Today I went to immigration to extend my "O" marriage visa for the 24th year. There have been changes from time to time but this year is by far the strangest experience I've had. I'd thought I'd share the salient points:
- my wife's (she's Thai) id card will expire on 24 June - that wasn't acceptable.
- all 3 of our home photos were not acceptable - they showed all our family members but not enough of their surroundings. They want photos showing the house. They said just having husband and wife was sufficient.
- our marriage certificate, children's birth certificates and household registration pages (that I've submitted every year for 23 years and as long as the children are old - 14 years) were not acceptable because my name in Thai did not have my middle name as in my passport. I have to have all the Thai documents amended which can only happen after I have a certified translation of my name.
24th visa extension with some hard lessons
24th visa extension with some hard lessons
That was Friday, April 22nd. On Monday, April 25th (Memorial Day), we went back to immigration. The district (ampher) office had added a correcting note to our marriage certificate changing my name to my full name with correct spelling in Thai. They had also added my middle name to two of our 3 children's birth certificates (the 3rd's was born in a different district and is not in Thailand). This they did by a correcting note on the back. They had also added my middle name to the children's pages in the household registration. We got a new bank certification. We submitted all this.
So, we submitted all this. It makes me a little dizzy to think of all that happened in talking in the office but to summarize: They want a certified statement from the consul that I am the same person no matter how my name is spelled,with and without middle initial or middle name.
So, we submitted all this. It makes me a little dizzy to think of all that happened in talking in the office but to summarize: They want a certified statement from the consul that I am the same person no matter how my name is spelled,with and without middle initial or middle name.
Holy Harp
24th visa extension with some hard lessons
I said it before and I happily repeat it: the Thai marriage visa is the most stupid and embarrasing way to stay in this country. Why you allow them to make a fool out of you?
The retirement visa seems to cause much less trouble and doesn't make you feel like an idiot. IMHO.
The retirement visa seems to cause much less trouble and doesn't make you feel like an idiot. IMHO.
24th visa extension with some hard lessons
True the extension based on retirement is a lot easier to obtain but not every expat can meet the 800k baht requirement.
If you are married to a Thai you can always go to Savannakhet in Laos and get a multi entry non 0 visa that can last you for up to 15 months.No proof of income is required but you will have to stay overnight in Savannakhet and pick up the visa the next day.
If you are married to a Thai you can always go to Savannakhet in Laos and get a multi entry non 0 visa that can last you for up to 15 months.No proof of income is required but you will have to stay overnight in Savannakhet and pick up the visa the next day.
Just when I thought our chance had passed,you go and save the best for last.
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24th visa extension with some hard lessons
Im not on a marriage visa but interested to know why you think it is stupid , Embarrassing and it makes the applicant a fool or and idiot ... if not 50 years old or doesnt have the required funds in a Thai bank but have a Thai wife i would think its the reasonable option if one is choosing to live here.........only askingTechland wrote:I said it before and I happily repeat it: the Thai marriage visa is the most stupid and embarrasing way to stay in this country. Why you allow them to make a fool out of you?
The retirement visa seems to cause much less trouble and doesn't make you feel like an idiot. IMHO.
I know Geoffrey and he isnt a fool or stupid in fact a dam nice fella ...a gentleman and after 23 years of renewals i can see why it seems very strange how things went on his 24th visa renewal.
Claret n Blue all way thru .. Up the Iron
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8 minutes is the point of lift off !!!!!!!
24th visa extension with some hard lessons
Sorry, i have to agree. I feel for the OP, and me being me, i just could'nt go through with all that. I would have thrown a sh#tfit. I have always despised men in uniforms and authority pushing their weight around. Unfortunately a smack in the mouth might have made me feel better at the time, but would not have done my visa chances much good. Hence i have as little to do with immigration depts as possible, and have been on multi Os for the last 12 years, and will be forever more until they move the goalposts. I just ca'nt bring myself to do that yes sir, no sir, sorry sir kowtow bullsh#t...Techland wrote:I said it before and I happily repeat it: the Thai marriage visa is the most stupid and embarrasing way to stay in this country. Why you allow them to make a fool out of you?
