Thai immigration officer asks for a “sin nam jai” to “help quicken the visa application process”

[chang farrang]

Went with my Thai wife a few days ago to submit our documents for our marriage visa.

 

All the paperwork was in perfect order, as my wife is very organized and research the whole process carefully.

 

The immigration officer confirmed everything was perfect and then asked me to fill out a survey by scanning a QR code on my phone.

 

The 6^th question asked me something along the lines of “Has the immigration officer asked for any other benefits to process your Visa?” To which I replied no. I then finish the survey and tell the officer I’ve submitted my feedback and I commented out loud “thank you, very happy, quick service” in Thai with a smile on my face and wai to the officer.

 

Literally moments later, I see my wife being called over by what looks to be the chief officer at the immigration and I can see her face begin to look uncomfortable. She smiles and nods, and comes and takes me out the immigration office telling me were finished.

 

I asked my wife is everything OK, my wife told me he asked for a “sin nam jai” to “help quicken the visa application process”

 

My wife tells me it basically means they want a gift, or in other words money.

 

Thoughts?

[Kopitiam]

Year end "gratitude".

[proton]

In other words desk deep in corruption extorting bribes from the people they are paid to serve, disgraceful. 

[chickenslegs]

7 minutes ago, chang farrang said:

Thoughts?

I'm shocked I tell ya!

 

 

[roo860]

I commented out loud “thank you, very happy, quick service” in Thai with a smile on my face and wai to the officer.

 

 

First mistake, never wai to anyone.

 

[stubuzz]

Ask for their name and account number and tell them you will transfer the money online.

[RedArmy]

Slip the IO a couple of thousand baht - What's the drama ???

 

[FritsSikkink]

Learn Thai, so you can deal with it yourselves.

[jak2002003]

Are you sure it's not the wife after the money? 

 

Do not give the guy money.  

 

Say you want a photo taken with him as you shake his hand and hand over the 'tip' as you are so pleased with the service.... I bet he will decline.  Next learn some Thai language so you can really understand what he is saying next time.. 

 

I dont know how anyone can live with someone and marry them yet not be able to speak at least their partners basic language.  

 

I am not saying this is the case for the OP  but many times I have heard a farangs Thai wife telling lies to their husband about charges, money etc from builders, service people and shops etc so they can get some extra cash.  I feel worse for the people the women are blaming as the faeang gets angry and the people feel uncomfortable with the situation.   Being dependant, reliant and trusting someone you can't even speak the same language is really dumb.  

[HuskerDo2]

Just now, jak2002003 said:

Are you sure it's not the wife after the money? 

 

Do not give the guy money.  

 

Say you want a photo taken with him as you shake his hand and hand over the 'tip' as you are so pleased with the service.... I bet he will decline.  Next learn some Thai language so you can really understand what he is saying next time.. 

 

I dont know how anyone can live with someone and marry them yet not be able to speak at least their partners basic language.  

 

I am not saying this is the case for the OP  but many times I have heard a farangs Thai wife telling lies to their husband about charges, money etc from builders, service people and shops etc so they can get some extra cash.  I feel worse for the people the women are blaming as the faeang gets angry and the people feel uncomfortable with the situation.   Being dependant, reliant and trusting someone you can't even speak the same language is really dumb.  

Note to self.... don't get married. Living together makes it a lot easier to leave if you find the woman is scamming you.

[problemfarang]

17 years in thailand.. did visa extensions many times and also different type of visas and in many many cities.. never ever asked or mentioned about money.. i have zero friends asked money or help. im so surprised when im reading these kind of posts. 

 

im not saying lie or i dont believe. i dont know its up to the city you are doing or not, but as i said i did my extensions in many cities and really small ones too. 

[nigelforbes]

2 hours ago, problemfarang said:

17 years in thailand.. did visa extensions many times and also different type of visas and in many many cities.. never ever asked or mentioned about money.. i have zero friends asked money or help. im so surprised when im reading these kind of posts. 

