Thread: Korat Immigration seem to be a problem

Long time in Thailand ---retirement visa --believe in doing things as they want and never ever had a single problem with other offices until I had to use Korat office --now whatever we do its a problem --a bank letter issued the previous day requires more contact and then another visit to the bank and thats the second year running ,last time I queued for my 90 day notification with a ticket and after nothing happening for 30 plus minutes humbly ask whats going on to be told that the guy had gone home without telling anyone and I was made to feel that I was messing up their system when i asked if I didnt need to go to the back of another queue for those being renewed with visas ,
every visit is just stress when its not necessary sometimes,although I am perfectly happy in Thailand ,I wonder if its all worth it --I must be supporting a huge number of Thais with my annual expenditure but this office seems to want to punish you for being here

I'm not actually what you are asking there, young fellow.

You've got to learn to 'switch off' with these people.
Humour the b*****s, think to yourself, I've got all the time in the world.

Our Imm office require you to have the bank cert issued on the day you apply.

In 11 years here, I've had to jump through more hoops than a circus tiger.

Don't let them get you down!

Charlieboy that has always been my method --when they lost my passport one day in another office I just got out the Bangkok Post and did the crossword not a word --about an hour later they found it and I said thankyou very much but these tnucs in Korat are something else
Interesting what you say about same day bank letters -no-one has told us so it must be fun for them sending us all away to the banks --in fact the local bank remarked just how many foreigners were coming in each day for letters

It's not just Korat. Kap Choeng is the same. These two offices used to be one for a number of years. I've had dealings with both. They both pull the same tricks. They just see you as a hindrance. Kap Choeng and Korat have shared staff at times over the years.
Whatever you do don't criticize Korat immigration office on korat-farang.com. Or Kap Choeng on Thai Visa. They each have supporters clubs who are very defensive of either office. Me, like you Donald36, I can see how fcuked up they are.

With all the news about visas being 'stolen' from consulates and on their way to embassies in Europe, you'd think they might be a bit more careful when giving them out these days. And if there are 'hundreds' of folks in Thailand on illegal visas, we should be hearing more about these folks getting caught to having problems getting into Thailand. I'd guess some of them, if they do get out of LOS without being caught, will be looking for new passports back in their home countries in order to hide their wrongdoing.

Donald, you are a foreigner, for Chrissakes. What do you expect from a xenophobic race of profoundly stupid chicken heads? A clap on the back and your cock sucked?
Suck it up and treat it as all part of the package. Take the wife with you every time you deal with a chicken head. Works wonders for me.

Originally Posted by youneverknow

With all the news about visas being 'stolen' from consulates and on their way to embassies in Europe, you'd think they might be a bit more careful when giving them out these days. And if there are 'hundreds' of folks in Thailand on illegal visas, we should be hearing more about these folks getting caught to having problems getting into Thailand. I'd guess some of them, if they do get out of LOS without being caught, will be looking for new passports back in their home countries in order to hide their wrongdoing.

Someone as fucking stupid as you generally posts on Thaivisa. Have you lost your way?

Renewed my Retirement visa at Khorat immigration for the last five years
and never had a problem and my letter from the bank has always been dated on the day before visa application...methinks that you have upset one of the staff on a previous visit and its payback time.

Originally Posted by nigelandjan

Originally Posted by donald36

,I wonder if its all worth it

I think you raise a very good point there Don

Like your good self I have mulled that one over and over this last year and with the above points you have made plus the future addition of the insurance requirement on visa renewal + no doubt the £20.000 renewal lump will go up + God knows what other hoops to jump through to put farangs off from settling here full time , I have come to the conclusion its not worth it .

6 months a year on a visitor / multi entry based on marriage to a Thai will do for me thanks .

I think you hit on something Nige. I too have been thinking about a similar solution. It is much easier for me to get a marriage visa here in the states and go over for a year or so and then come back to do it again.

Like PP, I have found the Udon office to get more difficult and time consuming each time I have gone in. It has now become a national sport to see how many barriers you can put in front of us to complete a relatively simple transaction.

