mike404045

all good, was just confused but have had VFS clarify the rates and how and when the fixed fee was set

so no dramas

thanks for your input

http://www.thailand.embassy.gov.au/bkok/DIAC_Visa_Charge.html

says:

Visa Application Charges (VAC)

This page provides general information regarding Visa Application Charges for people who want to visit, work, study, or live in Australia and for employers sponsoring skilled people to work in Australia.

The VAC changes from time to time. The cost of your visa is dependent on the date we receive your application. If there is a price increase between the date you lodge your application and the date we receive your application, you will need to pay the new application charge.

See: Visa Application Charges

Payment methods in Thailand

Thai Baht is the only currency that is accepted if you are paying an application fee in Thailand. See: Pricing Estimator

You can make a payment by

• Cash (apply in person only)

• Cashier’s Cheque purchased in Bangkok or Nonthaburi, Samutprakarn provinces;

• Bank Draft if purchased in other provinces within Thailand

Please ensure your Cashier’s Cheque or Bank draft is payable to: ‘Australian Embassy Bangkok’, and the amount payable must be in Thai Baht.

went to immi gov

http://www.immi.gov.au/Help/Pages/fees-charges/how-to-pay.aspx

and under How to pay for an application

the last bit where it says The exhange rates used to calculate..............

so I understand it as the aud shown ($4630) doesn't change but the THB amount does change according to the current exchange rates.. however this is only updated every 6 months using the exchange rate at the time it is updated?

so the amount shown in THB (138,050) is the amount payable regardless of what the current exchange rate is.

is that right?

if so.. that sucks that they dont account for the constant fluctuations in the exchange rate!

pretty amazing the price bump, was going to apply for the partner visa in december.. come january its gone up something like 60%... ridiculous

i cant see why the visa fee would be THB 138,050 when it shows the AUD amount as $4,630?

this means what, the amount shown is at a transfer rate of 1 AUD = THB 29.81

its almost a thousand dollar difference? am I missing something here??

hey guys,

has anyone applied for a partner visa 309 offshore in Thailand during this year 2015?

a little confused as to what the actual visa fee is, or how it is calculated and what exchange rate immi.gov.au use to calculate the fee?

please see screenshots, shows the visa fee in AUD and then in THB on immi.gov, and the fee in THB displayed on the vfs website.

and todays exchange rate is 1 AUD = 25.11 THB

any idea how they calculate the fee? and is the amount shown on the vfs website right?

thanks

hi guys just an update...

we applied for a 6 month tourist visa on the 06/06/2011 with all the supporting documents ive listed above.

everything went smoothly, on the following monday the 13th we were told to submit more evidence of our relationship, so we printed old emails about a dozen or so (really random stuff)

on the 14th she had to get a chest x-ray done and yesterday the 16th we picked up the visa.... just bought her a ticket and we are leaving very soon!

what douggie said is correct, there is a condition on the visa (8503 no further stay) but thats no problem...

so yeah everything went really smoothly.....

cheers

Mike

thanks for the link, good info there feeling a bit more confident.

yeah i did mentioned in the invitation letter that "we have made plans to marry in the near future".

i plan on coming back to thailand with her later on this year or early next year to marry in thailand, the time depends on whether or not we are granted a 6 month visa, if so then it will be after her stay with me in australia.

also with the inviitation letter i followed a template/example from another website, i clearly stated the purpose of her trip (holiday and to visit my family and friends), that she wont engage in employment, that i would be covering all expenses and providing accommodation and that she will depart prior to the expiration of her visa.

but yeah im just going to have a try, im pretty confident with what we've got, i think our case looks good.

probably would be better to apply for a 3 month visa but will see what happens.

thanks for your support mate!

Please tell me it (template letter) is not the one that says words to the effect "she will be under my control while in Australia". IMHO that is a very poor example and I have seen refusals where people have used that one.

