Ian47

4 hours ago, dick turpin said:

HMPO will make payment deduction immediately on receipt

of application in the UK, which suggests delay in submitting 

to VFS at this end. Out of interest, who told you your photos

we're not acceptable HMPO, VFS or Key Visa.  

HMPO directly. 

Fortunately I was in the UK at the time so managed to get new photos to them the same day.

My application can only have taken a maximum of 4 weeks to get from me to the Passport Office, as that was when they took the money out of my bank account.

It was a further 10 weeks until I got the email saying that my photos were unacceptable.

It think that pretty clearly shows where the delay was!!

I also live in Udon Thani and used Key Visa's facilities about this time last year.

My Passport took an age to appear - something like 18 weeks - but the blame for that is fully on the UK Passport Office, not Key Visa.

Darren McGarry was very helpful in keeping me informed as far as was possible with the quite atrocious service that UK passport holders are supplied with. 

For example - VFS Global in Bangkok supply a reference number which is of zero use in actually trying to track where your passport is in the system.  Her Majesty's (in those days) Government took 4 weeks to extract the money from my bank account, but a further 10 weeks to tell me that my photographs were not acceptable. (rant over).

Unfortunately Darren passed away late last year. 

I certainly would have had no issue with highly recommending Key Visa if he was still alive.

A friend of mine is staying in Thailand on a Canadian Passport with a permission to stay based on marriage active until November 2022.

Unfortunately his Passport expires April 2023, so, my understanding is that he would only be given a new permission to stay until that date.

He is not expecting to travel back to Canada until near the expiry date of his passport, while obtaining a new Canadian passport does not appear to be exactly easy for someone living in the North East of Thailand.  To obtain a new passport while he is in Canada is a fairly painless & quick process.

He has held a UK Passport & is still entitled to  one now, although his current one is expired. 

A new UK Passport is fairly painless to obtain via an agent.

So, the question is...

Could be turn up at Udon Thani Immigration in November & extend his Marriage permission to stay for another 12 months by presenting a new UK Passport??

Many thanks guys.

I have printed off the Requirements & a TM 86 & will give him the details & let him decide which way he wants to go...

A friend of mine, on a UK passport, returned to Thailand (from Indonesia) earlier in the year on a single entry tourist visa.

That was due to expire on 11th. April, so, yesterday he paid a visit to Udon Immigration & they gave him a 30 day extension - until 11th. May.

He wants to stay longer in Thailand than early May, so what are his options?

He can satisfy all the requirements for a retirement visa extension but when he mentioned this to Udon Immigration they told him that he could not do that from a Tourist Visa.

That I very much knew anyway, however, I thought that it was possible to change a Tourist Visa to a Non 'o' based on Retirement at a local office.

Were Udon Immigration just 'answering the question asked' when they told him that he could not, or is it no longer possible to change a Tourist Visa internally?

Second question.. How long before his current extension (to 11th. May) expires should he make the request to change?

If that visa route is no longer available to him for some reason, is it possible that he could extend his stay in Thailand after 11th. May under the Covid-19 rules covered in this announcement??

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1211982-foreigners-stranded-in-thailand-due-to-covid-19-can-now-stay-until-end-of-july/?utm_source=newsletter-20210331-0538&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news

Many thanks, in advance, for any information..

Did mine based on monthly income, late October in Udon Thani.

Got the Bangkok Bank 6 month statement on the day, plus years' copy of passbook transactions.

No issues what so ever...