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[gosompoi]

Today I when to Sisaket Immgration to extend my permission to stay 1 year for my Non-immgrant O visa based on marriage. Lets start with it took six hours today! I told the Immigration Officer I was here for a one year extension for permission to stay. His first words were, new boss and new rules today and you are the first! .

I arrived with:

1. 2 Copies of my passport including visa pages, plus original
2. 2 Pictures 2 x 1 1/2 inches
3. 2 married certificate copy, plus original
4. 2 copies Wife ID card, plus original
5. 2 copies wife house book, plus original
6. 2 copies Daughter's Thai Birth Certificate, plus original
7. 2 copies Son's Thai Birth Certificate, plus original
8. 2 copies Son's house book, plus original
9. 2 copies Daughter's house book, plus original
10. 2 color pictures of house
11. 2 maps and directions to house
12. 2 copies of bank letter stating I had fund in my account and bank book was correct, plus original
13. 2 copies of bank book, plus original
14. 2 TM 7 complete
15. fee 1900 baht

First I was told they have new boss and now new rules.

1. Pictures must be 2 x 2 inches nothing smaller accepted.
2. New TM 7 with bigger picture box. Internet forms not accepted. Had to fill the new forms in.
3. They wanted two copies of my passport - all pages including blank and informational pages.
4. New survey form quality of service I received at the local immigration office.
5. New Wife background check form, 2 copies one for immigration and one for the police. Information asked and filled in on form for my wife was, her mother's maiden name, father's name, parents age, birth dates, wife's place of employment, how many brothers & sisters, any previous marriages, registered or not, how many children and from which marriage, highest level of education, district your parents live, village & district she grew up in. Any illness, how she met farang husband, length of relationship, length of marriage. The information in was two type written pages, signed by my wife, the immigration officer, immigration office director and a place for a police office yet to sign.
7. New background form for me, 2 copies one for immigration and one for the police. The Information asked was my mother's full maiden name, father's full name, parents age, birth dates, my place of employment, where did I get my money, what other occupations have I had, how many brothers & sisters do I have, any previous marriages, were they registered, how many children and from which marriage, highest level of education, where my parents live, where I grew up. Any illness, you get the idea, all written in two typed thai pages only thing I could read was my name in English. I was told to sign it, my wife had to sign it, the immigration officer had to sign it, the head of local immigration office had to sign it, and a police officer need to sign at a future date.
8. I was given a 30 day extension, I was told all my paper had to go to Korat to be approved for my 1 year permission to stay extension for my non-immigrant O based on marriage.
9. I was told it would take 3 weeks and I needed to return in month.
10. I was told a immigration officer needs to inspect my home and speak with my neighbors. I need  provide at least two witness verify I live with my wife and at my home.
11. I need to provide 1,000 baht for the cost of the officer visiting my home.
12. I was given two other forms to sign that did not have any English on them, do not know what I signed.
13.  We made an appointment for Sunday for the home to be inspected.
14. my bank account length of time aged was not enough. I had 400,000 baht in my bank account that was aged 61 days sitting collecting dust but he wanted to see two months from deposited on the 28th, two months later exactly on the 28th again not 60 days! I begged, he said tomorrow Korat will look at it and it will be the 28th so he will let it slide if they do not catch it. Otherwise will need to provide new bank book copies and bank letter in person in Korat. I would have gone to the bank but it would be 2 hour round trip for me and the office would already be closed.
15. I was told if Korat approves my extension then when I return next month and be given 1 year permission to stay, if not approved I will need to go to Korat in person and/or my permission stay will canceled.

They took everything in 1 through 15 from my first list, everything from my second list, the 1900 baht and 1000 baht and sent it off to Korat.  By the end I was expecting blood sample to be taken and physical checkup.  Did I murder someone? What is up? I live in the rice paddies in Issan where the cows and buffaloes roam, not in Bangkok or Phuket. I still do not know what the two forms in Thai I signed that just had my name in English. I really do not know what is on the background forms, but my wife did read mine and said it was correct. So I am now waiting for the Immigration Officer on Sunday and 30 days to see if my extension is approved and still can not touch my 400,000 baht because they might need new paperwork.

