On 5/28/2020 at 9:47 AM, Surasak said:

And now go to another immigration office in a different province and compare answers. It would be interesting to know.

Suwannaphum, plus my home province plus immigration crossing into Cambodia from Surin have given me the same answer. 

45 minutes ago, Dasekel said:

the Government did not force them to be apart

Thanks for confirming what I was saying.

53 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Which doesn't qualify you to comment on someone who has to leave to get money for his family here. Take a couple of months off, with the resulting pay loss?

I did offshore work for years out of Thailand on six different continents so I am more than qualified to comment.

 

He had a choice, Take a couple of months off, with the resulting pay loss, or miss the birth of his child and potentially get stuck outside the country.

 

That was his choice to make, he made it and missed the birth of his kid and is now stuck outside the country. 

 

Informed choices are what adults make, and they are mature enough to live by them.

 

Only got himself to blame, the Thai government have done absolutely nothing wrong and in fact, done everything right in attempting to protect the Thai people.

Just now, Mr Meeseeks said:

I did offshore work for years out of Thailand on six different continents so I am more than qualified to comment.

 

He had a choice, Take a couple of months off, with the resulting pay loss, or miss the birth of his child and potentially get stuck outside the country.

 

That was his choice to make, he made it and missed the birth of his kid and is now stuck outside the country. 

 

Informed choices are what adults make, and they are mature enough to live by them.

 

Only got himself to blame, the Thai government have done absolutely nothing wrong and in fact, done everything right in attempting to protect the Thai people.

Missing my point. You work here. He still works,like you did, offshore, so he can't take off months because, especially at this time, his family needs money. Thailand can't let anyone back in, prompting a check at the airport for Covid19, and subsequent quarantine if positive, or easier, a 2 week quarantine for anyone coming in, paid for by the one arriving.

1 hour ago, Dasekel said:

You are a real bright guy. The fact is that he has a small child with a long-time partner. He works regularly abroad to earn the living for his family and because Thai Government was not capable to come up with proper plans or was never interested in considering the issue of "mixed" families the family is unnecessarily separated for a long time. The right and decent thing in any country would be to enable families to re-unite. How many countries are dealing with such issues as badly as Thailand? Your very unhelpful and family-unfriendly view is duly noted, Mr Meeseeks

Yet he is not responsible enough to get a proper visa, or make the decision to stay with his wife while she is about to give birth, or make the decision not to travel to work during a pandemic when all signs pointed to restricted international movement and possible problems being allowed back to Thailand.

 

That doesn't seem bright to me.

 

The Thai government have handled the crisis effectively. Such issues are not a priority for them as those people are not Thai citizens nor are they even Thai taxpayers.

 

They are allowing Thais to repatriate and are now starting to allow taxpayers back (work permit holders). It follows then that other persons on the appropriate visa (and have permission to stay i.e. retirees, marriage visas) will be allowed back in at some point.

 

Priorities correct and just as it should be. This guy doesn't even have a visa, maybe October for him or later... again a result of his poor planning and poor choices.

2 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Missing my point. You work here. He still works,like you did, offshore, so he can't take off months because, especially at this time, his family needs money. Thailand can't let anyone back in, prompting a check at the airport for Covid19, and subsequent quarantine if positive, or easier, a 2 week quarantine for anyone coming in, paid for by the one arriving.

Sorry, don't buy that nonsense that his family needed the money. Offshore workers earn decent money and he should have money stashed for emergencies and should be able to live for a few months very comfortably until he can go back to work. 

 

He's a tourist as well so he won't be even considered to return until the gates are open for tourists and coming from the UK that's gonna be some time yet. 

 

Choices mate. They have consequences.

Just now, Mr Meeseeks said:

Sorry, don't buy that nonsense that his family needed the money. Offshore workers earn decent money and he should have money stashed for emergencies and should be able to live for a few months very comfortably until he can go back to work. 

 

He's a tourist as well so he won't be even considered to return until the gates are open for tourists and coming from the UK that's gonna be some time yet. 

