Extension to stay based on marriage at Chiangmai Immigration 12:02:2019

[Grumpy Old Man]

I want to share my experience at Chiangmai Immigration while submitting my documents for my forth “Extension to stay based on marriage” 

 

My wife and myself are very professional for document procedures and processing in our own fields but that didn’t prepare us for the unprofessionalism of the ever changing Thai Immigration system in Chiangmai.

 

Firstly my wife contacted the Thai Immigration call centre who are supposed to be the fountain of all knowledge with regards to Thai Immigration documents, procedures and processes; we made a check list based on the information received and we spent the weekend making sure we had all the documents, photos and financial reports.

 

On Monday we decided to do a “Dry run” and have our documents checked before the formal application on Tuesday and that didn’t go so well; bring the originals and a copy of everything as instructed turned out to be the original documents and TWO copies of everything including TWO copies of each photo; back to our home office to make another set of everything.

 

On Tuesday I had made an appointment with my SCB Bank Manager to get my financial reports and TWO copies at 08:00Hrs before getting my queue number at 08:45Hrs being number F12 for counter 10 and there the wait started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . and waited.

 

Five hours later our number was called and the document checking procedure started, the Immigration Officer spoke acceptable English which helped; the first issue I had to re-sign all the documents in a BLUE pen as BLACK isn’t acceptable and then she copied a selection of documents, I highlighted the fact that unless you use a high quality COLOUR photocopier the end result will be a BLACK signature as it started off with.

 

The Immigration Officer questioned my wife with regards to her job and when told that she works Monday to Friday in the SCB Head Office Bangkok city the reply was “No No you have to stay in the same place” at this point I was lost in the conversation as my Thai isn’t good enough but I get the feeling my wife made her thoughts on this subject very clear and when it came to my wife’s salary level the reply when something like “Nothing to do with you and not a required declaration”

 

After sitting at the Immigration Officers desk for approximately thirty five minutes I am “Under consideration” until the 15th of March.   

 

Nice new Immigration office the same crappy long winded procedure.  

[owl sees all]

When the ImOffice moved from Nong Khai to Udon Thani airport it was simply a nightmare.

 

I had 39 pages of documentation (originals plus copies all signed) sitting on the desk from 9 in the morning 'til 15-00. The ImOfficer would occasionally thumb through the file. It was roasting hot and I had a baby in arms.

 

At 15-00 I confronted the chief ImOfficer. She told my wife that they were extremely busy (not busy at all until 11ish).

 

She gave me 15 days and said when we came back, to bring an unrelated witness from the village and also 3 pics of me, the wife and baby, sitting on our bed.

 

Being new to the 'system' I didn't know that the pile of passports* that were brought in at 11 was all about. 

 

I eventually got visa extension.

 

* The irony is that the agent that brought in the stack of passports; I now use.

[CMNightRider]

Your experience at CM Immigration is par for the course.  This office has a reputation of being the worst of the worst immigration office in Thailand.  

 

There are a half dozen posters on this site who will disagree with me, and will tell you all about their wonderful experiences at this office.  They will even suggest you may have had a negative attitude when speaking to the friendly, cordial immigration officer.  Obviously, the officer just reacted to your negative demeanor.

 

Once a person takes time to read all the required documents, signed copies with a specific ink color, photos, and financial documents with copies from a Thai bank, you have to wonder who was the individual who thought of all this nonsense.  

 

I would guess this person has risen up through the immigration ranks by now and instructs others on how to discourage westerns from applying.  To add insult to injury, you will be required to repeat this same process every year, along with 90 day reports and various TM forms to submit when you leave, return or move. ???? 

 

 

 

    

[alfieconn]

You say it is your your fourth extension ! then surely in previous years you must have had 2 copies of every document ?

[EricTh]

Five hours wait? I thought some of the other forummers here said it was a breeze recently.

 

 

[Dante99]

 

6 hours ago, Grumpy Old Man said:

we spent the weekend making sure we had all the documents, photos and financial reports.

A job that takes one person about an hour, two at the most and the two of you spent the weekend doing it.

 

All clear.  No questions.

[BritManToo]

3 hours ago, EricTh said:

Five hours wait? I thought some of the other forummers here said it was a breeze recently.

 

 

None of the others went for marriage extensions.

Anyway I predicted two weeks and back to being bastards and everyone pooh-poohed me.

[marcusarelus]

You sound like an intelligent fellow who is not hurting for money.  Why get a marriage visa that you know has always been a hassle and not a retirement extension? 

