raysunshineray

You are in fact allowed a 60 day 'wife visit' extension on each entry with the multi-entry from Savannakhet, which means you have to leave only every 150 days rather than 90. It's really a case of what suits each individual. I took the Savannakhet multi-entry route after weighing up all the factors, including the cost of using an agent without money in the bank for the extension based on marriage. I've seen the argument repeated often that people think it an unacceptable chore to go out every 90/150 days, but I myself do not see it that way personally. For me, I'm not so completely in love with everything in Thailand that I have no wish to have a break from it and explore some other nearby country. After all, instead of it being just an onerous visa run, it could be viewed as a chance to take a holiday away from Thailand, whether it be a neighbouring country or slightly further afield, - perhaps Japan or India for example. But as I say, as individuals we all have slightly different perspectives., - and some of us (perhaps a minority I don't know) may relish the opportunity to take a break from Thailand for a brief bit of travel elsewhere. Yes I agree, turn-around visa runs are something exceedingly troublesome and a matter of having to endure rather than enjoy, but I'd find it pretty strange if there weren't some others who would relish the opportunity of 'getting away for a bit', and experiencing something new or at least different. I'm currently thinking about a week or two in Langkawi or perhaps Phu Quoc in Vietnam, which gives me something to look forward to. And before you mention it... yes, I know - one doesn't want to 'waste' too much of that year's visa time outside Thailand. Swings and roundabouts... horses for courses...

Well yes, but it depends on one's preferences. I prefer dilapidated because that's often something authentic and real, rather than 'cool' (ghastly word) and pretentious. The actual riverfront is all cleaned up and new... a pleasant promenade if you like that kind of thing. But the government didn't want the street sellers or the rough-and-ready restaurants... didn't suit the image they want to project, and not their idea of profitable enterprise. There used to some very rough and rusted old tables and chairs set up under the trees on the earth floor overlooking the Mekong, where ladies served barbecued fish and cold beer, and the toilet was the bushes just to one side on the edge of the steep bank. Now that had atmosphere and authenticity, - to me - and low(ish) prices. It was 'natural' and somehow 'organic'. I certainly don't expect everyone to view things in the same way, but one things for sure, - the old market square with its faded colonial buildings is now almost deserted, and the brand new night-market / food court is a soulless place without any atmosphere whatsoever. Yet some will prefer that no doubt.

Although each entry on that multi-entry visa allows another 60 days extension for 'wife visit', so in fact it's actually 150 days. One 60-day extension per entry. For me personally, I regard having to go out after nigh on 5 months as an opportunity to have a break/holiday/explore outside of Thailand, rather than seeing it solely as a visa run chore, but we all see things somewhat differently no doubt.

If you're driving up by car... car parking is still on the left as you approach Thai immigration... and still 250 baht per day (24 hours.) Got the visa on Thursday (30th March) – applied Wednesday 10am... just two people in the queue. (Mondays and Thursdays still to be avoided for applications apparently – minibus visa runs.) They wanted only the basics.... by that I mean I only offered them the basics, keeping anything that might be asked for back in readiness, in case they should request additional documents. (They didn't.) By “basics” I mean the expected required documents: Filled application form Passport Passport copy: (Main Page; Previous Visit Thai Entry/Exit Stamps; Lao Visa Stamp) Wife's ID copy Wife's House-book copy Marriage Certificate original Marriage Certificate copy Note: - I was advised by someone at my hotel who'd got his visa a day earlier that they weren't interested in either a copy of 'Khor Ror 2' or a copy of wife's passport. (Best have them ready just in case, but don't present them initially.... less is more...) I'd even gone as far as to get the 'Khor Ror 2' updated at my local Amphur... just in case... - Downloading and printing the application form and filling it out in advance saves time. (Same with Lao visa on entry application form - especially as the bus has been known to go off without you if all other non-Farang passengers have gone through.) - You should only need to get copies of the Thai exit stamp and Lao visa stamp (at the place across the road), if you've done all the other photocopying in advance. Something you should know about leaving Lao and re-entering Thailand: Lao immigration is taking 100 baht (or equivalent in Kip) off everyone (Farang / Lao / Thai) on departure.... what a bloody nerve... Best not get caught out with say, only one thousand baht notes, as the likelihood is they'll give you back hundreds of thousands of unusable Kip in change. I wasn't aware of this, and it was only by chance that I had hundred baht notes for myself and my wife. Bad news on re-entering Thailand at Mukdahan immigration – you'll be presented with a TM6 arrival card, so best have your details – long Thai address / phone number memorised... what a pain. So any hopes of never seeing that one again seem to have been dashed – at Mukdahan at least. Final thing – it's definitely a money-saver to pay for the Lao visa in US dollars ($40), otherwise it's 1,800 baht, around a 500 baht uplift. I hadn't realised the difference was quite so big. Unfortunately we're living in a really remote area in Ubon now, far beyond the reach even of a 7 Eleven – (yes, that remote!) - and at our nearest town it's far easier to get hold of a tractor than US dollars. So next time back in Pattaya.. or wherever... will remember to get some for next time (should this visa still be available at Savannakhet.... nothing's guaranteed.) Oh... and not forgetting... the Beer Lao is as tasty as ever, and just 30baht (15,000 Kip) for a large (640ml) bottle.. though not in any of the new pretentious bars and venues that have sprung up since they tore up the river frontage in order to fill the local government's pockets with tax revenue, ruining the rustic atmosphere.

