Tofer

15 hours ago, rickudon said:

With any extension, what you will actually be asked for and accepted can vary slightly from Office to Office. And, as said, Immigration officers will tend to interpret rules to the letter of what there boss tells them - initiative is not encouraged (unless a tip is likely!). My experience is that sometimes a photograph is judged as not quite right or a photocopy is not good enough, which can mean another visit. As what they want photocopied varies i no longer do much, just let them do it and give them a small tip. There own photocopying is always acceptable ......   A small tip is not an issue, if an extra service is provided. An out and out bribe is not.

 

As to swapping to a Retirement extension, there are reasons why not to. I do not like the idea of tying up large sums of money at low interest, I can still get better rates elsewhere. Secondly, if the rules where to change and due to the exchange rates going down, you may no longer qualify for the retirement extension and swapping back may not be so easy. I have been on marriage because while not getting UK State pension i didn't have an income of 65,000 baht a month. Now i get state pension but due to Brexit my income is about 66,000 baht a month - any exchange rate fluctuation could make next renewal if on retirement problematical. 

 

 

I hope all goes well Rick. Being a straight shooter I am always afraid of offending the officials by preferring money, although I do believe you've hit the nail on the head. I believe it does oil the wheels, and is perhaps what's missing in my transactions.

3 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

I don't think immigration would intentionally make a problem for getting the extension based upon marriage to push you to get an extension based upon retirement.

They might do the extension based upon retirement without even asking you though if you were to show enough financial proof for it.

I have done 9 extension based upon marriage using the income option. Only once out of all of those extensions did they ask for something we did not have with us which occurred when they had a complete change of staff. It was a  big surprise when the asked for my wife's divorce certificate that luckily we had at home. At this time I cannot think of anything more they can ask for than what I supply every year now.

I could put a small amount of money in one of my bank accounts and do the combination method for retirement but to me it is not worth the hassle to do it. Plus the loss of interest and penalties for taking ii out of an investment account in my wife's name.

I sincerely hope that's true. I'm pleased to hear you've got it nailed, I live in hope. Maybe I need to move to Ubon - guessing from your title that's where you are.

My sentiments entirely regarding finances. Just wish 'others' could understand that point, it's not rocket science after all, my ears and mind are wide open and my beachfront is pebbles not sand!

Unfortunately in my area and with my recent experiences I don't feel too confident about getting straightforward treatment. Still it's early days, only my first years trying for an ME, and I'm nothing if not tenacious.

Thanks also for the moral support.

Some may say - if I'm so disgruntled why do I stay. 

I stay because I love my wife and Thailand as a country and it's general population, culture, customs, weather etc, and I've invested MANY millions of baht to build a pleasant retirement existence here. Not so easy to up sticks and begger off, drag my wife away from here home and family again having already spent 22 years in UK with me, having promised her we would retire here.

I hate the illogical officialdom and outright inequality / racism shown to decent well meaning foreign citizens, and will continue to voice my opinions if the subjects are raised. Sorry if that offends some of you but as a Yorkshireman I speak as I find!

By the way, over the years I've lived, long term, in 7 different countries around the world and am quite familiar with the concept of abiding by and respecting your host countries laws, regulations and customs. It would just be nice if I could find out what they are here in Thailand regarding the officialdom.

18 hours ago, jeab1980 said:

Goverment hospitals are fairly well priced a lot less than these private rip of hospitals. Example true fact as it was me, hernia op Ram/bangkok hospitals quoted 60k and 65k respectively. Trip to local hospital registered and talked to surgeon quoted 25k  actual cost 23k own room ok food was bland but mrs stayed with me for the 2 nights i was in so she went off and got other food. Room was clean and nurses were exellent as was surgeon.

Wow, you were lucky, where's your local hospital, I'm moving. 

I spent 2 days in our local hospital with supposed critical dengue fever, it was dirty, downright uncomfortable, staff were too busy playing/ chatting to bother, no food provided - my wife had to bring meals in every day and a mattress fit to sleep on, visitors so noisy in middle of night I had to, God forbid, complain.

