How much notice was given to prior amnesties ?

[RubbaJohnny]

How much notice was given the last 2 occasions, days , weeks I cannot recall the timeframe

I realize here may be no further amnesty at all but I was thinking of waiting until about mid September?

 

This will get me through to mid November when perhaps borders would allow me to border bounce on my NON O married

With September 25th looming considering paying for an extension.

I still have the 60 day visit family option but don't wish to waste it as others reported applying early only to find another amnesty.

 

Regardless of Thailand's choice I understand it will depend on neighbours being open and no restrictions on re entry like quarantine of course.

I am lucky in that I can opt for the married or retired by transferring funds if push comes to shove and doors still closed.

Long haul flying seems extremely unattractive to me at present.

 

Is this a good plan ?

Edited August 17, 2020 by RubbaJohnny

[In the jungle]

The last one was ten days in advance.

 

Cabinet decision on 21 July.

 

Amnesty expired on 31 July.

 

Initial press reporting of the cabinet decision was imprecise and at times contradictory.

[RubbaJohnny]

Thanks so need to get my ducks in a row by about 12th September latest.

Anyone recall the timeframe of the spring amnesty?

[ubonjoe]

3 minutes ago, RubbaJohnny said:

Anyone recall the timeframe of the spring amnesty?

The first in a April was only a week or so but the extension was fully expected.

[DrJack54]

OP, you must have your reasons and that's fine. 

If I was a guy on ME marriage and 60 day extension to visit wife up my sleeve, I would of obtained annual extension based on marriage. Then your home free. 

Nothing going to change for quite some time. Borders will not open. 

Can't understand why all ME marriage guys haven't done that already.

[vandeventer]

Is this a good plan ?Yes I think so,If you check with the airlines as to get out of

Thailand you will find they are over booked and there is a long line of canceled 

flights with very few airlines giving your money back only vouchers. Good to

have the 60 days up your sleeve as next month will be impossible to leave.

[Bangkok Barry]

15 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

OP, you must have your reasons and that's fine. 

If I was a guy on ME marriage and 60 day extension to visit wife up my sleeve, I would of obtained annual extension based on marriage. Then your home free. 

Nothing going to change for quite some time. Borders will not open. 

Can't understand why all ME marriage guys haven't done that already.

Maybe because they don't want to tie up 400,000 baht? Especially when there is absolutely no reason to. I'm pretty certain that, as long as borders remain closed and re-entry into Thailand is as complex and difficult as it is, the amnesty will stay in place for those on long term ME visas.

 

If the government decides to play hardball with those supporting a Thai family etc then, and only then, would paying for a 60-day extension come into play. And if, and only if, they don't bend their rule about only allowing one 60-day extension (why???), would the annual extension become the only option.

 

We know though that Thailand has declared that it no longer wants any tourists in the country and they have to leave next month. Why that is, I have no idea and can't even guess why they want to expel even the few tourists they have left, tourists that are surely supporting the Thai economy.

[DrJack54]

51 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Maybe because they don't want to tie up 400,000 baht?

As I understand it, the 400k can be used as soon as the annual permission of stay is obtained. That money can be to live off.

Complaining about what Thai gov may or may not do is basically waste of time.

Especially for those married/family they should be ensuring no issues to remain in Thailand. 

Or they could used monthly bank transfers. Not hard.

[Peter Denis]

HI RubbaJohnny, surely sounds like a good plan in your situation.

Waiting till final days of Amnesty before playing your 60-days extension Joker is wise.

It will provide you with a permission to stay till end of November.

When using the 400K funds-in-bank method to meet the financial requirements for the 1-year extension of stay based on your Non Imm O Visa for reason of marriage, be aware that the funds should be at least TWO months on your personal thai bank-account (not a joint one) prior to applying for the 1 year extension of stay.  So you should transfer them ultimately mid September.

