bamboozled Posted December 10, 2020 Share Posted December 10, 2020 I have been living in my current location for I guess about 4 years and each month faithfully transfer the rent money to landlord's account, an older Thai couple with whom we have always been on good terms. They are very hands-off, in a good way, and we have little contact with them, just pay the rent via bank transfer. A while back, 6 months ago, our contract ran out and they kicked the can down the road about renewing it claiming Covid fears. In that time, it has come up that we need their ID, house book, new contract, etc...to comply with visa requirements for my first extension based on marriage. Our contact was through LINE app but when my wife mentioned to them a couple months ago the need for these items, they seemingly cut off communication with her/us. We have no phone number for them and don't know where they live. We delayed paying the rent this month to hopefully prod them into contacting us but after 4 days still no contact and we paid the rent wanting to maintain our good renter status. Ok, that's the back story. My questions is, if we are unavailable to provide a new contract and their housebook and ID to immigration, will I still be able to get the extension based on marriage? I still have another month and a half and can forego paying next months rent to force them to contact us but I don't think they really want to provide those items. I assume perhaps they are not declaring the income and are afraid of the consequences though this is just supposition on my part. Has anyone obtained the extension without those items...which to me seem a bit silly, anyhow. But rightfully so, why should immigration care what I deem silly or not? Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BTB1977 Posted December 11, 2020 Share Posted December 11, 2020 I would let them know that without the papers you need you will move out. Maybe their not the owners? And with no contract just move out. If it was me . I wouldn't tell them. I have had 2 rental contacts. I explained to both that as a frang I need certain documents to complete my visa. Without them I can't stay in Thailand. And both times I didn't sign or pay any money until I saw the documents and made copies needed for my visa. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bamboozled Posted December 11, 2020 Author Share Posted December 11, 2020 Thanks for your response. The fact is, I don't want to move out. I'm quite happy with the house and the location and the rent. Also, I have a whole house full of stuff. Moving would be a huge chore and expense. To boot, I can't explain anything to them because we have no way to contact them. The only thing to do, again, would be to forego paying the rent but after four days of doing that at the beginning of the month we felt bad and wrong about not paying. Perhaps I will go to immigration and put the question to them. That would probably be the most logical thing to do. I'll certainly report back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackdd Posted December 11, 2020 Share Posted December 11, 2020 How did you do it in the previous years without a copy of their ID card and copy of house book? That the rental contract was expired was no problem in Chiang Mai when filing a TM30 and requesting a certificate of residence, i think immigration knows that most contracts are just continued month by month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mayhem11 Posted December 11, 2020 Share Posted December 11, 2020 My experience in CM is sometimes the “landlord” is a parent of the true owner. We have been caught twice bu this when obtaining a non o visa and a recent extension of the non O visa. The house registration consists of 2 pages and should have the name of the landlord and should be attached to the lease. My suggestion is engage an agent to search the property records for the house and then approach that person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrJack54 Posted December 11, 2020 Share Posted December 11, 2020 OP, your post is confusing. You state that you have rented for 4 years and now it's a possible problem obtaining an extension. How did the previous 4 work out. Regarding your comment about the owner worried about tax etc.,... immigration has no contact with taxation department in that regard. Also withholding rent is a reckless course of action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrunchWrapSupreme Posted December 11, 2020 Share Posted December 11, 2020 I'd move immediately. Your useless landlord makes the place you're staying equally useless in this country. This country and its ridiculous immigration requires your landlord to be fully cooperative. This Covid situation has proven it. Get your wife/partner to talk to new prospective landlords, and tell them you need full cooperation. That is, a copy of their ID card, house book, deed, and contract. The contract may need to be modified depending on the whims of the immigration officer, with the name of the landlord, owner, or both. That is what I had to go through, to get these recent Covid extensions. Owners don't want to do it? Hah! Let them rent to all the Thais I'm sure are lining up, to take the rows and rows of vacancies, I see right across from me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bamboozled Posted December 12, 2020 Author Share Posted December 12, 2020 I have gotten my O visas in Savannakhet or Saigon in the past, so no need for all the paperwork. Yes, I don't think immigration cares about any taxes being paid by landlords on rent, or not. Not yet, at least. However, I can see from landlords perspective that no brush with the MAN at all is better than even an inconsequential brush with the MAN. Granted, the whole need for landlords ID and house book....for what end? I will go to immigration next week and ask what I can do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackdd Posted December 12, 2020 Share Posted December 12, 2020 2 hours ago, bamboozled said: Granted, the whole need for landlords ID and house book....for what end? To have at least some kind of evidence that you are legally renting this place. Somebody could have seen an empty house, and decided to rent this out to an unknowing person. Then one day the real owner shows up and calls police to kick you out of his house. When signing a lease you should always insist to get landlord ID card and house book copy, even just to protect yourself from a scam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bamboozled Posted December 13, 2020 Author Share Posted December 13, 2020 I suppose getting those things upon signing contract is a good idea. They take ours, after all. I wouldn't think it's too common for non-owners to be renting out other folks' houses but I suppose anything is possible. I suppose you could make up a fake rental contract, much easier without house-book and ID. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaZa9 Posted December 13, 2020 Share Posted December 13, 2020 Since everything is photocopies I simply white out last years contract lease dates and write this years- then photocopy the changed contract a couple of times. My aged landlady is happy not to be bothered. The 'book' etc are copies of the originals as well , and never change . Do you have last years copies you can 'modify' ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myran Posted December 13, 2020 Share Posted December 13, 2020 Without the documents you're not getting the extension, not legitimately at least. On 12/11/2020 at 11:22 PM, DrJack54 said: OP, your post is confusing. You state that you have rented for 4 years and now it's a possible problem obtaining an extension. How did the previous 4 work out. Regarding your comment about the owner worried about tax etc.,... immigration has no contact with taxation department in that regard. Also withholding rent is a reckless course of action. Not confusing at all. He's obviously had a different visa/extension of stay for the past four years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bamboozled Posted December 14, 2020 Author Share Posted December 14, 2020 I do not believe we ever got copies of their house book or ID though I'll take another look at my papers. Yes, I could add new dates to the contract. I'll have a look at that. It's a funny situation. You would kind landlords would want to make sure you had their contact info in case there was an issue with the house. Let's say it caught fire and was damaged. How would they even know? We certainly would not be in a position to tell them. As mentioned, I will go to immigration this week and ask if there is a way around this. Cheers! Thanks for your input all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bamboozled Posted December 15, 2020 Author Share Posted December 15, 2020 Just back from speaking with CM immigration officer who was very friendly. He said my wife could write a letter explaining why we cannot provide the house book and ID of the landlords. And I believe she has to print out the rental transfer history from her bank to owners bank. And of course our expired rental contract. This is after he made a call to....I don't know to whom but as he stated, someone that knows the answers to our questions. So, I don't yet have the visa but this is the route we're going to go. We have his contact info for when they refuse to grant me the visa because we don't have the house book and owner ID....5555. I won't be surprised but at least we know who to call: ghostbusters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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