Overcharged horrendously for being a farang, my wife blew a gasket and left them mouths agog, when she asked them if  they found I had 4 arms and legs to justify the quadruple charges. I discharged myself early when I realised all I was getting was blood & pressure tested 4 times a day, paracetamol and bottled water, and no actual care. Sorry they did stick a drip in my hand which is the only thing I couldn't get more comfortably at home.

On 26 May 2017 at 9:40 AM, Ace of Pop said:

Oh what a fuss.Retirement Visa is not for me ,been married here for 25years .Now then ,even I can work out if Iwasnt married I'd need a retirement ext for 800k,same yearly cost,to get it stamped on the Spot .400 K in the Bank n they send it round Thailand , some one looks at it ,sends it back , and. Then it's O.K.Recon they know The Unwed Guys ain't been payin out as much..Kindness and Luck play I Big part of having 800K rotting away at Lo interest,I know many who find it hard, they just been toooo kind really. I just hate the Form Filling n dumb pics,25 years Of same same paper shredded for nothing.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

Quite. I bet there would be some major complaining if your Thai wives had to go through this ridiculous process to stay in UK....

On 26 May 2017 at 3:06 AM, burner2014 said:

Same thing happend to me this week.  But we had to bring a filled out form (by the witness) and the ID Card Copies including Signatures. 

-> I guess a measurement for all the fake marriages in Thailand?

But I really don't understand that as the Amphore needed already 2 Witnesses for the Marriage.  + we submitted an updated KOR2 Form from the same day.

Before that we had to fill out 6 double pages of forms... (extra to the normal stuff).  Getting really more paperwork :)  

 

Lastly they wanna check our home as well. Happy to invite them.

 

----

 

Not complaining I just think that it would be great if there would be an OPEN Communication what Changes will be applied throughout a YEAR. An updated Checklist would be awesome, but a dream I guess. Next time I will drive to the Immigration first and get all papers and drive another day back again.

I agree wholeheartedly.

Good luck with next time. I tried that TWICE, but to no avail. Be prepared!

On 25 May 2017 at 9:31 PM, elviajero said:

Let me spell it out. You don't need to, and are not going to be forced to, tie up 800K. BUT if you do voluntarily have 800K+ in your bank it is perfectly reasonable, and to your benefit, that the IO processes the application based on 'retirement' and issues the extension on the spot.

So it's perfectly reasonable to expect me to transfer copious sums of money that may or may not be needed just because IO cannot be bothered to do the job properly. As I said before, when I turn up with only 400k and they come up with some other spurious reason to reject my ME who's paying for the trip to KL for a new non-O?

Perhaps I need to be as devious as they are and carry a second bank book with an additional 400k just in case.

What, pray tell, is the problem with issuing / displaying a definitive list of requirements? I think I know....

Like some other contributors have noted my IO is not just around the corner, it's a whole day trip to find out if I've got it right. 

You seem to have a problem with people complaining about not getting what they ask for and are entitled to by the rules of Immigration. If you were told you had to buy a Lexus instead of the pick up you wanted just because you had the money available, would you be happy?

On 26 May 2017 at 8:54 AM, Gary A said:

I really don't see the problem with having 800,000 baht in a saving account. Quite frankly, if you don't have 800,000 baht, you can't afford to live here anyways. That money should be used to live on until it needs to be topped up for your next extension, so it is not dead money. How would you deal with a medical emergency if you don't have that money in a savings account?

Rather a simplistic view. Some of us would like to leave our money where it is until really needed. I'm sure you're aware of the lousy exchange rates at the moment for Stirling. There's a big difference between 800k and 400k. Ever heard of other sources of income and medical insurance?

24 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Mr Banks   Sir you are 100% correct, if you marry and want to take your wife, you should you should have sufficient funds available to provide for her, not rely on state handouts.

Quite agree gentlemen. Sadly the state will hand out houses and social security the minute they get divorced and are left destitute, as I've seen with Thai ladies my wife knows. I even know of one who then teamed up with a Thai man who subsequently financed her to buy the council house under the right to buy scheme and now owns the place at a knock down price thanks to us UK taxpayers.

Pity the Thai government don't reciprocate with British husbands when their wives clean them out. Not that I have that problem. Aside from that it would be nice to be able to simply reside here without all the extensions hassle.