[EricTh]

34 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

None of the others went for marriage extensions.

Anyway I predicted two weeks and back to being bastards and everyone pooh-poohed me.

 

See post #17 in thread below.

 

 

 

[CMNightRider]

Just now, EricTh said:

 

See post #17 in thread below.

 

 

 

I have reason to believe this photo was staged, and the female officers clapping took the cake back right after the photo was taken. ????  

[EricTh]

41 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

None of the others went for marriage extensions.

Anyway I predicted two weeks and back to being bastards and everyone pooh-poohed me.

Also see post #21 in another thread.

 

 

[CMNightRider]

38 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

You sound like an intelligent fellow who is not hurting for money.  Why get a marriage visa that you know has always been a hassle and not a retirement extension? 

My guess is he doesn't want to deposit 800,000 baht in a Thai bank to collect dust.

[Kelsall]

Use an agent

 

[Gweiloman]

Use an agent
 

How much would an agent cost?


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[FolkGuitar]

5 hours ago, EricTh said:

Five hours wait? I thought some of the other forummers here said it was a breeze recently.

 

I'm intrigued by the fact that some people always have difficulties, always run into problems, and seem to attract sh!t like a magnet, while others seem to sail through life whistling.  Tell me... are we really surprised that someone who identifies themselves as a 'Grumpy Old Man' is not going to be happy with what life throws at him?  That's not much of a 'Positive Mental Attitude' with which to start off the day.

[marcusarelus]

9 hours ago, CMNightRider said:

My guess is he doesn't want to deposit 800,000 baht in a Thai bank to collect dust.

I would not refer to an interest bearing fixed deposit account as collecting dust.  Thai baht is doing well and add that to the interest of the fixed deposit.  If you are a Brit and did it a couple of years ago aren't you way ahead?

[Bill97]

 
I'm intrigued by the fact that some people always have difficulties, always run into problems, and seem to attract sh!t like a magnet, while others seem to sail through life whistling.  Tell me... are we really surprised that someone who identifies themselves as a 'Grumpy Old Man' is not going to be happy with what life throws at him?  That's not much of a 'Positive Mental Attitude' with which to start off the day.

Fear?

Two people two days document prep.
Call to get requirements.
Dry run.
....

Got to be scared shitless to do all that. I don't know one person who does even one of those things.

How many times in front of the mirror does he rehearse his upcoming trips to the grocery store and gas station?

How can we help him grow a pair?


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[Rc2702]

5 minutes ago, Bill97 said:

Fear?

Two people two days document prep.
Call to get requirements.
Dry run.
....

Got to be scared shitless to do all that. I don't know one person who does even one of those things.

How many times in front of the mirror does he rehearse his upcoming trips to the grocery store and gas station?

How can we help him grow a pair?


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I like the sound of this guy. He's not messing about and the truth is those immigration heads have you by the balls so you have to take it seriously. I'm the same to be honest were all over it. 5 baht a photocopy in the immigration office is extortion anyway so best go prepared.

[CMNightRider]

9 hours ago, Gweiloman said:

How much would an agent cost?


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Whatever the cost it is money well spent.  The agents make an appointment for you and drive you to immigration at your allotted time.  This eliminates the need to spend several hours at immigration.  Although, some posters say they enjoy this time spent at immigration meeting new people and talking to old friends, lol.  According to these people, this is what people who have a "positive mental attitude" do as they "sail through life whistling."  You just can't make stuff like this up.

 

The part of this service that is worth the money alone, is there is no need to even speak to an immigration officer.  They take your photo along with having you sign all the original, and duplicate copies of their required documents.  The agent told me, at the end of the day all the paper work these people generated will be placed in a giant warehouse.  Once the documents are stored in this warehouse, it tends to be lost forever due to their less than organised filling system.  

 

The amount of paper work, time, and energy to process just one applicant is interesting.  It's designed to create work for these people rather than have them actually be productive.  Unfortunately, this wasteful amount of paper work just adds to polluting Thailand.      

[Thailand]

And with the new rules it can only get worse. 

I can't imagine how many people from different countries who won't be aware of the changes until they go to do their extensions of stay.

Looks like a bonanza for agents.

 

 

[EricTh]

On 2/14/2019 at 5:26 PM, Thailand said:

And with the new rules it can only get worse. 

I can't imagine how many people from different countries who won't be aware of the changes until they go to do their extensions of stay.

