Home immigration checks may be on the uptick

[billd766]

2 hours ago, NONG CHOK said:

Maybe so but I've been living in Thailand for the past 22 years. In that time I've left Thailand once 8 years ago.

I arrived back in Thailand in May of 2009 and have never left since.

[hotchilli]

On 11/30/2022 at 4:11 PM, 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.

Immigration have the right to check whoever and whatever they want..

they do not have to stipulate a "law" for doing so..

They have the right to check any ones details regarding an application, and if that includes an address check then so be it.

[Peterphuket]

11 hours ago, Doctor Tom said:

but how do they know if they dont check? 

Good question, but do they know that about their own people?

I mean, it looks like we all foreigners are criminals, and must be checked from door to door, seems a bit racist or am I wrong?

[Billy Bloggs]

On 12/1/2022 at 11:30 AM, Lamphen said:

Last week I had a visit from the local police here in Chamni in Buriram. They took photos of my wife and I together, and my yellow book and pink ID. They said that they are going to do this on a monthly basis.????

They did not even look at my passport.

Lets see what the future holds.

Not doing it in my part of Buri Ram, but then Im just a new convert to an O for marriage from an O-A.

[Doctor Tom]

1 hour ago, Peterphuket said:

Good question, but do they know that about their own people?

I mean, it looks like we all foreigners are criminals, and must be checked from door to door, seems a bit racist or am I wrong?

Mistake rather than wrong.  Checking up on your own people is paranoid, communist style, controlling  BS, checking up on foreigners may just be sensible. They must take care of their own people; they dont have to give a toss about us. We are here on sufferance. 

[oldcpu]

I applied for a 90-day type-O visa about 6-weeks ago.   The IO asked if I had a social media Line account, and when I noted I had such, the IO had me exchange #s on 'Line social media' such that they could do a 'virtual' check that I lived where I said I lived.  ...  They gave me an appointment to video call them a couple of days later (via Line video). Once the video chat started, they had me stand by my condo unit door (where the door # was visible) and do a 'selfie' ...  and then stand by the condo complex sign (where the street# was visible) and do another 'selfie'.  Purportedly they took screen captures.  

 

I assume that by doing that they saved themselves having to go in person and check on my location.  ... Previous, before my applying for the type-O visa, I had a type-OA visa (as easily seen in my passport). ... However I assume their requirements are that they still must do some sort of check on where a foreigner claims to be living.

[garrya]

9 hours ago, Peterphuket said:

Good question, but do they know that about their own people?

I mean, it looks like we all foreigners are criminals, and must be checked from door to door, seems a bit racist or am I wrong?

In my area there are new Immigration rules. Now it takes a month to get your extension done, including an unannounced home visit and a random video call that IO records. This means you gotta be at home and missus and farang partner have to be live for a couple of minutes. 

Getting funnier and funnier. Not sure what's next? Maybe a CCTV installed by immigration right in front of the house to monitor these nasty farangs? ☹️????

[Andrew Dwyer]

Just now, garrya said:

In my area there are new Immigration rules. Now it takes a month to get your extension done, including an unannounced home visit and a random video call that IO records. This means you gotta be at home and missus and farang partner have to be live for a couple of minutes. 

Getting funnier and funnier. Not sure what's next? Maybe a CCTV installed by immigration right in front of the house to monitor these nasty farangs? ☹️????

Is this for just marriage extension or retirement also ?

[Orinoco]

14 minutes ago, garrya said:

In my area there are new Immigration rules. Now it takes a month to get your extension done, including an unannounced home visit and a random video call that IO records. This means you gotta be at home and missus and farang partner have to be live for a couple of minutes. 

Getting funnier and funnier. Not sure what's next? Maybe a CCTV installed by immigration right in front of the house to monitor these nasty farangs? ☹️????

Can I ask you what office that is.

Bet it makes you feel like, a very welcome guest in Thailand. 

what a joke they are.

 

 

 

Edited December 4, 2022 by Orinoco

[NONG CHOK]

4 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

Is this for just marriage extension or retirement also ?

If they want to cut crime in tourists areas why don't have a special card for Thais who have no registered address in those areas. I know via my wife that many Thai males move down to Pattaya with no where to stay, very little money and have no intentions of working.

[Andrew Dwyer]

1 minute ago, NONG CHOK said:

If they want to cut crime in tourists areas why don't have a special card for Thais who have no registered address in those areas. I know via my wife that many Thai males move down to Pattaya with no where to stay, very little money and have no intentions of working.

