Samui Immigration now insisting on hospital medicals

[Ronuk]

18 minutes ago, john smith said:

I note that a previous post stated that a physical examination is not required for renewal of retirement visa. A police order to this effect is mentioned. I would be most obliged if someone could provide a direct link to this police order. I shall shortly have to renew my retirement visa on Koh Samui and it would help if I have documented facts rather than opinions when I refuse to have this medical

I think I know exactly what the outcome will be if they want and you refuse 

[Scotwight]

1 minute ago, Ronuk said:

I think I know exactly what the outcome will be if they want and you refuse 

They mumble and make you wait 20 minutes and then give you the extension.

[Ronuk]

5 minutes ago, Scotwight said:

They mumble and make you wait 20 minutes and then give you the extension.

You think so?.....Take them on then. You will get the biggest shock of your life.

[john smith]

Samui brought the medical requirement in at the end of July.  

 It is on a printed form giving the requirements for renewal. As I said in my post I want hard facts which I can present to the immigration official. Given such facts I am prepared to take the matter up with whichever Thai authority is the appropriate one. I contacted my embassy about this matter a while ago by fax. Silence was the response.

[ubonjoe]

Clause 2.22 of this police is for retirement. Immigration Bureau order 327-2557 (2014) - extension criteria & conditions en.pdf

No mention of medical in the clause. Same for at least 2 previous police orders going back to 2006.

[Scotwight]

19 minutes ago, Ronuk said:

You think so?.....Take them on then. You will get the biggest shock of your life.

Not doubting you but how do you know?  Do you work for Immigration?

[thaibeachlovers]

On 22 มิถุนายน 2559 at 7:42 PM, swissie said:

.....and if the "medical" shows some health problems, will one be asked to leave the country within 7 days or what?

Cheers.

Probably wouldn't get the extension renewed, so would have to leave when extension expires- could be 29 days. Sounds like another of those made up things that imm offices like to hit us with. Every time I have gone for an extension something new has been added.

Ridiculous thing is they could come back on a new non O every year without a medical test.

 

When I said that on this forum, I was told I was imagining it!!!!!!

 

It's about time imm offices had to abide by published rules and not invent things. Is there a plan to make us so PO that we all leave?

[thaibeachlovers]

15 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Clause 2.22 of this police is for retirement. Immigration Bureau order 327-2557 (2014) - extension criteria & conditions en.pdf

No mention of medical in the clause. Same for at least 2 previous police orders going back to 2006.

When I was required to produce proof of residence it was not on the list of requirements and I had 2 previous extensions without at the same office. They later wrote it in on the official list by hand.

I'll be using an agent in future just to avoid the mental stress.

[ubonjoe]

3 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

When I was required to produce proof of residence it was not on the list of requirements and I had 2 previous extensions without at the same office. They later wrote it in on the official list by hand.

I'll be using an agent in future just to avoid the mental stress.

Proof of residence is a required document and those can be determined at the local office.

Requiring a medical exam is not the same.

[elviajero]

9 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

When I was required to produce proof of residence it was not on the list of requirements and I had 2 previous extensions without at the same office. They later wrote it in on the official list by hand.

I'll be using an agent in future just to avoid the mental stress.

The police orders being quoted are minimum standards and additional orders often get issued. There are many things not listed in the police orders that are now asked for. National, regional or local bosses can instruct additional requirements, like the medical, at any time.

[elviajero]

10 hours ago, john smith said:

Samui brought the medical requirement in at the end of July.  

 It is on a printed form giving the requirements for renewal. As I said in my post I want hard facts which I can present to the immigration official. Given such facts I am prepared to take the matter up with whichever Thai authority is the appropriate one. I contacted my embassy about this matter a while ago by fax. Silence was the response.

Your Embassy would have no interest in immigration policy regarding extensions of stay.

[samuijimmy]

A bit more info running here:

 

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/936976-which-hospital-for-samui-immigration-medical/

 

The medical is required and must be done at a hospital... What is tested is not consistent but the letter is still accepted ....

[monkey4u]

Vivasamui    This reads like an add for the local hospital

[monkey4u]

The list of requirements does not appear to be printed on an official letterhead

So maybe just some game at Samui

[ubonjoe]

8 hours ago, elviajero said:

The police orders being quoted are minimum standards and additional orders often get issued. There are many things not listed in the police orders that are now asked for. National, regional or local bosses can instruct additional requirements, like the medical, at any time.

The medical being ask for does not fall under the allowance of requesting additional documents. If immigration offices were allowed to add things like the medical they could do something like making it a local requirement you have be 60 years old to apply for an extension based upon retirement or such other nonsense.

The other offices that ask for the medical only ask for the same 50 baht one you get for a drivers license. Not near the same as saying it has to be done at a hospital.

[evadgib]

9 hours ago, elviajero said:

Your Embassy would have no interest in immigration policy regarding extensions of stay.

 

They are when numbers affected are significant & the fee routinely exceeds face value by 150%. 

 

 

[OJAS]

5 hours ago, evadgib said:

 

They are when numbers affected are significant & the fee routinely exceeds face value by 150%. 

