TW and I went to Nong Khai yesterday to renew my 12 month extension to the

Well I have observed that the amount stated in your book is almost irrelevant because when they write the letter they look at the latest balance on their computer and enter that on the letter - which should be more believable than your bank book - as the letter is signed and stamped as true.
When mine was done earlier this month the amount in my book and the amount in the letter were not similar (as in your case) but not a word was said.

They are certainly a law unto themselves.

On my last visit I updated my book on the way to the counter to get the bank letter just to ensure another Thai immigration loophole was closed.

John

Paul wrote:When mine was done earlier this month the amount in my book and the amount in the letter were not similar (as in your case) but not a word was said.

They are certainly a law unto themselves.

well well well

Seems we have unearthed another can of worms and the latest clampdown from immigration. Disregard all I wrote above !!!!!

I got my letter from the bank last month - a week before my appointment to submit my annual extension paperwork with more than the minimum monetary requirement. The day before going to immigration I updated my passbook to prove that I did still have the money in my account and it was not on its way back to the UK !!!

Naturally there was a couple of thousand baht less showing in my bank book as I have a habit of eating food and paying bills so I had to use an ATM machine - but my balance was still well in excess of the required minimum.
The paperwork was submitted and checked by Udon immigration without problems and i was told to return in a month to see if the extension had arrived back from Bkk.

Today I have been told my application has been rejected as the amount on the bank letter and the amount on my (updated) bank book are slightly different. (although well in excess of the required minimums)

I explained that my bank balance changes daily due to transactions coming and going and thought I was being helpful by updating it prior to submitting my application and to prove that i did indeed still have well over the stated minimum required.

He wanted to see both figures match exactly and I told him it was difficult, but possible - but would be easy to transfer the money away immediately after getting the bank letter and surely it was better to get a most up-to date bank balance showing in my book.???

He told me I should get another letter from the bank and update my passbook so they both show exactly the same amounts - and then do not make any ATM withdrawals until my application is approved - up to 2 months!
So I asked what am I supposed to live on then - which he could not answer. I was also expected to pay another application fee of 1900 baht.

I also suggested to him that if my bank book was last updated 10 days before I submitted my application - to keep the balance synchronised with the bank letter - then surely he will complain that my book is not updated (as in the above post) and then if I update it he will say the balance does not tie in with the bank letter (as he has just told me) and we go round in the proverbial circle !

If both my bank book and the bank letter both prove I have well over the required amount - what is all this niggling about?

He agreed with me - suprisingly, and explained it was Bkk who have instructed him to reject my application !

So I called to bkk and spoke to the relevant person there who has assured me that my application is now going to receive ' further review'

Its so petty its almost laughable and quite needless when all conditions have been met or exceeded - but appears to be the new craze of the month from immigration, and no doubt the guys in udon will be checking doubly hard now to prevent cases like this happening again - so it can only get worse

Will await the outcome in a weeks time.

I pity those about to sumbit documents in the near future Make sure you check them. But whatever you do it seems you cant win.
My bankbook WAS updated and it failed - Bangdung Deros was not updated and it was questioned too ! Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

If you have not had any transactions since updating your bankbook putting it into the 'update machine' will do SFA. The fact you have placed it into the machine is not recorded.

I vaguely remember a post, months ago where the contact details were stated for the boss of Immigration in Bangkok with an open invitation to contact him should we have any problems with the immigration service. I can't remember if it was a telephone number or an email address

Does anyone remember this or what topic it was located in. I have tried the search facilty using as many keywords as I can remember but to no success.

I should have bookmarked it when I read it but ............

Thanks

Paul wrote:I vaguely remember a post, months ago where the contact details were stated for the boss of Immigration in Bangkok with an open invitation to contact him should we have any problems with the immigration service. I can't remember if it was a telephone number or an email address

Does anyone remember this or what topic it was located in. I have tried the search facilty using as many keywords as I can remember but to no success.

I should have bookmarked it when I read it but ............

Thanks

Pol Maj Gen Suwat Tumrongsiskul Acting Commissioner
Director, TTMs Board of Direcrors
507 Soi Suanplu, Thanom South
Sathorn, Thungmahanek, Sathorn10120
Tel:66 0 2287 3252
fax 66 0 2287 3114
email gen_suwat@yahoo.com

Thank you

Paul wrote:.........but appears to be the new craze of the month from immigration, and no doubt the guys in udon will be checking doubly hard now to prevent cases like this happening again - so it can only get worse

Will await the outcome in a weeks time.

