Went to Jomtien Immigration today to apply for a residence certificate to transfer a motor bike, the smiling con artist asked for 200 baht, like she always does, and I ,smiling as well ,told her that there was no charge for the paper, it is free, she smiled back , as she always does when told it is free, then told me to come back in a week. I have picked up a dozen or so of these free certificates, always ready tomorrow, seems they are hurting in the bribes/tip department and tried to get me to tip for next day service.

. I am in no real hurry to buy a motor cycle and register it in my name as is the proper way to do it, contibute to the economy etc etc, blah blah blah, the economy is running just fine without my money, I will wait a week and pick it up, smiling, of course.

Not much of a scam really. They charge 500baht at Mahtaput. Both amounts pale into insignificance alongside the 2500baht charged by the British Consulate next door to Jomtien Imm. for a similar letter.

The point about the Thai Immigration letter is that it may be free, but they can take as long as they like to issue it because they are in theory required to visit your address before issuing the letter. To be asked for a small fee for the avoidance of that inconvenience is a very minor 'scam', if indeed it is such.

Moved to Thai visas etc.

I was told at immigration here in BKK that they cannot issue the letter because I never made a 90-day report (I'm out of the country on average once a month). So they have no record of my address. Is that correct? I fill in my address in the arrival card, after all.

That is normal policy. Use your Embassy for such a letter in that case.

That is normal policy. Use your Embassy for such a letter in that case.

Thanks for your confirmation. I did use my embassy and paid EUR 30.00.

Most Dept of Land & Transport Offices will accept a letter from your local Amphur detailing your address. Much less fuss than going to Immigration or your home country embassy.

Most Dept of Land & Transport Offices will accept a letter from your local Amphur detailing your address. Much less fuss than going to Immigration or your home country embassy.

Depends on how much fuss dealing with your amphur is. My amphur made such a song and dance about giving me a yellow tabian baan I gave up. Their requirements were, to put it mildly, extremely onerous. 

On the other hand dealing with my local immigration office has always (up until now) been very straightforward.

Most Dept of Land & Transport Offices will accept a letter from your local Amphur detailing your address. Much less fuss than going to Immigration or your home country embassy.

Depends on how much fuss dealing with your amphur is. My amphur made such a song and dance about giving me a yellow tabian baan I gave up. Their requirements were, to put it mildly, extremely onerous.

On the other hand dealing with my local immigration office has always (up until now) been very straightforward.

My local amphur informed me themselves that I can get a yellow tabien baan without any problems.Just need to show a certificate of residence by my embassy, but maybe from immigration will be fine. (I hope so, as my embassy has some requirements to get the letter of residency from them).

Most Dept of Land & Transport Offices will accept a letter from your local Amphur detailing your address. Much less fuss than going to Immigration or your home country embassy.

Depends on how much fuss dealing with your amphur is. My amphur made such a song and dance about giving me a yellow tabian baan I gave up. Their requirements were, to put it mildly, extremely onerous. 

On the other hand dealing with my local immigration office has always (up until now) been very straightforward.

I didn't make it very clear.

Most Amphurs can give you a Yellow Tabian Baan yes. That can be a bit of a fuss for some.

They can also give you a simple letter detailing your home address. This, for me, has been very simple in the past and suitable for motorcycle and car purchase.

Just take along wifey with house book and should be easy to do. Always remembering TIT of course.

Yellow book, yellow book!, if there is an issue ever so flippantly discussed on TV it is the subject of "yellow book".

Personally I am sick of it!, I get it every week at the golf club and market place weekly meet from smug ex-pats who have only been here two minutes. All you need, they chirp on about, is to take along your marriage certificate and (perhaps a brown envelope with some crisp purple ones in it) and you might get somewhere.

Not this call sign, I have wasted several hours at the local amphur and came away with diddly squat.

Its all the rage up here (yellow book) and what concerns me a little is that Immigration will start to insist that you have one!, as proof of residence on our yearly visits.

This year I have renewed a Thai 5 year driving licence and received another retirement extension with a residence certificate issued at Nan Immigration May 2009- no probs. I had to do my extension without wife in tow so they did want to see proof of where I lived - fair enough!.

The next red nose overweight flub who bangs on about this in the 19th is going to be wearing my putter as a necktie - only kidding!.

Alstaxi,. is it worth it ? all that for 200 baht, ?..ok principle ?, they dont apply in Thailand i found, Western values just dont cut it Thailand ...i once spent 3 hours running about p1issed off to avoid paying a 300 baht fine for "not speeding" ,in the end i paid 200 to avoid the frustration, and it was only me that was bothered by any of this, these officers in charge are the scourge of the nation,and are not in the job to help anyone but themselves, BUT its the Thai way,, we as farang will change nothing,