Honest immigration question

[Can samui]

Hey folks, long time permanent immigration sufferer here and was just wondering.....

Does anyone know of a way to pass honest suggestions to immigration in order to both make their job easier as well as make it easier for use by visitors?

Reason for my query is a combination of observation and personal experience. Was there today to attempt an uncommon task and while waiting in line I noticed that most of the people did not have the proper documentation causing consternation to the tourist and frustration to the immigration officer. Sure enough when my turn came I was quickly informed that I needed waaaay more copies of every extension ever granted to me since Moses was in short pants. Despite my visiting the Thai immigration site and reading what was required as well as sleuthing the old internet I was rejected.

I am sure it would take a semii skilled internet aficionado a short tim3 to construct an updatable site that listed visa task and all documentation required to accomplish said task. Might even put pdf access to required forms.

OK...mild rant done. Headed back tomorrow after cutting down another chunk of the rain forest in order for the proper hoops to be leapt through.

 

[eyeman]

No, as that would remove the pleasure they get from ruining your day, even if it is just a few more loops around the copy shop, this is part of their compensation it would seem, and they seem more eager to hold on this than any backhanders or other incentive.

 

If you ever want to see it in action, remove a required document from your mountain of documents after the document check (if you have one in Samui), and watch the IO officer facial expression when they realize you don't have this or that, then wipe that smirk from the face by handing over the document you just removed.. 

[retarius]

My observations are as follows: there are official rules, BUT, the leaders of each office has the ability to require more or less documentation and to set up procedures at his office as he sees fit. In my experience Thais have little or no interest in how to do things better if the source of the information comes from outside. My wife does not believe me after 18 years, but will believe anything a Thai tramp tells her. 

I'm sure bring or appointing a semi skilled aficionado to update requirements would not be well received as it would imply there was something imperfect about the way they go about things. My file must be inches think at the IO given all the paper copies of the same information repeated annually in a giant waste of time for the vast majority of folk. 

[Troy Tempest]

1 hour ago, Can samui said:

Hey folks, long time permanent immigration sufferer here and was just wondering.....

Does anyone know of a way to pass honest suggestions to immigration in order to both make their job easier as well as make it easier for use by visitors?

Reason for my query is a combination of observation and personal experience. Was there today to attempt an uncommon task and while waiting in line I noticed that most of the people did not have the proper documentation causing consternation to the tourist and frustration to the immigration officer. Sure enough when my turn came I was quickly informed that I needed waaaay more copies of every extension ever granted to me since Moses was in short pants. Despite my visiting the Thai immigration site and reading what was required as well as sleuthing the old internet I was rejected.

I am sure it would take a semii skilled internet aficionado a short tim3 to construct an updatable site that listed visa task and all documentation required to accomplish said task. Might even put pdf access to required forms.

OK...mild rant done. Headed back tomorrow after cutting down another chunk of the rain forest in order for the proper hoops to be leapt through.

 

 

Easy to get around Immigration problems at Samui IO.....

 

Just buy that Fat Bird a box of chocolates for when you hand in your papers,

 

Works for me every time!

[Troy Tempest]

48 minutes ago, retarius said:

My observations are as follows: there are official rules, BUT, the leaders of each office has the ability to require more or less documentation and to set up procedures at his office as he sees fit. In my experience Thais have little or no interest in how to do things better if the source of the information comes from outside. My wife does not believe me after 18 years, but will believe anything a Thai tramp tells her. 

I'm sure bring or appointing a semi skilled aficionado to update requirements would not be well received as it would imply there was something imperfect about the way they go about things. My file must be inches think at the IO given all the paper copies of the same information repeated annually in a giant waste of time for the vast majority of folk. 

 

Maybe not true about them keeping all your paperwork.

 

At Samui IO I have often gone to get TM47s or other forms sometimes only to find they were recycled with someone elses information on the back and even with passport details!

 

Ask KhunPer...He knows everything about Samui!

[novacova]

1 hour ago, Can samui said:

Sure enough when my turn came I was quickly informed that I needed waaaay more copies of every extension ever granted to me since Moses was in short pants.

