fauxie

Perhaps those that appear to be going to Singapore as per usual.

I get this feeling that the army is moving in right now as we speak to remove the protesters. It certainly seems the mood has changed and that airlines are confident a resolution is in progress (are they actually in the loop or something? that would surprise me!)

What gives you this feeling?

The reports of readying tanks, and soldiers with M16s going to Suvarnabhumi. That and airlines being more confident in responding to passengers inquiries about their upcoming flights.

Plus people reporting they've seen and heard flights from Suvarnabhumi and that updated status page earlier showing at least one flight had left this morning for Singapore.

I can see the usually see the planes taking off and landing from my balcony. Haven't seen any up to now. Maybe I was in the bathroom when the Singapore flight took off I'm looking constantly because I have a flight out due on Sunday.

3K 512 Jetstar Asia (SIN) Singapore 09:15 AM En Route

SQ 973 Singapore Airlines (SIN) Singapore 11:15 AM Scheduled

On-time

Hmm...

Sure, why not? I'm 27 and have been living here with my now wife for a good 6 or 7 years now. Life's good. I top up the water, buy new flowers and pray to the spirit house once a week and everything just seems to go swimmingly.

I don't know about the whole prostitute situation/dating etc. as a young person. I met a girl the first time here and just happened to strike it lucky. Wasn't looking. I had fun back then as a young guy (I'm still young!) but I was doing the relationship thing already rather than playing the field or anything. That was fine by me as I was, and am, very content.

Thailand is an awesome shit-hole where nothing works but everything fun can be done. It's sunny and the food is good. I love it here

So planes are taking off again. According to that updated status page one left for Singapore not too long ago and most flights for today aren't canceled. Is this all kicking off as we speak? (the army taking back the airport).

One poster reported that his airline told him his flight on the 28th will not be affected. That's pretty confident, I thought, given the circumstances, but if there have been flights out this morning, who knows?

My wife and I are flying on the 1st. I think we will be ok, as this can't continue for long, but it's more hope than anything!

Ah, I remember the days when my 200GBP daily withdrawal limit would see me getting nearly 15k out at the ATM. In recent times I've had to settle for 12k. That's a big difference when you're withdrawing many times per month!

I'd be quite chuffed with the rate rising to anything over 66 baht to the pound these days, but over 70 again would be dreamland once more.

Just to update, as I think it may be useful for some, I went to immigration again with a couple of weeks left on my single entry Cat. O visa and got another 60 day extension just as I'd done on my last visa. Apparently it's not a 'one time provisional' thing if you're showing a few docs and talk with the immig. officers about your situation. I didn't have what was required to get the 1 year extension but they were happy enough to give me another 60 days extension, not bad!

Interesting.

The Sunbelt English translation of Police Order says it is ONE TIME ONLY.

The Immigration English translation does not say this. It says 60 DAYS AT A TIME.

It was almost like as we were trying for the 1 year she was focused on that and telling me I didn't have what was required so I'd have to make do with just 60 days, but of course I was actually really quite happy with that. I don't know whether she was distracted by the whole 1 year thing but she was helpful, polite and friendly and it all went very quickly and smoothly. I'm far from entirely convinced that I'll be able to do it a third time but I'll certainly do the same again and go down there well in advance (next time a month) and see what happens. Leaving the country every 5 months isn't so bad at all. I've had a pretty much uninterrupted last 10 months already on the back of just a couple of days in Penang. Fingers crossed for next time should I fail to get the 1 year Cat. O I'm trying for again.

My missus watches Peep Show, The Day Today, 15 Storeys High and the like with me and finds it all very funny, though Brass Eye is a bit weird for her. I guess that she's been to the UK makes a difference and the fact that she's been exposed to more than just what's found on UBC. She still laughs at the slapstick and play on words that typical Thais seem to love too though. In the end laughter is good, for whatever reason, and it's a waste of time and energy to get snobby about comedy. For one person it might be Chris Morris that does it and for another a fat, old katoey being bashed on the head. It's all good.

Just to update, as I think it may be useful for some, I went to immigration again with a couple of weeks left on my single entry Cat. O visa and got another 60 day extension just as I'd done on my last visa. Apparently it's not a 'one time provisional' thing if you're showing a few docs and talk with the immig. officers about your situation. I didn't have what was required to get the 1 year extension but they were happy enough to give me another 60 days extension, not bad!

