Chiang Mai Immigration Mess

[Kurtf]

11 hours ago, OJAS said:

I gather that Chiang Mai Immigration are prepared to consider extension of stay applications which are submitted up to 45 days in advance of the current permission of stay expiring. This is considerably in excess of the maximum period permitted by most other offices (a mere 30 days in their case).

 

So how soon in advance of the expiry date did the OP attempt to lodge his initial application on this occasion, I wonder? Unless the answer lies in the mystical previous posting he referred to (and which, quite frankly, I can't be bothered to expend the effort in tracking down on here), his apparent silence on this fundamental point is deafening, to say the least!

My first visit to the immigration office was 2 months before the expiry date. That visit was to find out exactly what was required. Then my next visit was 2 weeks prior to the expiry date with my bank letter for which I paid the bank 100 baht. But as I stated they changed the rules.regs/requirements during that time and now I have to buy the one years bank statement for 300 bht, get a new letter from the bank for another 100 bht that is less than 2 days old from when I submit the paperwork. Where is Big Joke when you need him.

[Max69xl]

On 2/14/2020 at 5:33 PM, FritsSikkink said:

"Her job is to help people who have problems." No it isn't

That you don't bring the right paper work is your own fault.

The capacity problem is a fault of immigration which they need to sort out.

Several immigration offices don't have the 12 months bank statement in the checklist, and it shouldn't actually be asked for until March 1. That's the date last year when the new requirements for the 800k in the bank started. So, you're not entirely correct. 

[Max69xl]

29 minutes ago, Kurtf said:

My first visit to the immigration office was 2 months before the expiry date. That visit was to find out exactly what was required. Then my next visit was 2 weeks prior to the expiry date with my bank letter for which I paid the bank 100 baht. But as I stated they changed the rules.regs/requirements during that time and now I have to buy the one years bank statement for 300 bht, get a new letter from the bank for another 100 bht that is less than 2 days old from when I submit the paperwork. Where is Big Joke when you need him.

The reason for the 12 months bank statement is the new requirement from March 1 last year when using the 800k in the bank method. Immigration wants to see that you did have 800k for 2+3 months and never went below 400k until next application for the 1 year extension. The problem is that they shouldn't ask for it until March 1 this year. 

[asiaexpat]

4 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

Several immigration offices don't have the 12 months bank statement in the checklist, and it shouldn't actually be asked for until March 1. That's the date last year when the new requirements for the 800k in the bank started. So, you're not entirely correct. 

Why would a copy of ones bankbook pages for one year not suffice?? 

[saengd]

19 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

The reason for the 12 months bank statement is the new requirement from March 1 last year when using the 800k in the bank method. Immigration wants to see that you did have 800k for 2+3 months and never went below 400k until next application for the 1 year extension. The problem is that they shouldn't ask for it until March 1 this year. 

I extended my O-A last year in Chiang Mai for the seventeenth time and did not have to produce a 12 month bank statement, just copies of the bank books. I say books because I hold almost 4 mill. in ten fixed deposits, all with different maturity dates and the bank letter refers to the total account value. In total that's about seven books because some were filled up and new ones issued as continuations plus some books hold multiple deposits. My problem last year was trying to get the IO at Immi. to understand all of that and helping to teach her how to reconcile the books to the bank letter, it wasn't enough that she could see 800k, she needed to reconcile the books to the letter which took a long time, finance 101....but twelve month statement, no, not asked for. This year I've opened a special Immi. account and all it contains is 400 k, that was the IO's advice and I took it.

[zaZa9]

3 hours ago, peterpop said:

You appear to be ignorant of the situation in Chiang Mai and your opinions are not welcome.  I too tried to renew my Family extension and was refused.  Yet I went to the Immigration Office and asked for details of the correct papers the day before.  In fact the Banks cannot and do not want to comply with the edicts of the Immigration police.  We are caught in the middle.  This is a brand new Chief Immigration Officer and I do not think she will last long.  Rumour has it that she is offering an Express Service for 10,000 bht.

 

If the 10,000 means you dont have to comply with ANY of the O-A  Retirement Extension requirements , and the general experience  at CM is really  as bad as members have described  above , then I'd grab it.

Its  around half the agents fee , and a 3rd of the fee if you dont have to provide Insurance documentation. I agree that the Express Service is the option they want us to take.

[thai006]

After i reads this im happy to  stay in khon kaen province , go to immigration and hour late finish lol 

[The Theory]

On 2/14/2020 at 1:13 AM, Kurtf said:

So we left and went to the bank only to find out that to get a statement like that we have to wait 7 days

I renewed mine in Jan. Cha Am immigration asked me for statement of my fixed deposit acc, (800,000). 
I just did not understand what the statement could show for a 6 month term!!!! Even though I never moved the fund in last 5 years (the book shows) I got it the same day and statement for fixed deposit showed when the term had started and how much the fund was. 
I could renew my extension after 2 hours with that letter. 