> Also to avoid any unpleasant surprises it would be wise to enquire at your local IO whether they would be willing to accept your application for the 1-year extension of stay at the end of the 60-day extension you will be applying for.  There should be no reason at all for them not accepting it, but In these Amnesty times many IOs are confused and many reported cases of incorrect interpretations that could jeopardize your Good Plan, so better enquire beforehand. 

[Max69xl]

2 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Maybe because they don't want to tie up 400,000 baht? Especially when there is absolutely no reason to. I'm pretty certain that, as long as borders remain closed and re-entry into Thailand is as complex and difficult as it is, the amnesty will stay in place for those on long term ME visas.

 

If the government decides to play hardball with those supporting a Thai family etc then, and only then, would paying for a 60-day extension come into play. And if, and only if, they don't bend their rule about only allowing one 60-day extension (why???), would the annual extension become the only option.

 

We know though that Thailand has declared that it no longer wants any tourists in the country and they have to leave next month. Why that is, I have no idea and can't even guess why they want to expel even the few tourists they have left, tourists that are surely supporting the Thai economy.

"can't even guess why they want to expel even the few tourists they have left, tourists that are surely supporting the Thai economy."

Most of the "tourists" you're talking about are stranded and are not the richest ones at the moment. I don't think they really support the Thai economy. 

[Max69xl]

2 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Maybe because they don't want to tie up 400,000 baht? Especially when there is absolutely no reason to. I'm pretty certain that, as long as borders remain closed and re-entry into Thailand is as complex and difficult as it is, the amnesty will stay in place for those on long term ME visas.

 

If the government decides to play hardball with those supporting a Thai family etc then, and only then, would paying for a 60-day extension come into play. And if, and only if, they don't bend their rule about only allowing one 60-day extension (why???), would the annual extension become the only option.

 

We know though that Thailand has declared that it no longer wants any tourists in the country and they have to leave next month. Why that is, I have no idea and can't even guess why they want to expel even the few tourists they have left, tourists that are surely supporting the Thai economy.

Mention one western country where you can keep money in the bank and get 1 year extensions year after year. You can't. Do you really think that 400k or even 800k is a lot of money? It's still your money and when/if leaving you can repatriate it. The 500k for a 5 year Elite Visa is not refundable. 

[Bangkok Barry]

15 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

Most of the "tourists" you're talking about are stranded and are not the richest ones at the moment. I don't think they really support the Thai economy. 

You don't know that, and why should they be expelled anyway?

[Bangkok Barry]

11 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

Mention one western country where you can keep money in the bank and get 1 year extensions year after year. You can't. Do you really think that 400k or even 800k is a lot of money? It's still your money and when/if leaving you can repatriate it. The 500k for a 5 year Elite Visa is not refundable. 

My Thai sister-in-law is living in Hungary at the moment with her Dutch husband. No money required in the bank, and she has a five-year visa. No 90 day reports, no border exits, no visit from immigration to their house. She loves it and appears to have made little if any effort to return to Thailand on a repatriation flight.

[CorpusChristie]

Although you should not assume that just because they previously made announcements , that they will also be making an announcement this time .

  The previously two announcements were needed for clarification about the situation .

The previous announcement still stands "Leave by September 26 th or get the correct visa* , so, its unnecessary to make any further announcements 

[BritManToo]

20 hours ago, RubbaJohnny said:

How much notice was given the last 2 occasions, days , weeks I cannot recall the timeframe

10-14 days.

[BritManToo]

2 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

We know though that Thailand has declared that it no longer wants any tourists in the country and they have to leave next month. Why that is, I have no idea and can't even guess why they want to expel even the few tourists they have left, tourists that are surely supporting the Thai economy.

The Thai government hasn't said anything.

Immigration have said lots of things, but they aren't the guys setting the rules.

[Bangkok Barry]

14 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

3 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

We know though that Thailand has declared that it no longer wants any tourists in the country and they have to leave next month. Why that is, I have no idea and can't even guess why they want to expel even the few tourists they have left, tourists that are surely supporting the Thai economy.

