August 25, 201411 yr Just got back from Immigration....step one! Nice young lady out front, told her why I was there and she asked for my passport, then my TM7 and TM8, then my bank book and very politely said to come back tomorrow. So, will report back if everything went smoothly. Used to be done same day but that entailed sitting in the Birdmans office for 3 or 4 hours watching him smoke a couple of packs of cigs and get glared at. Can do without that thanks.
August 25, 201411 yr I went to do mine today too, (annual renewal, retirement visa) I was surprised how few people were there, this morning... Things were calm but I would not say anyone was on Xanax... I spent a good hour last week trying to get my house printed out on Google Maps.... Having that with me, with everything else, I was told it was no good, as it did not have the written co-ordinates printed on it... not hand written ... I was sent over to Mr H across the street, coughed up a 100 baht... and the image printed out was from very old map, that we could not find my house.... She said they won't check anyway... Printed it out and sent me on my way .... all rather pointless really! Then told to come back at 3.pm, which I did, then told at 3.30 by Mr Bird to come back tomorrow .... too!
August 25, 201411 yr Relax, just asking if anyone has. Touchy, touchy. AS i said in another post I was asked for a health certificate, yes, by the way it was on the list the lady of the front desk gave a week before, end of July, so not one month ago. I went same place for my driving license, that is to say International Hospital in Chaweng, simply told them it was for retirement extension. A nurse took my blood pressure and a doctor asked me a few question, that's it, 250 Bahts.
August 25, 201411 yr Yeah, think the health certificate might depend on which visa you are doing. Today no mention of it.
August 25, 201411 yr Me neither for Heath Cert. ... never been asked for, for retirement extension. I think I did my first year, they said no need! But I did need one for Driving License. But do make copies of bank book, and passport... I noticed Mr B had made copies to each page.... which I am sure will be added to the 1900 baht fee! tomorrow....
August 25, 201411 yr Will definitely request an itemized receipt if the math does not work. 1900 for the visa and 3800 for the multiple entry. Anything above that I will question. NCPO.....the boogeyman!
August 25, 201411 yr I usually copy everything myself & have it all signed & pinned to the corresponding originals, makes his life easier, well it should in theory
August 26, 201411 yr Popular Post Done and dusted. Went in at the appointed hour and they looked at me like I had two heads. After some prodding was told to go into "the office", (cue scary music) and see the man. He looked at me like I had two heads AND an infectious disease. "What you want" he demands. Uhhmm, my visa please? "Give me passport!". Uh hmmm, you have it. He looks at all the paperwork that I had copied, "across road and Google map, now." But it is there I say and show him where in the stack it is. "Need latitude and longitude" he says, I say it is there, on the same piece of paper. "Harrumph....give me 2000thb". But I say I want multiple entry...thus the other big ream of paper. "More money" he says. So I plunk 6000thb on his desk with a smile. "Go wait outside" he snears. An hour and a half late the desk lady calls my name and gives me my passport, I check that all is well and ask her for my 300thb change......she looks at me and says no, lots of photocopy. No claims I as I had done it all at home. "How much you want" she queries and I say, hmmm....6000-5700=300! So 300thb please young miss. She gets it from the cash drawer and I am on my way. Whole process took 25 1/2 hours from drop off to pick up. Never got mad but had time to plan my strategies sitting around. So no nasty letter to immigration (not sure they would have cared) and can now sit back and have 365 days to look forward to my next excellent experience at Samui Immigration.
August 26, 201411 yr Well my go back was done in about 20 minutes....today ... he was not as grumpy with me! Lucky I checked the passport, he had forgotten to stamp and put in the next report date as Nov 24.... Well at least the three month reports are fast and less stressful !!!
August 26, 201411 yr What time were you there Jimmy? Might have seen you. I was the hansum man who came in about 2 pm!
August 26, 201411 yr Damn...you mean to say that there were two hansum men there at 2pm? So your fault "the man" was in a bad mood then?
August 30, 201411 yr Popular Post Ok....funny story here. Was thinking about the treatment received at immigration so thought I would test the waters with the Thai Immigration website. Went on, found the "contact us" site and just wrote a quick note to ensure nothing would get back to the local office and make a nasty yearly experience even worse. Typed my note, included all requested info then went to authenticate using the 6 character code.....this is where it gets funny. The receiving box only accepts 3 characters! Priceless! No wonder nobody ever complains and the powers that be think everything is just roses and sunshine. Pointless really.
October 24, 201411 yr Anyone have any news on the proposed move date for the immigration office? Cheers.
October 24, 201411 yr After years of putting up with the dreadful annual experience in Samui, I have pretty much decided that enough is enough, and plan to get extension and re entry stuff in Suratthani, despite all the trouble of getting there. Has anyone had any experience of getting the process done there? I wonder if it's a more civilized experience or maybe just "out of the frying pan, into the fire"? Cheers.
October 31, 201411 yr Well I went there & the lady across the road charged me 150 Baht, for a black & white unreadable map.
