BritTim

5 hours ago, cdemundo said:

Second one I was given a 90 day visa, I don't know why, rather than a 60 day.

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.

5 hours ago, Chris Daley said:

I don't think you need a degree to join the army.  If that is true then the army is screwed since barely anyone has finished highschool in Thailand.

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.

32 minutes ago, zenobit said:

Does it actually matter WHEN the TM30 is submitted via the online platform in connection with the upcoming visa extension? 🤔

 

In other words: I have to appear for the visa extension in Jomtien in mid-December. Could my wife also submit the TM30 on the website as early as next week, or are there again rules that must be followed?

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

Quote

TYPES OF TOURIST VISA AND VALIDITY: 

1.      Single-Entry Tourist Visa: valid for entering Thailand once within 3 months from the date of application. The period of stay is 60 days maximum.

2.      Multiple-Entry Tourist Visa (enforced on 13 Nov 2015): valid for entering Thailand within 6 months from the date of application. The period of stay is 60 days maximum per stay. The Multiple-Entry Tourist Visa holder may enter Thailand again as long as the visa is still valid. Multiple-Entry Tourist Visa will only be granted to Cambodian nationals or those with proof of permanent residence in Cambodia.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS: 

1.      Visa Application form(s) and photograph(s): Completed and signed Visa Application form and recent photograph(s) (size 3.5x4.5 cm).

2.      Passport (valid for no less than 6 months) 

3.      A copy of passport or travel document

4.      Travel tickets in and out of Thailand

5.      Evidence of adequate finance

-          Single-Entry Tourist Visa: $1000 per person and $2000 per family

-          Multiple-Entry Tourist Visa: $8,000 per person (6 months of financial statements)

6.      Letter of Employment (compulsory for Multiple-Entry Tourist Visa applicants)

7.      Evidence of accommodation booking (compulsory for Multiple-Entry Tourist Visa applicants)

8.      Other documents: as may be requested by Consular officers in addition to the documents above. Please note that Consular officers reserve the right to require additional documents, or an interview with the applicant, as deemed necessary, without prior notice. The Royal Thai Embassy reserves the right not to accept any visa application whereby any required document is absent. If the above procedures are not completed, the official will not proceed with your application. **The Royal Thai Embassy reserves the right to reject any visa application with insufficient documents or if the reasons given are not fully supported. The visa fee is non-refundable**

VISA FEE (Cash only in US Dollars – Non-refundable)

1.      Single-Entry Tourist Visa: $40

2.      Multiple-Entry Tourist Visa: $200

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.

3 minutes ago, bangkok blue said:

Any idea if Non imm O based on marriage and child doable within 21 day window?

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

2 hours ago, Red Phoenix said:

She is married to a Thai national, so there is no financial requirement to be met for her Non Imm O Marriage Visa and subsequent extensions.  So there is no reason to use an agent, and I am pertinent that she did not make use of one, not even for a 'handhold' service to help with the other requirements for her 1-year extension of stay application.

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.

1 hour ago, Mark1066 said:

Can you quote where it says in the immigration regulations that the 40k is specifically for supporting your wife?

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:

Quote

 (6) In the case of marriage to a Thai woman, the alien husband must earn an average annual income of no less than Baht 40,000 per month or must have no less than Baht 400,000 in a bank account in Thailand for the past two months to cover expenses for one year. 

Many have reasonably complained about this.

12 minutes ago, LogicThai said:

Immigration in Buriram was great, they handled all the paperwork, I just had to sit and wait 45 minutes or so, then the IO made me sign all the forms, and that was it. Cost was 2,000 Baht (as it was a new application, not an extension), and 3,900 Baht for the Multiple Re-entry stamp.

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).

1 hour ago, placnx said:

So do we need to file TM 30 on the new system (after setting it up) if we filed in June on the old system? We tried but it stuck on "in progress" and now about a month later we can't find the filing on the new system.

It would seem prudent to do so.

11 minutes ago, BillStrangeOgre said:

I’ll be crossing at Poipet 

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.

1 hour ago, Brick Top said:

A copy of the ATM that you use to withdraw funds from your bank is and always has been required if your on the 65,000 per month income way. I have always been asked to provide this at Phuket immigration on my previous 16 extensions 

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?

8 hours ago, thedemon said:

Does anyone have experience on where Myanmar nationals can get a re-entry permit issued in Bangkok?

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

Quote

For migrant workers of 4 nationalities : Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam who live and work in Bangkok.

Filed at the Immigration office located at
1) Imperial World Ladprao
2) Big C Rat Burana
3) Big C Don Mueang (Saphanmai)

58 minutes ago, timendres said:

My work permit, and the extension based upon it, were recently canceled.

The cancelation provided me 20 days to exit the Kingdom.

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

21 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Show ONE post where that has occured..

Some folk applying for 30 day extension were fined 800b without TM30 proof. The 24 hr was irrelevant.

As

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

Quote

The second I retired and switched to Changwattana immigration, CW fined me 3,000 baht (no fine receipt) for not having a TM30 for myself and my family. I'm the condo owner. Even though I applied for TM30 online a week beforehand it didn't matter at CW. "Pay fine".

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.

17 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

So folk that do it later are fined. 

Can you provide post of that. 

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.

5 hours ago, WebGuy said:

Am I not eligible to receive 3 months valid non-immigrant O visa based on the marriage with a Thai citizen and make a work permit based on it?

 

We also have a child. Should I apply for non-immigrant O visa based on my child and apply for the WP based on it?

 

What is the best option?

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.

7 hours ago, tomaway said:

Just to clarify few points:

 

- I did have a letter from my wife.

- I was wearing clean clothes, long pants (it seems someone was assuming my appearance could have been the problem.....)

- Regarding the finance: I was short of maybe 50k thb and only because I was working offshore India and internet was crap, not allowing me to transfer money to Thailand on time....

 

I am not asking to bend the rules or circumvent any, i am just trying to share my experience of IO creating or adding new rules on the last minute.....

 

By the way, using an agent and preaching that you don't support bribes.... what a f@@@ng joke!!!

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

3 hours ago, edwardandtubs said:

I was pulled aside because I tried to enter visa exempt but in the waiting area I checked my email and my SETV had arrived a couple of hours before landing. This was a definitely a factor in the head IO's more relaxed attitude so to be ultra cautious the OP and his girlfriend might consider getting one.

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.