Visa extension result delayed issue

[notamember]

8 hours ago, JackThompson said:

It's not agent-breaks which are the problem.  I don't care if they want to run a sideshow and pocket tea-money from those who choose to play that game for whatever reason. 

 

It is the "unofficial requirements" that are stuck like knives in the backs of honest applicants (and those with valid visas, in other contexts) - good folks who are obeying the laws as written - to coerce them to use agents - which is the problem.

 

They would, if they chose to look at the account-history - as they do for every in-person application. 

 

According to a statement by the head-honcho, agents are "fooling" IOs with the bank-letters - somehow using some sort of hokus-pokus to keep the agents from checking for money-seasoning, whenever an agent submits an application.

are you an American Jack?

[notamember]

2 hours ago, Vacuum said:

"cut loopholes" are you serious? They  (IO) make money from this and that's the only reason they (the agents) are still  allowed. Personally I wouldn't recommend setting up a permanent relationship including house/s and car/s using agents. They won't last long.

Mr Chang, one of Pattayas original visa agents has been around for 20+ years to my knowledge. Those who do not know the name, just look to the left of the immigration car park in Jomtien.

How long do you think is ''won't last long.'' ?

[Kalasin Jo]

5 hours ago, keithet said:

I thought it was supposed to be 3 months seasoned in the bank before you submit your tm7 and paperwork for marage exstension. Then after you get your 30 day under consideration stamp you can start using the 400,000 for living expenses. 

Are you normally suppose to keep all the money untouched till you are approved after the 30 day consideration? Which would equal 4 months but In your case 5 months total. That seems crazy long. 

I ask because soon I will have to do the 400,000 also. 

Never been asked that at Sakhon Nakon. I've always started using the money once I have the Under Consideration stamp and never asked to show bank book on returning to get my extension stamp. 

[EVENKEEL]

All the talk about how the "Agents" work their magic is sort of like us mere mortals arguing about how a cell phone works. Yeah we kinda know a little but certainly not the entire story.

 

I'll be staying in Thailand permanently in a year or so and plan on using Non-O ME, and if that gets to be too much, the Agent route seems like a good alternative.   

[Kalasin Jo]

8 hours ago, JackThompson said:

Unless they are required to file the 2nd bank-letter, this is likely "overlooked" when an agent is involved, same as checking seasoning in the first place, the home-visit, pictures in different places every year, witness(es) (must be in the "bedroom picture" in Jomtien now), Landlord's Chanote plus "fresh copy" of house-book of your residence - and all the other undocumented requirements added to discourage honest in-person applications.

 

Some reports indicate that, on new agent-applications, the Non-O Stamp and 1-Year extension are processed all-at-once - so even the normal "wait until last 30/45 days to apply for the 1-year" part is skipped.

Yes, my first application was handled by an agent in Bangkok on an "expedited basis" and both the non O and the extension were done at the same time. In total this got me 15 months before I had to extend again. I had the money in the bank the day before. It was expensive!

[EVENKEEL]

8 minutes ago, Kalasin Jo said:

Never been asked that at Sakhon Nakon. I've always started using the money once I have the Under Consideration stamp and never asked to show bank book on returning to get my extension stamp. 

I bought my Truck and motorbike there and would get my Residence Letter there, 1000 bht for a letter. I think other places it's more in the 300 bht range.

[Lovethailandelite]

25 minutes ago, Kalasin Jo said:

Never been asked that at Sakhon Nakon. I've always started using the money once I have the Under Consideration stamp and never asked to show bank book on returning to get my extension stamp. 

Up until 2 weeks ago, it never applied in Bangkok. Never say never in Thailand ????

[JackThompson]

4 hours ago, Lovethailandelite said:

In fairness, CW Immigration have been warning and advising people for at least 2 weeks. DO NOT let your account slip below 400,000 baht UNTIL you actually have the extension stamped in to your passport as you will need an updated passbook the DAY you come to get the extension inked in.

In that case, I am sure they published a police-order with this New Rule with at least 6 months prior warning (a year would be more appropriate), to allow anyone affected to prepare, and referenced this in their "warning" given since that time.  Oh, wait, I must be dreaming of a place where the goal is not to (bleep) with honest applicants - and in this case, the related Thai families as well (unless their application comes with a brown-envelope).

 

But even if that New Policy had been announced/published - in the case of the OP, they would have taken his bank-statement, presented on most recent visit, after the 30-days waiting period, and put that in his file - as he would have already met the aforementioned published "3 Months Seasoning" New Rule for extensions based on marriage.

[Lovethailandelite]

24 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

In that case, I am sure they published a police-order with this New Rule with at least 6 months prior warning (a year would be more appropriate), to allow anyone affected to prepare, and referenced this in their "warning" given since that time.  Oh, wait, I must be dreaming of a place where the goal is not to (bleep) with honest applicants - and in this case, the related Thai families as well (unless their application comes with a brown-envelope).

 

But even if that New Policy had been announced/published - in the case of the OP, they would have taken his bank-statement, presented on most recent visit, after the 30-days waiting period, and put that in his file - as he would have already met the aforementioned published "3 Months Seasoning" New Rule for extensions based on marriage.

I have already told you 'There is no new rule'. Feel free though to take it up with CW and how they are conducting their business at a local level.
Oh, and as an aside.....Take it up with Samut Prakan as they too appear to of started the exact same thing yesterday. Here is a paste & copy....


