Not a word spoken

[koratkarlos]

I picked up my one-year marriage extension at the 100% professional Korat Immigration office this week.  Everything went as described in this forum, no surprises.  And for me it was all about getting the paperwork correct.  But....

 

In this whole process I was never asked a single question, not a word spoken.  My wife was asked a few questions, and my neighbors many at the home police interview but none were asked of me.  I feel like a house plant.  Maybe I will get some water.  Oh well, to another year in Thailand!

[rumak]

8 minutes ago, koratkarlos said:

I feel like a house plant

In many many cases........ that's exactly what the farang is like here.  Great description !

 

For those who want to be more than that,  one has to earn his stripes here.  Even in my home country ,  when i moved to a new area i was the outsider who had to gain respect.  It was not

automatically given.     No different here.   Learn the language,  act in a way that Thais will appreciate,  be confident but not arrogant,  learn to smile (that can be a tough one without

knowledge of what the heck is going on ),   ohhh, and many other things.  

 

Some plants are just watered in haste.   Others get loving attention ..........

[Pilotman]

not sure what your point is OP.  Unless you are a very social person who expects interaction with others at every turn, then why would this bother you?  I don't need or expect any particular reaction from others, Thai or not, so what you describe seems perfectly normal and acceptable to me. 

[OJAS]

As far as I am concerned, the less direct verbal interraction I need to have with immigration officers with a rudimentary comprehension of the English language at annual extension of stay time the better. More than happy to leave all the yakking on my behalf to the wife!

 

[Pilotman]

23 minutes ago, OJAS said:

As far as I am concerned, the less direct verbal interraction I need to have with immigration officers with a rudimentary comprehension of the English language at annual extension of stay time the better. More than happy to leave all the yakking on my behalf to the wife!

 

yep, absolutely. 

[koratkarlos]

There is no real point to this post.  Just a description of my experience.  

[Tanoshi]

16 hours ago, koratkarlos said:

I feel like a house plant. 

A money bush plant!

[NancyL]

i used a visa agent for the first time ever last year for my one year retirement extension because I switched from 800,000 baht in the bank to monthly income since I had reached aged 65 and started pension and wanted to make sure I had it right.  I felt the same way this year at CM Immigration.  The applications from visa agent clients are processed in a special room with the client in-and-out just long enough for a photo.  No interaction.  I, too, felt like a house plant. 

 

A happy house plant because I didn't have to sit across from an immigration officer while he reviewed every line of my application and every piece of paper while making small talk in Thai about how I support myself since the 800,000 baht in the bank is never touched, how I spend my time (maybe to catch if I'm volunteering illegally), how many children do I have, do I live with my husband, do I return to my home country often, and other stuff that is none of his business. 

[Tanoshi]

800,000 never touched in the bank.

Monthly pension.

Do you live with your husband.

 

You can see his interests there Nancy.    ???? ???? 

[CorpusChristie]

4 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

800,000 never touched in the bank.

Monthly pension.

Do you live with your husband.

 

You can see his interests there Nancy.    ???? ???? 

"Are you sure that you're 65...........................you don't look it ???? " 

[Bender Rodriguez]

when my visa extension based of being parent of thai child was denied, the IO talked in THAI ONLY to my child instead talking to me in english !

[transam]

6 hours ago, koratkarlos said:

There is no real point to this post.  Just a description of my experience.  

And this is a chat forum......????

[Saltire]

After my first annual extension I learned to go to the window without my wife as everything was directed at her in Thai and left to her to communicate with me. However the IO has much better English than the wife so she was just not able to tell me what may have been important. Since then she stays seated unless called over.

 

For the meeting at my home (3 now) all pleasant but yes the house plant is a very apt description. I am now a house plant that can understand a little of peoples conversations but saying nothing can have its advantages in these dealings.

