First KCI Home visit tomorrow, do you have to pay their Gasoline

[gotlost]

Let's not beat around the bush here .... this "gasoline money" is called extortion in English.

Doesn't matter that's it's a fairly trivial amount to most expats, but to a Thai it's a considerable amount of money.

The only reason that all of us are bending over and taking this up the arse, is because we can't read or speak Thai, and we don't know who to complain to.

I'm pretty certain that none of us would tolerate this back in our home country, as there we are familiar with the system and our native language, and we would know how to expose this type of condoned extortion to the public arena.

The Thai Prime Minister has made a big deal of trying to clean up corruption. Woopee. It hasn't worked, even at grass roots level.

Terrific news that Buriram Immi Office has finally opened.

I live about 7km from this new office. About half a litre of petrol I reckon.

Next time I get a home visit from Immi guy, do you reckon he'd be disappointed if I put 12 baht in the envelope to cover his half litre of fuel ?

.................... only joking ................. but it does open an interesting scenario. Will they still request fuel money ?

Sutin Immigration stopped doing them on repeat renewals, only first timers.

[Tod Daniels]

That "request" for gas money is nothing short of of the officials tryin' to  รีดเงิน "wring money" out of foreigners, no matter how you wanna play it off..

The thai immigration office thought this up, it's their deal, you're not obligated in the least to offset their home visit program.

That you buy into it, or even worse try to justify it as "the cost of living here" is sad.

I hafta ask you, "Do you find it hard living here without a spine?"  If you meet the requirements to get an extension of stay why would you walk around on eggshells with some thai wearing a too-tight of uniform with a bunch of bangles hangin' off it?

I highly doubt they're gonna deny you your extension because you don't buy into the "gas money" scam. Even if they did, you could immediately file an appeal (seeing as there is now a defined appeals process for denial of extensions)..

Still you guys do what you want. I'll just be thankful that in Bangkok they don't do home visits for marriage or retirement extensions.