The restrictions on travel due to the covid-19 pandemic have led to new difficulties for people seeking long-term visas and new opportunities for corruption at Immigration offices. I had my first experience recently with an immigration officer telling me I had a problem with my visa extension request, and saying he could fix it for extra money. To me that is graft, meaning taking advantage of an official position to extract money from the public. It's not bribery because I did not offer the payment.

 

I know this is as common as garbage on the side of the road, but is there any government office or official that might take a complaint about this seriously? Where might I be able to complain about this to some effect?

thousands of years with corruption, and you wish to change Thailand...

Good luck....

 

glegolo

https://www.nacc.go.th/english

You can report, but make sure there's absolutely nothing they can find about you unless you wish to see the inside of IDC and deportation procedure.

27 minutes ago, Jlop said:

I know this is as common as garbage on the side of the road, but is there any government office or official that might take a complaint about this seriously? Where might I be able to complain about this to some effect?

There is an anti corruption office, but they don't take complaints unless you give them a bribe.

On rare occasions, a junior official might try this without the knowledge and participation of his boss. In that case, if you can prove it, there is a chance of getting the official disciplined. Generally, though, the official is part of the system, and trying to tackle it is asking for trouble.

This isn't one rogue officer like you are probably thinking.  Everyone in immigration knows about this and approves of it, right up to the highest level.  The extra fees they collect this way are likely shared among the whole department.  It won't help to make a complaint.

This is not corruption.

Merely an introduction to Thai immigration law loopholes for a fee.

Interested to know, did you pay the extra money that was asked for?

I don't know of many business where 'additional work' caused by incompetence of the customer does not carry a charge

58 minutes ago, Jlop said:

Where might I be able to complain about this to some effect?

Try the Thai Visa forum. You'll get lots of really good advice. 555

 

So is there really a problem with your visa extension request which could theoretically be obtained through the existing visa extension rules?

What was the problem he could fix?....

don't take it to personal.

It is only a bit of colluption? No ploplem.

20 minutes ago, 473geo said:

I don't know of many business where 'additional work' caused by incompetence of the customer does not carry a charge

 

20 minutes ago, 473geo said:

I don't know of many business where 'additional work' caused by incompetence of the customer does not carry a charge

You put "additional work" in quotes like I said it, but I didn't.

15 minutes ago, polpott said:

Try the Thai Visa forum. You'll get lots of really good advice. 555

 

As usual 

1 minute ago, Jlop said:

 

You put "additional work" in quotes like I said it, but I didn't.

Yes should have been single quotes, send me the bill for my error

14 minutes ago, userabcd said:

So is there really a problem with your visa extension request which could theoretically be obtained through the existing visa extension rules?

Maybe, if I was willing to travel from one end of the country to another use a different immigration office

40 minutes ago, Phillip9 said:

This isn't one rogue officer like you are probably thinking.  Everyone in immigration knows about this and approves of it, right up to the highest level.  The extra fees they collect this way are likely shared among the whole department.  It won't help to make a complaint.

Yes and it is not only endemic here, but genetic.....so consider the cost of what you were asked to pay, vs what it will cost you to get your problem sorted (if at all possible)!!

 

Meant to add that as far as corruption and Thailand go.........it's all part of life's rich tapestry here!

7 minutes ago, AlfHuy said:

don't take it to personal.

It is only a bit of colluption? No ploplem.

Don't take it too personally. 

 

Of course we would never ridicule anyone's linguistic abilities, would we? 

6 minutes ago, amexpat said:

Don't take it too personally. 

 

Of course we would never ridicule anyone's linguistic abilities, would we? 

right

Solly, English is my 4th language. Solly.

1 hour ago, glegolo said:

thousands of years with corruption, and you wish to change Thailand...

Good luck....

 

glegolo

We need to keep bringing it up - maybe the young people trying to change this country will be interested at some point.

You know this song?

 

 

Monica - Don't Take It Personal (Just One Of Dem Days ...

 

Lyrics

It's just one of them days, when I wanna be all alone 
It's just one of them days, when I gotta be all alone 
It's just one of them days, don't take it personal 
I just wanna be all alone, and you think I treat you wrong… More

1 hour ago, jackdd said:

https://www.nacc.go.th/english

Thanks, that's all I was looking for.

9 minutes ago, 473geo said:

Yes should have been single quotes, send me the bill for my error

They didn't do any extra work anyway.

1 minute ago, Jlop said:

They didn't do any extra work anyway.

Then I am at a loss, you have approached immigration with everything in order to allow the paperwork to be processed at this office and for some reason this did not happen?

6 minutes ago, 473geo said:

10 minutes ago, Jlop said:

They didn't do any extra work anyway.

Then I am at a loss, you have approached immigration with everything in order to allow the paperwork to be processed at this office and for some reason this did not happen?

 

Indeed - what exactly was missing from your paperwork that the Immigration Officer would 'turn a blind eye to' for a free?

 

Could you easily remedy the issue and return with everything in place the next day?

 

Was the immigration officer making life a lot easier for you so you didn’t have to run around for more required documents etc?

 

There’s not doubt about it, this is corruption - but in a lot of cases the ‘grey area’ is where the cost is minimal but the solution advantageous to you. 

 

 

So far you’ve given no real information other than ‘immigration officer spited a problem and asked for a bribe'

 

Fill in the gaps... this will also help others who are making extensions to avoid the same mistake.

3 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Indeed - what exactly was missing from your paperwork that the Immigration Officer would 'turn a blind eye to' for a free?

 

Could you easily remedy the issue and return with everything in place the next day?

 

Was the immigration officer making life a lot easier for you so you didn’t have to run around for more required documents etc?

 

There’s not doubt about it, this is corruption - but in a lot of cases the ‘grey area’ is where the cost is minimal but the solution advantageous to you. 

 

 

So far you’ve given no real information other than ‘immigration officer spited a problem and asked for a bribe'

 

Fill in the gaps... this will also help others who are making extensions to avoid the same mistake.

Have you guys any idea how frequently people who have spent quite a large sum of money for immigration 'processing' all over the world are simply rejected and told start again!!

7 minutes ago, 473geo said:

Then I am at a loss, you have approached immigration with everything in order to allow the paperwork to be processed at this office and for some reason this did not happen?

The OP did not clearly identify the reason for rejection or identify what was wrong.

I suggest he did not satisfy requirements.

It seems he has not obtained his extension. Is now on thaivisa focusing on corruption. With 6 more business days left till Friday 25. I suggest keeps eye on the ball.

I remember my first time..  they were surprisingly gentle ????

 

I first knew something was funky when I saw an agent start wheeling in box after box of gift oranges on a trolley. No problem, no id, just walked straight into the officers area.

Only 5 minutes before he had delivered a wad of passports and papers..  juicing the wheels