Pattaya Pat

I would say this kid is actually lucky to now be separated from this whore of a mum.

Hope they never get reunited.

Sounds harsh but its chances are probably better without this woman having control over it.

Totally agree. This is actually GOOD news, plus the fate of the baby could have been much worse.

What happened to the bear? My work was to no avail.

Well I have no choice. I bought a plane ticket over four months ago with no flight insurance. I'm coming with a triple entry visa in August. I will have the 20,000 baht a copy of my flight itinerary out and a passport with a single entry last year when I arrived at the airport. The only thing I won't have is a hotel reservation because I'm staying with my girlfriend. I do however have her address and phone number. I'd rather not have to spend a few days in Cambodia because I've already been. I wonder if they'll let me back in same day?

Why on earth would you have a problem, you haven't even been to Thailand since 2013

Some are panicking way way too much on here. It's slightly embarrassing to be fair.

Hey, I got my appt confirmed within 6 hours of emailing.

Also worth mentioning, I'd booked mine for 12 noon as I was flying up from Phuket, however got there early and asked if there was a chance of an earlier appt. They saw me at 10.10 as no-one else was waiting for passport services. So it's worth asking politely if you do get there early. Beats sitting around in some lame coffee shop with 2hrs to kill

Glad you got it sorted,

As we know the VFS is only a passport CHECKING service the same as the post office checking service in the UK, the reports on this thread indicate that you can be in and out in ten minutes.

I would have asked them why they made me travel from Phuket, and if you don't know anyone in Bangkok to pick your new passport up when it FINALLY arrives to travel the same journey that entailed time out, costs,

and just the plain hassle to present your documents that only takes ten minutes to check.

Dare I say that the VFS are getting a fee per appointment and they don't give two monkeys what hassle you have getting there,as long as they get their appointment fee

yes, that's really going to make a big difference eh.

Please explain. Why should she marry you if she already owns land and house?

maybe she loves him????

Haha!

Tales From a Barfly

Yesterday was one of those crazy days that can only happen in a bar in Thailand.

IAt around 6.30 p.m I received a call from Lek to inform me that my ex-wife, Dang, was there!!!. I asked her what she wanted, and she told me that she was just there to visit the bar and have a drink.

I hurried down to the bar and found her and 3 friends ensconced at one of the tables and they all greeted me like a long lost friend. The ‘ex’ congratulated me on my ‘lovely bar;’ and insisted on buying me a drink.

She went on to tell me that she was doing very well for herself . She had a rich German boyfriend who had already bought her a brand new CRV (which was parked outside Mobi’s) and a 4.5 million Baht house in one of the new villages off Siam CC road. On top of this, she was running a successful hair salon in one of the new shop houses near to her new home and her boyfriend had bought the whole 3 story building for her family to live in.

I tried to caution her to control her drinking and treat her new man a bit better than her old. She told me that he knew that she loved getting drunk and she wasn't about to modify her drinking habits for anyone! If he didn't like it, he could F..of!! I quickly dropped the subject.

As the evening drew on, more of her old friends arrived and greeted me with much wai-ing and hugging and the ‘ex’ proceeded to get very drunk.

While all this was going on, Mobi’s other tables were rapidly filling up with customers – some old some new. An old friend turned up alone and ordered a drink at the bar, whereupon my ‘ex’ recognised him gave a loud shriek and rushed over and hugged him, and insisting that he go and sit at her table.

Then two more ‘regular’ customers arrived and occupied another table. It transpired that my ‘ex’ recognised one of these latest arrivals and told me she had been in his house!!! He didn't recognise her, but when she described his wife and daughter, he accepted that she must indeed have been in his house. Quite what she was doing there was not explained…

More customers arrived, and the ex’s table, (minus my other ‘lone’ friend, who ran away after one beer), became ever louder and ever more boisterous.

Then four young Thai ladies (unconnected to the 'ex') arrived by car and took over the remaining empty table.

This was fine until one of these newly arrived ladies approached me at the bar and asked me if I recognised her. It turned out that she was Nid, one of my ‘old flames’ from my drinking days. She kept putting her arms round me and cuddling me and she asked me if I had ever managed to get rid of that drunken woman that I used to be married to?

