Tourist complains about crowded visa office, shoddy treatment by Thailand

[GAZZPA]

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

Very nice to know that a true keyboard warrior is on the loose somewhere not in Thailand, but still has to chime in on events here that do not really concern him at this juncture in time.  Good on you for escaping from whatever you want to believe.  Enjoy your day, and continue to drink your cup of coffee while you fire up nonsensical posts......

You mean nonsensical posts like yours? 

[GAZZPA]

2 hours ago, sambum said:

I thought "Big Joke" had got rid of them all?

Thailand created the problem for themselves. They allowed corruption to penetrate the system leaving the door wide open for people to enter under the radar just so they can line their own pockets. So I think your aiming your blame at the wrong people, don't you think?

[tomauasia]

11 hours ago, colinneil said:

Social distancing... Some stupid sods around.

Why are immigration so determined to make problems for tourists?

They are helping to trash tourism here in the future, with their crazy antics.

They trashed it long ago

[sawadee1947]

24 minutes ago, Buck 5868 said:

Value us again ???? they never did 

Maybe not only you ???? but the GIs when they came to Pattaya 

[ThailandRyan]

4 minutes ago, GAZZPA said:

You mean nonsensical posts like yours? 

Nothing but true facts in my posts, but good to see he has a friend who he can also call upon to lighten the day, and bring me true happiness in knowing that maybe the information I shared will be of help to some people in need.

[GAZZPA]

2 hours ago, Fex Bluse said:

Good luck. When the Thai economy is in tatters, all the fanboys and girls will vanish from the forums overnight. I've seen it before. Until then, they continue to provide us entertainment. 

I think that tourism is closer to 20% of gdp , even if it was 15% that is still a devastating blow to the economy with a huge effect on unemployment and a big knock on effect for the rest of the economy. I think Thailand tourism will recover someway but there are so many negative reports on the place now I think the only thing that keeps it going are sex tourists, hardly longevity in that plan. People go where they feel welcomed by locals and right know the "dirty farangs" simply don't feel that. we will see...

[Thingamabob]

According to the report he came here in February by which time the virus was already world wide news. No sympathy whatsoever.

[sahibji]

11 hours ago, cornishcarlos said:

They will be shooting anyone, in immigration offices, who pull out their phones soon...

These kind of photos are a National security risk.... 

cheese! this is the land of smiles, when it suits them.

[sahibji]

now is the time to exercise the greatest of caution, in social distancing in particular. a blanket extension should be accorded to tourists who are stuck in this mess, through no fault of their own.

[GAZZPA]

3 hours ago, 473geo said:

Why the downer on Thai people

Relax, you pay your way in Thailand, you adhere to the requests for information, you remain dignified, polite and understanding and 99% of the time life is ok

 

Alternatively, try insisting you have 'rights' be aggressive, moan and complain about Thai skills and attitude, voice opinions about how bad the system is you are set for a disappointing time

 

Thai people are concerned about the virus, they would probably really prefer these farang tourists had gone home rather than take the selfish gamble of being stranded and risk the health of the Thai IOs by cramming into an already crowded office

 

But then selfish the 'tourists' have been, and, selfish they continue to remain, my sympathy lies with the Thai office workers who have to face this kind of person in this kind of environment clearly tourists who do not give a damn about social distancing or the welfare of others

 

 

very reasonable thing to say and true in some ways. I think the problem with Thailand is actually real though, it is not just moaning tourists bleating on about nothing. Where there's smoke there's fire,, right? The Thai people are very anti foreigner these days and it starts from the top. The current ruling power are quite clear in their thinking, recently we had the "dirty farang" story, one of many. I believe those comments are rooted in the attitude of the government and run right through society now. I left Thailand never to return, but I still have many friends there and I still hear the same stories of rude locals, poor service, money grabbing people who care about your wallet only. So what you say is true only to the degree that I think you are ignoring the reality of what's around you, or you are willing to put up with it and don't care. Most people won't live like that, and why should they? Stay safe,,,

[sahibji]

7 minutes ago, Thingamabob said:

According to the report he came here in February by which time the virus was already world wide news. No sympathy whatsoever.

sir, what he if  as a bona fide tourist he was hoping to get extension in due time, but the plans were foiled by flight cancellations.