Never hurts to be overly prepared, even then an occasional surprise pops up.

[Troy Tempest]

These days I rarely have to visit Immigration on Samui as they finally got 90 reporting online to work.....

 

However, I always make a point of visiting the office a few days before I want to renew my Retiremnt Extension just to find out whatever ridiculous loopholes they have come up with regarding even more document requiements.

 

I have been visiting Samui since 2006, but only living here permanently for 13 years!

 

Ask KhunPer...He knows EVERYTHING about Samui!

 

 

[Troy Tempest]

3 hours ago, Troy Tempest said:

These days I rarely have to visit Immigration on Samui as they finally got 90 reporting online to work.....

 

However, I always make a point of visiting the office a few days before I want to renew my Retirement Extension just to find out whatever ridiculous loopholes they have come up with regarding even more document requirements.

 

I have been visiting Samui since 2006, but only living here permanently for 13 years!

 

Ask KhunPer...He knows EVERYTHING about Samui!

 

 

 

At least that's what he thinks!

[Troy Tempest]

 

[Troy Tempest]

<deleted> Me!.....Tell me about it!

 

I guess most guys on Death Row don't feel so good for a few days before they strap them to "The Gurney"?

 

At least in Most Cases it only happens once per individual....As you may know, sometimes it goes wrong!

 

You know what it's like.....Sometimes we forget to pay the Gas or Electric bills!

 

With Samui Immigration we have to go through the same mental torture every F*ckin' year!

[Tropicalevo]

15 hours ago, Troy Tempest said:

With Samui Immigration we have to go through the same mental torture every F*ckin' year!

 

I feel for folk here on Samui. The immigration people have been tricky for years, although I thought that things had improved in recent years.

When I first came to Samui, I was on a retirement visa. I had to deal with a gentleman called Nok.

My first meeting with him, he led me to his 'office'. It was a store room where we sat on boxes of paper.

He explained that if I wanted the visa, there would be an additional charge, payable to him.

I stood up to walk out. The conversation then went -

Nok 'where are you going? Do you not want a visa?'

me 'yes I do, but I think that you are asking me for a bribe. That is illegal and I will not do that. I will get a lawyer to obtain my visa'

Nok 'But I am much cheaper than a lawyer'

Me - yes, but still illegal. Goodbye'.

After that, every time that I went to immigration for the 90 days or renewal, Nok made me wait all day.

Set up the company shortly afterwards and now the accountant processes my WP, Visa 90, day reports etc etc.

I spend 5 minutes per year at immigration having my photo taken

 

Apologies to readers who may have seen this story before.

[Can samui]

Yep, I remember that piece of work.

First visit after the coup there was a gentleman in a yellow golf shirt sitting just inside the door and all he did was stare at the birdman and that day I was in and out in an hour. Shortly after Nok "retired", gawd I hated that man.

[churchill]

2 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

 

I feel for folk here on Samui. The immigration people have been tricky for years, although I thought that things had improved in recent years.

When I first came to Samui, I was on a retirement visa. I had to deal with a gentleman called Nok.

My first meeting with him, he led me to his 'office'. It was a store room where we sat on boxes of paper.

He explained that if I wanted the visa, there would be an additional charge, payable to him.

I stood up to walk out. The conversation then went -

Nok 'where are you going? Do you not want a visa?'

me 'yes I do, but I think that you are asking me for a bribe. That is illegal and I will not do that. I will get a lawyer to obtain my visa'

Nok 'But I am much cheaper than a lawyer'

Me - yes, but still illegal. Goodbye'.

After that, every time that I went to immigration for the 90 days or renewal, Nok made me wait all day.

Set up the company shortly afterwards and now the accountant processes my WP, Visa 90, day reports etc etc.

I spend 5 minutes per year at immigration having my photo taken

 

Apologies to readers who may have seen this story before.

 

Yes I remember Nok , he charged a few baht but made the whole process a lot easier . 

 

Glad I went for the 5 plus 15 year Elite last year .

[KhunBENQ]

At KK you won't make it to the desk of the IO before passing the document check at the entrance.