PM'd you bridge

thanks for the link, good info there feeling a bit more confident.

yeah i did mentioned in the invitation letter that "we have made plans to marry in the near future".

i plan on coming back to thailand with her later on this year or early next year to marry in thailand, the time depends on whether or not we are granted a 6 month visa, if so then it will be after her stay with me in australia.

also with the inviitation letter i followed a template/example from another website, i clearly stated the purpose of her trip (holiday and to visit my family and friends), that she wont engage in employment, that i would be covering all expenses and providing accommodation and that she will depart prior to the expiration of her visa.

but yeah im just going to have a try, im pretty confident with what we've got, i think our case looks good.

probably would be better to apply for a 3 month visa but will see what happens.

thanks for your support mate!

in the letter of invitation ive written details of our relationship e.g. how long we have been together, the number of times i visited her in thailand, details of our recent plans to marry (my statutory declaration which was recently legalised at the MoFA i was going to submit that along with the letter of invitation) also other supporting documents would be photos of us together and another statutory declaration stating the same stuff thats written in the letter of invitation.

ive done this because on the visa application im put down as a sponsor and as relationship to the applicant im down as a partner. I wasn't sure if i should've put down boyfriend considering the documents i will be submitting show that ive stayed in thailand 3 years back to back and during those years ive lived with her.

so yeah i would say that i have stressed the relationship because i thought it was necessary cause im down as the sponsor.

further the DM may place a restrictive condition (it used to be 8503 but not sure now) barring any further onshore applications to cover their ass

hmmm thats worrying

i think you need to provide as much evidence as possible of your plans and reasons to return, they do look at the employment, study, family (does she care for anyone?), assets (does she have a business that needs her personal attention), aspects

she does give money to her father every month but other than that no she doesnt care for anyone, not studying.. she works full time, has no assets or a business or anything else.

IMHO the letter from the employer does not establish her genuineness to return and is actually counter productive being open ended (however that is for the DM's discretion)

also worrying considering that this is the only evidence we have for that....... is there anything else we could use?

she has a pretty well paid job for thai standards that should be a good reason to return right? and the letter from her boss does make it clear that her job is there for her when she returns.

maybe applying for a 3 month visa would be better, 6 months might be pushing it a bit, though im not sure.... nothings certain

might just have to see how i go, whats the worst that could happen? (other than what you mentioned about "barring any further onshore applications")

thanks alot for the replies guys!

yep filled out both 48R and the 48RTH, i thought it might be better to use the 48RTH since its in thai but which one is better to use or does that make no difference?

It usually takes from 10 - 14 days for the application to be processed

is that business days? cause if it is then i will need to do a visa run i think cause my visa expires this month on the 21st

you might want to mention that your TGF does not have any network of family in friends in Australia (other than you) and that all of her family reside in Thailand (if that is the case of course). Strong family ties is all a good way to demonstrate genuineness.

that is the case, how would i show that. like mention it in the letter of invitation?

her boss has written a formal approval of her leave from work, however there is no time frame it basically says "i approve her leave from work for however long she needs" and it says that her job will be waiting for her when she returns. not stating that she approves a leave of 6 months, will that be a problem?

also is there anything else we should include in the application?

the one thing im a bit worried about is that we dont have much proof of our relationship as i explained when we are away from each other we stay in contact via webcam chat which doesn't keep logs plus there are only a few photos of us together. other than that theres not much else...

again thanks for the support

firstly thanks for all the replies.

heres some more info,

i spoke with a lawyer (family friend) who put me in touch with someone regarding visa advice.

orginally i planned on getting married and then applying for a partner visa, however i was told that it would be better to apply for a tourist visa first (for many reasons)

So we haven't got married yet, all the paper work and everything is in order but we are going to put it off for a few months.

recently i got quoted by law firm who would handle the visa application for us, the sum was too large (imo) so we've decided to do it on our own..

any pro tips/advice you could share please let us know here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/472682-applying-for-a-tourist-visa-for-a-thai-going-to-australia/page__p__4469142#entry4469142

thank you

hello,

ok so my visa expires on the 21st of June 2011 (if i need more time to organise my affairs i will do a visa run soon).

I want a 6 month tourist visa for my thai girlfriend, we need to leave before the 21st of June however if i do a visa run it can be bit later. She's never visited australia before, she owns a thai passport. We have never applied for a visa before in the past.

ok so i need pro advice on wether or not my case looks good.

What documents/forms we have:

- My statutory declaration for marriage (has been translated, approved and legalised at the ministry of foreign affairs) though not sure if that helps at all??

