TG911

26 minutes ago, ThaiRebound said:

Thais aren't shrewd enough to earn money from Chinese tour agencies and tourists. 

I'm pretty sure the Thais from my local mom & pop shop and restaurants are more happy to see me than yet another Chinese tour bus passing by. There is a Hotel in this town where I live which exclusively accommodates chinese ppl and it has 10+ tour busses every night parking outside. 

They come at 8-9pm ... and leave at 7-8am in the morning. You never see them walking anywhere or buying anything from any local shop. They never even see the beach. Sad kind of touring really, I could never imagine doing something like this.

Also pretty strange, the beach is only a short 10min walk from that Hotel. 

I would go an explore the area by myself a little, but they don't do that. Complete herd mentality.

4 minutes ago, Youlike said:

9 hours ago, a3tsw said:

 

That's all over the world, chinese buying loads of brandnamed goods and of course they want to have a refund for the VAT which causes huge lines.

 

My wife also was in that line but she gave up after 30 min....

Happened to me at Munich airport also a few years back ... too long queues to get your VAT back, either wait or miss your flight.

I think they do this on purpose.

Only time this worked for me was in Singapore ... fully automated everything, with guys/girls next to you to help and speed up everything.

Took all less than 10 min and done

15 hours ago, ThomasThBKK said:

They would just give these management positons to the vast amout of overqualified trustable thais - yeah sure.  No they pack up and go, killing hundreds of thousands of thai work places.

On the flip side, the farangs holding those 'high valuable' positions on an 'expat package', and get paid monthly ... these are not the Farangs leaving Thailand if they feel the pinch of the exchange rate (or any other immi regulations). 

They are doing fine.

It's more about the Farangs who are retired, living off savings, rely on income from abroad etc. Or just the tourists who see are getting more value for their money elsewhere 

2 hours ago, DrPhibes said:

Please, does anyone know if a witness is required for Chiang Mai

Did you really take the time and read what people are posting?

Today it's this, tomorrow it's that. People are posting different experiences from the same Immigration Office, at the same time. Even after years of same marriage extension applications.

No one can tell you what is exactly required and necessary on that day. It all depends ... on the day and the moon and the stars.

You are not going to sit there and argue against an Immigration Officer on that day. Especially not when they only talk to your wife, and not to you. You are in a state of 'ignored modus' in front of that desk, however you feel or want to turn that fact around.

But a witness is always required for a marriage extension. One way or another. Be prepared for this.

Just get your very basic minimum papers in order. Have your witness ready to jump into your process, a local Thai who knows you and your spouse, with their house book & signed passport copies, and an explanation for how long they know you and your wife and how genuine it is.

They will tell you whether they want to see your witness at the Immigration office at time of application, or if they decide to visit you, together with your witness at your house.

No one on here can give you an exact answer what is going to happen. It's different for everyone all the time.

Don't be disappointed later only because someone tells you don't need a witness, just because he/she didn't need one (hard to believe).

Prepare yourself with a witness ... as simple is that! It always has been a big part to complete marriage extension applications successfully.

For the past 2 years, I helped a friend (75 years old, can't read english very well), to get his papers together for his retirement extension, go to the immi office, fill in 3-4 docs, some copies and done, within 3 hours in the morning. Here your number and pick up your passport a few days later. What a breeze ... and then I get my own paperwork for a marriage extension. 

What a mountain of work and pain in the bum + a witness (topic of this thread).

But maybe that's the price you have to pay for not being old enough and being married ????

45 minutes ago, chilly07 said:

6years of marriage extensions at Chonburi/Jomtien-never had a home visit. Probably because all 90 days authorized by same office

No, I had 4 years no visit, the 5th year, yes. I wouldn't have thought it, but it happened.

Same IO's doing our papers, and 90 days, for years and know us.

You could very well have 6 years without a visit ... and next year a visit. Who knows!

7 hours ago, bert bloggs said:

Are they needed in Jomtien ,Pattaya ?

Yes, before they had to come with you together to the Immigration Office. Last time, earlier this year, not (even the witness was there, no need, wouldn't talk to her). And that was our 5th extension in a row ... same people, same wife, same house, definitely not a scam marriage.

All in their books/archive of history, which no one acknowledged or seem to care about.

4 officers came to our house and wanted to see the witness right there at our place ... a bit of organization to get the witness in on time before the IO's come, without much notice of time/date.

Pain in the bum. Silly change. Hope they cool down with this one again. It was easier to bring the witness to the Immigration Office before.

So much paper work that marriage extension, and always there is something wrong and changes. Especially the pictures. One time they want an act of 4 pictures in the house, in front of the house, with witness, without witness, only wife and me, only me and witness etc. 

The following year they 'don't' want 'acting' pictures, it must be natural, like on a bike together etc.

