just had a visit from immigration

[bbabythai]

I received a phone call from immigration this morning saying that they wanted to visit in 1 hour. My wife and I have a business and we live in the building. 

 

When they arrived my wife was with a customer and couldn't talk to them. Imm' presented a letter for me to sign in thai. I asked what it was about and they

said it was regarding my recent 1 yr ext of stay. I hope I didnt sign my life away. A few photos taken by one of our workers and they were on their way. They were

all very friendly. 

 

When out the front of our building I asked if its ok if I paint the front of it. I said that I would not be getting any salary. Just want to help the wife. They said not 

a problem. 

 

I do wonder why they bother to come around for such a trivial visit???

[mr mr]

hey i have a special *document* i also need you to sign without knowing at all what it says. can you help a brother out ? 

[lee b]

Never ever sign anything that you don't understand. I would have it translated first. No way would I have signed it. Hope your OK.

[mommysboy]

To check you are living together: that it is a real relationship.

 

It's a standard procedure and no there is nothing to be alarmed about.

Edited June 10, 2020 by mommysboy

[JensenZ]

It would be useful to indicate which immigration office and what extension. Marriage or retirement.

 

I would not, under any circumstances, sign a document I cannot read. All you had to say was, sorry, I cannot read Thai and I'll need to have it translated first.

 

In 15 years of dealing with the Jomtien Immigration Office I have never once been handed a document to sign which didn't have an English translation.

Edited June 10, 2020 by JensenZ

[ChipButty]

They say it's ok to paint the front of your building, it has been known in the past farang have been done for doing things like DIY around the house, tread very careful what one immigration officer says another one might say different, I know what they are like where I live,

Next time dont sign anything you dont understand thats a basic rule 

[AndyAndyAndy]

All these internet heroes about not signing. ????????????

[steven100]

OP ; the visit was merely immigration procedure as done in many regions. They call, come visit ... sometimes ask to see your passport, and it's generally a visit to make sure your visa is correct and your ok.

They have previously asked the farang if the thai family is treating you ok and you are not being cheated in any way, once again, just to ensure all is ok. I think the head IO sends them out to do the rounds.

Nothing to worry about .... they are friendly enough, and it's better to get on their good side rather than say ' i'm signing nothing, or I'm not talking or I have to go out. 

As for the doc signing, I wouldn't worry to much, however next time just politely say you would like the wife to translate it for you as you don't sign anything you don't understand. 

[ravip]

17 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

They say it's ok to paint the front of your building, it has been known in the past farang have been done for doing things like DIY around the house, tread very careful what one immigration officer says another one might say different, I know what they are like where I live,

Next time dont sign anything you dont understand thats a basic rule 

"it has been known..."

This is very similar to 'forwarded as received', 'I heard that', 'I saw it on FB' etc where a lot of garbage is circulated as pure fact. I think, if someone is quoting something important, the source should be divulged so the reader could verify the fact.

Every time I stay in Thailand I always do the house chores as I hate to idle. Painting of the fence and gate, pruning hedges, planting and maintaining flower beds, washing the car, motor cycle and bicycles, sweeping the garden and the road adjacent the house, drilling, sawing etc most times in full view and in front of the house. For many years, never did I have any issue. In fact, sometimes when passing, neighbours slow down to greet me or to exchange a few words.

It seems, a few posters wants to paint Thailand as a foreboding and dangerous place to live in, while they themselves have been parked in TH for decades!

Remember the 'doomsday' predictions of Thailand made by some TVF experts and specialists, when the COVID-19 pandemic started? According to them, by now at least a million deaths should have occurred in TH!

Yes, I miss those TVF experts and specialists as their silence is deafening!

 

Next time don't sign anything you don't understand that's a basic rule - 100% Agree on this.

[JensenZ]

1 hour ago, steven100 said:

OP ; the visit was merely immigration procedure as done in many regions. They call, come visit ... sometimes ask to see your passport, and it's generally a visit to make sure your visa is correct and your ok.

They have previously asked the farang if the thai family is treating you ok and you are not being cheated in any way, once again, just to ensure all is ok. I think the head IO sends them out to do the rounds.

Nothing to worry about .... they are friendly enough, and it's better to get on their good side rather than say ' i'm signing nothing, or I'm not talking or I have to go out. 

As for the doc signing, I wouldn't worry to much, however next time just politely say you would like the wife to translate it for you as you don't sign anything you don't understand. 

As the ultimate apologist for all things Thai I would expect such a comment from you, but despite your case for signing a form you can't read, it hasn't changed my mind - I would not. Having said that, I have never been put in such a situation so perhaps the OP's office is not very Farang-friendly. In Jomtien all forms have an English translation because they know we cannot read Thai. In the OP's case it's possible they expected his wife to read it.

[steven100]

1 hour ago, JensenZ said:

As the ultimate apologist for all things Thai

I think you may have misjudged me some, i am not an apologist for all things Thai as you tried to infer, I have a balanced view and see things in a common sense way, and not one that excuses farang or thai in any biased way. 

