Questionable Immigration officials and the NOT UPDATE LINE

[aussieinthailand]

Firstly, can anyone give the OFFICIAL Thai Immigration web sight for the most updated info on visa's? NOT as most sights I look at are liked to lawyers and visa agencies? I even got the official booklet from BKK and these guy's at local immigration say "NOT UPDATE"!!!

as I have gone too the immigration office for the updated rules but then told by them immigration office NOT UPDATE, ( I have 2 addresses) both which I live with my wife 6 months / 6months,for business reasons, so one office goes with the rules and the other just makes them up as they see fit,,,

I have done the married visa a number of times, each time I think I have covered all the requirement's, but surprise, NO'P I get the NOT UPDATE LINE,

bank statement is 4 day's old, get new,

next is bank statement in English not in Thai, get new,

yes you have 400,000 in a bank , but must be 3 months not 2 months,

yes you have 400,000 in thai bank but now how do you get your money (40,000) each month as money is in your bank a long time and not take out?

Can us expats get together and make life a little ez'er and have the most OFFICIAL up to date visa requirements posted here on TV?

Thanks in advance

[metisdead]

Have you looked in this forum:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/forum/1-thai-visas-residency-and-work-permits/

Moving to the Visa forum.

[Mario2008]

www.immigration.go.th

telephone: 1178 (immigration hotline)

[CharlieH]

It doesnt matter one bit what it says or states anywhere, what matters is what the Official sat or stood in front of you at the time wants, thats it done, argue complain, protest, object appeal, nothing will matter but what that person or office wants at that specific time and according to their interpretation and mood.

Anything else is guess work and just "wishing or hoping".Any list of requirements shoukd be deemed as General guidance" only, not fact and certainly not definative.

[watcharacters]

No matter what anyone says, I believe the last immigration officer one speaks with determines the latest immigration laws and requirements.

It's sometimes frustratingly challenging although personally I now just ask the Missus to handle the details for me.

Avoidance of the immigration office, according to my calculations, will add at least a year and a half to my life span.

I better start figuring that time frame in my retirement savings allotment. 555

[ubonjoe]

Even the immigration websites are not up to date or have no useful info.

Police order 777/2551 clause 2.18 lists the requirements extensions for marriage.

It states that it is 60 days for money in the bank.

The bank letter and bank book update rules vary between offices. The best thing is to have is day before for letter and book update on date of extension. And in Thai.

The there is no rule that says you need proof of income if you leave money in the bank. But having another account with money in and out would be good to have.

[transam]

It doesnt matter one bit what it says or states anywhere, what matters is what the Official sat or stood in front of you at the time wants, thats it done, argue complain, protest, object appeal, nothing will matter but what that person or office wants at that specific time and according to their interpretation and mood.

Anything else is guess work and just "wishing or hoping".Any list of requirements shoukd be deemed as General guidance" only, not fact and certainly not definative.

Yep. it's all a shambles, and nobody cares about anything or anybody here, nobody in a position of responsibility is not, it seems, held responsible for anything.

[evadgib]

As stated elsewhere one option would be for a gaggle of Thai wives to launch a class action against their Govt on the grounds of gender discrimination once the SEA economic area thing kicks in, given Thai males with foreign spouses are given free reign.

[thaiexpat21]

It doesnt matter one bit what it says or states anywhere, what matters is what the Official sat or stood in front of you at the time wants, thats it done, argue complain, protest, object appeal, nothing will matter but what that person or office wants at that specific time and according to their interpretation and mood.

Anything else is guess work and just "wishing or hoping".Any list of requirements shoukd be deemed as General guidance" only, not fact and certainly not definative.

Yep. it's all a shambles, and nobody cares about anything or anybody here, nobody in a position of responsibility is not, it seems, held responsible for anything.

Much like a Western country who's government can be bought to a halt by a few unaccountable mavericks !

[transam]

It doesnt matter one bit what it says or states anywhere, what matters is what the Official sat or stood in front of you at the time wants, thats it done, argue complain, protest, object appeal, nothing will matter but what that person or office wants at that specific time and according to their interpretation and mood.

Anything else is guess work and just "wishing or hoping".Any list of requirements shoukd be deemed as General guidance" only, not fact and certainly not definative.

Yep. it's all a shambles, and nobody cares about anything or anybody here, nobody in a position of responsibility is not, it seems, held responsible for anything.

Much like a Western country who's government can be bought to a halt by a few unaccountable mavericks !

Perhaps, but that gets sorted, here, nothing gets sorted.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Never had a problem with my Retirement Extensions back in the Suan Plu days, or since the move out to Sam Khok, Pathum Thani, easy, consistent, and speedy enough.

???

Mac

[thaiexpat21]

Never had a problem with my Retirement Extensions back in the Suan Plu days, or since the move out to Sam Khok, Pathum Thani, easy, consistent, and speedy enough. ??? Mac

Been here a long time and have never experienced the problems described by some !

What am I doing wrong ?

