thaitanic

On 2/15/2024 at 5:20 PM, thaitanic said:

Submitted online yesterday. Rejected today with the reason, "Incorrect entry date upon entry into the kingdom/ Incorrect visa expiration date."  But these were not incorrect. I've run out of time to try again as the deadline is tomorrow, so I'll go to Samut Prakan and do in person, and try to find out the real reason for rejection.

So I went to Samut Prakan immigration today and spoke to 2 different officials. They said that the reason that my report was rejected with the reason "Incorrect entry date upon entry into the kingdom/ Incorrect visa expiration date." was not in fact for those reasons but because I had left it too late (2 days before 90-day deadline). They also said it was nothing to do with it being my first report after leaving the country. The first official, who had loads of stripes down her arms, said submitting a 90 day report online must be done exactly 15 days before the 90-day deadline, no sooner, no later, even if that's a weekend. The second official was a bit more relaxed about the exact day but said that the system is not working well and is automatically rejecting lots of applications. He said the sooner you do it before the deadline (up to 15 days before), the better. He said next time, if it gets rejected, call him on 0631871178 to see if he can get it approved without me having to go there in person. I guess that's a Samut Prakan number so probably no use calling it if you're in another province.

7 minutes ago, howerde said:

Have you been out of the country since your last report?

I had the same rejection 2 weeks ago but from Chang Wattana, the reason i had left the country and returned in November, the system does not pick up your return date, had to do in person, said next time can do online, but if you go abroad then you will have to do the report in person

Thanks @howerdw and @transam. I did leave the country since my last report, and returned in November. I do recall a similar issue that affected me in 2021 (with a different rejection message), but hoped it was fixed by now, or at least the rejection message corrected to make sense. And I did make the same trip overseas last year and was able to submit my first 90-day report afterwards successfully online 🤷‍♂️. Anyway, I'll go in person tomorrow. Cheers.

Submitted online yesterday. Rejected today with the reason, "Incorrect entry date upon entry into the kingdom/ Incorrect visa expiration date."  But these were not incorrect. I've run out of time to try again as the deadline is tomorrow, so I'll go to Samut Prakan and do in person, and try to find out the real reason for rejection.

Well, the visa was granted and collected today exactly 2 weeks after my girlfriend's appointment, not 6 weeks as we were lead to expect. She does have a history of going to the UK and returning, so that is in her favour, and we were extremely careful with the documentation, but nonetheless it is surprising. Perhaps they've made some changes to the approval process to try and clear the backlog.

Thank you @mnomad.

We paid for the visa application today and were forwarded to the VFS site to make the appointment. The first free appointment was 19 days away on 18th May. However we could get an appointment on 5th May by paying 3400 Baht for the "Priority Lounge" service, or we could have got an appointment as early as 4th by paying 3450 Baht for a "Prime Time" (after working hours) service.

So we went for 5th May and paid 3600 Baht for the "Gold Premium" service, which includes document scanning on top of the other Premium Lounge services. We can't face doing self-upload of so many documents after the traumatic failures in previous years.

Does anyone know how soon UK visa appointments are currently available at VFS in Bangkok?

It seems there is no way to see available appointment slots until we've completed the application and paid the fee, but we really need to know how soon the appointment is likely to be so we can plan the trip.

Thanks for any insights.

3 hours ago, RafPinto said:

US$ he was talking about.

In which case, in my limited experience, it's 3x more than necessary.

1 minute ago, lkn said:

I would second that first opinion expressed: Buying a condo is trivial, no need to hire a lawyer. Would you hire a lawyer to buy a car?

 

Though are you buying condo or house + land? The latter is more complex because you cannot actually buy land. And if you are buying a condo, are you buying finished condo or off-plan? The latter will have a sales contract with terms and conditions, and the government has some minimum protection for the buyer, and terms regarding delays etc.

As it stands, a finished condo with Thai owner. I've found a place I like and I've gone off the land/house leasing/ownership model and I like swimming pools etc..

Thanks to your and others' helpful replies on this thread, my main question now is whether it is normal/essential to have a sales contract with the seller before visiting the land office? I assume a deposit would be expected to accompany such a contract, but I don't have the funds here at the moment for even a 1% deposit until I have made the full transfer, so I'm hoping to avoid a deposit if possible and just get on with it.

2 minutes ago, soi3eddie said:

I advise you to get a good, reliable and trustworthy lawyer to assist and advise you. Property purchase for foreigners has many potential pitfalls in Thailand. I would not conduct a property transaction without professional help. I have completed two condo purchases and a land purchase for my then wife (since ex). 

