Retirement extension procedural change Udon Thani

[TuanLindsay]

I went to Immigration today to apply for my ninth extension to stay based on retirement. All very efficient, and the quickest I have experienced so far arrived 10.15, sat down 10.16, completed 10.29 However this year I have to report back in one month and my stamp is to this effect - application under consideration...applicant must contact this office again on etc. (as per attachment hopefully), the same as is in force for an extension based on marriage. Never had this before, I queried and reminded the officer that mine was an extension based on retirement to which she very courteously informed me that it was a new regulation brought in one month ago. I wonder if this is nationwide or a regional variation? I have no problem with it, I live in Udon, though slightly irritating, but not such good news for those further flung.

[ubonjoe]

This has been reported several times for Udon.Thani immigration. It seems they have to get approval from the regional headquarters for extensions.

No reports for anywhere else.

[Eff1n2ret]

Exactly the same happened to me at Rayong Immigration a month ago. I asked if there was a problem, they said "No problem, boss have to sign for you, can you come back next week."

A week later they called me and said "Boss no here this week, we call you next week." - they did and I was in and out in five minutes, no queueing and they accepted that visit as my 90-day report, which wasn't due for several weeks.

Taking it at its face value, it's no great problem for me as I'm only a 15-minute drive from the Maptaphut office, and it didn't interfere with any travel plans - this time. But it's strange that they can't designate an experienced substitute to sign off straightforward applications when the boss is away. I wonder if the army is run the same way - "Sorry, Colonel no here, regiment can not come this week, we phone you next week."

If it is happening across different regions one wonders if there is some other reason.

PS - just remembered, when I went back to get the full extension, I saw the officer pull my papers from a rack containing at least a dozen other applications, so I'm sure I wasn't the only one.

Edited March 25, 2015 by Eff1n2ret

[DtemJai]

I-O @ UT branch, will recheck your extension of stay application once more, prior issue of the important stamp, also call you if found anything fishy. They told me so, when I got my stamp 2 months ago.

[TuanLindsay]

Thank you for your update Ubonjoe, (and also to you Effin!2ret) I feel relaxed about it, but still slightly irritated, however we are guests here and ours is not to reason why!!

[TerryLH]

"Exactly the same happened to me at Rayong Immigration a month ago."

I don't think that's the same as the OP at all. Completely different things / reasons.

[SoFarAndNear]

Interesting. My 1 year extension is also under consideration for 30 days. This is my first 1 year extension I always thought that this is is the normal way for years?!

Edited March 25, 2015 by SoFarAndNear

[LOS1]

My only concern with this procedure (other than the hassle of returning 1 month later) is when you return they stamp below the "under consideration" stamp with the extension stamp. The 2 stamps take up a whole page in my passport!

[lostoday]

Interesting. My 1 year extension is also under consideration for 30 days. This is my first 1 year extension I always thought that this is is the normal way for years?!

Which immigration office?

[godden]

No problems at Nakhon Sawan

[maxcorrigan]

The same type of query applies to extensions based on marriage to a Thai, 30 days under consideration, but 90 report, is taken from the time of application, which seems to say to me that it is granted,and not under "consideration" maybe i'm wrong!

Max

[alanrchase]

Changed from marriage to retirement on Monday at Nakhon Phatom. No need to report back in a month. Just a question obviously retirement runs for one year from date of application. If you renew does it run for one year from expiry of previous retirement extention or is it one year from application date again?

[Eff1n2ret]

The same type of query applies to extensions based on marriage to a Thai, 30 days under consideration, but 90 report, is taken from the time of application, which seems to say to me that it is granted,and not under "consideration" maybe i'm wrong!

Max

As I understand it, "Marriage" extensions have to be referred to Bangkok, but "Retirement" extensions don't, and the previous experience of most, including myself and the OP, has been that the extension has been granted on the day of application with a minimum of fuss. The OP in Udon Thani was told that this had changed because of a new procedure, in Rayong I was told it was because there was no-one there to authorize the application. We both were given the same "Under consideration" stamp. The one-year extension I was subsequently given dates from the expiry of the previous one.

