Switching to 1 year marriage visa; current stamp expires June 8..

[patrickl]

I am currently on a multi-entry O visa based on marriage to my Thai wife.

 

- My visa expires June 20, so another border run is out of the question.

- My latest entry stamp expires June 8, but I am "auto extended" until July 31 like everyone else.

 

I now want to switch to a 1-year extension with 400k in the bank. I -dont- have the money in the bank yet but it will be there by the end of this month.

 

The question now is, do I:

1. Wait until end of July and then do the 1 year extension? I heard reports that some offices don't do 1 year extensions while on the "auto extension".

 

2. Get a 60 days extension (1900 Baht) before June 8th and then shortly before August 8th I would do the 1 year extension (after the funds have been in the bank for 2 months). That way I would always be kind of "legit" and never really on the auto extension.

 

Thank you for any advice ????

Edited May 16, 2020 by patrickl

[Malawi]

I would go with 2.

[ubonjoe]

You should apply for the 60 day extension to visit your wife and then apply for the one year extension of stay based upon marriage as soon as the 400k baht has been in the bank for 2 months.

[DrJack54]

OP, as you pointed out yourself, obtain your extension before June 8.

Many folk keep referring to their permission of stay (stamp admitted till) as having been extended to July 31.

I don't see it that way. People have been given amnesty to remain until July 31.

 

[frimu]

I'm in a similar situation just a few days later than you and also preparing for the 400k solution.

Can you or anyone confirm, that the 60 day extension is done by immigration? And that they're not saying to return end of July? I will be going to Chaeng Watthana for this in June.

Thanks.

[Peter Denis]

3 minutes ago, frimu said:

I'm in a similar situation just a few days later than you and also preparing for the 400k solution.

Can you or anyone confirm, that the 60 day extension is done by immigration? And that they're not saying to return end of July? I will be going to Chaeng Watthana for this in June.

Thanks.

I can confirm that IO will process your 60-day extension of stay application when you apply for it before your current permission to stay expires.

As mentioned higher in this thread waiting till end of July might cause your IO not accepting your subsequent application for a 1-year extension.

[patrickl]

Thanks everyone for your replies! Looks like I will be doing the 60 days extension then.

Just one more question, in case I need to extend it again I can do so, right? First 60 days and then another 7 days I believe it was? Or was it another 30 days? But I believe it was 60 days first and then 7 days if needed.

[JackThompson]

27 minutes ago, patrickl said:

Thanks everyone for your replies! Looks like I will be doing the 60 days extension then.

Just one more question, in case I need to extend it again I can do so, right? First 60 days and then another 7 days I believe it was? Or was it another 30 days? But I believe it was 60 days first and then 7 days if needed.

You can always apply for a "denied" extension, at which point they will give you 7 days to "leave the country."  The same fee of 1900 Baht is required for this.

[peteralex]

On 5/17/2020 at 4:29 AM, Peter Denis said:

I can confirm that IO will process your 60-day extension of stay application when you apply for it before your current permission to stay expires.

As mentioned higher in this thread waiting till end of July might cause your IO not accepting your subsequent application for a 1-year extension.

 

Hi,
I'm in a similar situation, however, on extension of stay on basis of marriage expiring now on 22 May.
I applied as usual in the past with the option of an Embassy letter certifying a monthly pension income of 40+ thousand Baht.
According to IO officer at Jomtien IO the option of an embassy certification letter is NO LONGER available since March 2020, only the two remaining options of 12-monthly-bank transfer or, the 400.000 Baht on bank account for 2 months at filing date of extension of stay is acknowledged.
Due to lack of 400.000 Baht in bank account for 2 months my application has been denied.
Upon my wife's query the IO was pointing to a notice published at his counter and explaining to my wife that NO application for an extension of 60 days (or probably any) would be necessary since there is the covid amnesty until 31 July and, instructed to apply for a marriage extension of stay again on 15 July after completing the 2 months in bank account.
The higher ranking IO (3 stars) seemed to be competent, but nevertheless I'm suspicious of Thai bureaucracy.
Can I rely to the notices published onto counter protector shields, or, nevertheless to apply for an extension of 60 days?
Your experience in such a matter and/or  comments are appreciated.

[ubonjoe]

9 hours ago, peteralex said:

I applied as usual in the past with the option of an Embassy letter certifying a monthly pension income of 40+ thousand Baht.

Do you have a income letter from your embassy? There are 3 embassies that no longer issue them.