The retirement visa seems to cause much less trouble and doesn't make you feel like an idiot. IMHO.
24th visa extension with some hard lessons
I would have complied and I'm on a retirement visa it's once a year. Based on monthly income not 800K sometimes you got to do what you got to do. With that many year he could be operating on 200K that might what makes them think its fair game to screw with him.
Thailand is far from the land of smiles in many ways. Things like this don't make the new PM's job any easier getting tourist through the door. Word does get around,
Geof good on you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thailand is far from the land of smiles in many ways. Things like this don't make the new PM's job any easier getting tourist through the door. Word does get around,
Geof good on you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Visa extension with name difficulty.
I went down on Tuesday and got an affidavit for my name(s). Today, Wednesday, Udon Thani immigration wouldn't accept it because of item number 4 on the form; (i.e., "the Consul doesn't guarantee this statement"). They wanted what they give to certify income: a certified statement on letterhead stationary (without an item number 4).
We were able to have the face of our children's birth certificates corrected (with an annotation on the back). We received a new household registration book with my name corrected on all my children's entries. What couldn't be changed was the face of the marriage registration. Even though the Kaw Raw 2 (which is actually the marriage certificate with amendments) had an amendment that corrected my name. I'm sure that this document is acceptable in a Thai court of law.
FYI, I asked to have my name put on the marriage certificate, birth certificates and household registration in English but was told that this is not possible.
I was given a locally-approved 2-month visa extension to "take care of my sons or my wife" while I get my things in order for retirement. They kept my marriage documentation even though I'm not married in their eyes. She told me that they would only give this type of extension if I was going to apply for a retirement visa.
I kind of have to agree with Techland (even if his opinion came across as a little rough). I came away feeling bad, guilty, stupid, foolish. Really; I'm still in shock.
I will apply for a retirement visa; given sufficient time, my other choice would have been to go to the district office and get a divorce and re-register our marriage (an interesting thing about a Thai marriage registration: it tells how long you've been living together).
What amazed me was that before we left she said, "we recommend that when things change, you go back to your original visa type. This discipline can change, it is not always certain."
I wanted to post my experience so that it might benefit others. I think that the normal CYA policies have been turbocharged by the current witch hunt. The local office has received some letter from the regional office in Korat (where our applications are sent) that whoever sends in incomplete documentation will be disciplined.
"When an elephant is on the rampage the grass suffers." - old Chinese proverb
We were able to have the face of our children's birth certificates corrected (with an annotation on the back). We received a new household registration book with my name corrected on all my children's entries. What couldn't be changed was the face of the marriage registration. Even though the Kaw Raw 2 (which is actually the marriage certificate with amendments) had an amendment that corrected my name. I'm sure that this document is acceptable in a Thai court of law.
FYI, I asked to have my name put on the marriage certificate, birth certificates and household registration in English but was told that this is not possible.
I was given a locally-approved 2-month visa extension to "take care of my sons or my wife" while I get my things in order for retirement. They kept my marriage documentation even though I'm not married in their eyes. She told me that they would only give this type of extension if I was going to apply for a retirement visa.
I kind of have to agree with Techland (even if his opinion came across as a little rough). I came away feeling bad, guilty, stupid, foolish. Really; I'm still in shock.
I will apply for a retirement visa; given sufficient time, my other choice would have been to go to the district office and get a divorce and re-register our marriage (an interesting thing about a Thai marriage registration: it tells how long you've been living together).
What amazed me was that before we left she said, "we recommend that when things change, you go back to your original visa type. This discipline can change, it is not always certain."
I wanted to post my experience so that it might benefit others. I think that the normal CYA policies have been turbocharged by the current witch hunt. The local office has received some letter from the regional office in Korat (where our applications are sent) that whoever sends in incomplete documentation will be disciplined.
