Just was told at Hua Hin immigration I need a one time transfer or 800,000 baht into my Thai bank account for Non-O visa!

[no deal]

3 hours ago, Eff1n2ret said:

The IOs at Maptaphut aren't idiots, in my experience. I don't know about other offices, but there it's pretty much expected that applicants for marriage extensions take their wife along. 

yes the wife and a witness to...

[YorkshireTyke]

1 hour ago, Gizmosgolf said:

I really appreciate all the useful info. (Obvious reference to language gripe! 55555)

We will return tomorrow, bypass the two ladies downstairs and go upstairs with the paperwork. I am very aware of the "Thai face" issue as well as not losing my cool. I will have the requirements printed out and big hi-light marker checks next to each of them. I will report back on how it goes. 

 

Is 1178 "help line" specific to immigration or is this a general help line along the lines of Tourist Police. 

From memory, historically, HH imm don't issue the marriage visa, they have to send your documents to BKK to be issued there, I've read previously where expats are encouraged to go the retirement route as it's easier for them. (Imm staff)

 

BTW, I've been on a retirement extension for 9 years in HH and never had a problem with immigration here.

Edited January 26, 2022 by YorkshireTyke
Add clarifiacation

[Mitkof Island]

I just had a guy tell me the Hua Hin office demanded he pay 14,000 baht because his paperwork was not 100% correct. Sure am glad I don,t have to deal with them. Sounds like that office is out of control. Maybe time to spread the word and write the Bangkok Post. Egg on the face does wonders.

[TheScience]

3 hours ago, glegolo18 said:

Doesn´t it trouble you or make you wonder, how people working inside thai Immigration, announce and direct information towards foreigners, seemingly seems to refuse to use the english language...

 

I mean it is like in Sweden the migrant office would purely use swedish and force any foreigner to learn swedish before they hardly even sat foot in the country....  If you find that OK, than I can say...... I do NOT.

 

glegolo

Sweden doesn't actively encourage non resident aliens to live in country. If it did I'd expect it to offer services in English - especially since Scandinavia decades ago realize that no one was interested in learning their complicated languages. With such tiny populations they all decided to learn English a wise move that the Thais could learn directly from.

Edited January 26, 2022 by TheScience

[glegolo18]

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

On that logic, it would be reasonable to expect US Immigration to speak Chinese, Hindi and Spanish. After all, they are the most frequently spoken languages after English.

logically, one would expect immigration to be able to deal with languages of sort, that are the most frequent ones to arrive to the country. THAT is my logic.......

[TheScience]

4 minutes ago, Mitkof Island said:

Maybe time to spread the word and write the Bangkok Post.

This won't happen and will never get posted / published.

 

It's time to leave the province. It's certainly on my blacklist along with Samui, Phuket, Nonthaburi.

 

I used to think all this talk about complicated nonsense and run around from people applying for extensions was a bit looney - all circling back to the need for an agent. I believe that circumstantial evidence is beginning to clearly mount in favor of this position. It's moving from conspiracy to possibility.

[TheScience]

I've for years thought that the real reason my wife needs to be present is so that the IOs wholly bereft of English skills can just run everything through wives. Also, wives will bow and scrape in true Thai style where foreigners will have none of that.

 

When we apply for a marriage extension we hand them half a ream of paper that is current verification of our legal marriage. The notions that are wives need to take off from work and even more ridiculous that neighbors that don't even know us need to somehow show up and vouch for us is patently absurd.

Edited January 26, 2022 by TheScience

[YorkshireTyke]

9 minutes ago, Mitkof Island said:

I just had a guy tell me the Hua Hin office demanded he pay 14,000 baht because his paperwork was not 100% correct. Sure am glad I don,t have to deal with them. Sounds like that office is out of control. Maybe time to spread the word and write the Bangkok Post. Egg on the face does wonders.

Egg on the face of who? His paperwork wasn't correct so how do you expect immigration to issue a visa for someone who hasn't abided by the rules and requirements?

What exactly wasn't correct?

[TheScience]

25 minutes ago, no deal said:

yes the wife and a witness to...

A witness to what?

 

You the farang and your wife from ???? Thailand have moved to Prachuap. The bloke knows more about Adam and Eve. Just more hurdles and potential extortion.

 

Drama

[glegolo18]

8 minutes ago, TheScience said:

Sweden doesn't actively encourage non resident aliens to live in country. If it did I'd expect it to offer services in English - especially since Scandinavia decades ago realize that no one was interested in learning their complicated languages. With such tiny populations they all decided to learn English a wise move that the ties could learn directly from.

