BritTim

Indeed, transfers, each and every month, of 65,000 baht or more into your Thai bank account is the only option for those who cannot get an income letter from their embassy. That is very different from an average pre-tax income of 65,000 baht per month or more whether brought into Thailand or not. Note that there is no need with an income letter to transfer money to Thailand when you are not there.

This is abnormal. Certainly, it is not a Thai immigration requirement.

For a single entry Non O visa, Vientiane (with an appointment) is an option. For a multiple entry Non O visa (with financial proof) HCMC is an option though the funds need to be seasoned (probably for at least two months).

They can see the child's immigration history which among other things (if Immigration has any compassion) should include the fact that the child has already been interrogated about his deceased mother. An upsetting interview once might be regarded as a necessary evil. To go through this every time he passes through an airport is unreasonable. Most people involved in child trafficking do not keep taking the child in and out of Thailand. Also, a father trying to use forged death certificates to justify why the mother is not with them seems quite unlikely. I personally think it is disgustingly insensitive.

Yes, you are correct. That is the problem when there are several independent queries mixed up in the same thread. It is easy to become confused (as I was). Of course, no one was directly enquiring about border crossings with Laos, though they became suggestions in some of the replies.

It is doubtful whether Savannakhet will accept income. Officially, they do not. However, a bank book showing that amount going into your account each month over an extended period might persuade them.

Savannakhet does issue Non O visas based on retirement with funds in an overseas bank account, but I do not think an IRA account would qualify. You could ask them. At best, this would mean border bounces every 90 days, but that would likely not be a major issue if you live in Mukdahan.

I think you misunderstood. The OP lives in Cambodia. The border crossings with Laos are no good to him.

If you are a Cambodian resident, I can appreciate why you want to visit Thailand for shopping. In your case, since a denied entry would not be a disaster, it probably makes sense to try it. For most people, I repeat my frequent advice, avoid the Poipet/Aranyaprathet crossing.

Hanoi is known to be a most unfriendly embassy these days.

Savannakhet does not currently require funds seasoning. It is unclear how much seasoning HCMC require, but probably two months. In no case, can they require seasoning past the point where they issue you the visa.

That is a controversial question. It can be argued that a senior official can decide what constitutes reasonable proof, and could find reasonable grounds (such as the time needed to get legalisation through the courts) as justification for waiving commonly required proof. In that situation, it might be necessary to have a well connected person to argue your case. On the other hand, there will obviously be suspicions that financial incentives are being used to influence the official's decision. That, in itself, would not be sufficient to invalidate the extension, but it would render it morally questionable.

The application for the initial Non O visa at Immigration is taken under consideration. Extensions on the basis of retirement are approved straight away at the local immigration office.

A distressing experience, for sure. One would think that by the third time, Immigration would realise that your wife was truly dead.

If you are planning to apply for a Non O visa based on Thai children in Savannakhet, be aware (i) you can only get a single entry visa (unlike when based on Thai spouse); and (ii) while it is correct that only 200k baht has been needed in the past, the current requirements are not clear. You can get a single entry Non O visa there based on your wife with no financial proof, so going for the child visa there seems to make no sense. Applying for the visa at an immigration office in Thailand, you would need the same 400k baht needed for Thai wife (though, officially, seasoning is not supposed to be needed).

If you are still getting the "not secure" message, beware! It is possible you are the victim of a man-in-the-middle attack. I do not see this when I visit the page.

It is possible in theory. The Immigration official is going to have the same question I do: why do you want to do that? Your wife would need to go with you to the immigration office, together with at least one of your children.

Am I correct that you did not need a 12 month statement from your bank, and the bank book by itself was accepted? Were there any consolidated entries in your bank book since your last extension?

It seems you are lucky. Thai immigration at that border crossing can sometimes do much worse things to those arriving. In future, avoid going there.

Immigration can be lenient, depending on the office, but you can usually expect a fine if past the seven day grace period (regardless of public holidays).

If you have a critical reason for needing to travel, it can be arranged. You need to discuss it with the local immigration office, explaining the trip dates and why it is essential. You will get a re-entry permit and must return by the report back date when the under consideration period is expected to be over.

Savannakhet does issue Non O visas based on retirement with funds in an overseas bank account, but I do not think an IRA account would qualify. You could ask them. At best, this would mean border bounces every 90 days, but that would likely not be a major issue if you live in Mukdahan.

No need.

It is extremely rare. In cases where there is a problem, you will usually be contacted by phone, and given the opportunity to fix the defect in your application. However, the senior official at Division headquarters has discretion. There can be cases where this official is incensed by something in your Immigration history (a vendetta against a particular agent, or a previous volunteer visa issued to a non volunteer, for instance) and decides to retaliate for reasons unrelated to the normal conditions for receiving the extension.

The termination letter shows that you have been in compliance with the conditions of your permission to stay up until the time you leave. Immigration require the letter to catch people who get the extension, but then fail to study as required. There are other situations where Immigration also wants to retrospectively check that people have satisfied the terms of their extensions.