I won't be going to protest because I can't afford to be deported, being married to a Thai. How disappointing, but utterly predictable, that the Thai govt. would take this stance. Still, I can't help thinking (and hoping) that the games will be disrupted daily at most events and that it will be impossible for there not to be a lot of news coverage about it.

Bit worried about just wearing my 'Free Tibet - Free The Panchen Lama' t-shirt though. Surely I wouldn't get arrested for wearing that in public would I?

My wife's family are all very much Thai Chinese on her father's side and none of them have any sympathy for China and its position on Tibet and almost completely share my views.

Birmingham is fine.

Cool beans. It's just that everyone speaks so highly of Hull. Ok, that's the plan then. Just keep getting single O's until December (or a multiple if Penang will give me one) and then a multiple from Birmingham.

I would be interested in knowing peoples' chief motivation for doing all this. For me it's always been about saving the money I've been spending on visas, border runs etc. but for others is it the security? Something else? I've been trying so hard to get all these documents, meet criteria, fulfill this and that, to get into the system and be able to stay here long term, but all the while I've been staying here long term just the same. I'm not sure anymore whether I want to be 'in the system' any more than I am now. Perhaps I'm so used to the muddling by and continuing to live my life here just the same that it's really not such a hassle after all to take a trip every few months. I never had the headaches of thinking about all this before! I vowed to never tie myself down at all to this country, but find myself now trying effectively to officially make a home here, but this has been my home for 7 years now so what's the difference? I'm starting to think maybe I'm comfortable with the status quo of it all. And that's the thing, it is a status quo, and it almost offers me more security than what I've been striving for because I know it, how it works, and I'm still living here. Should I really put myself through breaking my neck to get the 1 year extension? I don't know if I'm getting disallusioned here or just realising life isn't so bad doing what I'm doing now!

Singapore normally requires proof of 400k in a bank account (somewhere). KL might issue without but reports have been few and both negative and positive. Penang had started to issue after not doing so for a time but rules are not clear - bank account is being asked but for some not required and for others a high amount asked.

All local Consulates will require marriage certificate/copy and copy of wife id/passport signed and dated to prove current relationship.

Multi entry still seems to be best obtained in home country.

You do have a 60 day one time extension of stay available under section 7.23 if you have not used it. Cost is 1,900 baht from immigration and provide

1. Application form

2. Copy of applicant's passport

3. Copy of census registration

4. Copy of the Thai national's ID Card

5. Copy of marriage certificate or birth

certificate

I'm in a similar position to the poster of this thread. I was told on the phone to go and get a second one of these 'one time provisonal' 60 day extensions and that it's possible with the documents I presented last time that I may get longer. I explained it was the one time provisional extension I got before, as opposed to the 1 year extension for a person currently on a non-imm O and married to a Thai that I believed to be completely separate and they said not to worry and just come and do the same thing again and bring the same docs. What a baffling situation it all is.

Fauxie. You are quickly learning that the Thai Immigration Dept. is not very straightforward. Different offices and officers use different guidelines for the same procedures.

It dosn't really matter what anyone on here says, we can only give advise. Its the authotities who decide your future. If you are convinced that the Bangkok office said they will give you the extension why not go down there with the documents they asked for and see what happens. However irregular it seems to the rest of us. If thats what they said, go for it. They can only say yes or no. While you are there you can ask about everything else you are not sure of.

Good Luck

I know, I'm going round and round in circles on the threads here, lol. It just seems too good to be true, and yes I certainly know how the Thai Imm. Dept. is not straightforward. I suppose I should just go down there with plenty of time to spare on my visa. Right now that's about 7 weeks, so maybe go a month before it expires? I don't want to count on something so obviously flimsy and then have less time to get a flight to Penang should I need to go back to apply for another cat. O single or multi entry. It does seem that for now I may be doing the single entry O's until I'm back in the UK before xmas where I'll almost certainly apply for a multiple, probably from Hull (or is Birmingham fine). This deal with the tax or the certification from the Embassy sounds complicated. Certainly the tax receipt route will surely amount to more than the 3.5k per month it works out for me to do visa runs. I'm beginning to wonder whether it's truly worth it for me to sort all that stuff out just to leave behind the hassle of leaving the country. Maybe it isn't.

