mja1906

Thanks Ubonjoe!

Hi

I’m sure this has been answered numerous times before but…………

I am a UK national (female) marrying a Thai man. I would like to know what is required to apply for a non-imm O visa and the procedure. Here are a few things

- As I am marrying a Thai male, I have heard we don’t have to show the proof of income?

- My partner and I live in Mae Sariang (Mae Hong Son province), and for the past 6 mths I have been able to renew my non-imm O volunteer visa at our local Mae Sariang imm office. The imm officer there told us to apply for the marriage visa in Chiang Mai. I am slightly confused because I thought the visa rules had changed and that you had to do everything at your local imm office? My partners house registration card, is registered in Chiang Mai however ??

- I know that we would be legally married in Thailand, but is the marriage recognized in the UK as well ?

- Would there be any implications when I return home to the UK, of being married to a Thai national, with regards to Tax matters etc?

Anybody who could share their experience doing this in the Chiang Mai office would be great.

Is there a permanent post that details all of this?

Thanks guys, very helpful replies.

Lets hope GSB continues not to charge I guess they won't if they are not part of the association.

Hi, does anyone know if the Government Savings bank has also introduced the 150bt fee for foreign ATM transactions? I know that Thai Farmers Bank and Ayudhya Bank are still free but not sure about this one

Thanks

Does anyone know whats happening to the GBP/baht rate, was very pleased to see 52.3 today.....

any predictions?

will it continue to rise?

to make things worse its an ngo .... in a remote part of thailand, so i'm also told the chances of immigration checking are extremely slim?? immigration here seem to be more concerned with catching illegals from Myanmar. Anybody know of foreigners who have been caught out before and what provinces they were in?

Thanks for the input. The organisation are telling me that I don't require a work permit and that my non-imm 'O' is sufficient.

I have recently been offered freelance teaching work by an organisation. I will not be an official member of staff just somebody who teaches when and is needed by them. They will pay me hourly and money will go straight into my bank account.

Is a work permit still required for this in order for me to be working legally?

Thanks. There's a temple in Lampang (nearby Chiang Mai) that also does meditation, does anyone know how that is?

I am planning on taking my first mediation retreat, I want to do one at a temple in or around Chiang Mai. I can't decide where to go, I have read a few reviews about wat ram poeng, wat umong, and wat chom thong. Think I am leaning towards Wat Chom Tong although have heard it is extremely intensive, which scares me off a bit.

I guess important factors are

- instruction of vipassana meditation techniques in English

- teaching of buddhism in general

Any reviews/advices would be much appreciated!

If you're looking for something less touristy then maybe a personalised trekking tour (which might be nice to accommodate your parents and wife -instead of joining a group) then consider heading to Mae Hong Son 4 hours from Chiang Mai.

The nature and trekking routes are some of the most pristine in the North, away from the large tourist groups in Chiang Mai and so a more authentic experience. PM me if you need more info or recommendations for guides/itineraries.

A WP can be asked for at the local labour office. Best is if your school contacts the labour office to see which documents they require, they will also need to get some forms.

You will need things like:

- list of foreign workers at the school

- map to your house

- map of the school

- letter from the school

- letter from the area education office

- copy of your degree

- filled in forms from the labour office

You need a WP to work, including volunteer work. Now you are working illegaly.

When you have applied for the WP you can go to your local immigration office. Better contact them too, but largely it is the same as for the labour office.

Don't worry, the school has a lot of papers to prepare but it is very easy.

Thanks Mario,

Do you happen to know if I need a certain number of days left on my 90 day extension to apply for the 1 yr extension? As about 30 of the 90 days has passed already and I can imagine it will take some time to acquire all this paperwork.

Thanks again,

I went to Bangkok Immigration and changed my tourist visa to a non-immigrant 'O' visa for the purposes of volunteering at a hilltribe school in Mae Hong Son. It was issued on October 24^th and is valid for 90 days before which I must get an extension for it. I want to extend it for 1 year with a multiple entry permit.

1. What paperwork is required to extend it for 1 yr? (I believe a work permit is needed)

2. What paperwork is needed to apply for a work permit and where can I apply for one?

3. I believe I can apply for the extension at Mae Hong Son Immigration instead of BKK Imm?

4. The 90 days given expires on Jan 21^st, can I apply for the extension+wp any time before this date or do I need a certain number of days left to apply?

Thanks,

Mel

Hi does anyone know of Coach rental companies in chiang Mai?

There seem to be plenty of rental companies for cars/vans but how about coaches?

Thanks

I went to Bangkok Immigration and changed my tourist visa to a non-immigrant ‘O’ visa for the purposes of volunteering at a hilltribe school in Mae Hong Son. It was issued on October 24^th and is valid for 90 days before which I must get an extension for it. I want to extend it for 1 year with a multiple entry permit. Does anyone know the procedure for this? And if I need a work permit beforehand to be able to do this? Thanks in advance.

Does anyone have any experience of changing a tourist visa to a volunteer/non-O visa? I am in the middle of trying to do this and but am only staggered by how a country can run their immigration system like this. The staff really don't care, getting help from them is like drawing blood from a stone. All this when actually foreigners want to stay here to help the children of their country. Anyhows enough of my rant.

Who am I to agree or disagree with your ideas about the running of the Thai immigration? Although clearly you disagree per your comments below

I guess most of us have some ideas about that particular service.

