BritTim

Oh dear! If your entry stamp is giving you 90 days, this seems most likely to be a stamp error, and you are probably on overstay. When an immigration official makes a mistake (and you do not get it corrected) it is your fault.

Graduating from high school (at least) is now the norm in Thailand, though a few still do not. However, an inability to avoid conscription in Thailand suggests either poverty or a distinct mental retardation.

The TM30 can (indeed, should) be submitted as soon as possible after your arrival at the property. The official rule (which is not usually strictly enforced) is that the TM30 notification be submitted within 24 hours of your arrival. If this is your permanent address in Thailand, the TM30 notification typically only needs to be made once. However, a few offices will insist that a new TM30 notification is mandatory whenever you return from a trip.

The crossing at Mae Sai is currently closed, with no prediction of when it might reopen. That aside, three visa exemptions, using two border bounces should, in principle, be no problem (depending on any previous significant immigration history in Thailand). Like others, I feel a single entry tourist visa and one extension at Immigration makes more sense than border bounces, unless you really want to take mini holidays elsewhere (which your intention of using Mae Sai seems to rule out).

The visa section of the Royal Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh will be closed from 7-11 November 2023, reopening November 14. Those who apply the previous week will be able to pick up their passports during the visa section closure. Although the visa section will reopen November 14, it would probably be prudent not to plan on applying that day as it will likely be extremely busy. See https://image.mfa.go.th/mfa/0/pLBnfMEJPm/Temporary_closure_of_Visa_and_Consular_Section_during_7-11_Nov.pdf

It is known that the Phnom Penh Thai embassy used to issue the METV under some circumstances. This page has an outline of the visa rules there as of a few years ago: https://cambodiakingdomofwonder.com/embassies/view/2/royal-thai-embassy-phnompenh-cambodia. At that time, these were the requirements for tourist visas: WARNING: Outdated I can recall no announcement that issuing of the METV had been discontinued. There are two reasonable explanations for removing it from the embassy website. One is an unannounced discontinuation of the visa. The other is that it is so rare in Phnom Penh that (as with other rarely issued visas) they did not want to clutter up the website with its inclusion.

You can apply for any extension for which you qualify up to the end of your permission to stay.

I am not suggesting that there was anything fundamentally wrong with the marriage extension application, only that there could have been something in her immigration history that the official at Division headquarters did not like. I assume she married in Thailand which implies that there was a period during which she was in Thailand without being married. Divining the reason for the denial is all guesswork, and my guess might be wrong. The unannounced visit would not normally be the issue, though if they spoke to a neighbour who told the officials something negative, I guess that could be a reason.

A long post with a historical quote with a screenshot of an old online TM30 application has been removed. The quote provides no context to explain its inclusion. I suggest the original author, at most, provides a link to his old post (together with a warning that it contains outdated information).

If they can qualify, it is possible. Few Cambodians who can have any interest in acquiring one. They spend their leisure time elsewhere.

See https://aseannow.com/applications/core/interface/file/attachment.php?id=804079 (Police Order No. 327/2557 Criteria and Conditions for Consideration of an Alien’s Application for a Temporary Stay in the Kingdom of Thailand). Specifically you need to see the conditions for a stay under Reason 2.18."In the case of being a family member of a Thai national...". The relevant condition is: Many have reasonably complained about this.

It was an extension, not a new visa application, and I will bet that your receipt reflected that (1,900 baht). However, given that they were friendly, it might have been prudent to have let that go. They are correct that a retirement extension is much simpler (especially for them, but also for you) than an extension based on Thai spouse or child).

It would seem prudent to do so.

Cross your fingers. There is a good chance you will luck out. However, in spite of it being the most convenient land crossing for most people coming from Cambodia, the horror stories about Thai Immigration at that crossing are legion.

Out of curiosity, does this mean that they will deny the application if, for safety reasons, you decide not to have an ATM card for the account?

Easiest may be Imperial World Ladprao: https://bangkok.immigration.go.th/en/re-entry-permit/

A post-dated termination is, indeed, the best way of dealing with this.

This is certainly very unusual. Usually, you would be contacted by phone and given the opportunity of rectifying the problem. Inferring a plausible reason is guesswork. To cover a couple of points first: Being ordered out of the country within seven days is the normal consequence of a denied extension. While Immigration will almost always tell you why an application is denied, they have no obligation to do so. Now, onto the most likely reason. Very likely, there is something in her prior immigration history that the senior official charged with auditing the application did not like. It could be a dodgy Non Ed or volunteer visa, perhaps. Or previous use of an agent that this particular official has a vendetta against. In such a case, the senior official will just deny without comment, and the local immigration office will be as much in the dark about the reason as we are. It is worth mentioning that there have been reports of local immigration offices being reluctant to accept applications just after the use of an agent without a border bounce first. They state that they worry that division headquarters will deny the application.

The order to leave within seven days does not, by itself, negate the right to do a border bounce. Getting a (single or multiple) Non O visa before the return would be better. Officials at the border are likely to ask why her application for an extension of stay was denied. If she has a visa, the answer probably will not matter.

Here is one example: https://aseannow.com/topic/1125664-tm30-fines/?do=findComment&comment=14615302

As of a few years ago (and I think still) there was no re-entry permit desk at the bridge at Mukdahan. The immigration office in Mukdahan will probably give you one during their normal working hours, but arranging one in advance at your local office would provide certainty.

It varies by Immigration office. The letter of the law mandates a notification within 24 hours. Few offices will fine you if it is done within a week. If the official is aware that you did not do the TM30 notification for weeks after your arrival, a fine (typically 2,000 baht) will often be assessed.

If you can provide the financial proof, you have many options that do not involve leaving. Most options (the exception being a 60-day extension to visit your Thai spouse or children) are not available to you from Thai Immigration without the money in the bank or an income letter from your embassy. To get a longer stay without 400,000 baht in a Thai bank account, you must leave and apply for a visa in Savannakhet.

Unlucky! Hanoi, in particular, is very unfriendly these days.

The official rules are completely different when trying to enter visa exempt rather than when you hold a visa. Indeed, when you hold a visa, there are only a few reasons (as specification in Section 12 of the Immigration Act) for which you should be denied entry. The assumption is that your eligibility for a visa has already been verified by the embassy/consulate.