photos for marriage ext of stay

[ubonr1971]

For an ext of stay based on marriage, do the photos have to be original ones i.e. printed at a photo shop OR can I just print them as an image with my colour printer? Will they accept this?

 

I will take one with the house number. I refuse to do one sitting on the bed together. Is one in the back garden ok? Such a daft requirement but this is amazing thailand

[ubonjoe]

Most offices will accept them printed out in color. 

I print the 4 photos needed at the office here on two sheets of A4 paper. 

One of the photos must show the house number with both of you together.

I see nothing wrong doing one of my wife and I sitting on edge of the bed. I use the one on the bed and another on the couch together. And a  family photo showing the house number and picture of the house from the street.

[elviajero]

14 minutes ago, ubonr1971 said:

I refuse to do one sitting on the bed together.

And they could refuse your application if you don't provide what they ask for.

 

15 minutes ago, ubonr1971 said:

Such a daft requirement but this is amazing thailand

You can blame all the fake marriages for that.

[jenny2017]

OP, you seem to have separated bedrooms. Just for the sake of it, do it once. 

[MartinL]

After having done 8 marriage extensions at Khon Kaen Immigration, I've never once given them a photo of us on the bed or even in the bedroom.

 

They've accepted pictures of us at the front of the house (with address showing) with our 4 dogs, with birthday cakes in the dining room, in the living room, at family events at restaurants or weddings, with the grandkids, in fact almost anything that demonstrates our life together as a couple. They even got a picture of us together at Stonehenge once. Can't remember exactly but I THINK the IOs took a picture of us in the bedroom when they visited for our very first marriage extension application in 2010.

 

Sometimes I wonder whether there's an element of personal input & opinion from the IOs when the docs. go to (in our case) Korat - perhaps something along the lines of "This is an OK couple" - which makes some things acceptable which might not be if they were less sure of the 'genuineness' of a relationship.  

 

KK Immi. are very easy to deal with. But it's well-known that others are not. Really depends on what YOUR local office wants. 

 

Oh - always print photos on plain paper at home, sized so that I can get 6 to an A4 page.

[Phuket Man]

Back garden, front of the house showing number, living room sitting on sofa, front garden.

I have never done any from inside the bedroom and never will.

[ubonjoe]

A off topic nonsensical post has been removed.

[JackThompson]

1 hour ago, ubonr1971 said:

I refuse to do one sitting on the bed together. Is one in the back garden ok? Such a daft requirement but this is amazing thailand

1 hour ago, elviajero said:

You can blame all the fake marriages for that.

Because a woman who married a guy on-paper for a 'fee' would object to sitting on the edge of the bed with him? 

Surprise-visits would be the only thing that could theoretically work, including interviewing several neighbors, which would at least drive up the costs and hassles to any "bad guy".  But, it would undoubtedly turn into yet an other "extra fee" opportunity in many jurisdictions - similar to what goes on with other types of extensions.

The primary reason their system doesn't work, is because of dishonest "enforcers."  Blaming foreigners' actions for this state of affairs doesn't make sense, except as a way for them to deflect from reality.

[wgdanson]

2 hours ago, ubonr1971 said:

I refuse to do one sitting on the bed together.

I doubt whether you could actually do a selfie with much of the bed included.

[tutsiwarrior]

we offered color photocopies of phone photos of the house which were rejected...the IO then insisted on photos printed on photographic paper and nicely arranged and presented...

 

then the cops came to the house for their 'inspection' and insisted that all the photos be shot again with them in the frame, including the bedroom...during their visit they noticed my laptop in use with some writing materials nearby and alleged that I was 'working' (I am 68 y.o. and retired)...my lovely wife managed to convince them otherwise...

 

this is for immigration district 3 where there is a maniac commander who also demanded MFA verification of the embassy income affidavit signature (immigration district HQ must approve all marriage extension applications)...never seen such bullshit in 15 years of dealing with thai immigration...

 

 

Edited May 1, 2018 by tutsiwarrior

[elviajero]

3 hours ago, JackThompson said:

5 hours ago, elviajero said:

You can blame all the fake marriages for that.

Because a woman who married a guy on-paper for a 'fee' would object to sitting on the edge of the bed with him? 

