a6patch

Title says it all.  Bought a new Blue 2021 Subaru Forester with Eyesight driver assistance earlier this year.  Love the car.  Sudden family obligations have us leaving the country immediately for possibly 1 yr+ so the car has to go.  Only 6400KM on the odometer.  Paid about 1,500,000tbh, looking for 1,200,000thb.  Line: A6Patch, or dm in this forum.  Thanks

Upon a bit more research, is it as simple as just entering the US on the B1/B2 visa, then after 4 months (2 months before the permission to stay is over), submit a I-485 Change of Status application and staying in the US while that whole process happens?  

I'm an American citizen who has lived in Thailand for about 10 years.  Married in Thailand 7 years ago.  Never really did anything to register the marriage in the US or anything.  I've maintained my legal status as a US resident in regards to filing taxes, etc.  My wife has a 10-year B1/B2 visa to visit the US which we've used a number of times.  It expires in about 3 years.  Long term/permanently we plan on living in Thailand.  But now there is a life situation where we would like to go live in the US for a longer period of time (probably over a year...perhaps up to 5 or so).

Even though my wife can go visit the US on her visa, and has been married to a US citizen for 7 years, is there no path for us to go live in the US straightaway and do filing/paperwork/waiting there in the US for visa status, etc? 

Is it true that an unmarried couple can get a faster path to living in the US via the K3 fiancee visa than an already married 7 years couple?   How does that make any sense at all <deleted>?!

What is our best path forward?  Is it really to stay here in Thailand for up to 2 years simply waiting on the process?    

So I've lived for years in Thailand on a regular extension of stay based on marriage.  I have Cigna global health insurance that I pay for monthly.  I asked for and got a letterhead letter that says my insurance absolutely covers Covid and any/all treatment and costs, and states the $5M total limit.  However, it isn't for a specific date/time range.  It just says "as long as the policy is in effect".  I really don't want to pre-pay an entire year, is this going to be accepted for the COE?

6 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

There are 41 days between now and 1st July - Expect at least 41 announcements between now and then each adding a little more contradiction, confusion and very little the way of conformation. 

 

 

 

Yeah I don't expect clarity or confidence before the end of June.  By then, we'll at least know for sure when the Embassy either issues a COE for Phuket without an ASQ or refuses.  

2 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Moved to Visa forum

Hehe, I wasn't sure which forum.  Certainly seemed Covid related, but COE/Visa issues do belong here I guess.  Thanks

42 minutes ago, DFPhuket said:

Assuming that beginning July 1 as a vaccinated person you can fly to Phuket with no-quarantine, you might want to wait and see about that option. If (and of course it's an if) they pull this off, spending 7 days in Phuket without being stuck in a quarantine hotel would be more pleasant and cheaper than 14 days in a Bangkok ASQ. Several airlines have added direct flights to Phuket beginning July 1.  

 

I'm in a similar position. I flew to the US to see my family and just had my second Pfizer shot. I was going to land in BKK in mid-June but am now waiting to decide if I should postpone my return to July 1 and land in Phuket. 

Yeah I'm doing the same thing.  Just sort of feel like in limbo because the embassy might not know anything until July 1st hehe.  

I have a marriage extension of stay through next year and a re-entry permit.  I came to the US, got vaccinated, and plan to return to Thailand July 1st.  After reading the instructions about how to do the COE, it is unclear to me about the timing.  The web site says something like...you apply for the COE, submit your documents, etc...then wait 3 days until it is approved, then "Applicant finds and books a flight and Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ) within 15 days".  Does that just mean I need to post the ASQ and Flight details within 15 days...or does the flight and ASQ stay have to start within 15 days?  

In other words....my planned return trip is about 40 days out.  Can I start the COE process now?  Or do I have to wait until June 15+ to have the flight and ASQ fall within 15 days after the COE approval?

Thanks

15 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Unless you pay extra to get your new US passport you might not get it before your return. Before it was about 6 weeks to get one by mail but now it will take 10 to 12 weeks. See: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports.html/

Since you are on a extension of stay the 6 pages you have now they would last still last for some time.

Best to get the new passport here later.

Yeah, when I was typing in my question I was sort of thinking it wasn't worth the hassle or risk.  As to the normal "new passport procedure", is it straightforward to walk into immigration with a cancelled passport and new one, and get the various stamps transferred?  Or would I travel with both passports until the new passport gets the extension next year?

