Marriage Ext Rejected - What are my Options?

[thaibeachlovers]

51 minutes ago, DumbFalang said:

I have been putting well over 40K into a Thai bank account I opened in February after finding out the usual income verification letter from the British embassy was no longer an option. My problem is that I am self employed and immigration simply cannot get their head around it. I am unable to verify where the money comes from. They keep insisting on a letter from a company verifying my income,  then for it to be verified by the British Embassy and then translated into Thai. Even if I had 400K to put in the bank - I would still have the same problem - no way of verifying where the income came from.

My money in the bank for retirement extensions just came from outside Thailand. They never asked from where specifically. Would it be different for marriage extensions?

 

You seem to fall into the cracks, and Thai bureaucracy isn't good at thinking outside the box- just like all  bureaucrats anywhere.

However I don't see how you can work in LOS anyway, as self employed, eg do you have a work permit, as is required?

[puchooay]

3 minutes ago, DumbFalang said:

You know what..... my missus is sooooo stressed with the marriage extension that I think this would be the best option for her mental health. We will discuss it and make a decision together.

Get the 400k in your bank ASAP. Go to immigration and get a 60 day extension based on marriage. Problem solved.

[DumbFalang]

1 minute ago, Essex Reject said:

Really? Discuss it? You say she's Thai? My one couldn't care less ????

LOL - on re-reading, 'Discuss it' does seem to contradict that she is Thai. I guess 10 years in the UK, 4 in Oz knocked a bit of the 'Thainess' out of her.

[thaibeachlovers]

PS, an agent may be able to solve your problem. They did for me.

[DumbFalang]

4 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

My money in the bank for retirement extensions just came from outside Thailand. They never asked from where specifically. Would it be different for marriage extensions?

 

You seem to fall into the cracks, and Thai bureaucracy isn't good at thinking outside the box- just like all  bureaucrats anywhere.

However I don't see how you can work in LOS anyway, as self employed, eg do you have a work permit, as is required?

Seems like the 400K can come from anywhere - same as the retirement visa.

 

I don't work in Thailand - I receive income from an online business that has no physical location.

[BoBoTheClown]

Do you pay taxes? Can't you show them you tax forms? 

[Peterw42]

3 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

PS, an agent may be able to solve your problem. They did for me.

Was that a marriage extension, Agents dont usually do marriage extensions because they also get shipped off to BKK for checking and final approval.

[Essex Reject]

7 minutes ago, DumbFalang said:

LOL - on re-reading, 'Discuss it' does seem to contradict that she is Thai. I guess 10 years in the UK, 4 in Oz knocked a bit of the 'Thainess' out of her.

Thought it would be something like that.

[puchooay]

5 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

Was that a marriage extension, Agents dont usually do marriage extensions because they also get shipped off to BKK for checking and final approval.

Actually they get sent to the regional office. As an example, all applications in Issan (Region 4) get sent to Khon Kaen for approval.

[DumbFalang]

9 minutes ago, BoBoTheClown said:

Do you pay taxes? Can't you show them you tax forms? 

No and No. I am basically a digital nomad with no fixed abode and it seems like my carefree lifestyle has finally caught up with me.... just like my Mum said it would ????

[glegolo]

1 hour ago, DumbFalang said:

 

It's not impossible - just absolute nonsense..... but it's looking more like I will have to go through with it.

 

Haha - I am actually a self employed software developer and my income comes from mainly the US and Australia. The farm belongs to my wife...... and it's a black hole where all my hard earned income goes ???? 

hahahaha, yeah that is true for many of us.... Good luck anyhow

 

glegolo

[tifino]

25 minutes ago, DumbFalang said:

Seems like the 400K can come from anywhere - same as the retirement visa.

 

I don't work in Thailand - I receive income from an online business that has no physical location.

but aren't you sitting on your comfy butt, in downtown Samoeng; doing online business communications, all whilst sipping on a Chang? 

   If the (maybe soon to be interested) system were to interrogate your online activity history; they'd be able to correlate the time/dates of your activity, to co-incide with you doing it from within LOS borders!

[DumbFalang]

4 minutes ago, tifino said:

but aren't you sitting on your comfy butt, in downtown Samoeng; doing online business communications, all whilst sipping on a Chang? 

   If the (maybe soon to be interested) system were to interrogate your online activity history; they'd be able to correlate the time/dates of your activity, to co-incide with you doing it from within LOS borders!

I researched this very subject 12 years ago when we first decided to live in Thailand and specifically - what constitutes work. I found out that the energy used to click a mouse button constitutes working and basically means that the boys and girls at immigration can get rid of anyone of us at any time if they so choose. Such is life????

[DumbFalang]

Update: Just had a little chat with the missus and gave her the 3 options of the income verification letter, begging and borrowing 400K or shipping me off to Vietnam for a non-O.

 

Seems like I'll be flying with Vien Jet for the first time ????

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, DumbFalang said:

Aha.... so that's not an option.

 

Starting to think about the wording for my income verification letter. Perhaps something along the lines of...

 

"I DumbFalang, trading as DumbFalang UK verify that we pay DumbFalang a regular monthly income of Bt40,000"

Once you get your current immigration status sorted, you should consider setting up a company to be self-employed by. It doesn't cost much. If you retain an accountant, there's no need to make fake, possibly illegal statements of income either. Having an auditable paper trail comes in handy if/when the tax man comes calling but the bonus is being able to prove source of income easier.