 

 

[from the home of CC]

22 hours ago, Pilotman said:

not sure what your point is OP.  Unless you are a very social person who expects interaction with others at every turn, then why would this bother you?  I don't need or expect any particular reaction from others, Thai or not, so what you describe seems perfectly normal and acceptable to me. 

and we would of heard endless complaining if he was questioned extensively. Obviously all was in order, job well done with the paper but still dissatisfied because he wasn't grilled. I've traveled for work and pleasure for many years to many countries but I've never seen the likes of people who decide to reside/vacation here - snowflakes in the tropics just don't add up... 

[from the home of CC]

3 hours ago, NancyL said:

i used a visa agent for the first time ever last year for my one year retirement extension because I switched from 800,000 baht in the bank to monthly income since I had reached aged 65 and started pension and wanted to make sure I had it right.  I felt the same way this year at CM Immigration.  The applications from visa agent clients are processed in a special room with the client in-and-out just long enough for a photo.  No interaction.  I, too, felt like a house plant. 

 

A happy house plant because I didn't have to sit across from an immigration officer while he reviewed every line of my application and every piece of paper while making small talk in Thai about how I support myself since the 800,000 baht in the bank is never touched, how I spend my time (maybe to catch if I'm volunteering illegally), how many children do I have, do I live with my husband, do I return to my home country often, and other stuff that is none of his business. 

ever been grilled by an American or Canadian border guard or immigration official? You don't have a clue what an real interrogation is like I'm afraid..

[4MyEgo]

23 hours ago, koratkarlos said:

And for me it was all about getting the paperwork correct.  But....

My wife does her best to get all the paperwork in order as I have 90% of the docs saved so just a matter of printing them off and then she adds some more, once we are done, we will go in first cab off the rank so as not to overwhelm them with the queues that will follow, in all takes about 30 minutes.

 

We always wai when we walk in and they ackowelde us by smiling or wai-ing back, we will take a seat and wait, one of the IO will call out to my wife and she will say marriage extension, then we will wait 5 minutes and then be called, paper shuffling starts, if something wasn't photocopied enough, the IO will get up and just do what has to be done at the end of the process and put those docs in their places, then the fee is paid and he will point out when to come back saying the date, when handing me my passport and receipt.

 

The experience is always pleasant, although a little awkward as they mainly talk to my wife, however I understand English is not their first language and Thai is not mine, so we just wai and smile, common ground, I don't expect any special treatment as I am the guest in their country and depending on how things go with the amount of paperwork the IO has to do to get me across the line, I will slip him something when getting my passport stamp in a month, which is appreciated, it's not a lot but goes towards their New Years party fund, everybody's happy, although some might bork at it here on TVF, I call it a tip ok.

[brianthainess]

On 8/21/2020 at 4:22 PM, koratkarlos said:

picked up my one-year marriage extension at the 100% professional Korat Immigration office this week.  Everything went as described in this forum, no surprises

A friend of mine is using an agent in Korat, he has told me the agent has told him they changed the policy 2 mths ago that he no longer needs to supply 6 photos, can you tell me or anyone else if this is so ?? please, on his behalf. Thanks

[Chernsarmkhuat]

59 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

ever been grilled by an American or Canadian border guard or immigration official? You don't have a clue what an real interrogation is like I'm afraid..

 

1 hour ago, from the home of CC said:

ever been grilled by an American or Canadian border guard or immigration official? You don't have a clue what an real interrogation is like I'm afraid..

Ha ha Thanks for the reminder they are scary when they are friendly.

[rumak]

4 hours ago, NancyL said:

i used a visa agent for the first time ever last year for my one year retirement extension because I switched from 800,000 baht in the bank to monthly income since I had reached aged 65 and started pension and wanted to make sure I had it right.  I felt the same way this year at CM Immigration.  The applications from visa agent clients are processed in a special room with the client in-and-out just long enough for a photo.  No interaction.  I, too, felt like a house plant. 

