heretostay

For long-term stays for missionary work, there may also be a Thai-language requirement.

When I sat the Thai proficiency exam a few years ago, many of the people sitting the exam room were South Korean Christian missionaries and I understood from them that they needed a certain grade on the exam to qualify to stay in Thailand as missionaries.  Sorry that I don't have more exact information, but it might be worth checking if you intend to remain in Thailand as missionaries for an extended period of time.

On 9/24/2018 at 4:30 PM, lanng khao said:

Is there much difference in the single and return price?If not just pick a return date and don't use it.

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Thanks for the recommendation.  I did that the first time I came to Thailand from my home country, some years ago.  Since then, I use roundtrip tickets originating in Bangkok, so I return to Bangkok without an ongoing ticket.  I have never had much trouble checking in at the airport in my home country.

My two cents...

Each time I return to Thailand without an ongoing ticket of any sort, since I live here on retirement extensions, the airline in my home country asks for the return/ongoing ticket, then usually accepts the Thai re-entry stamp as proof that I can enter Thailand.  Only once have I had to go to a "supervisor," for a double-check; the supervisor accepted the re-entry stamp.

At check-n, always remain calm.  Try not to talk any more than necessary.  Point to the re-entry permit in your passport and at the "stay until" date.

Bon voyage.

On 8/22/2018 at 8:51 AM, ubonjoe said:

He is in Isaan so it would be a very long trip to do it at Chaeng Wattana.

Oops, my bad.

Lost track of the thread.

Sorry.

2 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

He is in Isaan so it would be a very long trip to do it at Chaeng Wattana.

Oops, my bad.

Lost track of the thread.

Sorry.

Kenny,

I  gave up trying to get the "retter" from my local bank branch.  It was always a hassle. 

If your bank has a branch office at the government complex at Chaeng Wattana (most of them do), you can get the bank statement (it's a letter, actually) there.  It's always 100 baht.  Before asking for the statement/letter, be sure to have them deposit some money into the account, so you have a transaction on the day of requesting anything from immigration (immigration requires that, 100 baht is the standard amount).  And in the branch at Chaeng Wattana, they know the drill, so they will graciously give you a photocopy of the statement/letter AND a photocopy of the bankbook.

Keep up the good fight, Kenny, it will be worth it in the end!

On 8/17/2018 at 10:19 AM, Kenny202 said:

Understand all that but very unsure that I would get her ok. Shes still holding out hope we'll get back together. In the future of coarse Ill broach the subject. She has other children that she hasnt seen for years living with the father and hes asked her the same question for years. Part of it her stupid beleif that she is maintaining control of the child and in her old age the children will want to take care of her. The childs welfare wont come into it

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I'm going to go out on a limb here, and maybe my message will be rejected by the moderators... but here goes.

You may be able to motivate your child's mother in some way... if you know what I mean... If the motivation were big enough, you might get her to sign the papers to award you full custody.  If her concern is with her old age, well, there are certain options.

My concerns are with the child.  If you're the de-facto single guardian, then it would be best that you have full freedom to raise the child as you see fit.  It kills me that I cannot take mine abroad (I am not a blood relative, nor even an in-law, so no way possible, it looks like child trafficking, we tried), and it would be shame for you to be blocked from showing him/her the world.

Motivation.  What might motivate the mother?

Good luck to you.

On a related subject, OP,

Since Thai law gives 100% authority to the mother (whether the father is Thai or not, whether the paternity is legitimized or not), and since you say the mother has disappeared, I would suggest that you go to the family court and get FULL custody of the child.  Otherwise, they will be nagging you for the mother's signature for various school-, health-, and travel-related procedures.

I will admit that I am not an expert at this.  But as the non-official guardian of a Thai child, I know how often I've had to get the mother's signature.

Keep us posted, if you don't mind.

Wow, sorry to hear that the college is being uncooperative.  They surely have to issue the termination letter according to the labor laws here.  Your next move may be to seek help from the Ministry of Labor.  They can be very helpful.  Let us know how it goes.

In the meantime, it would be interesting to know the circumstance of your termination - is there some serious (or even not-so-serious) reason why they would be unwilling to issue the termination letter?  (The letter simply states that, as of a given date, you are no longer employed by the college; no additional explanation is required.  Why wouldn't they want to issue that letter??)

Good luck!

Just to reiterate and reassure you, OP, that the switch from NON-B to NON-O, and from extension based on working to extension based on retirement is doable at immigration without leaving the country.  I did it a few years ago.  I thought I had it all prepared, with dotted "i's" and crossed "t's", but hadn't been aware of the necessity of the letter from my (former) employer. I remained polite and calm with the immigration officer, who said, no problem, go to your employer, get the letter, and come back tomorrow.  Which I did.  And presto, the whole process was completed.

Good luck to you.

Sorry I was not totally clear.  I use the L section.  It's an extension based on retirement.

For my annual pilgrimage to CW, for the yearly extension of stay and re-entry permit, I go on a Tues, Wed, or Thurs, and book a slot in the afternoon for the re-entry permit online.  Midweek is less busy, I think, than Mon, Fri, and days before and after holidays, as mentioned above.

I arrive around 8:30 and, two years running now, I have been out well before the lunch break.  (The online re-entry permit officer doesn't seem to mind that the appointment is in the afternoon; just smile nicely and say how pleased you are that the extension of stay was issued quicker than expected.)

As long as there are queue numbers and you can see the progress of the queue, I'm good.  There is some interesting shopping to do in CW, and, yes, a book and the internet both help the time go by.

As a comparison, I used to spend an entire morning to get my annual "extension" in a certain Western European country, in a room with no queue numbers; just wait your turn!!!  Hats off to the Thais, who have managed to install queue systems nearly everywhere!