One to two officers and two interns just do that.

Only after that you will receive a queue number.

[khunPer]

On 1/17/2024 at 7:15 AM, Can samui said:

Hey folks, long time permanent immigration sufferer here and was just wondering.....

Does anyone know of a way to pass honest suggestions to immigration in order to both make their job easier as well as make it easier for use by visitors?

Reason for my query is a combination of observation and personal experience. Was there today to attempt an uncommon task and while waiting in line I noticed that most of the people did not have the proper documentation causing consternation to the tourist and frustration to the immigration officer. Sure enough when my turn came I was quickly informed that I needed waaaay more copies of every extension ever granted to me since Moses was in short pants. Despite my visiting the Thai immigration site and reading what was required as well as sleuthing the old internet I was rejected.

I am sure it would take a semii skilled internet aficionado a short tim3 to construct an updatable site that listed visa task and all documentation required to accomplish said task. Might even put pdf access to required forms.

OK...mild rant done. Headed back tomorrow after cutting down another chunk of the rain forest in order for the proper hoops to be leapt through.

 

If you follow the pinned thread here...

–you will know exactly what papers to bring and what's happening of new amazing demands this year in Samui Immigration.

To Moderator: Please close this thread and let discussion continue in the pinned immigration-thread.

[Neilly]

18 hours ago, khunPer said:

–you will know exactly what papers to bring and what's happening of new amazing demands this year in Samui Immigration.

 

This thread has nothing to do with Samui retirement extensions

[john donson]

where was this ?

 

even with an updated website, the local IO, gotten up the wrong foot/leg out of the bad, can ask for more papers nowhere mentioned but that smells a lot like ... give me a bribe or use an agent so they can get their cut of  THE BRIBE

[Can samui]

2 minutes ago, john donson said:

where was this ?

 

even with an updated website, the local IO, gotten up the wrong foot/leg out of the bad, can ask for more papers nowhere mentioned but that smells a lot like ... give me a bribe or use an agent so they can get their cut of  THE BRIBE

It was Samui downstairs at the precheck desk.

This has nothing to do with bribes or agents, it was simply an attempt to make everyone's day better. When I arrived with all the necessary documentation all went smoothly.

A concise list of requirements for each function requested would just make everything run better.

[Tropicalevo]

9 minutes ago, Can samui said:

A concise list of requirements for each function requested would just make everything run better.

In theory, that is correct.

But.

This is Thailand and one of the main issues is that the 'instructions' do not always trickle down the chain of command. (Not just in Thailand by the way.)

A very simple example.

When I first moved to Thailand, I attended a course entitled 'Thai law for foreigners'. A very useful course.

It was given by lecturers from one of the universities that educated lawyers etc.

When I came back to Samui and started talking to lawyers here about company set up, shareholders, owning land (or not) and so on - most lawyers that I spoke to had not seen the laws that I had been taught.

Same with documentation needed to open a second or third bank account and so on.

[Can samui]

Agreed Evo but a locally generated and maintained list would be so beneficial to all.. 

Am still at a loss as to how to even consider a proposal such as this, thus my initial post

[Tbone999]

For my Retirement Extension in Phuket, I nearly fell over. Luckily I picked a date just after Xmas, there were hardly any people there. With the correct paperwork, I was out within 20min, the same the next day, handed my ticket to the guys outside, and got my passport back inside 10min, then another 15min to get my re-entry. Kudos to the Phuket Immigration, an entirely different experience I've had for years :)

Well done!!

[khunPer]

4 hours ago, Neilly said:

 

This thread has nothing to do with Samui retirement extensions

The pinned thread is quite general about extension of stay and 90-days address report – I don't mention "retirement extension" – and you can find many answers there.

If you ask at immigration, you will get a paper with what documents to bring, it's not that difficult. If you follow the pinned thread about Samui Immigration, you can also find document lists updated answers there.

Unfortunately, a lot of the people in the queue line are not ASEAN NOW-members, and many just extend a 30-days tourist-stay with another 30 days, but stand in the same queue as expats.

