Samui Immigration Extension Update

[parallaxtech]

I had everything prepared for my one year extension:  800k in fixed account, copies of everything, house ownership paper, etc.  The only thing different this year was a new passport that needed the visa transferred into it.  They looked over everything, told me to sit down for thirty minutes, and then called me over to the desk.  They wanted 1900 for the extension and 600 for the changes to the new passport.  I said to her that I thought it was free, and so she asked me if I wanted the extension or not.  I paid it reluctantly.  She said to come back in one week to pick it up.  Does this sound reasonable?  Would you have asked to see  the senior officer?  Should I report her on the corruption hotline or does this sound so trivial that I should forget it?

[scubascuba3]

Corruption hotline? are they deaf?

[Puchaiyank]

The Thais will most likely support the immigration officer's story...the same IO that has the ability to bar you permanently from staying in the country...

 

Cost you less baht than the grief you may bring upon yourself if you try to find an honest Thai who cares about your story...

[elviajero]

Can you prove they can’t charge 600 baht?

 

Probably no one at the office has the authority to sign it off, which is why you have to wait.

[marcusarelus]

54 minutes ago, elviajero said:

Can you prove they can’t charge 600 baht?

 

Probably no one at the office has the authority to sign it off, which is why you have to wait.

Should be easy to check.  I'd imagine Ubon Joe would know

[asiaexpat]

Have changed passports twice at CW and they never charged for placing the information in the new passport. The last time was October 2018.

[marcusarelus]

33 minutes ago, asiaexpat said:

Have changed passports twice at CW and they never charged for placing the information in the new passport. The last time was October 2018.

I changed at Mataphut and there was no charge. 

[NE1]

Wait till you get your passport back with your extension and ask her for your 600 baht back . As you telephoned the Immi. head office in Bangkok and they told you there was no charge for this procedure.

 

[parallaxtech]

Thanks for the replies.  I will follow Puchaiyank's advice and just forget about it.  It bothers me that each year it's the same woman who handles the one year extensions and she always jabs me for something.  Last year she charged me 100B/copy even though I had copied everything.  She said that two of them weren't clear.  It's just a little bit of money, but it still bothers me.  I worked in US embassies for many years and everyone was watched like a hawk.  If anyone tried that it would have been immediate expulsion and possibly federal prison.  I know, this is not the US and not an embassy, TIT.

[OJAS]

28 minutes ago, parallaxtech said:

Thanks for the replies.  I will follow Puchaiyank's advice and just forget about it.  It bothers me that each year it's the same woman who handles the one year extensions and she always jabs me for something.  Last year she charged me 100B/copy even though I had copied everything.  She said that two of them weren't clear.  It's just a little bit of money, but it still bothers me.  I worked in US embassies for many years and everyone was watched like a hawk.  If anyone tried that it would have been immediate expulsion and possibly federal prison.  I know, this is not the US and not an embassy, TIT.

Are Samui the rogue mob who insist on an OA visa-style medical certificate being provided for each annual retirement extension?

[thequietman]

It's time for body cams me thinks. Button hole size and battery in chest pocket. Come with sound as well. 1000 baht only.

 

If we all bought, it would soon stop this nonsense. ????

[evadgib]

13 minutes ago, OJAS said:

Are Samui the rogue mob who insist on an OA visa-style medical certificate being provided for each annual retirement extension?

No! Theirs is a 15 minute affair costing THB 250

[seajae]

ask her for a receipt for the 600 baht stating what it is for, if its genuine she will have no problem giving it to you and its required by thai law anyway to supply receipts in immigration

 

 

[bigginhill]

Nexttime go in with a someone, at the moment your word against hers. Or mark the numbers on thw bills you give her. Or bodycam as someone else said. Or leave your phone recorder on.

 

[JayBird]

It's easier to accept that we are in a corrupt 3rd world country and our
Morales and ethics mean nothing here.

Accepting it makes life easier here.

And if the limit of their corruption is a few thousand baht, it's not too hard to put up with.

[jacko45k]

22 minutes ago, JayBird said:

And if the limit of their corruption is a few thousand baht, it's not too hard to put up with.

It's like a bird pecking at your head. No big deal at first.......

 

OP. I prefer doing one thing at a time, so transfer of stamps to new passport first etc. She may have had less leverage then. 

[parallaxtech]

Jacko:  Thanks for the reply!  Samui IO is basically a profit center and nothing is for free.  The free residence certificate is 500B for instance.  I just received my new passport last month, so if I went to her just to transfer the stamp she would have either told me to wait for my extension in a few weeks or just demanded the 600B.

 

I met with a couple of honest Thais I know and they said trying to entrap them in any way would backfire big time.  The IO is just following orders from her boss.  Corruption at SIO has actually gone down over the years; they use to charge between 5-25kB for the extension.  As others have said, I will just have to suck it up, but it still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.