new head of immigration

[Pib]

14 minutes ago, billzant said:

Pib, can you expand on this? Is this a temporary thing? I last entered Thailand a bit before Jan 13 - in August, 2006. I would like to do 90 days online but cannot. Do you know more?

Thai immigration started off with a database based on "entries" Jan 13 forward; they did not start off with their database showing all farangs in Thailand.   

 

So, if you entered before Jan 13 or entered Jan 13 forward but changed your passport and haven't left/reentered since you can't report online as  you will not be in the database they use for this particular online 90 day reporting.

 

Basically, "all" farangs in Thailand can not report online....some (like me who last entered before Jan 13 plus have renewed by passport) must report in person or by mail.  I report by mail....works fine.

 

 

[Tropposurfer]

20 hours ago, Rally123 said:

Crazy? Why is it 'crazy'?

The only thing that's crazy is that honesty is punishable by immigration. Do everything illegal ie money wise and life is good.

I’d hardly consider people falsifying immigration required documentation, and using scam agents, and there are likely hundred to thousands of foreigners who’ve been doing this as “honesty”.

 

[4675636b596f75]

10 minutes ago, Pib said:

Thai immigration started off with a database based on "entries" Jan 13 forward; they did not start off with their database showing all farangs in Thailand.   

 

So, if you entered before Jan 13 or entered Jan 13 forward but changed your passport and haven't left/reentered since you can't report online as  you will not be in the database they use for this particular online 90 day reporting.

 

Basically, "all" farangs in Thailand can not report online....some (like me who last entered before Jan 13 plus have renewed by passport) must report in person or by mail.  I report by mail....works fine.

 

 

All nonsense.

I last entered July 2017.  I use online reporting all the time.

[ubonjoe]

1 minute ago, 4675636b596f75 said:

I last entered July 2017.  I use online reporting all the time.

You are misreading his post. It is January of 2013 not January 13th of this year.

[4675636b596f75]

Just now, ubonjoe said:

You are misreading his post. It is January of 2013 not January 13th of this year.

I see.  It's the writer or speakers job to make sure the reader/listener understands.  

[NoshowJones]

20 hours ago, yodsak said:

Of course he will.

Yes, of course he will, these nice immigration people always want to help us farangs.

[Pib]

1 minute ago, 4675636b596f75 said:

I see.  It's the writer or speakers job to make sure the reader/listener understands.  

Jan 13 means January 2013.   Study up on month/year abbreviations.

 

[NoshowJones]

20 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

If he does not ban 90 day reporting I hope he can get the website report online to work, just tried again and goes no further than the first page, then tells me to contact the local office. I probably should be using explorer with win98

If online and posting 90 day reports were simple, why are there always long queues at Chonburi and Chaing Mai Immigration offices?

[losername]

2 minutes ago, Pib said:

Jan 13 means January 2013.   Study up on month/year abbreviations.

For the record, he is not the only one who did not understand what you wrote.

[NoshowJones]

18 hours ago, impulse said:

 

OTOH, another way to make a name for himself is to increase tourist arrivals... 

 

There's already a proposal to extend some of the free VOA and visa programs.  Seems simple enough to add some level of assurance that, if you qualify, you won't get randomly turned away by some front line IO in a bad mood.  I don't have a clue what percentage of innocent travelers are being turned away.  It may be tiny.  But the mere worry that it could happen would send me and my sweaty tourist cash elsewhere.

 

OTOH?? Welcome to the "lazy Typists" brigade.

[losername]

9 minutes ago, Pib said:

Jan 13 means January 2013.   Study up on month/year abbreviations.

I am not prepared to research this further or enter in to discussion about it, I am sure different countries will have different abbreviations. For what it is worth, the following link includes this "Do not abbreviate months of the year when they appear by themselves or with a year".  The example they give is "December 2012".  Interesting.  https://wmich.edu/writing/rules/dates

[NoshowJones]

2 hours ago, natway09 said:

I have not seen any crazy requirements that are any worse than my home country

Really? Does your home country have 90 reports and unnecessary border hops for expats and tourists, assuming your country has borders?

[NoshowJones]

2 hours ago, legend49 said:

Thai wife told me new law in today all bank accounts over 20,000 baht will now be taxed.

In that case we can just open up more bank accounts.

[hargri]

21 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

If he does not ban 90 day reporting I hope he can get the website report online to work, just tried again and goes no further than the first page, then tells me to contact the local office. I probably should be using explorer with win98

My experience of online 90 day reports was somewhat hit and miss until I found out that there is an internet explorer extension for Google Chrome, my preferred browser. I have successfully completed 3 online reports since starting using it. All you have to do is open the immigration site in Chrome then click on the extension icon. Make sure you process it during the prescribed window which I believe is from 15 days to 7 days before it's due. You may not of course use Chrome but anyone that does may find it helps. Other browsers may have a similar facility.

Edited April 20, 2019 by hargri

[ubonjoe]

2 hours ago, legend49 said:

Thai wife told me new law in today all bank accounts over 20,000 baht will now be taxed.

It is not 20,000 baht in the account. It is interest earned on accounts amounting to 20,000 baht or more. In the article I read that is an account that has about 4 million baht in it to reach that number.

20 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

In that case we can just open up more bank accounts.

See above.

[NoshowJones]

55 minutes ago, Tropposurfer said:

I’d hardly consider people falsifying immigration required documentation, and using scam agents, and there are likely hundred to thousands of foreigners who’ve been doing this as “honesty”.

 

So where do these "scam" agents operate from? From what I see there are plenty of agents operating in Pattaya in offices advertising there services for all to see. If anyone starts saying they are doing anything illegal, they are risking falling foul of Thailands defamation laws.

