Certificate of Residence - DENIED at Chiang Mai immigration

[edwardflory]

When I went for Cert of Residence ( drivers license ) I was asked: 1) Have you been here 90 days ---yes, 2) Do you have a lease ---yes, 3) do you have rent receipts --- yes ( show docuements ) 4) do you have 3 photos ---yes 5) that will be ( under 500B ) for 3 copies car-scooter-immigration copy ). 6) may I see your passport ---yes, 7) do you have copies of passport pages --- yes, -------10 minutes later I was leaving immigration with new docuements -- total time 15 minutes.

90 day report under 6 mins including parking.

HINT....I keep 5 current copies of all my "papers"

Where you getting residency or a 90 day report both seperate functions at most immigration offices, your post is a bit confusing about what you were doing.

2 different days. 10 minutes on one day, 6 minutes on the other day - I go at 09:00

Point of post, is go to IMMIGRATION WITH COPIES OF EVERYTHING ( SIGNED ) in ADVANCE.

What I have found is the MORE paperwork you have READY, the FASTER you are processed. I have copies in a packet of everything, all paperwork EVER issued to me by immigration plus DL, Red Cross certs, District ID, etc. Hand it in as one packet.

The reason I have EVERYTHING, a British expat friend, on renewal of retirement, was asked to supply his ==>>1st 90 day report receipt

[Falllang]

Do I understand correctly that you personally have not been asked for proof of residence in Thailand by the Thai consulate in Vientiane or any other Thai consulate when applying for a visa?

Because i used an agent i didn't get it 'personally', but i got it in form of a stamp below my last tourist visa stating the following:

Proofs of address in thailand and financial income are required the next time.

That's by Thai consulate in Vientiane.

I went 2 times to the 2 different immigration offices in CM asking about this, i spoke with the investigation officers at the one close to airport who were very kind, but they were just as surprised about this as i am. They never heard of this before, nor did they understand why there would be such requirement except the income/funds requirement.

[HooHaa]

Which embassy/consulate is demanding the certificate?

Vientiane, from what i heard it's common practice at most Thai consulates to demand it for holders of multiple tourist visas, along with financial proof, the latter is no problem.

That seems very strange. On what grounds do you want to apply for a new visa?

That wasn't relevant, he didn't even look at my papers, he asked me:

'for what purpose do you need it for?'

my response: 'for visa'

his response: 'we cannot'

I tried to show him my papers, he refused to even look at any of my papers even my passport, he just claimed that they don't do this for purpose of visa at all. So obviously i'm either at the wrong office or the officer had a bad day, or im interpreting the term 'proofs of address in thailand' the wrong way.

I do have a rental contract, but i was assuming the consulate would want it 'locally verified' by the immigration here, the same way Road Department wants it verified when applying for a drivers-license.

bring utility bills in your name. rental contract good too.

[Maestro]

Do I understand correctly that you personally have not been asked for proof of residence in Thailand by the Thai consulate in Vientiane or any other Thai consulate when applying for a visa?

Because i used an agent i didn't get it 'personally', but i got it in form of a stamp below my last tourist visa stating the following:

Proofs of address in thailand and financial income are required the next time.

That's by Thai consulate in Vientiane.

I went 2 times to the 2 different immigration offices in CM asking about this, i spoke with the investigation officers at the one close to airport who were very kind, but they were just as surprised about this as i am. They never heard of this before, nor did they understand why there would be such requirement except the income/funds requirement.

Thank you. This is interesting and very mysterious. A visa, any visa, is for the purpose of travelling to Thailand. It is unreasonable to expect the applicant to have a residence in Thailand.

The Vientiane visa application form asks for five addresses, none of which is about your "residence" in Thailand:

1. Current Address
2. Permanent Address (if different from above)
3. Proposed Address in Thailand
4. Name and Address of Local Guarantor
5. Name and Address of Guarantor in Thailand

I wonder if they mean the proposed address in Thailand, proof of which could be a hotel reservation, the confirmation of a relative or friend with whom you will stay, the lease contract for an apartment, etc.

