Buriram Thai Immigration

[TonyT]

Since the changes in income required to obtain a Marriage Visa it has become common knowledge that the Buriram Thai Immigration office has been running a scam to encourage people renewing their visas to pay a fee of 20,000 baht to overlook the need to show 40,000 baht per month  being lodged into the applicants Thai bank account  to qualify for renewal of one's visa.
I have been living in Thailand for over 10 years, have married & purchased a residential house for near to Thai Baht 2m. In that time the AUD conversion rate has eroded from 32 Baht/AUD to 20 Baht/AUD which means my Australian pension is having troubles meeting the new criteria.

I, for one, would find it hard to return to Australia as the Australian Centrelink has insistedd that I had to sell my Australian Property to continue to receive my Australian pension.

The purpose of this post is to find others in the same situation who are willing to join with me to mount a CLASS ACTION to engage a good Thai Lawyer (which I have) to keep the BURIRAM THAI IMMIGRATION OFFICE STAFF honest. It can be done as i know these people will readily back down when they are challenged.

With my last renewal (I have just learned) after I brought their fee down to Baht 5,000 that they had talked my wife to contribute Baht10,000 (unbeknown to me) for my visa to be approved.

My visa runs out early next year but if you are also having the same problem I invite you to reply to me such that I can arrange suitable help.

[Prakhonchai Nick]

I have 34 years to your 10, Tony. In that time I have seen and witnessed a lot.

Take legal action against any Thai authority, then win or lose, you will be continually looking over your shoulder. 

My advice...............pay up or shut up!

[TonyT]

Thanks for your advice. I know one person who got an authority involved and they just folded!

[Smithy]

I have to agree with PN

I've lived here for 20 years and rule No1 is not to piss off the Police or Immigration as you will never win. About 7 years ago I couldn't ( or didn't want to bring over money from the UK because of the exchange rate  ) to meet the requirements for my yearly extension.I could have paid under the table BUT decided to just go to Savannakhet Thai Immigration in Laos and get a Multi Non O and do boarder runs every 90 days. In fact it would have been cheaper and less hassle to pay the Tea Money or use an Agent ,But at least going the Multi Non O route I was 100% legitimate and my conscience was clear.
This year I would have done the same but because of Covid-19 and the borders being closed I had to bring money I had in the UK to meet the requirements or pay some Tea Money. I was lucky that I had the money but many dont.
The simple fact is ... if you can meet the Immigration requirements then they cant ask you for tea money. If you are sure you can meet the requirements and you are still being asked to pay ,then maybe you could have a word with the Top Official at the IO. ( but ask very politely)
So if you cant meet the strict monetary requirements ( and you have no other options like Savannakhet ) I would pay-up and hand the money over with a smile ( remember they are doing you a favour ) , which is far better then being told to leave or being thrown out .

[dimple joe]

Tony, I am struggling to get my head around this
You cannot meet the financial requirements to stay here
Immigration offered you an under the table solution
you want to mount a CLASS ACTION to engage a good Thai Lawyer (which I have) to keep the BURIRAM THAI IMMIGRATION OFFICE STAFF honest.
you win this.....
net result is you have spent lots of money, happy lawyer, but you still cannot meet the requirements so return to Oz.....
Note I did not say Australia for fear of offending our serial complainer Tassie

[TonyT]

Never mind.

[TonyT]

The point I am trying to make is that although I may not be able to make the letter of the demand, I am more than capable of covering all of my expenses for myself & my wife. What the Thai Government is doing is:
1: Missing out on their additional overseas funds
2: Ensuring that I will be left destitute
3: Ensuring that my wife will be left with no means of income
4: Propagate the rampant corruption in this country

Sure, she will have a very nice house to live in but no means to enjoy that & no means to realise it's value on the present dead Thai property market.

It seems to me that they are suiting themselves in the foot by treating the farang very unfairly. Perhaps you do not understand the whole picture by taking such a narrow view of things.

Thanks for trying anyway. I know it is hard some times.

[Smithy]

The point I am trying to make is that although I may not be able to make the letter of the demand, I am more than capable of covering all of my expenses for myself & my wife. What the Thai Government is doing is:
1: Missing out on their additional overseas funds
2: Ensuring that I will be left destitute
3: Ensuring that my wife will be left with no means of income
4: Propagate the rampant corruption in this country

Sure, she will have a very nice house to live in but no means to enjoy that & no means to realise it's value on the present dead Thai property market.

It seems to me that they are suiting themselves in the foot by treating the farang very unfairly. Perhaps you do not understand the whole picture by taking such a narrow view of things.

Thanks for trying anyway. I know it is hard some times.

I do understand what you are trying to say. When I first came to Thailand there was 76 Baht to the GBP. Now it's half of that .Also when I first arrived here the monetary requirements were 400k for Retirement and 200k for a Marriage extension. As I had a Thai company and work permit and was on a Non O Visa so it was never an option for me because I wasn't married and was under 50 , but I still have a friend in Koh Samui that's still on a retirement extension and has had his extension grandfathers to this day and still only needs 400K .
This thread could be a good read for those thinking of coming to retire in Thailand as its not all wine and rose's and there are lessons to be learnt
I have seen many Westerners fall foul over the years and run short of money, ill heath and having to pay big bill's has wiped out many peoples life savings that could have supported their wife's/partners after their demise .
The fact is, even after 20 years of living in Thailand I have no more rights than I did 17 years ago when I first got married.If I cant meet the requirements I must leave or of find other ways of staying legally. There is no human Rights or Thai MP's watching our back's like there are in the west !!
But I knew this before I decided to stay. The rules haven't change that much in the last 17 years but I do think as the Baht has become stronger the monetary requirements have been harder to meet for many Expats .So its a good thing that a few Immigration Offices try to help those that cant meet those requirements.There are many Expats here that wouldn't be if there wasn't a little bit corruption ( as you call it ), whether is through IO's or Agents .The Thai Immigration  could ease the monetary burden if they really wanted to but I doubt very much they ever will.......the last thing they want is an influx of poor low ends Farang living on a budget,they have enough of them already 

[Starman]

I have never heard about tea money being asked for in the case of a marriage extension. The reasons given that immigration could not facilitate this being that all marriage extension applications are sent to Area 4 Head Office in Khon Kaen. The final decision is made by them and not Buriram Immigration.

