Buriram Expats
Buriram Province - General Category => Isaan Thai Visa => Topic started by: secosteve on July 16, 2018, 02:57:24 PM
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Had a home visit from Buriram Immigration today. they told me this was a national initiative to seek out overstayers and invalid extensions. They ask me for the bank book I used for my visa but I showed them a copy of my embassy letter confirming my income instead and they were happy. They took pictures of me and the missus and copies of her and my sister in law's i/d cards. The two officers were very polite and asked me a few question as to my income and length of relationship with my wife. This is the first time in eleven years this has happened although Kap Chong threatened a few times.
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How did they schedule it? The just show up? Or did they set it up during one of your visits to BI?
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This is the first time in eleven years this has happened although Kap Chong threatened a few times.
If you have never had one then I guess it just a matter of time before you're checked out . I remember 15 years ago before home Visits for marriage extensions were the norm I had to go to the local Police Station with my Wife and in-laws plus the Village head to be interviewed.
Even now I still get unannounced visits from time to time. No big deal if your 100% legitimate and as you have pointed out they are always very polite . biggrin1
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They called me the phone asking for directions and arrived as I was speaking to them, no previous notification.
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Is your extension based on marriage or retirement?
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DeputyDavid - retirement
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Oh interesting. Something for me to look forward to then.
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Personally I have nothing to hide and if they want to turn up for home visit it's up to them. However, it makes little sense to check up on the expats who process their extensions ( be it marriage/retirement) at the Buriram Office, show up for their 90 day reports and have already provided all the required information on a yearly basis. How exactly would that seek out over stayers and invalid extensions.
Rocking up at Farang bars or the addresses of those who use agents or proxys for their extensions and 90 day reports may result in achieving what they claim to be seeking out.
Same old story, waste time hassling the legitimate expats who try to do things above board because it's the easiest way to tick a box. Ignore the obvious because it's a bit harder.
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Freddy, agree with you but unfortunately this government feels it is necessary. Other problems are that there are several people advertising retirement and marriage extensions on facebook for 15000b with no proof of the financial requirements needs, obviously illegal but people are taking up these offers, so I imagine that is why they are checking bankbooks.
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Freddy, agree with you but unfortunately this government feels it is necessary. Other problems are that there are several people advertising retirement and marriage extensions on facebook for 15000b with no proof of the financial requirements needs, obviously illegal but people are taking up these offers, so I imagine that is why they are checking bankbooks.
I know people that have used these Visa agents and have had home visits without problems . If they had been arrested then the IO that has signed their Visa extension would then have to be charged with Corruption......and I can't see that happening blink1
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Just finished extension based on retirement. Boy what a difference between today’s visit and this one. I came armed to the teeth with documents showing paper trail of my funds in Thailand. I presented the embassy letter copy of all used pages of passport and a photo. Thirty minutes done with new extension and multiple entry in hand.
The IO did confirm that a home visit was forthcoming and all foreigners were being visited. They are concerned with those who have teaching permits and those who do not have legitimate extensions. Told him sure come on we can sit and have a beer! They all laughed.
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Immigration come out with these ideas every now and then. I guess the time is upon us now for another round.
They won't be able to visit all foreigners in Buriram as many of those on agent arranged visas are not registered as Buriram residents.
Also,I can't understand why they are concerned about teachers, who have work permits and not teaching permits, as they are perfectly legal. Like Freddy said, they should be looking in other places to find what they say they are looking for.
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Immigration come out with these ideas every now and then. I guess the time is upon us now for another round.
They won't be able to visit all foreigners in Buriram as many of those on agent arranged visas are not registered as Buriram residents.
I don't know about Buriram's Villages/Tambon's but I do know in my locale all the Poo Yai Baan's ( Village-Headman ) were all sent a letter a while back telling them they must inform the Local Police of any Farang's that lived in their Village. So if your on a Visa extension obtained from an Agent and registered or send your 90 Day reports to Pattaya ( or from where the Agent proceed the extension ) the worst they can fine you for is not living at your registered address .As far as I'm aware I have never heard of anybody that has ever been arrested or deported for having a Visa extension obtained from an Agent but I have heard of many English teachers being arrested for teaching without a work permit or working on a Marriage or Retirement extension.
