Michael Hare

My wife's NZ visitor's visa was approved this morning. The cost was NZ$341. Visa is only valid for three months. They didn't approve the visitor-partnership visa, but just just moved the details I sent across to an ordinary visitor visa.

2017 not 2027

Hello Ronnie. I am just going through this process to take my wife to NZ in March for five nights and six days. We are going to my 1973 university class reunion in Napier. We appied for my wife under the visitor-partnership category as this was the category she got her visa back in 2027 when we last visited NZ. (That visa was through an agency in Bangkok). We applied on-line on December 16th and just got a reply this morning January 29. The reply was that there was just not enough information to show we had a loving and stable relationship. They said we should now apply under the general visitor visa category (VVG). They did say that they would grant her a three month VVG. I have asked them if we have to apply for the VVG or will they transfer the information across from the details on the partnership visa application. Waiting for their reply. We have booked return tickets and a rental car. I think this will be the last time we bother visiting NZ.

My BIG printing mistake I meant December 2001, May 2002 and August 2004. Thank you for pointing that out. In all my years in Thailand I have never met another "farang" that has PR.

I thought the most common way to get PR was being married to a Thai and having a dependent child. I live in Ubon Ratchathani. In December 2021 I flew down to Bangkok for the first interview at Suan Plu. In May 2022 my wife and I were interviewed again. My final interview was a few months later. I then waited until August 2024 to get PR. Two years and eight months from start to finish. At the time I thought this was very slow as I was comparing with my wife getting PR in my home country of NZ many years ago.

My wife and I arrived at Suvarnabhumi on Sunday May 25th. I showed my passport and white certificate of residence book and was told to go into a small line to the right where there about four people. The lady at the desk took my white book and passport and was almost ready to to put the stamps in when she said I must fill in the TDAC. I replied that I didn't think I had to do one. She replied that everyone carrying a foreign passport must fill in one. I had to walk back about 50 metres to a line of moniters. There were quite a lot of Chinese and Koreans there having problems filling in the information. One old "farang" was typing in his name Harry. When I finished he was still trying to put in his name Harry. No one to assist these people.

Three weeks ago my wife and I flew up to Luang Prabang for a long weekend. It was my first time out of Thailand since 2019. Since then I have got a brand new passport in 2020 and a new certificate of residence book in 2021 (blue one was full up. The new book is white). I have had PR since 2004. Immigration in Ubon Ratchathani where I live, took over one hour to do the reentry permits in the passport and white book. The application forms were first written and then all the data put into the computer. We flew out of Don Muang on Air Asia. When I went through departure immigration my PR confused the person there. I was drawn aside and told to wait. My books were carried to another desk and the guy there looked into his computer. Finally after 15 mintues the departure stamps were put into both books and I could go. Coming back on arrivial I had similar problems. I think the young officer at the desk had never seen a PR certificate of residence book before. She took the books to a more senior officer. After carefully looking at both books he asked me "Don't you travel out the country very often these days"? I replied that was correct, but I do a lot of traveling within Thailand. My wife now wants us to travel more to avoid these small problems again. I often think that with all these special visa being issued, that us PR holders have been forgotten.

That is interesting. I got a multiple re-entry permit in February 2020. I didn't use it. At the moment I have no plans to leave Thailand in the near future. But when I do, it will be interesting to see if I am charged an extra fee.

When I did my PR application back in 2001, I had to get a certificate of no criminal record from my home country (NZ) and from the Thai police in the city where I live (Ubon Ratchathani). For the NZ certificate, the NZ Embassy in Bangkok got it for me. For the Thai certificate, I just popped along to the main Ubon police station and got it from the head of police there (whom I knew as he was a school friend of my wife).

In my PR book and Alien book there is no mention of my passport number. The main thing is to have the reentry permit in your new passport if you are using that to reenter Thailand using your new passport. I am not sure how you can do that. I guess you depart from Thailand using your old passport with the rentry permit and then you get your new passport in your home country with no reentry permit. I think you then must show the old invalid passport at Thai immigration when you return, showing your reentry permit and the also new valid passport to actually enter. I always get my new passports mailed to me through the post from my home country. My embassy will not issue passports.

These motor bike accidents with tourists seems to be occurring nearly every week. Hiring a motorbike just is so dangerous. Especially if one is a visitor and not used to the dangerous driving here. Why not rent a car? I know renting a car is more expensive (900-1,200 baht/day) but if one is only on holiday for a few days, then the overall expense is not much. I have lived in Thailand since 1974 and whenever I go to Krabi, Koh Samui, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai I rent a car. In Bangkok I use taxis.

No need to inform immigration about travel dates. Just go and come back before September 2024.

https://tohsang.com/khongchiam/

Same here. Every five years at the local police station here in Ubon Rarchathani. Only need the red book and a few photos.

All you need is the red PR book and a passport size photo or two.