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Certificate of Residence.......how much?


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It is and unofficial fee not a bribe or any other form of corruption. The money does not go into anybodies pocket.

Believe that if you will.

Where do you think the money does go?

Free Wi-Fi, LED TV, free drinking water, tidy garden etc perhaps.

And that cant be provided from all the other money that they do raise officially?

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This topic has been discussed dozens of times.

It is and unofficial fee not a bribe or any other form of corruption. The money does not go into anybodies pocket.

How can paying a fee and not getting a receipt be anything other than a bribe? This is not a rhetorical question. I really would like to know, because, as far as I know (please correct me if I'm wrong,) paying a bribe is illegal in Thailand.
For one thing it does not fit under the standard definition of a bribe.

"dishonestly persuade (someone) to act in one's favour by a gift of money or other inducement.[/size]

"they attempted to bribe opponents into losing""

You are paying for service so it is not a bribe.

It seems to me that if you pay they do indeed act in your favour by providing the certificate on the same day rather than making you wait for a week or so. So this would indeed appear to be a bribe by your definition.

The absence of both a properly listed price and a proper government receipt certainly makes it look like a bribe to me.

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This topic has been discussed dozens of times.

It is and unofficial fee not a bribe or any other form of corruption. The money does not go into anybodies pocket.

How can paying a fee and not getting a receipt be anything other than a bribe? This is not a rhetorical question. I really would like to know, because, as far as I know (please correct me if I'm wrong,) paying a bribe is illegal in Thailand.

For one thing it does not fit under the standard definition of a bribe.

"dishonestly persuade (someone) to act in one's favour by a gift of money or other inducement.

"they attempted to bribe opponents into losing""

You are paying for service so it is not a bribe.

I see. Thank you.

So I guess this is more like extortion, in which case I assume that it isn't illegal to be paying these kinds of fees. Nothing to worry about then.

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500 THB for my last one in Korat Immigration.

I try to be pragmatic about such things. I consider what my time and aggravation are worth, and what a similar service would cost in my home country.

I am about making my life a bit easier, and if paying a small unofficial fee makes that happen, I am fine with it.

For the same reason, I will gladly give Officer Somchai 200 THB on the highway ("buy beer for my friend"), get my license back, and go on my way. As opposed to a 400 THB fine, my license is kept, and I have to go to the police station and wait around until my license shows up.

With the caveat that I was actually doing something wrong (speeding)...which in most of these situations I was.

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ya all live in Thailand and expect every thing for free.

go back to your home country and pay for some off the services there and see how much it is.

We don't expect them free

but would like them to add this Certificate on the list of prices of Immigration services.

The problem for me is not the amount paid,

but the fact they don't give us a receipt for this "fee".

Edited by Pattaya46
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Certificates of Residence should not be required for anyone who has a current 90-day report receipt in their passport. It's a waste of resources at immigration that could be devoted to more important functions like the processing of visas and extensions. The same applies to getting a driver's license. A utility bill or recent cable or internet bill should be sufficient to show where you live, just like in most countries.

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Certificates of Residence should not be required for anyone who has a current 90-day report receipt in their passport. It's a waste of resources at immigration that could be devoted to more important functions like the processing of visas and extensions. The same applies to getting a driver's license. A utility bill or recent cable or internet bill should be sufficient to show where you live, just like in most countries.

It's obviously cost effective at Chiang Mai and no wasted resources, as they've set up their special Certificate of Residence only office, which is nowhere near the regular immigration office.

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They could move the processing of visa extensions to the new office and utilize the officers who issue the Residence Certificates to process the extensions. This would ease the burden at the main Chiang Mai Immigration and perhaps even eliminate the need for 5am show-ups.

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They could move the processing of visa extensions to the new office and utilize the officers who issue the Residence Certificates to process the extensions. This would ease the burden at the main Chiang Mai Immigration and perhaps even eliminate the need for 5am show-ups.

Did you read the previous post?

"they've set up their special Certificate of Residence only office, which is nowhere near the regular immigration office".

Edited by uptheos
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The point is: eliminating the Residence Certificate, which is a waste of immigration resources imho, would free-up officials for more important, and in Chiang Mai, critically needed functions.

Why would they eliminate issuing Residence Certificates, whilst no receipts are provided?

Think about it.

What critically needed functions are required at CM immigration?

They give out a quota of numbers for the day and that's what they do.

If you don't get your 'whatever' that day, then that's your problem not theirs.

I can assure you they don't go home worrying about you.

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As long as we are wishing, why not allow the 90 day reporting to be accomplished via the Internet? IMO that does not seem like much of a stretch beyond the mail in option.

And after the first report disappears into cyberspace, it will be business as usual.

You could be living in another country and reporting by email. wink.png

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I think it is clear that the Chiang Mai Immigration Office is over-taxed. People are not required to show-up in other Thailand offices at 5am to get their visas processed. And if people don't get their "whatever that day" - no, it is not their problem. It's the problem of an over-burdened immigration office. I really appreciate the efforts and politeness of the officials of the Chiang Mai office, but I'm sure if you asked any one of them if they needed more resources they would answer in the affirmative.

Edited by Duvidl
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Certificates of Residence should not be required for anyone who has a current 90-day report receipt in their passport. It's a waste of resources at immigration that could be devoted to more important functions like the processing of visas and extensions. The same applies to getting a driver's license. A utility bill or recent cable or internet bill should be sufficient to show where you live, just like in most countries.

That is exactly what the main drivers license office in Bangkok, across from ChatuChak market accepted from me, both this year when I renewed, and the year before when I first got my Thai drivers licenses, my True, and TOT bills, that clearly have my address on them, and that the bills get delivered to. They never once asked for a certificate of residence when I showed them those bills, on both occasions.

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