Immigration Bureau warns of dismissal for tea money collection

[ferguston]

32 minutes ago, giddyup said:

No, I mean the letter supplied by immigration that is required by Motor Transport before you can get a drivers licence.

Free. 

[Bill Miller]

7 minutes ago, giddyup said:

So $50 wasn't just for the letter?

Yes, they charge $50 for every item to be notarized.
Since I was there, vs running around trying to find which Thai entity should or would do the job....

 

[Arkady]

The most effective approach would be to offer competitive pay and conditions but guarantee jail time for bribe takers, not just transfers to inactive posts for a few weeks.  Once the first couple of dozen officials are already rotting in jail on multi year sentences, the rest will sit up and take note.  But it ain't gonna happen.

[ZAKY]

When is it an offence? When taking or when giving? 

[whatawonderfulday]

What a load of lip service tripe.  The government and all of its agencies rely on tea money to enrich themselves,  it has been part of Thai culture since 1932. Complete and utter nonsense.  It will not stop untill you cut the head off the snake(s).

Edited July 12, 2017 by whatawonderfulday

[Maejo Man]

1 hour ago, giddyup said:

So it's not free?

Yes it's completely free. I have had dozens of them over the last 30 plus years However,..............If you want one the next day they will ask you for 500 baht. Two to three weeks wait for a free one, so plan ahead 

[hansnl]

1 hour ago, Lupatria said:

"free" only refers to the choice of payment method: credit card or cash

Wrong, cash only.......

[andersonat]

3 minutes ago, Maejo Man said:

Yes it's completely free. I have had dozens of them over the last 30 plus years However,..............If you want one the next day they will ask you for 500 baht. Two to three weeks wait for a free one, so plan ahead 

 - Did you *ever* receive a receipt for your payment ?

[Maejo Man]

6 minutes ago, andersonat said:

 - Did you *ever* receive a receipt for your payment ?

A short answer would be NO

[TheMacMan]

Far, far worse in Phuket when all the late night Chinese flights arrive... I have seen them get out from behind the desks and walk down the queuing Chinese and say (in Chinese) have your 100bht tip money ready at the desks!!!!

[aslimversgwm]

1 hour ago, giddyup said:

No, I mean the letter supplied by immigration that is required by Motor Transport before you can get a drivers licence.

It is supposed to be free. CM Immigration now issue it free whereas previously they illegally charged 500baht.

[Arandora]

1 hour ago, giddyup said:

No, I mean the letter supplied by immigration that is required by Motor Transport before you can get a drivers licence.

AFAIK there is a fee for this. I have paid it each time I applied for my Thai DL and subsequent renewals. It is listed with other fees and charges such as the 1900 baht charge for extending a Visa Exempt or Tourist Visa. 

[scorecard]

57 minutes ago, badlad said:

what about immigration offices being given the same orders about collecting tea money . the last time i visited an office the tea money box was stuffed with 1000 baht notes until the officer emptied it to make way for more 1000 baht notes .when shared out this must be an enormous bonus on top of salary and untaxed

 

Well if we expand the discussion to all 'agencies', the land title office (LTO) was considered for many years as the prize winner for rip offs, not sure if that's still true.

 

I'm aware of a farang buying a mid price house (20 years ago) on a beach in a company name, well trusted lawyer organized to do the transfer at the LTO. Lawyer investigated then said 'it will cost, best estimate is 30,000Baht'.

 

On the day the LTO chief chief came to chat with all farang / all representatives of farang with the same sad story:  

 

'Today is a public holiday for all government offices but not for the the LTO staff (in fact not true at all). I feel so sad for my staff and to make them feel encouraged I'm asking every customer to give a donation of 30,000Baht and this evening i will split it across all my staff but nothing for me'

 

Local lady lawyer who visits this office almost every working day whispered to others 'don't worry he's got at least 200 such stories, and uses them every working day'. 

[Jackin1960]

The rot starts at the top and works it's way down to the roots.

[Yann55]

1 hour ago, Pattaya28 said:

"Tea Money" ?? 

A polite phrase for "Stolen Money" ??

 

There's an American expression I like very much and I think it covers this : 'weasel words'.

 

See on the picture ? There's an added detail that makes all this even more hilarious : '(during office hours)' ... suggesting of course that 'tea money' is OK as long as it's outside office hours ....

Edited July 12, 2017 by Yann55

[Delight]

2 hours ago, giddyup said:

While we're on the subject, can someone clear up whether immigration are entitled to charge for a letter of residence or not. I know I have paid every time, but have read somewhere that it's supposed to be free.

