All Closed - Except Immigration.

[Max69xl]

11 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

Immigration offices get their directives from BKK , but there is a certain level of ' tolerance ' in interpreting these directives ...

for example : Some immigration offices want farangs to prove that they have insurance , ( OA ) others don't ...

Some IO's are a pain in the rear , while others are quite nice , it depends on many factors I guess , ( have a good or bad day ...)

But most of them seem to enjoy being in a position to give orders ... ( you need to bring this paper too , and have it signed by xxx ...)

My thai wife has been living for 20 yrs in France , in all these years she had to go to renew her ' carte de sejour ' ( like a french identity card ) 4 times , every five years ...

 

It seems like you and many others think that every expat have visas/extensions based on marriage, which in many provinces is a pain in the ass to extend. I'm on a Non-immigrant O based on retirement,and it takes me normally less than 5 min/year at my Immigration office to get my extension. I never hear, "we need this and that,too". I know what papers I need. 

[Fairynuff]

6 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

It seems like you and many others think that every expat have visas/extensions based on marriage, which in many provinces is a pain in the ass to extend. I'm on a Non-immigrant O based on retirement,and it takes me normally less than 5 min/year at my Immigration office to get my extension. I never hear, "we need this and that,too". I know what papers I need. 

Consider yourself extremely lucky then because for the majority it’s not like that at all. You can get to CW at 7am and still be there at 4pm. You can get all the papers you need in order, exactly as the last time, plus any new requirements they’ve come up with, and still you get the IO that’s in a bad mood and Lo and behold you need more copies of something they already have.

like I said, not everyone has it easy like you do.

[andy72]

On 4/1/2020 at 3:32 PM, Somtamnication said:

Of course. Immigration is a cash cow.

WAS a cash cow
that ship has sailed but desperation sets in with a 30 day covid extension 
wait a moment though how long is the lock down 
ah need to get a few 30 day covids to stay legal <deleted>

[LivinginKata]

1 hour ago, Fairynuff said:

Consider yourself extremely lucky then because for the majority it’s not like that at all. You can get to CW at 7am and still be there at 4pm. You can get all the papers you need in order, exactly as the last time, plus any new requirements they’ve come up with, and still you get the IO that’s in a bad mood and Lo and behold you need more copies of something they already have.

like I said, not everyone has it easy like you do.

 

 I get extension based on retirement here in Phuket. These past few years takes me 20 minutes, plus come back next day for passport. I time to be there 10.45. Rush over. But I have all my papers and copies exactly correct. Never know some new bump in road. But I can survive that. 22 years extensions now. 

[LivinginKata]

16 hours ago, DaRoadrunner said:

It is only a matter of time till some IOs get the virus. Then we will see how long Immigration stays open. Of course being exposed to a room full of filthy Farangs will ensure we get the blame.

 

Through wife family connections (one an IO) there are at least 2 Covid cases in Bangkok.

[Kalasin Jo]

On 4/1/2020 at 5:22 PM, pagallim said:

For a Marriage extension, Immigration also require a Kor Ror 2 certificate (which essentially proves that you are still married i.e. not divorced).    Normally obtained from the Amphur for a very small fee.   I did write on a topic here a week or so ago that when my wife went to get one, she was told by the staff she was lucky to get one then as within a few days the Amphur would only be open for birth and death certificates.   That is exactly what happened.

If you can't get it, surely they must waive that and accept your first one. Oh but TIT????This is a new requirement anyway isn't it? 

[Kalasin Jo]

1 hour ago, LivinginKata said:

 

Through wife family connections (one an IO) there are at least 2 Covid cases in Bangkok.

Been saying it won't be long before even the money making IOs have to close. Why would the staff accept the risk bit infection? More importantly why should the high ups expect them to.

[ThaiWai]

On 4/1/2020 at 7:29 PM, Liverpoolfan said:

You can bet your backside even if nuclear war broke out that the immi offices would still be open as usual.

 

Not even the black death could close those fortresses!

True. Cockroaches and I/O's are the only things that can survive a nuclear blast.

[Sydebolle]

The way the lovely Thais treat all those "dirty farang" will hopefully haunt Thailand's tourism industry for a very long time to come. 

It is not even despicable anymore; the way they screw these pretty helpless people in a foreign land is second to none. 

Seen in other blogs that meanwhile the immigration invents their own little laws; for visa extensions some what photos of the "hotel book", others want pictures of the applicant in the named hotel, those renting should provide copies of house registrations and ID cards of the owners - who live overseas.

The list is endless, I hope that all these immigration clowns will rot in hell! 

[jayceenik]

On 4/1/2020 at 11:56 PM, Old Croc said:

I'm trying to get married.

The required official documents, and translations, took longer than expected and I missed the close down by a day.

As an O-A leper I need to change from retirement to marriage extension. Age and medical difficulties preclude me from even dodgy insurance, and similar reasons prevented travel to change to O.  Money is not a problem, I comfortably self insure.

Yes, I should have done it earlier, however, there were other extenuating circumstances that slowed this, and I didn't anticipate a government shutdown. 

Lucky me I have a long time NonImmO so no immediate one-year extension insurance problems for me.

Still I want to get married to my LT TGF because I suspect they'll hit the O visa holders sooner than later.

Being married to a Thai national should keep me safe. Like a Stay Permit Insurance  LOL

I'm way too old to qualify for any of these scam insurances.