 

im not saying lie or i dont believe. i dont know its up to the city you are doing or not, but as i said i did my extensions in many cities and really small ones too. 

I'm guessing that your choice of words, "quick service" may be the reason, perhaps that was misinterpreted? Which Immi office was this, where? When I lived in Phuket at least on Immi officer there was pretty blatant about what he wanted, he had pieces of paper in the center draw of his desk with different amounts written on them. He would never actually say anything but from time to time a slip of paper would appear with the number 500 written on it.

[Mitkof Island]

Yea getting to be very common and perhaps it time for it to stop. Head of National Parks is arrested so why not Thai Immigration officiers?

[Mitkof Island]

3 hours ago, problemfarang said:

17 years in thailand.. did visa extensions many times and also different type of visas and in many many cities.. never ever asked or mentioned about money.. i have zero friends asked money or help. im so surprised when im reading these kind of posts. 

 

im not saying lie or i dont believe. i dont know its up to the city you are doing or not, but as i said i did my extensions in many cities and really small ones too. 

Had the same thing happen total B.S payment of 5,000 baht. If Laos had been open at the time I would have told them to F-Off and gone there.

[Mitkof Island]

4 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

Are you sure it's not the wife after the money? 

 

Do not give the guy money.  

 

Say you want a photo taken with him as you shake his hand and hand over the 'tip' as you are so pleased with the service.... I bet he will decline.  Next learn some Thai language so you can really understand what he is saying next time.. 

 

I dont know how anyone can live with someone and marry them yet not be able to speak at least their partners basic language.  

 

I am not saying this is the case for the OP  but many times I have heard a farangs Thai wife telling lies to their husband about charges, money etc from builders, service people and shops etc so they can get some extra cash.  I feel worse for the people the women are blaming as the faeang gets angry and the people feel uncomfortable with the situation.   Being dependant, reliant and trusting someone you can't even speak the same language is really dumb.  

As far as learning Thai when dating or getting married. Try explaining that to the 99.9999% of foreign meatheads who either live here or spend much time here year.

[2baht]

4 hours ago, HuskerDo2 said:

Note to self.... don't get married. Living together makes it a lot easier to leave if you find the woman is scamming you.

Don't forget to severence her, will you! ????

[Maejo Man]

The best scam they run is obtaining a letter confirming residence. It's a free service, but they always ask for 500 baht for collection the next day. I politely tell them in Thai that it's a free service and I can wait. Ok come back in a week is the usual reply. If you really need it the next day....pay!

[Orinoco]

Op,  What office was this at ?

[BritManToo]

6 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

Being dependant, reliant and trusting someone you can't even speak the same language is really dumb.  

Trusting anyone is really dumb.

Their language is irrelevant.

[tandor]

I have only ever paid the 1,900 baht fee.  I don't mind waiting.

[Foghorn]

6 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

Are you sure it's not the wife after the money? 

 

Do not give the guy money.  

 

Say you want a photo taken with him as you shake his hand and hand over the 'tip' as you are so pleased with the service.... I bet he will decline.  Next learn some Thai language so you can really understand what he is saying next time.. 

 

I dont know how anyone can live with someone and marry them yet not be able to speak at least their partners basic language.  

 

I am not saying this is the case for the OP  but many times I have heard a farangs Thai wife telling lies to their husband about charges, money etc from builders, service people and shops etc so they can get some extra cash.  I feel worse for the people the women are blaming as the faeang gets angry and the people feel uncomfortable with the situation.   Being dependant, reliant and trusting someone you can't even speak the same language is really dumb.  

Or just don’t give them any money , I’m talking about the wife as I am committing on the above reply

[tandor]

2 hours ago, nigelforbes said:

I'm guessing that your choice of words, "quick service" may be the reason, perhaps that was misinterpreted? Which Immi office was this, where? When I lived in Phuket at least on Immi officer there was pretty blatant about what he wanted, he had pieces of paper in the center draw of his desk with different amounts written on them. He would never actually say anything but from time to time a slip of paper would appear with the number 500 written on it.

i always ask in a vary loud voice for them to explain and prove their extortion attempts.