I said ‘yes....’, but that right now she was sitting at the noisy table at the rear of the bar…..

Nid then hugged and kissed me again, and as I tried to extricate myself from her clutches, I told her that I had since re-married and that my new wife was sitting behind the bar watching us closely…

In fact both wives - old and new – were watching us with great interest.

I finally managed to get away from her but half an hour later she grabbed me again and insisted that I escort her and her friends back to her car.

By this time my ‘ex’ was well and truly in her cups and was shrieking almost as loudly as the legendary shrieker from the bar next door.

Then, lo and behold, yet another one of my old drinking friends turned up with another friend, and predictably, my ‘ex’ rushed over and did her best to lift him off the ground as she greeted him with a drunken bear hug.

By this time she was so drunk that I feared the worst. I recalled the countless occasions when her drunken ‘merriment’ would turn into a drunken ‘melees’; when she would pick a fight with anyone and everyone and which often led to destruction of property and even physical assault.

So I sat with my newly arrived friends, wondering if and when the trouble would start and if she would pay the bill which had been growing in leaps and bounds during the course of the evening.

I needn't have worried. At about 11 pm. The ‘ex’ shouted across the bar to wish me a farewell and I turned to Lek who confirmed that the bill had been paid. Phew….

The ex’s table included one Englishman, (who had come with one of the ex’s friends), and as I bid them goodnight, I saw that the poor guy was obviously totally perplexed by all the ex’s drunken antics. He told me he had no idea where he was and had no idea where he was going….rather him than me….

A lovely little post scrip to the above story is that during chats with my ‘ex’, she told me that Singha John, (you know, the one who was banned before the bar opened), had been to see her - to complain about being banned!!!

I mean, you really can’t make it up. A drunken idiot goes to complain to the divorced wife of the man with whom he has had a problem. He knows full well that I have since re-married and he even had a fight with my new wife, Lek, a few weeks ago.

Is his alcoholism in such an advanced state that he had forgotten I had divorced and re-married?

The ‘ex’ thought it was hilarious….

So did I.

WOW! What a scream!

I have had a B visa for 5 years as a Yacht Captain, the boat is foreign registered and stays in Thailand at the owners request. Upon B Visa renewal London Thai Embassy said no, Phuket town Immigration said I have to have B visa from Embassy abroad Not tourist visa in order to extend customs clearences but will not write a letter to the embassy stating this requirements.

What is next ? Move the boat to Langkawi and only come back to Thailand when we want to !!

Sound like you're shafted mate. Not good, is it.

What I suggest is that you apply for a Non 'O' single entry (which is what I assume you are planning to do) which is good for 90 days including 30 day extension, with a view to marriage, for this visa you need to apply to the Thai emabassy in London. Or, you could apply for a double entry toursit visa, I believe you can apply for this directly at Glasgow without going to the London embassy. You should be ok with both particuarly on a new passport, but if you really wanted to play it safe the Non 'O' from London maybe the safer bet, considering your history, it's just a bit more hassle as you would have to deal with London. If you go to the Thai embassies website in London it is all explained in there fairly simply in what you need and how it works etc, but if you fancy a trip to London it is pick up next day so would need 1 night there (no appointment necessary) it is drop off in the morning and pick up following day afternoon, so realistically you would probably need 2 nights there uless you was on a very early train out of Glasgow to Euston or maybe a sleeper. By post, I believe it is a 4-5 day turn around. Don't panic too much, I'm sure you will be fine,.

Once you are back in Thailand take a trip to Savannahet and apply for your 1 year multi-entry Non 'O' based on marrigae from there. I think this will be the better option for you as opposed to an extension of stay from Thai immigration as you are on a 28/28. The Savannakhet deal is also a much more straight foward than applying for an extension of stay at immigration here, no finances are required for a start and no need to take your wife.

