Home immigration checks may be on the uptick

[Doctor Tom]

2 hours ago, NONG CHOK said:

By the way I'll be in Pattaya next week to do my 90 day report. So I'll be asking my visa office manager what his take on this is.

That would be unwise.  Leave bees alone and they will leave you alone,   Disturb one and you are likely to get stung.  

[gomangosteen]

A visit wouldn't bother me; as it seems I may now the only westerner (pop. 7000) in town since Covid appears to have cleared out the seniors I'd feel special???? if an IO delegation turns up from the city. 

 

I used to be in a cycling group with one of the city IOs unsure if he's still there, in our 12th year here I've never never had any bother with the Chanthaburi office.

 

Police obviously know I'm here, only interactions are smiles and waves, though I  was once pulled over by highway patrol and told off for cycling on Sukhumvit Rd as it was "too dangerous".

 

It's a quiet life.

[NancyL]

This doesn't seem to be the norm in Chiang Mai when someone does a quick trip outside the country to change an O-A to an O or rather to a visa exempt entry to go through the process to get an O with a retirement extension to drop the insurance requirement.  We know many who have done this since the Covid requirements lifted and an immigration home visit doesn't seem to be part of the drill.

[NorthernRyland]

9 hours ago, Lamphen said:

They said that they are going to do this on a monthly basis.????

That's seriously paranoid. Like most things they're get bored and stop eventually but this is a good way to make us feel like criminals.

[lamyai3]

On 11/30/2022 at 7:06 PM, Liquorice said:

I was informed by my IO a few weeks ago, that orders from above dictated that applications for a change of status VE/TV to Non O are now subject to a home visit, regardless of whether based on Thai spouse or retirement.
I know of 2 (retirement) who had such visits in the last month, before the Non O application could be approved. Reports elsewhere as well.

Yes, my VE conversion to Non O last month also prompted a visit from Chaengwattana. Interesting thread - good to shed a bit of light on why these visits are becoming more common recently. 

[NONG CHOK]

14 hours ago, Doctor Tom said:

That would be unwise.  Leave bees alone and they will leave you alone,   Disturb one and you are likely to get stung.  

"Visa Officer manager" meaning the shop in Soi Buakhow I pay to do my retirement visa

[NONG CHOK]

Just now, NONG CHOK said:

"Visa Officer manager" meaning the shop in Soi Buakhow I pay to do my retirement visa

Anyway with all the rumors and innuendo has the home visit thing been actually confirmed in Pattaya where it affects us first hand.

[Boomer6969]

On 11/30/2022 at 4:57 PM, NanLaew said:

So, what you gonna do?

He said he would shock them, wasn't that clear enough?

[it is what it is]

On 11/30/2022 at 9:11 AM, ukrules said:

The interesting thing here is that home visits are not usually done for those who are working, are they?

 

This suggests to me that they're operating outside the law.

 

They're in for a shock if they turn up at my door as I know there's absolutely no grounds for a home visit.

They're in for a shock if they turn up at my door as I know there's absolutely no grounds for a home visit.

 

i'm sure they're quaking in their boots... ????

[Boomer6969]

The next step should be daily visits to hotel rooms for tourists.

Edited December 2, 2022 by Boomer6969

[sandyf]

On 12/1/2022 at 2:37 AM, soi3eddie said:

Think home visits have been the normal for Non-O applications for quite some time. I had a home visit on application in 2019. 10 minutes and many pictures. They wanted to see originals of bank book and passport which they had seen a few days earlier, and had copies of. Took pictures of me holding said documents in my living room and picture of me with one of the officers at my front door with house number showing. That was all. No questions or probes. Job done. This in Bangkok area served by Chaeng Wattana. 

 

 

 

Yes it has been on the go for some time. I had my first about 6 years ago when I did a retirement extension.

I have had 5 in total with the last just a couple of weeks ago. No two visits have been the same with different requirements ranging from witnesses being present to questioning the neighbours.

The most recent visit only one guy came, rather than the normal  2 or 3. He brought a tripod and all he did was take photos that included himself, never asked any questions.

[Doctor Tom]

22 minutes ago, NONG CHOK said:

"Visa Officer manager" meaning the shop in Soi Buakhow I pay to do my retirement visa

Oh okay, your 'agent' then 

[novacova]

21 minutes ago, it is what it is said:

They're in for a shock if they turn up at my door as I know there's absolutely no grounds for a home visit.

 

i'm sure they're quaking in their boots... ????

…and please let me know when they come, I want to be there and see this play out. Always up for a little entertainment ????

[Hamus Yaigh]

On 11/30/2022 at 6:45 PM, markwhite said:

but I just had my first home visit in Nakhon Si Thammarat.

About 5 years ago they visited my home after doing a retirement extension there. I was only using that IO for that year. Usual box ticking exercise but rather creepy when the lady IO showed me a photo of my son in school there on her mobile phone. Nothing to do with retirement extensions but she knew the kid was mixed race and just happened to be in the same class as her kid. Nothing sinister, but felt a bit weird at the time.

[soi3eddie]

Question for those who have had visits; did they call you in advance to make an appointment to visit and ensure you were going to be at home? Chaeng Wattana did that with me and were very flexible as I was not going to be home on the date they originally suggested. I'd say rather accommodating and the two female I/Os that attended were pleasant.

 

[Andrew Dwyer]

25 minutes ago, soi3eddie said:

Question for those who have had visits; did they call you in advance to make an appointment to visit and ensure you were going to be at home? Chaeng Wattana did that with me and were very flexible as I was not going to be home on the date they originally suggested. I'd say rather accommodating and the two female I/Os that attended were pleasant.

