Possibility of refusal after interview (Non-O)

[recom273]

I just had a weird interview at my local immigration office. 

There is a little bit to this .. but I needn't go into it. i'm sure we have all been there - basically, the IO kept on saying the papers weren't there, my wife needed to copy this, I needed another paper - I had already checked them last night and the procedure at local office is that the front desk check them first. I didn't need any extra copies, on both occasions the papers she requested were in the two piles on her desk.

 

The lady who interviewed us last year was great, nice big smile, respectful, really helpful - Today, this IO didn't even say hello in any language and she was quite difficult to hear from behind her surgical mask.

 

Anyway .. we made it to the end of the paperwork.

 

She then tells me that she is going to interview me, she asks where I my name, my address - I reply in English. Then she asks, can I speak Thai - The answer is "not really". This is the truth, I can read and write, If i'm comfortable in a situation and I can see comprehension from the others, I don't mind to speak Thai - its not always correct - but I can hold my own with the motorbike mechanic, but some people don't have a clue what I'm saying.

 

She says "Am I joking with her?" I am confused. She tries to express herself in English "Right now I have no idea what to say to you" I said "Okkkayy, sorry I don't understand what you are saying" - The wife doesn't understand either. She starts telling me "I am a police captain and you must answer" We are really confused now, she's glaring at me and you can cut the air with a knife, then she tells me "the computer, it says you can speak Thai very well" .. I explained to her, I studied, but we usually use English at home. I understand if people speak to me in a manner that I understand but I don't consider it to be "very good". My wife explained that my accent is pretty bad, etc .. I said sometimes I like to speak Thai, sometimes I don't - She replied "Sometimes you want to live here, sometimes you don't?"

 

She just sat there glaring .. I said, "I'm sorry, I don't understand, I didn't write that comment, the officer over there did - if she thinks I speak Thai well .. wow! thank you, i'm amazed"

 

She then mutters "I will change that the to speaks a little" - I replied "I think that would be a good idea" - In Thai .. lol .. at which point she went mental.

 

She asked what day we go married, neither of us had an idea of that one - It was 12 bloody years ago - She then barked "Mother and Fathers name" - The wife and I looked at each other and said simultaneously "mum and dad" and started laughing. Probably not the best answer but we had enough by then, I did however write them both down for her. After she was throwing rubber stamps, snatching papers from my hand and refusing to talk to me.

 

Anyway .. You get the idea, it didn't go well - Does this Police Captain have any weight in my renewal? It all seemed pretty straightforward, I jump through the hoops to keep the money in the bank and provide all the paperwork without any fuss or last minute dashes to the copy machine.

 

Before anyone else starts to judge, I was respectful at all times, light in my manner, but not flippant until she started accusing me of not supplying paperwork, I get that people have bad days. She was basically suggesting I wasn't the same person who came last year (?)

 

I'm really freaked out about this. Can she put a note on the file to HQ which ends up in a refusal?

Edited March 17, 2020 by recom273

[BritManToo]

4 minutes ago, recom273 said:

Does this Police Captain have any weight in my renewal?

None at all.

If they accepted your application, it will be granted.

I never speak Thai to any Thai officials, they don't like it.

 

No need to be polite or respectful ...... my wife (extremely violent bargirl), used to scream abuse at them and threaten them, it actually made them quicker to process the application as they wanted her out of the office (or were maybe a little scared).

Edited March 17, 2020 by BritManToo

[Puchaiyank]

I am not surprised...My last visa extension went somewhat like yours...had all paperwork in order...IO actually tore up two documents that had previously been stapled into my passport...telling me we must start over...

 

Total axx hole...why?  Because they can...some like to show their true colors and disdain for farangs...

[timendres]

My first thought was that you were extended based on education, but later in your post it sounded like you are applying for a spouse extension. If it was an education extension, the language interrogation might make some sense.

 

Regardless, this IO was having a bad day, and if you were reasonably polite and respectful, and she processed the paperwork, you should have nothing to worry about. Write it off, and hope for a better experience next time around.

[recom273]

13 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

None at all.

If they accepted your application, it will be granted.

I never speak Thai to any Thai officials, they don't like it.

 

No need to be polite or respectful ...... my wife (extremely violent bargirl), used to scream abuse at them and threaten them, it actually made them quicker to process the application as they wanted her out of the office (or were maybe a little scared).

Thanks for your swift response, that puts my mind at ease.

 

But, yeah, she told me wife twice - “you need to to go get one more copy of this” - I told her to sit down, and I calmly responded that all the papers were there, there is no need to run anywhere for anything. Then I took the pile and showed her the papers.

It’s as you say, they need that feeling of power.

 

I used to work in a schools for 10 years, and it’s sometimes a good policy to agree with your headmaster or just admit you hadn’t done something - but in this instance the paperwork was there, I knew it was. If she asked for something that wasn’t there I would have held my hands up.

[BritManToo]

8 minutes ago, recom273 said:

It’s as you say, they need that feeling of power.

It's all about fear and power.

Ask them their name and ID number so you can make a complaint to head office and see the fear in action.

Edited March 17, 2020 by BritManToo

[recom273]

This is also a warning to those who are on their second extension.

 

Remember what you said the previous year, 

 

She asked me - How do you have money? I replied “investments” - She said “Last year you rented out two priorities that you owned” - I replied “Yes, they are my investments”

 

She asked “what do you do for work?” “Nothing?”  She screamed - “You said you were retired” - “I replied “at 49 I don’t consider myself retired, but I don’t work, which is what you are asking and inferring” 

 

She asked my wife “How many brothers and sisters?” - Wife replied “2, my sister and I” - the IO screamed “last year you had 3” - Wife replied “yeah my brother died in the last 12 months” 

 

Oh the joys! 

[johng]

Which immigration office?

This year at Jomtien they hardly asked any questions at all....home visit hardly any questions only really talked to my witness....last year was much more interrogation.

 

 

[recom273]

16 minutes ago, johng said:

Which immigration office?

This year at Jomtien they hardly asked any questions at all....home visit hardly any questions only really talked to my witness....last year was much more interrogation.

Hat Yai - Yeah, that how I thought things would work. Although we don't need witnesses here, It started off by just handing the documents over, but it started with the checkers on the front desk "You don't have this document" - "Yes, I do, its all there" .. It's like they already made their minds up I hadn't got everything they requested, rather than really doing their job.

 

That was the start, if she had appeared nice and helpful, I would have been comfortable to speak Thai, and there would have been no issue during the interview. Usually, Its best to speak English in these situations, as there is no confusion on your part, we are just dumb foreigners after all.