ThunderRd

I am interested in specific information regarding the Udon office and their [perhaps unique?] requirements, as that's the town where my kids go to school and where I would likely reside, should I get through all the red tape.

9 hours ago, Liquorice said:

Visa (Non O), or 1 year extension of stay permit?

 

For 1 year extensions, read clause 2.11 of Immigration order 327/2557 for the criteria and financial requirements to apply as the parent of a child permitted a stay to study in Thailand.

327-2557 (2014) - Criteria for extension ENG.pdf 504.7 kB · 0 downloads  

 

Thank you for this

1 minute ago, Liquorice said:

If you don't want to go down that route, then a further option, assuming you can obtain the Non Imm O from Vientiane, is to employ an 'agent' to obtain the 1 year extension on your behalf for circa 25K THB.

I've got two kids, [Lao nationals] 18 and 20.  The 18 year old is in his last year of high school and my older one is in college in Thailand.

Is there a way to get a visa by proving parental support of foreign nationals on student visas?

41 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

You might want to check your tax payment requirements in Thailand if using "income" to support your stay. Thailand has said they will be making tax claims on such money starting in 2024.

I'm aware of this; I know everyone is waiting for clarity.  I've got a tax ID in Thailand because I worked in Thailand for 15 years prior to living in Laos.

42 minutes ago, Liquorice said:

For extensions based on retirement, Thai Immigration only accept income from pensions, investments, or dividends .......................... not from employment.

Ok, well that shoots that idea then 😀  I'm not quite old enough to show pension payments yet.

3 minutes ago, Liquorice said:

I think you'd have to inform the Thai Embassy that you are a US citizen and your Embassy no longer issues the Income letter, but you can provide 12 Thai bank statements detailing over 65K THB monthly transfers and see if that would be acceptable.

Thanks for this, maybe I'll try emailing the Thai Embassy and asking them directly if this is an acceptable route. I have my doubts that I'll get a response from them but it's certainly worth a try before making an appointment and finding out they don't actually accept this.  I know that Embassy officials can be quite uneven in their requirements.

11 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

If from USA that is the method used - 65k per month documented to come from overseas for income method.  As for Embassy/Consulate they are not immigration so could accept something else for visa issue - but suspect this is just an oversight as the 65k per month is only required for about 3 countries - all others immigration will accept Embassy letter of income.  If you can not meet the income requirement the 800k in bank account only needs 2 or 3 months before one year extension can be provided.

Thank you. 

The funds are deposited on the same day each month from a Taiwanese company, so are shown on my bank statement as 'X1/FRCI', which is the code for a foreign bank origin.  I can easily show this deposit for the last year by producing copies of my monthly statement from SCB.

I suppose it's worth a try, I guess the only risk is the application fee and my time invested if they refuse to issue a visa.  I was hoping for someone to chime in and say they'd done it successfully this way 😀

By the way, I've no intention whatsoever to tie up 800K in a Thai bank account.  If I can't do this via monthly income proof, it's a deal-breaker.

36 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

US citizen your embassy does not provide "income letter " 

You require funds in bank

Are you saying that US cits cannot avail themselves of the monthly income method?

32 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

  The current income proof is 12 months of 65k or above each month to a Thai bank account in your name only. 

Thanks for your response. 

So if I understand you correctly, they left this option out of their requirements on the Embassy webpage, which states clearly that:

Quote

A letter from a Thai bank certifying that the applicant holds a bank account with a fund of at least 800,000 baht; or a letter issued or certified by an Embassy/Consulate that the applicant has a monthly income of at least 65,000 baht

Are you saying that I can simply show a copy of my bank records indicating a monthly deposit, and that is sufficient without a certifying letter from my embassy?  I can easily show the monthly deposit for the past year.

I live in Laos and am considering a change to Thailand.  I've looked at the requirements for a Non-O, 90-day visa at the Embassy in Vientiane, near where I live.

