Hat Yai Hell / Penang Heaven (almost)

[Sprog71]

POSTED Last week I had a marriage extension refused at Hat Yai

1 Joint account not accepted although of many years standing showing millions deposit.

2 Thai translation of UK marriage certificate (1980) endorsed by British/Thai Embassies not accepted.

Told by Hat Yai IOs x2 to go to a Thai Embassy and obtain 60 day Tourist Visa which they would extend for 30 days to cover my return to the UK 0n the 16th April.

 

Applied At Penang on Monday for 60 day Tourist Visa..

Arrived 15 minutes before opening at 9am. I was 86th in the line.

Given a check list

1 Application Form

2 Two recent Photos

3 Passport + photocopy

4 Exit ticket out of Thailand

5 Confirmation of Hotel accommodation in Thailand

6 If staying with friends/relative and invitation letter from them and confirmation of their address. (Oh dear!! Wife and I have House in Thailand but did not have Blue Book to prove it) Suddenly remembered wife's ID Card has home address on it so quick exit to Photocopy van in street outside the Consulate.

7 Warning that further documentation might be required but no mention of proof of FUNDS.

 

Gave items 1-4 to IO. His first request was for a copy of a bank statement. I was ready for the one and gave him a copy of our joint account pass book. He then wanted the book itself.

His second question was how long you in Thailand. Pointed out 16th April.  His response was NO, NO TOURIST VISA, YOU HAVE TO APPLY FOR 90 DAY O VISA. Wife and I protested quoting Hat Yai recommendation of tourist visa.  He looked pissed off and said he would change my application asked for the extra fee and told my wife to write I INVITE MY HUSBAND TO STAY WITH ME IN THAILAND on her ID Photo copy.

 

Job done picked up my new O visa today.

 

NOTE SUNDAY MID DAY BOARDER CROSSING SADAO. Took nearly 2hours to exit Thailand and less than 5 minutes to enter Malaysia. 

 

[post]

8 hours ago, Sprog71 said:

..... Thai translation of UK marriage certificate (1980) endorsed by British/Thai Embassies not accepted. ......

Did you present the original UK marriage certificate as well or only its Thai translation?

[BritTim]

The single entry Non O actually works out cheaper (and less hassle) than the tourist visa + extension.

[BritManToo]

8 hours ago, Sprog71 said:

Applied At Penang on Monday for 60 day Tourist Visa.

Why didn't you go to Suvannakhet and get a 1 year multi entry non-o to visit your wife?

No proof of funds required.

[Briggsy]

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

Why didn't you go to Suvannakhet and get a 1 year multi entry non-o to visit your wife?

No proof of funds required.

The OP is in Hat Yai from previous thread.

[cornishcarlos]

You could have just gone out and come back in on a visa exempt for 30 days, then extended that for 60 days to visit your wife !!

Seems like you went about it all the hard way ??

[Briggsy]

Just now, cornishcarlos said:

You could have just gone out and come back in on a visa exempt for 30 days, then extended that for 60 days to visit your wife !!

Seems like you went about it all the hard way ??

That may well be true but we can't all be visa experts. So, he went to Hat Yai Immigration (the supposed real visa experts) and was instructed by them to go to Penang and get a tourist visa which he did. (and they were dismissive towards his wife - married for over 30 years). Penang consulate then shout at him (and his wife again) for requesting the "wrong" visa!

[cornishcarlos]

Just now, Briggsy said:

That may well be true but we can't all be visa experts. So, he went to Hat Yai Immigration (the supposed real visa experts) and was instructed by them to go to Penang and get a tourist visa which he did. (and they were dismissive towards his wife - married for over 30 years). Penang consulate then shout at him (and his wife again) for requesting the "wrong" visa!

 

You don't need to be a visa expert. There is plenty of info on here and out there on the internet.

A couple of very helpful "experts" on here too.

The option I mentioned was suggested on his earlier thread. Some people just like to do things the long way...

[onera1961]

7 minutes ago, cornishcarlos said:

You could have just gone out and come back in on a visa exempt for 30 days, then extended that for 60 days to visit your wife !!

Seems like you went about it all the hard way ??

That will require another trip to immigration to extend it for 30-day. He already has 90-day now to sort things out. 

[Sprog71]

POST,

Only presented translated copy which has been good enough to change my wife's name in her Thai passport and on her Thai ID card to her married name years ago. The original is in the UK. They required the original now which in the past would have been rejected and only a translation accepted.  

[Sprog71]

Thankyou for the could have done this should have done that advice.

 

The one thing I have learnt in 40 plus years dealing with Thai Officialdom is that nothing is cast in stone.

It is on the day with the official in front of you, if they are having a bad day you WILL have a bad day, if they are having a good day you COULD ALSO have a good day. What happens on one day might not happen on the next day.

In my experience Thai officialdom is becoming more obstructive than helpful. I have posted to highlight this fact.

[lamyai3]

6 hours ago, Sprog71 said:

In my experience Thai officialdom is becoming more obstructive than helpful. I have posted to highlight this fact.

Completely agree. Thanks for the report. 

[swissbie]

OP, i made my 90 days report and renewed the non-o extension in Hat Yai today.  IO was very busy, but everything done within two hours. I have to wait though till some officers come to visit our house (but it's not on consideration as i changed from marriage to retirement). They said, it's a new order, they have to visit every year now - before it was just for the first extension. However, this order most likely comes from "Big Toe" and not from Songkhla Immigration itself, the officers had been very friendly and helpful as ever.

[weegee]

Nothing wrong with Immigration in Hatyai...always helpful and polite. They have rules to obey, and if you do your preparation right before you attend...there never seems to be a problem .

 

[AAArdvark]

I have noticed in several threads that there seems to be issues with immigration that seem more acute when someone is married to a Thai woman.  Is this is actually true and if so could this be due to a prejudice of some officials against Thai woman that are married to farangs? You would think that being married to a Thai would make it easier.

[JackThompson]

15 minutes ago, AAArdvark said:

I have noticed in several threads that there seems to be issues with immigration that seem more acute when someone is married to a Thai woman.  Is this is actually true and if so could this be due to a prejudice of some officials against Thai woman that are married to farangs? You would think that being married to a Thai would make it easier.

Prejudice may be an issue in some cases.  The "harder paperwork for the IO" with scrutiny from the district-office is also a factor - and where prejudice may originate (given the pointless hoops), rather than with the IO you see.   But that prejudice disappears with agent-money - so go figure.

 

And, yes, you would think it would be a slam-dunk-easy extension - facilitated for humanitarian reasons - especially for foreigners from countries with higher wages (given no incentive to come here / marry for money).  The length of the marriage should also be considered - with longer ones skipping the entire "waiting for approval" routine. 

 

Where the OP was "stuck" was the missing KR-2, and the original marriage-cert.  Next would have come the picture-requirements and maybe a witness needed (varies by office).  But some of us having everything that was required, including the witness and pics, have still gotten the run-around at other offices..