Mate, you will NOT get a 1 year multiple entry Non-O in the UK or anywhere for that matter, just by having your name on your daughters birth certificate. You have to be the legal father by way of being married to the Mother or an approval of being the legal Father issued by the Thai courts. So I repeat, you will NOT get a 1 year multi-entry Non 'O' based on your current criteria. You need to get maried and then apply for a 1 yea multi-entry Non 'O' either from Savannakhet in Laos or from the Brirish embassy in London. You cannot get a 1 year multi-entry Non O'' now from any consult in the UK, that all changed in January, it has to be applied for in person or by post to the Thai embassy in London. The same applies for a single entry Non 'O' type, which is the visa I assume you will be applying for, you should be perfectly fine in getting that.

The mods should move this over to the visa section.Good luck.

,<snip>

. A friend was given custody of his Thai son, however there is no longer a provision to grant a non O based on supporting Thai offspring.

Let's wait and see, but I'm not optimistic.

That is not correct. A legal parent of Thai child can get a one year extension stay at immigration, See clause 2.18 of police order 777/2551.

There are also 60 day extensions for visitng a child with just the fathers name on the birth certificate for any type of entry.

Single entry non-s visa are possible for all fathers. If the legal father multiple entry visas are possible.

Joe - Realistically, you use the correct term in 'visiting' but if you have say a non -o' based on marriage and are here all year round will you be able to keep getting the 60 day extension after each 90 day entry based on having a wife, or even a chid with your wife (or both) or are they likely to tell you that that is what not the non 'o' is intended for and you should be on an extension of stay, could they therefore say no more extensions or more likely will it just come down to how the officer feels on the day?

Instead, as per their public statements, the crack-down is to reduce those working illegally in Thailand.

You are mistaken. Their intention is to stop people who are not genuine tourists from entering and living here on visa free or tourist visa entry.

The Labor Dept is responsible for regulating illegal workers and it's their responsibility to raid business that employ people working illegally.

So if people "work offshore" and spend a large proportion of time in thailand by entering and exiting frequently, then yes immigration has these people targeted also.

So let's see, people who "work offshore" and spend "their money in Thailand". Yes, let's target those (!)

I think this is not going to end well for...Thailand frankly, if it goes on.

Btw, any idea anyone what's going to happen to the "farang-intended" condo project values in Pattaya, certain parts of BKK etc? I'm sure many real estate brokers and developers must be elated now.

You have to love the word 'target' it really has gone massively hysterical on here now to the point of you're almost a criminal if you want to come to Thailand a few times a year.

What I'd like to know is what happens if you get turned away?? Where do you go? You would obviously need to go and collect your luggage, so they would have to at least let you into the baggage area, then what? March you through to departures like a small time criminal and make you buy a ticket out of the country even though you are a genuine visitor?? There will be a lot of people who will NOT go quitely, then what? throw you in the monkey house? Imagine it once the world press get hold of it, 'tourists being turned away from Thailand' the countries reputation, what it has left of one, will be a mess.

It's going to be an absolute car crash. In a sick kind of way I'm kind of looking forward to seeing how this all pans out.

"Why were you denied an entry on your tourist visa and given a visa a 15 day visa exempt entry instead.. I suspect your visa had expired."

And why do you assume that the fault was with the poster and not due to some capricious decision/error of the IO, the bureacracy here is a long way from perfect.

I came into BKK on Sunday night with a 60 day tourist visa obtained in Manila. When I checked he had only given me 30 days, even though the visa number was on the arrival card. I was very polite in pointing out the mistake but he didnt want to admit that he,was wrong!! He changed it, reluctantly, but,I,have always checked after friends have had the same problem

Why is there this theory that you always have to be 'very polite' to immigration bods? You have done nothing wrong and they are not God. Did you call him Sir?

It's not a theory, being impolite could see them refuse for no reason - they are allowed to. In this guys case even though he was correct the officer was reluctant to change, if he hadn't been polite then he may not have changed it at all.

Where did I say anything about being impolite???

Just behave normally, no need to treat them like Gods, and believe me if you are coming across like a right limp wristed vegetable they will not give you any respect back.

I've been here 20 years, previously on Non B and WP, over the last 10 yrs it's been WP and marriage Non O 1 yr extension. The longer I've been married, the harder the extenstions get I find it humiliating presenting photos showing the two of us in our bedroom. There is no need to change laws to make things harder, it's just up to the officer. As I understand it they can refuse without giving a reason. The first year I got the marriage extension it was easy, after a quick interview in Thai, they smiled and gave the visa. In the last 3 years we've been knocked back twice on very small technicalities.

