Report on application for extension of stay for marriage Chiang Mai Immigration 02/04/2020

[Maybole]

Mods, I can not find a specific thread for this. It applies to Chiang Mai Immigration. If you can find an appropriate thread, please move it.

 

My wife and I went to Chiang mai Immigration at 7.30am. There was a small queue where every body was separated by 2 metres , had a temperature check and hands sterilized,

 There were two young volunteers, both speaking excellent English, who enquired our business, gave me a number and directed us to a waiting area under a shade. They were marshalling  an orderly flow of applicants into the building.

At approx. 8am I was called forward and one of the volunteer checked all my papers and required me to fill in forms acknowledging the penalties for various misdemeanors. (Last year, I did this at the interviewing officers desk inside.)

We then went inside to the counter where all the papers were checked again and I was instructed to rewrite the application for by hand in blue ink, typewritten not being acceptable. Then I was given a new number and sent to wait at another desk

After about 45 mins. we were called forward . I was required to show that my foreign marriage certificate has been seen at the Royal Thai Embassy in London. I still had a copy of the certificate with the Thai Embassy stamp on it but I have been instructed to obtain a an original certificate, authenticated by UK authorities and confirmed by Thai Embassy for next year's application.

I will also have to obtain a translation into Thai language of the certificate by an authorized translator and have it certificated by the Thai Foreign office.

Also, I must print all copies on single sheets, no doubling  of two pages of bank book on one sheet, no doubling of two passport pages on same sheet.

TM6, TM30 receipt, TM47 receipt copies must all be on separate sheets.

No double sided sheets, where a document is printed on both sides, back and front must be copied on to separate sheets.

In addition, next year will require an extra bank statement detailing at least a years transactions for the account being used.

We received the usual under consideration stamp and were finished just before 11.30am

 

 

 

 

tm6, TM30 reciept, TM47 bre 

[ThaiPauly]

Thanks for the report, very useful

[ProbPossConf]

CM IO's must be color blind requesting forms to be hand scribbled in blue ink instead of clear, uniformed typewritten info.

[jimmjam]

8 minutes ago, ProbPossConf said:

CM IO's must be color blind requesting forms to be hand scribbled in blue ink instead of clear, uniformed typewritten info.

They love to see hand written blue ink, when i worked at a school here. All my grade books at to be completed in blue ink. Must be something engrained in them.

[bamboozled]

Is this for 60 days or 90 days, please? And what is a TM47 for? Thank you.

[Shoeless Joe]

3 hours ago, bamboozled said:

Is this for 60 days or 90 days, please? And what is a TM47 for? Thank you.

 Neither! As it says in the headline, it's an:"Application for extension of stay for marriage Chiang Mai Immigration 02/04/2020".

The TM47 is:"Form for Alien to Notify of Staying Longer than 90 days"

 

Regards,

 

Joe

 

[Dante99]

10 hours ago, ProbPossConf said:

CM IO's must be color blind requesting forms to be hand scribbled in blue ink instead of clear, uniformed typewritten info.

They have been happy with my typewritten in blue ink the past two times.  Can do with standard pdf editor.  Next time who knows.

[jeffandgop]

For the financial requirements, did you use the method of having 400,000THB in a Thai bank account for a period no less than 2 months prior to making the application for extension of stay or the monthly income of 40,000THB and working in Thailand?

 

[bamboozled]

6 hours ago, Shoeless Joe said:

 Neither! As it says in the headline, it's an:"Application for extension of stay for marriage Chiang Mai Immigration 02/04/2020".

The TM47 is:"Form for Alien to Notify of Staying Longer than 90 days"

 

Regards,

 

Joe

 

Hi Joe, thanks for the info. It's difficult to keep track of the terminology of all the different methods to stay here. I have a non-O and will be applying for a 60 day extension to visit Thai wife. I would call that an application of stay for marriage. I don't know officially if that's what it's called, however. Hmm, will I have to complete a TM47, I don't know.