- 2 copies of the tourist visa completed, the 48R and the 48RTH

- A formal letter of invitation in support of the tourist visa (stating my name, address, work, my employers details, my salary, the history of our relationship, purpose for her visit, reasons why i want her to visit australia, declaring that she will not work while in australia and that i will be supporting her financially during her stay and also providing a place for her to live as well as stating that i will make sure she leaves prior to the expiration of her visa)

- a statutory declaration in support of the tourist visa (stating the same facts above)

- printout of my bank statement (shows details of my wages, more than 100,000 baht in savings)

- 4x letters of employment from my employers (im currently working 2 part time jobs and have 2 employers)

- copy of my passport details page and photocopies of relevant passport pages showing my trips to thailand since 2006 (my old passport expired in 2006, it has relevant proof of visits to thailand but i dont have that passport on me)

- some photos of us together, from 2006-2011. included is a photo of me with her and her family

- photocopies of her passport details page, front and back of her ID card

- printout of her bank statement (more than 100,000 baht in savings)

- a letter of employment from her boss (also a copy of that letter translated from thai to english)

Details:

- her bank account has 140,000 baht in it (shes a sales assistant, her average salary a month is 25,000 baht on commission she makes between 35-50,000 baht a month.

- we are applying for a 6 month tourist visa

- we have been in a committed relationship for almost 8 years now. recently ive spent 3 years here on back to back non-immigrant cat 0 visas. theres not alot of photos or emails or phone bills to prove this. when i call her i use a telephone card, she calls me sometimes on a prepaid sim. we dont exchange emails, we havent since we first started dating years and years ago. we talk with eachother on instant messaging services e.g. windows live messenger 'cam chat' so theres no logs or anything like that. i have photos of us taken with digital cameras, judging by the pictures you can tell that some of them are very old and some are recent. other than that im not sure what other proof i can show... letters from friends and family?

- i rent a house in australia my monthly rent is $1760 (not sure if it helps if i can show my rental agreement)

thanks for reading

any advice/opinions are welcomed

kindest regards

Mike

http://www.thaiconsu...-and-visas.aspx

thank you for the link

@mrjohnno if its cheaper to go to laos then thats where i'll go...

yeah born in australia, mum is thai.

my mother thought about getting me a thai passport when i was alot younger but she said that it was too much of a hassle doing all the paper work and whatever else. and before i never spent longer than a month here, but over the last 5 years ive spent 3 in thailand so if i had of had a thai passport i would've saved alot of money and time doing these silly border runs.....

anyways although i dont plan on staying on long trips in thailand in the near future, its still something i would love to get done (if its possible)

probably a good idea to do a bit of research to see what i need to do and what the requirements are.

though i dont imagine it will be easy to do

well this morning i went to the australian embassy with my statutory declaration already filed out, was the only person there so i was in and out within 5 minutes. i think i paid 650 baht.

then jumped in a taxi and went a few soi's down to a travel agency (that a lady at the embassy recommended me to go to) had my declaration translated into thai in less than 30 minutes, paid 600 baht (if memory serves me right)

then went to the ministry of foreign affairs, took about 15 minutes to fill out the form, have it checked and then handed in. paid 800 baht and was told it would take 3-4 hours.

went to central shopping centre, had some lunch, did a bit of window shopping.

got back to the MFA in the arvo, picked up the document now im ready to go to bang rak and get married.

not alot of waiting around, actually a pretty easy process. hopefully bang rak goes just as smoothly!

How were you getting a Non-O previously?

im half thai, so i get that type of visa for visiting family here.

i spent all day trying to get through to the immigration office and embassy's i finally spoke to someone from oz embassy that gave me a phone number,

that person i spoke with refered me to somewhere else and so on and so forth till i spoke with someone who told me what mario said, that

i wont be able to get longer than 15 days if i cross mae sai border by land.

they recommended i go to the thai embassy in myanmar and get a visa there.

so i called up the embassy there and was told i could get a 60 day visa for i think it was 35USD.

really should've just got the non-o visa back in melbourne, not sure what i was thinking??

i will have a look at going to the thai embassy in vaentaine, see if it would be cheaper than going to myanmar..

