Tod Daniels

Whether you can get one 60 day extension based on visiting Thai family per entry, on a multi-entry Visa or per Visa bracket (meaning you can do it once on any entry of that Visa) is an immigration office specific thing. There are indeed offices that will only let you get that 60-day visit family extension one time per Visa. Just as there are offices that will not add the 60 days to the current 90-day stamp and they make you go close to the date that stamp is expiring to get the 60 days and you lose the extra days left on your stamp. That is because you have the non-ovisa based on marriage and you are getting the extension for a different reason based on visiting Thai family. @KruAlastair you clearly have a concept of how the year-long multi-entry non-immigrant type O Visa works, my advice to you would be to take your Thai wife with you and go to the immigration office asking them if you can get the 60-day extension on this entry and then on the final 90 day entry you will get when you bounce out and back close to when your Visa itself expires. Their answer will control whether you take the extension now or not.

How about we start with some easy stuff first? That way people can give you sensible advice.. What is your nationality? What is your age? Where are you now? (In thailand or in your home country) If you're in thailand now Where in thailand are you? What stamp are you here on? When does that stamp expire?

Hmm strange 😮 I went to the online queue booking website for bangkok immigrations, selected Cham Churi Square OSCC and there are plenty of appt available for July every day they're open Online Queue Booking Bangkok Here's the openings for Monday July 1st 😕 I'd sure contact your employer and make sure that you don't have your wires crossed

Here's two options, go read the websites, LTR (Long Term Residents) Visa Elite Visa

did you read the list of requirements on the Phuket Immigration Volunteer website about getting a certificate of residence? https://piv-phuket.com/residence-certificate/

Just curious did you make a copy of that page in your work permit booklet that showed the other company was listed in it? Since the countries re-opened after covid the thai consulates in Vietnam (Hanoi and HCMC) went way WAY down as far as their turn around speed to get passports/visas back. Sadly yes, that is something I have heard all too often from people using that consulate. Unfortunately you have NO leverage at all with them. I had someone say it took TEN business days for their approval on a Non-B All you can do is show up tomorrow and check on it.

@Tercera_Edad umm, if you got a new year extension you DON'T have an LTR (Long Term Resident) visa so none of that info on the LTR/BOI Website has any relevance to you and your current situation Just so you know, you can't get a yearly extension at the One Stop Service Center based on retirement and that means you can't move the stamps there either. As Dr Jack clearly stated you renew your passport BEFORE you get next years extension OR you're only going to get one for the duration of the passport (meaning you lose those months) 🙂 When you get the new passport you go to the office that issued the extension and get the stamps moved Now what you could do is time the passport renewal so that once you get the new passport it's also time to go apply for the new yearly extension. They'd move the stamps to the new passport and give you another year extension all at the same time.

and in engrish that'd be written like Jomtien Immigration Office 75/265 Soi 5, Moo 12, Jomtien Beach Road Nongprue, Banglamung Chonburi Thailand 20150 ATTN: 90 DAY REPORTING SECTION

Sadly for you @kingkenny both of those times you were being led by the nose by the immigration office 😕. There is no 3 months seasoning for marriage, raising thai children or retirement extensions and for marriage to a thai or raising thai children there never was 😮 IF you're getting an extension based on supporting a thai child there is no written rule that says the funds need to be in the account ANY specified period other than "on the date you apply" <- which means there is no seasoning for the 400K baht for that reason. @Kenny202 there is no requirement to show the bank balance when you go back to get the under consideration stamp closed out and get the year extension inked in. The clause for extensions based on supporting thai child do not list ANY seasoning at all. You can check with your office well before you apply but be prepared to stand your ground if they say there is seasoning or it has to stay in the account.

you need this t-shirt

Okay despite people saying it is NOT required, more than a few people have been denied METV's and sold single entry because they failed to show WHY they needed an METV. When you click multiple entry you see the notice under it. Like I posted As a rule people wanting an METV need to show flight TO thailand from their country, then about 60 days later a flight out of thailand (to a s/e asian country is fine) then back a few days later. You're under NO obligation to use those flights and you can exit/re-enter by land all you want BUT you use those to show why you NEED an METV. Now maybe when they did the "streamlining" of the tourist visa process, they eased up the proof you need an METV requirements too but it still says it under the number of entries choice That'd be great if it wasn't required anymore. I'm curious if anyone has gotten an METV the last couple of months online thru the eVisa system without showing onward travel in 60 days?