 The fact that they never issue receipts suggests that it is a major source of tea money.

Technically  they should be supplied without a charge.. That is the theory

The theory and the practice  are not ,however, in sync.

[aslimversgwm]

40 minutes ago, Arkady said:

The most effective approach would be to offer competitive pay and conditions but guarantee jail time for bribe takers, not just transfers to inactive posts for a few weeks.  Once the first couple of dozen officials are already rotting in jail on multi year sentences, the rest will sit up and take note.  But it ain't gonna happen.

Based around a rural police constable 's basic average pay in England and extrapolating this into baht + adjusting for the differences in the average cost of living in Thailand rather than England it would cost the Thai authorities about 36 billion baht per annum to put your average Thai policeman on an equivalent salary and the fact that there are about 250,000 officers in Thailand. And this does not account for other benefits such as public housing and a salary related,  indexed pension. It won't happen so tea money will continue. If anyone is interested I can provide the basis for my calculations. 

[Yann55]

44 minutes ago, whatawonderfulday said:

What a load of lip service tripe.  The government and all of its agencies rely on tea money to enrich themselves,  it has been part of Thai culture since 1932. Complete and utter nonsense.  It will not stop untill you cut the head off the snake(s).

Since 1932 ? Oh ... and what month was that ?

[jimstar1]

Collecting Tea Money must be a Joke I don't believe it   

[Love66]

 

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/992052-loveable-western-tourists-get-70-discount-for-cleaning-up-the-beach/?utm_source=newsletter-20170712-1224&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news

The immigration office informed us that the tourists in question had taxed for Tea Money for illegal work without work permit.

555

(30% of the price of the work permit)

555

Edited July 12, 2017 by Love66

[andersonat]

31 minutes ago, Yann55 said:

Since 1932 ? Oh ... and what month was that ?

Some things happened on certain dates near the end of June, and other things happened on 10 December.

[DerekMarshall]

Mean while..immigration officers at are Poipet sh*tting bricks! 

 

How ceasing of assets of those living beyond their means....oh wait there a self appointed PM somewhere that transferred 597M THB to his wife and family prior to ceasing power..yet bumps his gums about fixing corruption...nad making the country better. T.IT! 

[The Dark Lord]

1 hour ago, Bill Miller said:

Yes, they charge $50 for every item to be notarized.
Since I was there, vs running around trying to find which Thai entity should or would do the job....

 

Did you try your local Ampur (Khorat?) or the immigration at Dan KiWan?

[OnTheRun]

2 hours ago, Lowryderen said:

If you mean the notification of stay (where you have to register your adress,  after entering Thailand again,  for example after a visa run)... Then yes..  It should be,  and is free of charge.

Does anybody actually go to immigration to tell them where theyre staying upon returning to the Kingdom? 

[The Deerhunter]

Don't only look at the guys on the arrival desks.  They are not all on the take but those who are sure give a bad name to the whole service. Another trick is they also try to find a technicality true or imagined, nominate a fine, but halve it for cash.  "Or so I am told."  

Edited July 12, 2017 by The Deerhunter

[natway09]

The Toyota dealership in Hat Yai is doomed !!!!

[Muhendis]

2 hours ago, Moti24 said:

How about not just restricting it to immigration at all border checkpoints!  Then, we might see progress.

 

I think you're clutching at straws with the inclusion of the BiB.

Immigration officers are the BiB. In Buriram office there isn't a "tip" box instead they will suggest that your extension application will go through trouble free if you make an ex gratia payment of 2,000 Baht. The implication being that if you don't pay up there will be problems with your application. This is asked for after all the paperwork has been checked.

[renaissanc]

If the tea money has stopped, there will be a lot of gloomy and worried faces at Sadao Immigration. How will the staff now continue the payments on their expensive cars, land,  houses, etc.? How will they be able to support their hi-so life style? The Immigration Chief is being very inconsiderate! 

[thongplay]

3 hours ago, giddyup said:

No, I mean the letter supplied by immigration that is required by Motor Transport before you can get a drivers licence.

I got a drivers licence for a car by passing the test. All legit.

 

I never had nor was asked for a 'letter from Immigration'.

 

So don't know what you are talking about.

[RioMist]

4 hours ago, giddyup said:

While we're on the subject, can someone clear up whether immigration are entitled to charge for a letter of residence or not. I know I have paid every time, but have read somewhere that it's supposed to be free.

Just ask for a receipt and it will be free