"When an elephant is on the rampage the grass suffers." - old Chinese proverb
Holy Harp
24th visa extension with some hard lessons
Sorry to read your troubles
Looks like my wife was right in making sure my name was tranlated correctly into Thai
Udon Imm whats all their i 's dotted and t 's crossed
Possible from loss of undeclared income on their side
Looks like my wife was right in making sure my name was tranlated correctly into Thai
Udon Imm whats all their i 's dotted and t 's crossed
Possible from loss of undeclared income on their side
24th visa extension with some hard lessons
years ago after getting maried ( now divorced ) I went as it was then to Nong Khai , I spoke about the marriage Visa possibilities, then I spoke to the bnoss man, who quite honestly stated, do not go down that road for a visa, it is beset with many problems. And so i didn't.
It has come full circle the ability to gain a marriage visa has been increasingly harder and harder as the years have progressed, I personally know of Friends who have come back here after living in their own countries for years with their wives having problems, so it comes as no surprise to see the current crack down and we forget that NBL office was caught out with a couple of hundred false visas granted coupled with false marriages.
As one man said when they asked for witnesses for his marriage actually it was his wife ( Thai ) who said, go to hell in so many words, after 30 years you do not believe me, up yours ( loose translation ) in the end they granted it with some very red faces.
So unless your Thai wife is going in to battle it is far easier and always has been to get a retirement visa, ( providing you qualify ) , keeps the stress level down.
Sorry to hear of your plight Geoffrey, hope your situation will sort itself out soon.
It has come full circle the ability to gain a marriage visa has been increasingly harder and harder as the years have progressed, I personally know of Friends who have come back here after living in their own countries for years with their wives having problems, so it comes as no surprise to see the current crack down and we forget that NBL office was caught out with a couple of hundred false visas granted coupled with false marriages.
As one man said when they asked for witnesses for his marriage actually it was his wife ( Thai ) who said, go to hell in so many words, after 30 years you do not believe me, up yours ( loose translation ) in the end they granted it with some very red faces.
So unless your Thai wife is going in to battle it is far easier and always has been to get a retirement visa, ( providing you qualify ) , keeps the stress level down.
Sorry to hear of your plight Geoffrey, hope your situation will sort itself out soon.
24th visa extension with some hard lessons
if thailand was serious about accepting farang husbands then they would grant citizenship.
temptation is a .....
24th visa extension with some hard lessons
That would be one step too far. It would be ok already to grant what you get in other countries. For example my wife, because she is my wife, has permanent (!) residency permit in Germany. She could (could...) even work there, and is registered for social health care and taxes. No photos, tea money or other nonsense needed.
While she feels welcome and greeted in my home country, I still feel treated like a tourist in her country. And that is not only a feeling, as this thread prooves once again.
While she feels welcome and greeted in my home country, I still feel treated like a tourist in her country. And that is not only a feeling, as this thread prooves once again.
24th visa extension with some hard lessons
Can you please give some more details as I seem to have missed this one. What visa you get and why is marriage a key in it?Zidane wrote:If you are married to a Thai you can always go to Savannakhet in Laos and get a multi entry non 0 visa that can last you for up to 15 months.No proof of income is required but you will have to stay overnight in Savannakhet and pick up the visa the next day.
24th visa extension with some hard lessons
As Zid says...
You have to physically leave Thailand every 90 days to enact the next part of the visa though...but, obviously, no 90 day reporting...
based on being married to a Thai national.a multi entry non 0 visa
You have to physically leave Thailand every 90 days to enact the next part of the visa though...but, obviously, no 90 day reporting...
24th visa extension with some hard lessons
The 90 day reporting is the easy part of the visa's requirements
24th visa extension with some hard lessons
They want the money not the bodyDRILLER wrote:if thailand was serious about accepting farang husbands then they would grant citizenship.
I look for things to really tighten up for a while, with the new law going into effect.
I reserve the right to be wrong, mispell words type badly. leave words out of sentences because my mind works faster then my fingers. To be an OLD GIT I've earned it