TravellinShoes

Just did the extension and can confirm that in addition to copy of bank book and letter a statement is now required. The bank book and letter showed that day's updated balance after making a 500 baht transaction in the morning. The statement showed the previous days balance ie 500 baht difference, but was accepted ok, I supposed because it showed a balance of over 400k for at least two months. In the list of documents to submit it says the statement should show previous two months but when I checked with the IO he said three. Maybe immigration are interested in where the money came from hence the new requirement of a statement.

At which immigration office did you do your extension. Not all offices want ta bank statement.

It sounds like Phuket where they don't go by the written rules and want the money to be in the bank for 3 months.

It's in the South, Nakhon. Another new requirement was somebody in civil service has to come to the office to testify every year, unless I have children in which case it wouldn't be necessary. The other week a friend did his first extension in Surat and didn't have to provide a witness but did get a home visit.

Just did the extension and can confirm that in addition to copy of bank book and letter a statement is now required. The bank book and letter showed that day's updated balance after making a 500 baht transaction in the morning. The statement showed the previous days balance ie 500 baht difference, but was accepted ok, I supposed because it showed a balance of over 400k for at least two months. In the list of documents to submit it says the statement should show previous two months but when I checked with the IO he said three. Maybe immigration are interested in where the money came from hence the new requirement of a statement.

Immigration officer informed me a couple of things had changed from last year. Firstly if you don't have a child you need to have a government official (ie village head, teacher etc) testify for you every year, not sure whether that's in person or just copies of their documents. Secondly in addition to bank letter and up to the minute copy of bank book a statement is now required.

I showed him the latest police order in Thai, section on extension for spouse, and asked if the 400k for minimum two months was the correct information, he said it was.

Within the final 30 days of any permission to stay.

Some offices will allow 45 days.

You will have to ask your local office.

I did ask and he said 20 days.....maybe I should move to another province :-)

I went to immigration today before I apply for the extension next week just to ask if there was any changes in requirements for documents, whether I need to have someone come and testify on my behalf again etc. The officer told me come 20 days before, I gently queried it, surely 30 days, I'm planning to come next week....no 20 days. Sigh.

I have a mutiple entry non immigrant visa enter before 2 Jun 2015. I returned from trip home and the current entry stamp/tm card admits me until 16 Dec 2014. When's the earliest I can apply for year extension based on marriage? ie Do I have to wait until the visa expires or can I do it when this stamp expires? Thanks in advance for any info.

I had a problem at UK immigration just because I'd stuck clear film to the outer cover of my passport to protect it...

http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Phuket-visa-runners-caught-cash-immigration-scare/30941#ad-image-0

You will have to wait until the last 30 days of the 60 day extension to apply for the one year extension again. That includes paying the 1900 baht fee again.

After a day's trip to our local branch at the end of April we were able to get my wife's name removed from the bank account leaving my name only. The bank crossed her name out on the bank book and signed, dated stamped it. The 400K still in the same account, same bank book since January, only wife's name removed as per immigration's requirement. Beginning of May 30 days left of the two month extension so we go and show the officer the corrected bank book, 400k still in the account since January, and say we want to apply again for the year extension. First thing he looks at is the date wife's name removed and hands it back and tells me to come back in two months from that date, which means the two month extension will have expired and I have to leave the country to get another non imm.

So I try and reason.....how long has the money been in the account? when wife's name was removed did it affect the balance? then why is that date of relevance? surely the only date relevant to the requirement is the the date the 400k went in? It was if he'd already deceided that I would have to leave the country and I could see that reason was about as much use as a chocalate teapot. Leaaving the country is inconvenient, not onlt because of travel expenses etc but because when the 3 month non imm expires we plan to go home to see mum, changes in visa application requirements in my country mean I will not be able to get a visa during the time we are there, so I'll have to come back on a VOA then go across the border yet again to get another non imm. so it'll be then end of the yeat before I can apply for the year extension again, in my situation I can't keep the 400K in the a/c that long. Of course all of this is of no concern whatever to the official, he's enjoying his little power trip and all the hassle he can cause my family who are just trying to get on with a normal life. His reply..."that's the law and we have to abide by it".....yeah I'd like to see that law and the one that says you can charge 500B for the proof of residency letter!

So to cut what's becoming a long saga short....I've had enough, I'm headed for Lao and hopefully a year non imm multiple, and I won't have to see the freindly local TM officer for another year at least.

Thanx Suradit for the links they would have been useful to have known when submitting my application. On the list of documents I was given to present there was nothing that said the bank account should not be in joint names. The officer commented on it but still accepted the application, if he'd told me it was a regulation I could have solved the problem before submitting and paying the fee. Sorry my comment about reasonableness may have been misunderstood, I was perplexed by the regulation itself and how it means I can't use the 400k to support my wife when the account is in joint names, surely the fact that she has access to it should be a positive. But as I said maybe I'd be better off not thinking too much :-))

Thanx Joe, I've already prepared myself to have pay the fee again. On the brightside it's cheaper than a visa trip out of the country and 90 day trips to the border. Also this is the only reason they rejected and it's not such a big deal to correct it and the whole thing will be a lot smoother and easier next year (hopefully). All I have to do now is be careful not to antagonise the official who made the mistake when I resubmit :-).....gently does it.

