sanooki

Hadn't heard about that, but it fits my hunch, though higher up. It also fits what the super was saying when we were there. Worrying is that this seems to provide the possibility that all the other assurances that since my application was accepted here already, that I'm a shoe-in, could be mistaken.

It seems Korat has more diverse practices than some other immigration offices? To me, it's maybe a sign of new supervision. Someone got promoted, things got loose. Dunno. Government people, in my experience (I worked in a Rajabhat), have a terrible time admitting when they don't know something. Even more pressure than in the civilian population. Then they often get caught out when they start winging it...

I have a potentially very interesting update to relay. The pair of Korat's finest left us a little while ago. We will be receiving a second visit on Sunday, by just one of them. The reason is thus: We were prepared, as requested, for a visit "after 10am" with 2 witnesses, Our landlord and her daughter. The daughter took off work for half a day to be here for us. They were late and didn't show until about 14:00. This daughter had to go back to work at 13:00. There was discussion among all of us. Our landlord offered to bring a second daughter out who was asleep in their house, which is adjacent to our building. This was unacceptable because, dunh dunh dunh, that daughter is on the same Tabien Baan as her mother, the landlord. The first daughter lives somewhere else and has a separate Tabien Baan, so would have been acceptable, ding. But she must work today through Saturday. I brought up getting the security guy from the shopping mall entrance down the soi, but we didn't think he'd have his Tabien Baan with him for work. The food stall lady nearby was disqualified because she doesn't live in Amphur Mueang, where we do. The main IO guy was mai bpen rai'ing and saying we still have time, and he can come back Sunday. So, at least for now for these IOs in Korat, if we put this all together, the requirements seem to be that there must be two witnesses, and they can be related, but must be on different Tabien Baans, which must be in the same Amphur. Wow. Hope this is helpful to someone.

Thanks, I would but I think we're already beyond that point.

You're probably right, but a lot changed a couple years ago, as I was just writing.

No worries. I had no choice about the first marriage extension on my B. It was pandemic days and they were doing all sorts of conversions I hadn't seen before to avoid having people leave the country. My visa info had been stamped into a new passport just before the pandemic, so I don't even have my original visa anymore. Just stamps and scribbles. I thought they said they were converting me to an O, but they didn't really. Just an extension.

I replied above that I reported to immigration, as required, almost immediately upon moving in. If not clear, this necessarily included giving them my new address and rental lease to peruse. I do believe that if they still had my old address the other day, there would already have been problems and we wouldn't have been able to get this far. However, as I was also previously musing, it seemed they hadn't reviewed all my information there on file before going on their initial offensive.

Still waiting for the glorious officers to make their dramatic appearance... After my last reply, it occurs to me that one of the first things an IO on desk might do is to try to find a way to avoid doing a marriage extension, especially a first one, since they tend to take a lot of time resources to accommodate. I'm guessing their office may lose money on these. So, they look for any excuse to discourage us. This is probably as likely or unlikely as other thoughts.

That's a very interesting concept. It's possibly true in some sense. But then we have all the comments here and my own experience that contradicts this as a hard rule. I mentioned Khon Kaen because that's the intermediate office they said they would send our app to for approval. My wife is actually from Ubon and hasn't worked in the 5 years we've been together. She's never changed her Tabien Baan from there. But that kind of makes sense why they would ask about her work, and be confused what to do. If they had told me to go do it in Ubon, I would have with zero problem. I believe I need to do it where I'm currently living. When we went to Ubon a month ago to visit my wife's grandfather in hospital, we stopped in at immigration there to ask about the possibility we might move there before doing this extension. They also asked why we don't move to the family farm and do it there. We had to explain that I don't really want to live on the farm and prefer having a city with good shopping and transportation, etc. They didn't object and said they would do it if I asked. I do think there might be something to what you're saying though.

Thanks for the additional encouragement. With our application, we included our 6 month lease as required, and they do have record of the first one from when we moved here last year. A weird point about that is the standard practice in Thailand about landlords giving a several month lease, and then just letting you stay past the end of them. Then, once it's time to go for a visa, we tend to make a new lease for the occasion. Everywhere I've been it's the same, yet the IOs act oblivious to this reality.

Thanks for the idea. I've also considered that again this week. Generally, however, I use my feet to walk when I can, and my mind to do mental tasks. Keeps me alive longer. I have training in law and legal writing. I am dubious whether if something was truly illegal for me, that an agent could save me. Other than that, I have faith that I can still find my own way so far, using the wealth here and on the internet in general.

That's good to know.

That seems reasonable. It's the unwritten or obscure rules that always make me most nervous, as well as the multivariate "interpretations."

Yes. I had only heard good things about Korat, and it seemed well-organized and chill on my other visits this year. So, I was a bit shocked the other day. It's definitely not out of the parameters of the kinds of things I've experienced or heard about all these years, however.

Thank you. I believe the same, but have a backup plan just in case.

Ooh, I wouldn't believe them on that. The other day at immigration, when I was suggesting that if they didn't approve, I would go for the retirement visa, they emphasized with us that I could not work if I went that way. Additionally, it is written into the actual printed rules on visas everywhere I've seen the rules. Unless, something has recently changed...

Thanks for that. You're the second to say that. That's my final worry at the moment. Are you in Korat, by any chance? I imagine it may vary by office.

Ha ha, thanks. Yes, I welcome them to come have a look at our mess here. They should be here any minute. But, it's my understanding they might come every time? Well, each of my past two have been in different places, so I don't yet have anything to compare to.

That's very interesting. They didn't use that as a reason at all in what they said to us. However, my visa is indeed a "B." But, I've had two marriage extensions already on it. Somehow, I don't think they would even accept my application if this was not acceptable to them.

Ha ha, thanks. I'm glad to hear that. The IOs habitually emphasize that "if the application is approved, you will get your extension stamp in a month." Also, the temporary stamp says "under consideration." I'm getting the understanding now that these mentions are mostly window dressings that haven't been updated to reflect reality. If so, I wonder why they need to take so much time "considering."

Thanks. Since many of the commenters here, and myself, report otherwise, I believe the Tabien Baan is a standard requirement for many services and proofs in Thailand. Sort of a precursor to the ID card. Edit: also, I've never had a Tabien Baan.

Well, technically, you can't work in Thailand on a retirement extension, I'm pretty sure.

Hi, thanks, appreciate the thought. However, we did report to Korat imm. immediately (within one day) upon finishing our move here last year. We haven't moved since. At the time we were making our app, I was also speculating that they hadn't checked their own records yet, because they quizzed us on our location after seeing we had a new lease from this month. But they had looked at our first lease a year ago already, and we had submitted documentation of the landlord also at that time.

Oh, that's better than what I was reading it as. Perfect, thanks.

That is an interesting and unique story. I'm guessing you were a little worried then. But, very illustrative that optimism is warranted. Some cahonies there dude. :)