The Thai government hasn't said anything.

Immigration have said lots of things, but they aren't the guys setting the rules.

The Thai government sets the rules that the Immigration Service abides by, as in every country. But, if you are correct, I expect that the government will step in and reverse the decision announced in the Royal Gazette as government policy.

[RubbaJohnny]

29 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

My Thai sister-in-law is living in Hungary at the moment with her Dutch husband. No money required in the bank, and she has a five-year visa. No 90 day reports, no border exits, no visit from immigration to their house. She loves it and appears to have made little if any effort to return to Thailand on a repatriation flight.

I have lived in a cvinyard in Hungary and the culture and people are fine, however unlike here it's a bit frosty every winter and snow while fun as a child it soon turns tropical ladies frigid in my limited experience.

 

I am lucky to have alternatives , however for some it may be a tough decision.For those on whose office require 3 months for non O married and offices that won't accept monthly payments.

While it may be possible to fly some places at a price many states are far more affected than here plus the problems of unknown return, insurance and quarantine. 

While logic is seldom the key driver hereabouts it does seem strange to try to lose the few foreigners spending, already in and no risk in this unique situation.I think they could easily just levy overstay without penalty,blackmarks or bans for those here on a valid visa since lockdown.

[Peter Denis]

50 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

The Thai government hasn't said anything.

Immigration have said lots of things, but they aren't the guys setting the rules.

The main policy/direction is set by the Thai government, and decisions made and confirmed during a Cabinet meeting.

So the intent and background does come from the Thai government.

However, it is Immigration that enforces those decisions in their rules/regulations and procedures.  And of course Immigration has its own agenda which is not always fully aligned with government decisions (somewhat of an understatement).  On top of that you have the impossible immigration legalese communication which consistently succeeds in making things as intransparent and ambiguous as possible.  All this resulting in the chaos of each IO basically interpreting and enforcing the rules according to their own understanding and no consistency in application of rules/regulations over the different IOs.

[trucking]

16 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

Waiting till final days of Amnesty before playing your 60-days extension Joker is wise.

It will provide you with a permission to stay till end of November.

 

However , some offices will not give the extension if the visa has expired. ( one or two reports of this ). They want you to have a valid visa to extend.  My multi O from Savannakhet expires on September 15th so I will ask for the 60 days before this just in case my local office require me to have a valid visa.

 

As for the 60 days there are not a lot of reports back yet as to when the 60 days will start, date of application or the 27th September.

 

For myself I will have to put the 400,000 baht in the bank soon ( grrrrrrrr ) to allow time for the two month seasoning.

 

Plan a visit to Petchabun immigration tomorrow to see what their requirements are.

[jacko45k]

4 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

I have no idea and can't even guess why they want to expel even the few tourists they have left, tourists that are surely supporting the Thai economy.

Perhaps simply to scare off or into action as many as they can, prior to announcing another amnesty close to the wire. Even now I hear of some lucrative options being offered.....

Edited August 18, 2020 by jacko45k

[Peter Denis]

10 minutes ago, trucking said:

However , some offices will not give the extension if the visa has expired. ( one or two reports of this ). They want you to have a valid visa to extend.  My multi O from Savannakhet expires on September 15th so I will ask for the 60 days before this just in case my local office require me to have a valid visa.

As for the 60 days there are not a lot of reports back yet as to when the 60 days will start, date of application or the 27th September.

For myself I will have to put the 400,000 baht in the bank soon ( grrrrrrrr ) to allow time for the two month seasoning.

Plan a visit to Petchabun immigration tomorrow to see what their requirements are.

There are indeed some rogue IOs that will not accept your application for the 60-days for reason of visiting your wife or thai dependant child(ren), when you are not on a 'valid' permission to stay and are applying while on the Amensty extension (e.g. Nonthaburi).

