samut prakan immigration

[Orton Rd]

Doing an extension today there was no mention of having to go back in 90 days to show funds still in the bank. There was not even any mention of having to keep the money in the bank for the next 90 days. Went back to ask them about this and they gave me a small note with the rule about having to keep the money in for 90 days and then 400k after that. No extra forms to fill in. Felt a bit sorry for the staff as the workload gets worse for them all the time.

[glegolo]

You better do this according to the rules. They will NOT check anything in the 90 day reporting, just checking you upon your next extension, and if you have not followed the rules, you will be refused a new extension, simple as that.

 

Glegolo

Edited June 6, 2019 by glegolo

[jacko45k]

The check after 90 days appears to be happening at only 3 or 4 offices. Jomtiem being one of them. Nevertheless, even if not told to do so, I would retain the 800k/400k as it is very likely to be checked for on your next application. 

The office was negligent not to initially warn you of this, the consequences are likely not trivial

[Bredbury Blue]

21 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

gave me a small note with the rule about having to keep the money in for 90 days and then 400k after that. 

Any chance you could take a photo of the note and upload it on to this thread. Cheers.

[Orton Rd]

Not very exciting and before anyone says they were never given one, I did ask.

 

 

[Krataiboy]

For what it's worth. . .

 

Not asked to prove I had 800k still in the bank at Tha Yang yesterday, where I made my first 90-day report after getting my retirement extension. Just in case, I had taken my bankbook, plus printout of the pages. I didn't mention I had them and was not asked to produce either.

 

I enquired about the office's rumoured move to a new location way up North in the sticks and was told, cryptically, "Three years".  If this proves to be wrong, then somebody has wasted money on the office's recent refurbishment.

[easydoor]

They don't have to warn you at all. You are supposed to know the rules and to follow them. No need to ask you to go back after 90 days. They will check all at your next renewal of your extension next year and if you didn't fulfill the rules your extesion just will be denied, that is all.

[roo4]

There is absolutely no need to feel sorry for staff at Samut Prakan Immigration; some of them are very rude, needlessly intrusive and aggressive and woefully ignorant of updates in their own Bureau's regulations.

 

I was refused a retirement extension there in late May this year, by a loud and bellicose female desk officer, on the basis that I only had the 800k in my account for two months prior to applying for renewal of my extension.

 

When I protested that I was only following the recently updated Immigration rules, she dismissed me with a wave of her hand and pointed me towards her male superior, sitting at a desk a few metres behind the public counter.

 

(This dismissal came only after she first tried to refer me back to the IO in the province where I used to live -- she had to back down when I showed her that I had already officially registered my address with Immigration as being in Samut Prakan -- and then asked intrusive personal questions of my Thai partner, ending with "why doesn't the farang own a house; why is he only renting?". This last delivered with a patronising sneer. I was given no time to explain that I have, in fact, built a house upcountry, but that I cannot claim to own it because of current Thai legislation regarding land ownership.

This harridan then went on to ask, in a harsh, accusatory voice, why I had retirement extensions granted by IOs in so many other provinces -- there have actually only been 2 other offices involved -- and, not giving me any time to respond, then accused me of using an agent -- and, by implication, trickery -- to obtain these previous extensions.)

 

Her male superior later backed up what his subordinate had said, declaring that the 2-months-money-in-the-bank rule was only for first-time applicants and that 3 months' seasoning was required for extension renewals like mine.

He began to get visibly angry when I pointed out that Chaeng Wattana and all other IOs I had read about were accepting the new 2-months-prior rule. He waved a Thai-language booklet (presumably bearing the updated regulations) at me and asked why I would believe "some website" as opposed to an IO whose duty it is to know the regulations.

He then exposed his total ignorance of the updated regulations by telling me that I could withdraw 400k immediately after receiving a retirement extension and the other 400k 3 months later.

 

So I have had to go to all the unnecessary expense of leaving the country, getting a new non-immigrant "o" visa in Penang and restarting the process from scratch.

 

I see from reading the OP, that Samut Prakan IO has rapidly educated itself in the interim regarding some aspects of the updated regulations (witness the pre-prepared note the OP was given when he enquired about how long the 800k had to remain on deposit).

 

However, let all would-be retirement-extension applicants be aware of the interpretation this IO is putting on the period the 800k needs to be in the bank prior to applying: the IOs may still be sticking to the old 3-months rule.

 

Also, reserve your compassion for those who truly deserve it!

[Orton Rd]

I was once refused an extension there over a decade ago and told to come back in two weeks as I was early. On the way out the grumpy rude woman said no go to Bangkok instead claiming they did not do extensions there. When I asked why they had a big sign outside advertising extensions and why they had the form for it that I filled it she hit the roof and said to the Mrs she did not understand how anyone could be with a foreigner who could not understand the immigration rules. It was impossible to go to Bangkok as we lived in SP, crazy. Thank god she retired soon after.

 

Judging how they used to be until now they are a lot better normally, but not all of them from your experience. last time a young IO went through the whole process on her mobile showing me how to report 90 day online. They keep getting crapped on by the higher ups and heavier work loads like the TM30's which is taking up a lot of extra work. I would never risk the new two month rule at any office, it's an invitation for a problem as I never expect them to be up to date with rules, and they make their own up. Where else do they ask for 5 pp copies for a 90 day report?

 

There is a big sign there saying you can report any problems with the contact details, maybe you could have taken it further as they were clearly not following the procedure as they should have been.

[Andycoops]

It's upto the applicant to know the rules and any changes to the rules. 

They never inform you of any requirements willing. 

Such is the level of customer service and satisfaction in the establishment. 

[jacko45k]

8 minutes ago, Andycoops said:

It's upto the applicant to know the rules and any changes to the rules. 

They never inform you of any requirements willing. 

Such is the level of customer service and satisfaction in the establishment. 

An applicant knowing the rules and changes is sometimes an impediment, because the officials they are dealing with do not, and of course they cannot be wrong!  One needs to know what the rules are at their own particular office. An example, 2 months pre-seasoning is stipulated, some officers are still yet requiring 3 months on renewed extensions, as per superseded orders. 

A person caught this way will unlikely have another month of stay available to achieve the 3, before his permission to stay expires, and need to start all over again with a new Non-Imm-O Visa. 

Edited June 8, 2019 by jacko45k

[traveller101]

Same at Phuket Imm - did my extension 2 weeks ago - no mention of the new rules. Since I'm well aware of it, did not ask.