gunnerterry

Have stayed in Thailand for a few years now on a married visa as have Thai spouse. However i am now working and have a workpermit, as funds are tight this year (400k) for Marraige visa was looking to get my visa via the work permit route this time and was wondering how best to go about it. Basically my existing visa doesn't expire until end of June. I will pick up my work permit on 20th March. What should i do? 1. wait until my visa expires in June and then renew just inmy name with work permit option, but do i only get a further 9 months then or do i get 12months? 2, Go to immigration now and renew visa with work permit for 12 months. 3. Renew marriage visa in June via income criteria as ok over 40kpm with work permit, but again will i get 12 month marraige visa as work permit already 3m old by then.

Appreciate if anyone knows a good answer on this and saves me an additional trip to immigration.

Thanks that helps alot especially Bungalow prices think the 800 baht will be fine, yes will be sure to have a guide. Looking forward to it.

Looking to turn up at Bungsamran to do some fishing in April. Can someone tell me exactly what it would cost for a days fishing? I would probably want the following

1. Bungalow

2. Guide

3. bait and tackle

There will be two of us who hold Thai DL'S so i think we can get Thai prices and 1 person who will pay foreigner prices.

I will drive their myself so don't need a pickup from hotel package. Also as i have never been here before I presume the bungalows are big enough for three people to fish from?

Any advice and costs would be appreciated

If you have a work permit or thai DL you will get the thai price.

If you have a work permit or thai DL you will get the thai price.

ok thanks have DL.

Thinking about a fishing trip to Bung Samran lake. I note there is a different cost for Non Thais and Thais. Just wondering how strict are they? I have been living in Thailand for 9 years now would i be able to get Thai resident prices?

This all seems like a major headache to be honest.

We have 2 children together, so I assume this will help our 'case'

. Just to add to marios list. If you have children they will probably need to see the birth certificates also. I get a married visa each year, have kids and they always ask for copies?

Thanks for all the advice. I think it will probably be easier if I continue with the 400k lump sum route !.

Can anyone answer this question please? For a few years now I have been getting the 1yr marriage visa against 400k in the bank acc. Funds are a little tight sometimes so i was thinking about going down the route of 40k pm , i could show this going into my account each month. What i want to know is if immigration will ask for any evidence of where the funds have come from each month, or does the bank statement suffice. Can anyone clarify this?

Thanks for the advice. Still undecided on the way forward. Have been teaching at the same school in Nakonsawan now for a few years. I stay in Thailand on a marriage visa renewed yearly. The school are very happy with me and would like me to stay a lot longer and i am more than happy to stay, just feel i should have a work permit, maybe i should just keep my 'head down' and see what happens and how these tests develop. With tests only twice a year the TCT are obviously not in a great rush!

I have been teaching in Thailand for 6 years now. I have a TEFL cerification i obtained in England and i have completed the Thai culture course. I would really like to be 'legal' but i don't have a degree. I have been looking at the route to obtain a teachers license but it is a little unclear and i think i need a degree also to go down this route. Is there any point in attempting to pass the professional knowledge tests without a degree? ( in fact not sure you can apply for these tests without a degree). If you are able to take and pass the professional knowledge test. Will this test certificate and a TEFL enable you to get a teachers licence, or do you still need a degree also? Sorry if my questions are obvious to most of you, but procedures continually change therefore any ideas or advice would be welcome.

7 days sounds right to me.

Same day is just anti-falang nonsense.

I think most of the time, for all applications it depends on how you get on with the official, and how he/she is feeling on the day as whether 'rules' can be 'bent'. Yesterday i applied for my 1 year marraige visa, it was declined because i forgot to bring the original copy of my marriage certificate. Today i went back again submitted exactly the same application, it was agreed and the same person did not ask to see the original certificate even though i did have it just in case he asked!?? ( T.I.T) . It's amazing how a small gift ( fruit, coffee etc) can pave the way for a successful application!!

From knowledge gained on TVF the letter should be dated the same day that you visit immigration, plus a copy of your bank book updated the same day.

Well i have been in Thailand 6 years now. This is my 6th application and never known them this strict before! Same day letter (400,000 baht)is not practical as my bank (ayuttha) tends to require 3 working days to produce it! The branch on the campus of the main immigration office in Chang wattana road sometimes produce it on the spot, but as i live in Samutprakan i have to go to the Samutprakan office so more difficult. It is all very petty in my opinion but mia pen rai ( t.i.t) we just have to go along with it with a smile on our faces!!!

I am in the process of renewing my marraige visa which has been an absolute disaster this year for various reasons discussed on previous threads. However i am almost there, although yesterday i hit another hurdle i had to get over. The bank letter i submitted in support of my marraige visa was 12 days old i was under the impression it could be up to 1 month old but the immigration officer advised me it could be no more than 7 days old, prior to submitting in support of the new visa application. I have now got a new letter but i have had no end of obstructing information from this particular guy that i would be interested if he is correct.

So my question is ..... How old can the bank letter be when submitting it for a new visa application?

Or does this just vary from one immigration office to another?

Yes, take the Laksi exit. When I went last month, there was a footbridge with a big dark green banner with white writing on it and an arrow pointing to the left, it said Government Offices or something to that effect. Drive down that road aprroximately 1 km and at the end make a right, the immigration building is on your right.

Yes metsidead is right the road on the left is soi 7 and when you go down this road there are numerous signs pointing to the immigration department there are plenty of places to park outside

Hi guys

Further to my ongoing marraige visa ext i am now at the stage where i have obtained a new non O (3m) which i can now convert to a 1 yr non o (marraige), they tell me i have to do this within the last 30 days which seems to tie in with light beers advice. I thought everything was now ok however i may have now hit another snag! My 'darling' wife has now informed me she changed her name and ID card to a new christian name with her maiden name! ( to do with a change of luck/buddism etc T.I.T) , her id card is something i need for the extension!