Edited February 15, 2020 by The Theory

[Billy Bloggs]

Im not in CM anymore but when there I did use an agent as I hate queues, well at least ones that start in the wee hours of the morning.

 

Im out of country at the moment but when I get back to do my extension I will be using my bank book hopefully to show my money has been in the bank the required time, my girl has been updating it every couple of months, I will of course also have the bank letter showing the 800k was there for this on.

 

My IO office is pretty good, even filling out the forms while doing whatever we are doing.

 

Good luck to all others till the next change.

[jacko45k]

On 2/15/2020 at 6:44 AM, john terry1001 said:

That rule came in last January as far as I'm aware so Immigration will need a years bank statement to confirm the new rules have been adhered to.

I believe it was March last year. 

[1FinickyOne]

On 2/14/2020 at 8:52 PM, BritManToo said:

Sounds like you weren't dressed correctly and didn't show proper respect!

Yeah, this type of post makes me wonder too... I have never had a problem w/the IO and they have often been helpful when I screwed up.. when I go to the bank and ask for a letter for imm. they always seem to know what to do... never a problem... 

[brianthainess]

On 2/15/2020 at 7:35 AM, OJAS said:

I gather that Chiang Mai Immigration are prepared to consider extension of stay applications which are submitted up to 45 days in advance of the current permission of stay expiring. This is considerably in excess of the maximum period permitted by most other offices (a mere 30 days in their case).

 

So how soon in advance of the expiry date did the OP attempt to lodge his initial application on this occasion, I wonder? Unless the answer lies in the mystical previous posting he referred to (and which, quite frankly, I can't be bothered to expend the effort in tracking down on here), his apparent silence on this fundamental point is deafening, to say the least!

He stated 7 days for bank statement, and he will be up for 4 days overstay, so my guess is 7+4=11 yep 11 days before.

[Max69xl]

13 hours ago, asiaexpat said:

Why would a copy of ones bankbook pages for one year not suffice?? 

It's Thai Immigration we are talking about. Logic isn't their strong suite. 

Sometimes the bank book is more important than the bank letter. In this case it seems like the bank statement is more important than the bank book. Go figure. 

[Max69xl]

1 hour ago, kenk24 said:

Yeah, this type of post makes me wonder too... I have never had a problem w/the IO and they have often been helpful when I screwed up.. when I go to the bank and ask for a letter for imm. they always seem to know what to do... never a problem... 

And why did OP wait so long until his second attempt? If immigration requires something you didn't expect, do it at once or next day. You don't wait another week.

[ubonjoe]

13 hours ago, asiaexpat said:

Why would a copy of ones bankbook pages for one year not suffice?? 

Because the bank book might of not been updated regularly and the only thing shown on is the balance when it was updated. There could be transactions missing that caused the balance to under the 400/800k baht requirement.

[Max69xl]

13 hours ago, saengd said:

I extended my O-A last year in Chiang Mai for the seventeenth time and did not have to produce a 12 month bank statement, just copies of the bank books. I say books because I hold almost 4 mill. in ten fixed deposits, all with different maturity dates and the bank letter refers to the total account value. In total that's about seven books because some were filled up and new ones issued as continuations plus some books hold multiple deposits. My problem last year was trying to get the IO at Immi. to understand all of that and helping to teach her how to reconcile the books to the bank letter, it wasn't enough that she could see 800k, she needed to reconcile the books to the letter which took a long time, finance 101....but twelve month statement, no, not asked for. This year I've opened a special Immi. account and all it contains is 400 k, that was the IO's advice and I took it.

You didn't need a 12 months bank statement last year to verify the money in the bank for 1 year. Read my post again and try to understand it. 

[saengd]

Trivia Note re. bank books and statements: if you keep your 400k/800k in a fixed account and have the interest paid monthly, the passbook will always show transactions every month.

[BobBKK]

13 hours ago, saengd said:

I extended my O-A last year in Chiang Mai for the seventeenth time and did not have to produce a 12 month bank statement, just copies of the bank books. I say books because I hold almost 4 mill. in ten fixed deposits, all with different maturity dates and the bank letter refers to the total account value. In total that's about seven books because some were filled up and new ones issued as continuations plus some books hold multiple deposits. My problem last year was trying to get the IO at Immi. to understand all of that and helping to teach her how to reconcile the books to the bank letter, it wasn't enough that she could see 800k, she needed to reconcile the books to the letter which took a long time, finance 101....but twelve month statement, no, not asked for. This year I've opened a special Immi. account and all it contains is 400 k, that was the IO's advice and I took it.

I dont understand why anyone would NOT have a savings account with their 400/800 in it. I did that 10 years ago and it is a sunk cost to me. On the 12 months statement that is a new thing and does not bear the logic test but TIT.

