Immigration Heads-up

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Wee Jimmy
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Immigration Heads-up

Post by Wee Jimmy » February 25, 2021, 11:29 am

Yesterday I attended Udon Immigration in order to obtain a retirement extension.

I entered Thailand on the 5th Dec last year and did my ASQ in Bangkok. After my 15 nights in ASQ I returned to Udon and reported that I was back home to Udon Immigration.

Yesterday when applying for an extension the guy who does all the running around asked for 4,800 Baht. There were others listening and no one understood why he want this large sum as a normal extension is 1,900 Baht.

So, here is why…

1/ He said there was a fine because I didn’t report my address when I came back to Udon. (He was wrong).

2/ He also said that because I had not reported my address there was another fine as I had not been registered for my 90 reporting. (Again, he was wrong).

3/ Plus the usual extra for photo copying.

After 24.5 years here my wife and I have learnt to keep receipts from all government establishments.

After producing the receipts showing proof, I had reported in December all went well and I got my extension.

So, to anyone reading this and is planning to return to Udon or in ASQ make sure you report to the immigration once you return to Udon .

This has always been the rule and if you’re not married or have a home of your own your landlord should do this for you.

As there aren’t many expats in Udon at the moment he was looking for extra Baht for the holiday tomorrow and the long weekend.



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jackspratt
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Re: Immigration Heads-up

Post by jackspratt » February 25, 2021, 12:19 pm

Interesting experience.

After returning from ASQ recently I hadn't thought about reporting, as I have never done this before when coming back from overseas.

My 90 day is not due until late April, and I will try to do it online. I understand this may not be successful because I have a new TM6 since my last 90 day. If it doesn't go through, I will do the Dero route of mailing it in.

That means I will have to wait until my next extension in late July to see if there are any surprises.

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Re: Immigration Heads-up

Post by noosard » February 25, 2021, 4:43 pm

online reporting has not been working

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Re: Immigration Heads-up

Post by Jello » March 12, 2021, 8:45 pm

The on—line 90 day approval document states this:
Important Note :
• The notification of staying in the Kingdom over 90 days is in no way equivalent to a visa extension.
• If a foreigner staying in the kingdom over 90 days without notifying the Immigration Bureau or notifying the Immigration Bureau later than the set period, a fine of 2,000.- Baht will be collected. If a foreigner who did not make the notification of staying over 90 days is arrested, he will be fined 4,000.- Baht.
If a foreigner leaves the country and re-enters, the day count starts at 1 in every case.
So the immigration officer is telling you you must report in when returning to Thailand even though there own document states the contrary?

Can anyone else verify if this is a new requirement?
Last edited by Jello on March 12, 2021, 8:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Immigration Heads-up

Post by Jello » March 12, 2021, 8:55 pm

Since the online system is down I did my 90 day report in person this time. I was also asked to pay a fine (which I didn’t owe and didn’t pay).

As Jimmy said above, make sure you have all your documents and receipts with you when dealing with the immigration office.
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Re: Immigration Heads-up

Post by tamada » March 12, 2021, 9:05 pm

<double post>
Last edited by tamada on March 12, 2021, 9:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Immigration Heads-up

Post by tamada » March 12, 2021, 9:07 pm

^^ Some immigration offices enforce the rule that you must check-in with them every time on your arrival in their area of jurisdiction. It's in the regulations.

While I lived in Pattaya, a lot of returnees were fined during their first 90-day reporting for not reporting their earlier return from overseas or out if town. But it seemed inconsistent and arbitrary. The confusion was allayed somewhat when they explained that those returning to the domicile registered as their home address when they filed their current extension did not need to check in. Those who had relocated to a different address but had not updated that information on file were being fined.

I recall on my first extension filed here after relocation to Udon several years ago, the same rule applied, ie. If coming back to the same home that they had on file as being your domicile, then no need to check in after a (once upon a time) overseas trip or a jaunt to Pattaya.

Pre-pandemic in Udon, I only ever filed maybe three 90-day reports as I was out more than in. A couple of those were online and only one walk-in. Never bailed up and fined for not checking in which I never did anyway.

It will be interesting to see if the Merc-driving, wide-boy local front office manager has found a new tit on the farang cash cow.