1. Will the thai visa authorities be ok with this as her maiden name is on the marraige documents?

2. Her Thai passport is still in her married name will they accept a copy of this?

After all the hassles this year i can't believe she has done this, but Thais do change their names quite often so i hope the visa consulate can understand!

Advice and guidance please. Has anybody come across this scenario before.

Thought i would update you guys on my visit to samut prakan immigration yesterday!

After waiting for a long time the guy who served me before obviously did not want to see me again as he disappeared around the back knowing full well i wanted to see him. I therefore went to another officer who let me see the supervisor. This guy was very helpful and friendly, he informed me i could come with my wife next week and convert the 15 day tourist stamp to a 60 day marraige extension visa, i could then go to bangkok and obtain a non imm 0 visa which could then be converted to a 1 yr marraige visa in due course. (I was armed with the police rule 2.24 kindly supplied by thaipoon as backup). So it would appear i do not need to go out the country. He did not want to comment on the service the previous guy had given me.... i did not push it!

My question to you guys is this: The Supervisor informed me i would need at least 15 days left on my visa in order to convert to a non imm O can you confirm this is correct or would it be better ( if possible) to go to bangkok and convert the 60 day visa to a non imm 0 almost as soon as i get it?

For example

Next week i get a 60 day stamp ( hopefully)

week after i go to bangkok and change to non - imm o

and then is it possible the following week to change the non imm o to a 1 yr marraige visa?

Thoughts and advice would be appreciated!

A re-entry permit only preserves your current permission to stay. As you say Pib, if you are not back in the country to renew your extension of stay before expiry you will have to start the whole process again on return.

Thanks for all the advice guys i really appreciate it. I'm going back to the samutprakan consulate next week for another go and to try to get some help and explanation as to why the 60 day extension can't be put in place!!? . If i continue to 'hit my head against a brick wall' then i will get a train to Laos and get a non imm o and start again i'm aware my money will be tied up longer but cant really be helped. All said and done i should of had the money in the acc for 8wks prior to renewal and not 6wks and not left the renewal until the last minute! Just a shame a little more leancy could not be shown to foreigners who have a thai spouse and children in Thailand!!

After 3 yrs of relatively hassle free renewals at jomtein i had to change my immagration office as i lived in samutprakan. Last year and this year i have had to renew at samutprakan office which has given me untold problems. This year i made an error and transfered my money late and therefore it was only in my account 6wks prior to visa expiry, they refused to renew and did not offer the 60 day extension and were very unhelpful in their options. As my visa expired the next day i was unsure what to do so to avoid daily overstay charges i did a border run to get an additional 15 days to cover the seasoning of my money, however i think i may have 'shot myself in the foot' with this action and necessated restarting the process with another non imm o visa before getting another 1 yr married. If this is the case where is the nearest, cheapest and most hassel free place to go and obtain this non imm, i'm from UK and don't really want to fly back there. I will visit the samutprakan office again soon to see what they suggest??? but do not hold out to many hopes for friendly and efficient advice.!!

This is the Police Order in Thai.

Get your wife to find the relevant rule 2.24 and show Immigration.

Thanks for your advice Lite Beer i appreciate your time will give it another go tomorrow

Found an English version of this police rule it states this extension of up to 60 days may only be used one time. I was given a 60 day extension last year prior to this 1 yr visa which is now expirying wasn;t charged anything at the time so presumed just part of the service! In hindsight maybe it was this 60 day spouse extension they gave me but forgot to charge!!. If that is the case does only one time mean can not apply again or because i have had a 1 yr in between i can apply.... not sure ?

This is the Police Order in Thai.

Get your wife to find the relevant rule 2.24 and show Immigration.

Thanks for your advice Lite Beer i appreciate your time will give it another go tomorrow

I have been married for 19 years living in Thailand together for 6 yrs not exactly visiting a thai wife can i still apply for this type of extension as a interim period between marriage visa renewals?

Thanks for advice,

this 60 day extension do i have to go out of the country (cambodia) to do this, or is it done at any immigration office. If it is the later why didn't they inform/do this for me today i had all the necessary documents ?

Advice please! For the past five years i have obtained a marraige visa under the 400k scenario without to many problems , however today i hit a snag. This year i forgot to transfer my money into my account 2m prior to renewal, it had only been in the account 6 weeks as at today when i went to renew. I have forgotten before and had the visa renewed without to many problems they just gave me a one month stamp pending completion of paperwork. However today i was informed this was not possible i would need to come back in 12 days and as my visa expires tomorrow i would be charged 500 baht a day.... very helpful!!. My other option would be to go out of the country and obtain a new non i 3m visa and reapply for the marraige visa in 3m! I find this all very petty .... what do you think would be the best option, if i go for the overstay charge would this penalize me in some way in the future? If i go for the 3m renewal does this effect me in any way as i am now starting again? or is there any other options .... opinions please from all visa experts!!!? urgent

Gambling is already rife in thailand, mafia gangs target students to take their bets, if they lose they give them credit until they are up to their neck in debt, they then terrorise them with guns if they do not pay, many students commit suicide rather than approach their families to help out . By having legalised gambling 'shops' which do not give credit students will only be able to bet what they can afford , these gangs will go out of business (hopefully) or need to find another profitable source of income! Legalised gambling a thumbs up from me, about time.

I am thinking of changing my daughters school and a third party has recommended pan asia international school, this is quite a new school and before i go to see the school i was wondering if there are any teachers or ex teachers of this school that could give me their opinion . Alternatively if there are any parents with children at this school, reading this topic, i would be really interested to hear your opinion of the teaching and facilities prior to making a visit