That's good to hear - somewhat reassuring. I really don't see how they can make a big thing of it, seeing as one might have married a Thai lady who hasn't got a passport, and there's no law saying any Thai citizen has to have one. (obviously.) You obviously went alone, without your wife... since her passport had expired. I'll be going to Savannakhet with my wife, but perhaps I'll present the documentation to the consulate alone, as if she isn't there with me. And definitely hold her passport back unless or until it might be asked for.

Yes, absolutely right... just what I intend to do.

“The consulate did not need to know that your wife has a passport.” Well, according to the relevant page on their website they list it as a requirement in the application process. https://savannakhet.thaiembassy.org/th/publicservice/non-immigrant-visa-o-visiting-family-member-of-a-thai-nationality-a-sp?page=5d84a44c15e39c26b400453e&menu=5d84a44c15e39c26b400453f Non - Immigrant Visa "O" (Visiting family member of a Thai nationality, a spouse of Thai national) Required documents 1. Visa application form [Download] which is completely filled out and signed by the applicant 2. Original and a copy of passport or travel document (must not expire within 180 days and contain at least two complete empty visa pages) 3. Two (2) photos of the applicant (3.5 x 4.5 cm, taken within 6 months) 4. Original and a copy of marriage certificate (for spouse/parent) or birth certificate (for child). 5. A copy of Thai identification card (for spouse/parent) 6. A copy of passport (for spouse/parent) 7. A copy of Thai House registration 8. Visa Fee: 2,000 Baht (Single Entry) Seeing as the Thai consulate Savannakhet has listed wife's passport as one of the requirements to be presented on application for this visa, it seems inevitable that they will notice that the passport is still in her maiden name, whilst the other two required wife documents have been changed to my name. I see what you are saying, but on the other hand they will see that 'discrepancy' anyway, so my asking about it in advance will not make any difference.... it's not giving anything away that they won't notice anyway on submitting the application. As others have pointed out, it makes no sense for them to ask for a wife's passport, but what makes sense and what doesn't isn't the issue, because they make the rules... and change the rules... and enforce the rules... and sometimes ignore their own rules..... As for the proofs you were asking about: We have an official change of name document issued by the local amphur. Also a copy of her previous ID card with her maiden name matching that on the passport. And the name on the passport is the same as on the marriage certificate.... obviously! When the amphur changed her name on her house-book, they simply crossed out her maiden name, - still legible, - wrote in her new married name, and stamped it above the alteration, which would seem to be normal policy, since another poster has stated he had the same experience. More evidence... The last time we obtained this visa was just after we'd got married, and all her documents were still in her maiden name – (the passport requirement didn't exist at that time.) One final thing perhaps worth mentioning, which might lend support to your view, is that the English version says “Required documents” at the head of the list, whereas in Thai it says “Supporting documents for a visa” - the former suggests they are compulsory, whereas the latter would suggest that not all on the list are.

Brit Tim you are right of course.... perhaps we should cease to try and fathom the unfathomable. They didn't require a wife's passport before - I know, I've been on this visa before... that made sense but now it doesn't. Also - according to first-hand reports, they have in the past required an updated marriage registration (a 'Kor Ror 2'), just to make sure the marriage has not since been dissolved. We got one at the local amphur in anticipation of this, but who knows whether they'll ask for it or not???!!!! It's simply a case of keeping your <deleted> covered....