Well sort of Rick ,, we are lucky in some respects to be members of the dreaded EU where all and sundry flood into the UK ,, we,ll be going t,other way to Lanzarote part of The Canary Island group ,, year round sunshine , can work / reside / get medical treatment etc all without having to jump through hoops and hurdles + it can be rented out the 6 months were in Thailand for to cover our airfares + the council tax electric + water .

Ive also looked into flying to Paris from LZ then on to BKK , no need to touch the UK.

On Thai Airways new A380 Paris to BKK its about £300 each cheaper from Paris than London ,,,,,its something of a no brainer .

Good luck with what ever you choose to do mate

^
Interesting account of someone who knows little of what goes on in Thailand outside of Bangkok. Would you mind enlightening us less "privileged" on how you "sat in" on an Immigration Conference with the higher ups?

The immigration regulations are up for interpretation and the amount of documentation will vary from office to office. This is a fact since the regulations do not go into any great detail. How one immigration officer interprets things is vastly different how another enforces the same regulation.

I would get off your high horse and do some traveling around to various Thai immigration offices before you start telling everyone it is their fault for things not changing for the better. I personally have been told different explanations of the same regulation and when you question, you are told you do not know anything.

The immigration situation needs to be more uniform in Thailand which is something that may never happen.

Originally Posted by jamiejambos

Renewed my Retirement visa at Khorat immigration for the last five years
and never had a problem and my letter from the bank has always been dated on the day before visa application...methinks that you have upset one of the staff on a previous visit and its payback time.

For me. I have never up set anyone at udon. they just decided this women wanted to be a bitch, I have always treated them with courteously and absolute civility, my wife always left a tip.

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

The immigration situation needs to be more uniform in Thailand which is something that may never happen.

I was going to green Toddaniels until I read Ricks post and thought differently. If I was to phone in and report Kap Choeng for charging 100 Baht for doing a 90 day report would anyone in the high office do anything? I doubt it very much. I bet all the people Tod sat with are on the take also. It's custom and practise here.

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

If I was to phone in and report Kap Choeng for charging 100 Baht for doing a 90 day report would anyone in the high office do anything?

They can't do anything unless you have a receipt and I expect you didn't get one.

^
The master of all things visa. I always heed your words when I have a question on immigration.

Originally Posted by Thetyim

They can't do anything unless you have a receipt and I expect you didn't get one.

Kap Choeng wouldn't be so stupid as to give receipts for something that isn't legal. I've even done a re-entry permit there and they wouldn't give a receipt for that either. Anyways I hear that the lady in charge at Kap Choeng has been moved to Chiang Mai. Good luck if it's true. She likes tea money.

Originally Posted by nigelandjan

6 months a year on a visitor / multi entry based on marriage to a Thai will do for me thanks .

Hmmm, what's that? Could suit me well, I'm gonna check.

I've been using the Khorat office for years and have never had a problem!
I go early when they are not busy and usually get out in less than 15 min. or less.
I've been dealing with the same people long enough that it feels like we know each other pretty well.

I've never had a problem at Immigration and I go to the Khorat office.
I have seen others have problems, but they are always the one with a bad attitude who act arrogant and/or rude to the immigration officers.

My last visit, there was an older American, there for his 90 day stamp, who was complaining that he had been waiting more than a half hour. He loudly announced that they should be taking care of him and not all of the damn foreigners ( meaning non whites ) first!

His number in the line came up and he was told to return to his seat and they would "get to him". My number came up, I got my 90 day stamp and was out the door. He was still waiting when I left.

I believe the way you conduct yourself has a lot to do with how you are served. Immigration officers are part of the Thai Royal Police and they have the upper hand. Don't fool yourself, no matter how important you think you are!

I'm pleased you are pleased with your local immigration office. Currently I use Kap Choeng and there's been a staff turn arround. The current staff seem okay. Let's see how they are after they've learned to walk?

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

I'm pleased you are pleased with your local immigration office. Currently I use Kap Choeng and there's been a staff turn arround. The current staff seem okay. Let's see how they are after they've learned to walk?

Yeah...that Kap Choeng office has had an interesting recent [last 10 years] history - newly opened, closing, and re-opening [ever evolving].

I understand, still, that it serves it's purpose and services growing to those punters throughout Surin, Buriram, and Sisaket - as I don't live in Surin any longer, we moved to Kalasin a time ago.