[JensenZ]

1 hour ago, steven100 said:

I think you may have misjudged me some, i am not an apologist for all things Thai as you tried to infer, I have a balanced view and see things in a common sense way, and not one that excuses farang or thai in any biased way. 

I've read a lot of your posts and it's the way I see you. Maybe you've changed, but I remember you defending the military rule very strongly from 2014 on. I don't see any justification for sucking up to immigration officers by signing documents you cannot read, just to keep them happy.

Edited June 10, 2020 by JensenZ

[473geo]

The more I read Tvisa the more I form the opinion that there are people out there who will do their damnedest to find a way to make life more difficult than it needs to be!

I have no problem understanding that Thai officials have a job to do, that they follow instructions, and the more smooth and pleasant I can make that experience the better life will be for all!!

Some of the stuff I read on here really makes me take the whining and moaning with a sack of salt!! Mainly because I understand that a persons demeanor and attitude to those in authority does have an effect.

[JackThompson]

The home-visits for marriage-based extensions have some validity - seeing if you actually live with your wife.  I hope, someday, they will let me get to that step, instead of blocking me with made-up unpublished requirements which don't prove anything remotely relevant. 

 

1 hour ago, 473geo said:

I have no problem understanding that Thai officials have a job to do, that they follow instructions, and the more smooth and pleasant I can make that experience the better life will be for all!!

In my experience, being polite makes no difference at all.  They have their sights firmly on a fat envelope from their agent-partner, and no amount of being cordial makes any difference.

[tonray]

16 hours ago, bbabythai said:

said it was regarding my recent 1 yr ext of stay. I hope I didnt sign my life away.

Install the Google Translate App...now you can photo translate Thai ...It works like a charm...not 100% but welll enough so you can understand what your are signing

[Bender Rodriguez]

1 hour ago, tonray said:

Install the Google Translate App...now you can photo translate Thai ...It works like a charm...not 100% but welll enough so you can understand what your are signing

English to thai translation works soso

 

Thai to English makes no sense at all, just jibbrish

[Bangkok Barry]

Some people I know last week had a call from immigration to say they were on the way and to have money available. I think 2000 baht was mentioned. So the people I know got a few friends and relatives in for their arrival to ensure that no 'negotiations' could or would take place. They came from the same office where my wife was invited to make a contribution when she was a day late reporting that I had returned home to the address I had already given when entering the country, reducing the maximum fine of 2000 baht to 500.

 

When officials who are there to uphold the law break it themselves it undermines the whole of society. And it happens in every public office at every level. If you held a poll among Thai people asking if they respected or liked those working in (insert any profession which requires a uniform) I'd get you'd get a zero. What a wonderful culture.

[crazykopite]

Hey Bro the good news is you just signed to say you would donate a million baht for the brand new local IO computer system ????

[ravip]

2 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Some people I know last week had a call from immigration to say they were on the way and to have money available. I think 2000 baht was mentioned. So the people I know got a few friends and relatives in for their arrival to ensure that no 'negotiations' could or would take place. They came from the same office where my wife was invited to make a contribution when she was a day late reporting that I had returned home to the address I had already given when entering the country, reducing the maximum fine of 2000 baht to 500.

 

When officials who are there to uphold the law break it themselves it undermines the whole of society. And it happens in every public office at every level. If you held a poll among Thai people asking if they respected or liked those working in (insert any profession which requires a uniform) I'd get you'd get a zero. What a wonderful culture.

"If you held a poll among Thai people..."

Today, this might apply Globally!

(But, while living in TH, we can ignore the rest of the countries, I guess)

[Bangkok Barry]

12 minutes ago, ravip said:

16 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Some people I know last week had a call from immigration to say they were on the way and to have money available. I think 2000 baht was mentioned. So the people I know got a few friends and relatives in for their arrival to ensure that no 'negotiations' could or would take place. They came from the same office where my wife was invited to make a contribution when she was a day late reporting that I had returned home to the address I had already given when entering the country, reducing the maximum fine of 2000 baht to 500.

 

When officials who are there to uphold the law break it themselves it undermines the whole of society. And it happens in every public office at every level. If you held a poll among Thai people asking if they respected or liked those working in (insert any profession which requires a uniform) I'd get you'd get a zero. What a wonderful culture.

"If you held a poll among Thai people..."

Today, this might apply Globally!

(But, while living in TH, we can ignore the rest of the countries, I guess)

1 - this is a forum about Thailand, not 'the rest of the countries'.

2 - where I come from, those in public positions of authority do not base the level of service they give based on how much is slipped to them under the counter.

[grobec]

2 hours ago, tonray said:

Install the Google Translate App...now you can photo translate Thai ...It works like a charm...not 100% but welll enough so you can understand what your are signing

Bravo!

a brilliant finale and really the only one necessary in this whole string.

i give you 5 stars today.