The simplest way to stop the Visa Agents for obtaining illegal Visa/Visa Extensions it to stop the avalibilaty at Source..... it ain't rocket science ::)
To check on people when they first go through the procces of a Visa extention seems fair to me,which is easier to do in the Provinces but not that easy in places like Bangkok and Pattaya !!!
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Immigration come out with these ideas every now and then. I guess the time is upon us now for another round.
They won't be able to visit all foreigners in Buriram as many of those on agent arranged visas are not registered as Buriram residents.
English teachers being arrested for teaching without a work permit or working on a Marriage or Retirement extension.
Without a work permit is the only reason that you could get arrested. Not the type of visa or extension.There is not any visa type that allows employment. If you have a non B or a non O (based on marriage) you can apply for a work permit.
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Your thoughts on this one Gents.
I took early retirement and moved over here aged 51 (now 55). we don't have a large plot of land so I pretty much ran out of projects to keep me busy at home a while ago.
I also have some health issues making it vital that I remain active and as fit as possible.
(Blood flow, circulation, weight etc).
What I do now is help friends with their home projects, mostly hard landscaping related.
I do this because I enjoy it, it keeps me busy, active and I feel like I have a job.
I do this unpaid for close friends only.
I've read reports and posts on other sites that immigration could/would class this as working??
I can't believe that retirees are expected to just sit and watch TV, surf Internet, play golf, etc....but TIT.
So, immigration arrive at my house unannounced, I'm 5 minutes down the road helping a friend build a terrace, the wife calls me and I arrive in work clothes covered in dust, cement etc.
a proble or not???????
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It is very possible that anyone who has had problems with Thai immigration paints a target on their chest or some jealous person has dobbed you in to Thai immigration. I hope nothing negative has happened by their visit.
Regards
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The vast majority of those people using agents to obtain a visa extension do so because they do not fit the criteria for obtaining a proper one, although some do so for convenience. If you do not fit the criteria then you should not be allowed to remain in the country, it is people who scam the system that causes problems for those that are here legitimately. It is not just visa extensions but other visa scams also contribute, probably far more.
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Agree Secosteve. They cause the problem and then those of us doing things the right way become a focus because easy targets.
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So, immigration arrive at my house unannounced, I'm 5 minutes down the road helping a friend build a terrace, the wife calls me and I arrive in work clothes covered in dust, cement etc.
a proble or not???????
If they call unannounced just say your out for the day and can they make an appointment when its more suitable . You hear barroom stories about guys getting taken in for questioning for painting their houses or helping the wife on the familey farm but the chances of that heppening or getting into trouble for helping a friend in nearly zero.
Agree Secosteve. They cause the problem and then those of us doing things the right way become a focus because easy targets.
As I've said before .it could be stopped overnoght if they wanted too and I think it has very litttle to do with House visits.secosteve first one in 11 years roves that .
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I got a call at 11am while out shopping yesterday saying a visit will be made no later than 2pm and I needed to provide copies of passport and tabien baan. No problem but, of course, at 5.15pm got another call saying we on the way and at Raka intersection Krasang - I moved from that area three years ago and only this month my wife again registered me at the current address during a retirement extension. They wanted to talk to wife again but she was at the local shop. Eventually they decided it was too late and that they MAY visit at another time.
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They always want a copy of my wife's ID, but she is the person on my yellow book.
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A strange one yesterday.
The assistant village headman came round to say that he had received a call from Buriram police. I needed to go to the station with my wife. We needed to take my passport, my wife's ID card and house book.
At the station we located the officer that wanted to see us. Upon his desk he had a letter from Kap Cheong, now Surin, immigration. The letter stated that they were concerned that I was not showing up on Buriram Immigration's computer files. Why had I not ever reported at Buriram? Was I still here? The police officer was as confused as I was. I showed him my passport with stamps from Buriram in them. We did note that my name was wrong on the letter. They had my name in the order of "Surname,middle name, first name". This, I guess is where the problem laid. They were searching for the wrong name.