October 31, 201411 yr Just had my extension done this week... Had all copies made, including a print of Google Map with coordinates and my house marked. By the way, the note on the wall at Immigration only mentioned Lease Contract and/or House Book, not a map, but thanks to posters in this Forum I was prepared. Handed the folder with my paperwork to the lady at Front Office, who looked through as asked: »where’s Google map...?« I pointed to the last pages. Then she immediately took the two 1000-baht notes out of the folder and asked me to follow her to Back Office, where a uniformed lady checked the papers and my bankbook(s), and without a word with her hand showed me out to Front Office again – but she kept my passport and the papers. Some times I’m showed to the Back Office and some times to the man normally sitting in the Meting Room – presumed he is the one referred to as “The Bird Man” in various posts – however, he has always been very kind to me and immediately stamped my new extension in the Passport. This time I waited almost 1½ hour, then the Front Office lady came and handed me my passport with the “Visa-extension” stamp. I never ask for a receipt or care about my 100-baht change, however I have always had only good experience and service by the Samui Immigration, perhaps that’s why...? A little remark: I checked and could not see my new 90-day address-report slip. Oh, they forgot it, so I had to see another lady in the back typing my address on the computer and print a new notice-date slip that she handed over with a big smile. In other treads (now closed) it has been discussed if the 90-day address-report follows the Visa Extension or not – it is supposed to be separate, experienced posters says. However, I always end up with a 90-day address-report 2-3 weeks before my Visa-extension – if I report a few days early they count 90-days from that date – and on the last 90-day address-report slip is printed Visa expiry date only. Samui Immigration seem to work their own way and not accepting inquiry for Visa-extension earlier than one week before renewal – the codex says to my knowledge that you can apply for new extension one month before – when having a new extension for stay the 90-days address-report is counted from the new Visa-extension date...
October 31, 201411 yr had to go back 2 days later as told , pick up after 1pm. Left there 3.40 pm, nice of all the other people just walking in & I had to wait outside. The joys of being treated like third class citizen.
October 31, 201411 yr Well I went there & the lady across the road charged me 150 Baht, for a black & white unreadable map. Without your house even being on it, I bet! That's what happened to me too.... paid the guy across the street for a map without my house on it... My Google map had my house, and hand written address, that was the part that was no good! Like KhunPer, I have never really had problems at SI.... just forked out the 150 baht for a useless map.....
November 1, 201411 yr As far as I'm concern they asked me to come back the following day, so I went home in Lamai without any passport (no big deal by the way) Same demand for GoogleEarth... across the street for 100Baht . The only "drawback"... he asked me 5,000Bahts, and since this year was my first extension, I did not know at all it was 1900Baht
November 1, 201411 yr The only "drawback"... he asked me 5,000Bahts, and since this year was my first extension, I did not know at all it was 1900Baht But I bet you did not have to wait outside as Rooo had to.
November 1, 201411 yr As far as I'm concern they asked me to come back the following day, so I went home in Lamai without any passport (no big deal by the way) Same demand for GoogleEarth... across the street for 100Baht . The only "drawback"... he asked me 5,000Bahts, and since this year was my first extension, I did not know at all it was 1900Baht Did they give you a multiple entry visa? .... if not you were had! The PM want's the public to report corruption ..... but good luck with that!
November 1, 201411 yr As far as I'm concern they asked me to come back the following day, so I went home in Lamai without any passport (no big deal by the way) Same demand for GoogleEarth... across the street for 100Baht . The only "drawback"... he asked me 5,000Bahts, and since this year was my first extension, I did not know at all it was 1900Baht Did they give you a multiple entry visa? .... if not you were had! The PM want's the public to report corruption ..... but good luck with that! Not at all, a regular extension one year for retirement, like I said it was my first extension, so starting my second year in Samui. I reckon I was a little un at ease for I had moved...to the next house, 20 meters farther same owner, so he told me your house number 40 or 41 for he saw it was not the same number than last year, he made five minutes on it like it was a big problem, and told OK come back to morrow, and kept my passport, so when I came back the next day he told me everythings OK here is your extension, 5,000 please, since I did not know the amount, I was only too happy to get rid of the problem, thats it.
November 1, 201411 yr The only "drawback"... he asked me 5,000Bahts, and since this year was my first extension, I did not know at all it was 1900Baht But I bet you did not have to wait outside as Rooo had to. I had to wait 24 hours so... you can guess I went home
November 1, 201411 yr Popular Post Yep...classic Birdman move. Live and learn, only give them the exact change for whatever service you are obtaining and......check the board for pricing!
November 1, 201411 yr Popular Post A big article in the news section about corruption & how to deal with it. I hope he get's caught big time, the biggest crook I have ever seen & not a bit shy about it. His day will come & they will wipe that smug look off his face..
November 1, 201411 yr A big article in the news section about corruption & how to deal with it. I hope he get's caught big time, the biggest crook I have ever seen & not a bit shy about it. His day will come & they will wipe that smug look off his face.. +1 I believe in Karma. He will get his comeuppance. Tchooptip - you did OK at 5,000 baht. I remember someone posting on here that he had paid 40,000 baht for a retirement extension.
November 3, 201411 yr While we're at it is there any change re 90 day reporting criteria, or is it a straightforward in & out? Cheers:) Seems like it – however often takes a while, up to couple of hours or three, if they are busy. Some Immigrations are said to accept on-line reporting, but I don’t think that’s the case at Samui – would be nice it was.
November 3, 201411 yr While we're at it is there any change re 90 day reporting criteria, or is it a straightforward in & out? Cheers:) Seems like it – however often takes a while, up to couple of hours or three, if they are busy. Some Immigrations are said to accept on-line reporting, but I don’t think that’s the case at Samui – would be nice it was. yes that would be nice... to do online.... Best thing is usually to avoid doing on a Monday or Friday especially in high season.... As for Nick Nicks question... above .... ^ I tried printing out a Google map showing my house, after several attempts to get it showing my house on the print out I did, (I hand wrote the address with arrow to house) Samui Immigration would not accept it and sent me across the street ... What they did print out, did not show my house (must have been very old map as my house is about 12 years old,) but it did have only the area with the address on the printout they did.... The mind boggles some times! One wonders if there is a bit of money sharing going on, between SI and the company across the street....
Create an account or sign in to comment