Some IOs are willing to accept it, but insist on having it start from the date your permission to stay expired, making it useless to apply for the 60-day extension (e.g. SriRacha).

Most offices will abide by regular immigration practice and accept your application for the 60-day extension of stay (when you meet the requirements) and will have it start from date of application.  Several reports of IOs when queried confirming this and soundly suggesting to wait with the application till end of the Amnesty.

I have come across only report where the IO not only accepted the application for the 60-day extension of stay but did let it start from 27 September (which is normally only to be used when applying for the special 30-day extension based on an Embassy letter that you are not able to leave the country because your home-country still in lockdown or for medical reasons).

 

> Please do keep us posted on the response from your Petchabun IO when enquiring about your options.  And to make sure, do also check whether IO would be inclined to handle your application for the subsequent 1-year extension of stay based on your Non Imm O Visa from the 'valid' permission to stay your 60-day extension will provide you. 

 

[trucking]

On 8/18/2020 at 12:26 AM, Peter Denis said:

> Please do keep us posted on the response from your Petchabun IO when enquiring about your options.  And to make sure, do also check whether IO would be inclined to handle your application for the subsequent 1-year extension of stay based on your Non Imm O Visa from the 'valid' permission to stay your 60-day extension will provide you. 

 

Well I went to Petchabun today as mentioned  , to get things from the horses mouth.

 

Firstly , contrary to a report I had from a Swedish friend last year who had wanted a few days extension as he was over his 30 days visa on arrival , I found the two guys on duty very friendly and open to all my questions. The small office was not crowded there being only one other applicant there.

 

I did not take my passport as I was only seeking clarification on their stance re extensions.

 

A summary of what I was told is as follows based on my Savannakhet multi entry Non Immigrant 0 visa based on marriage.

 

1) They will only give a 60 day extension to visit wife if the original Non O visa is still valid. ( not 90 day entry stamp , the actual visa ) Mine is valid until September 15th so OK on that count.

 

2) Wife must come on day of application with competed TM7 form , marriage licence , passport photo  , and the confirmation of still being married given at local amper. ( this last they neglected to tell me until I asked if it was necessary . " oh yes ....forgot about that. You need that too "

 

3 ) The 60 day extension begins from the day of application , not according to them , on 27th of September. I showed them the info graphic from Bangkok stating all extensions begin on the 27th September. They laughed and said no , not so. I persisted and said I had used the 1178 hotline and been told it was from the 27th. Nope....date of application here. I let it drop and moved on.

 

4 ) Would having a 60 day extension mean I would not be able to apply for a 1 year extension later ?

      Answer was no , it would not but :-

 

They went into a bit of a huddle at this and said  ' Why not just apply for the 1 year now ? '

 

5 ) I explained that as I understood it there were two requirements for this . Either 400,000 in the bank or 2 monthly deposits of 40,000 ( for first application only ). They said no to the 2 monthly deposits. Only 12 monthly deposits acceptable. I persisted that this was OK for the first application. ' Not here it isn't , otherwise you could just borrow the money from your wife to get the extension.'

( they did not seem to care about the whether the deposits were from pension or savings )

 

6 )  OK then , if I have 400,000 in the bank how long does it have to be in before I can apply for 1 year extension ? Answer as expected .....2 months. 

I thus explained that even if I put the money in the bank today , the 2 months seasoning would go over the amnesty hence the need for a 60 day  extension. The coin dropped and they agreed.

 

 

So those are the main points. As the conversation went back and forth I tried to relate how different offices seemed to have different requirements which was causing some confusion. I asked if everything was at their discretion. Nope , they said they were just carrying out orders they had received. 

 

The whole conversation and my interrogation was very friendly and jokes on either side .  I did however get the impression that perhaps they were not as fully familiar with the latest amnesty rules as they might have been and that therefore all the above is just relating to my own personal experience today . Other reports will probably have points of variance so I guess the best we can do is go ourselves to our own offices and have it out in person.

