Immigration "tea Money"

[Pappap]

Have always accepted the occasional, I help you help me scenerio, but just how much is enough? Have been asked to pay 15K to change from a tourist visa to a non o for retirement, have all the requirements met and am going along with it, guess i have no choice, been here a long time and wish to stay as well, but they can make more problems if I don't accept this! Hopeing it settles after this, but a little aggrieved with it is there any way to stop this excess, some others are having even worse suggestions for a "tip" !

[IvorBiggun2]

15 minutes ago, Pappap said:

they can make more problems if I don't accept this!

I really don't believe that. If you do everything by the book you have nothing to worry about. 

[gearbox]

That looks very excessive, but the times are tough ????

 

I paid 2K for exactly the same, if it was pre covid times I was going just going to refuse to pay...2k would buy me a return trip to Langkawi, the land of the single malt. They actually didn't ask me the exact amount..whatever comes out of my heart I guess lol. It didn't help that I had way more money than the requirements in the bank book, they probably don't see many like this.

I think they didn't like it that low, as it took more than a month to get the non-o ????

[gearbox]

Just now, IvorBiggun2 said:

I really don't believe that. If you do everything by the book you have nothing to worry about. 

Are you talking about Thailand or some other country?

[Misty]

1 hour ago, Pappap said:

Have always accepted the occasional, I help you help me scenerio, but just how much is enough? Have been asked to pay 15K to change from a tourist visa to a non o for retirement, have all the requirements met and am going along with it, guess i have no choice, been here a long time and wish to stay as well, but they can make more problems if I don't accept this! Hopeing it settles after this, but a little aggrieved with it is there any way to stop this excess, some others are having even worse suggestions for a "tip" !

Can you give any details - who is doing the asking - an agent, an IO?  Where is this happening?

 

Will they give you a receipt?

[Rimmer]

Troll post removed

[Pappap]

57 minutes ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

I really don't believe that. If you do everything by the book you have nothing to worry about. 

You are kidding????????

[Pappap]

9 minutes ago, Misty said:

Can you give any details - who is doing the asking - an agent, an IO?  Where is this happening?

 

Will they give you a receipt?

IO... of course I'm not going to say where, a receipt for a bribe!!!

[Misty]

14 minutes ago, Pappap said:

IO... of course I'm not going to say where, a receipt for a bribe!!!

First, thank you for calling a spade a spade.

 

Interesting. I've heard of agents facilitating bribes, but hadn't heard of IOs asking directly for one. Did you broach the subject, or did they?

[Pappap]

39 minutes ago, Misty said:

First, thank you for calling a spade a spade.

 

Interesting. I've heard of agents facilitating bribes, but hadn't heard of IOs asking directly for one. Did you broach the subject, or did they?

They did, said it was cost to change now...

 

[gearbox]

1 hour ago, Pappap said:

You are kidding????????

He may be actually right from his experience. Thailand has a 3rd world style immigration service. There are 70+ immigration offices, and each one seems to make its own rules. Then within each immigration office you have IOs which "refine" the rules on their own. Then an IO can get on the wrong side of the bed and it won't be your lucky day.

So in that maze one can encounter places where they don't take bribes, and can also encounter places where they take excessive bribes.

 

The best solution to counter public service parasites in any country is to move the processing online to the max, here they are still far behind.

Edited July 21, 2021 by gearbox

[Nakdontree]

2 hours ago, Pappap said:

Have been asked to pay 15K

I can second that. Actually, I was even asked for a slightly higher amount. It seems that the general rule is: the larger the province the higher the figures for the brown envelopes. In my case the solution was I moved to one of the smaller neighbouring provinces and tried at this IO (requires a new address, i.e. a rental contract for at least 1 month). The officer at the smaller province IO then recommended me to do a 60-days covid extension first, which  cost me precisely 1900 Baht. Then she explained me the procedure on how to proceed after the 60 days' period, and then just indicated that the "... rookies in this room would be absolutely delighted if you ...", which I happily did and was completely voluntarily, anyway.

[gearbox]

45 minutes ago, Pappap said:

They did, said it was cost to change now...

 

IMO I would try to engage an agent for around half that price or below. As you satisfy all the conditions for a visa change, it would be easier for them, it theory they don't need to do anything illegal. The agents usually charge more than 15k people who need special visas like Education or Volunteer.

Edited July 21, 2021 by gearbox

[robblok]

2 hours ago, gearbox said:

That looks very excessive, but the times are tough ????

 

I paid 2K for exactly the same, if it was pre covid times I was going just going to refuse to pay...2k would buy me a return trip to Langkawi, the land of the single malt. They actually didn't ask me the exact amount..whatever comes out of my heart I guess lol. It didn't help that I had way more money than the requirements in the bank book, they probably don't see many like this.

I think they didn't like it that low, as it took more than a month to get the non-o ????

2k is normal price actually 1900 bt or so for a visa. So its normal that change will cost that too.

Edited July 21, 2021 by robblok

[gearbox]

Just now, robblok said:

2k is normal price actually 1900 bt or so for a visa. So its normal that change will cost that too.

I wish..paid 2k, +1900 for the actual visa change.

[robblok]

3 minutes ago, gearbox said:

I wish..paid 2k, +1900 for the actual visa change.

Yes then its tea money. I never been asked for tea money ever. Nothaburi and BKK.