 

 

 

Indeed. As I recall the American Embassy, for example, made strenuous representations to the Immigration Bureau a few years ago in response to a dozy-daft proposal of theirs to limit the maximum validity period of Embassy income confirmation letters/affidavits to 15 days. As a result of their efforts this period was officially set at 6 months (for all nationalities).

Edited August 24, 2016 by OJAS

[Maestro]

Was Samui one of the immigration offices that had a habit of charging 3,000 Baht for extensions instead of the official 1,900 Baht? That scam got stopped when enough people stood their ground and some reported it to higher authorities. I am tempted to think that the medical certificate is a substitute scam to generate a side income, ie that the hospital and immigration have a profit sharing agreement. Is a certificate only from a designated hospital acceptable?

[Maestro]

On 23/08/2016 at 7:10 AM, john smith said:

I note that a previous post stated that a physical examination is not required for renewal of retirement visa. A police order to this effect is mentioned. I would be most obliged if someone could provide a direct link to this police order. I shall shortly have to renew my retirement visa on Koh Samui and it would help if I have documented facts rather than opinions when I refuse to have this medical

 

In addition to the 327/2557 you have already been given there is

Immigration Bureau Order 138/2557  documents for extension of stay

[smedly]

medical information like this is highly personal and private, I also don't like exposing myself to x rays when I have nothing broken or in need of investigation, x rays can cause cancer 

[john smith]

Some time previously Samui immigration began charging Baht 5000 for retirement visa renewals. This seems to have been on a pick a victim and retreat if it squeals basis. I squealed. Representation was made to the appropriate department in the capital by various embassies following numerous complaints channeled through local embassy representatives . Some officials came from Bangkok and questioned retirees who happened to be in the office regarding  the fees that were being charged. Subsequently a notice was placed at the main entrance to the immigration building stating the price of each service provided and the price returned to Baht 1900. The Baht 5000 demand seems to be creeping back. Whilst making my 90  day recently a French retiree complained to me that he had to pay Baht 5000 to renew his retirement visa. I pointed to the notice stating the fee structure but he indicated that he wished to avoid having a problem so he would pay. The office has a new regime and some old practices seem to be surfacing along with the new demand for medicals.

[Sheryl]

I'm curious - do they attempt to steer you to a specific hospital for these medicals?

 

[evadgib]

No Sheyl or should I say not yet(!). The majority do it @ the Govt Hospital on the same road as the immigration office at a cost of around THB 750 & 4-6hrs inconvenience due to the no of outpatients already there each day.

Edited August 26, 2016 by evadgib

[gerrymac]

Same for me in Samui last week, and was told would not get retirement ext. without

hospital medical report.

[pampal]

Does this include a drug test as well?

 

Edited August 30, 2016 by pampal
Typo

[NancyL]

I've asked this in other threads about the Samui retirement extension medical test requirement.  What happens if someone is at death's door and "fails" the medical exam?  Here in  Chiang Mai, Immigration would much rather grant a retirement extension to someone who is clearly ill and on his last legs than deal with the extra bother of a medical extension -- and so would the family.  For starters, medical extensions are valid for just 90 days vs. 365 for retirement extensions.  So CM Immigration, despite all its faults, is pretty accommodating if family or friends can manage to get someone into the their office for the all-important photo shoot with the little camera attached to the Immigration officer's computer that proves the applicant actually showed up in person.  

[john smith]

Following contact by a concerned embassy the officer in charge of koh Samui immigration informed the embassy that a full medical is not required for renewal of a retirement visa and never was required. A simple letter from a hospital giving basic health information is all that is needed.

                         John Smith Lamai

[BritTim]

27 minutes ago, john smith said:

Following contact by a concerned embassy the officer in charge of koh Samui immigration informed the embassy that a full medical is not required for renewal of a retirement visa and never was required. A simple letter from a hospital giving basic health information is all that is needed.

                         John Smith Lamai

 

Anyone buying this? What does "simple letter from a hospital giving basic health information" mean? I am pretty sure that, unless the office's preferred doctor is used, the letter will turn out to be not "simple" at all when the retiree rather than the embassy is asking.

[ParadiseLost]

There does seem to be a disconnect:

 

On 22/06/2016 at 6:26 PM, elviajero said:

Given the amount of drugs consumed by foreigners on the islands it's not really surprising.

 

Is provocative and inflammatory. Nowhere does this imply "minority":

 

On 22/06/2016 at 7:18 PM, elviajero said:

No idea.

The innocent always get caught up in rules brought in to solve a problem often caused by a disconnected minority. The reason for drug testing will be due to the overall drug taking.

 

I am interested - where do you get your information? The same place Samui Immigration pull their version of immigration regulations by the looks of it.

 

Stick to what you know, why don't you. Oh wait, we already have ubonjoe for that....

 

[ParadiseLost]

Things had just started getting better at Samui Imm; the birdman was nowhere to be seen and the new officers seemed to have things under control.

 

Since the move to the new office it appears a new bunch of thieves has been installed.

 

After 11 years living here I am back on ME Non-o as I refused to pay 5k last month for money seeded below the 3 months they require - for a marriage extension, which the experts daily advise is only 2 months.

 

Funny how the extra large 'lady' checking the docs has a direct line to the chief in Southern Immigration which enables her to offer ways around the 'regulations' when needed...

 

Birdman's nasty niece, no doubt...