bamboozled

Hey guys,

Jumping back in here for a second. One question on documents needed for Savannakeht Non-O based on marriage. Copy of the marriage certificate...signed by both of us? Just the husband? Just the wife? Reason I ask...wife is away. I have the signed house book and ID but not signed marriage cert.

Thanks!

52 minutes ago, RayC said:

Thanks for the link.

 

Imo probably best to err on the side of caution and take the missus along. How could any woman resist the offer of a day out in CW?????????

Hmm, let me think a sec!

I found this: https://www.immigration.go.th/en/?p=14714

It doesn't actually say spouse has to be with you, strangely.

Got it, thanks!

Cowboy, what is needed for this extension, if you please? Passport photos, etc...etc...? Letter from wife?

2 hours ago, AgMech Cowboy said:

Yes, the cost for the extension at immigration is 1900 baht.

To help you in future: My Non O ME Visa based on marriage to Thai from Savannakhet was issued in August of last year. I returned to Thailand the day after issuance, then extended that 90 day permit another 60, so I didn't actually leave Thailand until late January. I did a one day border bounce to Singapore on the day my permission to stay ended and received another 90 day stamp (to stay until late April). In April I extended that for 60 days until late June. I did another border bounce in mid-June, which gave me 90 days and would have taken past the expiration of the visa. I could have stay here and just extended that for 60 days, but I chose to leave Thailand the day before expiration to get a new 90 days stamp, which I ill extend for another 60 (so 17 months+).

Thank you, Cowboy. Wish I had known this a decade ago. Oh well, better late than never...

Well shoot....never knew that. Could reduce the number of border bounces. Is it 1900 baht?

A number of times I have flown (maybe take a Xanax?) to BKK timing it just so to catch the overnight bus to Muk which I think leaves at 8 in the eve or perhaps 10. Can't quite recall.

That's good news, fellers, thanks so much. It sounds like that will work out. I have been told in the past by another poster here that the 60 day extension to visit wife can be done once per visa and not once per 90 day entry. I've never tried to use it more than once so not sure which is correct. I'll report back when all is said and done.

Cheers!

2 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

This thread covers lot of points for ME Non O 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1303919-non-o-visa-and-when-to-start-extension/

Thanks Jack. Do you have any knowledge about whether there would be an issue to get a new visa at Savannakhet after doing a 60 day extension on my current visa? Hmm, the visa is now expired, come to think of it. But I have a valid stamp until next month. It occurs to me that I prob can't do the 60 extension because the visa is expired. That makes sense, yes?

I think I have this correct but would like to check with my brothers and sisters here on Thaivi...I mean Asean Now. My Non-O multi entry visa (to visit wife) will expire in about 10 days and I am planning to go to Savannakhet to renew. However, isn't it true that I can get a 30 or 60 day extension at immigration here in CM "to visit Thai wife"? And one can receive that once per visa? My last visa was issued in Savannakhet and I have not yet used this option. If indeed I can get this extension, is there anything in following this path that would prevent me from getting a new Non-O in Savannakhet  once the extension expires? That is, with this extension, I am able to kick the proverbial can down the road for 30 or 60 days. (I can't recall if the extension is for 30 or 60 days). Would immigration/the consulate look poorly on this? Thoughts folks?

Thank you!

I'm reminded of some of the absolute crap that comes out of China. Completely unusable stuff, such as extension cords, tools, lights, tape, etc... They are very inexpensive to buy and so you give it a try knowing it won't last long. However, it hardly lasts the trip home and either doesn't work at all or breaks immediately, all the while staining your hands with whatever cheapo colorant was used to disguise the turd. I understand the race to the bottom with cutthroat price competition but to make a product so cheaply that it doesn't even work right off the assembly line is....amazing.

It was all more exciting 20 years ago and I was, too.

Thanks so much, Vinny. And kudos to the guy that posted that. Good info for all of us in this here boat full of holes.

Cheers!

Hmmmm so...HCMC off the list and only Savannakhet remains. For how long? Don't walk, run. Thanks for the update. This is very helpful to me.

2 hours ago, vinny41 said:

HCMC website

2.5. Applicant’s financial statement of adequate finance is required.

https://hochiminh.thaiembassy.org/en/publicservice/non-immigrant-o-accompanying-thai-spouse-and-family-members?page=5d80ab3315e39c2fe800a7ab&menu=5d80ab3315e39c2fe800a7ac

 Haven't seen any reports on what they mean in detail for 2.5

Think I'll just do Savannakhet again. They mention financials on the HCMC page and though not sure if that means 400k or just 20k. Anyway, just thought another trip to HCMC might be fun but the main thing is to get the visa so I'll do a trip to HCMC on my own time. Thanks for the input, Vinny.

Can I jump in here, fellas? My ME Non-O is due to expire in about 3 weeks (already at 15 months). I know the drill pretty much for Savannakhet. I haven't heard much mention recently about HCMC. I got one there before Covid prob over 5 years ago now. Are they still running just like Savannakhet for Non-O? That is, no funds necessary? (I, too, have run into issues with Wise not showing as international and the credit advice didn't help).