[Greenside]

I can see the point (oops, nearly said "logic") of requiring all the paperwork to be one sided, but can't for the life of me understand why they insist on one passport double page per sheet when two fit perfectly well.  Last year I presented beautifully rendered two up colour prints with all of the pages in order and even footers showing the passport page numbers, only to be told the same as the OP for this year. I seem to remember she claimed that it was to make room for the signing stamp, but it's still possible to fit that in if you know in advance.  Of course they could make a template form available for download which we could copy onto, but that would be way too easy....

 

A huge and unforgivable waste of paper.

Edited April 3, 2020 by Greenside

[moe666]

I give them what ever they want money, whiskey, women, LBs what ever, you can never be to prepared when going to immigration

[baansgr]

13 hours ago, ProbPossConf said:

CM IO's must be color blind requesting forms to be hand scribbled in blue ink instead of clear, uniformed typewritten info.

When I worked...forgotten how many times was told..write in blue...maybe something to do with photocopying...although with color available seems stupid

[baansgr]

13 hours ago, ThaiPauly said:

Thanks for the report, very useful

Always good to hear a positive report. I wonder if some of the front line IOs really wanna ask for all this stuff sometimes, especially now. I have the highest respect for Jomtien who do a fantastic job, just wonder how they are coping with some of the pictures I've seen of queues...they only do what is ordered from above.

[Maybole]

11 hours ago, Shoeless Joe said:

 Neither! As it says in the headline, it's an:"Application for extension of stay for marriage Chiang Mai Immigration 02/04/2020".

The TM47 is:"Form for Alien to Notify of Staying Longer than 90 days"

 

Regards,

 

Joe

 

Thank you, you beat me to it.

[Maybole]

5 hours ago, jeffandgop said:

For the financial requirements, did you use the method of having 400,000THB in a Thai bank account for a period no less than 2 months prior to making the application for extension of stay or the monthly income of 40,000THB and working in Thailand?

 

Deposit in Bank for two months. I do not understand why they want a full year's details

Edited April 3, 2020 by Maybole
Second thoughts

[from the home of CC]

8 minutes ago, Maybole said:

Deposit in Bank for two months. I do not understand why they want a full year's details

perhaps they are checking for agent deposits/withdrawals..

Edited April 3, 2020 by from the home of CC

[TigerandDog]

2 hours ago, Maybole said:

Deposit in Bank for two months. I do not understand why they want a full year's details

It's to check that ALL the seasoning rules are met. 

 

Additionally, I was advised today that CM are now requiring 2 copies of all documents.

Edited April 3, 2020 by TigerandDog
additional information

[OneeyedJohn]

20 hours ago, jimmjam said:

They love to see hand written blue ink, when i worked at a school here. All my grade books at to be completed in blue ink. Must be something engrained in them.

engrained - hope u didn't teach English.

[OneeyedJohn]

7 hours ago, baansgr said:

When I worked...forgotten how many times was told..write in blue...maybe something to do with photocopying...although with color available seems stupid

What is blue, my printer only has black, cyan, magenta and yellow.????

[jesimps]

30 minutes ago, TigerandDog said:

It's to check that ALL the seasoning rules are met. 

 

Additionally, I was advised today that CM are now requiring 2 copies of all documents.

I can maybe see why they demand 12 months statements for the retirement visa with not letting the account drop below 400,000 for the whole year, but I can't for the life of me work out why they need it for a marriage visa application.

[daveAustin]

21 hours ago, jimmjam said:

They love to see hand written blue ink, when i worked at a school here. All my grade books at to be completed in blue ink. Must be something engrained in them.

The blue ink shows it hasn't been copied. They also like blue as, with the flag, it represents or pays respect to the monarchy... don't know if that's the reason they prefer blue ink.  

[jackdd]

29 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

The blue ink shows it hasn't been copied.

If they ever heard of color copies?

When i got my Corona extension on Monday blue ink signatures were also required.

