My marriage Extension story part 1 and 2

[scotsman]

Just to help others that want this extension at  jomtien immigration this our story it started yesterday I went to my Bangkok bank in the morning at 10 am and updated my bank book and received my account letter 2 copy's cost 100 baht. We then set out to the immigration and arrived at 11 am there was not many people there so we were next in the line.  We had to show all the paper work to the young officer that sat next to the boss lady and she went through all of it and I had to do a few more copy's of bank statements and bank book no problem there after she was finished she passed on the paperwork to the boss lady.  The boss lady discarded my 2 TM7 forms that I did on my computer and told us they were the old version and I had to hand write 2 more forms out and remove the pictures from the old forms and stick them on to the new ones.  Then she asked me if I had a bank letter form and she showed me this form. I have never see one in my life so my wife took a picture of it on her phone.  I had already gave her 1 year bank statements with 12 transfers of the 40k because I started doing this in September 2018 not in January when the police order came out telling us to do this because of the pension letters being stopped. So we were told to come back in the Afternoon so off we went to the Bangkok bank up the road from immigration the lady understood what the form on the photo was and said it would take a week to get it but if you go to your branch they will do it in 3 days.  So we went all the way back to our branch at namchai and we showed the lady the photo of this form and she got a friend to help her and asked me what date do I want to start this form from I said September 2018 to present day. This form shows all your 40k transfers in a row so there was only one problem the last transfer was via kasikorn bank and they would not put that on the form as its code was not a foreign transaction. So I though to myself this might be a problem but I have 11 transfers so just paid my 100 baht and got 2 copy's of that. We went back to immigration at 2.30 pm and when we gave our documents to the young officer she was happy about it, but the boss lady looked at for a few min and said not enough you have to go to kasikorn bank and get the statement from them that it came from outside Thailand.  Now I was not very happy at this point and I was angry and frustrated but i bit my lip and asked the boss lady what happened to the grace period we were told in January? I got no answer.  So my wife and I went to Kasikorn bank at big c extra at 4pm the nice lady there went on to the phone to her head office and I was given a code that she wrote down and we were told to go to there international branch on Pattaya Klang but it would have to be tomorrow.   So today we went to kasikorn bank and we were not the only people trying to get the same document and they were told the same as us come back tomorrow cost 200 baht.  So I expect that now my Bangkok bank account letter will now be 2 days old I will have to update my passbook and get a new letter.   So we will be up early again tomorrow to again try and get my marriage extension with 12 transfers now if I started the 40k transfers in January this year I would only have 7 transfers so if she will not give me it with 11 or 12 what chance have other people who only started doing this in January?  So this office will not give you the grace period, now I am sure she will have to pass on my application this time to Bangkok as I have 12 or 1 year transfers of 40k if not I will call the help line and complain. 

I do hope my story will be of use to other members who will be apply for this using the 40k method.  

 

Regards 

Scotsman 

ps I will update this story tomorrow         

[stevenl]

Thanks for the update.

 

Can you please try to make some paragraphs in your post next time, it would really make it much easier to read.

[johng]

Can you post the photo of the form your wife took with her phone ?

[scotsman]

Sorry will do just a bit tired today I forgot. 

 

[timendres]

Excellent post. Thank you very much.

[thaibeachlovers]

When I was doing extension the bank letter was valid for a week. Has that changed?

Only bank book update had to be done same day.

 

If I can make a suggestion, retirement extension much easier if one is old enough.

[scotsman]

[scotsman]

This was the photo of the document she wanted us to get. The retirement extension is out of my reach at the moment. 

regards 

Scotsman  

 

[scotsman]

I was sure that the bank letter has the information of the last update on your bank book and if you use your account again in the 2 day laps period then I would need to update my book again and get a new letter but may be some one will let me know if this is true? 

Regards

Scotsman 

[johng]

18 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

When I was doing extension the bank letter was valid for a week. Has that changed?

 

For me at Jomtien they have always wanted  updated bank book and letter  the same day.

 

1 hour ago, scotsman said:

The boss lady discarded my 2 TM7 forms that I did on my computer and told us they were the old version

They caught me out on that one last year,I hate filling in forms by hand especially under pressure.  ????

