Top lawyer calls for corruption investigation into officer at Chiang Mai immigration

[473geo]

I appreciate plenty of options and alternatives, never know when you might need to be cut a little slack 

Be careful what you wish for ????

 

[Golden Triangle]

56 minutes ago, BestB said:

I did not realize you personally meant  most of Asean posters and expats, but all the power to you.

They prefer to use an agent, because they do not have 800 000 to keep in the bank, and not for any other reason, same applies to marriage extension of stay and more.

 

So once again, if Immigration did everything by the book, at least half would be kicked out and other half would be whining how bad it is and how good it use to be

 

Always amazes me how many moan about corruption and yet are not able to meet the requirements.

 

How about just being happy that corruption exists and makes your life easier because you were in a country without corruption, your stay would be very short. Ask all the Malaysian expats who had their life turned up side down, over night with new minimum required capital 

You are talking out of that thing that you sit on, utter rubbish.

 

I have been here over 10 years, I used to do the retirement renewal myself, but over time it got harder & harder because the IO made the process harder & harder - they got their secret wish, I now use an agent and that includes for the 90 days, I have the money in the bank I always have had, I just don't want or need to be treated like a fool.

[473geo]

I had a boss at work, if you asked a valid question he did not wish to answer, or made a damning statement he could not contradict, he steadily coloured red from the neck up ????

I wonder if the IO have a tagging system for similar customers ????

[ThaiFelix]

1 hour ago, SymS said:

Once I asked for a receipt for the 500 Baht I paid for the residence certificate.
They told me to wait a moment. The two staff talked together in Thai..
"We can't give a receipt, what should we do?"
"Just wait, he will just go away".

then asked me to sit and wait!

Yeah I just get laughed at when I ask for a receipt.  My previous office used to handle the resident certs in the front main office but when Big Joke first took over they moved to a small dark back office where there were no cameras.  Still no receipt of course but it was all entered in a big book.  I think the upper echelon didn't trust the lowly subs.

[Polaky]

That is a nice tidy sum the agent is pocketing off some non o seeking sucker, 30,000 baht, 1000 to the i/o, supplement the 800k, very nice, driving around in benz's, is there anyone honest over here?, Perhaps that lawyer, don't like his chances though.

[thaibook]

28 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Thailand is corrupt to the core, and no chance of ever stopping it with this lot in power.

Every level and every opportunity is taken to gouge money one way or another.

Nothing to do with this lot or that lot.  Thai social and political structures are essentially clientelist, so the giving of money in exchange for votes, jobs, favours, is normal.  The other lot simply wish to have access to the pot of gold to be able to favour their cronies and make more themselves.  The only ones who could potentially change the system are field ranking officers leading a real coup, not a reshuffling of seats and bank accounts.  But perhaps they are all too kriengjai

not be kriengjai 

[Mywayboy]

Why do you guys live in Thailand all you all do is <deleted> n moan about the Country every day.

Go back to whence you came.

[Jimjim1]

8 hours ago, tracker1 said:

This lawyer hasn't even touched the tip of the iceberg

But at least one has the balls to stand up and be counted, so more power to him and well done.

This action if successful will ultimately benefit all of us. Finders crossed

[mran66]

6 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

The "honest administrators" will probably be more expensive.

Not a money issue I think, they are equally scare resource as 'democracy' or 'professional law enforcement' in this country... Non existent as of yet, and likely during my lifetime. Thai 'culture' and Thainess at best! 

Edited January 25, 2022 by mran66

[Boomer6969]

40 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Thailand is corrupt to the core, and no chance of ever stopping it with this lot in power.

Every level and every opportunity is taken to gouge money one way or another.

But that wasn't corruption it was facilitating. I don't need facilitation for my extensions of stay but I have a friendly IO who charges 1000 Bahts to sign my pension papers. Well worth it, helps to have friends.

[raccos21]

This is not corruption this is just a business gifts.

[Burma Bill]

2 hours ago, BestB said:

If immigration starts doing everything by the book,

In my case, I am very happy they did not during my 20 years in Thailand. I can recall several "brown envelope" rackets that benefited me as I liked a hassle free life and none of the BS bureaucracy with Thai Immigration. Many years ago I can remember sitting enjoying a beer at a Thai resort on the Mekong whilst my passport was "processed" and returned to me showing stamps I had left Thailand, entered Laos, departed Laos and re-entered Thailand with a new TM6 attached (which I had previously completed). I never even left Thailand and I certainly never encountered a Laos Immigration Officer!! Fortunately I no longer live in Thailand with its bureaucracy. I could go on at great length but I will not, to protect those rackets if they still exist.