[BoganInParasite]

Was asked for the same by the IO chief (in English) at the initial marriage visa home visit in front of the wife and two lesser officers. I politely but strongly rebuffed him. He tried to be a bit pally as we the exited the IO office a bit over a year later having got the next extension in the passport. Politely let him know I'd prefer to not have anything to do with him. Have not seen him last three years, but he is still there. Have paid the usual Cert of Residency 'fee' of 500 baht a couple of times though, without complaining. Apart from that my local IO is pretty easy to deal with and wait times are negligible. 

[tlcwaterfall]

5 hours ago, problemfarang said:

17 years in thailand.. did visa extensions many times and also different type of visas and in many many cities.. never ever asked or mentioned about money.. i have zero friends asked money or help. im so surprised when im reading these kind of posts. 

 

im not saying lie or i dont believe. i dont know its up to the city you are doing or not, but as i said i did my extensions in many cities and really small ones too. 

 I have been asked for money many times at my local office even when submitting a TM 30. It is a common practice at many immigration offices.

[Orinoco]

8 minutes ago, tlcwaterfall said:

 I have been asked for money many times at my local office even when submitting a TM 30. It is a common practice at many immigration offices.

Ok.

I don't think it's  common practice now days at all.

Name them then. ?

 

 

[nigelforbes]

14 minutes ago, tlcwaterfall said:

 I have been asked for money many times at my local office even when submitting a TM 30. It is a common practice at many immigration offices.

I dont believe that, which ones, please?

[tlcwaterfall]

15 minutes ago, nigelforbes said:

I dont believe that, which ones, please?

You are free to believe or disbelieve me. Up to you.

[tlcwaterfall]

24 minutes ago, Orinoco said:

Ok.

I don't think it's  common practice now days at all.

Name them then. ?

 

 

No need to name them at all. Why do you need to know anyway? 

[Orinoco]

1 minute ago, tlcwaterfall said:

No need to name them at all. Why do you need to know anyway? 

It would be a heads up for other people using those offices.

 

[chang farrang]

 

 

Quote

9 hours ago, roo860 said:

I commented out loud “thank you, very happy, quick service” in Thai with a smile on my face and wai to the officer.

 

 

First mistake, never wai to anyone.

Noted, here's me thinking being polite would help things.

 

7 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

Are you sure it's not the wife after the money? 

 

Do not give the guy money.  

 

Say you want a photo taken with him as you shake his hand and hand over the 'tip' as you are so pleased with the service.... I bet he will decline.  Next learn some Thai language so you can really understand what he is saying next time.. 

 

I dont know how anyone can live with someone and marry them yet not be able to speak at least their partners basic language.  

 

I am not saying this is the case for the OP  but many times I have heard a farangs Thai wife telling lies to their husband about charges, money etc from builders, service people and shops etc so they can get some extra cash.  I feel worse for the people the women are blaming as the faeang gets angry and the people feel uncomfortable with the situation.   Being dependant, reliant and trusting someone you can't even speak the same language is really dumb.  

First of all, whilst I'm not fluent I can speak Thai at an advanced level as I've been here for a long time and studied at a school. When deciding I was going to settle down here years ago, I've taken the time to learn and practice my Thai over the years. I didn't understand him because I didn't hear what the immigration officer said because he asked my wife for the bribe quietly. Whilst I'm aware there's many Thai woman who scam their husbands & boyfriends my wife isn't one of those lot. We've been together a long time, after a conversation about the sin sod her parents agreed it wasn't needed, her family business makes good money, they have a lot of land, she would have been set up for life with or without me.

 

9 hours ago, stubuzz said:

Ask for their name and account number and tell them you will transfer the money online.

Haha, brilliant. Maybe I'll ask for a photo with all the officers too haha