 

I think this is the latest TM7  form  if anyone knows of a newer one please post it

new_FillableTM7form.pdf

[aqua4]

Thanks for the photo of the Bangkok Bank letter so one knows what to ask for.

[KiChakayan]

Just keep 400k on a fixed term account, forget about it, and dig it out once a year.

[Tanoshi]

8 minutes ago, KiChakayan said:

Just keep 400k on a fixed term account, forget about it, and dig it out once a year.

Easy to say, but many don't have 400K in Savings.

[Tanoshi]

@scotsman

 

Updated passbook and letter confirming account should have been enough.

The form of listed International Transfers they requested you obtain from your bank is pure laziness to go through your passbook and highlight the monthly transfers.

 

The FET form you had to obtain from Kasikorn is well documented in other topics, especially those who use Transferwise or such and the transfer occasionally goes through another bank to your bank account.

Your fortunate to have a local International Kasikorn office, others report the nearest KK International branch are up to 400kms away.

 

At my IO they accept the Transferwise pdf receipts as proof of foreign transfers.

 

Useful report for those using Jomtien.

[scotsman]

19 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

@scotsman

 

Updated passbook and letter confirming account should have been enough.

The form of listed International Transfers they requested you obtain from your bank is pure laziness to go through your passbook and highlight the monthly transfers.

 

The FET form you had to obtain from Kasikorn is well documented in other topics, especially those who use Transferwise or such and the transfer occasionally goes through another bank to your bank account.

Your fortunate to have a local International Kasikorn office, others report the nearest KK International branch are up to 400kms away.

 

At my IO they accept the Transferwise pdf receipts as proof of foreign transfers.

 

Useful report for those using Jomtien.

I know about the Kasikorn bank tranferwise problem with the code but as I said in my story it was my last one that had this transaction in July.  I had 11 more from the Bangkok bank one year statements that I got from my bank that highlighted all the 40 k transactions for her and the young officer also highlighted them in yellow so there was no need for the other form in my photo above.

Also having 11 transfers up to June I would have though that should have been enough to get this done, unless because it was my July transfer my last one and it has to be every month she wants me to show this one? 

If i was applying for my extension in July then probably this transfer from Kasikorn bank would not be a problem until next year as it would only count as the first transfer in that year that is my theory.   

I also had the tranferwise PDF receipt she was not interested in it just wanted one from Kasikorn yes i am luck we have one in pattaya. 

Regards 

Scotsman 

[jesimps]

15 hours ago, scotsman said:

I know about the Kasikorn bank tranferwise problem with the code but as I said in my story it was my last one that had this transaction in July.  I had 11 more from the Bangkok bank one year statements that I got from my bank that highlighted all the 40 k transactions for her and the young officer also highlighted them in yellow so there was no need for the other form in my photo above.

Also having 11 transfers up to June I would have though that should have been enough to get this done, unless because it was my July transfer my last one and it has to be every month she wants me to show this one? 

If i was applying for my extension in July then probably this transfer from Kasikorn bank would not be a problem until next year as it would only count as the first transfer in that year that is my theory.   

I also had the tranferwise PDF receipt she was not interested in it just wanted one from Kasikorn yes i am luck we have one in pattaya. 

Regards 

Scotsman 

I feel that TI refusing TransferWise transfers to Bangkok Bank via Kasikorn is as important an issue as the TM30 fiasco. The TW PDF notice should be sufficient proof, as in most cases it only comes via another bank once or twice in the whole 12 months. I'm able to do the 400k in the bank method, which is fortunate because my July transfer came via Kasikorn, as did most TW users' transfers I gather. It's plain to see that TI are trying to drive people into the hands of agents, for obvious reasons.

Edited August 29, 2019 by jesimps

[pookiki]

Thank you for your very useful information!  I did not realize that there was a revised TM7 form nor did I know about the exact nature of the form to request from BBL for my international transfers.  I hope you have enough time to get all this sorted out and have your extension approved.

[easydoor]

Dr OP,

your posting is case of lot of confusing to some people.

First off all: where do you make the conclusion IO will not accept payments starting in January? You were not in this case and even did not ask for it. So that is a conclusion you just make by yourself based on NOTHING: guessing. With guesses the readers of this forum are not helped at all, just making them scared.