 

In my case they told me of the home visit when I was at immigration but no actual date. 
They phoned about a week later and enquired whether the next day sometime after 1pm was convenient, it was, they phoned the next day am to confirm and arrived 13.07 , left at 13.27.

[NONG CHOK]

Once again, has this been confirmed by the Pattaya IO or is it rumors amongst farangs in bars and forums.

 

Edited December 2, 2022 by NONG CHOK

[Andrew Dwyer]

9 hours ago, NONG CHOK said:

Anyway with all the rumors and innuendo has the home visit thing been actually confirmed in Pattaya where it affects us first hand.

 

1 hour ago, NONG CHOK said:

Once again, has this been confirmed by the Pattaya IO or is it rumors amongst farangs in bars and forums.

 

Seems like you don’t want to believe the posters on this topic ?

If you want to know specifically about Pattaya “ where it affects us first hand “ ?? open a topic in the Pattaya forum .

[NONG CHOK]

4 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

 

Seems like you don’t want to believe the posters on this topic ?

If you want to know specifically about Pattaya “ where it affects us first hand “ ?? open a topic in the Pattaya forum .

Thank you so much for your most intelligent reply. Are the posters all experts, I'll leave that up to you. I asked a very simple question, has this topic been ratified by the Pattaya IO. In short, YES or No.

[NanLaew]

22 hours ago, sandyf said:

Yes it has been on the go for some time. I had my first about 6 years ago when I did a retirement extension.

I have had 5 in total with the last just a couple of weeks ago. No two visits have been the same with different requirements ranging from witnesses being present to questioning the neighbours.

The most recent visit only one guy came, rather than the normal  2 or 3. He brought a tripod and all he did was take photos that included himself, never asked any questions.

Wow. That's an annual check, no?

 

You wouldn't care to share which immigration office is so keen on keeping close tabs on their furreners?

[cjinchiangrai]

Welcome to stop by. Call ahead and the tirak will make lunch.

 

[OJAS]

On 12/1/2022 at 8:34 AM, mikecha said:

yes Pathetic  

The Immagration are doing ther job  they were here also  no problem  

like everything here, if you keep documents up to date visa up to date 90 days up to date 

and be polite be a normal Ex pat then life here is good .

try to act the clown not have everything in place try to screw the system then u can expect problems 

 

Indeed. I just wonder how many of those on here who are complaining bitterly about home visits from Immigration are also of the firm view that immigration officers back in their home countries are not doing enough in the form of home visits in order to check the credentials of Thai nationals and other foreigners who, in their view, have the audacity to want to darken the hallowed turf of their home country.

 

[brianthainess]

On 11/30/2022 at 4:11 PM, ukrules said:

They're in for a shock if they turn up at my door as I know there's absolutely no grounds for a home visit.

I think you'll be in for a shock when they threaten to revoke your visa/extension.

[brianthainess]

27 minutes ago, cjinchiangrai said:

Welcome to stop by. Call ahead and the tirak will make lunch.

 

They always call me about 2hrs or 24hrs ahead, they get water, end of. 

[brianthainess]

42 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Wow. That's an annual check, no?

 

You wouldn't care to share which immigration office is so keen on keeping close tabs on their furreners?

Trat for one.

[brianthainess]

23 hours ago, Boomer6969 said:

He said he would shock them, wasn't that clear enough?

Connect his door to the mains ?

[Orinoco]

10 minutes ago, OJAS said:

Indeed. I just wonder how many of those on here who are complaining bitterly about home visits from Immigration are also of the firm view that immigration officers back in their home countries are not doing enough in the form of home visits in order to check the credentials of Thai nationals and other foreigners who, in their view, have the audacity to want to darken the hallowed turf of their home country.

 

That's not the same.

People are flooding into my home country via rubber boats. no visa at all.

so not a fair comparison .

[Doctor Tom]

23 hours ago, sandyf said:

Yes it has been on the go for some time. I had my first about 6 years ago when I did a retirement extension.

I have had 5 in total with the last just a couple of weeks ago. No two visits have been the same with different requirements ranging from witnesses being present to questioning the neighbours.

The most recent visit only one guy came, rather than the normal  2 or 3. He brought a tripod and all he did was take photos that included himself, never asked any questions.

All very odd.  Here in  Sattahip area, and among all my friends not one has seen a visit in many years, if any visit  at all. 

[Old Croc]

On 11/30/2022 at 4:11 PM, ukrules said:

They're in for a shock if they turn up at my door as I know there's absolutely no grounds for a home visit.

I had a couple of European neighbors who could only be described as obnoxious.

The woman particularly appears to have a mental illness, and often instigates shouting arguments with many living in the street.  Our first meeting degenerated into such an exchange because i wasn't interested in her brand of sh.... and returned fire! Other similar instances occurred over the years. She eventually upsets everyone, even being kicked out of a small local Christian church. 

Long story short, she once complained to me about Immigration, who when doing their retirement extensions rejected the paperwork 3 times for minor anomalies and newfound requirements.  I found it very amusing and knew exactly why it happened. You don't p/off people in this country who can make life difficult. 

[sandyf]

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

Wow. That's an annual check, no?

 

You wouldn't care to share which immigration office is so keen on keeping close tabs on their furreners?

Effectively yes, in 2019 I didn't have the 12 month transactions to renew extension so got a ME Non O. Seven months later when the covid grace ran out I had to get an extension and by this time did have the 12 month history. Hence 5 visits in 6 years from the Sri Ratcha office,  pre 2019 they were for retirement extension.