Edited January 25, 2022 by Burma Bill
additional information

[ChipButty]

Nothing wrong with a bit of corruption makes things move 

[Boomer6969]

13 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Nothing wrong with a bit of corruption makes things move 

Not sure you can call it corruption, these guys are on sub 30k salaries, it is implicit that they will raise some income elsewhere, and that's how it has been for centuries. One of us [can't remember who], once described them aptly as franchisees, and I couldn't agree more, but before you remove the "franchise" you have to double their salaries.

[rickthompson]

9 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

Last year at the immigration I go to, I completely forgot about my 90 day report, and ended up going a day  after the grace period.

I knew I was late, and the officer spotted it and said "you late, 2,000 baht fine". I knew he was right to fine me, so I asked if he would give me a receipt. and his reply was "no receipt, only 1,000 baht !" .

I took out my wallet, looked inside it and said "I only have 500 baht, he whispered "OK", accepted it, and slipped it into his pocket discreetly !

I think most officers are corrupt if they think they can obtain money and not get caught. 

Had exactly the same thing happen at my local office. Officer checking us in downstairs told my wife we could pay 1000 baht there with no receipt, or go upstairs to the officer and pay the full 2000 baht fine with receipt.  We chose the latter as I refuse to support the corruption.

[DBath]

Yawn, yet another investigation that will have no corresponding outcome or consequence.

[Presnock]

I have been going to CM immigration since 2015 when I moved to CM fm BKK.  After fighting the traffic in BKK, CM was fine but I did not like the having to get in line by at least 4AM to get a queue ticket for that day.  Then there were changes.  They moved around and then several embassies stopped issuing the pension letters..  Instead of penalizing ME, this saved me 50 US dollars in that I no longer had to visit the consulate for that letter.  I get enough paperwork from the pension office that more than satisfies the Immigration officers. Some even laugh at the amount of paperwork I provide to them from my local bank to my pension office to my stateside bank.  I have never been asked to provide any extra funds and for the past two years, have spent less than an hour at immigration each year.  NOW they have even come up with the new 90-day report online - and it worked for me the very first time so instead of things getting worse it seems the opposite for me.  I appreciate the smiles and talking with the IO's that I have interacted with.  My experiences may be solely mine and others may be different.

 

[giddyup]

3 hours ago, BestB said:

Do not know why so many of you getting excited when most of you do not have 800000 in the bank for your extensions .

 

If immigration starts doing everything by the book, half of you will be kicked out 

So be it.

[giddyup]

1 hour ago, Golden Triangle said:

You are talking out of that thing that you sit on, utter rubbish.

 

I have been here over 10 years, I used to do the retirement renewal myself, but over time it got harder & harder because the IO made the process harder & harder - they got their secret wish, I now use an agent and that includes for the 90 days, I have the money in the bank I always have had, I just don't want or need to be treated like a fool.

I have been her 12 years and have never used an agent yet. I comply with all that's required and never had a hitch, but I do know a few guys who use an agent solely because they don't have the 800K in the bank, or anywhere else either.

Edited January 25, 2022 by giddyup

[csmith]

What/Where is the 'Help Crime Victim's Club' ?

[StefanBBK]

5 hours ago, equalizer1970 said:

The only way they can clean this up is by banning the use of third party agencies and set up an independent appeals process. I went for a marriage visa years ago and they had me running around like a blue <deleted> fly. Oh this one need colour photo copy. Oh this you need 6 copies not 2 copies. This one no good need to go get new copy, signature touching line. Blaa Blaa Blaa. I eventually did what they said until they realized i wasn't going away. I paid the 1900 baht and she gave me back my passport and a big stack of A4 photocopies. Then her last words. ''Better you go see agent next time''! If there was an independent agency you could approach and show them what you have had to go through and they came down hard on these employees this would all stop in no time.  

I know exactly what you have been through. Same here. I used agents for years, even though I always had everything needed for my extensions. It was a pleasant and fast process. Couple years back the Misses asked me "why are you wasting your money on these agents? You have everything. We can do that ourselves."  So we did. I now need to plan three full days to run around, even so I bring plenty of copies, photos etc.. Last year the problem was with the photos. They asked for photos of the kids in school, despite schools being closed a long time with the pandemic. Went back home and printed pictures from previous year...  One year a used a family Photo that unfortunately included my SIL at the dinner table. That is apparently not allowed. 

[Pmbkk]

2 hours ago, Mywayboy said:

Why do you guys live in Thailand all you all do is <deleted> n moan about the Country every day.

Go back to whence you came.

 

I'm surprised I got to page 2 before this usual idiotic comment. What you see yourself as a homeboy. Id*ot you're not!

Corruption is corruption, that is the topic !

 

Edited January 25, 2022 by Pmbkk

[Bangkok Barry]

11 hours ago, BritManToo said:

11 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

Last year at the immigration I go to, I completely forgot about my 90 day report, and ended up going a day  after the grace period.

