Soi 102 Immigration moving to Prachuap

[MrPlum]

The email address is obviously correct, I did not receive any failure message. The sender of the email I received pointed out in his message to the governor the environmental issue (pollution, waste of energy, etc.) beside the inconvenience.

Thanks. I don't doubt it's a real email address. Just curious that a governor or his office would create an email address with m77000001 as a prefix. No matter.

Don't the Thais object to criticism and more likely to be resistant? I would have thought some subtlety was more appropriate. Again, just tossing it out there...

Wondering too if this change has more to do with Bangkok Immigration being snowed under and trying to relieve the workload than the lease running out in HH?

[lomuamart]

Not sure what you mean at the end of your post, Mr Plum. There are two issues, the first of which is that BKK is certainly snowed under (by all reports) and that's why they've been de-centralising immigration matters for some time. That de-centralisation has now been put into regulation.
So, we need to get our extensions locally now. I don't think that the HH office relocating to Prachuab has anything to do with BKK's decision.
The thing I'm not clear on is reporting. You can still do it by post to BKK and I believe you can still do it in person at any Imm office. So, if you happen to be on holiday up in Nong Khai when you should be reporting, you can do it there.
It's the extensions that will have to be done in HH/Prachuab and after all that's normally where your file will be (assuming that you've had a previous extension) so that sort of makes sense.
I'll have to report on Monday or Tuesday and I'll try and remember to ask the lady what the rules are now regarding it.

[Nereus]

Lomu, do you have any idea how to go about changing ones address, say from Hua Hin to Bangkok? I have property in both places, but use Hua Hin because that is where I was when I got the first retirement extension. At the moment I am in Bangkok more than Hua Hin, so if the planned change goes ahead I would look at changing to Bangkok.

[lomuamart]

I'm not a 100% sure about this, but I would have thought that you'd need to show house papers to BKK and then arrange for your file to be sent up from HH. I can't imagine that it would be any more difficult than that - famous last words.
BTW, I think you'll find that the change isn't a proposal, it's now in effect as of February 15th 2009.

[Khundon1975]

If it is the same Governor as we met, he was a nice guy (he gave the wife 4 damn great trees for the garden and a troop of squaddies to plant them) and was very approachable.

He may well welcome feedback on the IM office closure, by the farang community in HH.

[Pundi64]

I've heard skutlebutt that a bunch frangs are getting together a petition to see if they can pass that onto the King to look into this matter. With none or very few frangs living at the newly appointed location in Prachaup, down south where we have to go as of 20th this month, it seems totally ridiculous not to have an office here in Hua Hin. Any varification on this

[CraigDunn]

A Swedish friend of mine who runs an association of Swedish expats told me yesterday that they had had a meeting with immigration officials last week and learned that a suitable house has been located on Soi 43, but that it needs 4 or 5 air-con units and the Swedish group - who have been talking about a petition - are now searching for others to contribute to the cost of the ACs.

This post is bit vague, I know, but I'll see Lars later today and hopefully post some detail then.

Maybe we should all contribute together (perhaps through HHAD + affiliates for this purpose?) and get this issue resolved. If we do it as a community, it would not reek of corruption as it would if one local farang-run business did it.

Please post thoughts and reactions to this idea - I'll log in again today about 5pm when Lars is here.

cd.

[Roel]

I admit being a layman but a farang petition to his Majesty the King does not sound like the right procedure to me.

[Khundon1975]

A Swedish friend of mine who runs an association of Swedish expats told me yesterday that they had had a meeting with immigration officials last week and learned that a suitable house has been located on Soi 43, but that it needs 4 or 5 air-con units and the Swedish group - who have been talking about a petition - are now searching for others to contribute to the cost of the ACs.

This post is bit vague, I know, but I'll see Lars later today and hopefully post some detail then.

Maybe we should all contribute together (perhaps through HHAD + affiliates for this purpose?) and get this issue resolved. If we do it as a community, it would not reek of corruption as it would if one local farang-run business did it.

Please post thoughts and reactions to this idea - I'll log in again today about 5pm when Lars is here.

cd.

Hi CraigDunn

Are Immigration saying that they will not move to IM office in PKK if they can use this office on soi 43? and all they need are 5 ac units?

I look forward to your next post with more info.

[Khundon1975]

I admit being a layman but a farang petition to his Majesty the King does not sound like the right procedure to me.

Agree, petition the Governor instead.

[CraigDunn]

KuhnDon,

""Are Immigration saying that they will not move to IM office in PKK if they can use this office on soi 43? and all they need are 5 ac units?
""

Yes, I think that's it. I'll know more this evening.

Petitions are no good. Up here along Soi Wat Nikro 1, Nong Korn, we (I) petitioned the Changwat Governor's office last year to provide funds (the county owns our soi) to our local council so that they could fix the soi road surface. 285 people signed it, about 25 farangs, the rest almost every Thai adult in the neighbourhood. Our local councillors said they got a bollocking "for not doing their jobs". They called all residents to a meeting, said we'd have to wait 6 - 9 months and admonished the locals not to listen to these *#@*#@ foreigners and absolutely not to sign anything written by one. If I had offered 5 mio baht and a couple of pickups we'd have a fab road by now.

T.I.T. My feeling is that by helping out our friends at immigration we'll generate warmth and cooperation. Respect, though, I think we might have to whistle for.

cd.

[CraigDunn]

OK, here's what I know ...

One of the members of the Swedish society, of which my friend Lars is an administrator, is married to one of the ladies at Immigration. Through this channel the Swedes have learned that Immigration has access to a house on Hua Hin Soi 43, rent is not a problem, nor is furniture, but the house needs 5 air-con units. There's been no official request for the farang community to help out here, but the suggestion is heavy in the air.

The Swedish society admin group will have a meeting on Thursday this week (5th March) and may decide to ask their members to contribute. Of course, they'd like to offer this opportunity to non-Swedes too.

So I've taken it upon myself to gather reactions and input from HHAD readers and will confer with Lars on Friday.

5 ACs, medium and small I'm guessing (it's a townhouse) cannot cost more than 100.000 baht. Between those of us who work in the real-estate sector we should be able to get a good deal, offering positive publicity for the lucky contractor. 100.000 baht, 200 ways is 500 baht per person.

Do we think we could pull this together? Perhaps we could involve Lung Tuck, or a downtown law office, to gather the funds? I think it's do-able, with a bit of goodwill and positive approach. I'd rather have a wee party at the new, cool, Immigration Office than drive all the way down to DanSinghKorn (used to do that years ago - it's a beeeeaaaach!)

RSVP, and don't be slow - time's a wastin ...

cd.

[JD]

I'll donate 5,000 Baht to the process. It would benefit everyone in the long run.

Not sure about giving payment for the work to an individual though, (LT or otherwise). Would be happier to give to the Swedish Society so that they can pay for the work to be carried out. I'm sure they could 'promise' to pay for the aircon, if the immigration office gave a promise that they would move into the proposed offices.

[Super Joe]

Think it's a great idea if they do actually re-locate to the premises . Me and a few I know would be happy to chip in 500 Baht each, irrespective of whether they should be paying for themselves blah blah blah.
We can get LG's installed at something like 13.5k (9,000 Btu) and 24.5k (18,000 Btu) if that's any help.

Good work Craig.

SJ

[Nereus]

Just something else to keep in mind.

If the house needs 5 Aircons, then it is highly likely that the existing electrical installation is not adequate for that amount of load---you may have to rewire the house, and then they will need more facilities for their computers etc.

I do not want to knock this initiative in any way, but it needs to be thought well through, or you may set an unwanted precedent.