To the original post, it is a shame as there are many genuine applicants. I obtained naturalization and a UK passport for my wife with relative ease about 20 years ago. It was a darned sight easier and cheaper than obtaining a 12 month marriage extension in Thailand, and she did not have to report in every 90 days.

9 minutes ago, elviajero said:

I'm here to help, not argue. If people want to stick their fingers in their ears, and head in the sand, that's their lookout.

 

You are asking for a 1 year extension of stay, and regardless of the reason used to justify issuing the extension, you end up with what you asked for. Surely that is not hard to understand.

Sorry my mistake, I'll spell it out more clearly this time. Why should I have to provide / tie up 800k when I'm fully entitled to an extension with only 400k on the basis of marriage.

I understand perfectly well that if I'd turned up with only 400k and all the documents I'd been told to provide on 2 previous occasions (and being my last day) I would have been forking out for another trip to KL, as 3 months previously, just because they are too lazy to process a marriage ext.

6 minutes ago, elviajero said:

There is no definitive criteria. The basic criteria is published in the police orders, however, local immigration offices have a certain amount of autonomy, and the senior officer at that office will/can direct their staff to process the application as they want.

 

You can get general advice on criteria from forums like this, but it is best to contact the office you are applying at ahead of time so you know what that office want. It would be great if there was a countrywide standard, but there isn't and never has been.

Thank you for the clarification. That is exactly what I did, twice, as noted in my first post, and still got thwarted. Good job I didn't turn up with only 400k or I'd have been on my bike to KL again! They took the easy way out for them, as I had hedged my bets and shown 800k in the bank.

Let's not fall out over it. As Jaeb said - if it's offered and you meet all the requirements you should get what you ask for. 

41 minutes ago, elviajero said:

You are applying for a 1 year extension of stay. In order to get it you have to justify a reason. Someone who is married or over 50 has two justifiable reasons to get the same extension. It doesn't matter which reason you use because you end up with the same 1 year permit to stay.

 

The IO's are looking for the easiest path to give you the extension, so if you go armed with the paperwork that meets the 'retirement' criteria they will, for mutual benefit, issue the extension based on 'retirement' on the spot.

 

The notation on the permit stamped in your passport simply advises other IO's how you qualified to receive the 1 year extension.

 

I'm married, over 50 (just) and a parent. When I apply for an extension I apply for it based on being a parent so that I do not need to tie up 800K/400K in a Thai bank for months before applying or bother with an income affidavit. If I went in with a bank book with over 800K in it they would process the application based on being over 50 and issue it on the spot. What is the downside to that!

 

Why would you want to insist on having the application placed under consideration, and wait another month for the same 1 year permit that could be granted on the spot. I think you and others simply don't understand what you are applying for.

 

Whatever reason you use to justify needing an extension of stay you end up with the same 1 year extension of stay. It's not hard to understand, and insisting that they note the reason for the extension as marriage is completely bonkers unless you are working in Thailand.

 

 

Well, there's a turn up for the argument, bonkers is it? But you don't want to tie up 800/400k. What about the rest of us? I was beginning to think you were an IO officer.

1 hour ago, elviajero said:

If they didn't want "expats who live in country" they wouldn't keep granting thousands of permits to stay every year.

 

It is very, very easy to live in Thailand for anyone that can meet the very, very easy criteria. Most problems that expats experience are due to their lack of knowledge, lack of preparation, and sense of entitlement. Most changes and extra requirements requested by immigration are the result of increasing fraudulent applications (e.g. fake marriages) and security fears.

 

Most people go to immigration every year and have absolutely no problems being granted a new extension. Thai bureaucrats  are programmed to dot every i and cross every t, and to follow the rules imposed by their bosses. Employees in government agencies will treat Thai's and foreigners exactly the same way. If you provide what they want, you get what you want. 

If they are so particular about their i's & t's why is it impossible to get a straight answer to a simple question - what exactly do they need and in what format?

I would be delighted if you could direct me please to the correct source for the definitive criteria, as would a lot of other people judging by the previous posts. Why don't they issue a simple check list form as a clear guide to follow, then there would be no disputes or confusion. My guess is that's too efficient and doesn't leave the door open for individual interpretation...

