
Rob Browder
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Everything posted by Rob Browder
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Retirement Visa/Overstay
Rob Browder replied to Will27's topic in Thai Visas, Residency, and Work Permits
Chonburi being one of those - as in, all other IOs are jealous at how much brown-envelope money they bank, so will tell you your "in the office / legit / no agent" extensions were "fraudulent" - just because you got them in Chonburi. I've experienced this. Similar is true with Non-O-ME stamps, because Immigration didn't control that system - really gets them into a lather. -
Thai Spouse Extension - Changes.
Rob Browder replied to Liquorice's topic in Thai Visas, Residency, and Work Permits
Living out in the sticks? Are Indians moving up there on fake-marriages to work illegally, now? I doubt it. And they can / often do make a home-visit, which would erase all doubt. And, if one is over 50, they know one can "buy" an agent-extension based on retirement from their partners, for a fraction of the cost of paying for a fake Thai wife (plus 2 witnesses for the home-visit). They know the source of "scams" are primarily of their own organization's origin. Only a few agents will do them, and the cost was quoted at something like 50K Baht, last report I saw - a big piece of the action going to the district-level official, for their sign-off. -
Issue Getting Retirement Extension
Rob Browder replied to leytonorient's topic in Thai Visas, Residency, and Work Permits
Yes - but for a marriage-based extension, which they hate doing. This is the first I have heard regarding a retirement-based case. It would seem the agent-money coffers are coming up short, so they are pushing more legit applicants to their agent-buddies. I would try to find an agent who will factor your actually meeting the financials in, and offer a cost short of the 15K (in Bangkok), which bypasses the financial requirements. -
If you have been out of Thailand for 6 months, and do not have a history of longer-stays or more than 6-mo/year in Thailand as a tourist in the last two years, and no ED or Volunteer Visa history, and no long-stay during Covid, you should be OK coming in on VE. Granted, that's just my guess based on reports. Good luck with the TR Visa.
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Non-O Marriage E-Visa & Re-Entry
Rob Browder replied to TravelingWell's topic in Thai Visas, Residency, and Work Permits
The comparison is: They are let into our countries - by traitors, who only want their cheap labor - and make us poorer, wrecking our lives, futures. We come to Thailand, and even when we are not "rich," we earn more than Thais, and do not compete with them for jobs, so make their country wealthier - raising their standard of living. If the issue was "helping" people from poor countries, that would be much more efficiently-accomplished by helping them in their homelands, where the costs of supporting per-each are much lower. Clearly, this is not the goal - just a line of propaganda, playing upon our inherent good-will, to import cheap labor. Those pushing this do not care about "them" or us. ... hopefully, to support them, where ever you live. I am with you on taking responsibility, but ask the question: What % of Thai wives of foreigners are "worse off" than they would be without them? Even sampling the sub-set making less than the required-minimum for an annual extension based on marriage? If you are making the argument poor(er) people should not have children anywhere, that's a long tangent - but, suffice it to say, that POV is why I never started a family back in my passport-country. Earlier generations had a very different situation; things have changed. -
Non-O Marriage E-Visa & Re-Entry
Rob Browder replied to TravelingWell's topic in Thai Visas, Residency, and Work Permits
You seem to think people's financial-status is static, such that one should abandon their Thai wife/kids if they have to use their savings to help them. I am fortunate, in that my finances have only improved since I came to Thailand, but I know of others who had to deal with family-emergencies. "Going home to make money to send back" doesn't work any more, generally, given a higher-cost-of-living country where millions of poor were invited-in to flood our labor market, at multiple skilll-levels. That said, if one doesn't have skills they can sell via Internet access, they may be stuck in their passport-country. -
This is an important, if true - please clarify: You were able to apply for the METV, successfully, via the eVisa system, without showing "residency" in the Philippines? This would make logical-sense, as the DTV can be applied-for without residency in the country of application, but would be a change from previous policy.
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Work To Marriage Visa
Rob Browder replied to SamSaraburi's topic in Thai Visas, Residency, and Work Permits
If you use your salary, you will need to supply all the paperwork for a Non-B (company documents, etc) PLUS all the paperwork for a Marriage-Based extension. It's not like the good old days (~5+ years ago), where you only had to show your tax-payments for the salary. If you can put 400K in the bank for 2 months prior to application, this makes the process MUCH easier, as you only have to provide the marriage-based documentation, which is a 1/2 ream of paper, by itself. -
Non-O Marriage E-Visa & Re-Entry
Rob Browder replied to TravelingWell's topic in Thai Visas, Residency, and Work Permits
Folks' circumstances change, sometimes due to factors they do not control, and often due to money spent due to that "commitment" - even more so, when supporting children is part of the mix. Once over-50, the financials drop to 12.5K to 15K per-year via immigration's agents, which is significantly less-expensive than visa-runs. Undoubtedly, this helps keep many "committed" Thai/Foreign families together. -
How it works to get a Thai Visa in Vientiane Laos: 1) Leave Thailand for Vientiane, Laos. If you do not have a "re-entry permit" when you leave, your current stay ends when you are stamped-out of Thailand. 2) Apply for the visa using the eVisa system (world-wide, now). Have all paperwork you need to qualify handy to submit with the application. 3) Go to Thai Consulate (not embassy) in Vientiane and pay for the visa. 4) Wait for the approval email - reports indicate 1-2 days for non-imm types, currently 5( Re-enter Thailand, showing your eVisa approval printout to immigration, and get stamped-in with this permitted-stay.