The 90-day reporting dates run independent of extension renewal dates, but in my case Rayong Immigration were kind enough to 'reset the clock' from the date I attended last time to get the one-year endorsement.

[ubonjoe]

The same type of query applies to extensions based on marriage to a Thai, 30 days under consideration, but 90 report, is taken from the time of application, which seems to say to me that it is granted,and not under "consideration" maybe i'm wrong!

Max

The 90 day report count starts on the day you apply because if approved you will be staying longer than 90 days.

[TuanLindsay]

Thank you for all the feedback and particularly DtemJai who I omitted to mention in my response yesterday. It would seem it is a belt and braces for the time being.

[peterb17]

This has been reported several times for Udon.Thani immigration. It seems they have to get approval from the regional headquarters for extensions.

No reports for anywhere else.

This seems to make sense- have never had an extension completed in a few minutes- you always have to return the following day- and now at Jomtien receive your passport from uniformed officials . Presumably they take some time checking through past records and making sure every is above board?

[OJAS]

This has been reported several times for Udon.Thani immigration. It seems they have to get approval from the regional headquarters for extensions.

No reports for anywhere else.

This seems to make sense- have never had an extension completed in a few minutes- you always have to return the following day- and now at Jomtien receive your passport from uniformed officials . Presumably they take some time checking through past records and making sure every is above board?

But at Maptaput (which is my local office as well as Eff1n2ret's), retirees have always hitherto had their passports stamped with new extensions on the spot. I suppose that I will only find out whether, in common with Udon Thani as suggested by ubonjoe, they, too, have now been instructed to refer all retirement extension applications to regional HQ for final approval when I apply for my next extension there in July (unless other Maptaputian retirees report their experiences on here in the meantime).

[alanrchase]

This has been reported several times for Udon.Thani immigration. It seems they have to get approval from the regional headquarters for extensions.

No reports for anywhere else.

This seems to make sense- have never had an extension completed in a few minutes- you always have to return the following day- and now at Jomtien receive your passport from uniformed officials . Presumably they take some time checking through past records and making sure every is above board?

But at Maptaput (which is my local office as well as Eff1n2ret's), retirees have always hitherto had their passports stamped with new extensions on the spot. I suppose that I will only find out whether, in common with Udon Thani as suggested by ubonjoe, they, too, have now been instructed to refer all retirement extension applications to regional HQ for final approval when I apply for my next extension there in July (unless other Maptaputian retirees report their experiences on here in the meantime).

22 March on the spot at Wat Raiking.

[lostoday]

This has been reported several times for Udon.Thani immigration. It seems they have to get approval from the regional headquarters for extensions.

No reports for anywhere else.

This seems to make sense- have never had an extension completed in a few minutes- you always have to return the following day- and now at Jomtien receive your passport from uniformed officials . Presumably they take some time checking through past records and making sure every is above board?

But at Maptaput (which is my local office as well as Eff1n2ret's), retirees have always hitherto had their passports stamped with new extensions on the spot. I suppose that I will only find out whether, in common with Udon Thani as suggested by ubonjoe, they, too, have now been instructed to refer all retirement extension applications to regional HQ for final approval when I apply for my next extension there in July (unless other Maptaputian retirees report their experiences on here in the meantime).

I too would like to know about Maptaput. Should it be reported in this forum or the Eastern Thailand forum? Seems a busy office and someoen would be bound to know now if it was a policy change or just an example of one officer on vacation.

Might be a good idea to pin a thread that was spoke to the pecularities of each immigration office in each area. I've been reporting to Maptaput for a long time and have never been asked for proof of residence or anything else besides the standard forms and always in and out in a few minutes.

[Acharn]

Interesting. My 1 year extension is also under consideration for 30 days. This is my first 1 year extension I always thought that this is is the normal way for years?!

Used to be common 25-30 years ago. I haven't experienced it for a long time.

[tancred]

Uninvited guest.

[billphillips]

Same thing at the same office for me. I went in one month early for my retirement extension. Very quickly completed but with the same under consideration stamp rather than the full extension stamp. I was told to return on the day my existing extension expired for the full stamp.