Is it true that the tax for a Thai running an internet based business is much lower?

Singapore normally requires proof of 400k in a bank account (somewhere). KL might issue without but reports have been few and both negative and positive. Penang had started to issue after not doing so for a time but rules are not clear - bank account is being asked but for some not required and for others a high amount asked.

All local Consulates will require marriage certificate/copy and copy of wife id/passport signed and dated to prove current relationship.

Multi entry still seems to be best obtained in home country.

You do have a 60 day one time extension of stay available under section 7.23 if you have not used it. Cost is 1,900 baht from immigration and provide

1. Application form

2. Copy of applicant's passport

3. Copy of census registration

4. Copy of the Thai national's ID Card

5. Copy of marriage certificate or birth

certificate

I'm in a similar position to the poster of this thread. I was told on the phone to go and get a second one of these 'one time provisonal' 60 day extensions and that it's possible with the documents I presented last time that I may get longer. I explained it was the one time provisional extension I got before, as opposed to the 1 year extension for a person currently on a non-imm O and married to a Thai that I believed to be completely separate and they said not to worry and just come and do the same thing again and bring the same docs. What a baffling situation it all is.

Embassy certification of income is expected for non local earnings. Local earnings will require tax payment receipts.

Millions in the bank would not get the extension.

Thanks (and to lite beer) for cutting through all my confusion once again. Ok, so Embassy certification would complete the docs I need. Now I have the issue of whether 'the internet' is local, elsewhere, or nowhere at all, lol. I've often wondered whether payments coming into my UK bank account from my UK Paypal account are taxable in the UK. I live in Thailand though. Hmmm....

Sounds like it might be better to go the tax receipt payments route and 'declare' that she is making money.

You have to get a letter from your Embassy verifying your monthly income. Not savings.

Or , Your wife has to provide proof of tax paid on her earnings , or a combination of both.

My wife is to all intents and purposes a homemaker.

What's wrong with savings? It doesn't exactly apply here (I wish it did!), but in theory a person with millions in the bank has no income as such, but surely would not be refused the extension.

I guess what I need to know is do I need to account for the income? Is this withdrawing from the ATM and putting it in my wife's bank a sticking point? If so, is this a case of getting hold of a large amount of money from my savings and arranging lumping it directly from back home into my wife's account to satsify them? I'm interested to know whether it's important where the money comes from or whether all that's needed is a whole heap of cash going through her account. I understand employment is not a requirement, surely, since a person does not necessarily need employment in order to stay here (as in retired ex-pats living here), only the money to support themselves, and in this case, a wife.

1. If you meet the 40k income requirements (which you did not previously) you can start with a visa exempt entry (if more than 21 days remaining) to obtain the one year extension of stay.

2. If you have the proof of income visit immigration with wife and normal documentation to apply for a one year extension of stay.

3. If you do not yet have proof of income do so to obtain the 60 day extension of stay I mentioned in post #3.

4. There has never been any requirement to obtain a multi entry visa - in fact it is a wast of money for most people. Your problem before was you did not have the 40k income proof requirement so required visa entry (and if this was to be a long term situation you would have wanted a multi entry). With proof of income you can extend your stay at immigration office.

Succinct as ever, lopburi3, thank you. I did get the 60 day one time provision last time. At that time, as when I got my single entry cat. O visa in Penang, my wife's bank book showed more than 40k going through it per month. All the normal documentation, I have. Is anything needed regarding where the money comes from? My concern is that cash paid in at deposit points is not going to cut it for them. Do I need to show my UK bank statements if I want to show that I can support my wife? If so do I need to give details of my income, where it comes from, and show that I withdraw money here in Thailand from my UK bank and support my wife, who deposits it in her Thai account?

Spoke to them and was told that on my single entry cat. O visa I could have asked for more than 60 days and could have had up to a year. This is news to me. No multiple entry O needed to apply for the extension apparently. I was told I could have gone for it that day I went for the 'one time provision'.

Very interesting.

Anybody reported being successful getting the 1 year extension while on a single entry cat. O visa? I was told I don't need to worry about leaving the country again, that I'm married just the same (be it single or multi entry) and just to get myself down to Suan Phluu with such and such documents and have an interview. I was told I could get minimum 60 days and maximum 1 year.