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Non-O Marriage E-Visa & Re-Entry
Rob Browder replied to TravelingWell's topic in Thai Visas, Residency, and Work Permits
I have not seen any reports of folks being hassled entering on Non-O Visas only "tourist" type entries. I would carry a copy of your marriage-certificate and wife's ID + Housebook in carry-on luggage to show them, if they have an issue. -
non o retirement visa
Rob Browder replied to Martin71's topic in Thai Visas, Residency, and Work Permits
I would guess he is worried about a shake-down upon-entry for "coming to often as a tourist," on future visits. Though, if visits are several months apart, and only 30-days per-each, that is unlikely. -
Visa Extention Agent
Rob Browder replied to roger101's topic in Thai Visas, Residency, and Work Permits
Immigration would prefer he used an agent. That is why they are adding "additional documents," not needed in the past, for his application. He apparently meets the financials, which he doesn't even need to meet, if using their agent-partners. -
Extension Based on Marriage
Rob Browder replied to MangoKorat's topic in Thai Visas, Residency, and Work Permits
The requirements are different - no "seasoning" of the 400K is needed for child-based family extensions. As he is married, they will not let him file for a child-based extension. Foreigners are penalized with more-strict requirements for being married to the mother of one's children. They often add "undocumented requirements" to make it more difficult / refusing to accept the application without them, in my and other's experience. -
Extension Based on Marriage
Rob Browder replied to MangoKorat's topic in Thai Visas, Residency, and Work Permits
Myself and others reporting here have not had that experience. I had all listed documents, copies, etc required every time, at every application - plus "undocumented" things they asked for, which they seemed annoyed I could provide, thanks to reading reports here / being forewarned. I never used an agent, never broke their laws, dressed nice, no tattoos, even. Thank God I'm 50 now and not working in Thailand any more, so never have to live though any of that, again. -
Extension Based on Marriage
Rob Browder replied to MangoKorat's topic in Thai Visas, Residency, and Work Permits
They make marriage extensions a PITA, because it is a lot of work to process them. Basically, reaching age 50 (+ not working in Thailand) is when this annual nightmare can end - but only if you either meet the higher financials, or use their agent to skip the requirements. -
How to Live as a Digital Nomad in Thailand
Rob Browder replied to CharlieH's topic in Thai Visas, Residency, and Work Permits
If they are, then they are being stupid with their money, or don't make much - a problem not limited to those working online. When I see people talking about their "cost of living here" as multiples of mine, I know they have some sort of money-spend addiction - bar-girls, booze, fine-wine, "fancy big condo," or something. If they can afford it, it's fine - but, if not ... I saved most of my now-savings after I left the USA, to spite living dirt-poor to save every penny, when there. It's not like the good old days any more, before the mass-immigration got going, and flooded labor markets. In the USA, 3/4 of Americans with STEM degrees cannot get work in their fields. And, most of those who do, meet "diversity goals" for the company. I don't have the correct "attributes" to help them keep Blackrock et-al happy with their hires. I considered dressing in-drag, to get past HR, but no way I could keep up an act like that daily. Yeah, just forget my degrees/experience and get a "real job" as manager at a fast-food joint or something, since the big companies have/are mass-firing highly-qualified people like me, to hire less-qualified foreigners on "work visas," who will accept peanut-pay + work overtime for free - anything to avoid returning where they came from (where wages / living-conditions are even worse). I wish I had come here much sooner. So much better here. It is very sad that I wasted all those years working there for near-zero gain, instead of here. I deeply regret not knowing about this option sooner. -
How to Live as a Digital Nomad in Thailand
Rob Browder replied to CharlieH's topic in Thai Visas, Residency, and Work Permits
You do not need, and cannot get, a work-permit to work for non-Thai companies. With a DTV, working remotely for (a) foreign company(ies) is now no longer a "legal grey area," as it was in the past. If working for a Thai company, then one can and must get a work-permit to work legally here. -
How to Live as a Digital Nomad in Thailand
Rob Browder replied to CharlieH's topic in Thai Visas, Residency, and Work Permits
Stay home. Live "hand to mouth" there - competing with infinity people from the 3rd World on "visas" used to Replace You - instead of doing the same work freelance, while saving and investing by living in Thailand where it is much less expensive = Die poor. -
Some jobs are strictly prohibited from work by foreigners in Thailand - cannot get a work-permit for them - including agriculture. Foreigners do these jobs here en-masse, but illegally. You could get a job working for a hotel / hostel cleaning rooms, etc. This is easier for those from neighboring countries using the "L-Visa" system - not sure how much more difficult if from Sri Lanka, but could be possible. The Thailand rich-elite keep these visas available to prevent having to pay decent wages to the millions of unemployed, poor Thais (similar to policies in the West).
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Retirement visa
Rob Browder replied to kevtheblue's topic in Thai Visas, Residency, and Work Permits
Later, you mentioned you have the money in the bank, so could also apply for a Non-O 90-day visa through the e-Visa system before coming to Thailand, which would cut down on the hassles with immigration (for the same thing) AND relieve you of needing a "ticket out" within 60-days. Either way, after you get your first 1-year extension using "money in the bank," if you send the 65K Baht every month during the first year, you can use transfers for subsequent annual extensions. -
VDRL test time validity
Rob Browder replied to Gaccha's topic in Thai Visas, Residency, and Work Permits
It would depend on the labor-office. FYI: There are docs who will give you all the needed paperwork for a fee, with no "tests" - similar to the ones who sell drivers-license medical paperwork.