Seeking Feedback on Southern Thailand Immigration Offices

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

fyi, there's another thread running in the main visas forum re:

Haven't had much feedback there as yet from folks familiar with the various Southern Region Immigration Offices.

 

If they're generally good offices and generally follow the rules, apart from the usual minor stuff, please do a brief post on that.

 

Or, conversely, if they specialize in jerking folks around, constantly change their rules, demand extra payments, etc etc, please post it in the same thread.

 

All feedback welcome. Thanks!

[PaoloR]

Krabi:

 

Small office, seem to operate reasonably efficiently (by Thai standards)

Follow the rules (no questionaire yet as far as I know) but seem able to turn things around quicker than most e.g. residence certificate 30 minutes, 90 day report 5 minutes etc.

As with every Government office, poor dress sense, visible irritation or complaining will get you a long wait, but this office is far better than the other offices I have used (Phuket, Hatyai & Bangkok)

 

p.s. the vehicle licensing office is really good and efficient here in Krabi - except they have run out of number-plates!

[Old Salt]

Hatyai:    Recent switch from Marriage to Retirement visa experience in Hatyai finds them following the rules to the letter, even to the extent they visited my home (normally something down for Marriage Visa, but in the 8 years I had one of those they never visited).  Change due to no more work requirement in Thailand.

 

The immigration staff has changed a lot over the last 17 years and are more courteous and helpful.  If anything they can occasionally be short of 'signing' people and may require a person to come back another day.   PaolaR comments re dress, complaining, etc is very true here.  Don't let your yourself or your country down by being impatient and irritable ... I know, for some folks a big ask.  

 

Also advise folks with Thai partners to take them along and train them up re which ever process is being applied for... English is not spoken by all officers and not well by those who do, with one exception.

 

As a group of expats here we combine notes and endeavour to help both ourselves and Immigration to settle on a common checklist of requirements for various visas.  A retirement visa checklist is taking shape thanks to other long term expats.  They are also looking at the use of a one page form to replace the recent five page requirement.

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Thanks very much for the feedback on the Krabi and Hatyai Immigration Offices.

 

So, from your posts, it sounds like you're saying that these two offices basically follow the general national rules/procedures, and aren't making up their own unique/added requirements that aren't generally used elsewhere???

 

Is that correct?

 

[maximillian]

Nakhon Si Thammarat Immigration Office:

 

Been seeing them since more than two years for retirement extension, certificate of residence, 90 day reports, re-entry permit. Rather fast and friendly, English speaking officers, clean and spacious office.

http://www.thai-visas.com/thai-immigration-in-nakhon-si-thammarat.html

Altogether pleasant people there, as long as you have all your papers ready. They are very meticulous about bank book, rental contract, location of your house, photos of yourself inside and outside your home, house book of landlord. (List may not be complete)

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 hour ago, maximillian said:

Nakhon Si Thammarat Immigration Office:

 

Been seeing them since more than two years for retirement extension, certificate of residence, 90 day reports, re-entry permit. Rather fast and friendly, English speaking officers, clean and spacious office.

http://www.thai-visas.com/thai-immigration-in-nakhon-si-thammarat.html

Altogether pleasant people there, as long as you have all your papers ready. They are very meticulous about bank book, rental contract, location of your house, photos of yourself inside and outside your home, house book of landlord. (List may not be complete)

 

 

Thanks for the post, but you mentioned retirement extensions...

 

Are you saying the NST office is asking for rental contract, photos inside and outside your home, and house book of your landlord for retirement extensions??

 

Because, none of those things typically are requested for retirement extensions at most Immigration Offices elsewhere. Those kinds of things more often might be requested in connection with marriage-based extensions.

 

 

[parallaxtech]

Koh Samui is the black hole of Immigration.  Go there well-dressed, with all documents in order, a smile and a wai, and you will be treated like a sausage salesman at an ISIS convention.  They will make you wait outside in the sun for up to eight hours, come up with any excuse possible or imaginable, and then begin their extortion racket in the back room.  You will feel humiliated, intimidated, and emotionally drained after your visit to get a retirement extension.  Of course, this doesn't happen to everyone, but it happened to me last week.  You can read my experience on the previous thread.  Be well-prepared, have your blood pressure medication in your pocket, and keep your cheeks tight or, as Tom Cruise said in a movie, "You're going to feel like you just got fxxxed by a whale!"

[smotherb]

8 minutes ago, parallaxtech said:

Koh Samui is the black hole of Immigration.  Go there well-dressed, with all documents in order, a smile and a wai, and you will be treated like a sausage salesman at an ISIS convention.  They will make you wait outside in the sun for up to eight hours, come up with any excuse possible or imaginable, and then begin their extortion racket in the back room.  You will feel humiliated, intimidated, and emotionally drained after your visit to get a retirement extension.  Of course, this doesn't happen to everyone, but it happened to me last week.  You can read my experience on the previous thread.  Be well-prepared, have your blood pressure medication in your pocket, and keep your cheeks tight or, as Tom Cruise said in a movie, "You're going to feel like you just got fxxxed by a whale!"

Welcome to living in a farang ghetto. Do you not think it may in part be due to numbers of farangs who act like a**holes and the Thais are simply returning the favor in-kind?