 

Actually i once offered tea money to get a tm30 approved and they would not take it or do it.

Edited July 21, 2021 by robblok

[The Hammer2021]

You are fortunate to have the opportunity to use an agent and you certainly should not be discussing it on a public forum least of all complaining about using a system of which you disapprove. It leads you open to accusations of confused hypocrisy.

[greenmonkey]

I'm sorry but I would not pay that... I wouldn't pay anything, not a bean! My guess is that if you go along with this kind of thing in the first place and they will try it on more and more. You kinda making your bed as the saying goes. Next time you record them on your phone asking for a bribe and then after that you have nothing to worry about.

[gearbox]

5 minutes ago, robblok said:

Yes then its tea money. I never been asked for tea money ever. Nothaburi and BKK.

 

Actually i once offered tea money to get a tm30 approved and they would not take it or do it.

Well, it is Thailand. I consider it as part of the "package". I consider myself "long term tourist", with a maximum 1 year visa, I'm not here to change the country and its people. If demands for bribes increase, I may just move somewhere else.

A lot of people who live on money from abroad probably don't notice it,  but corruption here is widespread. I know by word of mouth about many businesses here in Samui who employ Myanmar people without valid work permits....no need to clarify further how this works.

 

[Pravda]

3 hours ago, Pappap said:

Have been asked to pay 15K to change from a tourist visa to a non o for retirement, have all the requirements met and am going along with it, guess i have no choice

On behalf of all Thai Visa posters thank you for making our stay in Thailand easier. 

[kynikoi]

1 hour ago, Pappap said:

They did, said it was cost to change now...

 

Report it. Tell them you reported it.

 

Make the visa in Bangkok.

 

You contribute to the BS you whine about

[gearbox]

5 minutes ago, kynikoi said:

Report it. Tell them you reported it.

 

Make the visa in Bangkok.

 

You contribute to the BS you whine about

It is a system which is played by both sides. There are tons of people who don't qualify for visas, they pay agents way above the real visa and processing costs, with clear knowledge that part of the fee is possibly a bribe.

The cleanest way to get a visa is from a Thai embassy in a western country, the chance of being asked for tea money is close to zero, but then how many "education" and "volunteer" visas these embassies are issuing? Not many...

The OP himself did nothing wrong, he fulfilled all the requirements and had all the paperwork, and obviously he didn't offer any money himself..he can go on a crusade with conversation recording and so on, if he thinks it is worth it.

[Neeranam]

3 hours ago, Pappap said:

Hoping it settles after this, but a little aggrieved with it is there any way to stop this excess, some others are having even worse suggestions for a "tip" !

This is definitely NOT a tip, it is extortion. Up to you if you bend over and take it up the **** or report them.

 

Just remember, if you pay an illegal bribe, you are making it hard for yourself in the future and other foreigners. 

 

 

[Neeranam]

2 hours ago, Misty said:

Can you give any details - who is doing the asking - an agent, an IO?  Where is this happening?

Yes, please give the name of the officer. These criminals should be named and shamed. 

[DrJack54]

Frankly OP, your post makes zero sense.

You state that you have met all requirements. The main one to obtain a non O retirement is to have 800k in Thai bank account in your name only on the day you apply (if using money in bank method).

You would also need to show that money came from overseas.

What's with the 15k story. 

That's price for using an agent to avoid bank requirement.

You state that you have been here long time. Sounds the opposite.

BTW what you are stating is obtaining a 90 day non O. 

After that you will need to obtain a 12 month extension. 

If you can meet the money in the bank method then do it yourself.

Edited July 21, 2021 by DrJack54

[EricTh]

37 minutes ago, kynikoi said:

Report it. Tell them you reported it.

 

Make the visa in Bangkok.

 

You contribute to the BS you whine about

 

I agree. Paying these corrupt officers will be like condoning bribery. They will then make it harder for other applicants so that they can get more bribes.

 

It's just like the residence certificate, they make it longer and longer to process every year so that people just give them the 500 baht or is it 1000 baht now?

 

Edited July 21, 2021 by EricTh

[Neeranam]

7 minutes ago, EricTh said:

 

I agree. Paying these corrupt officers will be like condoning bribery. They will then make it harder for other applicants so that they can get more bribes.

 

It's just like the residence certificate, they make it longer and longer to process every year so that people just give them the 500 baht or is it 1000 baht now?

 

The problem is that there are many people who don't meet the requirements for a visa and pay the 15k or whatever it is. 

Some people have no integrity and will pay illegally to stay in the country. I even see people bragging about it here. 

[simple1]

7 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Yes, please give the name of the officer. These criminals should be named and shamed. 

You know the member cannot name names due to Thai defamation law. One time I was asked for a large tip for O visa retirement extension. I turned to my wife and asked her for him to confirm my understanding of his demand in Thai, he processed the extension without further comment.

[mtls2005]

13 hours ago, Pappap said:

have all the requirements met

 

What method and documents do you have to support the Income?

 

Income affidavit from your embassy (assuming they issue one).

 

800,000 baht seasoned.

 

 

[ubonjoe]

12 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

800,000 baht seasoned.

He is not applying for a extension so the 2 months in the bank is not required. It is not required for a non-o visa application.

I can guess which office it is that has a reputation for saying it has to be in the bank for 2 months and then saying if can be fixed by paying 15k baht.