On the other hand, if you gave a Thai address as your current or permanent address, they probably mean proof of that address.

[JenniferSG]

My son is also trying to get the Certificate of Residence, has been to Bangkok's big immigration office 3 times, each time denied. He is repeatedly told to go to his own (U.S.) embassy for the document, but the U.S. embassy doesn't issue them. He has a 1 year multi entry ed visa.

I went with him the 1st time and the crowd was huge, we were there until 8pm to do the 90 day reporting. I was thankful they didn't just make everyone leave at 5pm but instead kept serving the huge crowd well in to the evening. However, when we were finally served we were told it was too late that day to apply for do the residence certificate even though we had all the needed documents. Now he has been back twice and both times - no, you can't have a Certificate of Residence (despite having his lease showing that he has lived there since July, receipts, all docs filled out, photos, copies, bank statements, etc.). People commonly get these to buy / sell a motorbike or get a driver's license. I'm not sure what the problem is and having it explained in any terms other than "get it from your own embassy" has not happened.

[ubonjoe]

Bangkok immigration will not do a certificate for residence unless you are making 90 day reports to them. Since he has a visa not a extension of stay he cannot get one.

The US embassy will do them as an affidavit. See:http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/driving_in_thailand.html

[JenniferSG]

Bangkok immigration will not do a certificate for residence unless you are making 90 day reports to them. Since he has a visa not a extension of stay he cannot get one.

The US embassy will do them as an affidavit. See:http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/driving_in_thailand.html

Hi. Not sure who that response was directed to. If it was for my post I can say for my son he does the 90 day reporting, and gets an extension of stay for 1900 bht each time if he has a letter from his university stating that he is in school full time -which he is. He does not have to leave the country to do this and, contrary to the advice received previously on this forum, to have done a border run would have completely invalidated his 1 year multi entry ed visa as - if you leave without a re-entry permit and proof of 90 day reporting and extension of stay prior - the ed visa is invalidated. I'm glad we went to immigration to find this out. Now he can make an appt. for every 90 days, pay the 1900 bht and get yet another extension up to 1 year as long as his university confirms that he is in school full time. The affidavit provided by the U.S. embassy (which he already got) specifically states on it that the embassy doesn't guarantee any of the info provided is true, just that you're paying them $50USD to swear to it. So we'll see how that works out with that bolded caveat on it - will update when I know.

[ubonjoe]

Bangkok immigration will not do a certificate for residence unless you are making 90 day reports to them. Since he has a visa not a extension of stay he cannot get one.

The US embassy will do them as an affidavit. See:http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/driving_in_thailand.html

Hi. Not sure who that response was directed to. If it was for my post I can say for my son he does the 90 day reporting, and gets an extension of stay for 1900 bht each time if he has a letter from his university stating that he is in school full time -which he is. He does not have to leave the country to do this and, contrary to the advice received previously on this forum, to have done a border run would have completely invalidated his 1 year multi entry ed visa as - if you leave without a re-entry permit and proof of 90 day reporting and extension of stay prior - the ed visa is invalidated. I'm glad we went to immigration to find this out. Now he can make an appt. for every 90 days, pay the 1900 bht and get yet another extension up to 1 year as long as his university confirms that he is in school full time. The affidavit provided by the U.S. embassy (which he already got) specifically states on it that the embassy doesn't guarantee any of the info provided is true, just that you're paying them $50USD to swear to it. So we'll see how that works out with that bolded caveat on it - will update when I know.

You wrote this in your post "He has a 1 year multi entry ed visa" and that is what I based my reply on.

If you had written that your son was getting an extension of stay (it is not a visa) I would of written my reply differently.

Immigration should do the certificate for him unless they have changed policy. It will not be done immediately. Reports are it can take a couple of weeks.

The drivers license office will accept the affidavit from the embassy. They don't care about the statement that the embassy does no guarantee it is correct. They want to see the embassy stamp on it.

He can make his 90 day reports by mail to avoid the crowd at CW or do them at the Major Hollywood Suksawat or Lad Phrao offices for migrant workers.