[sahibji]

24 minutes ago, tomauasia said:

They trashed it long ago

they and the rip off vendors did it together.

[bimmerbob]

11 hours ago, petermik said:

They only want our money.... we are looked at as parasites here...????

What's new?

[473geo]

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

Yes a married family man, I did not miss one thing.  The "O" Visa is for a few things, but for visiting your wife and family here in Thailand is what it can be used for....So try again kind sir, and try to enlighten me some more. 

 

Many Family men, who have a wife here as well as children, do go back and forth still for work, many work on oil rigs as well.  The Non-Imm "O" Visa, is the one that is the most used in this case.  I have a Non-Imm "O-A" Visa, for long stay, I have never done the extension and always renewed my Visa every 2 years at the Consulate in Los Angeles, However, I now must have a Thai Health insurance policy to renew my O-A, or to do an extension of stay with. I prefer to keep the majority of my funds in the US, and not trap 800,000 Baht here in a bank account making a paltry sum.  Many different ways to stay here as a long term expat, and if you return to your country of origin for a visit, unless you buy a re-entry permit your extension is now invalid when you return. However with the ME Non Imm "O" visa I can come and go as needed and it stays valid.  Prior to this I was married to a Thai Lady and used the Non Imm "O" Visa with ME, in order to stay here as well as return to work, without needing a re-entry permit either.

 

Strike 3, your out.....what a shame.........

Visiting, working away, did you not tell me that I had no right to comment or be concerned with Thailand - This being the case

 

You are getting yourself muddled old boy have a recap. Tourists, stuck in Thailand when thousands returned home in good time or did not travel - complaining, yes complaining, about their self made circumstances

[moe666]

11 hours ago, UbonThani said:

Why did they enter after March 10? By late Feb it was clear travel would be a problem. No sympathy for people like this.

It is called look at these cheap flights and the hotel rooms they are giving them away, ok lets go what a deal

[P100]

11 hours ago, colinneil said:

Social distancing... Some stupid sods around.

Why are immigration so determined to make problems for tourists?

They are helping to trash tourism here in the future, with their crazy antics.

Hard to understand Thai's way of thinking and their mindset, so far away from everything what we consider normal. Is that pure stupidity? Or officer's stupidity combined with a deep hate towards foreigners?? It seems Thailand really tries to give foreigners as many problems as possible. But they could do it better. Just start treating foreigners same way like your beloved Chinese tourists. They come and will go, move on to other places, and you will need the bad farangs to come back and help again.

 

I just can't understand why Thailand never does something good for farang tourists and for those farangs who live in Thailand on one year visas. They keep the economy going, can't they understand this? What currently happens is the evidence, no tourists no food to eat!

 

 

 

 

Edited April 5, 2020 by P100

[Tropposurfer]

11 hours ago, Destiny1990 said:

Then having to bringing their landlord With them then travel to bank for update bankbook then traveling to ur embassy for another piece of paper, TM30’s , bedroom pictures? etc etc yeah all this is really great with and without any virus out there.

How about just pay and stay?

Good post Destiny! ???? I see the stuff you mentioned being done as downright weird. Pictures of where you live ... what a farce!

Yes landlord to accompany people ... what !!!!, special letter stuff from banks rather than a printout of your account transactions done simply in your own home. It's so bizarre huh?

I got a theory that because the people who run the country are corrupt to the bone they have to make all these rubbish rules because they have an obsession to control and confuse in order to keep the chaos at a level so they can profit and stay in power.

I'm almost dead now so I don't worry too much about it as it's gunna end very soon for me, and I pay someone to do my reporting for me too so I avoid a lot of the <deleted>.

But for those who have years and years left here, families they love and are rightly scared and kept in this state of chaotic uncertainty by the junta it's a sad sorry situation.

I remember Thailand in the early eighties and it was pretty wild but full of loving Thainess. Now it's becoming rarer and rarer and mostly not this loving caring for everyone like Buddha said for us to do.  

