Visa Renewal & Proof of Residence

Post by **Bump** » June 9, 2007, 12:20 pm

Congradulations Val. I got my new letter as the Ameircan's were here yesterday. The officer told me that the trend is for a new letter every year.
Sure a heck of lot more pleasant experience then Ning Khai for me last time.

They couldn't issue new pages, but said next time they will take the passport then EMS us back. That now presents an additional problem as Doc said the Thai's want it on you now.

I don't know anybody on a personal level at Nong Khai, but on my last visit definetly a dark cloud hanging over the office, I have no idea why.

Thanks your post was very informing and encouraging if Nong Khai stays in this mode. At least there is a good alternative. There was no medical sertificate required in Nong Khai in may when I renewed.

I have to agree we come heer estatblish lives and contribute to our communities and we are treated as a nuisance. knowing what I know now, I would never have settled here. No matter how we conduct our lives I have to say that Nong Khai offers no respect or courtesy for those of us who try to fit in here. What a shame for a country famous for it's warm and friendly people, where politness sis a major goal for all. Maybe a more accurate description thes days is we have to be polite they don't. That doesn't work real well for me. I thend to give waht I get

Again thanks

valentine · Post by **valentine** » June 9, 2007, 12:39 pm

The strange thing was at Bangkok I could have understood the reason for an abrupt manner being displayed. I felt under pressure and I wasn,t working there, nor have to do it EVERY day of the week, really the place looked like a bdy railway station, but no they still managed to greet you with a smile. Compare this to you know where, where there were more officers than customers and it is even more unacceptable.

Post by **Paul** » June 9, 2007, 5:39 pm

And I say it again
How safe do you feel calling Thailand your home with everything you own being here when the most you can hope for is being given permission to stay one year at a time and next year it could be something different they 'suprise' you with

Do you feel 'welcome' here? or a Val quaintly put it ' a bloody nusance?

Post by **Bump** » June 9, 2007, 6:31 pm

You know my little susicious mind is telling me something is very differrent, Doc's wanrning about the Passport, then Pole Hawks link to the raids in Pattaya and hardly feeling welcome is immigrations, Real sounds like a purge to me. Frankly never heard of anyones passport being checked here before these threads.

I would say at this juncture bloody nusance.

The real question is where is the coming from? I can see Pattaya very popular place, Udon thats a bit surprosing. Maybe we are getting to noticed as a tourist destination. For the life of me I can't see why.

One thing is very obvious these are special units out together for a specific purpose that didn't exist before.

Boys and girls it may time to watch your P's and Q's. They are moving farrangs out and that is the bottom lone. Serious stuff this time.

With any li uck it will pas as most things do. But the answer Paul heck no I don't feel safe with what is going on at the moment. Anyone want to switch to Spanish classes

valentine · Post by **valentine** » June 9, 2007, 8:38 pm

Whilst I appreciate peoples congratulations I must wonder where we are going? Congratulations for surviving another year to do it all again, wow man thats frightening.

Post by **Bump** » June 9, 2007, 8:42 pm

Exactly how I felt last month, and I'm afraid there is no where to turn. I don't see things getting better quickly. Thailand has major problems and we are very far down in the pecking order, if we are in it at all.

Post by **Pakawala** » June 9, 2007, 9:03 pm

Ray, if we are actually in the pecking order, I'm afraid we are the peckee not the pecker.

Post by **Bump** » June 9, 2007, 9:18 pm

You know somewtimes yuo just get lucky in life I tried to edit that post and put what I really think in it and pakawala saved me by posting when I was editing. Might be healthy to be that honest these days

The short version I'm very tired of being polite to under paid pencil pushers who think they have some magic authority, while they treat me like I'm a jerk and I'm not just speaking of immigration. Actually they have been very polite to me.

There was a lot more but I will end it the same way, Val you are number here in the negative column

Post by **pompui** » June 10, 2007, 8:45 am

ray23 wrote:You know my little susicious mind is telling me something is very differrent, Doc's wanrning about the Passport, then Pole Hawks link to the raids in Pattaya and hardly feeling welcome is immigrations, Real sounds like a purge to me. Frankly never heard of anyones passport being checked here before these threads.

I would say at this juncture bloody nusance.

The real question is where is the coming from? I can see Pattaya very popular place, Udon thats a bit surprosing. Maybe we are getting to noticed as a tourist destination. For the life of me I can't see why.

I think Udonites appreciate now because of the change in procedures re the 30 day visas,Laos/Nong Khai border is just one extra place now for farangs to visit to get a tourist visa.The aeroplanes always seem packed with groups of farang now with little or no suitcases ( cannot all be locals)and AEK now flooded with tourist visa extensions,instead of the bogstandard 90 day reporting/marriage/retirement locals. Am sure Immigration will get pissed off seeing an even bigger queue at AEK requesting offically stamped coloured copies of our passports.
I will only carry a coloured copy of my passport with my latest visa expiry date alongwith my Thai driving licence unless Doc gets the nod and the wink of it happening right now in Udon.The thought of losing my passport in Macdonalds munching on some french fries like Thaksin will be a bloody inconvenience.

Post by **fremmel** » June 10, 2007, 10:05 am

Val, did BKK ask for a Proof of Residence? Since this is my first year in Udon I'm tempted to go back to Pattaya and renew. As of last year, which I realize may have changed, no Proof of Residence, no requirement for a new letter from the embassy every year, no quibble that with proof of income you didn't have to show 800K coming in, etc. And the people were reasonably friendly. Also, since I've done it there for 8 years they probably wouldn't ask me to swear I'd always do it there.

