TB Immigration Info Letter 019/19 – Kanchanaburi Immigration

It was time again for my annual renewal. Given our move to LatYa, I had to go to Kanchanaburi Immigration for that. I would temporarily, because of the construction, stay with Thai friends at 200 meters from the yard. My wife will remain registered in Bangkok at our old address for the time being. It would be my second visit to this immigration office.

1. TM30 message.
The first visit was in January for the TM30 report. No problem to park the car in the courtyard. On arrival up the stairs and into the main entrance. Apart from a few Burmese (I suspect), no other visitors.
You will see four counters in front of you.
– TM30 message
– 90 days notice
– Extension
– Re-entry / Certificate of Residence
There is also a device to take a serial number, a table with enough forms to fill in notifications or requests and some chairs. I want to take a number, but a female immigration officer is already asking me what I'm coming for. I tell her for the TM30 report and point to the relevant counter. She says sorry, but we moved it to another building. She explains to me that when I get out of here, I have to turn right and then it's about 30 meters further. That little building on the left. So I as described to that building. On the way I meet another female immigration officer and show my forms and say TM30. She smiles and points to the building. Inside, two men in civilian clothes sit at their desks. No other visitors. One of them takes my documents, fills out a slip and hands it to me. Finished. Too bad it's not specified (or maybe I didn't see it) that you have to be built in a different one for the TM30 notifications. But even then I was actually done in 10 minutes.

Documents needed:
– TM30 form
– Copy passport page personal data
– Copy passport “Arrival” stamp
– Copy TM6
– Copy ID of the person who provides you with accommodation.
– Copy page Tabien Baan with address details and possibly the name of the person who provides you with accommodation.

2.Extension
This week it was time for my annual renewal. Back to the immigration office. Again no problems parking the car in the courtyard. Back up the stairs and into the main entrance. Inside one “Farang” is waiting with his wife/girlfriend, otherwise only Burmese. Female immigration officers are behind two of the four counters. I take a tracking number. Even before I want to sit down on one of the chairs (15) that are there, I get to see my number. I hand over my documents. She checks them and also asks for my bank book. When she also sees my “Affidavit” from the Belgian embassy at that moment, she immediately realizes her mistake and says “Sorry no need bankbook, you have income letter from Embassy”. This “Affidavit” does not have to be translated or legalized by Thai Foreign Affairs. I was afraid of the expiration date. Normally an “Affidavit” is valid for 6 months, but some immigration offices require no more than 1 month. I had gotten this “Affidavit” in January before we moved, so I didn't have to go back to Bangkok especially and it was therefore older than a month. But that turned out to be no problem for this immigration office. I also always have an English statement from the pension service attached to “Affidavit” (you can simply request it by email and it is especially intended to be used abroad). Doesn't really have to and I get that back in Bangkok, but it was kept here anyway.

Then there was a glitch in the process. The rental contact. I hadn't thought of it of course because, being married, I never needed it either. But my situation is now temporarily different and I could have known that. I'm temporarily staying with Thai friends and don't have to pay rent for it (of course I'll compensate for that in some other way, because I don't want my stay to cost them). Still, people want to see a rental contract for an extension if you are not married and/or not staying in your own home. “Those are the boss's rules,” she said. “But otherwise quickly draw up one, then you don't have to come back especially.” Our friends then went behind such a form, filled it in, tax stamps on it and that's it. She then made a copy of it herself, added it to the documents, returned the original and that's it. Speaking of customer focus. Top. Then just wait until all the stamps and signatures are set and you're done. If you have everything in order, you are ready in about 20 minutes. When handing over my passport, she tells me that I may also expect visitors from immigration. This because I had indicated that I only live with those friends temporarily. If you move just come and report it let me know. She smiles and wishes us a nice day. I look in my passport and see that the extension is allowed until April 10, 2020. No “Under consideration” stamp. Well yes good. In my passport is also the receipt of the 1900 Baht and a ticket that my 90 day report date is April 13th. 90 days after my last entry.

Required documents and evidence (although married I always go for the “Retirement” extension and with an “Affidavit” from the Belgian embassy):
– 1900 Baht (for the extension)
– TM7 – Extension of stay. Completed and signed.
- Passport
- Passport photograph
– Copy passport page personal data
– Copy passport visa page
– Copy of passport last extension page (if applicable)
– Copy passport last “Arrival” stamp
– Copy TM6
– Affidavit Belgian Embassy
(For Dutch people it is the Visa Support Letter)
– Copy rental contract
– Copy ID card of the person who accommodated you and signed by that person.
– Copy Tabien Baan and signed by the person
– Copy TM30
– Copy of 90 day report (if applicable)
– Drawing of the road to your place of residence (relative to a known place. So not necessarily from immigration, but from a known local place such as a main road, hospital, town hall, bridge, temple, etc…)
– All copies must be signed

3. Immigration visit
As she had said I could expect a visit from immigration. Phone the next day. Immigration and if we were home today. Now that was fast. When they arrive, a group of five people get out. So manpower enough. Very friendly and everything went very smoothly. Took some pictures, some questions about what I used to do, how long have I been married, why we both lived at different addresses (i.e. construction), how long have we known our friends, etc. The boss of the group told me that he would also retired. He would then receive a 35000 Baht pension. Then I thought it was quite a good pension for Thailand. This is also quite good for Thailand, he thought. He also had a small Resort in Sai Yok, with 4 bungalows for 6 people, which he then rented out. What I did find funny is the conversation about immigration with the friend I'm staying with. He is military, but retired. I didn't know, but according to a certain law, immigration, police, or whoever, is not allowed to question military personnel about what they are doing or did. They may then only answer with yes / no or simply not. So it comes down to the fact that that statement says no more than that I stay as a friend in his house while waiting for the end of construction. We have known each other for more than 20 years through my wife, who her father was also a soldier in the same quarter. And that he is a (ex) military and that no further explanation could be taken about his past. Not that it was a problem. In Kanchanaburi there are enough soldiers walking around. You must be unlucky not to encounter one and they are familiar with that situation. After half an hour they were gone. If you move let us know and we'll come by for some pictures they said and that was it.

4. Overall impression of this immigration office and the immigration officers who work there has been extremely positive to me. Friendly, calm and customer-oriented. No crowds. What also struck me is that there are no people hanging around at this immigration office who offer to “help” you with your application. All seem to have disappeared since there is a new boss. You will also see signs everywhere that indicate that “No tips” may be asked and/or offered. I was not informed about new rules that would be in force. Maybe because it makes no difference to me because I work with a “proof of income” (“Affidavit” in this case) with sufficient income and that was possible with both the old rules and the new rules. But that didn't really surprise me, because a blog reader who has been living there for a while had already obtained information about this from immigration. They managed to tell him that the boss there had decided to postpone the rules until early next year. This is to give everyone the chance to adapt to the new rules. If they were to apply this, it would seem to me to be a very sensible and customer-friendly solution. Still better than rushing to introduce new rules. So it may be that as JVC wrote earlier in a response, that some immigration offices did not immediately introduce the rules on March 1 and they can decide for themselves when they do. Eventually, of course, they will all have to do that.

In summary. Kanchanaburi Immigration is an immigration office that may serve as a model for the immigration offices in Thailand

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Regards,

RonnyLatYa