But having two document copies on one sheet was no problem.

Edited April 3, 2020 by jackdd

[Elkski]

I dont understand why I seem to have dyslexia when it comes  to Visa's? 

I guess I've never been an alien before or abducted.  Have you always needed a marriage to be officially filed in the expats home country for a marriage visa? If so why? I thought many just do the filing in Thailand.   

How many pages does this end up being? Where do they store all this  paper?  Surely some government top dogs must own a paper plant.  What  pages from the passport are needed?

Does it say  blue ink on the form or somewhere in the instructions?

Why as an American does all this pettiness bother me so much?  

[Hugh Jarse]

22 hours ago, jimmjam said:

They love to see hand written blue ink, when i worked at a school here. All my grade books at to be completed in blue ink. Must be something engrained in them.

Or to differentiate an original (in blue) form from a photocopy in black of the original?

[Number 6]

4 hours ago, Maybole said:

Deposit in Bank for two months. I do not understand why they want a full year's details

That is the second + extension. The first is two or three months. Forget.

[Number 6]

15 minutes ago, Hugh Jarse said:

Or to differentiate an original (in blue) form from a photocopy in black of the original?

Of course. Thank you ????

[Madgee]

1 hour ago, jesimps said:

I can maybe see why they demand 12 months statements for the retirement visa with not letting the account drop below 400,000 for the whole year, but I can't for the life of me work out why they need it for a marriage visa application.

I use the 400k method for my marriage extension and was asked for a 12 month statement for the first time this year!

Apparently, it's to check that you are spending YOUR money in their wonderful country and not working illegally.

 

I can understand that but make it a legal requirement so that we can prepare for it and not just at an I.O's whim!

 

[jeffandgop]

13 hours ago, TigerandDog said:

It's to check that ALL the seasoning rules are met. 

 

Additionally, I was advised today that CM are now requiring 2 copies of all documents.

If one is applying for an extension of stay based on marriage, and is using the financial requirement of having 400K deposited in the bank, then the ONLY "seasoning" requirement is that the funds are in a Thai bank, in the applicant's name only, no less than 2 months before applying for the extension.  There is no requirement to show where the funds came from, nor is required to be in the bank for any period of time other than the 2 months before applying. After receiving the extension that money can be fully withdrawn.

[jeffandgop]

11 hours ago, Madgee said:

I use the 400k method for my marriage extension and was asked for a 12 month statement for the first time this year!

Apparently, it's to check that you are spending YOUR money in their wonderful country and not working illegally.

 

I can understand that but make it a legal requirement so that we can prepare for it and not just at an I.O's whim!

 

I use the Fixed Account method to "season" my funds.  This means once deposited I don't touch it. So it doesn't prove at all whether I'm spending money or not....did the IO tell you that they want a 12 month statement to check if your spending money?

[Madgee]

12 hours ago, jeffandgop said:

I use the Fixed Account method to "season" my funds.  This means once deposited I don't touch it. So it doesn't prove at all whether I'm spending money or not....did the IO tell you that they want a 12 month statement to check if your spending money?

I also use a 12 month fixed acct which I have had 'rolled over' automatically for the last 7 years with no problem. 

Immigration wanted the standard letter + 3 month statement (fixed acct).

+ 12 month statement for my standard savings acct (debit card). 

 

I haven't got a problem with this but it would be nice to know in advance. 

I actually play badminton with one of the IO's and he did (sort of) apologise to me about the hassle involved . According to him the instructions come from the area office in Khon Kaen. 

In another thread a forumite said his local IO wanted every document on a separate sheet of paper, for the first time so did mine!  

 

Very little consistency amongst the different immigration offices makes it confusing to compile an accurate list of requirements.

It's virtually impossible to get any similarities even at the same office! Such is immigration in Thailand, never a dull moment.

I've taken the attitude of just laughing about the stupidity of it all!  Oh the joys of living in Thailand.