19 hours ago, elviajero said:

You seem to be complaining that "they" are trying to do you a favor by processing a simpler application that can be agreed on the spot and doesn't need signing off by a higher up!

Sorry, not at all, they are only doing themselves the favour - too bloody lazy! I wanted a marriage visa, and have spent a lot of time and money getting to the point where, I thought (following IO's advice), we had all the right documents.

11 hours ago, whaleboneman said:

But did your customers?

Damn, never thought... Could have saved a fortune on chicken! Maybe even stitch a few handbags for the wife.

Once had a baby cobra climb out of the wall panelling and rear up in our cardboard box (read shack) in Phuket, thought nah.. Too small to get it's teeth into me then realised I was in the altogether and there was a small appendage below the waste line - didn't hang around.....

A few sleepless nights after that wondering what else was living / breeding in our walls.

Also had nests of snakes living in the thatch of the restaurant we owned  which would slither down the tree in the middle. Customers were often curious to see me swinging pick axe handles at the tree trunk. Never did try eating them though.

Bring it on. Great for the yachties! 

Others, no doubt, can fill their boots!

14 hours ago, Tony M said:

Went to do my marriage extension at Jomtien last week.  This is the 7th extension. The lady that does them knows us now.  This time she told us to go away and bring a  witness who knew we are living together.  When I asked why, she said that maybe we didn't live together. I was going to remind her that 2 years ago, Jomtien immigration had said that all applications for marriage extensions needed a witness to attend. We had done so, and she had asked why we had brought a witness as she knew that we had lived together for 5 years. My wife restrained me from saying what I wanted to say.  All the documentation was complete, apart from this (new) witness requirement. We went away, got a witness, and came back. She got her boss to interview the witness, took copies of his documents, and the application was accepted. Extension will hopefully be issued in a month.

Same story from Krabi, need a witness who works in the Government. Come on - what the heck does a stranger know about our marital circumstances......  Furthermore they told us they would need to visit our home, would that not be evidence enough? The recording of our marriage in the Amphur Office required 2 witnesses who knew us, that made sense, but then Immigration would not accept that as verification even though the document was only one month old. This was never mentioned to us on 2 previous visits to confirm requirements, but on the day we needed to apply (last day of my visa) they threw that one in. As I'd already been caught out with insufficient funds for the retirement visa 3 months earlier, requiring a trip to KL for a new Non-O entry visa, I made sure there were enough funds for a retirement visa this time.

Oddly we were not asked for photos, just a map which I scribbled on a scrap of paper in-front of them - accepted. Maybe they will throw the photo requirement in next time when I turn up with a witness....

It is a fact, they cannot be bothered with the administration of a marriage visa, too much like hard work, particularly as the fee is the same as a retirement visa.

Sounds like your wife is just as sensible as mine, my shins are black and blue whenever we do anything official! In fact this is the only office I bother to enter now, just sit in the car down the road.

What do they hope to achieve if they don't even declare their hand, as the police report still has nobody and no protest recognised for the act. Simply despicable, inhuman cowardly copycat animals, without a brain cell between them.

Has anybody had any experience of 'ARCE' centrifugal pumps. We recently bought one from HomePro, a special offer deal my honorary Yorkshire (Thai) wife could not resist!

It's not fixed yet, so I'm guessing I could take it back if Mitsubishi appears a better choice.

We're using this to pump from our well to large storage tanks with float switches via filters (any advice on filters would be appreciated also), then a pump for distribution to the buildings outlets, currently a 3-bathroom villa and a 1-bathroom apartment, and potentially 3 more apartments if we feel they are viable.

Home Pro appear to recommend whatever is being 'pushed' at the time. We've been recommended 2 different filter products in the space of a couple of months by the same salesman!! Firstly a triple plastic tub arrangement with easily accessible filters, then a larger twin filter unit that looked like an old fashioned paraffin heater casing.

We're next to the sea in Koh Lanta Yai, Krabi, so rust deterioration will be an issue also.

Wish I'd found this forum sooner!