Over 50, Married, Thai Child... No 400k Requirement

[talatnat]

We've heard before from the legal-eagles and other well-intentioned members. I don't want to beat that thread again!

I'm slated for a 90-day reporting at Immigration in a couple of days, and I would just like to know if anybody in this category has tried for a yearly extension anywhere other than in Bangkok. Three months ago, I primed my provincial officials about this possibility and received blank stares. But, the Immigration officer was kind enough to go through the rule book, make a few calls to BKK, but the issue was unresolved, so we left saying "next time."

I just want to know if the news has filtered down to the local offices as Sunbelt predicted it would gradually. Anybody tried it yet? Good news or bad news?

Or any new stories from Bangkok itself? I'm prepared for the time and effort needed for me to get my family there, and to seek legal help, but I need to know more about how feasible this is. (I'm prepared for the 400K requirement, so it's more about logistics and effort.)

I just want to know -- and I'm sure there are a lot of us who'd like to know if this is still a viable option.

(Maestro: You were planning for this around this time if I recall correctly?)

[Maestro]

(Maestro: You were planning for this around this time if I recall correctly?)

I wasn’t able to go through with it because my son, an adult, would have been out of Thailand for work and his presence, as well as my wife’s, would have been necessary for the application.

--

Maestro

[Badbanker]

I was give my first 1 month extension and have return in early May for the last 8 months of the extension. Friends at immigration said it should not be a problem.

I have written up a long explanation of how it was done ready to post when I get the final stamp.

Bandbanker

[talatnat]

(Maestro: You were planning for this around this time if I recall correctly?)

I wasn’t able to go through with it because my son, an adult, would have been out of Thailand for work and his presence, as well as my wife’s, would have been necessary for the application.

--

Maestro

Maestro, thank you for picking up on my query since I follow your threads closely. I was unable to reply earlier.

I was give my first 1 month extension and have return in early May for the last 8 months of the extension. Friends at immigration said it should not be a problem.

I have written up a long explanation of how it was done ready to post when I get the final stamp.

Bandbanker

Thank you, too Badbanker. I'll look forward to your post. But if you read this, it would help me a lot to decide whether to push for the minus-400K exemption tomorrow or not. I have the 90-day reporting tomorrow, but about two weeks to actually apply for next year. Would it be too much to ask if you can PM your written post (before you post it here) so that I can have the knowledge to do it right? Good for you, you are a pioneer!

[talatnat]

Quick update:

I did my 90-day reporting run today, and all was pleasant.

On the "Living with Thai child" rule, apparently the local office checked with whomever (or maybe they didn't), and their current interpretation is that it applies if the Thai child is over 20-years-old. I guess this filters down in their minds as a Thai child supporting their elderly parent, and so no 400-K requirement is needed.

I don't recall seeing a 20-year-old-child stipulation in the rule book... Whatever, I was not up to pursueing this given that the office was empty -- all the decision-makers were still on their Songkran holidays.

Bottomline: I don't know if BKK gave the local office this additional qualifier as a way of screening potential applicants, or if was the local office's own interpretation of the rule. (I specifically asked this question, but the officer did not know.)

[Daffy D]

I have the same situation, over 50 with child.

Previously I got a 1 year “O” at Penang no problems by only providing copy of marriage certificate.

This last time under the new regulations could only get 90 days. Testing the waters of the new regulations we went to the local immigration office to ask about the “No Money” one year extension.

No one at the front desk would or could give us an answer so had to wait some time for the big chief to avail himself. He knew nothing about this new ruling and he didn’t care what they did in other offices, in his office I had to show the money. – Well that was helpful.

Ms D then phoned the main Immigration in Bangkok and eventually spoke to someone who said yes they can issue the “No Money” visa from their office. – Great

As it happened we had to go to Bangkok at that time so thought we would go to the immigration office and get the extension or at least confirm the availability. I still had a month left on my visa so there was no urgency but being in there it was an opportunity to check.

We couldn't get passed the front desk as when asking for the department for “over 50 with child” we were told “you need the retirement desk” or the marriage and back to retirement and round in circles.

Having heard some good things about Sunbelt on this forum I then telephoned them and they confirmed they could get this visa.

I had e-mail correspondence with them over the next week or so sending copies of documents and arranged to meet in their office a couple of days before my visa expired to go to immigration.

On the arranged day we arrived at Sunbelt offices in the morning where we met with Kate who would go to immigration with us. Kate, lovely lady, checked all the papers we might need and then we proceeded to immigration where we had to wait for several hours till our number came up.

Kate did all the work for us all we did was just say hello/goodbye to the immigration guy when it was all over.

At this point the application is in only for approval but Kate assured us that if they accept the application it is almost certain it will be approved. We would have to return to the office in 90 days for my passport. As we lived well away from Bangkok Kate offered to collect the passport and send it to us. This we arranged and the passport with the one year “O” duly arrived in the post.

I did not have to provide a bank statement or show any proof of income.

Just one small nitpick the “one year” is from the start of the original 90 days I got in Penang not a continuation of that visa. Guess I can live with that.

Our "child" is just three years old

D.D.

Edited April 21, 2007 by Daffy D

[Maestro]

the passport with the one year “O” duly arrived in the post.

Good to hear of your success story with your application of annual extension of stay for the reason of living with your child. Sunbelt’s efforts at educating at least one officer in the Bangkok Immigration office about this new type of extension appears to be working.

--

Maestro

[LPCustom69]

We've heard before from the legal-eagles and other well-intentioned members. I don't want to beat that thread again!

I'm slated for a 90-day reporting at Immigration in a couple of days, and I would just like to know if anybody in this category has tried for a yearly extension anywhere other than in Bangkok. Three months ago, I primed my provincial officials about this possibility and received blank stares. But, the Immigration officer was kind enough to go through the rule book, make a few calls to BKK, but the issue was unresolved, so we left saying "next time."

I just want to know if the news has filtered down to the local offices as Sunbelt predicted it would gradually. Anybody tried it yet? Good news or bad news?

Or any new stories from Bangkok itself? I'm prepared for the time and effort needed for me to get my family there, and to seek legal help, but I need to know more about how feasible this is. (I'm prepared for the 400K requirement, so it's more about logistics and effort.)

I just want to know -- and I'm sure there are a lot of us who'd like to know if this is still a viable option.

(Maestro: You were planning for this around this time if I recall correctly?)

Why not just get the 65K letter from the embassy? Seems like less hassles and uncertainty.

[talatnat]

LPCustom69 wrote:

"Why not just get the 65K letter from the embassy? Seems like less hassles and uncertainty."

You are right, the 65-K retirement visa has the least hassles.

But minimizing the financial requirements for a Thai visa/extension minimizes -- to me, anyway -- future uncertainty. I wasn't happy when the retirement visa was bumped from 400k to 800k, but lived with that requirement. I changed to a wife-support extension because it was 400k and gave me the option to work if I wanted to. But the no-400k-option seems to have the greatest hassles at the moment.

Edited April 22, 2007 by talatnat

[talatnat]

Our "child" is just three years old

D.D.

Good to know that, Daffy D. (Coincidentally, our daughter is three, too.) So much for the local office's interpretation of the child having to be at least 20 years.

Oh, I just found another thread where people are posting more success stories:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=117053

Edited April 22, 2007 by talatnat

[phuketrichard]

read here for my experience in PHUKET

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=117250