thanks for the input guys

hello,

upon entering thailand i was given a 30 day visa on arrival, its not long enough and i need to extend that stay for as long as possible.

im looking to stay here for 3-6 months if i can. i dont know anything about tourist visa's i only travel on non-immigrant cat 0 visas but this time i didn't get one... why i didnt i really dont know?????

anyways i just tried calling the immigration office and blew all my phone credit going back and foward through the automated voice menus!!

can someone please tell me what i need to do to get a multiple entry visa, if i cross the border in mae sai can i buy a visa there.

or do i need to get it from the immigration office?

thanks guys

thanks for the input guys! should of mentioned in my post that both of us have not been previously married.

the australian embassy's website doesn't mention anything about marriage however i found a few bits of info from 'australia.gov.au'

so most of my questions are answered now.

thanks again

hello,

im an australian citizen, 25 years old wanting to get married to a thai national (same age) and have a few questions about the process.

so in my understanding i need to go to my embassy and sign an affidavit regarding my martial status and have that affidavit translated from thai to english or vice versa before i can register my marriage at a district office or amphur. is that right?

questions before i go to embassy:

- what requirements do i need to meet to be eligible to marry?

- and what are the requirements for my girlfriend (if any)

- what documents will i need to bring to the australian embassy?

- do i need to make a formal apointment?

- how long does the process take

also i should say that i want to bring her over to live in australia and was wondering what the visa situation would be if we were to get married?

does she apply for citizenship? or is there just a marriage visa.

appreciate any help,

kind regards

Mike

i just arrived on monday morning and was pleasantly surprised to see the immigration lines were so short. maybe 20 people queued up in 3-5 lines.

everytime i come to suvarnabhumi airport its full and the wait is like 1-2 hours to get through immigration!!

i still cant believe it only took me 5 minutes to get through....

unless you got a beast of a rig i'd say dont bring your pc with you (even if you do have a beast, you wouldn't need to bring the whole thing with you)

building a rig in thailand is very very cheap, if your planning on staying here long term then id suggest just buying a new setup overhere.

obviously you know that theres a certain amount of weight for carry-on's and luggage, your pc would probably be too heavy as a carry-on and the way airlines treat baggage me personally i wouldn't risk it getting damaged or lost or whatever else....

but in the end its your choice

ok thanks kuffki i will have to check that out with australia post.

probably be a good idea to work all that out before i make another post regarding this...

appreciate the help mate

should've also added ... is their anyone else who has used australian post to send something of value to thailand?

If you can avoid using the original packaging, you could declare these as second hand and then declare say 50% of the original cost

send them seperately and in small jiffy bags, and with sim cards inside, that way they will look like second-hand

sounds like a good idea trying to make them look 2nd hand but i need the original boxes as both phones are not for me (hence the reason why im paranoid at the moment)

DO NOT use a courier -FEDEX/DHL - you will get nothing but grief and be ripped off at best!............Suggest the items are sent separately

so when you sent your items by regular mail were the phone and ipod in their original packaging?

when you say plain packaging what do you mean by this?

how would sending them seperately be of benefit, wouldnt it be better to send them both at once?

I can suggest 2 options for you

1. Option one send the phones to a Thai name, it may go through without being taxed, but if it does get taxed will surely be half if not third of what you be charged

2. Get someone in OZ to make a "fake" invoice, stating that these are replacement phones or warranty repair, again better to address it to Thai name, you have a greater chance of not being taxed some stupid amount.

yes i will be sending them to my girlfriends home address.. im aware of the 'farang price'

as for making a fake invoice i'll think about that, not sure if it would make much difference on the tax but could be worth a shot.

now about the tax, this is one thing im very confused about the 7% ok but the 30% import tax on phones is very steep... also yes im not certain about insurance at australia post (will have to check that)

OK so now im confused about sending them via courier or regular post

lot of people have said EMS is reliable but id rather pay steep taxes then lose the phones!

BTW THANKS FOR YOU HELP GUYS!

ok well i'll consider that, thanks again for the help

i mean how do they come up with the value of the item? based on what exactly?

e.g. do they look at the iphone and compare the value of the price it is in thailand, then charge the tax accordingly?