Pattaya Immigration

[wca01]

Visiting last week Pattaya Immigration for the 90 days reporting, I have to say that the service has improved since the last 3 months. . After only 10 minutes I was done. It seems also that more officers (ladies) are working now.

WCA

[patsfangr]

Visiting last week Pattaya Immigration for the 90 days reporting, I have to say that the service has improved since the last 3 months. . After only 10 minutes I was done. It seems also that more officers (ladies) are working now.

WCA

I have to say that I don't see much room for improvement, other than someday allowing us to do it online. In the 3 years that I've lived here, I've never been in there for more 20 minutes for my 90-day report, and it's usually less than that. The Jomtien Immigration Office is the most efficiently run Thai operation, public or private, that I've experienced here!

BRAVO FOR THEM!

[patsfangr]

Let me add that I went there for my 1-year visa extension on April 20 - the first day they opened after the Red Shirt and Songkran shutdown. I arrived nearly an hour before their 08:30 opening. The guy who distributes the tickets came outside, starting at about 08:00, and handed out tickets to the large crowd that was gathering. (There were about 100 by 08:30). He kept handing out tickets until just before opening, so there was no huge stampede when it opened. Everybody was calm, with tickets in hand.

Since I was so early, I had ticket #4 for my station. I was out of there in 20 minutes from the much more involved extension process.

Great work again by Jomtien Immigration!

[Pdavies99]

Hmm!! Well Its nice to hear they have improved....it used to be very good several years ago, and its nice to see all the friendly comments, but lets not get carried away, only a few months ago there were many comments on the Forum about poor service and I myself was recently asked for financial ?????, neverless well done for improvements.

Visiting last week Pattaya Immigration for the 90 days reporting, I have to say that the service has improved since the last 3 months. . After only 10 minutes I was done. It seems also that more officers (ladies) are working now.

WCA

Edited April 27, 2009 by Pdavies99

[anothertorres]

i went in last wednesday for my 90-day. i walked in at 1:15pm, punched the box, got my ticket and looked up and my ticket was next. was in there less than 10 minutes (filled out the form at home).

[Phil Conners]

As already said, let's not get carried away. As the big boss as already said "we're not a service bureau, we're an enforcement agency".

Doing the annual renewals we are still treated like criminals during interrogation. Hate every second of it!

Edited April 27, 2009 by Phil Conners

[DonTron]

Still, last time I went for my 1 year NonB there was a mile long line with 37 numbers before mine. But it didnt take more than 30 minutes anyway so they were actually very fast and efficient.

(they still willingly reached out for the 3000 baht tea money thou, unfortunately that hasnt changed)

[surayu]

Still, last time I went for my 1 year NonB there was a mile long line with 37 numbers before mine. But it didnt take more than 30 minutes anyway so they were actually very fast and efficient.

(they still willingly reached out for the 3000 baht tea money thou, unfortunately that hasnt changed)

...just 3k? wow then i would agree something has improved! last year the tea was at least 15k plus standard costs, so i just went to BKK where no drinks where required....

[Phil Conners]

Weird. I've never been asked tea money for my non-o in Pattaya. Lots of paperwork, questions and hassle, but no tea money.

[justbob]

As already said, let's not get carried away. As the big boss as already said "we're not a service bureau, we're an enforcement agency".

Doing the annual renewals we are still treated like criminals during interrogation. Hate every second of it!

Think it like about your own safety. If you missing where they will be searching you?

[patsfangr]

I've just processed my third visa extension. The T-47 form clearly states a fee of 1900 baht. That is exactly what I have paid, every time.

Each time I've gone in, the process has been the same. I get a ticket. I wait, either standing or sitting, until my number comes up on the board. I go to the station, and the Imm Officer (been the same guy since I got here) takes my paperwork, and checks it. He then tells me, quite politely, to go to the Retirement Visa desk to complete the process. There, I'm treated with the same courtesy and efficiency; and told to come back the next day, at 1 PM, to pick up my passport.

What part of that process is being treated "like a criminal"? I'm a guest in this country. They have laws that are intended monitor the activity of non-immigrant residents, in order to protect Thai citizens, as well as law abiding guests. I see nothing wrong with that, and wish that my country did a better job of monitoring the criminal element that represents a large percentage of the illegal immigrants from Mexico!

I can see no reason for any significant complaint about the Thai Immigration Office in Jomtien.