There has been growing resentment of farang since 97, conservative elements would like all of us to leave, whether we are supporting families or employing Thais is irrelevant. A friend was given custody of his Thai son, however there is no longer a provision to grant a non O based on supporting Thai offspring.

Let's wait and see, but I'm not optimistic.

Not good to hear that it isn't just a formality to extend your marriage visa even when everything is in order.

Are you 50 yet? If so, maybe switching to retirement is the better option.

"Why were you denied an entry on your tourist visa and given a visa a 15 day visa exempt entry instead.. I suspect your visa had expired."

And why do you assume that the fault was with the poster and not due to some capricious decision/error of the IO, the bureacracy here is a long way from perfect.

I came into BKK on Sunday night with a 60 day tourist visa obtained in Manila. When I checked he had only given me 30 days, even though the visa number was on the arrival card. I was very polite in pointing out the mistake but he didnt want to admit that he,was wrong!! He changed it, reluctantly, but,I,have always checked after friends have had the same problem

Why is there this theory that you always have to be 'very polite' to immigration bods? You have done nothing wrong and they are not God. Did you call him Sir?

Thailand has been kind enough to enable tourists to enjoy their country for reasonable periods of time,

without onerous amounts of paperwork. The US is not nearly as generous.

Perhaps the media could assist by printing the current rules,

as enforced, instead of the dramatic human interest stories.

It would be beneficial to see the rules and regulations for all visa clases, in a concise and accurate form.

Yes, how kind of them to let tourists in and spend their money. Amazing Thailand indeed.

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I totally agree this is a SERIOUS problem. I don't think people are overreacting. I know when I was getting set up in Thailand it was basically NECESSARY to play the tourist visa/30 day stamp thing for quite some time. Then there are transition periods, where you need time to settle matters here, if you're leaving. There are multiple totally innocent scenarios where legit long term people really need transition periods and the tourist visas/30 day stamps have been ESSENTIAL.

I'm with you JT. I am not scaremongering. I do not see how the other visa classes can function when In/outs are limited to one per person AND entry on a valid and legally obtained tourist visa may also be refused.

Everyone uses the tourist visa as a patch. Everyone. Because the current system is so hopelessly innefficient.

And thanks for pointing out that the Tourist visa patch is also used when transitioning OUT of Thailand. I only thought about those coming in. Of course many use the Tourist visa to come back to settle on a property sale. However, that may not now be possible. Heavens knows what is going to happen to those properties and other assets such as cars, motorbikes, share, mutual funds, physical gold...etc.

And leaving the talk of assets to one side...what of the families that are going to be ripped apart?

Everyone? I haven't.

Me neither and anyone who goes to the extent of buying property etc. and relying on tourist visas frankly need their heads examining.

Oh I see, so only people living here permanantly or on non immigrant visas should have bought a condo. Have you ever heard the term 'holiday home'? Let me educate you, it's when you have an alternative home in another country outside of your own that you may inhabit 2 or 3 tiimes a year. It's always been fairly popluar for those that can afford it and like that particular type of lifestyle, it goes on all over the world, believe it or not.

Buying a condo in a country where you don't live? OMG, yes, utter madness,they certainly need their heads examining!

Oh, and hindsight is a wonderful thing.

I totally agree this is a SERIOUS problem. I don't think people are overreacting. I know when I was getting set up in Thailand it was basically NECESSARY to play the tourist visa/30 day stamp thing for quite some time. Then there are transition periods, where you need time to settle matters here, if you're leaving. There are multiple totally innocent scenarios where legit long term people really need transition periods and the tourist visas/30 day stamps have been ESSENTIAL.

I'm with you JT. I am not scaremongering. I do not see how the other visa classes can function when In/outs are limited to one per person AND entry on a valid and legally obtained tourist visa may also be refused.

Everyone uses the tourist visa as a patch. Everyone. Because the current system is so hopelessly innefficient.