 

9 hours ago, peteralex said:

According to IO officer at Jomtien IO the option of an embassy certification letter is NO LONGER available since March 2020, only the two remaining options of 12-monthly-bank transfer or, the 400.000 Baht on bank account for 2 months at filing date of extension of stay is acknowledged.

False info. Proof of income from your embassy can still be used. Even the month she quoted was wrong. There were no changes done this year.

See this police order issued in December of 2018. Clause 2.18 is for marriage and the embassy letter is mentioned at the bottom of the far right column.

Amendment to police order 138/2557 Revising clauses 2.18 and 2.22 to include options for proof of income 

 

9 hours ago, peteralex said:

Can I rely to the notices published onto counter protector shields, or, nevertheless to apply for an extension of 60 days?

You could apply for a 60 day extension to visit your wife.

[Peter Denis]

10 hours ago, peteralex said:

 

Hi,
I'm in a similar situation, however, on extension of stay on basis of marriage expiring now on 22 May.
I applied as usual in the past with the option of an Embassy letter certifying a monthly pension income of 40+ thousand Baht.
According to IO officer at Jomtien IO the option of an embassy certification letter is NO LONGER available since March 2020, only the two remaining options of 12-monthly-bank transfer or, the 400.000 Baht on bank account for 2 months at filing date of extension of stay is acknowledged.
Due to lack of 400.000 Baht in bank account for 2 months my application has been denied.
Upon my wife's query the IO was pointing to a notice published at his counter and explaining to my wife that NO application for an extension of 60 days (or probably any) would be necessary since there is the covid amnesty until 31 July and, instructed to apply for a marriage extension of stay again on 15 July after completing the 2 months in bank account.
The higher ranking IO (3 stars) seemed to be competent, but nevertheless I'm suspicious of Thai bureaucracy.
Can I rely to the notices published onto counter protector shields, or, nevertheless to apply for an extension of 60 days?
Your experience in such a matter and/or  comments are appreciated.

Hi, I wrote > As mentioned higher in this thread waiting till end of July might cause your IO not accepting your subsequent application for a 1-year extension.

But you enquired at your local IO (Jomtien) and they confirmed that it would be possible for you to apply for the 1-year Marriage extension during the Amnesty period, thus allowing you to season the 400K money-in-bank. 

There were reports from other IOs that stated that you had to do your 1-year extension application before your permission to stay expired.  Not doing so would not invoke overstay or return-bans because of the Amnesty.  But at those IOs you would be forced to leave the country once the borders are open again, and apply from scratch again.  Considering that there might be quarantaine or covid-insurance measures imposed once the borders are open again, it is therefore recommended when reporting to these IOs to do your 1-year extension application before your permission to stay expires.

However since your local IO confirmed that they would process your application for a 1-year extension of stay during the Amnesty period, you have nothing to worry about, and can apply at a time convenient for you once your 400K has seasoned for 2 months.

 

Edited May 21, 2020 by Peter Denis

[Peter Denis]

18 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

...

False info. Proof of income from your embassy can still be used. Even the month she quoted was wrong. There were no changes done this year.

See this police order issued in December of 2018. Clause 2.18 is for marriage and the embassy letter is mentioned at the bottom of the far right column.

Amendment to police order 138/2557 Revising clauses 2.18 and 2.22 to include options for proof of income 

...

Hi UJ,

A couple of months ago there was a report from a US guy that wanted to apply at Jomtien IO for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa, and they told him that there was only 1 option to apply being the 800K money-in-bank method.  They effectively denied him the 65K monthly-income method as they told him that it needed to be evidenced with an embassy income-statement (which was of course not possible for him being a US citizen).

Considering the above (which is already a violation of the IO regulations), it is possible that Jomtien has another take on the embassy-letter method than what the Police Order says?

But I agree it would be useful for @peteralex to double-check whether indeed he cannot use his embassy-statement when applying for the 1-year extension of his Non Imm O marriage Visa.

Note: As his permission to stay expires in 2 days, the timing is of course somewhat inconvenient, as the application would have to be then ultimately tomorrow.

 

Edited May 21, 2020 by Peter Denis

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

A couple of months ago there was a report from a US guy that wanted to apply at Jomtien IO for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa, and they told him that there was only 1 option to apply being the 800K money-in-bank method. 

That is not the same issue and is something that Jomtien has been saying for a long time.

 

3 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

Considering the above (which is already a violation of the IO regulations), it is possible that Jomtien has another take on the embassy-letter method than what the Police Order says.