OMG, certainly you are NOT swedish. Rubbish..... Swedish goverment and embassies have actively gone out and invited all these "scientists" and "doctors" and "engineers" from middle east and Africa to come to Sweden.

 

We are in Sweden offering translators in loads of languages like arab, somali-talk (what is their language called??) and english, german and almost every language in Europe. Dont know why you write what you write....

 

Reason for Scandinavia to learn english language is because we share the very same culture with both UK as well as USA..... What regards the language of Scandinavians (Norwegian, Danish and Swedish) these languages are of german origin, just like your own (english) Or shall I say our scandinavian languages are more a forfather of the english language..... We gave you actually your language... Yes You´re welcome!!!

[TheScience]

3 minutes ago, glegolo18 said:

OMG, certainly you are NOT swedish. Rubbish..... Swedish goverment and embassies have actively gone out and invited all these "scientists" and "doctors" and "engineers" from middle east and Africa to come to Sweden.

No, certainly not swedish. I'd die of lack of anything palatable to eat.

 

Inviting all those people to emigrate not take a summer holiday lol. That was my point.

 

Guessed you missed the NON RESIDENT remark.

[poohy]

HH immigration is normally ok yes many agents (ouch just realized i use one and never have go near the place)

For sure they probably dont want to do marriage visa thing

BUT If you are using your own money  agents should not be 21k although marriage would be much more work i suppose 

 

If you need help PM me i will pass you on to mine

[EVENKEEL]

9 minutes ago, glegolo18 said:

OMG, certainly you are NOT swedish. Rubbish..... Swedish goverment and embassies have actively gone out and invited all these "scientists" and "doctors" and "engineers" from middle east and Africa to come to Sweden.

 

We are in Sweden offering translators in loads of languages like arab, somali-talk (what is their language called??) and english, german and almost every language in Europe. Dont know why you write what you write....

 

Reason for Scandinavia to learn english language is because we share the very same culture with both UK as well as USA..... What regards the language of Scandinavians (Norwegian, Danish and Swedish) these languages are of german origin, just like your own (english) Or shall I say our scandinavian languages are more a forfather of the english language..... We gave you actually your language... Yes You´re welcome!!!

My father who's from Denmark learned English, French and German in school in the late 1919's early 1920's. Very well educated.

[tonray]

34 minutes ago, Mitkof Island said:

I just had a guy tell me the Hua Hin office demanded he pay 14,000 baht because his paperwork was not 100% correct. Sure am glad I don,t have to deal with them. Sounds like that office is out of control. Maybe time to spread the word and write the Bangkok Post. Egg on the face does wonders.

1900 baht with proper paperwork

[mosan]

4 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

A checklist in Thai, ahahaa Same as me in Rayong, they gave me a list in Thai and told me next time bring the wife. Can't the idiot IO's think that perhaps one in english might be better, that is if they truly want to assist.

Who's the idiot here? I'm guessing you know how to get something translated. Their native language is Thai not English...  

[hereforgood]

Quote

They gave my wife a small photocopied list of requirements and one was 800,000 baht! Clearly they have just made this requirement up

Yes because each office is allowed to tweak and or bend the rules. If they all went by the same rules life would be so much easier. 

Some offices insist on the TM30 but here in the Jomtien office I and all the friends i have here have never been asked to have one so...................

[Bangkok Barry]

4 hours ago, glegolo18 said:

Doesn´t it trouble you or make you wonder, how people working inside thai Immigration, announce and direct information towards foreigners, seemingly seems to refuse to use the english language...

 

I mean it is like in Sweden the migrant office would purely use swedish and force any foreigner to learn swedish before they hardly even sat foot in the country....  If you find that OK, than I can say...... I do NOT.

 

glegolo

It should be a given that anyone dealing primarily with foreigners should speak English. But that obvious bit of common sense appears not to have occurred to them. I have the same problem at my immigration office. Last time I went they had a student at reception who, when I asked a question in English, just giggled like a five year old.

 

And I remember when the new airport opened in Bangkok my first experience was going to the information desk and the person there - in the international airport - spoke only Thai. But then, when Thaksin was PM and went to inspect the airport before it opened, he asked why so many signs were in English. And, of course, the current PM told students they didn't need to learn English as one day all the world will speak Thai.

 

Thailand is not part of the real world, and doesn't want to be.
 

 

[dsj]

If it is still open, go to the Immigration office in Blu-Port, I hear they are much easier to deal with.