 

Failing that, move away from the tortuous immigration fiefdom that Chiang Mai has become.

[scubascuba3]

Correct. The income verification letter from the British embassy each year made my extensions pretty simple.

How did you prove your income before?

[gregsmithy]

I was in a similar situation to you, immigration would not accept my proof of income and questioned my fully documented 12 months worth of 40k a month deposits. I thought about questioning it or trying to change things but after a couple of sleepless nights decided it was easier to go to Savannakhet or HCMC and I can assure you it was far more stress free than the local immigration process.

My local office is ok the staff have never given me hard time and were apologetic about not being able to help this year, but even so it was always a stressful day doing that extension and like you I have been here 12 years. Despite the fact that I will have to leave the country every 90 days this is much better for both mine and the wife's stress levels.

 

Go for it you and the wife will feel much better.

 

[DumbFalang]

3 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

1 hour ago, DumbFalang said:

Correct. The income verification letter from the British embassy each year made my extensions pretty simple.

How did you prove your income before?

I showed bank statements with income from my Customers. The British Embassy staff understood what self employment was, so it was not an issue.

[DumbFalang]

6 minutes ago, gregsmithy said:

I was in a similar situation to you, immigration would not accept my proof of income and questioned my fully documented 12 months worth of 40k a month deposits. I thought about questioning it or trying to change things but after a couple of sleepless nights decided it was easier to go to Savannakhet or HCMC and I can assure you it was far more stress free than the local immigration process.

My local office is ok the staff have never given me hard time and were apologetic about not being able to help this year, but even so it was always a stressful day doing that extension and like you I have been here 12 years. Despite the fact that I will have to leave the country every 90 days this is much better for both mine and the wife's stress levels.

 

Go for it you and the wife will feel much better.

 

Thanks - you've been through it as well so you understand how we feel. 26 years of marriage, 4 kids with Thai passports and 12 years of extensions means nothing to Thai Immigration.

[NanLaew]

14 minutes ago, DumbFalang said:

Update: Just had a little chat with the missus and gave her the 3 options of the income verification letter, begging and borrowing 400K or shipping me off to Vietnam for a non-O.

 

Seems like I'll be flying with Vien Jet for the first time ????

My Austrian friend obtained a Non-O multi based on marriage to a Thai from HCMC about 8 months ago. No proof of income was requested.

 

Original marriage certificate plus a copy. Copies of your wife's blue book house registry and her ID card, all  signed by her. Your wife will also need a to write a short letter requesting you be issued the visa. The fee is US$200.

[NanLaew]

19 minutes ago, DumbFalang said:

I showed bank statements with income from my Customers. The British Embassy staff understood what self employment was, so it was not an issue.

The British Embassy accepted UK bank statements OR UK pension paperwork (if you were officially retired) as support for the income letter. Since the demise of the letter, certain Immigration offices insist that only pay slips or pension paperwork is acceptable. Chiang Mai is one of those unfortunate havens of immigration Luddites.

[onera1961]

3 hours ago, DumbFalang said:

My questions are - if I do the border run - would I be granted a tourist visa on entry even though I have lived in Thailand for the past 12 years?

Without a visa you would be given visa exemption entry for 30-day. Living here for 12-year does not entitle you to anything more. 

[BoBoTheClown]

30 minutes ago, DumbFalang said:

I showed bank statements with income from my Customers. The British Embassy staff understood what self employment was, so it was not an issue.

 

[onera1961]

3 hours ago, DumbFalang said:

Even if I had 400K to put in the bank - I would still have the same problem - no way of verifying where the income came from.

Money (400K) in bank method does not require verification of fund where it came from. Money every month (40K) depends on IO. Sometimes they ask for verification letter which is though moronic but as a foreigner you cant do anything about it because you have subjected yourself to dance to their tune by relocating to Thailand. 

[DumbFalang]

2 minutes ago, onera1961 said:

Without a visa you would be given visa exemption entry for 30-day. Living here for 12-year does not entitle you to anything more. 

I was more worried about being entitled to less as I have spent 356 of the last 356 days in Thailand. The reason I wanted to clarify this was if I go to Ho Chi Minh and for some reason I don't get a non-O, then I need to know if I can come back to Thailand to regroup.

[DumbFalang]

3 minutes ago, BoBoTheClown said:

 Do you have a LLC in any country?  Can you produce tax statements?  I would send you away too, or maybe call the police on you. ???? JMO

I can't work out if you are being serious or not. The smiley face and JMO seem to contradict each other.

[RichardColeman]

Use an agent - they have superpowers !

[DumbFalang]

Just now, RichardColeman said:

Use an agent - they have superpowers !

We have thought about it but decided against it this time. Maybe next time.....after a year break from immigration offices.

[Grundy1927]

At the moment your gettimg extensioms om your origimal visa ir you

dont continue this way you will have to apply again for marrizge visa 

And you will hsve to provide proof of insurance .

[ThaidDown]

2 minutes ago, Grundy1927 said:

At the moment your gettimg extensioms om your origimal visa ir you

dont continue this way you will have to apply again for marrizge visa 

And you will hsve to provide proof of insurance .

Insurance NOT required