 

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

Works well for me. Sentences come out with enough grammar to make sense. You should definitely be able to know if you're signing your life away.

 

To get rid of the gibberish, move the camera around slightly so that the lettering lines up just the way for the app to interpret it correctly. Also, live translation like this is faster, but works less well than taking a photo, importing it into the app, then translating the words and sentences one by one.

 

This started working about two years ago. Before that you had to type in the Thai yourself. It was a godsend. I was finally in the loop with all the school announcements they kept leaving on my desk, knowing full well my Thai was weak, while they gleefully giggled away about me being in the dark. Then I started filling in my farang coworkers. They weren't exactly happy about that.

 

A tremendous source of insight into what's going on, the culture of both the country and your workplace, and a study tool for learning the language.

[petedk]

53 minutes ago, crazykopite said:

Hey Bro the good news is you just signed to say you would donate a million baht for the brand new local IO computer system ????

 

13 minutes ago, CrunchWrapSupreme said:

Works well for me. Sentences come out with enough grammar to make sense. You should definitely be able to know if you're signing your life away.

 

To get rid of the gibberish, move the camera around slightly so that the lettering lines up just the way for the app to interpret it correctly. Also, live translation like this is faster, but works less well than taking a photo, importing it into the app, then translating the words and sentences one by one.

 

This started working about two years ago. Before that you had to type in the Thai yourself. It was a godsend. I was finally in the loop with all the school announcements they kept leaving on my desk, knowing full well my Thai was weak, while they gleefully giggled away about me being in the dark. Then I started filling in my farang coworkers. They weren't exactly happy about that.

 

A tremendous source of insight into what's going on, the culture of both the country and your workplace, and a study tool for learning the language.

I agree with you.

 

It really helps in some situations, even though it's not 100% perfect. I have been using this app for some time now. I can read a little Thai, but I have to almost spell my way through and longer documents would take all day to read.

[pmarlin]

18 hours ago, AndyAndyAndy said:

All these internet heroes about not signing. ????????????

Don't know if they are heroes but they are correct and gave good advice.

[OJAS]

17 hours ago, JensenZ said:

so perhaps the OP's office is not very Farang-friendly.

We're still waiting for @bbabythai to tell us which particular office this is.

[transam]

I had a team of police visit yesterday, wanted to take my photo and see my PP. I asked Mrs.T why, she said their boss knows there are dodgy farangs in our area (Ubon), I said but one of the cops is our friend, he knows about me, she said, the boss tells them what to do.....

There was no signing anything, I wouldn't anyhoooo, unless I knew what it said...

[thaibeachlovers]

20 hours ago, JensenZ said:

It would be useful to indicate which immigration office and what extension. Marriage or retirement.

 

I would not, under any circumstances, sign a document I cannot read. All you had to say was, sorry, I cannot read Thai and I'll need to have it translated first.

 

In 15 years of dealing with the Jomtien Immigration Office I have never once been handed a document to sign which didn't have an English translation.

When I got divorced I only had a Thai language document to sign. I signed as I just wanted it done and was OK.

However in a perfect world and all that.................................

[JensenZ]

6 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

When I got divorced I only had a Thai language document to sign. I signed as I just wanted it done and was OK.

However in a perfect world and all that.................................

There is a distinct difference between your divorce document and the OP's immigration document. You had a clue what it was for. Still, I would have taken the time to have the divorce document translated.

[473geo]

25 minutes ago, transam said:

I had a team of police visit yesterday, wanted to take my photo and see my PP. I asked Mrs.T why, she said their boss knows there are dodgy farangs in our area (Ubon), I said but one of the cops is our friend, he knows about me, she said, the boss tells them what to do.....

There was no signing anything, I wouldn't anyhoooo, unless I knew what it said...

Surely not a 'do you know who I am' from You Trans - to the wife only I hope ????

[JackThompson]

2 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Some people I know last week had a call from immigration to say they were on the way and to have money available. I think 2000 baht was mentioned. So the people I know got a few friends and relatives in for their arrival to ensure that no 'negotiations' could or would take place. They came from the same office where my wife was invited to make a contribution when she was a day late reporting that I had returned home to the address I had already given when entering the country, reducing the maximum fine of 2000 baht to 500.

 

When officials who are there to uphold the law break it themselves it undermines the whole of society. And it happens in every public office at every level. If you held a poll among Thai people asking if they respected or liked those working in (insert any profession which requires a uniform) I'd get you'd get a zero. What a wonderful culture.

Agree with all up to the last line.  The corrupt envelope-mongers in government bureaucracies are not "Thai Culture" - they are a cancerous-wart on the backside of Thailand.

 

2 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

1 - this is a forum about Thailand, not 'the rest of the countries'.

2 - where I come from, those in public positions of authority do not base the level of service they give based on how much is slipped to them under the counter.

On #2 - Yes, where I come from you get a Felony-record and Years in the Slammer with Other Criminals, for doing that.

Edited June 11, 2020 by JackThompson