And thanks for pointing out that the Tourist visa patch is also used when transitioning OUT of Thailand. I only thought about those coming in. Of course many use the Tourist visa to come back to settle on a property sale. However, that may not now be possible. Heavens knows what is going to happen to those properties and other assets such as cars, motorbikes, share, mutual funds, physical gold...etc.

And leaving the talk of assets to one side...what of the families that are going to be ripped apart?

Everyone? I haven't.

families are going to be 'ripped apart'?

I think I shoud stay away from here for a bit, it is all getting rather hysterical.

.

This passport of my mates daughter is a ABSOLUTE DISGRACE,I know they sent the application forms out on the 6th March,he paid 125 pound that was the cost at the time for a child's 5 year passport.on the understanding that the passport when issued would be sent to their home address by DHL

They have only received two letters addressed to the address they have always given from the HMPO.

The first letter was a standard proof of address letter were to ask a 13 year old child to submit what the HMPO required was practically impossible,so they sent the letter back with the address that the HMPO had sent plus another form hoping that would suffice as proof of address.

Weeks later they received another letter from the HMPO with the same standard proof of address form but this time common sense prevailed as someone had handwritten at the bottom of the form that if they ask the teacher at the school she attends to write a letter in English stating that she goes to this school and her address on the schools records is off course what they said all along.they also said to fax a copy and then send the original letter from the school."nothing could be simpler than that "and the fax and letter was sent off within 3 days.

FINALLY (that's a long time )

The HMPO contacted my mate to say the passport had been issued and her mother could collect at the trendy office the following week, needless to say she was then told the passport had still not arrived and they would email when it arrives,this was after making a 2,000 k bus journey.

I have told my mate to sue the HMPO because the only words i can sum this episode up is and I will save the mods a job -----deleted,deleted,deleted,deleted,deleted,deleted,deleted

This is a update my mate sent me by email

Email

nobody on this planet could write this bloody script,

the latest news !! after finally being issued on 19th june and told i would be contacted shortly as to when it could be collected.............3 weeks had passed, so im back on to the main man asking how long is shortly ??......... a very sympathetic reply was received, and he has made it his top mission to get it sorted, he has been on to dhl and demanded they make it their top priorty to trace the exact whereabouts of it, (lord lucans back pocket ?)and for them to contact either me or hom quicker than asap...................he also guarantees it will be successfully resolved....

he said if weve not heard by tuesday at latest, to let him know and he would resume his chase !! bearing in mind, this email from him was on thursday, and if the dhl contact is from bkk branch ? ...well of course its fell on a buddhist bank holiday, friday through to monday, so earliest would be tuesday....................o.hum.

tommorrow will be exactly 18 weeks since the application dropped on the doorstep at old

Hall st

HALLELUJAH HALLELUJAH

After my mate knocking his head against a brick wall pestering the HMPO in Liverpool

He finally got a response from HMPO Peterborough via the British embassy Bangkok today

(Your guess is as good as mine what Peterborough have got to do with it )

Peterborough HMPO informed my mate that his daughters passport was delivered to VFS

The Trendy office by DHL on (wait for it ) June 25th but they have not bothered to contact

Him or is wife to arrange collection.

So from the start on the 6th March to finally being informed that the passport as been gathering dust

at the VFS Trendy office it's exactly 18 weeks of one incompetence after incompetence.

The whole system is just a shambles

Good news for your mate, but the fat lady hasn't sung quite yet.

I sincerely pray that this isn't the case, but I clearly recollect the lady who dealt with my application at trendy informing me that they would only hold a replacement passport there, once received, for 2-3 weeks then they are supposed to return it to Liverpool HMPO if it remains uncollected at that point.....

I thought it was a month.

It being a month since my application at Trendy, I yesterday called HMPO hotline in UK, where Chloe could not give me a Reference number for my passport, but promised that she would email the relevant department who would email me the Reference number

I got an email yesterday from hmpo.gsi.gov.uk asking my complete details, so perhaps they will send me a Ref. No now, or progress report

I managed to get a ref number off them on the phone once they put me through the 'progress team' lol..

You're only a month in so may have a ways to go yet..

ha ha thanks all. Yep, let's hope it's a massive over-reaction on my part and you're right, it could've been so much worse.