Latest update: email from Royal Thai Consulate Savannakhet (to me): Dear Mr. R****** B***** It would be no problem if you provide all documents proving that Mrs. N*** B***** and Mrs. C********* is the same person. Royal Thai Consulate-General, Savannakhet, Lao P.D.R. Tel: (856-41) 212373 Fax: (856-41) 212370 E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://savannakhet.thaiembassy.org Facebook: @ThaiConsulateSVK Twitter: @ThailandinSVK

Hi Sandyf, Yes you are probably correct about that, just as when applying for a UK passport, where 'supporting documents' is followed by a list, which doesn't mean all are essential. I've always operated on the basis of erring towards caution though, having all bases covered. The bottom line is this: Do I want to risk the possibility of my application being rejected, with all the inconvenience and cost that would inevitably follow? One would have to re-enter Thailand on a visa exempt, sort out the paperwork, and then make a second long journey back to Lao - I'm about 4 hours drive from Mukdahan. The hassle would be enormous really, and the extra cost - travel, hotel stays and a second $40 Lao entry visa. Best do everything one can to avoid that scenario methinks.

Yes, the local amphur did the same to my wife's house-book, - crossed out her maiden name and wrote in her married name, but they did official stamp it rather than initial it.

It's not “my” list obviously... it's what's listed on the Thai Consulate Savannakhet's website. It's not for me to tell you what good the wife's passport is... it's up to the Thai consulate in Savannakhet to explain why they are stating it as a requirement. Yes, a copy of the Lao visa stamp page was - and probably still is - a requirement, which the consulate has omitted from their list. You don't say when was the last time you went for this visa, but I've read every account posted on here since the visa processing restarted post-Covid, and they have all said that the wife's passport was a requirement. And, as I mentioned before, this requirement is relatively new.... it wasn't required in the past. I have posted a link to the relevant page/list of required documents on the Thai consulate website, as well as copied & pasted that list on this forum, and you're still denying it's so. The Thai consulate states its requirements, people have posted their experiences confirming what the consulate states – are you suggesting that one should simply ignore that evidence? If so, on what basis should we ignore what the consulate itself says, and those who've gone through the process have recently confirmed?

This link was e-mailed to me by the Thai consulate in Savannakhet fairly recently: https://savannakhet.thaiembassy.org/th/publicservice/non-immigrant-visa-o-visiting-family-member-of-a-thai-nationality-a-sp?page=5d84a44c15e39c26b400453e&menu=5d84a44c15e39c26b400453f Required documents Visa application form [Download] which is completely filled out and signed by the applicant Original and a copy of passport or travel document (must not expire within 180 days and contain at least two complete empty visa pages) Two (2) photos of the applicant (3.5 x 4.5 cm, taken within 6 months) Original and a copy of marriage certificate (for spouse/parent) or birth certificate (for child). A copy of Thai identification card (for spouse/parent) A copy of passport (for spouse/parent) A copy of Thai House registration Visa Fee: 2,000 Baht (Single Entry) Horses mouth and all that.....

Hi Maestro It wasn't a requirement previously (up to end of 2019 certainly) - but at some point they began to make it a requirement. This is born out by the detailed accounts of people who have been to Savannakhet posted on this forum since the consulate resumed visa issuing post-Covid, which have included lists of the documents required at the consulate there. That's not to say that there may be variations from one day to the next, or that there may have been times when an official has neglected to ask for a copy of the wife's passport. But all reports I've seen that give an account of the application process from personal experiences have listed a copy of the wife's passport as a requirement. This 'new' requirement was specifically remarked upon by applicants who had previously procured this visa when it was not required. Please note that I'm referring to the Non-O One-Year Multi-Entry visa from Savannakhet specifically, and not to any other situation that may arise elsewhere.

Thanks for that Isan Farang..... appreciated, and could be very handy. Even if I decide to take a chance that it will be OK at Savannakhet, the passport name-change has to be done sometime, just to have all documents lined up. If the Ubon Ratchathani passport office offers this service, it'll save us the huge inconvenience of having to go to Bangkok just for that.... a place I hope to have no reason to have to go to again frankly.

Thanks Ubon Joe... that's exactly what I thought, but being familiar with the situation here (as well as other Asian countries) 'reason' doesn't always come into it. If they query it, I'm sure I have the diplomatic and persuasive skills to articulate the case for a rational response! (in a friendly and non-combative manner...)