[1FinickyOne]

2 hours ago, Max69xl said:

And why did OP wait so long until his second attempt? If immigration requires something you didn't expect, do it at once or next day. You don't wait another week.

the incompetent blame others... visa can be confusing but if you qualify it is not a problem. 

[Max69xl]

2 hours ago, BobBKK said:

I dont understand why anyone would NOT have a savings account with their 400/800 in it. I did that 10 years ago and it is a sunk cost to me. On the 12 months statement that is a new thing and does not bear the logic test but TIT.

The 12 months statement is needed if you don't update your bank book every month. Several posters admitted they didn't know about the need for regular updates. If you skip the update for let's say 2-3 months and you have had several transactions, deposits, withdrawals, purchases online and topping up your phone etc etc,when updating the bank book it will show maybe 3 written lines instead of 20. The balance might have been below 400k,but you can't see it. That's why immigration wants the bank statement. But, if immigration knows what to look for in a bank book, meaning the codes,they can actually see that a bank book has been updated every month. 

[roo860]

On 2/14/2020 at 10:14 PM, Kelsall said:

CM Imm. now requires a statement for the previous 12 months if using the 800k method.

6 month statement, passbook, updated with every page copied, bank letter, this was what i presented week before last, and was accepted.

I was wearing shorts, t shirt and flip flops and didn't wai anyone.

????

Edited February 16, 2020 by roo860

[Max69xl]

22 minutes ago, roo860 said:

6 month statement, passbook, updated with every page copied, bank letter, this was what i presented week before last, and was accepted.

I was wearing shorts, t shirt and flip flops and didn't wai anyone.

????

Please tell me what a 6 month statement is proof of? Imo there was no need for a statement at all. From March 1,yes. If they asked for a statement,it should have been a 12 month statement. 

[roo860]

1 hour ago, Max69xl said:

Please tell me what a 6 month statement is proof of? Imo there was no need for a statement at all. From March 1,yes. If they asked for a statement,it should have been a 12 month statement. 

You'd better ask the 2 female IO at counter number 5, I asked how many months statements I would need now on Chiang Mai forum last month, a member said he'd been recently and submitted 6 months, this was accepted, so I followed his advice, which worked a treat.

Ps, my bank is SCB. 

Edited February 16, 2020 by roo860

[saengd]

10 minutes ago, roo860 said:

You'd better ask the 2 female IO at counter number 5, I asked how many months statements I would need now on Chiang Mai forum last month, a member said he'd been recently and submitted 6 months, this was accepted, so I followed his advice, which worked a treat.

Ps, my bank is SCB. 

Ah yes but that was counter 5 on a Wednesday, all the other counters and days of the week are variable factors. 

[roo860]

4 minutes ago, saengd said:

Ah yes but that was counter 5 on a Wednesday, all the other counters and days of the week are variable factors. 

Hey, who told you I went on a Wednesday?

????

The IO who checks the docs at the front desk ok'd it also before giving me my queue number.  

Edited February 16, 2020 by roo860

[BobBKK]

21 hours ago, Max69xl said:

The 12 months statement is needed if you don't update your bank book every month. Several posters admitted they didn't know about the need for regular updates. If you skip the update for let's say 2-3 months and you have had several transactions, deposits, withdrawals, purchases online and topping up your phone etc etc,when updating the bank book it will show maybe 3 written lines instead of 20. The balance might have been below 400k,but you can't see it. That's why immigration wants the bank statement. But, if immigration knows what to look for in a bank book, meaning the codes,they can actually see that a bank book has been updated every month. 

I must admit I don't update mine because nothing goes in or out so i guess I'm going to need that statement.

[roo860]

4 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

I must admit I don't update mine because nothing goes in or out so i guess I'm going to need that statement.

My bank book is not updated every month, as I'm in my home country  for 5-6 months every year.

SCB here in Thailand

I have roughly 3 transactions a month, via internet banking. 

Edited February 17, 2020 by roo860

[jacko45k]

2 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

I must admit I don't update mine because nothing goes in or out so i guess I'm going to need that statement.

Is it a Fixed Deposit account... that would seem best to fit such circumstances. I have found my BKB FD account does not do consolidated entries, simply the 2 times/ year when interest and tax are added and removed. Problem is whether someone in immigration could grasp this. 

[worgeordie]

On 2/15/2020 at 7:51 PM, asiaexpat said:

Why would a copy of ones bankbook pages for one year not suffice?? 

Too easy....

regards Worgeodie

[elgenon]

On 2/14/2020 at 4:29 AM, Lacrimas said:

Yeah it's a mess at CM. My Marriage Ext. took 8 hours last time. The office is flooded with tourists 

I thought all the tourists were gone? Not true?