I'm on a standard double entry tourist visa.

I didn't email Trendy, I tried emailing the UK several times, and calling...nobody called me back or I just got cut off every time.

In the end I used this email address: [email protected]

they were pretty helpful once they knew I was overstaying. I doubt they would have got involved otherwise.

Looks like an expensive few days ahead...

Trendy don't do email complaints - they are contracted to just refer you to the HMPO UK Helpline and the Newport Complaints email address, they don't even forward your email - that 's if they can even understand it.

British Consulate has been now been authorized to get involved, whereas a couple of months ago they were mostly referring you complaints to the relevant HMPO department.

However last month, when the British Embassy in BKK was tasked to issue the temporary 12 month passport extensions, they were further flooded with enquiries and have, it appears, been given some resources to enable them to deal with 'problem passport cases'.

These appear to include imminent/actual overstay and it seems that your two week leg up over the now standard 10 weeks may have been directly down to BKK Consular services.

My advice is this: If you have a serious problem, then do try contacting the British Embassy Consular Services in BKK by phone or email and seeing if they can help.

Folks, I know that this god awful fiasco is 100% the fault of the UK Government/HMPO, but let's give the Embassy some room to operate, so again do call, but only if your case is desperate.

I wouldn't say that my case is desperate yet, but I need it back by mid -August latest (handed it in on the 26th may) but I fired them off an email today anyway asking them if they can expediate things as I didn't think it would hurt. I didn't make up a a bunch of lies like I''ll be on overstay with a week, but I did 'tweak' a few things. Let's see what they come back with.

ha ha thanks all. Yep, let's hope it's a massive over-reaction on my part and you're right, it could've been so much worse.

I'm on a standard double entry tourist visa.

I didn't email Trendy, I tried emailing the UK several times, and calling...nobody called me back or I just got cut off every time.

In the end I used this email address: [email protected]

they were pretty helpful once they knew I was overstaying. I doubt they would have got involved otherwise.

Looks like an expensive few days ahead...

Ok, thanks. And pleased to see that you are savvy enough to realise that my comment was not an 'insult' unlike some.

Is it worth sending a chaser to the trendy email or is that just strictly for appointments?

i'm in a bit of a pickle too, my visa expired 10 days ago. I emailed the consulate in Bangkok who managed to escalate my complaint and thankfully it's finally arrived- 8 weeks from start to finish. I'm worried about getting blacklisted and not being able to get back in- my old passport is full of back to back in and outs. Question to those who've been through this sorry process- do I have to go to an immigration office somewhere once I pick it up or can I just get a flight booked and deal with the overstay fine etc at the airport? any advice gratefully received :-)

8 weeks is not that bad, you should think yourself lucky. As for being blacklisted? Are you actually for real??

What email did you use to complain?

Seek professional advice... Go to an agent or thai immigration..

He IS getting 'professional advice' right here, and it's free!

Hi all, Newbie here

Passport has been with Trendy since the 12th of May, tried emailing and calling but no answers or none that make any sense.

Non O 3 month visa is due to run out on the 23rd of this month. Have tried calling the local immigration offices but have yet to answer, will pop down tomorrow and see but could anyone confirm if immigration are able to give an extension until my passport arrives?

I am worried to hell that I will overstay if my passport is not back in time and from reading on here, my passport has been "zapped" so I can't go out of the country.

Passport has 1 year left and 3 pages spare if that makes any difference.

Will know tomorrow but been effecting my sleep for the past few days.

Thanks

you should be able to get a 60 day extension in the old passport at your local Immigration.This is my plan B.

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE 7.5 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Really? Are you sure about this? So you can go into immigration here and tell them that you haven't got your new passport back and will be going onto overstay so they give you another 60 days? How would they even know that have a new passport on the way?

Basically yes after explaining that I planned to obtain a new year non o visa in Savanakhet but cannot because of the uk passport incompetence. Your are allowed one extension on a non o visa based on marriage. Also according to another poster on this thread immigration offices have been advised by Bangkok of this Uk passport fiasco and have been told to help if possible.

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE 7.5 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

So that doesn't apply to everyone then does it. You made it sound like it's fair game for all.