Phuket Immigration mulls kids caught in overstay blacklist ban

[George Feedback]

Immigration officials overstepped their authority and we have another "mouth full of foot" situation...

TIFT

[sunnyjim5]

Immigration officials overstepped their authority and we have another "mouth full of foot" situation...

TIFT

Where did you get that piece of nonsense from ?

How have immigration officials "overstepped their authority" ?

Where is the evidence to support what you claim ?

[billd766]

I think it's time for all us farangs to move on , I have never overstayed in my 10 years of living here but every year I find the renewal of the extension of stay gets harder and harder, is it only me who think that the higher echelons of Thailand would rather see us all pack our bags !!!!!!

I have been doing extensions on and off for quite a few years now, both marriage and retirement ones.

The retirement ones started 6 years ago and I go to the Nakhon Sawan Immigration office.

I can honestly say that the last one was no more difficult than the first one and if I have all my paperwork correct (and it usually is) it takes around 1 1/2 hours depending on how many customers are in front of me.

I speak quietly and politely, smile a bit, dress tidily etc and I am treated like a friend and I respond the same way.

From my experience and of reading many posts about this it seems that there are a few Immigration offices and officers that don't seem to like farangs and they seem to be in Phuket, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and a couple of other places where there are a lot of farangs.

Out in the quieter provinces and more rural ones we seem to get treated a little better and easier. I have no idea why other than there are less of us and perhaps the IOs remember us.

This is only my opinion and YMMV from mine.

[Shadychris]

I think it's time for all us farangs to move on , I have never overstayed in my 10 years of living here but every year I find the renewal of the extension of stay gets harder and harder, is it only me who think that the higher echelons of Thailand would rather see us all pack our bags !!!!!!

I have been doing extensions on and off for quite a few years now, both marriage and retirement ones.

The retirement ones started 6 years ago and I go to the Nakhon Sawan Immigration office.

I can honestly say that the last one was no more difficult than the first one and if I have all my paperwork correct (and it usually is) it takes around 1 1/2 hours depending on how many customers are in front of me.

I speak quietly and politely, smile a bit, dress tidily etc and I am treated like a friend and I respond the same way.

From my experience and of reading many posts about this it seems that there are a few Immigration offices and officers that don't seem to like farangs and they seem to be in Phuket, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and a couple of other places where there are a lot of farangs.

Out in the quieter provinces and more rural ones we seem to get treated a little better and easier. I have no idea why other than there are less of us and perhaps the IOs remember us.

This is only my opinion and YMMV from mine.

Your observations are similar to mine - but I don't share your opinion that the treatment received in places such as Pattaya and Phuket is due to the larger numbers of farang that the IO officers have to deal with compared to rural areas.

I think you actually hit the nail on the head early in your post where you describe your demeanour and attitude in conducting your business at immigration offices.

Thais are not much different to the rest of us in that they will treat people as they find them. I can well understand that IO's in Pattaya and Phuket who mostly have to deal with sweaty Sun reading, beer swilling sexpats, dressed in wife-beater shirts, with little (if any) ability to communicate in the language of the country they have chosen to settle in, will over time grow to dislike farangs as a group.

Edited March 18, 2016 by Shadychris

[Old Croc]

I think it's time for all us farangs to move on , I have never overstayed in my 10 years of living here but every year I find the renewal of the extension of stay gets harder and harder, is it only me who think that the higher echelons of Thailand would rather see us all pack our bags !!!!!!

I have been doing extensions on and off for quite a few years now, both marriage and retirement ones.

The retirement ones started 6 years ago and I go to the Nakhon Sawan Immigration office.

I can honestly say that the last one was no more difficult than the first one and if I have all my paperwork correct (and it usually is) it takes around 1 1/2 hours depending on how many customers are in front of me.

I speak quietly and politely, smile a bit, dress tidily etc and I am treated like a friend and I respond the same way.

From my experience and of reading many posts about this it seems that there are a few Immigration offices and officers that don't seem to like farangs and they seem to be in Phuket, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and a couple of other places where there are a lot of farangs.

Out in the quieter provinces and more rural ones we seem to get treated a little better and easier. I have no idea why other than there are less of us and perhaps the IOs remember us.

This is only my opinion and YMMV from mine.

Your observations are similar to mine - but I don't share your opinion that the treatment received in places such as Pattaya and Phuket is due to the larger numbers of farang that the IO officers have to deal with compared to rural areas.

I think you actually hit the nail on the head early in your post where you describe your demeanour and attitude in conducting your business at immigration offices.