Samut Prakan immigration told me yesterday that the 400K had to stay in the account for the 30 days during consideration. That’s after providing a letter from bank with application confirming it had been over 400k for more than 2 months.

They also ask for the passbook to be updated the day you apply and update again when I come back for the approved Non O Visa
 

[JackThompson]

1 hour ago, Lovethailandelite said:

I have already told you 'There is no new rule'. Feel free though to take it up with CW and how they are conducting their business at a local level.
Oh, and as an aside.....Take it up with Samut Prakan as they too appear to of started the exact same thing yesterday. Here is a paste & copy....


Samut Prakan immigration told me yesterday that the 400K had to stay in the account for the 30 days during consideration. That’s after providing a letter from bank with application confirming it had been over 400k for more than 2 months.

They also ask for the passbook to be updated the day you apply and update again when I come back for the approved Non O Visa
 

Might as well read case-law to a mugger - as if they care what the law says.
We have seen "unpublished" rules passed around from one bad-office/desk to another before.  What makes this unique, is the location - Chang Wattana - the one office that didn't do this ("stuff") before. 

 

At the end of the day, there is no official announcement of this change in policy, so just another "do what we feel like" and no one is accountable. "Rule of law"? - what is that?  But who knows - maybe it will be included in the new police-order on extensions with a predicted-release this month.  Better late than never, and at least the new guys will have a heads-up when they get started.

[Lovethailandelite]

12 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

Might as well read case-law to a mugger - as if they care what the law says.
We have seen "unpublished" rules passed around from one bad-office/desk to another before.  What makes this unique, is the location - Chang Wattana - the one office that didn't do this ("stuff") before. 

 

At the end of the day, there is no official announcement of this change in policy, so just another "do what we feel like" and no one is accountable. "Rule of law"? - what is that?  But who knows - maybe it will be included in the new police-order on extensions with a predicted-release this month.  Better late than never, and at least the new guys will have a heads-up when they get started.

I don't believe there is any law (Without looking) that states when you can or can't touch the funds. Only that the funds need to be seasoned in an account 2 months before application. Going under consideration for 30 days, isn't by any stretch of the imagination, being granted the extension.
IMO, I don't believe the funds should ever of been withdrawn until the extension was granted. I guess they are now just applying that analogy and by the reports, a wise man would say, it looks as if it's about to go country wide. 

[baansgr]

8 hours ago, cleverman said:

They are trying to close loopholes, and out come the Thai bashers. Why do you lot stay here ?

Yep, more hoops than Billy Smarts Circus. A lot are not staying here anymore. So now its two trips to the bank, just another thing to do and means that money required is tied up for three months so in effect its 400K for 9 months, it smacks in the face that those funds for wife/dependents could cause hardship for the ones its supposed to support.

[keithet]

A couple of years ago I was slightly impressed with imagration. They introduced the online 90 day report. Possibly to ease their work load but made it convenient for us. I thought they were going in the right direction. 

But as of November 2018 people got notice from some embassies that exstensions with affidavits will not be a option. So here we are in 2019 and no official report of required docs needed but at least we have reports from individuals who experienced difrent requirements imagration officials asked of them. 

Next week will be my last exstension using a US embassy letter. Then after that I will do the bank method for exstension based on marriage. And hope by then I have a clear picture of what's required. Because right now reports of what is required seems to be all over the place with personal experiences. 

Thank you I needed to vent. 

[lamyai3]

22 hours ago, notamember said:

Give it a break please Jack, after thousands of posts and your hateful attitude towards agents somehow woven into every response we get it. 

You seem quite enthusiastic about systematised corruption and under the table payments. Tip of the hat to JT, with his prolific reminders as to what's really going on here. 

[notamember]

20 minutes ago, lamyai3 said:

You seem quite enthusiastic about systematised corruption and under the table payments. Tip of the hat to JT, with his prolific reminders as to what's really going on here. 

if he really knew what was going on and commented accordingly, i would have no issue with it

[JackThompson]

7 hours ago, baansgr said:

Yep, more hoops than Billy Smarts Circus. A lot are not staying here anymore. So now its two trips to the bank, just another thing to do and means that money required is tied up for three months so in effect its 400K for 9 months, it smacks in the face that those funds for wife/dependents could cause hardship for the ones its supposed to support.

Their policies / behavior towards honest applicants - often extra bile for those applying for extensions based on marriage - make crystal clear that some types in immigration (and amphoes) do not give a whit about those wives, and often the welfare of pure-Thai kids and other family members, also receiving support.

 

Based on my experience - having seen such attitudes first-hand (as a child) - I think some lower-level govt-employees have been taught that such women are "race polluters" or whatever the Thai phrase is (how they spoke to my wife indicates this).  That makes all longer-staying foreigners a "danger" of increasing this "bad" (their view) trend - especially younger (virile) men.  This attitude / psychology motivates front-line workers to carry out the primary agenda, which is maximizing under-the-table revenue streams. 

[ParadiseLost]

Samui immigration has always required 3 months seasoning, for all marriage extensions.

 

In addition, they have always advised (me) the money is to remain in the bank until the extension is stamped in the passport.

 

I recall a report here a few years back of immigration (Southern main office) calling a poster who had made a withdrawal before the 30 days were up - seems they confirmed the balance with the bank. I don't recall the outcome.