It ain't as bad as you think.  Deep breath.  We all came here for a reason.

1 hour ago, pmarlin said:

Number 3 and 4 above are not needed at CW immigration  for retirement extensions, Done eight there and have never been asked to provide those items.

Same for me.  Have done five annual extensions based on retirement at CW and they have never asked for proof of residence whatsoever.

Thanks a million for your story - it's encouraging!

Nothing new under the sun.

Please private message me with the names of family-practice lawyers in Bangkok.

My European buddy, whose English is quite weak and whose Thai is weaker, fathered a child here five years ago and has lived with the mother, who is Thai, since then.  He is not married to the woman.  The relationship has gone sour and there is proof of some abuse by the girlfriend/mother on both my buddy and the child.

Although the cards are stacked against the father, there may be a way forward.  Advice is welcome here, and names of lawyers by private message would also be appreciated.

Thanks all.

Singapore and Norway are the only two countries I've heard of that don't allow their nationals to hold a second citizenship. There may be others, but not the USA nor Thailand.

It's really regrettable that the OP got into this situation.  Giving him/her the benefit of the doubt, there is only one way "out".  

- Step one is to stop working altogether.  

- Step two is to get an extension on your tourist visa.  

- Step three is to find a proper job, which means the new employer will need to provide paperwork for you to have the tourist visa converted into a non-imm B, then get a work permit, both before your first day of work.  If the employer doesn't seem to know how to do all of this, your best bet is to turn your back on that employer.  There are plenty of schools around that know how all of this works and are following the rules.

Good luck , and welcome to Thailand.

I agree, you're worrying about nothing!

Use the name in the US passport for the airline tickets.  Buy round-trip tickets.

At Thai immigration (both ways) show Thai passport, and, if requested, show the Thai name-change document (which Thai immigration will understand and be familiar with).

At US immigration on entering (no check at exit), use US passport.  They are not concerned that a citizen has another passport from another country.

At airline check-in in the US, use the US passport.  They will not question anything with a US citizen with a return ticket.

At airline check-in in Thailand, show the Thai passport AND the US passport, only if requested.

Really, you have nothing to worry about!

Bon voyage.

Here's my strategy:  I do an online application for the re-entry permit in advance, booking a time slot quite late in the day.  Then after getting the extension done and making the photocopy of the extension stamp, I go to the internet-booked re-entry permit desk and they never seem to mind if I'm way ahead of my booked time.  They guarantee five-minute turn-around time, and my experience is that it is never more than 10- minutes.

Good luck!

No idea on the 1-year ME Non-B.  When I did it, the Non-B was only issued for three months, during which time I got a WP and extension of stay for a full year.

To be sure about it, have your employer call Immigration or, surest way, go there and ask.  They may be able to give you some sort of document with the rules.  I have had luck doing it that way in the past.  Time-consuming but, in the end, more efficient.

Hi, coming in late here and maybe beating a dead dog.  I will admit not having read the whole thread.

One fact, and my two cents:

FACT:  The mother always has the final say in all matters concerning children in this country, whether the father is Thai or foreign, whether married, divorced, or otherwise.

ADVICE:  Get a court order from the Family Court formalizing your agreement with the child's mother concerning your rights and responsibilities.  If the court has formally awarded you "joint custody," then immigration shouldn't be questioning your situation.

Sorry to be late with this.  And thanks for taking care of your kid.  Kids deserve all of our time, effort, and attention.

This is how it went for me:

1. Get a letter from the new employer stating your start date.

2. Get a letter from the current employer that you are leaving, saying that you no longer work there as of a given date.

3. On the date mentioned in (2) - your last day of work - go to immigration and ask for a 7-day extension of permission to stay based on the letter from your new employer.

4. Once you have the 7-day extension, go to the Labor Ministry and request a new work permit based on the new employer's paperwork.  They should give you a limited duration work permit (maybe three months).

5. Back to immigration with the work permit, so they will extend your permission to stay for the same period as the work permit.

6. Back to Labor Ministry to extend the work permit for the full length of the new contract.

7. Back to immigration to extend the permission to stay for the full length of the new contract.

I strongly suggest that someone from your new employer accompanies you through all of this.  I did it (and changed provinces, too), and got over all the hurdles.  But it took great perseverance on the part of the admin person from my new employer (a school).

Good luck to you!

Word to the wise: avoid "dodgy" employers.  Generally, they will win and you will lose.  IMHO.

1 hour ago, Tanoshi said:

I used to try online reporting 15 days before, and if it wasn't working I'd do the mail application that same day.

 

I asked, because an expat colleague who also had 2 warnings for late mail applications (used the failed online procedure as an excuse) was asked to attend in person the third occasion. They informed him in the future he would have to report in person, (4 hour round trip by car), which he had to do for 18 months until a local office opened.

 

Don't push it to the point they feel your being disrespectful or defiant as they always have the answer.

Thanks for the advice!  Will do!

40 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

If they ask you to send in at least15 days before, why do you regularly send it one week before?

Is it just a show of defiance?

Not at all!  

I try to use the internet fifteen days ahead and if I have not success, I send it by post a week before, since they seem to be OK with that and it works for me.  Naturally, the internet means less work for me, so I prefer it.

I'm usually a "good boy" about stuff like this - don't want to make trouble!  Life seems more pleasant this way (to me, anyway).

I regularly mail in my 90 check from a BKK post office to CW a week before the due date (after trying the internet for several days beforehand but without success), and have never had a problem getting it approved.  When it comes back, it does have a red stamp saying something to the effect of "Please send in at least 15 days in advance next time," and, yes, the word "please" is there!