Are you sure you’re posting in the right thread because I fail to see the relevance of your post to this topic, much less quoting my question.

[NONG CHOK]

30 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

Are you sure you’re posting in the right thread because I fail to see the relevance of your post to this topic, much less quoting my question.

Ok Andrew I take your point but you may've misunderstood me. We all agree all these immigration " initiatives " are to stop these really bad farangs but if we have a residential address and a visa we've been accepted as good living farangs. My point is all sorts of Thai trash goes south to the tourist resort areas with absolutely no where to live and no way of staying legal. Sort this trash out then look for the bad farangs.

[garrya]

1 hour ago, Orinoco said:

Can I ask you what office that is.

Bet it makes you feel like, a very welcome guest in Thailand. 

what a joke they are.

 

 

 

It's Hat Yai, Songkhla 

[garrya]

1 hour ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

Is this for just marriage extension or retirement also ?

I don't know if other types of extensions are included in this new scheme.

Applied for extension on Nov 7, yet it hasn't been granted yet.

[Orinoco]

3 minutes ago, garrya said:

It's Hat Yai, Songkhla 

Thank you. 

[garrya]

6 minutes ago, Orinoco said:

Thank you. 

Also, the IO lady mentioned that we can expect random visits any time even after the extension has been granted. Lol

 

Not sure what they suspect, but been here for almost a decade, have been paying taxes, insurance during this time, haven't violated any laws, have not been fined, have lived at the same place, been known by locals, speak, read and write in Thai, yet they have the funds and time to go after people like this. 

Mindboggling indeed.

[Orinoco]

2 minutes ago, garrya said:

Also, the IO lady mentioned that we can expect random visits any time even after the extension has been granted. Lol

 

Not sure what they suspect, but been here for almost a decade, have been paying taxes, insurance during this time, haven't violated any laws, have not been fined, have lived at the same place, been known by locals, speak, read and write in Thai, yet they have the funds and time to go after people like this. 

Mindboggling indeed.

It kind of looks like they are tuning on the nasty behavior again, post covid.

bit of a shame, I think. 

a video of you  and your family inside your home, to be kept on some hard drive on the Webb or immigration head office,  how sad is that. 

 

 

[Captain Monday]

1 hour ago, NONG CHOK said:

If they want to cut crime in tourists areas why don't have a special card for Thais who have no registered address in those areas. I know via my wife that many Thai males move down to Pattaya with no where to stay, very little money and have no intentions of working.

They are Thais. No where to deport them to.  Home country Criminal checks for foreigners should be mandated.

[garrya]

4 minutes ago, Orinoco said:

It kind of looks like they are tuning on the nasty behavior again, post covid.

bit of a shame, I think. 

a video of you  and your family inside your home, to be kept on some hard drive on the Webb or immigration head office,  how sad is that. 

 

 

Indeed pathetic.

And let me add that the home visit happened on a Saturday morning.

????????

[NONG CHOK]

1 minute ago, Captain Monday said:

They are Thais. No where to deport them to.  Home country Criminal checks for foreigners should be mandated.

I'm sure they have nicks for wayward Thai nationals but then again the BIB's don't want to know you when you've got no money and there's no exclusive photo shoot for the media.

[Neeranam]

6 hours ago, NONG CHOK said:

Ok Andrew I take your point but you may've misunderstood me. We all agree all these immigration " initiatives " are to stop these really bad farangs but if we have a residential address and a visa we've been accepted as good living farangs. My point is all sorts of Thai trash goes south to the tourist resort areas with absolutely no where to live and no way of staying legal. Sort this trash out then look for the bad farangs.

Why would immigration care about Thai nationals?

Do you think homeless people in your own country are trash and should be put in jail?

I don't know why you are so bitter, Thai immigration makes it easy for foreigners to stay here. 

 

[d4dang]

On 11/30/2022 at 2:37 PM, 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. 

 

 

 

the bank book check could be a problem for agent users if the funds were deposited then withdrawn when applying for Non Os or other visas. I have used agents doing the deposit thing but it was pre covid. I never updated the bank book so the deposit was the last entry. I wouldn't want Immi to show up to check.

[Andrew Dwyer]

Like all things related to immigration these home visits will be conducted in a different manner by different IO’s.