That's basically it – my Thai wife changed her surname to mine on certain documents, but didn't change her passport. That means I can present her ID card and house-book with her surname the same as mine, but her passport shows her maiden name – (which is also the name shown on the marriage certificate obviously.) We also have the official document that shows the name change from her maiden name to her married name. She also has photocopies of her previous ID card showing her maiden name. (The last time we obtained this Non-O marriage visa was in November 2019, and at that time they did not require the wife's passport copy. About two months after that, I returned to the UK for a visit, and owing to Covid and other issues didn't return until last November. Whilst I was away my wife did the change of name documentation.... so I wasn't actually involved in it – or entirely made aware of everything until my return.) I'm wondering if anyone else has been in a similar position? Otherwise it's just a matter of guesswork as to how the Thai consulate at Savannakhet will view the fact that her passport still carries her maiden name - (the one on the marriage certificate) – whilst her ID card and house-book have been changed to show her married name. With all the relevant documentation, rational thinking would suggest that there wouldn't be any problem, but we know that 'rational thinking' doesn't always apply. Incidentally, we recently moved from the Bangkok area to Ubon, so we want to avoid having to make a long trip to Bangkok and back just to process a passport name change..... and I've no idea whether Ubon Ratchathani has a passport office that might be able to do this. Thanks in advance for any helpful information or relevant experiences you might have had.

Hi Tim, is that recent info regarding Mondays and Thursdays to be avoided? I know it used to be pre-Covid (because those were the days for the agency minibus arrivals)... I just hadn't heard or seen that this had restarted post-Covid. Could you confirm? (I'd planned to go on a Thursday later this month, so I may go a day earlier if that's the case.)

Did a 60-day extension 'wife-visit' on January 30th, but because I entered on visa exempt - (extended in Pattaya whilst I was there at the time) - I had to go to the IT building Laksi instead of CW. My wife changed her name to mine, but the change of name document wasn't asked for at Laksi immigration office - (I had it ready to show if they had asked....)

I entered on a visa exempt, - (UK national) - then did a 30-day extension at Jomtien (because I was renting a condo for a month in Pattaya at the time.) Now back in Bangkok district. I think I read that extensions to a visa exempt entry are done at the Lak Si office and not at CW. But now that I've done that extension at Jomtien, a little confused as to where the 60-day 'wife / family visit' extension is applied for. (I think it's still CW... but don't want the hassle of going to the wrong office.) Advice appreciated... thanks!

Thanks for your responses - helpful... and better than just picking any at random. It's also entirely possible that some practitioners may take advantage of a Farang's perceived deeper pockets! (or not care as much as they might about the quality of the work...)

Just for pretty straight-forward work - fillings, extractions, perhaps a bridge. Cost is a consideration, but so is professional standards. There are so many private dental centres to choose from. Are hospital dental departments worth a look - any pros and cons? Any you may suggest to avoid? !!!

Personal experience supports what I've said, - otherwise I wouldn't have written it. On three occasions I've had notes rejected at banks, and only the most forensic and meticulous inspection spotted the 'flaws' as they were so small as to be practically imperceptible. I do think however, that it's possible that exchange kiosks may be less zealous in their scrutiny. When the banks refused to accept the notes, they were at pains to point out that these minute nicks or pen marks were not acceptable in Thailand...whether they were right or wrong in their assertion is not for me to say.

What concerns me about showing the equivalent of 10,000 THB in cash is that any note that has the slightest nick in it, or a pen mark or even a barely visible degree of damage will be rejected by Thai banks. I did manage to change a UK £50 note that had a practically invisible minute tear in it at an exchange kiosk one time, but it's extremely inconvenient to have a note that's difficult to exchange, especially when one is in Thailand for extended visits.... (proposed one year multi-entry in my case.) I read one post that reckoned that a current bank statement showing funds wouldn't satisfy immigration on arrival with a visa exempt. I mean... people don't travel with cash these days... do they? And travellers cheques are archaic... plus there are charges.

If you are on a non-O one-year multi-entry visa, then you can also apply for a 60-day 'wife/family visit extension' (one extension allowed on each entry.) This cuts down on the number of times you need to exit and re-enter Thailand during the duration of your one-year visa. You'll need the usual passport copies plus wife's ID and house-book, marriage certificate and registration (updated), and the usual 1,900 THB fee. Also remember.... if you re-enter just before the one-year duration of the visa, you get another 90 days, which I'm pretty sure comes with the possibility of another 60-day 'wife visit' extension on top. That means that this one-year multi-entry based on marriage is in fact good for up to almost 17 months, provided you leave and re-enter just before the one year is up. Not bad for the initial 5,000 THB visa fee, though you do have to factor in the expenditure of the required border runs. This may work out - for some people - an easier option than the marriage extension, depending on one's circumstances - and crucially perhaps, whether one has the requisite funds available or not to deposit in a Thai bank account.