Anyway, the police were happy with everything. They gave us a letter that confirmed I lived at the address registered and asked us to go and present the letter to Buriram Immigration. We went straight there. I was fearing the possibility of a fine for not reporting address. Nothing. We showed the letter, my wife showed her ID card and I showed my passport. All done and dusted in 5 minutes and no fine.
I am reporting this as a heads up. It seems there is some kind of auditing going on at Surin Immigration and there are cross checks being done to make sure people are still here and have the correct permission to stay.
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A strange one yesterday.
The assistant village headman came round to say that he had received a call from Buriram police. I needed to go to the station with my wife. We needed to take my passport, my wife's ID card and house book.
Normally when it's something trivial they ask YOU to go to the Station and YOU do all the running around to sort out their problem , but if they thought there was money to be made you'ld have 2 Cars and 4 BiB at your door at a flash. blink1
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A strange one yesterday.
The assistant village headman came round to say that he had received a call from Buriram police. I needed to go to the station with my wife. We needed to take my passport, my wife's ID card and house book.
Normally when it's something trivial they ask YOU to go to the Station and YOU do all the running around to sort out their problem , but if they thought there was money to be made you'ld have 2 Cars and 4 BiB at your door at a flash. blink1
I would have to disagree. As far as they knew I could have been on years of overstay. They had no way of knowing what the situation was.
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A strange one yesterday.
The assistant village headman came round to say that he had received a call from Buriram police. I needed to go to the station with my wife. We needed to take my passport, my wife's ID card and house book.
Normally when it's something trivial they ask YOU to go to the Station and YOU do all the running around to sort out their problem , but if they thought there was money to be made you'ld have 2 Cars and 4 BiB at your door at a flash. blink1
I would have to disagree. As far as they knew I could have been on years of overstay. They had no way of knowing what the situation was.
If they had thought you had been on a years overstay i hardly think they would ask the Village Headman to poodle round and ask you to pop into the station biggrin1 .......on 2nd thoughts maybe they would :laugh:
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Agree Secosteve. They cause the problem and then those of us doing things the right way become a focus because easy targets.
As I've said before .it could be stopped overnoght if they wanted too and I think it has very litttle to do with House visits.secosteve first one in 11 years roves that .
Looks like finally this new Pol Maj Gen Surachate Hakparn is trying to stop it...well at Bangkok anyway ::)
https://m.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1552150/2-senior-officials-transferred-over-visa-scam?refer=http%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com
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A strange one yesterday.
The assistant village headman came round to say that he had received a call from Buriram police. I needed to go to the station with my wife. We needed to take my passport, my wife's ID card and house book.
At the station we located the officer that wanted to see us. Upon his desk he had a letter from Kap Cheong, now Surin, immigration. The letter stated that they were concerned that I was not showing up on Buriram Immigration's computer files. Why had I not ever reported at Buriram? Was I still here? The police officer was as confused as I was. I showed him my passport with stamps from Buriram in them. We did note that my name was wrong on the letter. They had my name in the order of "Surname,middle name, first name". This, I guess is where the problem laid. They were searching for the wrong name.
Anyway, the police were happy with everything. They gave us a letter that confirmed I lived at the address registered and asked us to go and present the letter to Buriram Immigration. We went straight there. I was fearing the possibility of a fine for not reporting address. Nothing. We showed the letter, my wife showed her ID card and I showed my passport. All done and dusted in 5 minutes and no fine.
I am reporting this as a heads up. It seems there is some kind of auditing going on at Surin Immigration and there are cross checks being done to make sure people are still here and have the correct permission to stay.
I had half an hour warning of a visit 2 or 3 months ago by 2 Immigration officers.....one I had seen before in Kap Choeng.
They said that the new boss wanted to know where all the Farangs were in Surin/Buriram - because at the moment they had no idea.
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I had half an hour warning of a visit 2 or 3 months ago by 2 Immigration officers.....one I had seen before in Kap Choeng.
They said that the new boss wanted to know where all the Farangs were in Surin/Buriram - because at the moment they had no idea.
Oke, what's then the use of the Tm30 form that they are pushing to get and you even get fined if you don't have one in your Passport ?? But then again T.i.T. ;)
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New boss has space for a couple more medals on his chest. Will be on TV by Christmas being commended for cleaning up the province.