Mine came promptly and to an advance booking, took the standard photos : 2 sitting on the sofa holding open passport, 1 outside in front of the house number and 1 of me alone sitting on the bed ( bit of a surprise that one).

Didn’t ask for bank book and used passport only for photos, asked for a photocopy of my partner’s id and added it to the pile of paperwork ( which already had this copy ) created when applying for extension.

Questions were related to how long we lived here and where lived before, partner signed something, I didn’t.

Mildly annoyed at the thought of a home visit but it was completely painless, the IO and trainee seemed embarrassed to be there.

 

I see it as part of the immigration process, 5 years ago had a visit on 1st extension from an OA and this time 1st extension from an O visa.

If it becomes an annual affair or random visits start appearing then that definitely is an “ uptick “ but at the moment I am not seeing this.

 

A friend in another IO location is doing the exact same as me ( kill OA extension, return visa exempt, O visa and retirement extension ) and no hint of a home visit so far.

[ozfarang]

53 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

'Mine came promptly and to an advance booking, took the standard photos : 2 sitting on the sofa holding open passport, 1 outside in front of the house number and 1 of me alone sitting on the bed ( bit of a surprise that one).

Didn’t ask for bank book and used passport only for photos, asked for a photocopy of my partner’s id and added it to the pile of paperwork ( which already had this copy ) created when applying for extension.

Questions were related to how long we lived here and where lived before, partner signed something, I didn’t.

Mildly annoyed at the thought of a home visit but it was completely painless, the IO and trainee seemed embarrassed to be there.'

All the information that they collected at your home visit would have been included in your extension paperwork so why the need for a home visit?

Immigration seem to be distrusting of farang who stay in the Kingdom on Non-O visas/extensions, based on retirement/marriage.

It is really is a pathetic stay of affairs.

 

I'm using an agent and had no home visit/s to date since engaging an agent to do my 90 day reporting and extensions

 

[Orinoco]

24 minutes ago, ozfarang said:

All the information that they collected at your home visit would have been included in your extension paperwork so why the need for a home visit?

Immigration seem to be distrusting of farang who stay in the Kingdom on Non-O visas/extensions, based on retirement/marriage.

It is really is a pathetic stay of affairs.

Totally agree,  just nasty behavior,  they should not enter your home, there is no need for it.

[jimn]

On 12/3/2022 at 7:32 PM, Peterphuket said:

Ridiculous, have you ever heard of VPN, for example.

Whats a VPN got to do with it. He means checking the immigration database to see if you have entered or left Thailand.

Edited December 5, 2022 by jimn

[Peterphuket]

7 hours ago, jimn said:

Whats a VPN got to do with it. He means checking the immigration database to see if you have entered or left Thailand.

Yes you are right, I misinterpreted the post.

[billd766]

23 hours ago, garrya said:

I don't know if other types of extensions are included in this new scheme.

Applied for extension on Nov 7, yet it hasn't been granted yet.

It depends on where you live and if the IO is a regional office. I live in Kamphaeng Phet province which comes under region 5 at Chiang Mai. Once my marriage extension is accepted it generally takes 30 days for the regional office to approve it.

 

In your case it should be approved on 7 December.

[billd766]

10 hours ago, Orinoco said:

Totally agree,  just nasty behavior,  they should not enter your home, there is no need for it.

It doesn't bother me in the slightest.

 

I have only had one visit in 4 years, but if they want to come they will call my wife and make an appointment. We will offer them coffee or cold water, do what they ask and then they will go away happy and leave us alone until the next time.

 

It takes about 20 or 30 minutes a visit and I suspect that they are sent the order from the regional office/head office and they simply have a quota to fill.

[Orinoco]

1 hour ago, billd766 said:

It doesn't bother me in the slightest.

 

I have only had one visit in 4 years, but if they want to come they will call my wife and make an appointment. We will offer them coffee or cold water, do what they ask and then they will go away happy and leave us alone until the next time.

 

It takes about 20 or 30 minutes a visit and I suspect that they are sent the order from the regional office/head office and they simply have a quota to fill.

OK.

So it would be ok, if you had young children and they wanted to video you and your children in your home.? 

And that video be kept on a server or hard drive by immigration  nice guys. ( or personal  mobile phone ) perverts.?

They have rules and regulations s about that stuff, where i come from and for good reason.

Your experiences is not the yard  stick.

just a I'm alright jack post.