[ThailandRyan]

1 minute ago, 473geo said:

Visiting, working away, did you not tell me that I had no right to comment or be concerned with Thailand - This being the case

 

You are getting yourself muddled old boy have a recap. Tourists, stuck in Thailand when thousands returned home in good time or did not travel - complaining, yes complaining, about their self made circumstances

And your point is once again lost....I live here, am here now, and will continue to use the type of Visa I currently use because at this point I do not need anything more than to do a 90 day report, and then at the end of the 1 year time frame, November for me, do a hop out and then back in to make another year on my ME Non Imm "O-A" Visa without having to do an extension of stay, which requires money in the Bank here.  However, should I be unable to leave the country in order to visit my children in the states, because of what we are currently facing, then I will have to ensure I have the 800,000 Baht in the bank prior to going to Immigration and obtaining the needed extension of stay for the next year Of course I will then also need to obtain a re-entry permit, in the case of travel so my extension of stay is not lost, and then rinse and repeat every year as all others on extensions of stay do. 

 

I would hope I would not have to do that, but if I do so be it. I chose to live here, and do whats needed and required.  Immigration just needs to be consistent with the rules and allow as conditions permit that folks be able to get the short term extensions they require now, as well as the long stay ex-pats who are coming up on there yearly time frame to renew, be it either an "O" Visa extension based upon family (Married), or other circumstances that that class of Visa permits. 

 

So try again, as there are married family men who are here now, and unfortunately who need to extend there current ME Non Imm "O" Visa because they are not here on an extension of stay. As I have stated they now must go to immigration in order to obtain that next permitted 60 day extension since they can not go out of Thailand, and then return at this juncture in time.   

 

I feel sorry for you and your predicament at this point, being separated from your family, but we are and always will be tourist's, just a tourist on different types of Visa's and the extension of stay thereof........So lets be clear on that point.  I have never debated anything other than that there are different folks requiring extensions for different reasons, and you only believe that they are short term tourists. 

 

We are all tourists, and unless you can obtain PR and then Citizenship, this country does not allow for us to be given PR based upon Marriage, or retirement, like many other countries do, hence the constant jumping through hoops........do yourself some research on the subject and you may enlighten yourself........

[wwest5829]

11 hours ago, Thailand said:

Multiply this by every immigration office in the country.

 

Post Covid, I don't think tourists and tourism will be a problem for the foreseeable future.

 

They may well be a few long term tourists,retirees etc, who will be subject to royal treatment when the authorities realize they are the only ones left. (Then I woke up!)????

One could only hope ...

[NoshowJones]

11 hours ago, RJRS1301 said:

Not defending anyone, but working under extreme strain and pressure, perhaps poorly briefed, having to achieve KPIs of processing. 

Tourists as well as IOs unable to respond calmly, and fear on both sides

No one has ever had to deal with this choas ever before

Thai immigration have only themselves to blame here, and I do not mean the people at the desks, most of them are decent people just trying to do their jobs, but the ones at the top?? It should all be cancelled during this time, but at the end of the day, money wins.

[LoS itaint]

5 hours ago, Justgrazing said:

Reasonable .! as rare a trait as responsible and well known to be just as easily lost in translation .. But hey could it not just be the Thai way of saying they don't really want ferryang to go home in their own uncomplicated sort of way way .. 

Its noted that the complainer is a sun lounge hogger, otherwise known as a German, its the pot calling the kettle black when Herman (a stab at his christian name) calls out Thailand as taking advantage. Herman must be ignorant of his countries history, i suggest he returns there to the tune of the Dam Busters

[NoshowJones]

11 hours ago, Andrew65 said:

Yes, but for the 'average' two or three week holiday.

or buying an Elite Visa.

[Helmet Grunter]

11 hours ago, petermik said:

They only want our money.... we are looked at as parasites here...????

well, you are anyway 

[Winky Wilson]

Many tourist just like to complain and ruin everyones day. 

[473geo]

16 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

And your point is once again lost....I live here, am here now, and will continue to use the type of Visa I currently use because at this point I do not need anything more than to do a 90 day report, and then at the end of the 1 year time frame, November for me, do a hop out and then back in to make another year on my ME Non Imm "O-A" Visa without having to do an extension of stay, which requires money in the Bank here.  However, should I be unable to leave the country in order to visit my children in the states, because of what we are currently facing, then I will have to ensure I have the 800,000 Baht in the bank prior to going to Immigration and obtaining the needed extension of stay for the next year Of course I will then also need to obtain a re-entry permit, in the case of travel so my extension of stay is not lost, and then rinse and repeat every year as all others on extensions of stay do. 