Of course she would. I agree the ‘solution’ the the problem isn’t much of one, but the blame for the enhanced checks/documents falls on fake marriages.

 

3 hours ago, JackThompson said:

Surprise-visits would be the only thing that could theoretically work, including interviewing several neighbors,

I agree, but let’s hope that doesn’t happen!

 

3 hours ago, JackThompson said:

Blaming foreigners' actions for this state of affairs doesn't make sense, except as a way for them to deflect from reality.

The immigration bosses see a problem with fake marriages so they insist offices do what they can to confirm a marriage is real. Offices then want photos etc to demonstrate  to the bosses that they’ve done what they can to confirm a legitimate relationship/marriage. 

 

I think that immigration work on the basis that the chosen procedure won’t solve the problem, but it will reduce it. A bit like discouraging long term tourism by putting a few extra hurdles in the way.

[arithai12]

9 hours ago, elviajero said:

You can blame all the fake marriages for that.

This begs the question, what is a fake marriage? I think lots of marriages in Thailand are in fact a symbiosis based on money, convenience, mutual support, with only a sprinkle of infatuation at the start. To be pictured together in a bedroom or in front of a house does nothing to distinguish between a real and a fake marriage. Not just in Thailand, to be fair, but especially in Thailand.

It would be more realistic to request proof of financial transactions done by either partner for the common benefit, like buying a car or paying for mother in law's medical bill.

 

As long as a Thai national marries only one foreigner at a time, it should be considered a valid marriage as any other.

Edited May 1, 2018 by arithai12
Edit: I intend this as a general comment about IO verification policies, not your comment.

[PoorSucker]

Last time the IO wanted four pictures, one showing house number, one inside (not bedroom), two showing things my wife and my son doing family activities, aka holiday photos. 

Now I ask friends to take pics of the family on special occasions for immigration use. 

 

This year I have pictures from my sons pre-school graduation, holiday in doi Ang Khan, trip to Khan Sok etc... 

[Classic Ray]

For Chiangmai Immigration I produced one photo printed on ordinary paper showing me, my wife, two kids and cat standing in front of our car at our place with the house number showing, and they were happy with that. It is our second extension, but the first at this address.

 

Like everything else, this is all done on whims and personal interpretation which varies from year to year. Next year I may have to get a professional portrait done!

Edited May 2, 2018 by Classic Ray

[dickjones2018]

as this whole circus has to be done over & over again, till you die (we all do)... you still live here like you report 90 days ago ? are you sure, just send us another one in 90 days, not lol

[Beats56]

For the bedroom photo..just get under the covers only showing your heads. That will give them something to talk about.?

[DJ54]

That’s funny how do they know it’s your bed.....as the world turns

[Suradit69]

16 hours ago, JackThompson said:

Blaming foreigners' actions for this state of affairs doesn't make sense, except as a way for them to deflect from reality.

Gaming the system by foreigners is the reason that visa exempt entries, serial tourist visas and getting visas/extensions to study Thai language have become more restricted. Having to "season" money in the bank for retirement or marriage extensions is because foreigners were shifting funds in and out of accounts in order to get the extension without actually having sufficient funds.

 

And the reason getting an extension based on marriage is more involved than getting an extension based on retirement is because of marriages that were not legitimate.

 

That's the reality. And that realty means that the majority who were playing by the rules also suffer the consequences. Whether or not the response by immigrations actually solves the problem, the problem is definitely caused by foreigners abusing the system.

 

 

 

Edited May 2, 2018 by Suradit69

[JackThompson]

12 hours ago, elviajero said:

Of course she would. I agree the ‘solution’ the the problem isn’t much of one, but the blame for the enhanced checks/documents falls on fake marriages.

I see the primary blame for this mess to be the corruption, which invites the fake-marriages, faked-retirement money, fake-businesses, etc.  Sting operations could be easily done, if there was the will to actually address the problem. 

 

13 hours ago, elviajero said:

The immigration bosses see a problem with fake marriages so they insist offices do what they can to confirm a marriage is real.