[Jingthing]

The first time I went for an annual extension there, I was treated like a criminal. They accused me of presenting a fake passport, I kid you not. My passport could not have been cleaner, perhaps that was their issue. Anyway, that was some years ago, and since then, I have no complaint about my treatment there. However, when people report that they have been treated like criminals by immigration police

I

BELIEVE

THEM!

Edited April 27, 2009 by Jingthing

[Phil Conners]

I've just processed my third visa extension. The T-47 form clearly states a fee of 1900 baht. That is exactly what I have paid, every time.

Each time I've gone in, the process has been the same. I get a ticket. I wait, either standing or sitting, until my number comes up on the board. I go to the station, and the Imm Officer (been the same guy since I got here) takes my paperwork, and checks it. He then tells me, quite politely, to go to the Retirement Visa desk to complete the process. There, I'm treated with the same courtesy and efficiency; and told to come back the next day, at 1 PM, to pick up my passport.

What part of that process is being treated "like a criminal"? I'm a guest in this country. They have laws that are intended monitor the activity of non-immigrant residents, in order to protect Thai citizens, as well as law abiding guests. I see nothing wrong with that, and wish that my country did a better job of monitoring the criminal element that represents a large percentage of the illegal immigrants from Mexico!

I can see no reason for any significant complaint about the Thai Immigration Office in Jomtien.

You're obviously on a retirement visa. Perhaps those rules are different. I won't go too much into details but for example we are EVERY YEAR required to provide a new set of photos of us (the whole family) in our bedroom, in our living room, in our kitchen, in front of our house ... I mean I've now been here for 7 years, do they really need to to through all that c*ap every year? Maybe not a big deal for you, but I feel very protective about the inside of my house and would prefer not giving complete strangers pictures of what we have (they keep the pictures, who know who may see them).

We also have to expect an officer to come out and question the neighbors about us, like we are petty criminals.

My wife has to answer a long list of questions (in Thai, but she tell me they are quite humiliating - and she is quite laid back) about us and our life.

I wouldn't mind going through this once when we get here, but one time ought to be enough, after that it should be possible to just extend or give a few years, such as is given immigrating Thais in most European countries.

Edited April 27, 2009 by Phil Conners

[patsfangr]

You're obviously on a retirement visa. Perhaps those rules are different. I won't go too much into details but for example we are EVERY YEAR required to provide a new set of photos of us (the whole family) in our bedroom, in our living room, in our kitchen, in front of our house ... I mean I've now been here for 7 years, do they really need to to through all that c*ap every year? Maybe not a big deal for you, but I feel very protective about the inside of my house and would prefer not giving complete strangers pictures of what we have (they keep the pictures, who know who may see them).

We also have to expect an officer to come out and question the neighbors about us, like we are petty criminals.

My wife has to answer a long list of questions (in Thai, but she tell me they are quite humiliating - and she is quite laid back) about us and our life.

I wouldn't mind going through this once when we get here, but one time ought to be enough, after that it should be possible to just extend or give a few years, such as is given immigrating Thais in most European countries.

I was not aware of any of that, Phil. Is everybody else with this type of Visa subjected to those same requirements? I certainly agree that what you've described is way over the line. I'm sorry to hear that they go that far; and I frankly don't understand why there would be such a major difference of people with different types of visas.

[barryofthailand]

You're obviously on a retirement visa. Perhaps those rules are different. I won't go too much into details but for example we are EVERY YEAR required to provide a new set of photos of us (the whole family) in our bedroom, in our living room, in our kitchen, in front of our house ... I mean I've now been here for 7 years, do they really need to to through all that c*ap every year? Maybe not a big deal for you, but I feel very protective about the inside of my house and would prefer not giving complete strangers pictures of what we have (they keep the pictures, who know who may see them).

We also have to expect an officer to come out and question the neighbors about us, like we are petty criminals.

My wife has to answer a long list of questions (in Thai, but she tell me they are quite humiliating - and she is quite laid back) about us and our life.

I wouldn't mind going through this once when we get here, but one time ought to be enough, after that it should be possible to just extend or give a few years, such as is given immigrating Thais in most European countries.

I was not aware of any of that, Phil. Is everybody else with this type of Visa subjected to those same requirements? I certainly agree that what you've described is way over the line. I'm sorry to hear that they go that far; and I frankly don't understand why there would be such a major difference of people with different types of visas.