About your last month you were missing. What do you think is the most important month is this case? The first or the last month? If you just think a little logic: the LAST month !!! If you are are missing the last month it can means: the payments STOPPED. So also here the IO was complete right and you wre wrong and wrong thinking.

I keep myself busy for many years, on another forum, and see the same things passing by: because no right thinking, wrong interpretations, making own conclusions.... always knowing better: a lot of wrong information making people scared and confused.

[sumrit]

Thanks for the info, much appreciated. I've got to do mine in Si Racha. Like Jomtien, it's part of Chonburi Immigration, what's the chances they'll both apply the same rules ????.

[pagallim]

19 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

When I was doing extension the bank letter was valid for a week. Has that changed?

Only bank book update had to be done same day.

 

If I can make a suggestion, retirement extension much easier if one is old enough.

I would dispute that (re Retirement extension).   As the problem arose through bank transfers, whether it was 40K/month for Marriage, 65K/month for Retirement, it would have made no difference.

[sumrit]

7 minutes ago, easydoor said:

First off all: where do you make the conclusion IO will not accept payments starting in January? You were not in this case and even did not ask for it. So that is a conclusion you just make by yourself based on NOTHING: guessing. With guesses the readers of this forum are not helped at all, just making them scared.

easydoor, I think you're the one confusing things. 

 

Firstly scotsman is reporting his own account of his own marriage extension application, he's not speculating on what other peoples situations might be. Secondly, he did't say the IO wouldn't accept transfers (they're not payments) starting in January, he just commented that, for him, they wouldn't answer his request for the 'grace' period that was (officially) mentioned by Immigration in January.

 

21 minutes ago, easydoor said:

About your last month you were missing. What do you think is the most important month is this case? The first or the last month? If you just think a little logic: the LAST month !!! If you are are missing the last month it can means: the payments STOPPED.

 You obviously spend more time on the 'other forum'  and don't follow the regular updates we've had on this one. 

 

Due to technical updates in July most of us using Transferwise had our July Transfers coded as SMT instead of FTT. There have been several reports from posters around the country that various IO's have accepted TW PDF's showing those SMT transfers did indeed come from abroad so there was no need to get a credit advice receipt from the intermediary bank (Kasikorn in this case). Jomtien obviously didn't do this on this occasion, hence his enforced trip to the Kasikorn Bank. His Bank Statement/bankbook would show the IO his transfers had NOT stopped, They'd merely had the wrong code attached.

 

Because of the various reports over the last few weeks, some of us have decided to get a credit advice receipt to cover any SMT type transfers 'just in case it's needed' while others have chosen the wait and see approach first, knowing they might need to get that extra document.

 

Scotsman's report informed everybody that they are likely to need that credit advice receipt if they are renewing their extension at Jomtien. That's good information that wouldn't scare anybody. 

[jesimps]

Thanks for your very informative post. Few questions if you don't mind:

 

Did you have to take a witness?

 

How recent does the kor ror 2 have to be?

 

Did you sign all copies beforehand? (I saw a post a while back advising not to sign copies because they stamp them and you have to sign on the stamp AND in blue ink). It'll save time if I'm able to sign at home.

 

It's my turn in the mincer in a couple of weeks and I want to be as organised as possible, even though I know I'll be picked up on something.

 

Before anyone suggests asking someone in immigration, the last time I politely asked a perfectly pertinent question of an IO I got bawled at (because he didn't know, but didn't want to admit it). Instead of putting my fist in his face, I had no choice but to eat humble pie and leave. 

 

 

Edited August 29, 2019 by jesimps

[spornb]

7 minutes ago, jesimps said:

 

It's my turn in the mincer in a couple of weeks and I want to be as organised as possible, even though I know I'll be picked up on something.

So very true

 

In reality if you have not got a spare 400,000, for marriage and 800,000 for retirement extensions, you are substantially increasing the chances of hassle on renewal, and probably can not in reality afford to live here

 

I am married and choose to live here, and so have to accept their jealousy and unhappiness at us being here

 

This attitude by officials drives more to the illegal agents and benefits the officials colluding with them 

 

Keep smiling it is only once a year, if this were the greatest problem I have I would be a very lucky man, which in any case I am

[joebrown]

My recent experience at Phetchabun in contrast to that at Jomtien! 