I explained that I would be away traveling in Thailand and could not come, hence reporting early as per immigration requirements. OK was the reply, you have to pay ฿1000, and we can do now. Extortion paid, stamp inserted and go home ฿1000 the poorer.

Edited March 26, 2015 by billphillips

[alanrchase]

Same thing at the same office for me. I went in 25 days early for my retirement extension. Very quickly completed but with the same under consideration stamp rather than the full extension stamp. I was told to return on the day my existing extension expired for the full stamp.

I explained that I would be away traveling in Thailand and could not come, hence reporting early as per immigration requirements. OK was the reply, you have to pay ฿1000, and we can do now. Extortion paid, stamp inserted and go home ฿1000 the poorer.ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect1427357221.958129.jpg

So is it possibly done to renew from the same date the previous one expires?

[billphillips]

Same thing at the same office for me. I went in 25 days early for my retirement extension. Very quickly completed but with the same under consideration stamp rather than the full extension stamp. I was told to return on the day my existing extension expired for the full stamp.

I explained that I would be away traveling in Thailand and could not come, hence reporting early as per immigration requirements. OK was the reply, you have to pay ฿1000, and we can do now. Extortion paid, stamp inserted and go home ฿1000 the poorer.ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect1427357221.958129.jpg

So is it possibly done to renew from the same date the previous one expires?

I don't think anyone can get away without some irregularity being discovered by this office. Last year I went the day before expiry. I was sent away to gather various bits of crap multiple times. Iv never needed to have my landlord complete a form before, or then needed to go and get his id or then go again for his house book, (didn't require this time either). By the time I'd satisfied all of the ridicules requests and the weekend had passed, my old extension had expired 3 days before. Response .... to fix the problem ฿1500.

Go to get a free document for a driving licence, sell or buy a vehicle etc. ฿500, no receipts given for anything of course!

[OJAS]

Same thing at the same office for me. I went in 25 days early for my retirement extension. Very quickly completed but with the same under consideration stamp rather than the full extension stamp. I was told to return on the day my existing extension expired for the full stamp.

I explained that I would be away traveling in Thailand and could not come, hence reporting early as per immigration requirements. OK was the reply, you have to pay ฿1000, and we can do now. Extortion paid, stamp inserted and go home ฿1000 the poorer.ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect1427357221.958129.jpg

So is it possibly done to renew from the same date the previous one expires?

I don't think anyone can get away without some irregularity being discovered by this office. Last year I went the day before expiry. I was sent away to gather various bits of crap multiple times. Iv never needed to have my landlord complete a form before, or then needed to go and get his id or then go again for his house book, (didn't require this time either). By the time I'd satisfied all of the ridicules requests and the weekend had passed, my old extension had expired 3 days before. Response .... to fix the problem ฿1500.

Go to get a free document for a driving licence, sell or buy a vehicle etc. ฿500, no receipts given for anything of course!

Personally I think that this sort of blatant extortion would warrant a complaint to the Immigration hot-line.

And since it appears to be standard Udon Thani practice for 30-day "under consideration" stamps to be issued for retirement extensions, I suspect that retirees living in that part of the world might be better off applying for extensions of stay on the grounds of marriage instead, if that particular option was open to them. The extra work which this would entail for Udon Thani immigration officers would be some form of sweet revenge!

Edited March 26, 2015 by OJAS

[Si Thea01]

I reported this a month ago. Same thing. Attended today, two days early, everything had actually been completed and stamped on the 23rd of this month, all I had to do was pay for my re-entry visa and in and out within 10 minutes. They had also included my 90 day report and gave me a new date in June. So even thought it took a couple of journeys, I treated it as a day out, lunch and a bit of shopping. The staff there I find most courteous and have never had a problem.

[bouph12]

Previous extensions here have been completed in under an hour. There is no "New Regulation" - if it can be done within an hour on payment of a bribe, it is plainly corrupt.

It has been reported that the bribe increases the further away you live, so I suspect they're preying on the frail elderly men out in the sticks who don't want to make two visits.

I was in the Unctuous Thieves Immigration Office this week where the three customers ahead of me were peremptorily told "2,000 Baht" at payment time, which they all handed over.