The officer did mention it during the application ordeal but said he put it through anyway and see what happens, so I thought it was not so important. Yes, it was the regional head office that phoned to tell us about the problem and we went along to the local immigration to see what could be done to correct the application. The officer cancelled the month extension and gave me 60 days. There is not enough time in that 60 day period to open a new account and season the money. The officer suggested with a certain smugness that I would need to leave the country at the end of the 60 day extension get another non O and return to do the whole application thing again. So then I phoned the woman at head office and she said that I should go to the bank and get my wife's name removed without altering the account in anyway, I checked and this can be done, we just have to travel to the branch where our account is. The bit that's not clear now is when to resubmit the application, right away after correcting the account details or later before the 60 days expires, and would I have to submit the whole thing again or would they accept just the corrected document ie copy of bank book w/o wife's name?

Went for first year extension based on marriage, after days worth of running around completing such tasks as getting a document to say 12 yo marriage certificate is genuine, updating bank book yet again after already providing a letter from the bank and dragging a thai friend down to immigration to swear an oath, we finally completed everything to the officer's satisfaction, 2 copies. I was given the month stamp to tide me over while they deliberated. I thought I'd done a pretty good job of proving beyond all reasonable doubt that I'm married to said thai national, that we live in said house and I have the ability to support her because there's a certain amount of money in an account with my name on it.

So I was surprised when after a couple of weeks I got a phone call to say that the application had been rejected because the thai bank account is in both our names (i.e. and/or) and the regulations say only husband's name. Oh well ours is not to try and reason why ours is just to do whatever the officer says. Anyway I hope this info will help someone else not to make the mistake of thinking that having the account in your wife's name as well is a good thing.

There is no minimum but best to do it a couple of weeks early. The max is 30 days before.

Thanx Joe

How long before the last entry stamp expires should you/can you go to the immigration to apply for extension of stay based on marriage? Is there a minimum amout of time rule ie must be at least x amount of days before expires for example?

Either 400k or 40k. There is no combination allowed.

Thanks Loburi. I wonder why it is then that these websites are saying that immigration only accepts 40k p/m for new applicants, and won't accept 400k unless you're grandfathered before 1 Sep 07? Why is there some confusion about this and conflicting info?

Thinking about going for the extension for the first time. I was under the impression that the requirement is 400k in the bank or 40k p/m income, or combination of both. Some websites have posted that this has changed, the requirement now is 40k income only for all new applicants. I can't find a govt website that gives any clear or detailed info. Can anyone confirm which is correct?

Money only has to be in the bank 60 days. Also the 200K was not grandfathered you still would of needed the 400K.

Lucky you don't have to do your extension re-newal at Kap Choeng immigration -- says money in the bank for 60 days on the application form but they insist on the money being in the bank for 90 days. I haven't dare confront them with their requirements against the printed details because they have a habit of reminding you just why you are there and exactly what they have the power to do or not do. Also annoying is the constant tapping of the tip box on the desk. ' Joan plon ' the lot of them.....

Mmm..one of the reasons I preferred to do yearly visa renewals in the past, it was bad enough just going to local immigration for the letter needed to get driving license etc. But I heard things are better these days especially in areas where officials have a high number of foreigners to deal with ie Phuket?

Money only has to be in the bank 60 days. Also the 200K was not grandfathered you still would of needed the 400K.

thanx for that Joe, makes me feel a little better that I didn't make a huge error in deciding not to get the ext in the old days :-)

I noticed it was 60 days, but isn't that at the time of application? Surely it would have to continue to be in the bank for a while after ie during processing the application?

The comment about lending the money was tongue in cheek, though suffice to say it will be difficult in my financial situation to amass 400k and keep it in the bank for three months, but that's what I need to do now obviously to get the ext. I've been able to live in Thailand and support my wife etc quite happily for the past 18 yrs without 400k in the bank or 40k p/m income, for me it's like someone has moved the goalposts halfway thru the game, the change in rules/policy could have serious consequences for our family life. But like I said it's my fault for not getting the old 200k extensions while they were available, instead I took the some might say lazy option of yearly visa renewals.

Joe...are you sure that's the latest situation in Savannakhet?

Yeah, should've gone down this road years ago when the financial req for the extension was only 200k. Now if I can just find someone to lend me 400K for a few months :-))

Went to KL Embassy 7/10/13 to apply for non imm o year multiple entry based on thai marriage (12 yrs) as I have done successfully many times before.

Produced all the correct documentation as latest requirements on embassy website, including bank book showing 400k

The woman official passed the application back to a male colleague, he looked at it and passed it back to the woman at the front desk and she said they could only give me a single entry.

I asked why as all the paperwork was in order, she said new rules from Foreign Office and directed me to go to local immigration in Thailand for extension of stay.

End of report.

Not happy.

Had to renew my british pspt so sent all required stuff to HK as directed in embassy website. They only require to send a copy of the info page if ur in Thailand, as we all know you can't/shouldn't be in the country without pspt. So u don't really need to DHL it to HK I suppose.

I did a run to Penang on 27th May just to get single o non imm as my pspt expires 6 June, I was concerned they wouldn't give me the visa due to the imminent expiry date, but I got it no probs. I've now sent off for new pspt, they say to allow 4 weeks, longer if you send them a dodgy photo or other reason for delay.

Go to the british embassy in thailand website and it'll link u to the HK agency who are issuing all britsih pspts in the region now.

By the way, about 10 yrs or so ago I had pages added at the britsh emb, bkk. If they still do that it'd be a good option.

That's good news! I was always under the impression the requirement was 400K, at least that's what they told me when they gave just 3 mths in Singapore several yrs ago. Since then I did a couple of runs to KL with 400K in the bank book and got the yr multi no probs. Time has come again when I need to go to KL, so glad to know I only need to find 100K. Thanx for posting the info.