 

Something change at Samui Immigration office almost every year, with the staff trying to make the procedure more smooth. Recently the document check has been moved downstairs with two windows. Before it was a single desk in the upstairs office. There are more and more people coming to extend stay – and some for 90-days address report – at the immigration office, and the immigration staff seems to try to handle it.

There is a sign inside the immigration office with contact for any immigration experience – we are not allowed to snap photos inside the office – that sign is likely also a gateway for suggestions.

 

When I renewed my extension of stay in October, there was large posters downstairs about using the e-Extension option, which probably can be used to know both paperwork and make things go smoother...

[Thingamabob]

On 1/17/2024 at 1:15 PM, Can samui said:

Hey folks, long time permanent immigration sufferer here and was just wondering.....

Does anyone know of a way to pass honest suggestions to immigration in order to both make their job easier as well as make it easier for use by visitors?

Reason for my query is a combination of observation and personal experience. Was there today to attempt an uncommon task and while waiting in line I noticed that most of the people did not have the proper documentation causing consternation to the tourist and frustration to the immigration officer. Sure enough when my turn came I was quickly informed that I needed waaaay more copies of every extension ever granted to me since Moses was in short pants. Despite my visiting the Thai immigration site and reading what was required as well as sleuthing the old internet I was rejected.

I am sure it would take a semii skilled internet aficionado a short tim3 to construct an updatable site that listed visa task and all documentation required to accomplish said task. Might even put pdf access to required forms.

OK...mild rant done. Headed back tomorrow after cutting down another chunk of the rain forest in order for the proper hoops to be leapt through.

 

Fair idea. Problem is no one will take any notice, even if you submit your ideas in Thai. 

[Max Brok]

And these comments are similar for many IO locations

[Neilly]

5 hours ago, khunPer said:

The pinned thread is quite general about extension of stay and 90-days address report – I don't mention "retirement extension" – and you can find many answers there.

If you ask at immigration, you will get a paper with what documents to bring, it's not that difficult. If you follow the pinned thread about Samui Immigration, you can also find document lists updated answers there.

 

The pinned thread is about retirement extensions...and nothing to do with 90 day reports.

 

What the OP was asking, and you obviously missed the point, was how could we make their life, and ours, simpler if there was a data base that didn't require a trip to immigration (Samui specific)...and half a day wasted if you live in the south of the island, much longer if you live on one of the islands serviced by Samui immigration.

 

For some unknown reason you seem to be some sort of fanboy of Samui immigration, when i did my retirement extension last year there was no mention of the 'Photo in front of the house' in extension tread, so what use is it? Even the girl who does the paperwork check downstairs said, and I quote 'its best to come about three days before your renewal because they keep changing the rules'. 

 

 

[khunPer]

5 hours ago, Neilly said:

 

The pinned thread is about retirement extensions...and nothing to do with 90 day reports.

 

What the OP was asking, and you obviously missed the point, was how could we make their life, and ours, simpler if there was a data base that didn't require a trip to immigration (Samui specific)...and half a day wasted if you live in the south of the island, much longer if you live on one of the islands serviced by Samui immigration.

 

For some unknown reason you seem to be some sort of fanboy of Samui immigration, when i did my retirement extension last year there was no mention of the 'Photo in front of the house' in extension tread, so what use is it? Even the girl who does the paperwork check downstairs said, and I quote 'its best to come about three days before your renewal because they keep changing the rules'. 

I'm not a fan, I just follow their demands – it makes a life much more easy.

About "make their life, and ours, simpler" we have the pinned thread about Samui Immigration. It seems like each province have slightly different local regulations, so a database/website would be one for each province, or even one for each immigration office. That's why the pinned thread, which started as a retirement extension advise, but includes numerous other things about Samui Immigration, is so useful.

 

Some of us pops by a few days before and get the list and attached documents. Therefore it's useful when a member updates with new requirements, like when you found out that a photo in front of the house is needed and thankfully shared that information together with the latest list of needed documentation...

 

Re. 90-days address report, these ar the comments/posts about that on the first page of the pinned thread....