somo

16 hours ago, elviajero said:

Obviously switching to a retirement extension would solve the under consideration problem, however, you do have options if you want to stay on an extension based on your marriage.

1. You could apply for (as long as you haven't had one since your last entry) a 60 day extension (no financials needed) that would be granted the day you apply. At the same time get a single entry re-entry permit (1,000 baht). When you return you'll be stamped in for the remainder of the 60 days. At the end of the 60 days you can apply for the 1 year extension (marriage).
2. You could leave and let the current extension end. Whilst in the U.K. you can easily get (by post is an option) an Non Immigrant 'O' visa. You only need a copy of your wife's ID, house book and a copy of your marriage certificate (no financials). When you return you'll be given permission to stay for 90 days and can apply for the 1 year extension (marriage) again within the last 30 (maybe 45) days of the 90.

Extension renewals are effectively new applications so there would, in your current situation, be no disadvantage in taking option 2.

 

Switching to a retirement extension has the advantage of less paperwork and instant approval, but the disadvantage of having to show 800K (if not using any income) in the bank for 3 months rather than 400K for 2 months.

That's great info, thank you.

Option 1 looks good. Can you tell me precisely what I would need when applying for a 60 day extension.

13 hours ago, elviajero said:

I understand your point but I think you are missing mine.

 

If the retirement requirement goes up from 800K any grandfathering would keep the requirement at 800K. IMO it is highly unlikely that the marriage extension would be increased above 800K at the same/next review. I can see the retirement requirement going up to 1m at some point in which case the marriage extension would, in theory, only go up to 500K. Meaning even with grandfathering you'd be better if renewing your extension on the basis of marriage.

 

As you are over 66 and married you have the choice both now and in the future, however, unless you want to tie up 800K now I don't see the point in you changing.

Ok, Understood.

The other reason I am contemplating converting to a retirement extension is that I need to be back in the UK at precisely the time my current marriage extension finishes. This means that I would normally get a 'one month under consideration' extension which will expire while I am away.

The advice I've had here is that there is no way around this as even if I apply early the under consideration period will just be longer and immigration will not confirm the years extension until the current extension date of expiry.

Having said that I went into my local office ( the new one in Chayaphum) and the guy told me to come in a month earlier and he would get it approved in thirty days. Not sure if he can in fact do that or if it will need a donation of some kind to push it through so am in a quandary so to speak.

3 hours ago, elviajero said:

I think you're better off staying on a marriage extension as the money in the bank is always likely to be a lot less than for a retirement extension. And I think it will be many years before it gets anywhere near 800K.

 

I also think that when the next rise happens they will only apply the grandfathering to those that have renewed the retirement extension for several years prior to when the change happens.

 

If you're happy to tie up 800K instead of 400K then go for it, otherwise I personally wouldn't bother.

That is precisely my point. Maybe better to get in on the retirement extensions now rather than wait until the next rise happens.

Thanks for the info. Only 66 now.

Might be worth doing retirement extensions now in case they raise the requirements again anytime soon.

I first started getting these extensions when 200k Baht was required to sit in my bank.

The figure was raised to 400k and since then I have always done that but the other day a friend said

that as I first started with 200k that was all I needed to deposit. Apparently I had been grandfathered or something.

Anyone know if this is true?

I live in Isaan. If I go to Bangkok and stay in a hotel for a few days does this law mean I have to inform the Bangkok police? I thought the hotel was responsible for that not the guest.

10 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

No problem those are not actually required.

You probably have a stamp in your passport that has info about your visa entry and the lost passport that is equal to the original visa.

You also only need the copies of the extensions that are in your new passport.

Immigration has not seen my old passport or copies of it since they transferred the stamps from my old one to my new one.

Thanks for the super fast reply.

Can I also assume a visit to my home will also not be needed? I intend going abroad for a few weeks soon after getting my extension. I live in Chayaphum where there is a new immigration office.

I don't have 4 or 5 above as the original visa was issued 20 years ago and that passport has been lost. I have been getting marriage extensions up until now. Does this mean I cannot now get a retirement extension?

1 hour ago, somo said:

No problem with getting a new passport and all above board. The passport office will know you have legally changed your name but so what, no deception is required. With a new name comes a new life and she can start over again. As testified here I and one other poster know this to be a valid and legal way around the OP's problem.

Having said that there would be no harm in trying to get the decision reversed through normal channels but that may take years and be expensive with no guarantee of getting a result.

IF UK Citizen Thai Immigration, within short time has knowledge about you name change. 

Go the legal way, husband can file a petition, no need  a lawyer. 

---------------

No they will not. There are no records kept of UK citizens changing their name so no one would ever know unless you told them yourself. It is a purely personal choice to do so. The deed poll just enables you to change the name on your bank accounts, credit cards, passport etc. It is no different to a woman changing her name when she gets married but she just uses a marriage certificate instead of the deed poll when applying for a new passport. All perfectly legal.

1 hour ago, Chicog said:

 

One assumes that you still have to provide your birth certificate with a new passport application.

 

I believe that lying on a passport application is a criminal offence, so your squeaky clean has gone right there.

 

I fear the OP can do nothing more than write polite letters to Immigration and the Thai Foreign ministry asking for sympathy.

No problem with getting a new passport and all above board. The passport office will know you have legally changed your name but so what, no deception is required. With a new name comes a new life and she can start over again. As testified here I and one other poster know this to be a valid and legal way around the OP's problem.

Having said that there would be no harm in trying to get the decision reversed through normal channels but that may take years and be expensive with no guarantee of getting a result.

Oh well, retirement it is then.

Seems a flaw in the system that could be easily rectified though.