Edited April 20, 2019 by possum1931

[NoshowJones]

2 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

It is not 20,000 baht in the account. It is interest earned on accounts amounting to 20,000 baht or more. In the article read that is an account that has about 4 million baht in it to reach that number.

See above.

Yes I see that now Joe, but the post just says "all bank accounts over 20,000 baht will now be taxed."

[ubonjoe]

3 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

Yes I see that now Joe, but the post just says "all bank accounts over 20,000 baht will now be taxed."

I included you in my quote so you would notice what he posted was wrong.

[NoshowJones]

Just now, ubonjoe said:

I included you in my quote so you would notice what he posted was wrong.

[ChouDoufu]

2 hours ago, Small Joke said:

Chinese retirees In

Western 'kee noks' Out

"bad guys in, good guys out!"

[Sheryl]

If he does not ban 90 day reporting I hope he can get the website report online to work, just tried again and goes no further than the first page, then tells me to contact the local office. I probably should be using explorer with win98

The 90 day reporting is required in the Immigration Act as I understand it.

 

Immigration chief does not make and cannot repeal or modify laws Only implement them and develop guidelines related to implementation.

 

So I think not possible for him to do away with 90 day reports. Requiring Imm Offices to accept online reports would be possible in theory but I find Thai bosses, both in government and private sector, have great difficulty controlling subordinate behavior or even knowing what it is. Lack if two way communication and cultural imperative to tell higher ups what they want to hear are likely factors.

 

I think the online reporting works. Problem is with many IOs choosing not to use it.

 

 

Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

[mehrdad]

Maybe harder 

[GalaxyMan]

Since when does the head of immigration set the rules? I thought that the government made the rules and the head of immigration was supposed to enforce them. Or am I living in lala-land?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 hour ago, Pib said:

Jan 13 means January 2013.   Study up on month/year abbreviations.

 

 

FWIW, I'd read that to mean Jan. 13....

...

 

 

Edited April 20, 2019 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Monkeyrobot]

Maybe he can make a rule to expand Div 1 CW , I spend the best part of a day there every year renewing the Retirement extension, then line up again to do the re entry permit. The place have plenty of room , its like a sardine can in there now, I hate going every year. If he could go back to the old money in the bank for 3 months would also be good, not this 5 months BS and 400k min . 

[Pib]

16 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

FWIW, I'd read that to mean Jan. 13....

...

 

 

Others did too....but what I meant for Jan 13 was January 2013.  

[viper57]

There's no reason why they would change any of the new policies just because there's a new immigration chief.  He did what his superiors wanted as far as his job goes.  Nothing is gonna change anytime soon over periods of years there will always be change but not anytime soon especially not this soon right after the policies just went into effect.   I like the current immigration procedures just fine the way they are, I actually like the new procedures a lot better than the old ways because for me it makes my extension renewal process a lot easier then the way it used to be.  

 

Be careful what you wish for because they finally just got a very good system going that's very efficient and I'd hate to see it change again.  I know there have been and will continue to be some growing pains during this first year during the current transition period but by next year it'll be all set. For me the timing worked out perfectly because I don't have to get my next extension renewal till January 2020 it expires every year on February 6th.  So by then I'll have 14 straight months of monthly international wire transfers.  So personally I'm happy with the current system.  

 

As long as you meet at least the minimum monthly income requirements for your marriage or retirement visa extension and as long as you're transferring at least the minimum monthly income into your Thai bank account every month or have at least the minimum amount saved in a Thai bank account or a combination of the two then you should not have anything to worry about.  As long as you're within immigration requirements then you have nothing to worry about unless you're below their standards.  

 

I understand that most pensioners don't make a lot.  I'm just lucky because I'm 21 years retired military and a 100% disabled veteran so I'm way above the minimum monthly income requirement at well over $5,000 USD a month total with my military retirement pay combined with my VA disability pension.  For people like me veterans who get paid their pensions on a monthly basis these current immigration procedures work out great.  

 

I couldn't be happier with their current system.  I don't think their procedures are crazy at all it makes perfect sense to me and it's a lot easier to verify your monthly income now then what it used to be.  Thank God no more 5 hour drives to the embassy once a year for me whenever I renew my extension, from now on I just show them my Thai bank account records, which is so much easier.  

[mokwit]

25 minutes ago, GalaxyMan said:

Since when does the head of immigration set the rules? I thought that the government made the rules and the head of immigration was supposed to enforce them. Or am I living in lala-land?

BJ was actually on record as saying that the immigration dept was drafting a new immigration law and was hoping to get it before Parliament before dissolution in May (but felt it unlikely).

 

Hope you are able to identify your current location from this.

[Pib]

Just now, mokwit said:

BJ was actually on record as saying that the immigration dept was drafting a new immigration law and was hoping to get it before Parliament before dissolution in May (but felt it unlikely).

 

Hope you are able to identify your current location from this.

And I'm wondering if BJ's new proposals were seen as going too far since the rules he had already implemented had rubbed key people/groups the wrong way.   And I expect BJ's showboating didn't help...he just overdid it.

 

We sure know from many posts the great majority of farangs on ThaiVisa are not happy with the new rules and I'm sure many Thai (rich and influential Thais) were not happy in how BJ crackdowns were impacting the ability to hire/retain "not so legal" labor, sell condos to farangs, etc. 

[johnmcc6]

A hypothetical??? There are several families that own or control all  the banks. What a great idea for the families to make a deal with immigration. Lets force the dreaded expats to pile millions into our banks . We give these rich foreigners 1.5% and lend the rest oat at 7.5. Sweet!  Plus the government picks a few more baht with the saving tax. If I owned a bank or two I would not complain. There are many other ways to weed out cheaters without screwing the rest of us. Lets hope the new guy can make things a little friendlier to the people that put billions into the economy.