007 RED

32 minutes ago, BWPattaya said:

A couple of years ago a friend of mine (who had been deported) came back from the Uk. He had changed his name, legally, and had a new “clean” passport. He was arrested and made to buy another ticket to fly back to the UK. 

So, getting your new “clean” passport will count for nothing. Your history is there whatever you do. 

 

Correct... "getting a new clean passport counts for nothing".

The moment the IO scans the new passport, the immigration system tries to locate information against that new passport number.  Because it is new it will obviously not show up.  The system then does a search based upon: country code + gender + date of birth + family name + given names.  If it can only match part of the information the system displays photos of persons who it knows.  Surprisingly, using country code + gender + date of birth the number of potential matches is relatively small so the IO can quickly identify the person from previous entry photos.

25 minutes ago, overherebc said:

..... I can't see any ref' to the previous passport noted by the UK issuing office, unless it's in the 'chip'.

The biometric chip contained in your passport contains exactly the same information that is printed on the main (photo page).  This includes your photo and signature.  The information is encrypted and can only be read by authorised passport scanner systems.  The purpose of the chip is to make it harder to forge the passport and easier to detect a forgery.

No information is added when for example a person is refused entry or deported from a country or acquires a criminal record etc.

36 minutes ago, hapacadabra said:

So if I (and people in my situation) are reading the advice correctly...

 

it's that, the airport *will* put a notation listing my previous passport number, *but*, that this shouldn't really scare me, because immigration will know exactly who I am, regardless? Even without any notation - when I return to Thailand with my new passport - they know me, and all my entries/exits.

 

The only benefit is potentially at the consulate-level? IE - if/when I go to make a new Visa somewhere, the consulate will either see a notation (if I make the passport in Thailand), or they see nothing (if I make the passport elsewhere). Little-to-no benefit there, I imagine?

If you have a new passport prior to leaving Thailand immigration may, or may not, put a notation regarding your previous passport and or entry history into your new one.  Even if they do not put anything into your new passport when you leave the immigration system will automatically link your new and old passports the moment the immigration officer scans the new passport photo page and they will be able to see your entry/exit history on their screen.  So any notation is of no consequence as far as immigration is concerned.

The only bonus of you getting a new passport outside Thailand will be if you apply for a new visa.  The embassy/consulate will not be aware of your history as they do not have direct access to the immigration system.  However, you should be aware that the issuing of a visa is not a guarantee of entry.  Entry is given at the discretion of the immigration officer at the point of entry (and they will be able see your previous entry/exit history).

14 hours ago, Aditi Sharma said:

"I was stopped at customs 12 years ago when I attempted to go back to home country from Bangkok. Apparently, when I was given a free trip to Bangkok by a friend with a ticket that transits in Bangkok to go to Japan, he took my boarding pass and gave to a Chinese lady to board with a fake passport bearing my name n details but with her picture.  [ Local] authorities launched an investigation for around a year and cleared me and returned my passport. I have never attempted to enter Thailand since then and let the matter bury."

 

Ma'am can you please elaborate on this. Restate this story in a little more detail. If you did not do anything wrong, refuse to be a victim. Prevent others from becoming a victim like you.

Would you have the courage to find this friend who did this to you?

How are you certain that he created a fake passport with your details -have you seen it? 

How do you know it was a Chinese lady? Does she know your 'friend' better than you? Can she testify against him?

Have you received any document from your local authorities which attests to your name being cleared? Did you have no use for

your passport when it was confiscated by them?

 

Hope I am not being rude to you by asking you these questions. 

 

 

Well, now that  the OP has provided you with all the details that you requested you will be able to raise her case (along with the others) when you have your meeting with the Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of the Interior.  I would also suggest that you also make an appointment to see the Minister of Justice when you come to visit Thailand.

12 hours ago, BritTim said:

If someone wishes to stay full time in Thailand, the extension route is probably easiest. For people who want to spend long periods in Thailand combined with extended periods outside, the O-A visa offers greater flexibility. With extensions, you are obliged to be in Thailand in a specific time window to complete the formalities. No such limitation exists with the long stay visa. Further, someone spending long periods in Thailand, but not full time, might not want to transfer 800,000 baht to a Thai account three months before each extension. The better option depends on circumstances.

I certainly agree with you in so far that much will depend upon the individual’s personal circumstances and preferences.

However, just to clarify a couple of points: 

Firstly, the OP does not need to deposit the equivalent of 800,000 Baht in a Thai bank, seasoned for 60 days prior to the date of applying for the extension to stay based upon retirement.  That is just one of three possible options to meet the financial requirements.  They can just obtain a letter confirming their earnings/pension (equivalent to 65,000 Baht per month) from their embassy.  Depending upon location, immigration might ask to see some proof that funds have been transferred into Thailand in order to support their stay.