It's not the portal it's the consulate you're applying thru That's on the Thai Consulate in London's website AND most consulates require you show a flight from your country to thailand to get the visa approved, There are quite a few cases of denial of visas even in the EU where people are applying in the country they're in BUT they're flying to thailand from a neighboring EU country and showed that flight itinerary

For Section L1 you go to the first cubby on the right as you enter that section, the one that says "document check" and get the paperwork checked, and then you go to the cubby where the appt is, it will say on your queue number what counter number in L1 to go to. Walk right up to the doorway of that cubby, and whether that officer is busy or not, show your print out of the online appt, Then sit down so you can SEE that officer because once she's finished doing what she's doing and it's close to your time for the appt, she'll motion you in to her cubicle.

You got denied at a land border didn't you? I think that land denials always get the stamp no matter what.

Exactly as I outlined in my comment, you get the stamps moved in the same section that issued the extension. And they didn't miss moving your re-entry permit in section L1, you have to go over to section C2 (the section that issues reentry permits) to get that stamp moved. EDITED Forgot to mention you get the rentry permit moved from the office that sold it to you. If you'd gotten it at change your have moved the stamp there, if you got it from an airport, you go there to move the stamp

There is no gun to his head to do ANYTHING right now. He's fine on this extension even though he technically didn't follow the seasoning requirements, there's no way they'll catch that until they go to apply for the NEW year extension. I'd say get the 800K in the bank then just before this extension runs out, bounce out of the country, get OFF this extension on to a free entry stamp and apply in country at the immigration office for first the 90 day Non-O visa for 2000baht and after 2 months the year extension for 1900baht and after that pay attention to the seasoning requirements 😛😉

I think you're confusing leaving the country by land to get off a valid Non-O visa/extension and on to a new 30 day entry stamp at a land border where they 'charge a fee' to let people out on valid visa/extensions that aren't cancelled with being denied entry into the country Those are two completely different things and the border bounce companies up here in bangkok also tell you that the border will charge a 'fee' to let you out on a Non-Imm visa/extension you're trying to get off of

@sup3r1or Despite people saying nothing will happen believe me it COULD indeed turn into a situation that will have to be addressed when he goes for the new extension Unfortunately, that you nor he noticed the paper that states the seasoning isn't gonna cut any ice with the immigration office. The rule is written clearly, the 800k has to be in the account for 2 months before you apply for your extension, it has to stay in the account for 3 months after the extension takes effect, and then the balance can't go below 400K baht the rest of the year. Now most offices require you to get a print out from the bank of the year detail transaction report showing the balance on the account (and every transaction) for the previous year <- That's how they can check if you followed the rules. BUT Some don't ask for it What I'd say is, Don't let the balance go below 400K baht and get it back to 800K baht 2 months before you will have him apply for the next year extension. Go to the office and apply for the next year extension about a month before this one expires, with the documents copies, bank letter, bank book update, like you had this year (new ones though 😛 ) and act like everything is okay. DON'T say anything about you/him pulling the balance below 800K before the 3 months was up after he got the extension. Believe me IF it's gonna be a problem they'll catch it. If they do catch it; they'll either say he has to leave, come back free stamp entry and start the whole process again (90 day non-O, year extension etc) OR they'll offer out a "for a fee it can be okay" solution 😮 Either way nothing other than those two things will happen. He's far from the first foreigner who didn't understand the seasoning rules, At this time do nothing, other than make sure you follow the seasoning until you go apply for the next extension.

