Retirement extension procedural change Udon Thani

[tartempion]

"Express service", my @.

There is not 1 second extra work involved in issuing a full 365 days extension, on the contrary.

Now asking 1500B, corruption at his best

[bouph12]

It may well be that the official some of you are tipping is getting more money each month than some of his victims.

On my last visit to the Immigration Office I saw the officer demand 2000 baht for a 1900 baht fee from 3 customers in the 20 minute period I was waiting. Out of ignorance, apathy or fear of confrontation, they all paid without a murmur. It's only 100 baht, not worth worrying about, right?

But:

I have seen both fewer and more customers on other visits; if he can do this 3 times in 20 minutes, he only has to manage it 3 times an hour to be raking in over 40,000 baht a month.

Add to that the steady drip of 500 baht charges for stamp transfer or provision of a residence letter and the heavier flow of 1,000 – 3,000 baht bribes now being paid to do a task which is standard practice for free in every other Immigration Office in the Kingdom (i.e, give a visa extension on the day it is applied for).

I suggest a figure of at least 50,000 baht a month is quite plausible.

This is more than 3 times the average wage in Thailand.

To try and put this in perspective , it is the local equivalent of a similarly corrupt U.S. Official getting more than 18,000 dollars extra every month in unauthorised fees.

It should be clear that these aren't some dirt-poor Thais trying to eke out a living. Even without the graft money, they're Government employees with a salary, benefits, pension and job security that the majority of Thai workers would envy.

Over the years, like many of us, I have bought and sold property, obtained driving licences, yellow books ,blue books and gone through marriage and will registration in various Government Offices. It hasn't always been straightforward, but the State employees have mostly just done the job they're being paid for.

Udon Thani Immigration should not be any different.

I'm not parading high morals, just a practical concern that this new con could spread like cancer once it's realised how many sapheads are actually willing to pay it.

If by 2020 it turns out that everyone in the country has to pay a fee for "express service", a significant cause will have been the connivance of some feckless farangs in Udon who made the larceny so easy and lucrative.

[OJAS]

I'm not parading high morals, just a practical concern that this new con could spread like cancer once it's realised how many sapheads are actually willing to pay it.

If by 2020 it turns out that everyone in the country has to pay a fee for "express service", a significant cause will have been the connivance of some feckless farangs in Udon who made the larceny so easy and lucrative.

Agree with your sentiments, but, unfortunately, the plain fact of the matter, in practice, is that these jerks have us "sapheads"/farangs over a barrel.

[IMA_FARANG]

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?

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As was mentioned in a previous post above..... they apparently need approval from a central authority to issue the final approval. Therefore they submit tie request to a higher authority for final approval.

Actually, even in Bangkok, there is a board that meets usually weekly and has the final say over extensions granted in that week

But there it's function is more like a review board.to verify the process was done correctly.

[Si Thea01]

I'm not parading high morals, just a practical concern that this new con could spread like cancer once it's realised how many sapheads are actually willing to pay it.

If by 2020 it turns out that everyone in the country has to pay a fee for "express service", a significant cause will have been the connivance of some feckless farangs in Udon who made the larceny so easy and lucrative.

Agree with your sentiments, but, unfortunately, the plain fact of the matter, in practice, is that these jerks have us "sapheads"/farangs over a barrel.

Don't disagree that they have the upper hand, as they do in any other country, but unless it's urgent, why is there a problem in not paying them and waiting for the one month delay to lapse? As I said previously, never knew you could pay for an express service until it was posted on here. Unfortunately, it may inconvenience some and if they have to pay, when they didn't before, I can understand their angst but for me, que sera, sera.

[johnsell50]

Does anybody remember what fighting government officialdom is really like? The harder you push, the harder they push back. Or things just get slower and slower. Or they decide it is easier to push for more restrictions on visas and extensions. Or they go over every visa and extension with a fine tooth comb. How many of us really want any of those? Like I have said, more than once I think: "If this country was perfect, I couldn't afford to live here!".

Edited April 27, 2015 by johnsell50

[OJAS]

Does anybody remember what fighting government officialdom is really like? The harder you push, the harder they push back. Or things just get slower and slower. Or they decide it is easier to push for more restrictions on visas and extensions. Or they go over every visa and extension with a fine tooth comb. How many of us really want any of those? Like I have said, more than once I think: "If this country was perfect, I couldn't afford to live here!".

And not just Thai government officialdom either, as we Brits can, for example, readily testify from all the bloody hoops which UK government officialdom now makes those of us living in LOS go through at passport renewal time (discussed in considerable detail elsewhere on here, of course).

[johnsell50]

Yes, it's not just Thailand, but everywhere else I have lived too. I am jumping through some hoops now because I didn't change my address in time at one American agency.