Do they really?  A crackdown on corruption could result in many "bad guys" being removed from the country, simply by removing the opportunity for corruption-aided renewals of future extensions.   That does not seem to be a priority, or they would do it.  Instead, they pretend not to see the obvious root-cause of the problem - in their own ranks - and make up more useless hoop-jumping for "good guys" as pretending to address the problem.

 

13 hours ago, elviajero said:

16 hours ago, JackThompson said:

Surprise-visits would be the only thing that could theoretically work, including interviewing several neighbors,

I agree, but let’s hope that doesn’t happen!

I don't care if they want to do surprise-checks of my living with my wife.  My TM-30 is up to date, even though agent-based corruption forced me to use a Non-O-Multi instead of an extension this year.  The neighbors all know us.  All I would request, is they don't ask for petrol-money or something as part of the process - adding "insult to injury" and all that.

[mihalis]

Amazing Thailand ! Well amazing Australia asked me for pics, with me and my WIFE together for her tourist visa last year !!! 

[Russell17au]

Australia does the same because of the many marriages of convenience that happens by Thai, Indonesian, Filipino, Vietnamese, and Myanmar women so they can get a better life in Australia, so Australia has made it harder for Asian women who are married to Australian men to be able to enter the country.

I am on an extension based on marriage and I printed my own photos on photo paper bought at OfficeMate and I had no problems with the exception the the head investigator would not accept my Kor Ror 2 that was 6 weeks old so he sent me to get a new one

[JackThompson]

6 hours ago, mihalis said:

Amazing Thailand ! Well amazing Australia asked me for pics, with me and my WIFE together for her tourist visa last year !!! 

Yes, a lot of people go to higher-wage nations to work illegally.  Thailand doesn't have to worry about that much from Westerners - and what little they do, is the result of no enforcement against schools who refuse to do paperwork for their English teachers.

I can see asking for one pic, though - just to prove you have ever been in the same place / not just a "found name/id" being used.

Edited May 2, 2018 by JackThompson

[elviajero]

On 01/05/2018 at 9:00 PM, arithai12 said:

This begs the question, what is a fake marriage? I think lots of marriages in Thailand are in fact a symbiosis based on money, convenience, mutual support, with only a sprinkle of infatuation at the start. To be pictured together in a bedroom or in front of a house does nothing to distinguish between a real and a fake marriage. Not just in Thailand, to be fair, but especially in Thailand.

It would be more realistic to request proof of financial transactions done by either partner for the common benefit, like buying a car or paying for mother in law's medical bill.

 

As long as a Thai national marries only one foreigner at a time, it should be considered a valid marriage as any other.

Just because a marriage is legal doesn’t mean it’s a genuine relationship.

 

To qualify for a stay permit as a spouse the foreigner needs to demonstrate that the marriage is both legal and that they are living together as husband and wife.

 

You’re right that people get married for all sorts of reasons, but if immigration suspected the marriage was solely to stay in the country they wouldn’t issue the permit. The pictures etc are so the immigration office can document thet they’ve taken action to determine the couple at least live together. Also known as arse covering.

[rickudon]

Been doing the Marriage extension for 4 years now. I have had a photo rejected before and had to retake it, so some offices are more strict. Also had to provide house book entry for my daughter this year, so that is 2 out of 4 years i have had to provide extra/replacement information. It is also usual to get a home visit on the first application.

 

In Udon Thani, they stick to the rules so bed photos necessary. But overall immigration is now pretty efficient and only slightly corrupt ....

[Beats56]

Why use your printer ink. Just take to a photo shop a lot cheaper.

 

[ubonjoe]

A off topic nonsensical post has been removed.

[wgdanson]

7 hours ago, elviajero said:

living together as husband and wife.

And there is only one sure photo to prove this.

[wobalt]

Just because a marriage is legal doesn’t mean it’s a genuine relationship.

What does this mean in times of globalization, where jobs require to be flexible regarding locations? Or if you are already married for many many years?


Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[jenny2017]

On 5/1/2018 at 7:55 PM, wgdanson said:

I doubt whether you could actually do a selfie with much of the bed included.

R U sure? 

[jenny2017]

1 hour ago, Beats56 said:

Why use your printer ink. Just take to a photo shop a lot cheaper.

 

It's exactly the way around.