was the 14/1 when I was required to report back to immigration after one month to have my yearly O extension stamped into my passport. As usual at 11.00 am packed to the brim but got the handy just go to desk 6 from the foyer girls. Did that and was checked by the lovely admin lass. "Sorry mister, paper not back yet. Come back tomorrow afternoon". Sigh .... so it's been over thirty days and not back yet? ... lucky I am not too far away from this office. Let's see how we go today!

Good God, just returned and the line was past the fountain. I cannot remember it this busy ever when there for 90 day and past extensions. It looked and sounded like mostly Russian and Spanish folks by their chatting. I went around and beelined it to desk 6 which had few to no customers, as the admin girl had asked me to do yesterday. Polite and efficient, she took passport and handed to officer. Stamps were made and then passed to another officer for verification. Handed back in 5mins. Done dusted for another year.

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