Post by **UdonExpat** » June 10, 2007, 10:06 am

I have to get my first extension on a Non-O at the end of this month. I stopped in Nong Khai a couple of weeks ago to get information on how to do it. I was happy with the way I was treated; professionally and promptly as there was only one other immigrant in the office. A stop at EAK the other day just to see if I got the same info was totally different. I was a definite nuisance to the officer and he made no bones about showing it.
I think I'll drive up to Nong Khai to do my business and take my chances there on a Monday or Friday.

I've been in and out of Thailand many times since 2001, and worked here for a Rajabhat school for awhile, and I never got the impression I was any more than tolerated, both professionally and as a foreign visitor. I'm just glad that I'm not a poor Cambodian, Burmese, or Laotian trying to stay here.

Post by **Bump** » June 10, 2007, 11:20 am

Yuo kn ow I have really thought about this, there is no place to turn all we can do i jump throught the hoops, go to a different location. Did anyone notice that from now on Val has to go to Bangkok Nong Khia is not an option any longer. That is a heavy price. But one that is worthwhile if need be.

We live in very odd times now, we or the Thai people know what governement they will have next year. So a temporary govrenmetnt in place issuing directives, will the next one adopt those directives, if you have that answer you are far beyond my capalbilities.

One thing for sure AEK is overwhelmed wiht it's tow day operatin and fuses are short there, the mo epopel who how up the soter thoe fuses are gomn to be. I have alwasy taken the f drive to Nong Khai with the exception of the 90 day reporting. Even that is not looking worth the hassle anymore. In the time frame I have set there I drove to Nong Khai, get it stamped and hot the farrang outlet, for my mexican food. The fact is that office is overwhelmed in the two days a week it operates.

So what are the option, only one that I know of and that is to go for the residency permit, that will get you a five year span without a lot of the apects that cumbersome with the annial visa's. If they are really still available at the moment, not inexpensive and you will definetly jump though some hoops to get it.

There is no place to turn as to the Officers interputation of how the laws are enforced.

Yes I have to admit these days I feel tolerated, before I felt welcome

These poeple don't know us, there are two common assumptions about farrangs in Udon. We are here to lay around and get drunk everyday and we want sex with every teenager in sight.

When I had my bike accident a few years back I went o the Police Station to file a reprt. The guy taking the report after it was finished well yuo can go drink more whiskey now. Hell I seldom drink and getting Mao, is even more unlikely. But that is what he knew of farrangs. To be honest about it ti really pi--ed me off, I had just been hit by pickup on a motorcycle I still minor flowing from the accident Ended up spending three days in the hospital. But to that cop I was just another drunk farrang whose luck failed that day.

I have friend here, who is putting his daugher through university, he pays for it, drives her to and from school everyday. What do the local villagers think about it. He is having sex with her.

So it's not just he immigration that has preconceived notions of who we are.

Will this aspect of life here change I doubt it. No matter what you do in the way you try to help your community.

I set up a college saving fund our house keepers children and put some money in it every week. Why did I do it because both parents are hard working people adn they could never do this for thier children. Why do I do it becaue I can with very little difficulty on my part. The cost is so minimal that at worse case scenario I would have to pass on two burgers a week. To give those kid a chance at a University education.

The housekeeper is not allowed to talk about it to anyone, nor do we. Why it's not a bad thing. But just like the guy who takes his step daughte to school everday. I would have to be having ex with the houekeeper or even worse the children.

Sorry but that is how Thai's that don't really know us think of us, including those immigration officers.

I don't think we will ever overcome those thoughts cause guess what there are way to many farrangs, that seen daily in the community, where that assumption is very much correct.

MAybe a year will cahnge thing we went through a period of waht looked like thing were going o made abit esaier for. Commities set up lots of meeting, but look wher we are today. I'm afraid if you choose tol live here, this is the cost of doing business.

Just in case yuo haven't noticed the local farrangs seem to have the same attitude in this as the Thai's. We do not support one another in general, we are very quick to believe the worst.

It's sad but is life here. So I'm happy for the Thai's who do know me and having a few farangs I can share limited activity with. Yes we are tolerated and that seems to be a good as it is going to get.

Thank goodness school starts again next week I Tink To Muk

Puat Hua Mach Mach

valentine · Post by **valentine** » June 10, 2007, 11:41 am

Just a quick answer for Fremmel. I wasn,t asked for proof of residency but I did have to provide an address in Bangkok. I said I didn,t have a permanent abode but she said just put hotel where you stayed last night. I did this but with some trepidation, it was called "The Play Boy" hotel,

Post by **Bump** » June 10, 2007, 11:51 am

Well did you, or was your wife in tow

. Just kidding. Fermal don't let these house papers scare if you are living in a house or apartment just get a copy of them from your land lord.

Hotel I don't know.

Post by **rickfarang** » June 10, 2007, 12:25 pm

When I extended my visa in November, in Bangkok, I put down my Udon address. No questions asked (but then, that was seven months ago -things change.) However, when I went to AEK for my 90 day address reporting, the fellow there looked through my passport, the looked at me suspiciously and asked what I was doing in Udon.

Post by **fremmel** » June 10, 2007, 12:49 pm

Thanks for the info. I'm leasing a house for a year and the landlord lives close by so there shouldn't be a problem. Although it's annoying for them to arbitrarily decide there's a new requirement. Guess if I decide to do it in BKK or Pattaya I'd better stay at a more suitably named hotel! The thing that's more worrisome is the financial stuff. I qualify on yearly income but it just doesn't cost that much to live here - yet - so I don't bring it all over. And the letter from the embassy is from last year so maybe they'll quibble about that. Well, I've still got 2 or 3 months to go so we'll see what it's like then.