@Lauren ******

In CM they actually put a stamp in my passport with the date for my first 90-day report.. which was very helpful of them

What people seem to forget.. is that if you feed the habit then that habit eventually gets bigger and more expensive over time.. what starts out as a few hundred bht soon becomes a few thousand and so on.. paying back-handers to IO's that are effectively scamming you is making a rod for your own back.. as well as everyone else that uses the immigration service.. they already use a process that makes you apply and then re-apply for what is effectively the same visa.. spinning you in circles until you are glad to pay anything they ask just to get to the end of the process.. the system could easily be streamlined to make it more efficient and less expensive to run.. with much better turnaround times and greater uniformity nationally.. but this would destroy the ability of IO's to 'moonlight' and make it difficult for said corrupticians to serve the agents that need some flexibility.. the shadow industry of profiting from non-qualifying visa applicants would be eradicated.. but that is clearly not an important objective for the authorities.. imo the current system is designed to maximize revenue before finally allowing somebody to hold a long term visa.. and is abused wherever there is extra money to be made!

@Kool ******

Nothing to do with right or wrong my friend.. we are sharing experiences in this group to help educate people on the processes and protocols relating to immigration matters.. you've shared your prior experience as it related to you when you last interacted with immigration.. I've shared my experience, which was reported on the day i was at CM immigration, which was yesterday.. so I'm guessing more recent than your last interaction.. it just might be possible that they have changed the rules.. or at least their interpretation of them.. so people need to be aware of this in case it affects them.. a smooth application process rests on good preparation and these threads will help people prepare.. I'm not interested in being right because this is not my opinion versus yours.. it's what came out of the mouth of an IO only yesterday.. so that trumps both of us.. and if someone reports that they were treated differently next week then so be it.. it's about the application of rules today not last week or last year.. and that is an ever changing quagmire!

@Kool ******

You are not reading my words my friend.. i was TOLD by the immigration officer that i need to include an original Korror 22 with the Amphur stamp on it EVERY time i make ANY application to immigration.. including my next annual extension.. and that document will not be returned to me.. so unless you have the power to override his decision and grant me an exception to the stated ruling.. i will choose to follow the directive from them.. it may work differently in other provinces of course.. but in CM this is the current requirement.. stating what has happened in the past does not mean it is currently the practice.. and you are misleading people by suggesting your view is factual.. especially when somebody else reports their experience on the day of attending immigration in person.. your insistance suggests that either you think i am mistaken and didn't understand what the IO said.. or that this was a rule they applied to me only and it will not apply to you or anyone else in the future.. the reality is that anyone making an application that demands production of a Korror 22 should take 1 original and 1 copy.. and should not expect to have the original returned to them.. irrespective of it being an initial application or their tenth application.. it's important to manage expectations here because they may need the original Korror 22 for another purpose.. and if they haven't already sourced multiple 'originals' it means another trip down to the Amphur.. better to plan for the worst scenario than to hope for the best!

@Kool ******

Well he wouldn't let me leave with the original today.. insisted one original and one copy were submitted.. ie. one of the 2 application packs had to contain an original.. so either i was unlucky to catch this particular IO or they have changed the rules more recently.. can only state what happened and how it was resolved ;)

@Kool ******

Just to clarify.. the Korror 22 was issued by the Amphur when we registered our marriage.. which included the certified translation since it was outside of,essentiall Thailand and written in English.. but it also confirmed my residence in the marital home which is owned by my wife.. and was a key document in getting my 'yellow book' and the 'pink ID card'.. but immigration in CM made it clear that they would want an original Korror 22 attached to every future application (ie. extension) and a photocopy would not be acceptable.. but as we all know, the next officer appraising my documents may not see it as essential!

What is your current marital and residential status in Thailand? Are you married to a Thai? Do you live in a private residence owned by said wife.. or perhaps another relative? What visa do you presenly hold, if any, and how long is left on it? This is all relevant to the banks.. and with a better understanding of your situation you might get some better advice my friend

PS. I forgot to mention that the DLT in CM also demanded production of a pink ID card.. which i was expected to have since i was in the process of applying for my non-o 'married' visa.. and already had my yellow book in respect of our marital home.. i was unaware of this ID at the time so didn't have it and nearly got my license application rejected because of this.. but was eventually granted an exemption on this provided i sorted it out and provided proof of this later.. was the first time any govt official had demonstrated any flexibility in all of my dealings with the authorities here.. but as other people have stated elsewhere you shouldn't expect any reasoning.. or even standardization of protocols between different offices in different provinces.. since your fate is always at the whim of the officer you deal with on the day!

@Brandon ***********

I understand that.. but i did make reference to the immigration process in CM in my thread.. so that the reader could get an understanding of what happens in my locality.. as there are so many immigration offices not to mention thousands of Amphurs across Thailand it should be understood that processes may indeed vary.. so readers need to check with their local administration centres.. the intention was to give readers 'the gist' of what to expect rather than a hard and fast solution.. because as well all know this is Thailand 😉

As regards your driving license.. appointments at the DLT in CM are usually backed up and being booked around 3-weeks in advance.. meaning an online booking on 1-Aug will offer you an appointment around 22-25 Aug say.. so again time on your stamp is critical if you don't have an extended visa.. but you can drive on your overseas driving license for 3-months.. I'd suggest you get an International Permit or License from home country prior to travelling.. which will make your transition painless.. meaning 'less' pain not zero pain.. lol.. and again it's an inexpensive process so use of an agent is really unnecessary.. since you would have plenty of time to do this if you are in country continuously for 90-days.. when technically you would need to acquire a Thai license.. and i believe border runs would reset that clock anyway.. so perhaps there is no rush to do this?