Not being exactly sure what I would need to make my 90 day report with, I took more or less every relevant piece of paperwork I had. I also took my fiancee with me, to confirm that I was living at her house...
When I arrived at the immigration centre, I joined the information queue, to find out exactly where I should go... the woman behind the counter looked at my passport, visa and entry stamp... she gave me a queue number and and a form to fill in, and pointed me to the longest queue in the building... my number was 40 places down the queue, which moved at anagonisingly slow pace... then all the immigration officers went to lunch... as I looked around the queue, I was suprised to see many entire families, with Dads clutching a whole sheaf of documentation... often several inches thick. Eventually the staff returned from their lesurely lunch break, and started interviewing people again... by this time about 2 hours had passed and only five places had changed in the queue... I asked a chap if this was the 90 day report queue. He replied "No Mate... this is to apply for a visa extension... we have to do this every year" I explained that I had a full O/A visa, and was only there to do a 90 day report... "You're in the wrong Queue Mate", he replied, "That queue's next door, it only takes about 10 minutes"
Heaving a sigh of relief, I collected my fiancee and my heap of paperwork, and went back to the information queue by the entrance : " I just need to make a 90 day report" I explained... "No, Wrong visa : Cannot report, You need to get new visa" Was her response... I couldn't understand this at all, as my full O/A, multiple entry visa was supposed to be the all singing all dancing version, which entitled me to stay in the kingdom, and report every 90 days without doing border runs... I had sweated blood to obtain this visa in London, and gone to a lot of trouble to assemble the qualifying paperwork, and then get it all notorised by a solicitor...
Convinced that She had misunderstood, I waited for her to become involved with another customer, and asked her collegue for a number for the 90 day report queue... this was issued, along with a different form....
I filled in this shorter, and much simpler form, and within 20 minutes my number was called : I stepped up and handed over my passport and form, and braced myself for the inevitable grilling... " No Good : I cannot stamp this Passport : Wrong Visa!" was the response...
It was at this stage that I nearly lost it bigtime... I knew that I had the right visa... but two immigration officials had now refused it... I had one week before my 90 days were up, and I would have to leave... if I couldn't sort this out. Several harried ciggies and a lot of muttering later, I rejoined the origional queue... fortunately I had retained my origional queue number, and only had to wait one more hour before this number was called...
The lady behind the desk studied my form and passport with interest : "What you do today?" she asked me... " I have sat in various queues here at immigration today"I replied, and managed to summon up a smile.
"No :What you DO?" She asked again... then the penny dropped... " I am retired... I don't work here in Thailand" I replied...
"OK, You need new visa : You need letter from embassy, say you have enough money, you need docter letter, you need Thai Bank account, You need photocopy passport, and photos... " I asked what was wrong with my origional visa, " Visa no good, you need change for retirement visa. This visa expire monday"
I was hurled into the depths of despondancy : Three months work obtaining the origional visa in London down the drain... I knew that I didn't have time to complete the application process again before monday... "Can I border run, and get another 90 days?" |I asked her... "No, Visa no good, not let you back in" Was her response... " Go get letter from embassy about money, come back tomorrow... come straight to my desk... not queue again" she kindly told me...
Wearily, I and my fiancee left the building... I was not a happy bunny. I couldn't understand what the problem was with my full O/A visa, and my lack of comprehension made me very angry... mostly with myself.
The following day, I attended the UK embassy,Filled in yet another form, and showed my bank statements, and income. "OK sir, we'll have the letter ready for you tomorrow..." Whilst I was there I applied for my "Affirmation of freedom to Marry", although by that stage I was wondering if I would be in Thailand long enough to attend my own wedding.
"No Worries sir, that will also be ready tomorrow : That will be 5800 Baht please... "
Bloody hel_l, I thought... I thought the Thais knew how to charge for paperwork... this lot evidently tought them how!...
There was no point in going back to the immigration office until I had the letter, and it was My fiancee's daughters birthday,,, I resolved to make it the happiest day I could, as I could see some bad days on the horizon... As I headed down to the place to get a cab, I bumped into a monk, and thrust 200 Baht at him : "Tam Boon" I said, and left him rather confused... two beggers also struck lucky... as I figured I needed all the merit I could gain with the gods, spirits, or lady luck...
That evening, I went on the internet, and tried to figure out what I had done wrong with my Visa... needless to say, just about every website contradicted every other website on some details... and all seemed intent on selling me an expensive deal with representation... I photocopied every page of my passport, as most of the sites suggested this, and prepared to go dressed in suit and tie, ordering another 8.00 am taxi...
Wednesday morning I and my fiancee attended the UK embassy again, Picked up the financial letter, which seemed to be fine, and the Affirmation of freedom to marry.
Taking a dog leg to a photocopiers, and making two copies of the embassy letter, We headed back to the Immigration Office, filled with dread and forboding... I had no doctors letter, and no Thai Bank account... I could only hope for the best.
When We arrived back at the immigration office I joined the information queue again... even though the lady at desk 17 had asked my to go directly to her... with my luck, I thought, she wouldn't be in today, and I'd better have a number in the queue to be on the safe side...
Behind the desk sat an altogether more impressive immigration officer, covered in decorations and obviously master of all he surveyed.
He took my passport... " Sir This Passsport has wrong stamp..." My heart faltered again... " The Immigration officer at the airport has only stamped this passport for 90 days... he should have stamped it for a whole year... I'm very sorry sir... Please take it to desk 519, and the stamp will be corrected"
My heart started to beat again... Light at the end of the tunnel!
At desk 519 the young lady cheerfully corrected the stamp, and suggested that I make my 90 day report :" Only 3 more days sir... Why not do it today?"
Ten minutes later, and one very simple form later, I was at the report desk, " OK Sir, no problem". Not a single question about my address or finances...
Then I was out of the building, secure in the knowledge that I had obtained the correct visa in the first place, and that I now had 9 more months before I had to do my visa extension paperwork again...
So all I can suggest is : Make merit, as often as you can...
Murg
PS : After all that, I've now managed to loose the piece of paper that was given to me after making my report... so I guess I'm in for a 2000 baht fine... Typical
Edited by Murgatroyd, 2008-08-08 20:44:40.