Thais are not much different to the rest of us in that they will treat people as they find them. I can well understand that IO's in Pattaya and Phuket who mostly have to deal with sweaty Sun reading, beer swilling sexpats, dressed in wife-beater shirts, with little (if any) ability to communicate in the language of the country they have chosen to settle in, will over time grow to dislike farangs as a group.

So Shady, you've decided that most expats, in the places listed, fit the insulting description given above, and that is why extensions of stay are harder to get these days? You, on the other hand, have no trouble because your demeanor and attitude is superior to most of us.

Would you like to hear my opinion of you?

The real reason many of us now find it more onerous to get our yearly extensions, is because of the ever changing demands from Immigration. I always supply complete and ordered paperwork in line with the guidelines and dress appropriately without going to an extreme. In 2013 the Phuket office processed my retirement visa in 19 minutes which included the new extension stamp.

After that year they started making changes and demanding new paperwork, often without notice. (Many speculated that these onerous changes coincided with an Ombudsman complaint, and subsequent transfers of miscreants, about illegal fees being demanded.

Changes are as follows:

Bank - previously wanted copies of passbook and recent letter attesting to funds held. Now they also require a certified 3 month statement of your bank account. And, I've heard of people now being refused because the bank letter was a couple of days old.

Residence - We all advise where we live on airport arrival cards, and, every 3 months, with the 90 day report. Last year they decided everyone has to supply another form attesting to their address, filled in by landlord, wife, self, whatever. It had to be accompanied by evidence of ownership of the premises in the form of chanote, housebook, lease, whatever. Phuket Immigration even devised their own version of the address form which was not available on line, but had to be collected from the office before hand. This had to be processed in a different part of the office necessitating joining 2 queues.

Passport Collection - previously the extension stamp was issued on the spot. Now the client must return in the afternoon or the next day to collect the document.

Photo - Despite supplying a picture of self as part of the application, Phuket Immigration now take a picture of applicants on their personal phones. One can only speculate what these pics are used for!

I know of retirees who had to attend the office over 4 days before they were granted new permits. Immigration didn't advise all requirements immediately, they would think up new tasks each time.

And Shady, could you please explain what a Sun reader is?

Are you aware most people on this forum arn't from that little rock to the west of Europe, and that people like you can despoil the reputation of all from there?

[stevenl]

2 people that I know of with kid left before the 20th to avoid any hassles. Kid, Japanese, will not be allowed back in without a visa. Parents are on B and O-visa, kid was without visa so overstay (no fine was charged on exit). They are at Sadao right now and not allowed entry by Thai immigration, apparently there are more parents+kids with the same problem.

[brewsterbudgen]

2 people that I know of with kid left before the 20th to avoid any hassles. Kid, Japanese, will not be allowed back in without a visa. Parents are on B and O-visa, kid was without visa so overstay (no fine was charged on exit). They are at Sadao right now and not allowed entry by Thai immigration, apparently there are more parents+kids with the same problem.

Kids "need" visas,but I'm surprised they weren't allowed in on a 30-day exempt stamp if their parents had the correct visas.

[stevenl]

2 people that I know of with kid left before the 20th to avoid any hassles. Kid, Japanese, will not be allowed back in without a visa. Parents are on B and O-visa, kid was without visa so overstay (no fine was charged on exit). They are at Sadao right now and not allowed entry by Thai immigration, apparently there are more parents+kids with the same problem.

Kids "need" visas,but I'm surprised they weren't allowed in on a 30-day exempt stamp if their parents had the correct visas.

So was I, reason given was previous overstay.

[bbbbooboo]

This sort of attitude will certainly boost tourist numbers won't it

[hawker9000]

I think it's time for all us farangs to move on , I have never overstayed in my 10 years of living here but every year I find the renewal of the extension of stay gets harder and harder, is it only me who think that the higher echelons of Thailand would rather see us all pack our bags !!!!!!

I agree with your feelings, I do agree with these overstay laws finally as those who did the right thing had to spend more to do it than just pay a silly fine, but generally, things are getting harder.

They're getting harder because the actual overstayers (and other abusers of the immigration requirements) have CAUSED them to GET harder! Overstayers love to deny the obvious logic of this, and act like helpless little girls whining that they're no different from the "vast majority" of others who've ever committed "minor offenses", but it's undeniable. Thai officials obviously can't tell those who take their responsibilities seriously from the scofflaws without increased scrutiny, which means collecting more information more often, requiring more evidence that the information is truthful, and tightening up the processing involved. So things are getting harder. And currently, the Chinese-leaning top-tier could care less whether lowly "farangs" find that objectionable, or even a reason to leave or stay away, or not.