WTF!

[Danielsiam]

it's going to be same as North Korea as soon.

Edited by Danielsiam, 2012-01-27 21:18:40.

[soi41]

Reading this makes my blood boil. Who the hell do they think they are. That they (the Thais) don't like us is quite obvious, but you should think that trying to do everything by the book should be enough. What is your poor wifes crime, apart from marrying you ?
I visited immigration myself today, no dramas, but felt a change of attitude, read arrogance, from the staff in an office I have been using for more than 8 years. Wonder if it has something to do with the new boss (Minister of Interior), who is a publically proclaimed racist ?
Quite funny or sad that the arrogant staff mentioned above are known to make ways around the moneyrequirements for a price of 25-30k.

[gosompoi]

Yes, my wife she knows her place, she has a BA and two masters degrees and work as Thai government servant for more than 16 years. She laughs now when people ask her, "Did you meet you husband in Pattaya?" She knew how to answer the questions to keep some of our privacy and not cause anymore questions. But really now my wife has a police file with all her life information because she has farang husband. BUT IT IS NOT OVER! We still have the home visit and inspection and neighbor interviews this Sunday. And we have to explain to our children why men in uniforms dressed as police will be looking in their rooms, closets and talking their friends. AND STILL we still have to hope Korat says yes to the extension next month.   I have always felt like a unwanted second class person by the Thai government except for my wallet they love. But today I think we got the hint loud and clear. What next trucks loaded with farang instead of dogs being smuggled to Loas? We are stuck hanging, tired and wondering should we still be here?

Edited by gosompoi, 2012-01-27 22:19:31.

[hehehoho]

You have to remember that they hate you and despise you living here.

Not to worry, you can always just walk away.

Providing you didn't sell everything you had to move to Sisaket and buy people property.

Tiz a nice place actually. Have ridden through it a few times.

[billd766]

hehehoho, on 2012-01-27 22:31:52, said:

You have to remember that they hate you and despise you living here.

Not to worry, you can always just walk away.

Providing you didn't sell everything you had to move to Sisaket and buy people property.

Tiz a nice place actually. Have ridden through it a few times.

Who are "they" that hate and despise us?

On Thursday I went to Immigration at Nakhon Sawan to do a 90 day report and was in and out in 4 minutes and that included some banter with the 3 women working there.

Most of the people I know have no problem with Immigration.

[PoorSucker]

Wear a red shirt next time.

[gosompoi]

billd766, on 2012-01-28 14:13:01, said:

hehehoho, on 2012-01-27 22:31:52, said:

You have to remember that they hate you and despise you living here.

Not to worry, you can always just walk away.

Providing you didn't sell everything you had to move to Sisaket and buy people property.

Tiz a nice place actually. Have ridden through it a few times.

Who are "they" that hate and despise us?

On Thursday I went to Immigration at Nakhon Sawan to do a 90 day report and was in and out in 4 minutes and that included some banter with the 3 women working there.

Most of the people I know have no problem with Immigration.

I my six hours I saw about twenty people 90 day report or extended for 60-90 days without much time or trouble except for the bigger picture requirement. I was the only 1 year extension.

[lopburi3]

Actually the photo requirement has always been minimum of 4x6cm - and normally anything in that area is accepted.  Your 1.5x2" would have been less than that requirement.  But if they indeed will not accept the stated 4x6cm it is a change.

[Fookhaht]

For 4-5 years I did annual immigration business (one-year visa-B extensions) in Mukdahan.  The requirements changed every freakin' year.  Always caught without some new document or lack of enough copies of something (which weren't required the previous year).  They "conveniently" had a lady next door to the immigration bureau (probably wife of immigration official) who would happily do your copies for 10-20 baht per page (that varied every year too).  At the worst, had to return to my town of residence (three hours away) to get the new document, and come back another day, missing work, of course, to do it.  If able to do it in one day, the process took 6-8 hours every year.  