However, the idea that Thai people will all be so very happy that you want to help the children of this country, I have news for you. Yes you do

My wife, being Thai, and absolutely NOT against farang because she sometimes think that the way farang are treated is shameful, once ventilated her feelings about all those welldoers flocking to Thailand with the idea that all they want to do is generally also very much wanted by Thai people.

If you really want to help, shut up and do not talk about it, and don't apply for a visum bragging about your weldoing. I'm sorry, but where exactly in my post do you find me 'bragging' about my 'welldoing' ?? I also think you will find that the purpose of this forum is to talk about visas in Thailand.

Can you understand that Thai people have some pride? Yes of course

Can you maybe understand that your help might not be wanted? If my help was not wanted, then why would several schools and educational directors in the area want me to stay and help and sign the needed paperwork for me?

Can you understand that ranting about your wishes to immigration officers actually let them loose face in an enormous way? Who said that I ranted my wishes to immigration officers? I merely expressed my opinions in this forum which is what this forum is for. My partner is Thai so my lack of understanding about Thai pride or losing face, is not an issue.

Can you understand that you are telling them that in your eyes they run the immigration in a despicable way and that they live in a backward country. You have assumed too much, and jumped to conclusions from my post. I never told them such a thing, as I kept my opinions to myself, and as I said I only voice them on this forum.

My wife tells you, please go away. Tell her thanks.

And maybe come back if you can understand that you have to behave to be taken seriously. I'm sorry, I still fail to see where my behaviour was inapproriate.

Perhaps your wife works for Thai Immigration?

Jum

I understand you volunteer in Mae Hong Son so why are you going to Bangkok? You don't need to go there to convert your visa.

I'm a volunteer my self at a government school and never have any trouble at Mae Sot for my yearly extensions. (In fact if I forget something I can simply mail it to them and already get my stamp). I believe a very helpful officer from Mae Sot now works at Mae Sai. He does volunteer work himself and is very helpful. Don'y know about Chiang Mai, but I understood there was a woman a while ago who also converted her visa there and didn't have any problems.

Documents do need to be signed by the director of the school and you would also need a letter from the director of the educational zone. You also will need a work permit.

Mario2008 & DigitalChromakey - Thanks for the helpful replies and words of encouragement. After reading the posts I went to enquire at Mae Sariang immigration and they told me that I could only convert visas at Bangkok and after the staff there made several phone calls (one to a leader at Bangkok Immigration) he advised that so much paperwork is involved, and as we are not a large established organisation/NGO it would be easier to fly out of the country ie: go to Laos and apply there. Less grief and in the end less expensive than going to BKK multiple times.

Why BKK immigration didn't advise me of this extra paperwork before, is anyone's guess.

Guess I better go start looking at flights then.......

Hi,

Does anyone have any experience of changing a tourist visa to a volunteer/non-O visa? I am in the middle of trying to do this and but am only staggered by how a country can run their immigration system like this. The staff really don't care, getting help from them is like drawing blood from a stone. All this when actually foreigners want to stay here to help the children of their country. Anyhows enough of my rant.

I called up BKK immigration to ask what documents they required for me to change my tourist visa, and they said it would be easier for them to explain to the staff of my school. So I let the teacher at my school talk to them and he subsequently went to prepare all the letters/paperwork.

Before I went to the BKK immigration office to apply for the change, I even called them up to double check that nothing else was required (after having been passed around from line to line to the wrong staff who didn't know eventually we got through to somebody who spoke some English).

So off I went to BKK immigration office, all paperwork in hand, only to be told that there was something 'missing' on the paperwork, and I needed the signature of another provincial director. Thoroughly annoyed although semi-expecting this, I made the long way back to Mae Hong Son. They also gave us a 'sample' letter so that we knew exactly what to put next time and what signatures to get.

So the teacher creates new letters, based on the 'sample' letter they gave us, and we go back to BKK immigration. Can you believe it, they only turn us away again, to say that we need proof from the school that I'm not getting paid, and that the signature is still not the correct one! Basically asking for more paperwork..........

How can this be? They say one thing, we go off and get what we think is all the required and correct paperwork/letters, only to go there twice and be turned away twice. Several Thais I've spoken to think they want some money under the table.

Does anyone out there have any similar experiences? I'm starting to wonder now, whether it might just be easier for me to apply outside of the country.

Hi

I'm a healthy 28yr old planning to stay in THailand indefinitley. I have been here 3 mths already and my annual multi trip insurance from the UK is due to run out. Can anyone recommend what the best thing is to do insurance wise for myself?

I think purchasing health insurance wouldn't be a problem, but does any insurance exist here that covers similar things such as travel insurance from home ie: repatriation in case of emergency/death.

Thanks in advance!

Melissa

Thanks peeps!

Yes originally I thought I would have to leave the country, but then heard it could actually be changed in BKK so I just wondered if it was true.

Thanks again!

I am a British National currently in Thailand on a 6mth tourist visa. I am 2 months into this visa, and a government hilltribe school would like me to volunteer for them. Is it possible for me to change my tourist visa to a volunteer visa (Non-Immigrant O) visa at Bangkok Immigration? Or do I need to leave the country? I believe I will need an invitation letter from the school, are they any specifics that this letter will need to include? Does it need any seals, signatures, etc? What other documents will they ask for?

Also I presume after I have this visa I will be able to apply for a work permit at the department of Employment in my province? Can anyone describe how to apply for this? Are they easy to get once you have the visa?

It sounds like an incredibly long and bureaucratic process?

MAny thanks in advance!