This is a requirement from Bangkok, not Pattaya. The so called mariage Visa is only approved in Bangkok. Pattaya gathers the info, and sends it to Bangkok. You are given a 30 day stamp and have to return after 30 days. If the file has not arrived yet you are given a 15 day stamp.

Barry

[Phil Conners]

[sarcasm]Oh, it's a requirement from Bangkok. It's ok then [/sarcasm]

Edited April 28, 2009 by Phil Conners

[Tokay]

They accused me of presenting a fake passport, I kid you not. My passport could not have been cleaner, perhaps that was their issue. Anyway, that was some years ago, and since then, I have no complaint about my treatment there.

Speaking of passport problems...

I took my lady to Indonesia last year and her passport expired in four months. This means Air Asia would not let her board the plane, which I understand. They said they would hold her ticket for 1 month while she got a new passport. Not a problem, I had to go that day and my lady went to Bangkok to get a new passport. It was my fault for not checking to see when her passport expired.

However...

A few days later she called me in the morning and was in tears. The monkey manager at Air Asia, the person running the entire show there, would not let her board because... and are you sitting down? She could not board because she didn't have any stamps in her passport. <deleted>!?!?! I got the manager on the phone and ripped her a new a-hole. Of course I started nice and worked up to it but it took me 20 minutes on the phone with this moron before she agreed to let her on the flight. Simple rational did not work with her for 18 of those minutes...Thais get passports by the government so they can travel. If the government issues a passport that means they can legally travel OUT of Thailand. Indonesia does not have visa requirements for Thais. The Thai government says she can travel and since the passport is NEW, of course there are no stamps. However her old passport, the one you made her replace, had stamps. It was this question that finally won the battle: If Thai people need stamps in their passport to leave Thailand, how do you suggest anyone ever leaves Thailand to ever get the first stamp. A minute of silence on her end and then she agreed to let her fly.

It was surreal. I could not believe the conversation I was having with this baboon. The scary part is, she was running Air Asia that morning. It makes me wonder how many trips have been ruined due to this very thing.

[Phatcharanan]

. I won't go too much into details but for example we are EVERY YEAR required to provide a new set of photos of us (the whole family) in our bedroom, in our living room, in our kitchen, in front of our house ... I mean I've now been here for 7 years, do they really need to to through all that c*ap every year? Maybe not a big deal for you, but I feel very protective about the inside of my house and would prefer not giving complete strangers pictures of what we have (they keep the pictures, who know who may see them).

We also have to expect an officer to come out and question the neighbors about us, like we are petty criminals.

My wife has to answer a long list of questions (in Thai, but she tell me they are quite humiliating - and she is quite laid back) about us and our life.

I wouldn't mind going through this once when we get here, but one time ought to be enough, after that it should be possible to just extend or give a few years, such as is given immigrating Thais in most European countries.

Can't see the problem really. You are here on an extension based on marriage. They want to make sure you are still married and not another dead-beat trying to stay here based on an initial marriage of "convenience".

I wish my country of birth did the same thing.

[patklang]

. I won't go too much into details but for example we are EVERY YEAR required to provide a new set of photos of us (the whole family) in our bedroom, in our living room, in our kitchen, in front of our house ... I mean I've now been here for 7 years, do they really need to to through all that c*ap every year? Maybe not a big deal for you, but I feel very protective about the inside of my house and would prefer not giving complete strangers pictures of what we have (they keep the pictures, who know who may see them).

We also have to expect an officer to come out and question the neighbors about us, like we are petty criminals.

My wife has to answer a long list of questions (in Thai, but she tell me they are quite humiliating - and she is quite laid back) about us and our life.

I wouldn't mind going through this once when we get here, but one time ought to be enough, after that it should be possible to just extend or give a few years, such as is given immigrating Thais in most European countries.

Can't see the problem really. You are here on an extension based on marriage. They want to make sure you are still married and not another dead-beat trying to stay here based on an initial marriage of "convenience".

I wish my country of birth did the same thing.

I wish my country tightened up on visitors/immigrants,the same as Thaialnd.WE are visitors here no matter how long we have lived here.Things change and they have every right to have up to date info.

[Phil Conners]

I refuse to see myself as a visitor. I am married to a Thai national and the father to a Thai national. This is not guest, this is family.

Edited April 29, 2009 by Phil Conners