Now, using the Khon Kaen immigration office, the whole process takes about 30 minutes, and in three years, I've never been asked to produce a document that's not posted in a list on the website or in their office.  

Ergo:  Regulations/rules/laws be damned.  You're totally at the whim and mercy of the local commandant, who may or may not have woken up on the wrong side of the bed that morning.  

Edited by Fookhaht, 2012-01-28 15:10:25.

[gosompoi]

lopburi3, on 2012-01-28 15:04:01, said:

Actually the photo requirement has always been minimum of 4x6cm - and normally anything in that area is accepted.  Your 1.5x2" would have been less than that requirement.  But if they indeed will not accept the stated 4x6cm it is a change.

My photo was 4 cm by 5.5 cm (not including white border) which was too small because he did not count the white border. In English he asked for 2 by 2 inches, which I had in my collection of visa and passport photos. The new TM 7 they gave to fill in had only a bigger picture box everything else was the same as those downloaded from the internet.

[Thaddeus]

They can't get through many applications per day there then.

[TheWalkingMan]

This is another area where Thailand needs to tighten up on.  All the immigration offices should follow the same rules and not be left to whoever is in charge on the day.

[Fookhaht]

TheWalkingMan, on 2012-01-28 15:27:23, said:

This is another area where Thailand needs to tighten up on.  All the immigration offices should follow the same rules and not be left to whoever is in charge on the day.

Ever try banking?    Same bank, different branches, different rules.  
This is true for Kruengsri Bank, Ayuthaya Bank, Thai Military Bank and ESPECIALLY Siam Commercial Bank.  At the latter bank, the procedures are all over the place, depending on the branch.    

This problem is endemic to a developing country which hasn't yet recognized the benefits of a basic level of uniformity in its institutions, especially where "customer service" is an issue.  Part of the "charm" of living here, heh folks?

[hehehoho]

^ the words 'Brewery, a Piss-up, in a, and unable to organize' spring to mind.

[necronx99]

hehehoho, on 2012-01-28 18:37:48, said:

^ the words 'Brewery, a Piss-up, in a, and unable to organize' spring to mind.

Strange because they CAN organize a root in a whorehouse.....

[lopburi3]

One post removed.

[gosompoi]

Home inspection over, 4 hours late but no problem. Two immigration officers took pictures and interviewed two neighbors, with signatures, copies of thai id and house books. Now just need two wait three more weeks if the result was positive for 1 year extension.

[TheWalkingMan]

gosompoi, on 2012-01-29 19:12:47, said:

Home inspection over, 4 hours late but no problem. Two immigration officers took pictures and interviewed two neighbors, with signatures, copies of thai id and house books. Now just need two wait three more weeks if the result was positive for 1 year extension.

Sounds like you are on parole or living in a convict rehabilitation center.

[gosompoi]

TheWalkingMan, on 2012-01-29 20:00:39, said:

gosompoi, on 2012-01-29 19:12:47, said:

Home inspection over, 4 hours late but no problem. Two immigration officers took pictures and interviewed two neighbors, with signatures, copies of thai id and house books. Now just need two wait three more weeks if the result was positive for 1 year extension.

Sounds like you are on parole or living in a convict rehabilitation center.

Yeah it does but I suspect it is a life long parole.

[Bpraim1]

Wow, I just did my 1 yr Non O in Srisaket. Took me 45 min, and I was on my way. I wounder if you were the man yelling in the back ground when I called them a couple days ago. I never got anything different then last yr.

[gosompoi]

Nope no yelling, just a lot of smiling last Friday.

[RubbaJohnny]

Agree its unfair inconsisent yet a small price to pay
No foreigner has to live here and I regard it like my annual dental check as something to get over and forget
I usually do dentist 8a same day so as to have it all over in one dull day

[necronx99]

Given someone else (Bpraim1) did not encounter these new rules, is it possible at all that you were singled out for 'special' treatment for some reason?

[tartempion]

Definitely why I won't marry a Thai lady, this place looks like a police state for married farangs

Note I live here on retirement extension, if they make it any worse I'll go somewhere else where the sun shines.