Anyone extended a student visa in Phuket recently? I was about to go extend mine for another 90 days this week. My school just told me it would be the standard 1900 baht + 3000 baht for the immigration officer under the table + the following

- copy of lease

- photo of you in front of your house with the number on the door

- photo of the entire building

- photo of you in your room

- a photo of a map to the building

- a photo of the landlords ID

- a photo of the landlords house registration

Is this just Phuket, my school, or the norm?

Do not pay the school !

Have the school provide you with the required documentation and apply for the extension yourself.

You may be asked for proof of residence (lease etc +/- a completed TM30 (which your landlord should have already submitted)

Go few days in advance.

I seriously doubt an Immigration Officer will ask for more than the 1900 Bht official fee.

Do not pay the school !

Have the school provide you with the required documentation and apply for the extension yourself.

You may be asked for proof of residence (lease etc +/- a completed TM30 (which your landlord should have already submitted)

Go few days in advance.

I seriously doubt an Immigration Officer will ask for more than the 1900 Bht official fee.

Nothing to doubt, Pattaya Immi were asking for the same amount last year, no prizes for guessing you don't get a receipt

Do not pay the school !

Have the school provide you with the required documentation and apply for the extension yourself.

You may be asked for proof of residence (lease etc +/- a completed TM30 (which your landlord should have already submitted)

Go few days in advance.

I seriously doubt an Immigration Officer will ask for more than the 1900 Bht official fee.

From my understanding from talking with some visa companies, the under the table fee is in order for them to not bother testing your Thai proficiency. Otherwise they test you and can refuse your extension.

Edited January 18, 201610 yr by ldiablo

Do not pay the school !

Have the school provide you with the required documentation and apply for the extension yourself.

You may be asked for proof of residence (lease etc +/- a completed TM30 (which your landlord should have already submitted)

Go few days in advance.

I seriously doubt an Immigration Officer will ask for more than the 1900 Bht official fee.

Nothing to doubt, Pattaya Immi were asking for the same amount last year, no prizes for guessing you don't get a receipt

I remember some of those topics. No evidence was ever produced (that I recall) to substantiate money going anywhere other than into the hands of "schools"

Immi were asking for the extra in order for the student not to be tested, it wasn't just going to the Schools

Yeah the school is not asking me to pay them directly. They told me expect to pay 5000 even if my Thai language is perfect.

The school did not ask me to pay them directly. They said be prepared to pay the 5000 even if my Thai language is perfect. Apparently a few of their students with exceptional Thai relayed this back.

You should only be paying 1900, you can try paying this amount but expect to get a very hard time or a refusal of your extension

Requirements for the paperwork wanted vary from Office to Office, for example they don't ask for all that at Hua Hin Immigration, if the school are telling you you need to take all that then that's what you should take

Please post back what happens

Edited January 18, 201610 yr by darrendsd

If what is being alleged is true a compliant can be lodged at the Governors Office in Phuket town.

go in expecting to pay the 1900b, but have the 3k handy. Record the conversation on ur phone. (Assuming your Thai/attendance is good?!)

pay the 5k if asked, get your extension, then submit the recording to the http://www.1111.go.th/?lg=en-US or call 1111 - corruption hotline.

I wouldn't report it to anyone in phuket.

if no action, get it online and it would soon go viral......

"facilitation fee".. wa@kers

If no-one complains nothing changes - 1178 (Bangkok).

I know we are all concerned about future repercussions but surely you can exercise a course of appeal if gazetted RTP Orders are ignored at this office.

The Colonel at Phuket Immi is a nasty piece of work who has a Benz to maintain.

Same thing in BKK, Changwattana immigration office. I declined to pay the school 5000 baht which entitled me for a school secretary to 'smooth things over' at immigration with me. Went with just the docs, the IO looked puzzled when she saw the school name and said out loud "Hmmm...this is odd...they know the process" with a puzzled look on her face. After some backdoor meetings and phone calls...I was given 30 days and told to come back next month with another 1900 bath to see if I could get another extension.....slimeballs. I quit the school as I refuse to play to the scam.

Same thing in BKK, Changwattana immigration office. I declined to pay the school 5000 baht which entitled me for a school secretary to 'smooth things over' at immigration with me. Went with just the docs, the IO looked puzzled when she saw the school name and said out loud "Hmmm...this is odd...they know the process" with a puzzled look on her face. After some backdoor meetings and phone calls...I was given 30 days and told to come back next month with another 1900 bath to see if I could get another extension.....slimeballs. I quit the school as I refuse to play to the scam.