 

A happy house plant because I didn't have to sit across from an immigration officer while he reviewed every line of my application and every piece of paper while making small talk in Thai about how I support myself since the 800,000 baht in the bank is never touched, how I spend my time (maybe to catch if I'm volunteering illegally), how many children do I have, do I live with my husband, do I return to my home country often, and other stuff that is none of his business. 

ahhh,  you've come a long way Nancy........ from that "on the front line for change " crusader to just

another "if you can't beat em join em "  realist.

life's a bi.......... oops,  better leave that out      lol

 

note:  posted in spirit of good humor  ????

[rumak]

1 hour ago, 4MyEgo said:

we will wait 5 minutes and then be called, paper shuffling starts, if something wasn't photocopied enough, the IO will get up and just do what has to be done at the end of the process and put those docs in their places,

just might have a chance that he/she  remembers that "thank you gift"  from last time .   thai's have

an excellent memory when it comes to  a. perceived slights      b. thank you's received

much easier when they remember (b)

[holy cow cm]

1 hour ago, Bender Rodriguez said:

when my visa extension based of being parent of thai child was denied

Why was it denied?

[KhaoYai]

On 8/21/2020 at 10:22 AM, koratkarlos said:

I picked up my one-year marriage extension at the 100% professional Korat Immigration office this week.  Everything went as described in this forum, no surprises. 

You were very lucky. With Korat Immigration, things either go well or they are made impossible - you do not ever want to get on the wrong side of the captain there.

[Ireland32]

Thais hate learning English, that’s the reason , Enjoy 

[recom273]

8 hours ago, koratkarlos said:

There is no real point to this post.  Just a description of my experience.  

I could not wish for anything better.

 

I had a pretty horrid experience last renewal, I just wanted the stamp, I didn’t see why the need to communicate, I presented all my paperwork which the officer promptly messed up, I couldn’t hear anything she was mumbling from behind her mask in Thai and asked the wife to decipher. Then she accused me of not being the applicant from last year, because it said I had good thai skills on my profile. Then it got worse when she started to interrogate me in some alien language that was hardly passable as English. 
 

In any other country the whole process is done online, without wasting a whole day sitting waiting for your turn. 

[koratkarlos]

Brianthainess --  I had about 10 photos.  They took four.  They were 5 x 7 inches and had to be glued to a piece of paper across the street.  I went to a photoshop to get them printed as my printer is no good for pictures.  They only took the photos of my wife and I together, at the house, in Thailand, and typically in the bedroom, living room, outside with the house number and in front of our car.

 

By the way I have been interviewed by Canadian border control for several hours and it is no fun.  So please do not think I am complaining, I am not.  It was just interesting to me that people did not ask me questions, they asked other people about my wife and I.

[Ireland32]

1 hour ago, Chernsarmkhuat said:

 

Ha ha Thanks for the reminder they are scary when they are friendly.

Vancouver is Like East Germany , Never I fly they there again , Ridiculous and after watching Border Security Australia I would never go, maybe they just hassle Chinese which is a good thing

[recom273]

Lol - yes, I guess so.

 

I was in Samui a few years back and asked moto rider for a trip of no more than 5 mins to pick up my bike from a car park - 300B - he would rather sit there doing nothing than arrive at an amicable price.
To me they are just opportunists rather than honest locals offering a genuine service.

[uksmdh]

On 8/21/2020 at 4:42 PM, rumak said:

Learn the language,  act in a way that Thais will appreciate,  be confident

I always sit looking at my phone screen whilst they all Witter on about this and that.  They always treat me like a local

[DJ54]

Feel same at home a house plant.. unwatered on the window shelf in the hot sun dAily

[KarenBravo]

On 8/21/2020 at 4:42 PM, rumak said:

In many many cases........ that's exactly what the farang is like here.  Great description !

 

For those who want to be more than that,  one has to earn his stripes here.  Even in my home country ,  when i moved to a new area i was the outsider who had to gain respect.  It was not

automatically given.     No different here.   Learn the language,  act in a way that Thais will appreciate,  be confident but not arrogant,  learn to smile (that can be a tough one without

knowledge of what the heck is going on ),   ohhh, and many other things.  

 

Some plants are just watered in haste.   Others get loving attention ..........

Holy sh#t! I agree with every word!