Thanks for the reply. With the need to book flights etc I can't rely on hopefully getting an early approval. Looks like I either cancel the trip or do a retirement extension. When I do my next 90 day report I may ask if they can give me a longer under consideration period than the normal 30 days. I would have thought that should not really be a problem.

A little off topic but sort of related and saves a new thread

When I apply for my next extension based upon marriage they will give me an under consideration stamp with a report back date on it. The report back date will be 30 days from the date my current extension ends. This report back date seems fixed regardless of whether or not I make the application earlier than required.
My problem is that I will be out of the country on my report back date. (roughly 20th July)
Any advice on on how I can get around this would be much appreciated.
I could do a retirement extension which I think they give the stamp immediately but it seems from this thread once I do that it may be tricky converting back to marriage extensions in the future if I don't have sufficient funds.

On 12/7/2016 at 11:26 AM, glegolo said:

So again, to what you said, create a cesspole just because people like you, or others cant do the right thing, and prefer to corrupt poor immigrant officials... Good on you maybe, and good on these guys that NOT have their VISAS, or extensions, or whatever, in good order.

 

But for the rest of us,,, this will excalate till what we see all over the place here in Thailand,,,, <deleted>-officials that will demand payment to do extensions, to accept that you are even present...

 

I hope anyhow that the employees will have eyes on them from higher places, and stop them to become like you want them to be creaps that cant be trusted and in the end treating us normal guys like shit....... THAT IS WHAT YOU WILL END UP WITH,, with that behaviour that you support so dearly..

 

Glegolo

Take it easy. I was just reporting what happened. If you think Farang are corrupting poor Thai officials you are way off the mark. If you assume the new office is pure and clean and only dirtied by naughty farang you are being naive. I don't want them to be anything and don't support any such behaviour but I don't knock those who pay for a little help either just because my papers are in order. It's just the way things are and have always been. Nothing to do with poor innocent officials being led astray. 

I don't think my 20 Baht payment is going to create a cesspool. The cost of photocopies would have been 10 baht or more.

As for keeping this office in good shape from what I have witnessed it is already too late. People with problems need to have them fixed. What else are they supposed to do? Leave the country? Not doing so is like insisting on paying ten times the amount for a driving offence at a police station instead of sorting it out on the spot. TIT

Did a 90 day report recently and found them very helpful. Hardly said a word to me but just talked to my wife. I just handed him my passport and he did everything else and only asked me to sign the form and a 20 Baht service fee :)

They can also do all extensions as well. 

In addition it would seem that 'problems' can be solved with discretion.

Had a chat with an Aussie who indicated that his rather big problem was being settled for a proportional consideration so it would seem we have a helpful service for all.

I was there only 5 mins which makes a change of 2-3 hours in KK office. 

6 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You cannot do a 90 day report at a different office than the one where you got your extension now unless you do a formal change of address and that will require proof of residence.

I am not confusing the two just responding in part to the above. No one can tell me that if a retiree changes address he cannot use the new local immigration office and also that there is any limit on how often he can change his address. It is ridiculous to claim there is a regulation that commands any retiree to stay in any one location for any specified period of time and that if he doesn't do so then he will be ineligible to extend his stay.

I think this is a grey area. Sometimes you might be asked for proof of address other times not. I know of one retiree who moves around with no fixed abode but he can afford to stay in nice hotels and just calls his agent whenever he needs things done. He has never been asked for an address.

Another guy (not wealthy) who lives in Chaiyaphum does similar through the Pattaya office so fixed address in practice is not an issue. I recently did a 90 day report in Jomtien whilst staying in a hotel there although I live in Chaiyaphum and have a yellow tabien Ban book. The lady there accepted my hotel booking as to my proof of current address even though I explained I was away from home. It seems you can do 90 day reports wherever you happen to be at the time so I guess retirement extensions as well.

For sure someone can drag up some breach of regulations in the above but so what? They do not always reflect  what actually is happening.

From what I have read some offices don't even require proof of address. Unless it has changed recently it was not a stipulated requirement. Having a long term address is certainly not a requirement. This address thing is mostly directed at those claiming to be married. A travelling retiree is something else surely

21 hours ago, Jingthing said:

That is incorrect.

You are REQUIRED to only use the immigration office that is tied to your address of record in Thailand.

But as a retired person there is nothing to stop you changing that address whenever you like and then making an application. Booking into a local hotel should be sufficient to make an application at any immigration office. There is surely no stipulation that you must have one fixed abode. 

I assume your extension is for retirement reasons in which case you can use any immigration office to get the next one. As far as I know you are not tied to any one office so ditch the crooked one. I may of course be wrong but as a retired person you may not necessarily have a fixed address and so can visit any immigration office of your choosing.

On 9/11/2016 at 3:16 PM, Mr Kie said:

Have you started yours? i wanna see how you did it. Thanks 

 

No. I am not that interested in growing mushrooms myself as it is a very much hands on biz. However I have a brother in law who wants move back home from Bangkok who is keen. Once he does (might be a year or two) I will build some houses for him to operate. The fundamental economics are very good.

I have been to visit 3 local farms and you should the same. Take some photos. The wooden structure is pretty basic but you probably need professionals to make the plastic tent that drops on top. You can also get a company to build the lot at about 30k/house. Includes everything.

There is a video here on straw mushrooms

Been there done that. even using IE it just doesn't work for me. Just the fact that it is browser sensitive kinda shows it ain't a very sophisticated set up. It surely can't be rocket science to set up a system where you send your details to an office and have them reviewed and confirmed as being the same as previously. How difficult is that.

It would be much simpler if we could just email the immigration service with our current address so they have it on file. All we do now when we attend in person is write it on a bit of paper but to do that we need to stand in line for hours. Seems crazy.

You only have to see the number of people queuing up to do their report to know that the online system just isn't functioning as it should. If it was no one would need to go to the offices.