Secondly, regarding length of stay in or away from Thailand.  There is no controls on how long an individual must stay in Thailand.  Neither is there restrictions on the length of time that they can stay out of Thailand when on an extension of stay coupled with either a single or multi re-entry permit.

The major  benefit, I believe, for the OP in obtaining a one year extension of stay based upon retirement over obtaining a non-A-O in his/her home country is that the OP doesn't need to obtain a medical and police check certificates, both of which can be very expensive and (as discussed) difficult to obtain.

The possible downside of obtaining an extension of stay (and permits to re-enter) here in Thailand is on some occasions having to deal with less that helpful immigration offices, but that’s true the world over.

I am surprised that the resident expert (Ubonjoe) hasn’t offered his advice on this… must be slipping.  I don’t joke, he really is the expert on visa matters.

I’m not sure why you are going to all the trouble of getting an A-O visa in your home country with all the hassle and added cost of obtaining medical certificate and police checks.

If I was you, I would get a single entry non-O visa which will give you permission to stay for 90 days.  Then in the last 30 days go to the local immigration and get it converted to an extension to stay (1 year) based upon retirement.  No need for medical certificate or police check.

You will need to prove that you have sufficient fund to maintain your stay which is a) 800,000 Baht in the bank at the day of filing for the extension which need to have been 'seasoned' for 60 days, or  an annual income of 65,000 Baht per month, or c) a combination of a) + b).  You can get  as an affidavit from the US Embassy in Bangkok.

Hope this helps.

14 minutes ago, Mattd said:

100% agree, I am not saying her passport will be submitted to disembark, what I am saying is that her blacklisting will come up prior to arrival and like APIS it would say no can get off, the issue is more of one of security, unlike an airport, ships and ports are relatively easy to get off and through and the authorities know this, which may or may not be a problem for the OP.

I do think that on the basis of probabilities all will be fine and immigration will just insist she stays onboard.

 

I for one will be very interested to know how this pans out.

Although it is possible that immigration might pick up on a ban 12 years ago, I very much doubt that they will board the vessel and ‘drag’ the OP off the ship if he/she has elected not to disembark.  There would be no point.

As for security, again according to the Immigration Act B.E.2422  Section 27(1) the owner/person in charge is responsible for ensuring that no one leaves the vessel without permission from a ‘competent official’ (read immigration officer) .  There are very substantial penalties if there is a breach of these regulations.

1 hour ago, Mattd said:

I've worked and still do, in International Shipping for over 30 years and I absolutely guarantee this is not rubbish, the vessel will almost certainly be pre-cleared in to the port, the logistics of not doing this are very clear to see, the physical stamping of the passports is only a SMALL part of a vessel's inward and outward clearance, there is a lot more to it than just that.

As I have stated, the ship's agents will have submitted all of the certification and documentation to the port authority in advance of the vessel arriving in to port, there are bunch of IMO FAL forms to send in, one of these is a passenger list, which has details of the passengers, including full name, nationality passport number and date and place of of birth, this is what will be used to pre-clear the folks onboard prior to the physical boarding of immigration at latest the night before the arrival.

http://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/Facilitation/FormsCertificates/Pages/Default.aspx

 

The vessel may be foreign flagged, but it can be boarded by the Thai authorities for whatever reason they like, port state control inspection, customs inspection etc. etc. and is not a sanctuary for illegals.

 

Liken it to a foreign registered car that was in Thailand!

 

Mattd… I agree with you that Thai immigration have the power to board and inspect any vessel once it has entered the Kingdom, as per the Immigration Act B.E.2522 Section 24.

I would also agree with you that the owner, or person in charge, of the vessel is required by immigration to submit a list of names and details of all passengers and crew prior to the vessels arrival.  Again, this fact is clearly stated in the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 Section 26.

Although the vessel owner/person in charge is required to submit a list of all passengers/crew, that list will also indicate those passengers who are intending to disembark.   As far as I’m aware this information is supplied electronically to the Thai Authorities approximately 24 hours before arrival as most modern cruise ships do have satellite communications systems.

The requirement of a list of passengers/crew is identical to that required of the airlines transporting passengers to Thailand (APIS).

However, I would concur with a number of other poster who have indicated that only passengers who have chosen to disembark the vessel will have their passports examined and stamped prior to disembarkation.  Those who do not disembark do not have their passport stamped – why would they when they have not been granted entry.  This has certainly been my experience on the cruises that my wife and I have taken during the past 10 years.

The same basic principles apply to a flight arriving at BKK on route to say Australia.  Some passengers will disembark because BKK is their destination and they will pass through passport control in order to enter the Kingdom.  Others whose destination is Australia will normally have to disembark and pass through the transit facility before re-joining their flight.  Those passengers are not subject to any passport inspection my Thai Authorities.