 

Choices mate. They have consequences.

Hard to know anyone on earths personal situation unless you live with them. Maybe he does have enough money and maybe all of his money went towards building a house here for his family,and with that comes the inevitable helping out the family. Without knowing the particulars all I see is s man wanting to be home now with his family. Bad timing because of the covid crisis.

1 hour ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

I did offshore work for years out of Thailand on six different continents so I am more than qualified to comment.

 

He had a choice, Take a couple of months off, with the resulting pay loss, or miss the birth of his child and potentially get stuck outside the country.

 

That was his choice to make, he made it and missed the birth of his kid and is now stuck outside the country. 

 

Informed choices are what adults make, and they are mature enough to live by them.

 

Only got himself to blame, the Thai government have done absolutely nothing wrong and in fact, done everything right in attempting to protect the Thai people.

Nailed it mate, the me me me me people make me lol lol lol.

18 hours ago, Know not me said:

i how many of us actual have permanent residency, very few i imagine. This will not help the majority. 

-

3 hours ago, Dasekel said:

your view is duly noted

Whatever that means!!

46 minutes ago, scorecard said:

-

Hey we currently all have time on our hands.

What about a straw poll.

Keep it to all guys on annual extensions retirement/marriage, elite visa etc VS PR and work permit. (The later group perhaps being first able to enter Thailand)

So 100 random .....my guess 80+ first group.

Crazy guess?

On 5/28/2020 at 9:07 AM, Somtamnication said:

Good news up to a point. The foreign spouses, however, are less of a parent and spouse if they do not have the worthless residence permit or a work permit?

...worthless residence permit... ?

7 minutes ago, scorecard said:

...worthless residence permit... ?

Give him a break. Many/most would previously thought of PR useless exercise.

Vast majority did not work here. Hence not available.

Covid was never even in worst case dream.

 

On 5/28/2020 at 1:04 AM, Mama Noodle said:

No, you dont need to get a visa I did it for years no problem at all and if I needed more time I just extended at immigration.

You may have done it for years but things have changed. I've visited every 8 weeks for many years - staying just 2 weeks (married to a Thai). Two or three years ago things changed and I was told to get a visa. People visiting their wives are not considered 'tourists' and should apply for a multi entry Non O - although they are not as available as they used to be. I can no longer get a multi in the UK - last one from Vietnam.

15 hours ago, Darksidedude said:

What is a   permanent residence permit         im married to a Thai, only thing i can do is get a 12 mth spouse visa every year which is applied for outside of Thailand

 

Where and when?

14 hours ago, KhaoYai said:

People visiting their wives are not considered 'tourists' and should apply for a multi entry Non O - although they are not as available as they used to be. I can no longer get a multi in the UK - last one from Vietnam.

You can get a single entry non O in the UK (based on marriage) without any problems. A non O should be just a stepping stone to an extension of stay based on marriage.

On 5/29/2020 at 7:10 AM, Darksidedude said:

What is a   permanent residence permit         im married to a Thai, only thing i can do is get a 12 mth spouse visa every year which is applied for outside of Thailand

 

There is a very good thread,  very long,  about PR in the visa section of TV.

 

Process to get it takes years, and fees are not very cheap. 

You are normally supposed to have been legally working in Thailand and paid taxes, for 3 years. And you must show your contributions to Thai society. Taking care of an ex-prostitute doesn't count. 

 

The average Issarn pensioner will not get it. It's a class thing. 

A troll post has been removed

This thread reminds of the TAT threads where everyone is knowingly told that you should not put all your eggs in one basket.

 

For some reason.....

4 hours ago, john terry1001 said:

You can get a single entry non O in the UK (based on marriage) without any problems. A non O should be just a stepping stone to an extension of stay based on marriage.

I'm fully aware of that, I said 'Multi'. Its impossible for me and others like me to get an extension based on marriage - we don't stay in the country long enough to apply.

At least they are starting to talk about it. It would be my guess that if they are talking about it, they will move forward with a plan.

