Fake Visas From Birmingham

[taxexile]

i applied for and successfully obtained my retirement visa at suan phluu the other day.

it was pretty straightforward, paid the 1900b at the front cashier desk and was directed to the room down the corridor where i presented a health certificate from the useless doctor in my soi, photocopies of my passport,(main page and visa,tm pages),photocopies of my bank book front page and withdrawals/deposits pages statements from my bank here to show funds recently sent from abroad,total funds in my account,transaction slip showing the transaction from the uk, (the bank letters were obtained from the bank here 10 days ago), and a 4x6cm. photo (it must be this size..plenty of shops opposite will oblige.)

i was interviewed for a few minutes about what i did in england, why i like thailand,where will i live and with who,all my answers were written down in thai and then she looked at my passport and saw that my visa (non-imm-0) was issued in birmingham,uk. she took the passport to her superior who came over and asked me a lot of questions me on how i had obtained the visa,was i in the uk when i obtained the visa, whether i had gone to the consulate personally or posted the passport,did i have my receipt from the consulate, how much the visa cost and how long did it take before the visa was returned.

all my answers were written down in thai and i had to sign the paper.

she told me that a number of applicants for visa extensions were showing up with fake visas purporting to be from birmingham. these fake visas are being obtained from visa agents in thailand, obviously without the holder having to leave the country and the immigration dept. are on the prowl again.

my visa was obtained legitimately but they told me it looked just like a fake one !!

i was interviewed by yet another officer there who took my passport to another room, probably to be examined by the superiors superior but was eventually given my 12 month retirement stamp. the whole procedure took less than half an hour.

i was told that if i wanted to leave the country before the visa expired i would need to get a re-entry permit before leaving. these can be obtained either single re -entry or multiple re- entry at suan phluu by paying the relevant fee before leaving. i was told not to rely on getting one at the airports or border controls as they wont always give them, (even don meung, she said, dont always issue them)

i was reminded to report every 90 days, and given a form to post if i did not want to come in myself and report.

all in all, an easy encounter with thai officialdom, conducted in a very friendly and polite manner.

but if you have a visa from birmingham of dubious origin, beware... they are on the lookout for you.

hope this information can be of use to anybody about to enter the forbidding portals of the dreaded immigration department in bangkok.

next week..... a thai driving license renewal at sukhumvit 91.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

i applied for and successfully obtained my retirement visa at suan phluu the other day.

it was pretty straightforward, paid the 1900b at the front cashier desk and was directed to the room down the corridor where i presented a health certificate from the useless doctor in my soi, photocopies of my passport,(main page and visa,tm pages),photocopies of my bank book front page and withdrawals/deposits pages statements from my bank here to show funds recently sent from abroad,total funds in my account,transaction slip showing the transaction from the uk, (the bank letters were obtained from the bank here 10 days ago), and a 4x6cm. photo (it must be this size..plenty of shops opposite will oblige.)

i was interviewed for a few minutes about what i did in england, why i like thailand,where will i live and with who,all my answers were written down in thai and then she looked at my passport and saw that my visa (non-imm-0) was issued in birmingham,uk. she took the passport to her superior who came over and asked me a lot of questions me on how i had obtained the visa,was i in the uk when i obtained the visa, whether i had gone to the consulate personally or posted the passport,did i have my receipt from the consulate, how much the visa cost and how long did it take before the visa was returned.

all my answers were written down in thai and i had to sign the paper.

she told me that a number of applicants for visa extensions were showing up with fake visas purporting to be from birmingham. these fake visas are being obtained from visa agents in thailand, obviously without the holder having to leave the country and the immigration dept. are on the prowl again.

my visa was obtained legitimately but they told me it looked just like a fake one !!

i was interviewed by yet another officer there who took my passport to another room, probably to be examined by the superiors superior but was eventually given my 12 month retirement stamp. the whole procedure took less than half an hour.