I knew I was late, and the officer spotted it and said "you late, 2,000 baht fine". I knew he was right to fine me, so I asked if he would give me a receipt. and his reply as "no receipt, only 1,000 baht !" .

I took out my wallet, looked inside it and said "I only have 500 baht, he whispered "OK", accepted it, and slipped it into his pocket discreetly !

I think most officers are corrupt if they think they can obtain money and not get caught. 

Expand  

This wasn't corruption, this was haggling.

It saved you 1,500bht off a legitimate fine.

 

I've had a similar experience. but relating to reporting my address. 2000 is the maximum fine, so a legal ask for 500 for a one day late report would have been in order. Demanding 2000 was bullying and harassment.

Edited January 25, 2022 by Bangkok Barry

[arithai12]

11 hours ago, BritManToo said:

This wasn't corruption, this was haggling.

It saved you 1,500bht off a legitimate fine.

 

I've not found Chiang Mai Immigration in any way corrupt, they've never asked me for any extra payments. I just find them unpleasant and pedantic, it really wouldn't hurt them to be nicer to their customers.

Sorry that this is your experience, and perhaps that of many who liked your post.

After the Big Joke changes some years ago, I find CM Imm just fine overall (can't say the same of the previous era when we had to camp at 3am in a parking lot in January to get a number).

 

I just did my yearly extension today. I had an appointment, a courteous officer checked my docs all ok, 9 minutes after my due time I was called by a kind young assistant "take a picture", ten minutes later another kind officer lady handed me my passport back. The room was full, their hands were full, yet I didn't find them unpleasant or pedantic.

[thailand49]

No not possible just in CM? ????

[BestB]

3 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

In my case, I am very happy they did not during my 20 years in Thailand. I can recall several "brown envelope" rackets that benefited me as I liked a hassle free life and none of the BS bureaucracy with Thai Immigration. Many years ago I can remember sitting enjoying a beer at a Thai resort on the Mekong whilst my passport was "processed" and returned to me showing stamps I had left Thailand, entered Laos, departed Laos and re-entered Thailand with a new TM6 attached (which I had previously completed). I never even left Thailand and I certainly never encountered a Laos Immigration Officer!! Fortunately I no longer live in Thailand with its bureaucracy. I could go on at great length but I will not, to protect those rackets if they still exist.

Ohhh the good old days, do you realize most here did not know Thailand existed back then?????

There was a time when you did not even have to leave your condo, your passport travelled to the border, stamped itself and returned back. Back then most worries was not to run out of pages in the passport to stamp 

[BestB]

4 hours ago, Golden Triangle said:

You are talking out of that thing that you sit on, utter rubbish.

 

I have been here over 10 years, I used to do the retirement renewal myself, but over time it got harder & harder because the IO made the process harder & harder - they got their secret wish, I now use an agent and that includes for the 90 days, I have the money in the bank I always have had, I just don't want or need to be treated like a fool.

Do not get your silky knickers in a twist, you big pension to pension millionaire who whines and complaints about every 5 baht price rise. It got harder and harder because they started doing their job and properly checking applications and must say, only a disabled would need an agent to do 90 days report, even more so when 90 days available online and takes less than 30 seconds 

[BestB]

6 hours ago, jesimps said:

Have you organised a recent survey to come to that conclusion? I think most do have the required amount in the bank but a lot prefer to use an agent to prevent them having to spend an hour in the black hole with the possibility of being treated like dirt for their trouble. Personally, I don't use an agent, but if I could afford to, I would without hesitation.

Yes i did, imagine my surprise when most needed an agent to front money for them, or needing an agent because they used part of the money, or needing an agent because their pensions got less, or needing an agent because they incapable of filling out paperwork and so on and on and on and on. Good reason why there is an agent on every corner now, more agents than trees 

[Tropposurfer]

There's a beaut going down at Phuket Town I.O. for ED visas ... they're charging 5K for what is a 1900 officially receipted fee every 90 days when reporting.

Not a bad earner huh. The consequences are if ya don't you might not get your next 90 days approved. They hit me 3 times back in 2019 before I did ye olde 'retirement shuffle'. They were hitting-up every single ED visa holder that I spoke with, and that was a few dozen folks.

[connda]

14 hours ago, BritManToo said:

This wasn't corruption, this was haggling.

It saved you 1,500bht off a legitimate fine.

 

I've not found Chiang Mai Immigration in any way corrupt, they've never asked me for any extra payments. I just find them unpleasant and pedantic, it really wouldn't hurt them to be nicer to their customers.

I just let the wife do the talking as I work the cramps out of my hand from signing and printing my full name on a stack of forms.