Remember you HAVE to apply at the consulate based on where you are in Oz

The first thing is DO NOT panic, many many hundreds of people per week are denied entry and it is not the end of the world OR of your time in thailand. If you are being denied entry it does not mean you're being "deported" (to get deported you have to be stamped IN to thailand) what they are doing is not letting you in this time. DENIED AT A LAND CROSSING When you are denied entry at a land border, all they do is put a denial of entry stamp in your passport and send you back to the country you just stamped out of. That country voids your exit stamp and they let you back in. Then you either fly in, go to a consulate and BUY a real tourist visa to come back OR try to "work something out" with the people at the border to get in the next day when the border opens. Most land borders have people approach you as soon as you go back to the country you just left when you're denied. They'll offer a way to "get you in tomorrow" for a fee. It really does work and I know people who ended up cutting a deal with those people showing up at the border at 6am the next morning and skating right in no issue. Usually what you can't do once you have a denial of entry stamp from one border is to go try another border because that seems to not work at all. I know peopled denied entry at one Cambo boder, slog over to another one and be told, nope you can't cross out here, go fly back to thailand DENIED BY AIR ENTRY If you're denied entry flying in, you'll get pulled aside, questioned about what you're doing coming into thailand so much on free stamp entries, told you're being denied entry, given some story about 90 days in 180 (which is a fake rule) even shown a sheet in english stating that. First tip - remain calm, you're not the first person denied entry, you're not even the first person that day. It happens, in fact it happens a LOT; especially at BKK (Suvarnabhumi), DMK (Don Mueang) and now we're seeing more and more denials at HKT (Phuket) Interestingly there hasn't been a confirmed denial of entry at CNX since the country re-opened after covid 😮 ) Second tip - DO NOT SIGN the denial of entry forms (which are usually all in thai except your name). If you don't sign them they can't put a denial of entry stamp in your passport. Don't get me wrong, they will still deny you entry and it'll be in the computer database that you were denied, but they won't put that GIANT half page stamp in it for everyone to see everytime an officer pages thru your passport Generally you're sent back to the airport you just flew in from, but they can let you go to any country you can get in to. One thing to keep in mind is the officer has the right to make you go back to country of passport origin (doesn't matter in the least if you live there or not). So if push comes to shove they can make you use a flag carrier and go back there. The flight out is your expense. You'll get put into IDC holding at the airport, it is not fun, BUT it's about 1000 times better than IDC lock up at Suan Plu in Bangkok, so be glad that's where you are. Depending on the officer you can sometimes "pay" to have them take you around, get food, get money out of an ATM, you can still use your mobile phone, etc. You just kill time until your flight out. Usually they'll give your passport to the steward on the flight and you'll get it when you land. Sadly once you're in lock up at the airport it's WAY too late to call a safe entry company to help you get in. That is something you have to set up BEFORE you fly in. Although believe it or not, if you contact one of them when you're denied you can set it up so you can fly in the next day (even at the same airport) and you'll get right in. No matter what they tell you the reason is, 99.99% of the denial of entry by air and land all say the same time "no means of support" the thai will say ไม่มีปัจจัยยังชีพตามสมควร. That's because it's one of the ONLY reasons you can be denied entry. There is no "you used too many visa exempt entries by air" rule, there is no 90 in 180 rule, there is no "you stay too long in thailand" rule. Those are just b/s excuses parroted to you by the officer. they will write "no means of support" stamp on the denial of entry stamp. They will write that as the reason even if you show them the proof of funds in CASH that you can be asked for (20K baht or the equivalent), it's just the reason they stamp in why you were denied Many people ask, IF I have a valid tourist visa to thailand will I get in? The answer to that is no, a tourist visa does not guarantee you get in to thailand. It only means that if they let you in, you get in for the 60 days that visa allows. It's your previous entry/stay history that controls you getting in free stamp or on a tourist visa, whereas if you have a new Non-Immigrant type visa you will get in no matter your entry/stay history. I probably get 10 or more messages each week from people being denied entry at land borders or some airport here. Not much can be done once the decision is made to deny you entry, you just go thru the process and get sent back out. THEN you come up with a plan to get back in. This is one reason I tell people not to burn BOTH their free stamp land entries and to keep one in reserve because that way IF you're denied by air, you can just fly to a border country and enter by land. That's actually how most people who are denied by air get back in. They fly to KL, then to Penang and cross at Sadao Hope this helped, sorry it was long, perhaps it had some value Here's a denial of entry stamp and the reason I mentioned

You are correct, and I agree 100% it is confusing as can be I was able to select French, want to apply in Hong Kong and the eVisa system will let me thru to fill out an application BUT That doesn't mean that the thai consulate there <- where the visa application goes to be approved will let it go thru. Before when you had to walk up to the consulate you just showed that little "paper stamp" they gave you when you entered the country as the proof you're legally allowed to use that consulate, I would imagine you upload that and your entry stamp to show you're in the country. Try it, it'll either work or it won't

This topic comes up a LOT believe it or not Many people get pulled up stamping in by immigration officers who think they are abusing the free entry stamp, they are told they have to leave in 30 days and often they are made to book a ticket out of the country right there IN 30 days before they're stamped in. As Caldera said, the immigration officer at ANY office isn't going to have any idea what transpired between you and the officer who stamped you in. You'll get the 30 day extension fine without issue.

Thanx for that really concise update 👍 glad that it worked out

SWD Transport runs from Bangkok to the Ban Laem border with Cambodia every day from the Lotus's Parking Lot at the On Nut Skytrain Station every morning at 4:30. They use the bigger VIP mini-vans (where you have a bigger chair) and their drivers are pretty darned good SWD Transport

@anotherfarangishere You sure you can use the eVisa system IN Hong Kong