 

Thank you. I did ask for recommendations on another thread but unfortunately did not get any. So I have little to judge "good, reliable and trustworthy" by. My experience of lawyers so far in Thailand (1 small time lawyer in Phuket and 1 big western name in Bangkok, neither on property issues) has been absolutely terrible.

2 minutes ago, lkn said:

....You get a cheque from your bank and then you go with the seller to the Land Office where the cheque will be exchanged for adding your name to the title deed.

Thank you. And does that cheque bear the seller's name? If we don't have a written agreement, what happens to that money if the seller pulls out at the last minute and doesn't accept the cheque? Or is it normal/essential to have a written agreement in advance of visiting the Land Office?

2 minutes ago, couchpotato said:

With the type of questions you are asking, you really shouldn't be buying anything.

Naivety like this can be very problematic....

Yes I'm naive because I have never bought a condo here before. It would be more naive to just wade into a purchase, trusting everyone, without doing my research into the process (I'm sure it wouldn't really be a case of carrying a suitcase of cash and doing a countdown). So please educate me.

Thanks again for the replies.

A 1st follow-up question... Am I right to think that the funds have to be transferred in the foreign currency, which means I will have to use my overseas bank and not a currency exchange service such as Wise etc.?

A 2nd follow-up question... After the funds have arrived in my Thai bank and I have my FET, what is the usual method of actually transferring the cash from my Thai bank account to the seller's bank account? An electronic transfer? A cheque from my bank with the seller's name on it? A cash cheque from my bank with no name on it? A suitcase full of notes? And at what exact point does that actually happen? As a condo-purchasing virgin I have visions of a) a scary, paranoid journey from the bank to the land office with a cash cheque in my underpants, and b) a comical 3-2-1 countdown at the land office before exchanging cash/paperwork/keys.

This caught me out today. Wish I had read the home page of http://www.samutprakanimmigration.go.th/ when I visited it, instead of jumping straight to the visa information pages. My taxi from Pak Nam to Thipnimitra was about 150 Baht. The staff told us they plan to be at Thipnimitra Market for 2 years, but they look very well entrenched there already, and no work has started on Pak Nam, so I expect it will be at least that long.

Thank you all very much for your replies. That's really helpful.

Not too keen on trusting a developer "returning me all the balance" if I can avoid it. I think I'll try and avoid paying a deposit and just pay in one go, unless I feel a place has a lot of competition for it or I find my ultimate, unique, dream home that I can't afford to lose. I should be able to get the funds over here in a week or so.

What is "S & P" (apart from  a restaurant chain that does nice salmon over rice)?

I am struggling to understand how to comply with the rule, as I understand it, that funds for a condominium apartment purchase by a foreigner must be transferred in a single payment from overseas.

Scenario A: Imagine I find an apartment in a condominium for 10 million Baht. I make arrangements to have the money sent from overseas IN ONE 10 million Baht TRANSFER, to comply with the rules. The transfer will take one week to reach my Thailand account and be available. But the seller wants a 10% deposit sooner than that and I have enough cash for that already in my Thailand account. How can I pay the deposit and still be within the rules of transferring/paying in one payment? Would I still have to transfer the full 10 million despite paying the 1 million deposit? Or would I get a refund of the deposit? What is the normal procedure?

Scenario B: I transfer 10 million Baht to buy an apartment in a condominium but it turns out the apartment I want is 11 million. Do I have to send the money back and bring it in as a single 11 million Baht transfer?

Thank you for the replies.

7 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

You may not get much in the way of recommendations as most have never used a lawyer for property purchase., especially if its a foreign quota condo.

The system is such that buyer and seller attend the land office together, the land office processes the transfer, there is nothing in the way of title searches, due diligence etc. (the land office wont process unless everything is in order) You wont find a specific dedicated "conveyancing lawyer" as there is nothing for them to do.

There are no specific property purchase documents, a bank letter showing imported funds for a condo buyer, a letter from the condo block showing foreign quota for a condo seller...

Thank you for stating the relative simplicity of buying a condo. Sounds like that option would be straightforward for me, with assistance of my Thai partner, without requiring a lawyer.

"Wills are done at a local ampher level of government, some may have a standard template."

Do you mean to register a will that has already been drawn up, or to actually get a will drawn up?

6 hours ago, stratocaster said:

You mention in your post a 30 years + extensions lease. A lease in Thailand can only be a maximum of 30 years.

I would like to at least make an agreement for a new 30-year option, accepting that it may not be legally binding. Or perhaps a usufruct. In any case I'm going to need some legal assistance for that option. I could approach one of the big, western-owned legal companies, but my experience with them so far (on non-property issues) has been poor. Would prefer to find a no-nonsense Thai lawyer.