YMMV

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Wee Jimmy
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Re: Immigration Heads-up

Post by Wee Jimmy » March 12, 2021, 10:08 pm


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sometimewoodworker
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Re: Immigration Heads-up

Post by sometimewoodworker » March 13, 2021, 6:28 pm

Jello wrote:
March 12, 2021, 8:45 pm
The on—line 90 day approval document states this:
Important Note :
• The notification of staying in the Kingdom over 90 days is in no way equivalent to a visa extension.
• If a foreigner staying in the kingdom over 90 days without notifying the Immigration Bureau or notifying the Immigration Bureau later than the set period, a fine of 2,000.- Baht will be collected. If a foreigner who did not make the notification of staying over 90 days is arrested, he will be fined 4,000.- Baht.
If a foreigner leaves the country and re-enters, the day count starts at 1 in every case.
So the immigration officer is telling you you must report in when returning to Thailand even though there own document states the contrary?

Can anyone else verify if this is a new requirement?
No it is not a new requirement

That is confusing 2 different requirements the TM 30 notification of residence and TM 47 90 day report

The TM 30 requirement is to report within 24 hours of return/change of residence, hotels are required to report, this has been somewhat relaxed for those returning to their own home, it maybe enforced strictly.

The TM 47 90 day report requirement is totally separate and the countdown starts the day you enter Thailand or the day you last reported
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Re: Immigration Heads-up

Post by FrazeeDK » March 14, 2021, 7:29 am

I've done a number of trips out of country where I missed my 90 day date. Upon return I've always gone within a day or two down to Immigration to check-in. They've always asked me, "why are you here, you don't need to report until 90 days after your return." I just smile and ask them to do the check-in, which they do and append the note to my passport...
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Re: Immigration Heads-up

Post by sometimewoodworker » March 14, 2021, 10:11 am

FrazeeDK wrote:
March 14, 2021, 7:29 am
I've done a number of trips out of country where I missed my 90 day date. Upon return I've always gone within a day or two down to Immigration to check-in. They've always asked me, "why are you here, you don't need to report until 90 days after your return." I just smile and ask them to do the check-in, which they do and append the note to my passport...
The 90 day report is separate from all other immigration actions (though the report back date is not)

So if you are in Thailand on the report back date but only if have not left and returned between your last report and the report date, that’s when the report is due.

If you exit Thailand after a report that cancels the report back date.

The requirement is if you are in Thailand for a continuous period of 90 day a report is due (sometimes the report date is less than 90 days, FWIW my shortest was 10 days, but that was specified by immigration not me)
Last edited by sometimewoodworker on March 14, 2021, 10:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Immigration Heads-up

Post by Jello » March 14, 2021, 10:21 am

FrazeeDK wrote:
March 14, 2021, 7:29 am
They've always asked me, "why are you here, you don't need to report until 90 days after your return." I just smile and ask them to do the check-in, which they do and append the note to my passport...
As STWW pointed out, the 90 day report (TM47) and the report of residency (TM30) are two different things. To avoid getting asked for a 2000baht fine Shouldn’t you be submitting a new TM30?
Wee Jimmy wrote:
February 25, 2021, 11:29 am
After producing the receipts showing proof, I had reported in December all went well and I got my extension.
Jimmy, what proof did you show? TM47, TM30 or both?
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Wee Jimmy
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Re: Immigration Heads-up

Post by Wee Jimmy » March 14, 2021, 10:39 am

When you report to immigration within the statted 24 hours of arrival they with give you written conformation that you or your wife/landlord have notified them of your address. They will also give a date for your 90 day report. HOLD ONTO THESE DOCUMENTS. Show them if you have problems. There is surprisingly no charge for this service yet!!

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Re: Immigration Heads-up

Post by tamada » March 14, 2021, 11:20 am

Wee Jimmy wrote:
March 14, 2021, 10:39 am
When you report to immigration within the statted 24 hours of arrival they with give you written conformation that you or your wife/landlord have notified them of your address. They will also give a date for your 90 day report. HOLD ONTO THESE DOCUMENTS. Show them if you have problems. There is surprisingly no charge for this service yet!!
Although I have never reported to any immigration within 24-hours of arrival, with regard to my current status as it relates to Udon Immigration, there are two documents that were folded and stapled inside my passport.

