Immigration fines my hotel

[Ludhamlad]

So I've been to Jontiem Immigration today to extend my Tourist Visa for 30 days.  It was the first time I'd done it and had been hearing of various problems and expected to have one as all the hotel gave me was a letter saying I checked in on the 13th Feb and check out on the 15th March.  I arrived on the 10th January at this same hotel KTK Royal Residence and had 1 month here then 3 days away and back for 1 more month.  When I told them my arrival date was the 10th Jan they said they had no record of this and could only do it from the Feb date and this would be fine with immigration, I doubted it so made sure I took plenty of cash with me and also was doing it early too.

I go in and show them the papers I had with me and when they see the letter from the hotel they said why have they not dated it from January and you need to call them.  I rang them and handed the phone to the officials who explained things to them, there was to be a fine of 4K Baht payable by the hotel, I had to pay it and then give the receipt to the hotel for them to pay me back.  I paid the 4K Baht and then did get the extension for 1900 Baht.

I came back to the hotel and knew they weren't going to just hand me the 4K back, words were exchanged between us which became heated as she kept saying they had no record of me in January...then she asks me for my passport, checks it and then does find me on the computer and that I had stayed for 31 nights from 10th Jan.  She said the blame was 50/50 and that I should have notified them and that she would give me 2K back, I said I would accept 3K but she refused so I said OK I will go back to Immigration and tell them you are refusing to pay your fine and walked away up to my room.  I'd been in the room for about a minute when the phone rang....''If you come back down to the reception we can give you 3K Baht so I went down and she hands me the money, I said thank you but she didn't say a word just glared at me (loss of face for her in front of other staff).  No more Good Morning or Good Evening to me from now on just Good Riddance when I check out next week....LOL

Immigration said the hotel had let me down and they must pay the fine, they gave me the receipt and the letter about Section 38 that says this......

House owners, heads of households, landlords or managers of hotels who accommodate foreign nationals on a temporary basis who stay in the kingdom legally, must notify the local immigration authorities within 24 hours from the time of arrival of the foreign national.

Section 77.....Whoever fails to comply with the provision of section 38 must be punished with a fine not exceeding 2000 Baht.  If that person is a hotel manager he must be punished with a fine from 2000 Baht to 10000 Baht.

[Ron Rat]

If someone comes back to Thailand with his Tilac to say attend a family funeral or a wedding and spends 7 days in the in laws house in bumfuck nowhere I would like to know how they are going to prosecute. hotels however have no excuse. They should be heading to Jomtiem daily.

I am curious how this 24 hours works if you arrive after 5.00 pm on a friday.

The smarter thing would be to make it within a week and that way it is easier on all concerned. Or do it online as part of the check-in process. Still you are 1000 baht out of pocket and I would let the staff know why you won't be leaving a tip.

 

 

[Goolabert]

There's an on-line system for hotels to use. They have no excuse at all.

[KittenKong]

Nice to see Immigration laying the blame squarely where it belongs, though of course they should have fined the hotel directly.

[Goolabert]

10 hours ago, KittenKong said:

Nice to see Immigration laying the blame squarely where it belongs, though of course they should have fined the hotel directly.

It's a good start but punishing the tourist who has done nothing wrong by withholding an extension is third world bullshit.

There is no reason the hotel cannot have a fine issued and not make the tourist act as the collection agency.

[dnaliaht]

I'm surprised immigration makes you pay the fine and not the hotel personally.

[Pattaya_Brian]

Thailand just becomes more welcoming everyday doesn't it?

[striderman]

1 hour ago, dnaliaht said:

I'm surprised immigration makes you pay the fine and not the hotel personally.

i was sitting in a bar/ guest house upstairs place in LK Metro maybe 2 years ago when immigration rolled up 1 afternoon to check that guests had been correctly registered. they found 2 discrepancies and fined the guest house on the spot. they did not bother any of the falangs in the bar.

[dnaliaht]

1 hour ago, striderman said:

i was sitting in a bar/ guest house upstairs place in LK Metro maybe 2 years ago when immigration rolled up 1 afternoon to check that guests had been correctly registered. they found 2 discrepancies and fined the guest house on the spot. they did not bother any of the falangs in the bar.

Good, that's how it should be. Sending farangs to collect fees that they aren't responsible for is just asking for trouble.

[usexpat46]

21 minutes ago, dnaliaht said:

Good, that's how it should be. Sending farangs to collect fees that they aren't responsible for is just asking for trouble.

Immigration could then come down on the falang for working without a work permit.

[Ludhamlad]

15 hours ago, Goolabert said:

There's an on-line system for hotels to use. They have no excuse at all.

No excuse at all then I don't know how they got it wrong but hope they learn from it.  To say they had no record of my first stay and then to see they did have a record but they can't admit they have made a mistake, it's me who's the bad guy here.

14 hours ago, KittenKong said:

Nice to see Immigration laying the blame squarely where it belongs, though of course they should have fined the hotel directly.

Yea we just don't need the hassle of this.

3 hours ago, Goolabert said:

It's a good start but punishing the tourist who has done nothing wrong by withholding an extension is third world bullshit.

There is no reason the hotel cannot have a fine issued and not make the tourist act as the collection agency.

I suppose I should be thankful to at least get 3K back I'm sure it will happen to some who don't get anything back.

3 hours ago, dnaliaht said:

I'm surprised immigration makes you pay the fine and not the hotel personally.

Must be mind blowing the amount of cash that place is taking on a daily basis, I was far from being the only one.  It's wrong, I knew I was going to have to argue to get money back and it's hassle that we just don't need do we.

2 hours ago, Pattaya_Brian said:

Thailand just becomes more welcoming everyday doesn't it?

LOL....it does indeed Brian 

2 hours ago, striderman said:

i was sitting in a bar/ guest house upstairs place in LK Metro maybe 2 years ago when immigration rolled up 1 afternoon to check that guests had been correctly registered. they found 2 discrepancies and fined the guest house on the spot. they did not bother any of the falangs in the bar.

While I was waiting to go in a bloke came out and said they had fined the guest house 1600 Baht he was staying in so I was not the only one by any means.