[YorkshireTyke]

1 minute ago, dsj said:

If it is still open, go to the Immigration office in Blu-Port, I hear they are much easier to deal with.

They don't do visas or extensions, only 90 day report, re entry permit etc

[herfiehandbag]

4 hours ago, glegolo18 said:

Doesn´t it trouble you or make you wonder, how people working inside thai Immigration, announce and direct information towards foreigners, seemingly seems to refuse to use the english language...

 

I mean it is like in Sweden the migrant office would purely use swedish and force any foreigner to learn swedish before they hardly even sat foot in the country....  If you find that OK, than I can say...... I do NOT.

 

glegolo

Don't puncture his bubble.

He speaks Thai.

He is so many times superior to you!

[richard_smith237]

3 minutes ago, herfiehandbag said:

Don't puncture his bubble.

He speaks Thai.

He is so many times superior to you!

Well...  I don’t want to burst your bubble...  However, from the perspective of being able to assimilate requirements written in Thai and resolve immigration issues with officers who do not speak English a foreigner who reads and speaks Thai is in fact, superior.... 

[RocketDog]

5 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Learn the language if you want to live here.

Is that on the checklist or did you just make that up?

Wait, I bet it's just your personal opinion and irrelevant to the thread.

Carry on and the rest of us will ignore you.

[lopburi3]

1 hour ago, tonray said:

1900 baht with proper paperwork

That would be for an extension of stay - non O visa price is 2,000 baht.

[richard_smith237]

20 minutes ago, RocketDog said:

5 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Learn the language if you want to live here.

Is that on the checklist or did you just make that up?

Wait, I bet it's just your personal opinion and irrelevant to the thread.

Carry on and the rest of us will ignore you.

You may not like it... and the ‘learn the language’ comment was certainly not delivered without any humility or grace. However, those who do ‘know’ the language find many issues the rest of us find difficult to be resolved far more quickly, far more readily.

 

This is not just Thailand, this is so the world over with any situation. In Thailand being able to communicate an issue when immigration offers cannot speak any English is relevant to the thread. 

 

That said: With this issue the Ops Wife was there, so communication obviously was not an issue - its seems the Immigration themselves have made up, confused or misinterpreted their own regulations. 

 

In a nation where face, kraeng-Jai and respect matters so much any ‘discussion’ may be better presented by a well presented foreigner who communicates eloquently in Thai than a wife who may be perceived as being of lower social-economic status (not saying thats so in this case, but it is in many situations). 

Of course, some my not like this comment and it may rub some up the wrong way - but its not incorrect. 

[zyphodb]

4 hours ago, JeffCordeiro said:

They gave my wife a small photocopied list of requirements and one was 800,000 baht! Clearly they have just made this requirement up! I completely agree that they are just trying to get me to pay a bribe or use an agent! (I did contact an agent and they quoted me 21,000 baht) My problem now is how to move forward! My lovely but brainwashed Isaan wife won’t question authority and I know enough 

First thought, book into a hotel in a different province, one with a friendlier Immigration office, they're mostly not like that...

 

[zyphodb]

2 hours ago, alextrat1966 said:

You're in Thailand, boy. 

 

You think when a Thai goes to live in the UK or the US, they get checklists printed in Thai from immigration, or even get spoken to in Thai? 

 

If you're here longterm, and have a wife, is it that difficult to learn Thai?

Yes...

 

I've been trying for ten years...

[alextrat1966]

3 minutes ago, zyphodb said:

Yes...

 

I've been trying for ten years...

Not hard enough, apparently.

[arithai12]

5 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Learn the language if you want to live here.

I didn't see this requirement in the list.

[arithai12]

2 hours ago, alextrat1966 said:

You're in Thailand, boy. 

 

You think when a Thai goes to live in the UK or the US, they get checklists printed in Thai from immigration, or even get spoken to in Thai? 

 

If you're here longterm, and have a wife, is it that difficult to learn Thai?

No one is asking Immigration to have instructions in Swahili and Azeri, just in English. Now, it so happens that UK and US have English as a main language, so your example is idiotic.

Now, try to apply for a visa to China, India, my country and many others, and figure what? The instructions are there in English as well.

 

The point is, this "requirement" to be able to read Thai is just your opinion. Also the requirement to "have a wife". I do, she's not Thai, do I need to leave?

Edited January 26, 2022 by arithai12

[Stevemercer]

I always bypass the checklist ladies if I can. Most times you can walk past them if they are preoccupied or say 'everything Ok, Ok, Thank you, thank you very much'