I recently applied on the basis of monthly pension(s) of at least 40k bht being paid into a Thai bank a/c. I previously had extensions supported by an Income letter from UK Embassy. I submitted UK pension letters, supported by Barclays Bank statements which were satisfactory. These statements were returned to me. Since January 2019 I have used Transferwise to move money to Thailand, but only about 20% of these transactions were notated FTT in my passbook/statement. I thought this might be a problem so I obtained all the 'non - FTT' money exchange (FET) documents from Tranferwise's Thai Banking Partners, and handed these over to the IO Police Captain who shrugged her shoulders and gave them back to me without checking them to my bank statements! The transactions in the bank passbook weren't cross checked to the statements, but the latter were checked thoroughly to confirm monthly receipts. I was asked why I never transferred all of my UK pension funds  to Thailand. I responded by saying the minimum transfer requirement is 40k bht, and my wife and I could live comfortably on this amount.  My answer was grudgingly accepted!

BY far the most time consuming process of the 2 hour interview was spent on the marriage papers, pasting the 'happy couple' photos into an album, and countersigning seemingly endless rubber stamps the IO had applied to every document. We  were shown copies of Forms TM 28 & 30 and there supposed importance was explained. The IO had a computer record of our 'out of province' hotel stays, the most recent being December 2018. I asked if the TM 28/30 was a new law, and was told it has been 'dormant' for decades, but current security procedures had prompted it's resurrection. I said in which case I would comply in future, but would not be accountable for a law I couldn't possibly have been aware of despite visiting IO every 90 days and then annually for 13 years, without it previously being brought to my attention. My point of view was accepted, and I only paid 1,900bht for an 'Under Consideration' stamp. Despite a couple of differences of opinion the interview was conducted in a friendly manner, and I left the IO wondering why I had worried so much about it beforehand.  

Edited Tuesday at 03:17 PM by joebrown
grammar correction

 

 

Reply to this topic...

[jesimps]

1 hour ago, easydoor said:

Dr OP,

your posting is case of lot of confusing to some people.

First off all: where do you make the conclusion IO will not accept payments starting in January? You were not in this case and even did not ask for it. So that is a conclusion you just make by yourself based on NOTHING: guessing. With guesses the readers of this forum are not helped at all, just making them scared.

About your last month you were missing. What do you think is the most important month is this case? The first or the last month? If you just think a little logic: the LAST month !!! If you are are missing the last month it can means: the payments STOPPED. So also here the IO was complete right and you wre wrong and wrong thinking.

I keep myself busy for many years, on another forum, and see the same things passing by: because no right thinking, wrong interpretations, making own conclusions.... always knowing better: a lot of wrong information making people scared and confused.

"We went back to immigration at 2.30 pm and when we gave our documents to the young officer she was happy about it, but the boss lady looked at for a few min and said not enough you have to go to kasikorn bank and get the statement from them that it came from outside Thailand."

 

What he's saying is that his application should've been accepted with 11 months of international transfers under the leniency rules, without having to beggar about with Kasikorn. Therefore, if his application wasn't satisfactory, what chance does anyone stand with only six months of transfers?

 

It'd be helpful to hear if anyone has been shown leniency at Jomtien and how many international transfers they made before their extension.

 

[jesimps]

14 minutes ago, spornb said:

So very true

 

In reality if you have not got a spare 400,000, for marriage and 800,000 for retirement extensions, you are substantially increasing the chances of hassle on renewal, and probably can not in reality afford to live here

 

I am married and choose to live here, and so have to accept their jealousy and unhappiness at us being here

 

This attitude by officials drives more to the illegal agents and benefits the officials colluding with them 

 

Keep smiling it is only once a year, if this were the greatest problem I have I would be a very lucky man, which in any case I am

Yes I'm doing the 400k in the bank method, although I'd prefer to do the 65k monthly for the retirement extension, Unfortunately, that got beggared up by my July Transferwise transfer to Bangkok Bank going via Kasikorn. Figured it'll be easier to do the marriage extension than a.rS.e about with Kbank. Next time, hopefully, I'll do the 800k in the bank method, if I'm still here.