So, I've been in Thailand continuously on a Non-O and about 4-5 years of marriage extension.  My latest one is through January/2022.  I have a valid reentry stamp.  I am now leaving on a trip to the US for perhaps 2 months.  I'm aware of the various hoops that will be needed to return to Thailand and quarantine etc.  My question has to do with my passport.  It doesn't expire until 2024, but it is getting fairly full with only like 6 blank pages.  I was wondering what the process would be to get a new passport.  Is it a good time to get a new one while in the US?  Can I enter Thailand on the reentry permit and marriage extension in the then cancelled old passport?  Would I go to Immigration and get them transferred to the new passport?  Would it be better to just make the trip on the old passport, then after returning, get a new passport while in Thailand and get the stamps transferred then?

Ack.  That was dumb.  I literally *just* did mine yesterday!  But I did a 90 day and a single reentry stamp at the same time...and for some reason the photo bit crossed over into my post on the 90 day.  No photo needed for the 90 day, just walk in with a passport and a smile.

If you want it to go really fast, pre-print and fill out a TM47 form, and copy the main passport page, your Entry card, and the page with your visa and most recent permission to stay stamp. 

Up to 14 days before or 7 days after....a 21 day window.  Its easy, just show up with a passport.  They'll give you the form, tell you what pages of your passport to copy, etc.

I didn't have to have a Thailand-sourced stamp translated lol.  But I definitely had to have the puyai baan sign it.  Bangbuathong, Nonthaburi.

People seem to think the only way these are eaten is by dumping in every bit of the little flavor/oil/salt/chili packets.  That is certainly how some do it, but you can think of the packets as the most possible to add...and make it with just half the salty stuff...and you literally cut the sodium in half.  I laugh when I see marketers saying "50% sodium reduced!".  It isn't ducking hard to "50% sodium reduce" it yourself.  

Also, reading sodium levels on an item where the half cup of salty broth is typically tossed out is a bit misleading.  If you are going to drink every drop (like we usually do in the west), then you are getting much more sodium than most Thai's (who typically fish out the noodles only).

Quote

i only worry about coronavirus

higher chance of winning the lottery...

I would worry more about the kid getting hit by a car or motorcycle.

Wear face masks for pollution.  Every breath everyone takes is packed with it. People that only don the mask for coronavirus really don't know much.

They will just use it to verify you are you.  If you are really paranoid, make a photocopy of just the main page with your photo and such, that will probably do the job and they can't check the visa.  

It's is certainly true that some people colloquially will refer to themselves this way...at least in the past.  But I think it is dying out.  The Thai Millennials don't tend to do that.  It certainly isn't used by government agencies.

8 hours ago, NE1 said:

I've never been to a hotel in Thailand that hasn't wanted to see my passport.

Of course they ask for a passport, that’s what 99% of foreigners have. But if you hand them a Thai driver license or a pink ID card, it works just fine. 

Yesterday afternoon I went to Immigration for my retirement extension. The first paperwork the IO asked for was TM30 and copies of owners ID etc etc. He said that for every extension application this paperwork is now necessary to produce before they will consider the extension.

Just to confirm my previous the staff largely have not changed. The head IO was not there and her place was taken by a polite man.

I have always gone to Nonthaburi Immigration first thing in the morning and it is usually a crush plus you have to get past St Peters School and all it's traffic early in the day. Yesterday I went at in the afternoon after having first been to the bank for the letter (charge 200 baht!!!). It was easy to get to and there were hardly any people at Immigration. Service was quite quick and polite.

I'm lucky enough to live about 5 minutes motorcycle drive away from the Nonthaburi Immigration office, so the commute is a non-issue I always get the bank letter the same day (yeah..its usually 200thb for me at SCB) and a fresh 100thb transaction to get a fresh line printed in the book. I've been there a dozen times in the last year (as recently as just last week for a final stamp after the 30 day wait for a 1 year marriage extension of stay). The staff has largely been the exact same with only minor temporary changes. I've never done a TM30 (rather my wife hasn't). About 4 months ago I needed a single re-entry permit and I was asked for it...I was polite but whined a bit and the IO said ok this once but I would need it in the future. I actually forgot about it after that, but I wasn't asked again for it during the entire process of getting another yearly extension of stay for marriage, and another re-entry permit (multi). I do have a yellow book but I don't know that that really helps with that.

There won't be less than 6 months left, it will be cancelled with holes in it. But they generally do look at old cancelled passports as still valid for visa/reentry stamps. As long as you have a valid new passport, and a valid unexpired reentry stamp with remaining permission to stay in the old passport you should be ok. I have travelled with the pair of passports many times.

I'm due to go apply for 1 year extension to stay based on marriage in early January. I suddenly have a work-related business trip out of the country in late January. Can I get a multi-reentry permit and leave during that first 30 day period of the marriage extension?

Does the multi-reentry permit last for the whole year or only during the initial 30 day stamp since that is when I will be getting it.

This is at Nonthaburi immigration if that matters.