Address Notification Purpose?

[Faramir]

I'm new on Thai Visa Forum, but an old hand in the Kingdom.

Finally got motivated to join due to what is an old story on this forum--have had to pay the 2000 baht fine once too often. I'll take the blame; but I feel it is easy to forget with full-time work and life pressures. I rarely leave the Kingdom, being deeply rooted here now. This is home, though I remain on Non-O status (advantages of perm. resident status just aren't worth the large investment necessary).

Has the reason for the 90 day address notification requirement has ever been clearly enunciated by the authorities. It seems like such a wasteful bit of red tape. The official who politely handled my case yesterday spent about 30 minutes filling in a receipt, a case book entry where I acknowledged my guilt, and two forms, and applying a dozen stamps or so. She was polite because I suppose my long term educator status at a high level uni humbled her and her superior a little, but I still felt the whole thing was purposeless.

I really doubt that collecting 2000 is worth it for them. Drop in the bucket.

What is the reason for this rule?

Have the authorities considered rewriting it so that very well-established expats who rarely have changed their residence or work place can just notify at visa renewal time?

Another curiosity: the superior informed me--in rather good English--that 'only Thai citizens do NOT have to notify their addresses. People with permanent resident status (the red book) have to notify every 90 days'. If that is so, why bother getting permanent residency at all? For 1,900 baht a year, I can renew my Non-O for the rest of my life probably, for less than the cost of the permanent residence.

Thank you for any insight or comments.

[gotlost]

I understand that fines as such are all lumped together and divided up amongst the immigration personnel. This is how they get their extra money and have no problem if you break the rules time and time again.

[lopburi3]

The reason is so they can find you - it is part of the original immigration act and nothing new. As an old law it is sadly out of date with current technology but change of law is never easy so hopefully at some point we can get to at least the telephone age; and with luck computers. Until then it is visits or mail reporting and extra work for everyone.

[MrRichard2009]

She was polite because I suppose my long term educator status at a high level uni humbled her and her superior a little ..........

My thought would be why couldn't she just be a polite person ? Why would you feel the need to find some external motivation for her politeness? Pretty much everyone is polite to me It never dawned on me to care why. lol

[Faramir]

1. Lets campaign to set minimum government official salary at 50,000. Little reason for them to enforce purposeless laws. Highly paid, highly qualified officials might actually go after the human traffickers and other serious immigration issues.

(Brings to mind the tesakij cigarette cop scam that BP exposed last week. Hitting relatively defenseless tourists while ignoring the Thai litterers who can't or wouldn't pay on the spot.)

2. I have been dissed by officials in the past before I worked at a 'name' place. Same woman was brusque with the 20-something in line ahead of me for the same so-called 'offense'. I am a polite person, and politeness does beget politeness most of the time. She actually pulled me up the queue ahead of him, despite my real protests about not being fair to him. He was cool about it, accepted my apology, but we both felt 'going with the flow (hers)' would be more useful than making even more of a scene.

3. If authorities couldn't find me in less than half an hour, they would prove their ineptitude. How do you hide after living in same neighborhood for 10+ years and getting to know hundreds of students and colleagues over those same years? And my skin is never gonna be tanned enough....

[Pib]

Just like many laws, whether your home country laws or Thai laws, some of the laws are hard to see the purpose of, seem strange, we don't like them, etc., not to imply the purpose of the law is not based on good reasons. But regardless, the law is the law, so the best way to deal with this 90 day address reporting law/rule is just to report your address every 90 days. By reporting every 90 days it prevents 2000 baht fines and helps to keep a person's blood pressure down.

[neverdie]

OP, How long did you say you have been here for & you're expecting something different (perhaps a little more organised/easier)? Comeon, get real. Do you get out much? Thanks for the laugh.

Of course, if you are too busy I am sure you can have your personal assistant attend to these reporting issues by mail for you, easily entered into his/her calander every 90 odd days. Ive never paid a fine yet

Welcome to Thai Visa

[IMA_FARANG]

I'm not familiar with the procedure....but can't that be done by telephone? I think the 90 day requirement for those on the retirement extension can be done by a phone call, can't it?

As for the reason for the whole thing...well it's government, and they have their own ways don't they?

Not that this means a lot, but just as an example:

I just took some money out of my company savings fund. They sent me a form to fill out and mail back to them. Then they charged me $20 as a "service fee" for the form. What "service" did they charge me for? I don't know.

[Pib]

If you are working/living in Thailand, you better get familar with the 90 day reporting procedure. Nope, 90 day address reporting can't be done by phone. If working/living within Thailand on a long stay type visa/extension of stay, do you have a 90 day reporting receipt within your passport right now which proves the reporting has been done? If not, you may want to contact the service supposedly taking care of your 90 day reporting to try to confirm the reporting has actually been done. Sure hope your $20 hasn't been going down the drain and you don't owe a fine.

[antony77]

your post is wrong . permanent residents do not have to report every 90 days. They have to go once every five years for endorsement on their alien registration books