I'm a retired ex-pat currently looking to buy a condo in central Bangkok or house/land in east Bangkok. Can anyone recommend a conveyancer (real estate lawyer) to assist me with the legal requirements?

If I buy a house/land then I will need help with a 30-year-lease-plus-extension(s) as the land will be in my partner's name.

Would be a bonus if such lawyer could also help me draw up a Thailand will.

Also interested if anyone knows of a source for good templates (standard documents) for Thailand wills and perhaps even some of the documentation required in property purchase. Could be a good reference even if I don't end up using them.

We did some searching for an engineer in Bangkok who could check over a used Everest, and in the end we used this guy: Tel: 061-828-5558 Line ID: @scan2car Facebook: รับดูรถยนต์มือสอง - Scan2Car Website: https://www.scan2car.net/

He charged us 2300 Baht, met us at the dealer, and was there for a couple of hours. He picked up that some panels had been painted, did an OBD2 check, and reassured us about the chassis, transmission & engine. He missed a few of the small things like the wash/wipe but overall we were satisfied with his service. He said it was the 3rd Everest he'd inspected that day.

Alternatively he will fit as many cars into 1 day as possible for 4500 Baht. We even read on Pantip that someone gave him a list of 10 cars and he checked round them all in a day and told them which were worth considering and which not, without the buyer even having to go himself.

Anyway, apart from that, I have been using this checklist for my own checks. Not perfect or totally comprehensive, but maybe it will be useful for someone else:

PAPERWORK/BACKGROUND

• Logbook (ownership)(“lem tabian rot”) showing how many registrations

• Chassis numbers should match on chassis/door frame/behind windscreen/logbook.

• Service history book with stamps at correct intervals?

• Warranty: Existing document. Any future warranty offered?

• Owner's Manual

• Ask about previous owner. Why is it for sale? How long has dealer had it?

• Registered in Bangkok?

• Tax certificate / CTPL ("Por Ro Bo")

• Google car owner's phone number to make sure the car was never rented

EXTERIOR

• Check ground under car for leaks

• Color matching of panels (in good light)

• Even alignment of panels. Uniform gaps. Look along sides at fine angle.

• Scratches (minor scratches can indicate it HASN'T been recently resprayed)

• Paint thickness tester: Thicker paint implies panel has been sprayed.

• Chrome on top of door handles etc.. Corrosion?

• Check roof

• Aerial

• Light lenses dry and not misted

• Brake discs wear/evenness

• Depth of brake pads left

• Tyres (turn wheel out to inspect)

  • Tread depth

  • Even wear (uneven wear can mean bad alignment)

  • Damage

  • Are they all same brand/model?

UNDERNEATH

• Exhaust condition

• No ripples etc. in panels, especially around spare wheel

• Chassis legs straight

• Signs of overspray indicating respray? Original Everest chassis has white labels showing jack points and a barcode.

• Original bolt heads should be painted

• Spare wheel condition

ENGINE

• Corrosion? Cleanliness?

• Radiator coolant: Not just water. Blue. Correct level.

• Oil level: Clean appearance. Not smell burnt. Correct level.

• Transmission fluid: Clean appearance. Not smell burnt. Correct level.

• Brake fluid: Should be full. Low level means worn brakes.

• Condition of hoses

• Condition of bonnet insulation

• Fan belt quite tight?

• Strange noises when running?

INTERIOR

• Wear/damage on seats

• Wear on pedal rubbers

• Wear/dampness/stains on carpets

• Pull up carpets. Any sign of repairs, damp, corrsion, replacement panels?

• Paper test on doors to check alignment (should pull paper out of seals with a bit of effort)

• Seatbelts

• Seat operation (inc rear)

• Tailgate operation

• Steering wheel operation

• Correct tools (jack, wheelnut spanner)

• Dashcam(s)?

• Window film? Condition? Too dark/light? Under warranty?

ELECTRONICS

• OBS2 check if have the widget/app. Take great care!

• Any warning lights on dash?

• Lights – indicators, side lights, dip, full beam, hazard lights, fog lights.

• All windows operation

• All mirrors operation

• Sunroof operation

• Wash/wipe front/rear

• Air conditioning / heating operation

• Entertainment system / loudspeakers

• Satnav

• Parking cameras

• Horn

• Interior lights

• 12V power outlets

• USB outlets

• 230V power outlet

• Locking / alarm operation

TEST DRIVE

• Listen for noises with fans and radio off

• Make sure car stays in straight line with hands off wheel

• Make sure doesn't pull to one side when braking hard

• Floor it and make sure acceleration is good

• Make sure temperature is stable at about 90 degrees

• Test self-parking works

On 12/5/2020 at 9:12 AM, transam said:

The British Embassy Consular Team enquired for us exactly what is needed, which is, UK licence with a valid International Driving Permit, these can be used for 90 days....