A year later I bring natural pictures, but they want 'acted ones again'. Always something to run up and down that day ????

Can't wait to change to a retirement visa. Only me, 3-4 documents signed, some money in the bank, no witness, no one to bother.

Beautiful Lunar Circles. They look amazing.

In February I saw this one on Koh Lipe during daytime, but around the Sun! That was a new one to me.

Thanks for the advice gents, I will give it a go with what I have at the moment and if it is too much hassle I will go for the IDP!

Cheers!

When I went last December in Pattaya, there was a UK lady with an expired 5 year Thai license also.

She had to sit through the 4 hour video session, the color tests and did the theoretical test in the computer room in the afternoon. No practical test required for her.

You are not recognised as being married in Thailand unless you have been through a Buddhist wedding service

Sorry but it isnt, it is actually fact. Applies only to legal matters but that is there rule not mine

Sorry mate but you really need to get the facts which clearly you dont have. You are working on what is reasonable but Thailand requires different documents. Try getting a "Thai wife visa" without a Thai marriage license and you wont get it

My wife and I married in Bangkok in 2007 at the amphur in Bangrak. I have the Thai marriage certificate and just completed my 7th Extension of Stay based on marriage (what you wrongfully call a "Thai wife visa").

We never did any sort of Buddhist wedding service.

I guess all of the government agencies that I have dealt with (Immigration, Amphur officials, police, Depart of Land Transport) are all wrong.

lol, you beat me to the post, but I beat you to Bang Rak in 2006 ;-)

Sorry mate but you really need to get the facts which clearly you dont have. You are working on what is reasonable but Thailand requires different documents. Try getting a "Thai wife visa" without a Thai marriage license and you wont get it

I was really lucky then. Only got married in Bang Rak, no 'Buddhist wedding services' involved whatsoever .... and got an 'extension based on marriage to a Thai', on my non-immi type O.

You know there is no Thai wife visa, right?

Thanon Khanthong is the managing editor of The Nation and as such gets to vent away on his gold bug fantasies every so often. The hilarious bit is where he gets to say that gold has 'rebounded' to 1200 baht. On this subject at least, not of this world.

The article states 1200USD, which is about right for the current price per ounce

Sad news to read, RIP!

I wonder how they know they were Russians but yet have to be identified?

Any advice on how I can better support our next application? What else can I do other than prove that we speak several times every day, have been places together, and that I financially support her? It's just crazy, I'm not going to send money to a stranger every month am I?

At the time of application we'd been together for just 8 months, next time we apply it'll be getting on for a year so that's in our favour. But if they didn't take the evidence given over 8 months of relationship as being valid are they likely to believe that an extra 4 months of the same kind of evidence proves what they didn't believe before?

Hi SyBrown,

First sorry to hear, guess many here know the frustration and feeling of a declined visa, it just doesn't make sense from your point of view and is unfair.

After going through this and reading an lot over the years, I believe the most important part is to put yourself into the position of the ECO and try to

understand what's going through his mind when evaluating thousands of holiday fling applications ....

You say yourself that at the TIME of the application you have been together for JUST 8 month...I firmly believe that "time" is the most important factor of a successful application. I would like to see the outcome of all previously refused applications if only handed over after a longer period of time proving a relationship, let's say at least 1 year or more, instead of only 3,6 or 8 month. You got to make sure that you weed out your application from what most are holiday flings...I can see the ECO thinking, oh yeah, yet another one and puts it onto the wrong pile to the other hundreds on his desk.

Many things have already been said, just wanted to add another thought, which I think is worth thinking about.

You say of course you are not "sponsoring a stranger every month", hence it must be a genuin relationship.

On the other side ECO could be thinking, why do you need to sponsor a girl who is working, makes her own money and will return to her job after the UK holiday?

Maybe there are too many applications sponsoring girls out of a bar after having met and falling in love on holiday, there are many different views on this, but I can imagine the ECO doesn't think too positive about it.

Anyways, I'm completely on your side, just tried to shed some light into the ECO's thinking, maybe(?), what do I know.

I cut all strings short and married my girl 3 years ago, best thing I ever did, especially since that one visa application doesn't stop here. Imagine the girls would live with you in the UK, you will have a ton of future visa applications for many years to come just to go on holiday anywhere in the world.

We got a huge collection of paperwork collected over the years, never would have thought that ;-)

So, give it time and follow the rules of the game and you will be without doubt successful at the end!

All the best!

Maybe I missed that reading the posts, but what if the Foreigner and his Thai spouse live for many years in the West.

She's joint holder of multiple assets and (saving) accounts (outside of Thailand), but does not have a work contract or

monthly salary.

Now with the interest received from assets & savings, she purchases land in Thailand ... surely we do it together, surely

it's her money as much as mine, but I'm not sure from what I read how far does this count as "her money" and how to

proof or fulfill this vaguely described requirement?