I like the idea of immigration officers being on board the vessel from its port of departure so that they can expedite  passengers clearance prior to arrival… Does that happen on flights as well?  I can just imagine the IO all volunteering for that job  .

Ok so you only have 2 pages left in your passport.  That’s a good reason to get a new one and will no doubt enhance your chance of getting a new TV in it.

However, it won’t wipe the slate clean with immigration.  Two things to remember.  Firstly, a visa is not a guarantee that you are allowed to enter the country.  That decision is at the discretion of the immigration officer at the point of entry.

Secondly, the moment that the IO scans your photo page of new passport their system will link your new passport with your old one, and bingo up will pop your entry history.  As I said, it is then up to the IO if he/she allows you to enter or not.

If you’re wondering how the immigration system links your old and new passports, it’s quite simple.  At the bottom of the photo page is all your basic information located between <<<<  >>>>>.  When the system cannot find your new passport number it compares the country code + gender + date of birth + family name + given name with that already in their system.  If more than one person shares the same details, their photos (taken during last entry) appears on the IO’s screen.

Good luck

The IDC in Bangkok is located at 507 Soi Suan Phlu, South Sathon Road.  It is about 15 minutes walk from the BTS at Sala Dang.

You will only be allowed to go into the detention centre if you are visiting a named inmate.  Immigration will not provide you with a list of detainees.

1 minute ago, Aditi Sharma said:

Why hasn't Thailand signed the United Nations charter on refugees. It could be for something as silly as that a Thai translation was not available.

 

So you are saying, arent you, that there have been people in the past who have come and claimed asylum or refugee status, refused and taken away to the immigration detention centre. 

 

Thanks, 007 Red, I cant thank you enough, I will go with the best Thai translation possible. 

No idea why they haven't signed up to any of the UN charters, but I'm sure that it has nothing to do with translation... more likely the Thai Governemnt just don't want a big influx of refugees coming into Thailand from neighbouring countries.

IDC in Bangkok is overflowing with people who are claiming asylum or refugee status.

8 minutes ago, Aditi Sharma said:

....... I wonder
if it is possible for somebody from the USA to come to Thailand and 
work as an economic refugee because he could not get a job 
back home.

Not a cat in hells chance.  If you want to come to Thailand for work you will need the appropriate visa and work permit.  Without these, if you are caught working you will end up fined and or put in prison and then deported.

The simple answer is no.  Thailand has never signed up to any of the United Nations charters on refugees.

Anyone coming to Thailand and claiming asylum or refugee status will be considered to have entered Thailand illegally, or as a visa over stayer and, therefore, very quickly find themselves in the immigration detention centre in Bangkok.  They will stay there until a third country will accept them which can be for a very long time.

Maybe another point that you will need to raise with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs when you have your meeting with them. 

Q.1.  Yes you will need to complete your affirmation and make an appointment with the UK embassy.   Please be aware that there are recently published guidelines for people wanting to get married in Thailand and this now includes specific intormation for people who a) Have never been married: Have been divorced; c) widowed.   You need to complete the appropriate affirmation form and take the necessary document with you.

See details: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/information-for-british-nationals-intending-to-marry-in-thailand

Q.2.   You will need to take your passport and in the case of divorce/widowed the original decree absolute/death certificate, plus the fee.

Q.3.   There are a number of translations service shops close to the embassy.  They charge about 400 Baht per page and takes a couple of hours.  Some will arrange to get it certified at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) for an additional fee.  Alternatively you can go to the MFA yourself and get it translated there – there is a shop on the 2nd floor run by translators who work in the MFA.  Cost is also about 400 Baht per page and takes about 1 hour as they have standard templates.  The bonus is that if there is any problem they will fix it straight away at no extra cost.

Q.4.  To get the translated affirmation certified by the MFA it can be done in a day.  Present documents before 09:00am and collect after 2:00pm same day.  Cost 400 Baht pre document.

Alternatively you can deposit the document at any time up to 3:30pm and collect 2 days later, cost 200 Baht per document, or you can ask them to post it back to you (EMS) post for a small fee (I think it 60 Baht).

Regarding your new wife changing her surname… can be done at the same Ampher that you get married at… in fact they may well ask you do you want it changing at the time you register to get married.  She will also need to get her Thai ID card changed and her housebook and passport if she has one… No real issues with any.

Hope this helps…  Been there and got the tee shirt.... feel free to PM me if you need more info.

Good luck

2 hours ago, MrPatrickThai said:

Don't ask, keep it quiet. No. 1 thing in Thailand find yourself a "poo yai" to work for.

Over 2 hours and she hasn't asked what is a "poo yai"..... WOW.... she's slipping

1 hour ago, Aditi Sharma said:

Your nationality does not matter, does it? For an Indian it does. I guess you are from the UK.