Lastly, does this also sound copacetic....? Going back to the US just before visa runs out. Come back in and get a 30 day stamp at airport. And in that 30 day window make my way to Savannakhet or HCMC to get a new ME Non-O based on marriage?

Thanks!

The woman is bad news. It occurred to me....was this a dark theater and the footage is from an infrared camera? It kind of looks like it. I don't care to defend her, however, if it was indeed dark, at least the groping wasn't quite as blatant and obvious as it seems in the vid. I haven't seen that mentioned anywhere.

On 9/10/2023 at 11:48 AM, Sticky Rice Balls said:

he told me he would accept 40 usd if i GO into Laos and spend money...i was doing a turnaround and NOT spending money in laos he said 50 usd......i just paid in bt and went back to thai side

He said "and spend money"? The turnaround thing has been going on forever so no surprise for the agents. If they were interested in folks spending money in Laos they wouldn't let people pay the visa fee without getting a visa. I think the agent was just making up an excuse. You still pay a visa fee/Laos still gets the visa money whether they issue one or not (or someone gets it). I still don't understand why they won't take USD and do the same thing...just giving a stamp and sending you back.

Hmm...perhaps since 1800 baht is more than $40, they're just trying to get the larger pay-out. And if someone insists on paying $40 USD (and that's an official rule/rate), they don't want to argue the point and possibly get any higher-ups involved thus they revert back to official visa procedure. The real reason doesn't really matter....just fun to ruminate on.

On 9/9/2023 at 10:03 AM, Dante99 said:

The 1800 Baht is no visa so no paperwork and no records.  The $40 is with a visa so there are documents.  Easier to take what there is no record about.

Take the $40, don't issue the visa. Take the 1800 baht, don't issue the visa.

13 hours ago, moana said:

When you pay 1800 it stays with the immigration folks and no visa is issued. When you pay $40 it goes to the bank next to the gates. Nuff said.

They could take $40, too. ...It would seem to me. Plenty of places to change it.

9 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Because Thai’s don’t want that sort of work….  

 

Factories, building sites, construction, restaurants etc….  There is a huge availability of jobs for migrant labourers because Thai’s won’t do those jobs (in so many cases)….  Authorities know this so have to turn a blind eye while playing the game and also getting some payouts too.

 

Our previous maid  (Burmese) was ‘caught’ on her day off outside of the district she is registered. We had to go & get her from the Police station, it cost me 2000 baht for her to be released. When I collected her there were about 30 burmese all sat on the floor in a room.  
 

Quite the earner. If there are no foreign labourers, there are fewer opportunities to extort them & or their employers.
 

 

Not picking a fight or anything, just musing.... I wonder if this is true, as stated. It's oft repeated, yes. But maybe the cart is before the horse...or something like that. The reason Thai's supposedly don't want to do that sort of work is because it pays so damn little. And the reason it pays so little is because there is foreign labor available, made up of hungrier, worse-off folks who are willing to do it because they don't have better opportunities. If the foreign workers were excluded/prohibited, either the work wouldn't get done or the remuneration would go up. Perhaps to a living wage. This is the same story everywhere in the world. It's all about the money.

A friend of mine studied to be a nurse at the most basic level. Not a super skilled position but not laying bricks, either. The hospital in Bkk where she did her internship, that was very happy with her, offered her a job. The pay was 12k per month. Working 6 days a week, 10-12 hour days. This is in Bangkok, mind you. What kind of life does that get you? The pay here in Chiang Mai at a nursing home was only 7k/month.

What burns me up is there are labor laws, minimum wage laws, amount of break-time laws, but so many businesses don't seem to follow them. And the workers don't seem to complain. Nor do the authorities seem to do anything.

Did you folks know that when a waiter/waitress breaks a glass at MK restaurant (and inevitably, glasses will get broken in a restaurant), they have to pay for the glass out of their 38 baht/hour salary? Shameful.

4 hours ago, araiwaja said:

 

 

Just came back from Chiang Khong, and had a similar experience but with a different result. Officers asked for ฿1800, I said I only have $40 and persisted. They said if you don't enter the country you must pay ฿1800. I said no problem, I will enter the country, turn around, and exit the country. They acted surprised at the idea, but eventually gave up. They had me fill out the forms, I walked over to the bank window, paid my $40, walked through the gate, turned around, and walked to the departure booth and on to the bus.

So it seems ฿400 (฿1800 - $40) buys you:

- No forms to fill out

- Shorter turnaround time with no arguments

- Saves a ~50m walk through arrival and departure

- Saves a page in your passport since they don't stick a visa in it

If that's worth ฿400 to you, then don't bother going the $40 route. Otherwise, know that $40 is still possible if you insist.

I wonder what they're up to? I can't figure the game. Anyone? If you paid them in 40 in USD they could certainly change it. Not sure the USD/Kip rate but black market is much higher than the official, I know that much. But I suppose they would get less than 1800 baht of Kip? Hmm, what's the Baht/Kip exchange rate? Does that make any sense?