90 Day Reporting Experience at Dan Kwian Immigration

[SpokaneAl]

We had a less than impressive Dan Kwian Immigration Office 90 reporting experience today.

We split our time between the US and Thailand each year. A year ago, when I went to complete my 90 day report I was informed that the required 24 hour report had not been performed. At that time we were not aware of that requirement. I went and brought back my sister-in-law - our house is in her name. She proceeded to get verbally beat up by the lady who handles that department, and I decided that I would not let that happen again. I performed the subsequent 90 day report with no problem.

We returned to Thailand on October 27, arriving at our home early, early in the am on October 28. We made the trip to immigration at nine am that same morning and, as requested, I provided a copy of my passport front page and non imm o-a multi entry visa. My sister-in-law did the necessary reporting and we were both informed that all was well.

Flash forward to today when I traveled solo to perform the 90 day reporting. I was informed that no 24 hour report had been accomplished. In that no-one seemed to speak English, they kept repeating 24 hour/wife over and over. I attempted to explain that I understood the 24 hour reporting requirement and we had done that. No joy.

My wife was wandering around the nearby pottery vendors and I scooped her up and back we went. She explained in Thai that we absolutely had done what was required of us. The office manager essentially said that we were lying unless we could provide the necessary receipt. My wife did not take kindly to that, and strongly made our case as the three office workers seemed to loose confidence by the minute. Finally the initial angry lady decided to create the necessary receipt so that we would be on our way. 

We took the receipt and I finished my 90 day report.

I suppose that if I was wearing a finely crafted dress shirt and long pants, our experience would have been different. 555

[Maestro]

Do you mean the Nakhon Ratchasima Immigration?

 

[SpokaneAl]

Do you mean the Nakhon Ratchasima Immigration?
 

Yes, sorry for the confusion.


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[lopburi3]

Quote

I suppose that if I was wearing a finely crafted dress shirt and long pants, our experience would have been different. 555

Perhaps if impression was as below - 

[Briggsy]

Thanks for sharing the experience.

 

What did I get from that? That any time I or my "housemaster" do a TM30 informing of immigration I or the housemaster should gain some evidence from them in the form of a receipt and failing that any other possible evidence including photos, screen prints or photocopies.

[Maestro]

I thought Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) was one of the competent, friendly and non-corrupt immigration offices, but perhaps I am confusing it with Khon Kaen.

[Maestro]

2 hours ago, Briggsy said:

Thanks for sharing the experience.

 

What did I get from that? That any time I or my "housemaster" do a TM30 informing of immigration I or the housemaster should gain some evidence from them in the form of a receipt and failing that any other possible evidence including photos, screen prints or photocopies.

 

I was thinking along the same lines: a photo of the immigration official and the foreigner, with the official holding the TM.30 notification up to the camera and the foreigner the dated, stamped and signed receipt.

 

Alternatively, before leaving the desk, take a photo of the receipt and store it in the cloud (Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox, etc)

[steve187]

where was the receipt from the 28th October

[Maestro]

The OP's experience seems to indicate that the Nakhon Ratchasima immigration office did not enter his house-master's notification of arrival (form TM.30) in the computer.

 

Lesson for house-masters: hold on to the receipt for the TM.30 submission and be ready to produce it on request by an immigration official.

 

Lesson for immigration officers: refusing to accept a foreigner's notification of staying in Thailand longer than 90 and to give the foreigner a corresponding receipt for the reason that the house-master of the residence where the foreigner is staying is an act of malfeasance in office, punishable under the Criminal Code B.E. 2499:

 

Quote

Section 157  Whoever, being an official, wrongfully exercises or does not exercise any of his functions to the injury of any
person, or dishonestly exercises or omits to exercise any of his functions, shall be punished with imprisonment of one to
ten years or fined of two thousand to twenty thousand Baht, or both.