In your expert opinion... what is different for an Indian?

1 hour ago, Aditi Sharma said:

I fear that one is being sucked in by the bureaucracy. The LOS was never meant to be about it. Not to put too fine a point on it, where did you farangs go wrong?

In the eyes of Thais, all foreigners are Farangs.... so where did you go wrong? 

OP... if your mom wants to buy a simple gold bracelet, as already suggested, buy from one of the main gold shops located in Chinatown in BKK, of failing that from any large gold shop often located in big shopping malls.

As also has been mentioned you pay for the item by weight (Baht = 15.16 grams) and there is only a marginal mark-up for craft work so as a piece of jewellery it could be considered reasonable value.

Gold here in Thailand is 96.5% pure gold, so your mom should be aware that it is soft and therefore subject to wearing down fairly rapidly and subject to denting if knocked.

You should also bear in mind that if you/your mom return to your home country you/she may have to pay import duty and VAT if you/she has more that the prescribed duty free allowance in her bags.

44 minutes ago, Laza 45 said:

In Thailand all gold sold in gold shops is 24 ct.. and, yes.. it is stamped...

24 ct gold = 99.999% pure.  Thai gold is 96.5% pure equating to approximately 22/23 ct.  And not all gold sold in Thailand is stamped.

47 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

There is no exemption for being on a visa or extension of stay based upon retirement. That was eliminated several years ago. You would have to be working to get the exemption now.

If married to a Thai they can do the shipment and claim the exemption.

 

Joe… Just to clarify the situation regarding a Thai spouse claiming the exemption…. The Thai spouse can only claim the duty free exemption on second hand household goods shipped back to Thailand if they have been working or studying abroad for a period of at least 1 year.  The exemption cannot be claimed if they are a tourist or visiting relatives.

9 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

And I was under the impression that both, the 23rd and the 26th were public holidays... 

25 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Indeed they are. Ubonjoe's post #5 is all anyone needs to know on this topic, not hearsay from people's wives!

Sent from my SM-G930F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

9 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Perhaps a misunderstanding. The 23rd is a regular holiday and immigration will certainly be closed.

I stand corrected and apologies to all.... 23rd and 26th are both public holidays.... Wife's friend text this early this morning to say that she had forgotten the 23rd was a normal public holiday.

OP......  My wife and I have just returned home from having a meal with a long-time friend of my wife (they went to university together).  My wife’s friend is a very senior officer in immigration HQ, and during our conversation she confirmed that as per the Government directive immigration will not be working on the 26th Oct. – the day of the late King’s cremation which has been designated as a public holiday. 

She confirmed that immigration offices will be open as normal on the 23rd, 24th, 25th and 27th.

1 hour ago, oldwelshman said:

The following info can also be found on the ministry of affiars site, though it is a few pages down. Your friend was ripped off for sure. The MAF site also says what can be shipped. All second hand used items, no new items, have to be from house hold use, ie not 6 TV's etc.

http://www.legal-thailand.com/moving-to-thailand-household-goods.html

 

I would agree with you on the point that my friends were ripped off, but that is water long passed under the bridge and lessons learned.

Regarding the link that you provided… it is from a private law firm and not MFA… it is also 4 years old so could be way beyond its sell by date.

If you go to the Customs website, which gives a wealth of information regarding duty on importing goods you will find a page which does provide information on importing used/secondhand household effects.

http://en.customs.go.th/content.php?ini_content=individuals_151007_02&lang=en&left_menu=menu_individuals_151007_02

If you read the section headed REQUIREMENTS FOR CHANGING RESIDENCE it specifies who qualifies for duty free import of such goods.  Unfortunately it does not make mention of those who are moving to Thailand for retirement purposes.  Most of wish that it did.

43 minutes ago, thedi said:

There was a statement, that shopping centers, business etc. will close only one day: the 25. Oct. I can not remember if government offices where listed too.

Regards

Thedi

Not sure why shopping centers, business etc. will close only one day: the 25th Oct. 

The Royal Cremation is on the 26th Oct and this day has been designated a public holiday, so all Government offices will be closed on that day.  Normally shops etc. open on public holidays but given the significance of the day I would expect that many will also close on the 26th as a mark of respect.

OP.... You can definitely expect immigration offices to be closed on the 26th Oct.

FYI - Thai public holiday list = http://www.officeholidays.com/countries/thailand/index.php

5 hours ago, Sri Thanonchai said:

With respect to your enquiry, it would be advisable for you to arrive and report to the Abbott of your Wat who will then register you with Immigration who will then issue you with a Religious Visa for a duration specified by the Abbott and confirmed by the Religious Affairs Dept.  Satu 

According to Wikipedia.... Satu is a popular female name in Finland, meaning Fairy Tale  which is just about right.