Yes . No problem if you have 40,000 Baht family monthly income.

Straight from the single O to the 1 year extension? But what's this about minimum 60 days and maximum 1 year? I thought the extension was always a year but then was told otherwise on the phone. It almost sounds too good to be true that I might be able to get it now rather than have to leave the country and try to get the multiple O first.

Spoke to them and was told that on my single entry cat. O visa I could have asked for more than 60 days and could have had up to a year. This is news to me. No multiple entry O needed to apply for the extension apparently. I was told I could have gone for it that day I went for the 'one time provision'.

Very interesting.

Anybody reported being successful getting the 1 year extension while on a single entry cat. O visa? I was told I don't need to worry about leaving the country again, that I'm married just the same (be it single or multi entry) and just to get myself down to Suan Phluu with such and such documents and have an interview. I was told I could get minimum 60 days and maximum 1 year.

I'm going to see how 'one-time provisional' that 60 day extension is. No questions were asked last time around, it was just routine. Perhaps it's not so strict as one time only? I'm going to contact them to find out. I'll have to do this so as to avoid trouble, but in truth I honestly think if I just went and asked for it they'd give it again. Wishful thinking? They'd do well to even find that extension in my passport, lol.

There is no such class of visa as "supporting Thai spouse". There used to be such an extension of stay but it has changed to "family" and no longer requires support. What Consulate are you using that requires this? We do know that to obtain the multi entry type that Singapore was asking to see a bank account with 400k or more but that was the only Consulate we had reports of using such a system.

If you have the 40k going into wifes account from outside Thailand and can obtain a letter of such income from your Embassy you may be able to extend at Immigration.

Ok, but you know which visa I'm talking about - category O multiple entry. In Penang I showed bank book copies from my wife's Thai account. The money I put into the account is simply withdrawn from my UK account at the ATM here in Thailand and deposited in her account. That's why I doubt I can get the 1 year extension. I'm happy enough just doing a same day border run every 90 days though. I'll just fly to Penang in the morning and return in the evening as before. Costs about 4500-5000 baht altogether, but it's a better situation than before I was married.

But you're all talking about the extension (i.e. reporting, not visa visa runs, every 90 days). It should be noted that just getting the multiple entry O visa means less requirements (photos, tax returns, letter etc. not necessary).

I'd love to get the extension but for now will be happy with border runs every 90 days for showing my marriage cert., copies of wife's ID card, house reg., passport etc. and showing a Thai bank account with more than 40k put in per month (by any means - just putting money in at the deposit point is fine and you can take it out and put it back in again later if you like to make it look better). Whenever I withdraw from my UK account at the ATM the wife puts it in her Thai account at the deposit point. We then take it out and use it for living costs and whatnot. Just deposits like this seem to be satisfactory at the consulate when they check out the bank book copies.

For the multiple I never had to show any financial recuirements or deposits .

Are you referring to the marriage extension ?

Not the extension, the initial 1 year multiple entry O visa based on supporting a spouse. I've been required to show bank book copies showing at least 40k going in my wife's Thai account per month. I've not tried to get the extension as I don't think I can meet the requirements.

But you're all talking about the extension (i.e. reporting, not visa visa runs, every 90 days). It should be noted that just getting the multiple entry O visa means less requirements (photos, tax returns, letter etc. not necessary).

I'd love to get the extension but for now will be happy with border runs every 90 days for showing my marriage cert., copies of wife's ID card, house reg., passport etc. and showing a Thai bank account with more than 40k put in per month (by any means - just putting money in at the deposit point is fine and you can take it out and put it back in again later if you like to make it look better). Whenever I withdraw from my UK account at the ATM the wife puts it in her Thai account at the deposit point. We then take it out and use it for living costs and whatnot. Just deposits like this seem to be satisfactory at the consulate when they check out the bank book copies.

Why indeed! ~sigh~

The money in my Thai wife's bank account is only ever cash deposits after I've taken out from the ATM here from my UK account. The bank book just shows money going in and out in that manner. In fact, we 'recycle' the money sometimes, depositing some of the same money we took out a few days back. It didn't seem to matter with the single entry O last time, but I wonder if it could be a problem later?

~crosses fingers and hopes for a chirpy, happy consular on whatever day I need one~