BIB checking for Immigration on Samui

[islandguy]

Today just now a policeman walked up to the door and politely asked what was the address of (my rented) house. Showing him the number, he asked for me to show him my passport. After checking and taking a picture of my Passport, he showed me a list (on his phone) and asked if I was indeed the person named as number 4 on that list. Agreeing that indeed I was, we parted in good spirits. This is a new but not surprising event for me, after 11 years. My address was just changed with Immigration to a new address and my extension of stay is in the one month waiting for 11 months stage. I am glad he was able to get this checked off. Not sure whether this would have happened if I had not changed the address, maybe, maybe not. We know there has been a general tightening up of enforcement of of Immigration rules in the KIngdom, I post this so other Samui expats know this might happen to them also.

[islandguy]

Hi also took a photo of me.

[churchill]

Perhaps the reason they are asking for hand drawn maps along with google . 

[PoorSucker]

Immigration came by and interviewed my neighbours eight years ago, nothing new.

Sent from my Lenovo TB3-710F using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

[abab]

 

Still don't know that the more information you give them the more they will look for problems ?

 

It often happens to many people who have a legit business.

 

 

 

[islandguy]

4 hours ago, abab said:

 

Still don't know that the more information you give them the more they will look for problems ?

 

It often happens to many people who have a legit business.

 

 

 

Are you suggesting I not give my address? Or that I deny that I have a passport? What would you have done?

[khunPer]

They started to check last October, to my knowledge, as I was checked a week after extending my stay for another year in October, and I had my photo taken in front of my house, together with policeman holding my pasport – no one had posted about it before, and the hand-drawn map seemed also new at that time. My post about it is in one of the other Samui-visa-extension treads...

[islandguy]

7 hours ago, khunPer said:

They started to check last October, to my knowledge, as I was checked a week after extending my stay for another year in October, and I had my photo taken in front of my house, together with policeman holding my pasport – no one had posted about it before, and the hand-drawn map seemed also new at that time. My post about it is in one of the other Samui-visa-extension treads...

Yes, I saw that post then, and no other ones about this since then on Samui. The hand drawn map requirement was there in January 2016. 

[ronaldo0]

Policeman came to my house about 6 weeks ago. 2 people know where I live , immigration and my lawyer. Nobody can usually find my house unless I give them directions.

Guy said to my wife he wanted a photo off my passport, my visa and me outside the house. He then gave her his number and said send them to him as I was in the shower.

While I have no problem supplying them I fail to see what the point was. He would only have known my address by getting it from immigration and if he got it from them then why did he not look at their files which has my passport and visa details and they have the stupid photos I have to take every year to prove I live at my house !!

[thurien]

the BiB interviewed me 6 yrs. ago already (found me in the sticks east of Khorat), no problem at that time, all docs handy and o.k.

[12DrinkMore]

1 hour ago, ronaldo0 said:

Policeman came to my house about 6 weeks ago. 2 people know where I live , immigration and my lawyer. Nobody can usually find my house unless I give them directions.

Guy said to my wife he wanted a photo off my passport, my visa and me outside the house. He then gave her his number and said send them to him as I was in the shower.

While I have no problem supplying them I fail to see what the point was. He would only have known my address by getting it from immigration and if he got it from them then why did he not look at their files which has my passport and visa details and they have the stupid photos I have to take every year to prove I live at my house !!

 

Your photos do not prove that you live there.

 

You had the monkey following the instruction of the organ grinder, who said something along the lines of "go and take a photo of the Farang outside his house".

[ronaldo0]

20 minutes ago, 12DrinkMore said:

 

Your photos do not prove that you live there.

 

You had the monkey following the instruction of the organ grinder, who said something along the lines of "go and take a photo of the Farang outside his house".

The guy said it was on the orders off the boss from BKK.

If I say I live at an address then the cop who turns up will know what the address looks like so if its not the same as in my photos then im sure he would be back to ask more questions.

As I have to also give immigration photos every year im sure if I did not tell them I moved and sent them different house photos they might ask why I had not told them I moved.

[jenifer d]

3 hours ago, ronaldo0 said:

Policeman came to my house about 6 weeks ago. 2 people know where I live , immigration and my lawyer. Nobody can usually find my house unless I give them directions.

Guy said to my wife he wanted a photo off my passport, my visa and me outside the house. He then gave her his number and said send them to him as I was in the shower.

While I have no problem supplying them I fail to see what the point was. He would only have known my address by getting it from immigration and if he got it from them then why did he not look at their files which has my passport and visa details and they have the stupid photos I have to take every year to prove I live at my house !!

nobody has ever done that to me on our island, nor did immigration make me draw a hand-drawn map; but then again, everybody at our local immigration from lowest staff to the head guy all know me and wai me w/respect when i come, and there is not a Thai person on our island who doesn't know where my home of nearly 7 years is...

[Lamkyong]

1 hour ago, jenifer d said:

nobody has ever done that to me on our island, nor did immigration make me draw a hand-drawn map; but then again, everybody at our local immigration from lowest staff to the head guy all know me and wai me w/respect when i come, and there is not a Thai person on our island who doesn't know where my home of nearly 7 years is...

Wow   who is the daddy  respectful wais  bet that makes you feel good eh  ???

[islandguy]

5 hours ago, jenifer d said:

nobody has ever done that to me on our island, nor did immigration make me draw a hand-drawn map; but then again, everybody at our local immigration from lowest staff to the head guy all know me and wai me w/respect when i come, and there is not a Thai person on our island who doesn't know where my home of nearly 7 years is...

?????? ?????? 555 

[islandguy]

We know that there have been directives to local police and/or immigration offices to visit foreigners living in their districts, sometimes to confirm the details of their address as given to Immigration and sometimes just to check them out. As usual, compliance varies by office, but some of these directives have been issued nationwide in the last two years. Samui has so many foreigners living here that it would be a huge job to do this once a year for everybody in the system. My understanding is that once you have been in the system for a few years there is little chance on Samui that filing an extension of stay request with the same address will result in a visit to confirm your residency at that address. As I posted, my address was changed to a different one on the extension request I made this year. 

 

Since it it not always easy to be in compliance, it's nice to get a feel for what's going on currently. I am not making any complaint about the process, nor am I making any suggestions for what others should do, just sharing a recent experience that may help others get a feel for what is going on this year on Samui.

[BernieOnTour]

On 2/19/2017 at 2:36 PM, churchill said:

Perhaps the reason they are asking for hand drawn maps along with google . 

How many Thai can read a map? ...

 

Maybe the guys in olive, otherwise : "leeao kwaa tee  7" ...