 

I would hope I would not have to do that, but if I do so be it. I chose to live here, and do whats needed and required.  Immigration just needs to be consistent with the rules and allow as conditions permit that folks be able to get the short term extensions they require now, as well as the long stay ex-pats who are coming up on there yearly time frame to renew, be it either an "O" Visa extension based upon family (Married), or other circumstances that that class of Visa permits. 

 

So try again, as there are married family men who are here now, and unfortunately who need to extend there current ME Non Imm "O" Visa because they are not here on an extension of stay. As I have stated they now must go to immigration in order to obtain that next permitted 60 day extension since they can not go out of Thailand, and then return at this juncture in time.   

 

I feel sorry for you and your predicament at this point, being separated from your family, but we are and always will be tourist's, just a tourist on different types of Visa's and the extension of stay thereof........So lets be clear on that point.  I have never debated anything other than that there are different folks requiring extensions for different reasons, and you only believe that they are short term tourists. 

 

We are all tourists, and unless you can obtain PR and then Citizenship, this country does not allow for us to be given PR based upon Marriage, or retirement, like many other countries do, hence the constant jumping through hoops........do yourself some research on the subject and you may enlighten yourself........

Ok I missed the part where this discussion has been about you, where your options are indeed limited and you must make the best of a situation you did not for see - in your case what you say is correct, but then your way of doing things your choice personally border runs for me are out I will not use this method - but that is just me I guess

 

Which brings us back to the topic in hand, tourists complaining, but without doubt poor decisions have been placed, and this is why sympathy is scarce from people like me who made a sensible decision way back down the line

 

and please don't try to tell me people like you are tourists - doesn't wash - unless of course you are going to cease posting on Tvisa due to your opinions about those who do not permanently reside in thailand

Edited April 5, 2020 by 473geo

[rech]

next time stay home ! if farang not here, farang no have problem !

hahahahaha

[ThailandRyan]

5 minutes ago, 473geo said:

Ok I missed the part where this discussion has been about you, where your options are indeed limited and you must make the best of a situation you did not for see - in your case what you say is correct, but then your way of doing things your choice personally border runs for me are out I will not use this method - but that is just me I guess

 

Which brings us back to the topic in hand, tourists complaining, but without doubt poor decisions have been placed and this is why sympathy is scarce from people like me who made a sensible decision way back down the line

 

and please don't try to tell me people like you are tourists - doesn't wash - unless of course you are going to cease posting on Tvisa due to your opinions about those who do not permanetly reside in thailand

Guess we can not be all clairvoyant like someone, My process was started way before this virus struck and is therefore out of my control and everyone else's.  You insist on claiming that people like me are not tourists, in one sense you are absolutely right we are Expats, but Thailand only see's us as tourist's and therefore the visas and the extensions, and all else that is required.  Hope you day is good, enjoy being where you are, I can not complain about where I am, and I have not. We all make personal choices to fit our needs, you made yours, I made mine, and so did the folks trying to get the extension at Koh Samui.  Was it bad planning, or a just couldn't care less Blase attitude, I couldn't tell you.  

 

I wish you well

[473geo]

1 minute ago, ThailandRyan said:

Guess we can not be all clairvoyant like someone, My process was started way before this virus struck and is therefore out of my control and everyone else's.  You insist on claiming that people like me are not tourists, in one sense you are absolutely right we are Expats, but Thailand only see's us as tourist's and therefore the visas and the extensions, and all else that is required.  Hope you day is good, enjoy being where you are, I can not complain about where I am, and I have not. We all make personal choices to fit our needs, you made yours, I made mine, and so did the folks trying to get the extension at Koh Samui.  Was it bad planning, or a just couldn't care less Blase attitude, I couldn't tell you.  

 

I wish you well

I hope you get by ok Ryan, I will be fine, you see in Thailand, by the people that matter, I am viewed as a husband and father and my Thai family are looking forward to my arrival to live at home, good times ahead ????

[Winky Wilson]

All the tourist having alcohol withdrawl, stranded on an island in a crowded immigration office. Only one to blame is yourself if you don't like being here. Next time you should stay home. 

[nausea]

Tough <deleted>. What do you think's gonna happen when you go to third world country and <deleted> happens.