steve

[steve123]

90 Day Visa nightmare,

What a messed up system. 

On line doesnt work and i just went to the main BKK eho said they werent doing it there anymore and sent me to another place and they said no you must do it in Hua hin as you got your visa there!

[Sarisin]

It's the hub of IT failures, online no photocopies, no non reporting charges, no profit. They have me on 200 days overstay so far, not of course.

[Faz]

11 hours ago, steve123 said:

90 Day Visa nightmare,

What a messed up system. 

On line doesnt work and i just went to the main BKK eho said they werent doing it there anymore and sent me to another place and they said no you must do it in Hua hin as you got your visa there!

I assume you tried to submit a 90 day report in Bangkok.
You obtained an extension (a permit, not a visa) at Hua Hin Immigration.

Bangkok Immigration refused because your still registered in Hua Hin.
You need to file a TM30 in Bangkok in order to report there.

[steve123]

Its just so sad in this world full of technology that Thailand still relies on all these meaningless pieces of paper as the world passes them by ! You get a one year Visa then need to report every 90 days. I own property here and support the local economy but it means nothing!

I have loved living here all these years but man it is tiring just trying to do simple things. If anyone knows of a better country to retire in where life is easier please let me know.

 

[Pinetree]

My life here is easy  I use an agent for everything, bar the 90 day report and I get no hassles at all, cost, around 15K per year.  It often seems to me that people try to play a system  that they don't really understand and then moan about its difficulties  Wise up and work within it  and your frustrations disappear. 

[BlueSphinx]

3 minutes ago, Pinetree said:

My life here is easy  I use an agent for everything, bar the 90 day report and I get no hassles at all, cost, around 15K per year.  It often seems to me that people try to play a system  that they don't really understand and then moan about its difficulties  Wise up and work within it  and your frustrations disappear. 

I presume that you are here on 1-year extensions based on your original Non Imm O Visa for reason of retirement.  And in that case the Agent fee of 15.000 THB is either

#1 - quite low, when it includes circumventing the 800.000 THB funds in bank requirement;

#2 - quite high, if you do need to provide evidence of those funds with the 1-year extension application.

Of course you need to be aware that #1 is NOT a legit option as the Agent is bribing the Imm Officer to overlook the funds requirement.  I agree that the risk of this getting you in trouble is very small, but it is not non-existent as some unlucky long-term stayers did found out when there was a crack-down on their local Immigration Office and they were all departed and banned from entering Thailand for x years. 

[Pinetree]

20 minutes ago, BlueSphinx said:

I presume that you are here on 1-year extensions based on your original Non Imm O Visa for reason of retirement.  And in that case the Agent fee of 15.000 THB is either

#1 - quite low, when it includes circumventing the 800.000 THB funds in bank requirement;

#2 - quite high, if you do need to provide evidence of those funds with the 1-year extension application.

Of course you need to be aware that #1 is NOT a legit option as the Agent is bribing the Imm Officer to overlook the funds requirement.  I agree that the risk of this getting you in trouble is very small, but it is not non-existent as some unlucky long-term stayers did found out when there was a crack-down on their local Immigration Office and they were all departed and banned from entering Thailand for x years. 

I meet all the criteria for my extension, including the 800K, but I am also protected against the many  IOs who make up new rules as they go along.  I do it to keep clear of IOs and live my life without hassle, that is worth all of 15K per year. 

[Sarisin]

27 minutes ago, Pinetree said:

I meet all the criteria for my extension, including the 800K, but I am also protected against the many  IOs who make up new rules as they go along.  I do it to keep clear of IOs and live my life without hassle, that is worth all of 15K per year. 

15k is the usual rate for having not enough funds, the hand holding charge is more like 6k. So although you meet all the criteria you pay an extra 13.100 baht to save filling in a form and waiting 30 mins? You are being overcharged if that's the case.

[BlueSphinx]

25 minutes ago, Pinetree said:

I meet all the criteria for my extension, including the 800K, but I am also protected against the many  IOs who make up new rules as they go along.  I do it to keep clear of IOs and live my life without hassle, that is worth all of 15K per year. 

Thanks and of course your choice, but I still think it is rather expensive for the 1-year retirement extension based on your original Non Imm O Visa as in that case you basically ONLY need to provide the bank evidence of having kept the required funds on your personal bank-account in the 12 months preceding your application.  But it might be worth it if you are living far away from the Imm Office or when your Imm Office is a large, unpleasant beehive and the Agent takes cares of the admin/contacts with them. 

[Pinetree]

6 hours ago, Sarisin said:

15k is the usual rate for having not enough funds, the hand holding charge is more like 6k. So although you meet all the criteria you pay an extra 13.100 baht to save filling in a form and waiting 30 mins? You are being overcharged if that's the case.

I don't really care.  I trust the agent and I get an excellent service 

[Pinetree]

6 hours ago, BlueSphinx said:

Thanks and of course your choice, but I still think it is rather expensive for the 1-year retirement extension based on your original Non Imm O Visa as in that case you basically ONLY need to provide the bank evidence of having kept the required funds on your personal bank-account in the 12 months preceding your application.  But it might be worth it if you are living far away from the Imm Office or when your Imm Office is a large, unpleasant beehive and the Agent takes cares of the admin/contacts with them. 

exactly

[Faz]

8 hours ago, Pinetree said:

It often seems to me that people try to play a system  that they don't really understand and then moan about its difficulties  Wise up and work within it  and your frustrations disappear. 

Or wise up and learn the system.

[Pinetree]

2 hours ago, Faz said:

Or wise up and learn the system.

impossible  even the IOs don't always know it so how can anyone else 

[Faz]

2 hours ago, Pinetree said:

impossible  even the IOs don't always know it so how can anyone else 

The orders are written.
I've never had an issue, with one exception and have submitted multiple applications.

I have witnessed many foreigners being turned away, due to lack of documentation or financial evidence.
The inferred fact that Immigration are always changing the rules is bar stool talk.
I've been supplying the same documents year after year, only two changes to the regulations since 2018.

[Pinetree]

12 hours ago, Faz said:

The inferred fact that Immigration are always changing the rules is bar stool talk.

All IO senior staff have the authority to interpret the immigration rules as they see fit and many do so. There is a wide latitude of discretion given to each office.  You are clearly not reading this and other forums where many expats report problems with various offices and IOs interpreting rules differently. At the end of the day, I don't care what others do, I only care about what I do, to make my life easier for me, for example, my documentation is never called into question, as my agent arranges it all, even with my bank. 

[Pinetree]

12 hours ago, Faz said:

I've been supplying the same documents year after year, only two changes to the regulations since 2018.

Year after year? that's just 2 years? 

[Sarisin]

18 hours ago, Faz said:

The orders are written.
I've never had an issue, with one exception and have submitted multiple applications.

I have witnessed many foreigners being turned away, due to lack of documentation or financial evidence.
The inferred fact that Immigration are always changing the rules is bar stool talk.
I've been supplying the same documents year after year, only two changes to the regulations since 2018.

They don't keep changing the rules true, but that does not stop IO's interpreting them in a different way, from office to office and day to day. You never having had an issue is not the point many do, you are probably going to a laid back immigration office, most do not.

Just 1 example on extension application after 15 years at the same office- need all passport pages copied even blank ones, get it done even though I know it's only a requirement under the and any other documents the IO wants to ask for. Go next year with all the pages already copied and get accused of wasting the IO's time as discards 95 % of them. You never having a problem does not mean others don't or that it's their fault for lack of preparation.

Edited November 12, 2021 by Sarisin