1 - Inside the back page is the white receipt stub of the TM30 I filed as part of my Retirement Extension renewal in 2017. This was the first one I filed in Udon after relocating back here. It also has my local home address hand-written on it.

2 - Opposite the page with my latest 1-year Retirement Extension (issued last month) is the yellow 90-day report receipt/notice.

With regard to the TM30 in 2017, although they could see previous extensions were from Jomtien, they never asked when I had moved to Udon but just made me file the TM30 there and then along with the Retirement Extension. No fines, nada. Also, I have been in and out of Thailand about 12 times between 2017 and 2020 but 2019/20 saw a couple of stays here longer than 90-days. Online 90-day reports worked for one of them and the other as a walk-in was also trouble free. i.e. nobody asked why I hadn't check-in as soon as I had got back, no fines, nada. Although I had re-entered Thailand March 2020 on a visa-exempt entry (my Retirement Extension had expired while out of the country), I didn't check-in or file any 90-day extensions as I was staying under the Covid exemption rules. No questions were asked when I applied for a Non-O last November or when I 'converted' it into the Retirement Extension last month.

Since I (used to) travel a lot, my passport gets handled by a lot of third parties as well as immigration. I remove these receipts and keep them in a separate place since they tend to come loose and could fall out and get lost. I staple them back in whenever I am due to visit immigration to renew the extension. AFAIK, Immigration on departure/arrival have no interest in these receipts.

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Re: Immigration Heads-up

Post by Wee Jimmy » March 14, 2021, 12:17 pm

Agree with all you say and have the said same reicepts tucked into the back of my passport also.. The guy with the Merc who runs about didn't look, saw Baht signs in his eyes and was obviously dissapointed when he saw the receipts.
I would have thought all this info should have been on computer!!
When we used Nong Khai we never had any problems.
It would be interesting hear the goings on up there.

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Re: Immigration Heads-up

Post by Hoopoe » September 9, 2021, 3:03 pm

Today's heads up experience , udon immigration ,
Applying for extension based on marriage ,
Enter office 8,50 am , submit docs ,
They questioned my bank letter re-no update in book .as it's a fixed rate account over two years , it can't (without messing about ) be updated as there's no transactions allowed till the end of the term .
It was accepted ,
I'm on the last year of my passport ,
Then comes the newby to me , each page copy of passport , id, house book etc has one per page ,(in the past i had gotten eg, house book address and wife on one page , passport pages at least two years on each page , )this time i had printed on both sides of the copy papers thereby reducing to almost half the required paper ,
hang on "BUT"
They then re-did all the necessary pages ,with a smile and even most times explaining why ,(even though the head of the office came over and saying just this once ,)
Even though all the info that is required was in the right order , it was not in the right format now required by Udon ,
In the past nothing of this was mentioned ,(to busy trying to extort funds )
Further to this i'll add (I DIDN'T KNOW THIS ) WHEN COPYING WIFES OR ANYONE ELSE'S ID CARD ONLY FRONT PAGE , AS THE BACK EVEN THOUGH SEEMS BLANK GIVES OUT TO MUCH INFO ,
Whist there i saw three expats all seemingly on retirement extensions refused, due to not keeping the funds requirements over the year ,
one even had the cheek to state his bank doesn't issue letters anymore, nor give out statements ,
One quiet spoken gentleman his wife kicked off ,mouthing this and that ,(i didn't understand it all ) was politely shown the door ,
So from myself this is a very helpful immigration now , seemingly no more extortion tactics ,

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Re: Immigration Heads-up

Post by noosard » September 9, 2021, 3:44 pm

Sounds a fun day out

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Re: Immigration Heads-up

Post by Hoopoe » September 9, 2021, 3:49 pm

noosard wrote:
September 9, 2021, 3:44 pm
Sounds a fun day out
It was funnily enough compared to many events in there , i've nothing but praise if this is the way they are now running the office ,

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Re: Immigration Heads-up

Post by Giggle » September 9, 2021, 4:08 pm

Ahhh paradise. An annual funfest, even after decades, interspersed with a quarterly roll-call, and always new and exciting money grabs. I sure miss the Avon Lady.

Our own little paradise prison.
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Re: Immigration Heads-up

Post by noosard » September 9, 2021, 4:28 pm

I did my marriage extension a month ago
Only passport pages asked for were ID and visa, extension and entry

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