i was told that if i wanted to leave the country before the visa expired i would need to get a re-entry permit before leaving. these can be obtained either single re -entry or multiple re- entry at suan phluu by paying the relevant fee before leaving. i was told not to rely on getting one at the airports or border controls as they wont always give them, (even don meung, she said, dont always issue them)

i was reminded to report every 90 days, and given a form to post if i did not want to come in myself and report.

all in all, an easy encounter with thai officialdom, conducted in a very friendly and polite manner.

but if you have a visa from birmingham of dubious origin, beware... they are on the lookout for you.

hope this information can be of use to anybody about to enter the forbidding portals of the dreaded immigration department in bangkok.

next week..... a thai driving license renewal at sukhumvit 91.

Was it a stamped visa or a sticker visa ?

Go for the 5 year license this time...saves a lot of hassle. It'll take longer than the Suan Phlu shag up

[taxexile]

iSuan Phlu shag up

if only.....some of the women working at suan phluu look just delightful in those tight fitting uniforms.

it was a stamped visa (the one from birmingham)

my last thai driving license expired three months ago, can i still get a five year one or do i have to get a new one year one and renew to a five year next time??

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Tight uniforms....sounds good...I always fancied the idea of a Sally officer in a bonnet.....Coming for Jesus.

I think they'll accept the 3 months late....granny was so sick in the UK. No probs I figure. Good luck.

[ovenman]

my last thai driving license expired three months ago, can i still get a five year one or do i have to get a new one year one and renew to a five year next time??

When I renewed my drivers licenses last July, I inquired about this and was informed that one has up to one year after the expiration of a current license to get it renewed without going back to square one.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

my last thai driving license expired three months ago, can i still get a five year one or do i have to get a new one year one and renew to a five year next time??

When I renewed my drivers licenses last July, I inquired about this and was informed that one has up to one year after the expiration of a current license to get it renewed without going back to square one.

But sometimes they change the rules. T i T

[ovenman]

But sometimes they change the rules.  T i T

Isn't that the truth. I renewed my drivers licences on the 17 of last July. At the end of that month, they started issuing the five-year licenses. If I had just waited two weeks to renew mine, I would have been all set for five years. TIT indeed...

[dr_Pat_Pong]

But sometimes they change the rules.  T i T

Isn't that the truth. I renewed my drivers licences on the 17 of last July. At the end of that month, they started issuing the five-year licenses. If I had just waited two weeks to renew mine, I would have been all set for five years. TIT indeed...

But think of the poor bloody Thai's that missed out on the chance of a Life License on that date.

[ovenman]

But think of the poor bloody Thai's that missed out on the chance of a Life License on that date.

Knowing there would be a rush toward the end of that month with people trying to get their lifetime drivers license at the last minute before those licenses were no more was why I went to motor vehicles early to renew mine...

[huski]

When I renewed my drivers licenses last July, I inquired about this and was informed that one has up to one year after the expiration of a current license to get it renewed without going back to square one.

i was told the same thing as i strolled in with mine 9 months over.

Isn't that the truth. I renewed my drivers licences on the 17 of last July. At the end of that month, they started issuing the five-year licenses. If I had just waited two weeks to renew mine, I would have been all set for five years. TIT indeed... 

same here overman, missed the 5 year by about 2 or 3 weeks also.

my visa was obtained legitimately but they told me it looked just like a fake one !!

taxexile, tomorrow i will take you so we can pick out your favorite football club's jersey...thais are the masters of copying.

[Sunshine]

When I renewed my drivers licenses last July, I inquired about this and was informed that one has up to one year after the expiration of a current license to get it renewed without going back to square one.

I heard the same thing too. I hope they don’t change the rules though because at the moment it’s like having a two-year drivers license and I wont be here when my licence is due to expire.

[Sunshine]

Hang on; weren’t we supposed to be talking about fake visas?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Hang on; weren’t we supposed to be talking about fake visas?

We were too...then ole Tax asked another question which related to drivers licenses...sorry