I pity those about to sumbit documents in the near future Make sure you check them. But whatever you do it seems you cant win.
My bankbook WAS updated and it failed - Bangdung Deros was not updated and it was questioned too ! Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

You mentioned UDON twice. Is the AEK office open again?

yes,Mondays and Fridays.

valentine wrote:

Paul wrote:I vaguely remember a post, months ago where the contact details were stated for the boss of Immigration in Bangkok with an open invitation to contact him should we have any problems with the immigration service. I can't remember if it was a telephone number or an email address

Does anyone remember this or what topic it was located in. I have tried the search facilty using as many keywords as I can remember but to no success.

I should have bookmarked it when I read it but ............

Thanks

Pol Maj Gen Suwat Tumrongsiskul Acting Commissioner
Director, TTMs Board of Direcrors
507 Soi Suanplu, Thanom South
Sathorn, Thungmahanek, Sathorn10120
Tel:66 0 2287 3252
fax 66 0 2287 3114
email gen_suwat@yahoo.com

I tried to send him an email and received this

delivery error: dd Sorry your message to gen_suwat@yahoo.com cannot be delivered. This account has been disabled or discontinued [#102]. - mta235.mail.mud.yahoo.com

I will try to find out what his new address is.....

The AekUdon immigration office has been open again for 4 weeks now but only on Mondays and Fridays (9am - 3pm)
However today (3rd April) the office is closed for one day and all enquiries are to be directed to Nong Khai today.

I too have have a problem contacting the person I spoke to last week. he asked me to call him today and gave me his own phone number and name - however when I called today - I spoke with three different people and only the last one spoke anything near English, and he just gave me another number to call, assuring me I would reach the person I talked to last week.

This being Thailand - the number he gave me was inoperative of course. The struggle continues

Got through to the number of the guy I spoke to last week however it was a different person but in the same department. He was the most arrogant rude obnoxious person you could ever imagine who asked why we keep calling them as the decision has already been made to reject the application and no amount of calls to his office is going to change it.!
In a last ditch attempt at finding some sanity in this crazy situation - I got my missus to call the Major General Suwat as detailed above as a last resort.
We got through to his secretary who couldn't see what all the fuss was about and said there was no reason for this application to be rejected. He asked which office we had used and even the name of the officer we were dealing with and said he would contact them and then get back to us - well as of today he has still not contacted us, so tomorrow we will call him again and see if we can put an end to this madness.
Is there really any need for any of this when I have submitted a perfectly valid application - as verified by 3 of the 4 people we have spoken to so far. You try to do things their way and they make the process as difficult as they possibly can !

It would seem that the good Major general has lived up to his word and come good.
Without counting my chickens before they have hatched ( I mean until I have got the extension stamp in my passport) I will not jump up and down - but the initial noises from Bangkok seem to be positive ones. Fingers crossed!

Too good to be true wasn't it?
Despite what was told to me a day or two ago, Nong Khai Immigration have confirmed again today that despite my contacting just about everyone I can think of to get them to see sense - apparently there is one staunch officer in Korat (don't know why Korat) who still insists that my application is rejected.

It is to be rejected because the balances on my bank letter and bank book differ by 6000 baht - however they are both WELL over the required 400,000 stated requirement. This is because I updated my bank book immediately prior to submitting my application (supposedly to prove that I still had the funds in my account as my bank letter was a few days old) You are allowed to have your bank letter dated up to 10 days before your application submission.

Apparently they want to make a set standard for everyone to follow. Which, I informed them is exactly why they publish a list of requirements for all - and which I fulfilled 100%

I also told them that if it is a new requirement that the balance on your (required) bank letter is exactly the same as your bank book copy then they should state this fact so that people know and can then make arrangements to that effect. Its not good enough to 'make the rules up as you go along ' and the very reason why requirements are published in the first place.


I am to see Immigration in person tomorrow so should be an interesting time !

Bandung _ Dero and myself seem to be in competition for who can be given the biggest runaround from these so called officials !