I have seen reports by people that used proof of income from their embassy at Jomtien when applying for an extension of stay.

[Peter Denis]

12 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

..

I have seen reports by people that used proof of income from their embassy at Jomtien when applying for an extension of stay.

Thanks!

And yes in that case @peteralex should go back, and re-apply for this 1-year extension of stay using the embassy-statement confirming this monthly pension-income.

As his permission to stay expires on 22 May, it is recommended to do that ultimately tomorrow.

Jomtien confirmed that he could do the 1-year extension with the 400K money-in-bank method during the Amnesty, so normally should also be possible with the embassy-statement.

Edited May 21, 2020 by Peter Denis

[ubonjoe]

15 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

Jomtien confirmed that he could do the 1-year extension with the 400K money-in-bank method during the Amnesty, so normally should also be possible with the embassy-statement.

I would not count on that being 100% correct. They could change their minds in 2 months or even tomorrow.

I would certainly apply for the 60 day extension if needed.

[peteralex]

13 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

I would not count on that being 100% correct. They could change their minds in 2 months or even tomorrow.

I would certainly apply for the 60 day extension if needed.

Good morning Ubonjoe  and Peter Denis,  many thanks commenting and giving me confidence not to surrender.
Today still in time before expiring, I shall apply for a 60-days extension in order to win time and shall re-apply in a next step.

[peteralex]

15 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

<Do you have a income letter from your embassy? There are 3 embassies that no longer issue them.>

YES, I do have the letter from the German Consulate in Pattaya.

 

<False info. Proof of income from your embassy can still be used. Even the month she quoted was wrong. There were no changes done this year. See this police order issued in December of 2018. Clause 2.18 is for marriage and the embassy letter is mentioned at the bottom of the far right column.

Amendment to police order 138/2557 Revising clauses 2.18 and 2.22 to include options for proof of income>
I know this police order, however, what can one do,  where to go for an appeal or a complaint?
BTW, the IO was MALE with 3 stars on epaulets, supposedly a supervisor

<You could apply for a 60 day extension to visit your wife.>
Yes, i shall apply today

 

Edited May 21, 2020 by peteralex
adding information

[JackThompson]

2 hours ago, peteralex said:

I know this police order, however, what can one do,  where to go for an appeal or a complaint?
BTW, the IO was MALE with 3 stars on epaulets, supposedly a supervisor

You cannot appeal by any means of which I am aware.  The family-desk there has their schemes backed by the head of the office - same as the schemes used by the "change of visa" type desk.  For all we know, the scemes are that guy's idea - or maybe his boss's ideas.

If you could appeal to some other level, you'd likely just encounter someone higher-up in the same Multi-Level-Marketing style envelope-pyramid-scheme.  This is the core-problem. 

Edited May 21, 2020 by JackThompson

[peteralex]

13 hours ago, JackThompson said:

You cannot appeal by any means of which I am aware.  The family-desk there has their schemes backed by the head of the office - same as the schemes used by the "change of visa" type desk.  For all we know, the scemes are that guy's idea - or maybe his boss's ideas.

If you could appeal to some other level, you'd likely just encounter someone higher-up in the same Multi-Level-Marketing style envelope-pyramid-scheme.  This is the core-problem. 

Thanks for commenting Jack,
I'm well aware that there is no successful means appealing, even not at The Lord. It was just a rhetoric question.
In this great country with its truly dutiful servants (vassals) and severely observing law and order, it's like caught on a ship drifting in the ocean: You're in the hands of The Lord.

[peteralex]

On 5/20/2020 at 6:32 PM, Peter Denis said:

Thanks!

And yes in that case @peteralex should go back, and re-apply for this 1-year extension of stay using the embassy-statement confirming this monthly pension-income.

As his permission to stay expires on 22 May, it is recommended to do that ultimately tomorrow.

Jomtien confirmed that he could do the 1-year extension with the 400K money-in-bank method during the Amnesty, so normally should also be possible with the embassy-statement.

Well, I did the 400K money-in-bank method already on 15 May as soon as I learned about when applying for the yearly extension that the embassy letter is no longer acknowledged (at least not at Jomtien IO) and, for safety I applied for 2-months extension (for visiting my wife) which was granted (1900 Baht). The IO mentioned though that during the amnesty it wont be necessary, however, I don't ever trust this species of people, they obviously have limitless power and one has no means to appeal it successfully. UbonJoe suggested in a previous post that the "amnesty" might not be applicable for this sort of extensions. Now I have time to await the 2-month period and IO cannot kidding me.