For 90 days from entry to Thailand? For 90 days from each entry? For 90 days in total for all entries?

Thanks for all the replies, especially the very helpful post from @Migrosmarket ???? .

A couple of "what to check?" YouTube videos mentioned an OBF2 scanner, so I ordered one of these. This app looks like a good bet to use it with. Anyone here used something similar in the scenario of buying a vehicle? Not sure if it's realistic or not.

I'm planning to buy an SUV in Bangkok in the next couple of weeks. Probably a couple of years-old Ford Everest 2.0 Bi-Turbo Titanium+ 4x4 10A/T. Not sure if I'll buy from an agent or privately. There aren't huge numbers of them around.

I've not been involved much with vehicles for a long time, other than renting from time to time. I'd like to compile a list of things to check for. Found these on another post and it seems like a good start:

1. Google owner's phone number to make sure the car was never rented.
2. Check for stamped service record every 10k in service history book. (is this realistic for a 2+ year old car?)
3. Check for oil change record every 50k.
4. Radiator has water instead of coolant.

Anything else?

Is checking for a chassis number matching an engine number still a thing? How about tire tread depth? How to check if major repairs have been done?

We did a TM30, Non-O (retirement) visa extension & multiple-entry re-entry permit at the Samut Prakan immigration office. Here was the whole procedure:

The day before, I got the guarantee letter for my bank balance from my Kasikornbank branch. I showed them a copy of last year's letter but anyway they seemed to have a template for this letter on their system. I was slightly concerned that I would need to get one dated the same day as the application, but turns out that one dated the day before was acceptable.

Then first thing in the morning I withdrew some money at an ATM and updated my bank book in the machine so it showed the balance from the same day.

Arrived at the Samut Prakan immigration office at 8:15. It's only a couple of minutes' walk from Pak Nam BTS station. There were about 10 people queuing in front of us. By the time they opened at 8:30 there were another 20 people behind us, so it's worth arriving early.

After a 20 minute wait my girlfriend submitted a TM.30 to register my arrival as guest living at her condo. Most extenders wouldn't need to do that on the same day as applying for their extension, but a TM.30 needs to be "on file" with the address matching the address on the TM.7. We got that done by 9am then got a new waiting ticket.

Then back outside to the now-open copy shop (a white mobile shed) to get a copy of the TM.30 receipt and my bank book balance page.

These were the documents accepted for the visa extension (all passport copies signed in blue ink):

• TM.7 completed. I had printed the PDF double-sided on one page and filled it by hand in advance.

• 1 x passport photo glued to the form

• Passport (>18 months remaining)

• Copy of passport photo page

• Copy of passport original visa page

• Copy of previous extensions/re-entry permit pages

• Departure card TM.6

• Copy of departure card TM.6

• Bank book

• Old bank book because the new one started very recently

• Copy of bank book front page

• Copy of bank books' transaction/balance pages (last 6 months)

• Guarantee letter for bank balance

• TM.30 receipt

• Copy of TM.30 receipt

• 1900 Baht

• NO map required

• NO rental agreement required (as I'm staying as a guest)

That was done by about 10am. They then photographed me and sent me to go and buy a copy of the 1900 Baht receipt they had just given me, so I could give it to them ????

I then got another waiting ticket for the multiple re-entry permit. These were the documents they accepted for that (all passport copies signed in blue ink):

• TM.8 completed. I had printed the PDF double-sided on one page and filled it by hand in advance.

• 1 x passport photo glued to the form

• Passport

• Copy of passport photo page

• Copy of passport original visa page

• Copy of previous extensions/re-entry permit pages

• Copy of new visa extension stamp page

• Departure card TM.6

• Copy of departure card TM.6

• 3800 Baht

Finally they photographed me again.

All done and away at 10:30am. Much faster than doing it all at Chaengwattana the last few years.

By the way, we did ask if future TM.30 submissions would be required if I went to other provinces, but they said no, only if I fly back from overseas. App or website submissions fine.

We couldn't get through to Samut Prakan Immigration Office to ask my questions (always engaged), so I called the immigration helpline on 1111 and almost immediately was speaking to a very helpful lady with very good English.

She confirmed what Max69xl said, that if I am staying with my girlfriend then there is no need to show a rental agreement when I renew my visa.

However, when asked, she did apologetically say that I am required to submit a TM28 for my move from Bangkok to Samut Prakan, and that it can only be done by me in person at the Samut Prakan Immigration Office, and not by mail or by any app.

So we're going to try and submit TM28, TM30 and visa extension application all on the same day, when my 45-day-in-advance window arrives.

And if she's just my girlfriend, not my wife?