From the Embassy website, under Non-O requirements:

Quote

 

Retirement

At least 50 years old

A letter from a Thai bank certifying that the applicant holds a bank account with a fund of at least 800,000 baht; or a letter issued or certified by an Embassy/Consulate that the applicant has a monthly income of at least 65,000 baht
(or equivalent in other currency)

 

I have an regular overseas income well in excess of the required 65,000THB.  I can show this income for the past year.  I have contacted the US Embassy in Vientiane and they have informed me that:

Quote

The U.S. Embassy cannot confirm your income, but can complete an affidavit on your behalf.  We have a blank affidavit form that you can complete at the Embassy

I was already aware that they could not confirm the income.  They will, however, notarize a sworn statement that I make in the presence of the Embassy official regarding my income.

Would this affidavit, along with my bank records showing a monthly deposit into my Thai bank account at SCB, be enough for a 90-day Non-O, or am I wasting my time?

Hi Joe, thanks for the information.

Regarding contacting the Embassy, how is that done?  (In person by appointment, or can I get information by email?)  Without the physical documents they need from the school to get their new student visas [which have now expired], I'm not sure what the best way to make contact with the Embassy is.

Hi, I'm not sure if this is the proper forum, if it's not please move my post.

My family resides in Laos, but my two children go to high school in Thailand.  They were here in Vientiane when the Corona outbreak came, and have been here since.  School is scheduled to open in Thailand in early July.  The bridge entry to Thailand is still closed, and I am wondering what to do to get them back to Thailand in time for school opening.

Does anyone have any information on when the Friendship Bridge is scheduled to re-open to Lao nationals?

Thanks if you can help!

3 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

It would require a new work permit application by the 2nd employer and the existing one being cancelled.

If you actually have a 90 day non-b visa entry it would not be affected. If on an extension of stay based upon working it would have to be changed to the 2nd employer after the existing one is canceled.

Hi Joe, I am on visa extensions for the last 13 years, and the same work permit also renewed each year.

My current visa ex and WP expire on 31 March.  I'd like to make the secondary employer the primary one, and switch the current primary one to the secondary.  Am I understanding correctly that this could all be done without getting a new B visa from a Thai embassy in the name of the [currently] second employer?

If that is possible, that's great...what exactly would I have to do?  Having never done anything like this before, I'm not sure what the procedure is.

Thanks for the info.

I have a work permit with a primary employer, and a secondary employer endorsed in the back section.  My visa is attached of course to the primary employer.

Can the empoyer roles be switched without leaving the country and starting a new visa/work permit process?

@ubonjoe

Just a quick check here after thinking about it; I can extend for the 3 months tomorrow, then get the kids to Laos during that time for the new passports, after getting re-entry permits for each of them, then re-enter the country on the new passports, then go to immigration and get the visa transferred into the new passport, and finally get the visa extended again?

Two questions; when I extend the visa the second time, it will be for 9 months, meaning the balance of a 1-year visa, correct?

How do I make sure, at the time they are coming back from Laos with the new passports, that the immigration officer sees they are returning on a re-entry permit?  They should be stamped back into the country with the balance of the time left on the visa [until December 20]?

Thanks again for the help.

Great.  Thank you for the quick answer, Joe.

Hi, my children are Lao nationals that go to school here in Thailand.  I renew their Ed visas each year with the appropriate documents from their school.  I am ready to do that now, their current visas expire at the end of next week.

While looking at their documents for the last time before going to immigration tomorrow morning, I was shocked to find that their passports are scheduled to expire on December 20th of this year.  I somehow did not realize that their passports have only a 5-year expiry, and this fell through the cracks in my preparation.

The question is, will immigration give them visas for the period from now until December, which would give me time to get them the new passports, or will immigration tell me that they will not give them visa extensions until they have new passports?  If that is the case, they will surely lose their visas, and I will have to start over at the embassy in Vientiane.

I am hoping that I can get them extensions for the next three months, which will give us time to get new passports, and then extend again in the new passports.

Thanks for any reliable info.

Thanks for that, I'll take a look

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