 

On 5/28/2020 at 2:47 PM, mikecha said:

if that was the case u do not read the forum enough many many ex pats  live here and work away some 1 month some 2 months in oil gas and many other things 

maybe u dont like it here but many many others do so kindley put comment when needed 

as they say think before do  

Obviously you are not a Native English speaker and missed the point of the post. 

 

He was saying he does not envy THE PROBLEMS THEY WILL FACE in coming to Thailand. 

 

 

4 hours ago, KhaoYai said:

I'm fully aware of that, I said 'Multi'. Its impossible for me and others like me to get an extension based on marriage - we don't stay in the country long enough to apply.

Then, if you don't want to be treated as a tourist with what (might) comes with it, I would suggest you modify your lifestyle once per year and stay in Thailand long enough to get an annual extension.

 

The Thai visa/extension system may not be perfect but it is Thailand's system. For those of us who qualify legitimately we don't have a big problem. If you want to climb up the ladder in the order of who can return to Thailand 1st,2nd,3rd etc, in my opinion you should put a little more thought into how you stay here and accept that occasionally your lifestyle has to take a back seat. 

 

I don't know about other countries but the UK would definitely not adapt/modify their visa system to suit somebody's lifestyle/travel plans in the way you want to. 

16 hours ago, john terry1001 said:

Then, if you don't want to be treated as a tourist with what (might) comes with it,

And I suggest you do a little re-reading.  At what point did I say I don't want to be treated as a tourist? I actually said that those visiting their wives are not considered as tourists by Thai immigration. When they are discovered they are often told to obtain a Non O visa.  Until recently that was not a problem as Multi Non O's were available from the Thai Embassy in London. When London went over to the E Visa system, that stopped and only single Non O's are available.  I now go Vietnam.

 

I also don't need a lecture on my 'lifestyle' as you call it.  As most do, I work - its normal you know? I can't take 4 to 6 weeks off in order to get an extension and I don't see anywhere in my posts here where I've complained about that - nor have I compared it to the UK's system, what are you going on about? All I said was that someone visiting their wife often should have a  Multi Non O but they are not as easy to get as they used to be.

 

There's a hell of a lot of guys who work on rotational jobs and also use Multi Non O's.  In fact, if you don't actually live permanently in Thailand for whatever reason but visit your wife/family regularly, the Multi Non O is the correct visa to obtain.

 

You seem to take the view that those on extensions are somehow superior to people on Multi Non O's - I have news for you, you are a guest and your status is no different to mine. Renewal of either of our visas is not guaranteed and both can be revoked at any time.

 

Although nothing has been said yet, I expect that if the potential changes suggested in the OP are made, those on Multi Non O's will also be allowed to visit their wives/families.

Government Official said, foreign nationals to return back to their family soon, March 27, today May 8th,

and still nothing's happening. jai yen yen...

On 5/30/2020 at 1:45 PM, uhuh said:

There is a very good thread,  very long,  about PR in the visa section of TV.

 

Process to get it takes years, and fees are not very cheap. 

You are normally supposed to have been legally working in Thailand and paid taxes, for 3 years. And you must show your contributions to Thai society. Taking care of an ex-prostitute doesn't count. 

 

The average Issarn pensioner will not get it. It's a class thing. 

Agree with most of that but it is nothing to do with class, IMHO.

 

It is about tax contributions, assimilating to the local culture (hence the interview and test in Thai) and whether you are of a good enough character.

42 minutes ago, Moo 2 said:

Government Official said, foreign nationals to return back to their family soon, March 27, today May 8th,

and still nothing's happening. jai yen yen...

Is it May already?

Just now, JCP108 said:

Is it May already?

We're further east, so it's June 8th

4 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

Agree with most of that but it is nothing to do with class, IMHO.

 

It is about ... and whether you are of a good enough character.

That is the class thing. 

58 minutes ago, uhuh said:

That is the class thing. 

When I mentioned good character I meant not having a criminal record, warrant out for arrest, etc. lol.