I was due to get my Consular Marriage Approval Certificate the very day the Belgian Consulate closed down for normal affairs on 18MAR with only a warning by email the night before.

Manage to get it because I insisted it was pre-arranged a week before. I was the only "customer" that morning.

Now we're trying to get that document translated in Thai. I think we'll get it.

But with Amphoe closed it looks like our marriage will have to wait. 

 

 

[5633572526]

On 4/2/2020 at 7:54 AM, FarFlungFalang said:

It's about the only source of income the country has at the moment.

The country has a constant flow of income from expats living here, rent, utilities, food etc. Many of us supporting Thai families. it is the greed of those in power that forces us to gather in immigration offices in the time of a pandemic.

[Somtamnication]

Phuket gov has just mandated that all hotels must close, except those with guests. Still waiting for the official announcement.

[metisdead]

A troll post has been removed. 

[muratremix]

I'm staying with non-o based on marriage extension in Phuket. My visa expires on December so I guess I'm lucky? I don't understand why they need letter from my embassy to extend my visa or do anything? If covid-19 crsis is not resolved by this year, I'll need that paper from my embassy correct? Assuming I can't get out or get in to Phuket, how am I supposed to get this letter from embassy which will require a personal visit? 

[Max69xl]

56 minutes ago, muratremix said:

I'm staying with non-o based on marriage extension in Phuket. My visa expires on December so I guess I'm lucky? I don't understand why they need letter from my embassy to extend my visa or do anything? If covid-19 crsis is not resolved by this year, I'll need that paper from my embassy correct? Assuming I can't get out or get in to Phuket, how am I supposed to get this letter from embassy which will require a personal visit? 

Why would you need an embassy letter? You just extend your stay another year as usual. The embassy letter is for stranded tourists arriving before March 1 and for the second 30 days extension.

[LivinginKata]

2 hours ago, muratremix said:

I'm staying with non-o based on marriage extension in Phuket. My visa expires on December so I guess I'm lucky? I don't understand why they need letter from my embassy to extend my visa or do anything? If covid-19 crsis is not resolved by this year, I'll need that paper from my embassy correct? Assuming I can't get out or get in to Phuket, how am I supposed to get this letter from embassy which will require a personal visit? 

 

You don't need a letter. Just the normal paperwork as last year. 

[TooBigToFit]

How about the car registration office? Are those open next Monday?

[LivinginKata]

Think not open.

[from the home of CC]

On 4/1/2020 at 7:29 PM, Liverpoolfan said:

You can bet your backside even if nuclear war broke out that the immi offices would still be open as usual.

 

Not even the black death could close those fortresses!

would you consider the closing of your immigration offices in your home country a good thing?

[Metropolitian]

On 4/2/2020 at 8:31 AM, kingstonkid said:

Remember the borders a

Would you rather they keep it open and you go to the amphoe and get the virus?

 

Then you would be complaining that they should have been closed

 

I do think that most of us would like to have the immigration be closed as precaution for the covid19 that is going on, just the same as other businesses.

 

The main concern for most of us, in addition to the virus outbreak, are the consequences for as well as the financial status of our visa and the resulting consequences of expired visas and extensions.

 

Now they are just promissing not to blacklist us but still the exorbitant fees have to be paid and not to speak of the stamps we are probably getting in the passport, even if it is annotated with the cause, which all is mostly not even our doing.

 

I would say: close the immigration, waive the fees and throw the red stamps in the trash and extend ALL kind of visa and extension for the during of the troubles.

 

 

[Max69xl]

1 hour ago, TooBigToFit said:

How about the car registration office? Are those open next Monday?

It's a national holiday. Everything is closed incl. immigration. 

[phuketrichard]

59 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

would you consider the closing of your immigration offices in your home country a good thing?

Vietnam closed ALL immigration offices>>
visa expires?? no problem they say  and NO OVERSTAY FEES
https://vietnamnews.vn/society/674512/no-penalties-for-overstaying-during-national-social-distancing.html

 

Thailand cant get it together... To many cooks in the kitchen and the head chef is gone

 

 

[from the home of CC]

1 hour ago, phuketrichard said:

Vietnam closed ALL immigration offices>>
visa expires?? no problem they say  and NO OVERSTAY FEES
https://vietnamnews.vn/society/674512/no-penalties-for-overstaying-during-national-social-distancing.html

 

Thailand cant get it together... To many cooks in the kitchen and the head chef is gone

 

 

has the US or the UK immigration closed?

[Max69xl]

1 hour ago, phuketrichard said:

Vietnam closed ALL immigration offices>>
visa expires?? no problem they say  and NO OVERSTAY FEES
https://vietnamnews.vn/society/674512/no-penalties-for-overstaying-during-national-social-distancing.html

 

Thailand cant get it together... To many cooks in the kitchen and the head chef is gone

 

 

How many tourists are stranded in Vietnam compared to Thailand? Not easy to find a number. 

[phuketrichard]

theres lots of ex pats that live an work in Vietnam

for sure not as many as here, but thats not the point,

the point is, they seem to be more concerned over there about the welfare of the expats than here

 

How hard would it be to allow all on soon to be expired visas, extension, automatic extensions until this is over, rather than making everyone travel to immigration every 14 days and risk catching the virus??
They'll still get their money

Not to mention creating hassle for embassies to provide the letters needed when they could be doing other things>>

Yea, i know, one should not think to much here but sometimes............