300 Baht for certificate of residence - take it or leave it !

[mancub]

Ubon Tourist Police...( Immigration won't issue said form) insist there is a 'service charge' of 300 bt.  They refuse to offer  any form of receipt or show any paperwork regarding this fee. Is this normal and accepted practice now or was it always thus ? 

[Oldie]

I would have reported a criminal offence. You have been at the police anyway. 

[poohy]

I believe its free in Hua hin if you want to wait at least a month 

However an express service like "now " is 500 THB

[PatOngo]

Ah, they charged you the skin tax! (White)! Did you get the free lunch for 1000THB?

[problemfarang]

dont want to start an argument but i think its normal to have a fee for a service... and 300 is not that bad tbh

[mancub]

11 minutes ago, Oldie said:

I would have reported a criminal offence. You have been at the police anyway. 

Think I'd still be there now if I had done....!

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

Yup. I was out around there in Issan years ago and paid similar. Technically it’s supposed to be free. But like the immigration offices, each sets their own rules and can do whatever.

But they’re the friends you really want to have out there. They don’t get many tourists, and don’t have as much activity nor support as other places. Help em out man.

I heard it’s not uncommon to end up exchanging cell numbers with a ranking officer, who might call upon you for something trivial, like a photo op to show he’s out and about working with the farangs. Then you may call upon him for favours as well.

[mancub]

18 minutes ago, problemfarang said:

dont want to start an argument but i think its normal to have a fee for a service... and 300 is not that bad tbh

Understand, but it's a Government agency, and it's just 2 minutes work and supposedly free.

 

[richard_smith237]

Consider it an ‘under the table administration charge’ 

In theory, such a document is free. Charging for it is illegal. 

Realistically, what are you going to do about it. 

The problem, not the 300 baht they are charging now, but the 2000 baht they will try and get away with charging for the same document in 5 or 10 years when they think they can get away with it. 

 

Offer 200b and see how negotiable the graft is !!!!! See it as a game !

[FlyingThai]

4 hours ago, problemfarang said:

dont want to start an argument but i think its normal to have a fee for a service... and 300 is not that bad tbh

I have no problem with paying a fee for a service as long as there is a fee schedule and I get a receipt.

[Mavideol]

4 hours ago, mancub said:

Ubon Tourist Police...( Immigration won't issue said form) insist there is a 'service charge' of 300 bt.  They refuse to offer  any form of receipt or show any paperwork regarding this fee. Is this normal and accepted practice now or was it always thus ? 

do you know in which country you are in , there is nothing normal here, as they usually say  "it is what it is, up to you"   555

[Olmate]

15 minutes ago, FlyingThai said:

I have no problem with paying a fee for a service as long as there is a fee schedule and I get a receipt.

   I guess they dont have a problem if you do have aproblem! 

[FlyingThai]

6 minutes ago, Olmate said:

   I guess they dont have a problem if you do have aproblem! 

I don't deal with government offices. I use an agent to take care of such things.

[richard_smith237]

13 minutes ago, FlyingThai said:

I don't deal with government offices. I use an agent to take care of such things.

 

Paying someone else 1000 baht so they can bribe someone 300 Baht....  ?

 

 

[FlyingThai]

1 minute ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Paying someone else 1000 baht so they can bribe someone 300 Baht....  ?

 

 

Paying someone else amount X so I don't have to deal with the aggravation of wasting half a day going to the immigration office and dealing with corrupt officials. Given the distance between my residence and the nearest IO already means a minimum of 300 Baht taxi fare per way.

These days most of the formalities can be taken care of by TE and I didn't need such a certificate for years.

[richard_smith237]

3 minutes ago, FlyingThai said:

Paying someone else amount X so I don't have to deal with the aggravation of wasting half a day going to the immigration office and dealing with corrupt officials. Given the distance between my residence and the nearest IO already means a minimum of 300 Baht taxi fare per way.

These days most of the formalities can be taken care of by TE and I didn't need such a certificate for years.

 

Ok.. so you’ve paid someone 500,000 baht to avoid 600 baht taxi fare and some hassle. 

 

Or, did you get the Thai Elite visa because you have no other visa options? in which case its not quite the same as paying an agent to avoid the hassles... Avoiding the hassles is a perk of paying a lot of money for a visa. 