[chilly07]

Jomtien Chonburi experience 6 Aug

They accepted 6mths of Transferwise BB FTT transfers plus Pension Statements from all provider's the last  transfer being the day before the application.

A problem would have occurred if the most recent wasn't identified as such.

I had no problem in July with Transferwise as they have set me up with a recipient tagged as only through BB as an FTT.

Agents don't like doing Marriage extensions. If I were doing a retirement extension I would use an agent and avoid the paperwork and stressful visits. 

TM30s were not mentioned although we have successfully completed one on line this week to be on the safe side if Bangkok are checking.

[sumrit]

8 minutes ago, chilly07 said:

Jomtien Chonburi experience 6 Aug

They accepted 6mths of Transferwise BB FTT transfers plus Pension Statements from all provider's the last  transfer being the day before the application.

Thanks for the info. Its good to know Jomtien accepted just six months FTT transfers.

[tgeezer]

It is such a shame that Immigration feel that they have to mess people about in this fashion. Typical of a bureaucracy I suppose, where form takes precedence over substance.  Extensions, 90 day reports, address reports TM6 and 30, re-entry permits could involve no more than a spreadsheet on a computer and take no more than five minutes at one desk if there were no changes in the previous year.  I wonder where ‘agents’ would stand if such a system were introduced. 

[scotsman]

Just to update everyone we did not need any witness and we had to sign all documents.

 

Now today after we went to kasikorn bank we received 2 copy's of the transaction we also updated the Bangkok bank letter and updated passbook on the way.

We arrived at immigration at 11pm it was empty just one couple in front of us, When we sat down with the boss lady she went over all the doc again and I showed her the Kasikorn receipts and also again the transverwise pdf this time she wanted a copy of the transferwise one so I went and got it. 

 

Then she asked me in very bad English about why I am changing from Retirement extension to Marrage one and she pointed to one of my transfers that was for 65k I told her that was a one off transfer to pay a bill in Thailand. I had to explain to her that i got my retirement one because I had a UK pension letter. 

Now I can't get that letter and the pound is now down to 37 so I have to change to marrage she was not happy with my answer.  She tried to talk Thai with my wife about this but all my wife knows is what I tell her and she told her in Thai I have to change visa because of no UK pension letter and I don't have 65k a month pension now as the baht is 37. 

 

Well now she sorts out all the documents again and tells me in English a lot of something but I just could not understand her so I was a little abrupt and said in Thai I don't understand what you are saying. 

So now she collects all the paper work and tells us to follow her into the big boss room where 2 Thai officers were there one is the boss of retirement desk seen him before the other one behind the desk I have not seen before. 

 

She spoke to him and she pointed to a page with a yellow line through it and then she went away outside back to her desk.

The boss man tells me and my wife that I nearly got it right but this time we have to say no as you can see in your Bangkok Statements on the first 6 months ones that I got from my bank.  He points out the one they highlighted in yellow the date was the 10.01.2018 and I had transferred 37k he said it should be 40k I never counted that transfer as being part of my extension as it is to old.

 

Now I and my wife pointed out to him that my last visa was with a pension letter from the UK and on Jan 2019 there was a police order to put 65k or 40k into a Thai bank every month but that there should be a grace period,  He ask my wife in Thai were she had seen this and my wife said on the internet but he dismissed her and told me in English that the starting date was from 1st jan 2018 and I did not have 40k on that date I told him I have 12 times 40k from sep 2018 up to this date so you want more?  He said you just had to get the first one right on his date 1st of jan 2018 Don't ask me why. 

 

There is nothing we can say or do that will make him wrong and us right so we said we would go outside Thailand and get a new category o visa and start again.

He said if you can get 400k when you come back with the new visa I will give you the one year so we left it at that.

 

Now after 20 years living here with my wife I have never been refused a extension this will be my first time on the back of a lie from the boss with his interpretation only 

Well I am not going to go for a new visa outside Thailand I am going to a agent to get this one renewed I will update later but for now they don't want to do the paperwork for this type of extension.

 

Regards

Scotsman