Looks like a bonanza for agents.

 

 

Is there any changes for marriage extension? That's for retirement extension only.

[OneeyedJohn]

I was given a red card by immigration that listed all the requirements for a support thai wife extension - it would fill a sheet of A4 paper.

[LoS itaint]

How much would an agent cost?


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From my experience anything between 16k & 22k as opposed to the DIY cost of 1.9k


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[OneeyedJohn]

the red card

 

 

A mere 14 requirements.

[OneeyedJohn]

I went to immigrating today to do my 90 day report and incredibly the gates were shut, totally closed.

Discovered sometime later that it was Mukka bakka day or whatever, a national holiday.

Wot a plonker , I have <deleted> calendars everwhere in the houses, even the calendar on my phone has it specified.

 

Does Thailand have more national and government holidays than any other country in the world................... it must have!

[holy cow cm]

16 hours ago, OneeyedJohn said:

the red card

 

 

A mere 14 requirements.

#5. What is a certificate of Family? And why would they write certificate of marriage? 

[roo860]

I want to share my experience at Chiangmai Immigration while submitting my documents for my forth “Extension to stay based on marriage” 
 
My wife and myself are very professional for document procedures and processing in our own fields but that didn’t prepare us for the unprofessionalism of the ever changing Thai Immigration system in Chiangmai.
 
Firstly my wife contacted the Thai Immigration call centre who are supposed to be the fountain of all knowledge with regards to Thai Immigration documents, procedures and processes; we made a check list based on the information received and we spent the weekend making sure we had all the documents, photos and financial reports.
 
On Monday we decided to do a “Dry run” and have our documents checked before the formal application on Tuesday and that didn’t go so well; bring the originals and a copy of everything as instructed turned out to be the original documents and TWO copies of everything including TWO copies of each photo; back to our home office to make another set of everything.
 
On Tuesday I had made an appointment with my SCB Bank Manager to get my financial reports and TWO copies at 08:00Hrs before getting my queue number at 08:45Hrs being number F12 for counter 10 and there the wait started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . and waited.
 
Five hours later our number was called and the document checking procedure started, the Immigration Officer spoke acceptable English which helped; the first issue I had to re-sign all the documents in a BLUE pen as BLACK isn’t acceptable and then she copied a selection of documents, I highlighted the fact that unless you use a high quality COLOUR photocopier the end result will be a BLACK signature as it started off with.
 
The Immigration Officer questioned my wife with regards to her job and when told that she works Monday to Friday in the SCB Head Office Bangkok city the reply was “No No you have to stay in the same place” at this point I was lost in the conversation as my Thai isn’t good enough but I get the feeling my wife made her thoughts on this subject very clear and when it came to my wife’s salary level the reply when something like “Nothing to do with you and not a required declaration”
 
After sitting at the Immigration Officers desk for approximately thirty five minutes I am “Under consideration” until the 15th of March.   
 
Nice new Immigration office the same crappy long winded procedure.  

Would they not accept a photo copy of your bank statements, rather than 2 originals? Hasn't it always been the norm to sign in blue rather than black? So you'd sign the copies individually with a blue pen as well as originals.

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[OneeyedJohn]

On 2/20/2019 at 8:40 AM, holy cow cm said:

#5. What is a certificate of Family? And why would they write certificate of marriage? 

Kor 22, a document issued by the Amphur when u have a thai marriage, all in Thai, stamped signed and several sheets of paper.

 

I believe it is more significant to Irritating than your home country marriage certificate despite being translated and certified by the MFA.

[holy cow cm]

55 minutes ago, OneeyedJohn said:

Kor 22, a document issued by the Amphur when u have a thai marriage, all in Thai, stamped signed and several sheets of paper.

 

I believe it is more significant to Irritating than your home country marriage certificate despite being translated and certified by the MFA.

Why didn't they just say that on the sheet? Kor 22. I was in reference to using family (not marriage) and thought something new had changed. Thnx

[CMNightRider]

7 hours ago, roo860 said:

Would they not accept a photo copy of your bank statements, rather than 2 originals? Hasn't it always been the norm to sign in blue rather than black? So you'd sign the copies individually with a blue pen as well as originals.

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I don't think the Thai's have a fountain of knowledge anywhere in any government office in Thailand.  It's too bad you guys were subjected to their nonsense.  If Thai Immigration keeps this up, the only people in Thailand, will be the Thais, Chinese, and Indians. ????