[thaiexpat21]

It doesnt matter one bit what it says or states anywhere, what matters is what the Official sat or stood in front of you at the time wants, thats it done, argue complain, protest, object appeal, nothing will matter but what that person or office wants at that specific time and according to their interpretation and mood.

Anything else is guess work and just "wishing or hoping".Any list of requirements shoukd be deemed as General guidance" only, not fact and certainly not definative.

Yep. it's all a shambles, and nobody cares about anything or anybody here, nobody in a position of responsibility is not, it seems, held responsible for anything.

Much like a Western country who's government can be bought to a halt by a few unaccountable mavericks !

Perhaps, but that gets sorted, here, nothing gets sorted.

Think you will find nothing is fixed and it will all hit the fan again early in the new year !

[ubonjoe]

Never had a problem with my Retirement Extensions back in the Suan Plu days, or since the move out to Sam Khok, Pathum Thani, easy, consistent, and speedy enough.???Mac

Same here for 6 extensions based upon marriage but use income method so I don't have to deal with the bank stuff.

[moe666]

Never any problem in Chiang Mai last 3 years. I am a firm believer in the power of thought and if you believe you will have a problem you will as in my case I know I will have smooth sailing and always do.

[Suradit69]

It doesnt matter one bit what it says or states anywhere, what matters is what the Official sat or stood in front of you at the time wants, thats it done, argue complain, protest, object appeal, nothing will matter but what that person or office wants at that specific time and according to their interpretation and mood.

Anything else is guess work and just "wishing or hoping".Any list of requirements shoukd be deemed as General guidance" only, not fact and certainly not definative.

Yep. it's all a shambles, and nobody cares about anything or anybody here, nobody in a position of responsibility is not, it seems, held responsible for anything.

Much like a Western country who's government can be bought to a halt by a few unaccountable mavericks !

Perhaps, but that gets sorted, here, nothing gets sorted.

And yet, for some reason, there are many of us who, year in and year out, manage to do the needful without much difficulty. Of course there are variations from one office to the next, but it seems a major variable is the person who is making the application.

In most cases it seems going to the trouble of having everything organized before going in (in terms of the stated requirements not your personal interpretation of what they ought to be) and having a positive attitude makes a great deal of difference. Clearly some of the people who complain about the process do so with a lot of negativity and in a somewhat incoherent manner. Immigrations probably gets frustrated with disorganized, angry applicants who exude an attitude.

Those of us waiting in the queue behind you at Immigrations share the frustration felt by the officers.

[Torrens54]

Never any problem in Chiang Mai last 3 years. I am a firm believer in the power of thought and if you believe you will have a problem you will as in my case I know I will have smooth sailing and always do.

I agree with moe666, I've been back in CNX for almost 3 years after we went overseas for a few years and I've never had a problem at Immigration.

Follow the simple rules, be polite and oh yes, make sure that before you front-up, have a shower, shave and wear clean, neat shirt, long trousers, shoes and socks. You ARE going there ON BUSINESS, you are not going to a Boozie BBQ so show a bit of respect and you will probably find the folks there are very helpful.

Might mention that I did a lot of PR work for Immigration in another country and although I never had to deal with people at the front counter, I DO KNOW how the staff felt about dealing with anyone who looked and/or acted like a slob. (Not suggesting that you do, but I hope you get my drift.)

[sms747]

it's still a bit of a lottery though, two officers at any office can demand very different things, even if you thought you had everything. I doubt if anyone sitting there waiting for the extension does not have a few worries before being called up to the desk. Does not matter how polite and nice you look either, if you get the wrong one in a bad mood. Had a woman officer once who when she could not find any fault with the application told me I had gone too early and to go back in 2 weeks. As I was leaving she told me to go to another office as they did not really do extensions there, both were not true.

[tonyPhuket]

Would it be good if the immigration office must show Police order 777/2551 on the public noticeboard (in both English and Thai)? Shall I assume they will never do that?

[moe666]

Would it be good if the immigration office must show Police order 777/2551 on the public noticeboard (in both English and Thai)? Shall I assume they will never do that?

It will be in Thai so not of use to most farangs

[Mario2008]

Would it be good if the immigration office must show Police order 777/2551 on the public noticeboard (in both English and Thai)? Shall I assume they will never do that?

They show it on their website, in both Thai and English.

Don't forget that they might not have the right to go against the rules, but they can ask for additional documents.

[sms747]

How do we know what the rules are when they sometimes don't seem to agree from one office to another, or sometimes from one officer to another, just what the rules are.

[swissie]

I know that I sound like a broken record, since I have addressed this issue before, but:

- As long as requirements are subject to individual interpretations by local immigration-warlords, this chaos will continue. "Additional documentation"??? Either you have the required documents or you don't !!!

As long as there is no binding clear legislation, issued by a centralized immigration authority (with a website that is actually kept up to date), that can serve as the only point of orientation for local immigration-warlords and Farangs alike, this hocus-pocus will never end.

But maybe the whole thing must be regarded as a "job-securing and revenue-enhancement-program". That at least would explain it, if nothing else does.

Cheers.