After I paid the actual amount required and refused to pay 100 baht extra for 2 photocopies, there was a last, sad, pathetic attempt to get something extra by asking my Wife to pay 20 Baht for the official

receipt!

Edited March 26, 2015 by bouph12

[UTH001]

Previously at UTH Immigration, extensions were done quickly and without any hassles. When I renewed mine in November last year, I was told that 'same day service' was Baht 6,500 (including the usual Baht 1,900 fee), which I declined to accept. I then had to return one week later to receive the visa for another year. A bit later, I had to renew my drivers license, the confirmation of residence (the FREE service) was Baht 1,000 (for bike and car) or wait for one month to get both as further investigation would be required...

[Si Thea01]

Same thing at the same office for me. I went in 25 days early for my retirement extension. Very quickly completed but with the same under consideration stamp rather than the full extension stamp. I was told to return on the day my existing extension expired for the full stamp.

I explained that I would be away traveling in Thailand and could not come, hence reporting early as per immigration requirements. OK was the reply, you have to pay ฿1000, and we can do now. Extortion paid, stamp inserted and go home ฿1000 the poorer.ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect1427357221.958129.jpg

So is it possibly done to renew from the same date the previous one expires?

I don't think anyone can get away without some irregularity being discovered by this office. Last year I went the day before expiry. I was sent away to gather various bits of crap multiple times. Iv never needed to have my landlord complete a form before, or then needed to go and get his id or then go again for his house book, (didn't require this time either). By the time I'd satisfied all of the ridicules requests and the weekend had passed, my old extension had expired 3 days before. Response .... to fix the problem ฿1500.

Go to get a free document for a driving licence, sell or buy a vehicle etc. ฿500, no receipts given for anything of course!

Personally I think that this sort of blatant extortion would warrant a complaint to the Immigration hot-line.

And since it appears to be standard Udon Thani practice for 30-day "under consideration" stamps to be issued for retirement extensions, I suspect that retirees living in that part of the world might be better off applying for extensions of stay on the grounds of marriage instead, if that particular option was open to them. The extra work which this would entail for Udon Thani immigration officers would be some form of sweet revenge!

As I indicated in a previous post the first time that I experienced this delay was last month. All previous extensions were effected on the same day, without any dramas or anyone asking or expecting an under the table payment. Although there was the inconvenience, on this occasion, to have to return a month later, there were no problems experienced, and the whole experience cost 2,900 baht, 1,900.00 for the extension and 1,000 baht for the single re-entry permit.

If there are no problems or only a little inconvenience experienced then why change from what many have been doing for a number of years, even if it was open to them? Don't think changing would affect anyone, other than the person changing, who would have to undertake extra tasks and maybe outlay more funds to obtain additional documents. As both extensions require a similar amount of time to complete, I'd say the only person to suffer would be the passport holder.

Now I am not saying that these allegations are false in respect to Udon Thani, it's just that it's never happened to me and I've never seen any evidence, other than someone saying this or that, to sustain those allegations. So because of what has been said, it has to be accepted as factual. Is this the how it operates?

Now. I'm just asking, but am I the only person, who attends Udon Thani, who has never been asked for, or been expected to pay, one of these so called under the table payments. If this is occurring, then the person who pays is just as complicit in the corruption process, as the one who allegedly sought the payment. In so far as receipts, one only has to ask and you shall receive. Or has the cat got some of your tongues?

[bouph12]

In so far as receipts, one only has to ask and you shall receive.

I can state from personal experience that this is just wrong.

I took my new passport there last year to have the visa information transferred over. The officer told me it would cost me 500 baht to do this. When I asked, politely, if I would be getting a receipt, he just shook his head. I declined to pay, he refused to do the work. No big deal, but I have to carry both passports when I travel.

Prior to this, I had a request for a receipt refused after I had handed over 500 baht for a residence letter on my first visit there - I didn't know any better at the time.

I make an effort to be presentable and courteous when I go there and I don't get het up if things don't go as planned.

I accept that you and others have never had a problem there - I hope you continue to be fortunate.