Schools have no choice; if it was up to them, it would be still be1.9k for 3 months and many students signing up like it was before.

They are losing business, many have closed.

Learning anything should not have to be justified.

Knowledge s the key to everything.

What's with asking for all this below? Do they do this for any other type of visa? Should I expect someone showing up at my place?

- copy of lease

- photo of you in front of your house with the number on the door

- photo of the entire building

- photo of you in your room

- a photo of a map to the building

- a photo of the landlords ID

- a photo of the landlords house registration

I pay 5k in pattaya

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Expect to pay 5k in Phuket to the school unless you want problems.

Expect to pay 5k in Phuket to the school unless you want problems.

Anyone paying a "school" 5000 Bt for an extension of stay is a few slates short of being a roof !

An extension of stay applied for and supported by good documentation from the school costs 1900 Bht

If the school attempts to say/claim otherwise lodge a complaint at the Governors Office in Phuket town.

Expect to pay 5k in Phuket to the school unless you want problems.

Anyone paying a "school" 5000 Bt for an extension of stay is a few slates short of being a roof !

An extension of stay applied for and supported by good documentation from the school costs 1900 Bht

If the school attempts to say/claim otherwise lodge a complaint at the Governors Office in Phuket town.

It is true all over Thailand, not just Phuket. Daily business the way Thais want it. Complaint will do nothing because government is already aware of it and allows it to happen because it keeps the rank and file in their pocket. If you expect to get extension for 1900 baht...then expect to get only 30 days and spend another 1900 baht every 30 days to do the same.

Expect to pay 5k in Phuket to the school unless you want problems.

Anyone paying a "school" 5000 Bt for an extension of stay is a few slates short of being a roof !

An extension of stay applied for and supported by good documentation from the school costs 1900 Bht

If the school attempts to say/claim otherwise lodge a complaint at the Governors Office in Phuket town.

It is true all over Thailand, not just Phuket. Daily business the way Thais want it. Complaint will do nothing because government is already aware of it and allows it to happen because it keeps the rank and file in their pocket. If you expect to get extension for 1900 baht...then expect to get only 30 days and spend another 1900 baht every 30 days to do the same.

There are obviously, if what is claimed is true, many with more money than sense.

Have you got actual proof of what you are claiming ?

Anyone can study Thai by using a simple tourist visa.

Edited February 2, 201610 yr by sunnyjim5

Expect to pay 5k in Phuket to the school unless you want problems.

Anyone paying a "school" 5000 Bt for an extension of stay is a few slates short of being a roof !

An extension of stay applied for and supported by good documentation from the school costs 1900 Bht

If the school attempts to say/claim otherwise lodge a complaint at the Governors Office in Phuket town.

It is true all over Thailand, not just Phuket. Daily business the way Thais want it. Complaint will do nothing because government is already aware of it and allows it to happen because it keeps the rank and file in their pocket. If you expect to get extension for 1900 baht...then expect to get only 30 days and spend another 1900 baht every 30 days to do the same.

There are obviously, if what is claimed is true, many with more money than sense.

Have you got actual proof of what you are claiming ?

Anyone can study Thai by using a simple tourist visa.

Proof that the government knows about it ? Do you think the government knows about the Soapy Massage places and the illegal activities that go on there ? Or Nana Plaza and the same ? Big Money interests control just about everything in this country and what makes them happy is allowed. End of story.

My only proof is that the same stories I see here are exactly what occurred with me in Bangkok....they are not even very innovative in their corruption...it's literally institutionalized to all using the same 'price list' for bribes.

Please stick to discussing facts and keep soapy massages and unsubstantiated opinions out of it.

If no-one complains nothing changes - 1178 (Bangkok).

I know we are all concerned about future repercussions but surely you can exercise a course of appeal if gazetted RTP Orders are ignored at this office.

The Colonel at Phuket Immi is a nasty piece of work who has a Benz to maintain.

You have cameras at immigration office precisely supposed to deter corruption.

In ED visa section extensions are paid 5K and given a receipt of 1900 THB everyday dozens times a day.

They perfectly know and approve the all thing.