I understand that some people have been offered the option of tea money for retirement extensions. This likely due to the fact Buriram Immigration know full well that quite a few expats, who are resident in Buriram, use a facility offered by another immigration office that is located in a tourist area. I guess they want a piece of the action.

[pagan1]

TonyT ...........Whilst I have some sympathy for your position  (non of us here like to see the Baht continue to strengthen any further) I find some of your statements astounding.
Firstly you state 'Since the changes in income required to obtain a Marriage Visa'. As I understand it the requirements for the Marriage Extension have been the same for years
Secondly you complain that you are not in a position to meet the Immigration requirement that the Thai Government requires. I am sure there are thousands of people who would like to emigrate to Australia but I see little chance of the Australian Government (or any other country) relaxing their requirements to allow increased levels of immigration. Like most countries Thailand is looking for immigrants who will contribute to the country (ie cheap labour or wealth creators)
Thirdly, you suggest that he Thai Government has put you in an impossible position which is detrimental to your family. The Thai Government has changed nothing. If you refuse to blame yourself for the situation try taking action against the world money markets for the current exchange rates or the Australian Government for your poor pension.

Sorry to be so blunt and critical but this is a hole you need to dig yourself out of. As Smithy posted, it is fortunate that Thailand offers methods to get around problems (ie Border hop). Another method is the 20K payment which I too abhor on principle. However I know a number of people who are grateful for this option and who knows in 10 years time I may need it myself. At least in Thailand there are some options available to you (in many countries the computer just says NO ......now p*** off ).
Taking legal action against the Immigration Dept would be the last thing on my list. You will have a better chance of getting Australia to double your pension.
If its any consolation look at the value of the UK pound, the UK pension and the state of the UK at the moment Now that will make you weep !!!

[Smithy]

If its any consolation look at the value of the UK pound, the UK pension and the state of the UK at the moment Now that will make you weep !!!

To f**king right        

[Geordie Boy]

My extension of stay is due for renwal on the 15th of Feb every year, as it has been for the last 16 years. I go to the office, present my income, previously a letter from the Embassy, now a bank statement showing transfers of at least 65K per month. They stamp my passport for another years extension. I pay them 1,900 Baht, job done.
I am sorry that the OP does not have the financial means to meet the longstanding requirements to obtain an extension of stay, they have never changed (excluding the non issue of income statement by some countries) since I started my extension.
Prior to using this methodology I would return to the UK every year and apply for a Multi entry Non O. I used that method for 6 years.
I am aware, that option is not available now, as I understand Savanakhet and Phnom Phen still offered this option when the borders were open pre Covid.
I hate to sound harsh, but if you cannot meet the requirements that immigration officials demand, which despite your commets have not changed, then that is you problem.
Think of the rules in the country where you hold a passport from, would you be happy if they just allowed anyone to stay there?

[TonyT]

Thank you all for your thoughtful (?) and helpful (?) comments.
Subject closed as you all appear to condone the rampant goings on that I report. 

[CO-CO]

Since the changes in income required to obtain a Marriage Visa it has become common knowledge that the Buriram Thai Immigration office has been running a scam to encourage people renewing their visas to pay a fee of 20,000 baht to overlook the need to show 40,000 baht per month  being lodged into the applicants Thai bank account  to qualify for renewal of one's visa.
I have been living in Thailand for over 10 years, have married & purchased a residential house for near to Thai Baht 2m. In that time the AUD conversion rate has eroded from 32 Baht/AUD to 20 Baht/AUD which means my Australian pension is having troubles meeting the new criteria.
The whole of the Thai Immigration Office staff for the previous year has been doing their best to get as many people as possible to pay this fee.

I, for one, would find it hard to return to Australia as the Australian Centrelink has insistedd that I had to sell my Australian Property to continue to receive my Australian pension.

The purpose of this post is to find others in the same situation who are willing to join with me to mount a CLASS ACTION to engage a good Thai Lawyer (which I have) to keep the BURIRAM THAI IMMIGRATION OFFICE STAFF honest. It can be done as i know these people will readily back down when they are challenged.

With my last renewal (I have just learned) after I brought their fee down to Baht 5,000 that they had talked my wife to contribute Baht10,000 (unbeknown to me) for my visa to be approved.

My visa runs out early next year but if you are also having the same problem I invite you to reply to me such that I can arrange suitable help.

What changes in income ?

The requirement for a marriage extension has been 40k per month since I have been here (2006).

If you are referring to the fraudulent practice of declaring a false income to obtain an embassy letter  -  yes, that has changed.

Note:-  Buriram Immigration do not have the authority to approve extensions based on marriage; any 'paid for' extensions would need to be retirement extensions as is the case in Pattaya.

[TonyT]

Thanks for your reply but it is factually wrong in many ways.
(1) Reported income used to be that which was received overseas, it is now that which you choose to deposit in a Thai bank account. This is your net income you will spend in Thailand. Most of us do purchase goods overseas which are normally paid in your home currency as this is more readily accepted
(2) Thai Immigration in Buriram now do not even look at your declarations made to your embassy as it includes your gross income
(3) The local TI office effectively decide your monetary declaration as they do not forward on the evidence you produce, presumably just the local interpretation of what you presented.