 

I too am a Thai Elite member, so no criticism there - but I doubt there are many who would have chosen membership on the single basis of avoiding contact with government officials and half a days time saving. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Moonlover]

5 hours ago, mancub said:

Ubon Tourist Police...( Immigration won't issue said form) insist there is a 'service charge' of 300 bt.  They refuse to offer  any form of receipt or show any paperwork regarding this fee. Is this normal and accepted practice now or was it always thus ? 

Cheap. Grab it. It's a bargain!

[Captain Monday]

1000 in Chiang Mai through an agent. Or I can go to a hassle of a  US consul appointment and pay them more!

[jvs]

Maybe Big Joke will take care of a few things again,soon!

 

[FlyingThai]

21 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Ok.. so you’ve paid someone 500,000 baht to avoid 600 baht taxi fare and some hassle. 

 

Or, did you get the Thai Elite visa because you have no other visa options? in which case its not quite the same as paying an agent to avoid the hassles... Avoiding the hassles is a perk of paying a lot of money for a visa. 

 

I too am a Thai Elite member, so no criticism there - but I doubt there are many who would have chosen membership on the single basis of avoiding contact with government officials and half a days time saving.

TE is the only viable visa option for me. I'm in my late 30s and my company is abroad. I'd rather shoot myself than getting married here or open a business under the current rules. 1 Mio Baht for 20 years on the bare bones package seems like a good investment, by the time that runs out I can eye a retirement option or renew.

The only advantage TE offers me now is for the 90 day report. Haven't tried to use them for a residence certificate, not sure if they even offer that.

FWIW I received my last residence certificate for 200 Baht at Chaengwattana (2019) and did get a receipt as well. Unfortunately I had to go physically go myself to switch the visa the same day, no way around that.

Edited March 11, 2021 by FlyingThai
Typo

[paahlman]

Whatever may be argued. According to the Thai Law this is a free service. Ask for a reciept and you will never get one. I repeat.. It IS a free service.

[bojo]

16 hours ago, CrunchWrapSupreme said:

I heard it’s not uncommon to end up exchanging cell numbers with a ranking officer, who might call upon you for something trivial, like a photo op to show he’s out and about working with the farangs. Then you may call upon him for favours as well.

But, cynically, more like to arrange a meet to get info on which foreigners are working without permits

[RJRS1301]

26 minutes ago, paahlman said:

Whatever may be argued. According to the Thai Law this is a free service. Ask for a reciept and you will never get one. I repeat.. It IS a free service.

Free to pay it or not get the required certificate.

 

[Ventenio]

300????   NO, no no no no.....  One ZERO is wrong...

3000. 

oh wait ,how about 30,000?  you no like?  you go bye bye.  oh you not know this happens.  you know.  you smile  you pay you pay and pay and pay

after 100000000 hours of headaches, you get it for free

and then have to go back the next day

thanks for playing

[phetphet]

You're lucky!  It's 500 where I am. Has been for years. but they will give you two if you ask. E.g. For buying new and selling old motorbike.

Still. It's done while you wait, and beats the queues. 

[bkk6060]

2 hours ago, paahlman said:

Whatever may be argued. According to the Thai Law this is a free service. Ask for a reciept and you will never get one. I repeat.. It IS a free service.

You have a link showing it is free? 

[UncleMhee]

Fees? Nothing is written about that. Some places do it for free, some immigration office can ask 500 baht. Use common sense ...

https://thailawonline.com/en/others/immigration-law/certificate-of-residence.html

 

 

[Scouse123]

Common sense and speed says just pay it for an easy passage and an easy life.

I wouldn't go quoting the law or rights and wrongs to the tourist police over 300 baht.

[rucker4012]

BTW, they are only good for 30 days. Hua Hin denizens beware

[MarcIssan]

19 hours ago, mancub said:

Ubon Tourist Police...( Immigration won't issue said form) insist there is a 'service charge' of 300 bt.  They refuse to offer  any form of receipt or show any paperwork regarding this fee. Is this normal and accepted practice now or was it always thus ? 

I visited a Thai legal services website not long ago and they discussed what we farangs might call bribes and labeled them as 'customer service' fees.  These ad hoc fees are to assure our paperwork gets process expeditiously and without error.  The government agent to whom you paid will then take a personal interest in assuring everything goes smoothly.  The site mentioned these are customary fees and the price can vary between provinces and among officials within a province.  So if a person wants 'expedited' personal service, pay the fees.