[Peter Denis]

H

1 hour ago, trucking said:

...

A summary of what I was told is as follows based on my Savannakhet multi entry Non Immigrant 0 visa based on marriage.

 

< Content copy/pasted and addressed in my response >

 

So those are the main points. As the conversation went back and forth I tried to relate how different offices seemed to have different requirements which was causing some confusion. I asked if everything was at their discretion. Nope , they said they were just carrying out orders they had received. 

 

The whole conversation and my interrogation was very friendly and jokes on either side .  I did however get the impression that perhaps they were not as fully familiar with the latest amnesty rules as they might have been and that therefore all the above is just relating to my own personal experience today . Other reports will probably have points of variance so I guess the best we can do is go ourselves to our own offices and have it out in person.

Hi Trucking,

First and foremost, many thanks for this very clear and enlightening report!

Obviously it only relates to how Petchabun IO would be handling an application from an ME Non Imm O Visa with expired permission to stay.  But some very interesting and surprising responses you got!

 

Some comments:

1 - They will only give a 60 day extension to visit wife if the original Non O visa is still valid. ( not 90 day entry stamp , the actual visa ) Mine is valid until September 15th so OK on that count.

>> This is very strange because 'common IO practice' is that the validity date of the Visa on which you entered the country is irrelevant, and that only the type Visa and the permission to stay it provided you are of relevance. 

But I do not doubt what they told you, so this is something to take into consideration.

Note: If your Visa validity would have expired already, I presume that you would have been able to apply for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa and subsequently for the 1-year extension of stay, but that is 'guess-work'.  That could actually be advantageous because the 90-day Non Imm O Visa application does not require any seasoning of funds, and you only need to show that you meet the requirements at the moment of application (which needs to be done with at least 15 < or 23 > days left on your permission to stay).

 

2) Wife must come on day of application with competed TM7 form , marriage licence , passport photo  , and the confirmation of still being married given at local amper. ( this last they neglected to tell me until I asked if it was necessary . " oh yes ....forgot about that. You need that too "

>> That's standard practice for a 60-day extension of stay application, so no surprise there.

 

3 ) The 60 day extension begins from the day of application , not according to them , on 27th of September. I showed them the info graphic from Bangkok stating all extensions begin on the 27th September. They laughed and said no , not so. I persisted and said I had used the 1178 hotline and been told it was from the 27th. Nope....date of application here. I let it drop and moved on.

>> That's again standard practice.  The 27 September date as mentioned on the IO Infographic Announcement is only meant for applications for the special extension of stay based on an Embassy letter (e.g. in case you cannot return to your home-country because it is still in lock-down or for medical reasons from your part). 

But there have indeed been reports of applicants for a 60-day extension where the IO had it start from 27 Sept, but that seems to be the exception as majority of reports indicate that they are provided from date of application.

 

4 ) Would having a 60 day extension mean I would not be able to apply for a 1 year extension later ?

      Answer was no , it would not but :-

They went into a bit of a huddle at this and said  ' Why not just apply for the 1 year now ? '

> See points 5 and 6 - and this initial response must have come as a shock to you!

 

5 ) I explained that as I understood it there were two requirements for this . Either 400,000 in the bank or 2 monthly deposits of 40,000 ( for first application only ). They said no to the 2 monthly deposits. Only 12 monthly deposits acceptable. I persisted that this was OK for the first application. ' Not here it isn't , otherwise you could just borrow the money from your wife to get the extension.'

( they did not seem to care about the whether the deposits were from pension or savings )

>> Once again a surprise.  Insisting on 12 months of +40K monthly-income transfers?  That would require having started with those transfers already in September 2019, and some applicants will not even have been in Thailand at that time!  So, totally devoid of any logic - and with the consequence that it limits your options to the 400K funds-in-bank method, and you might not even have the required 2 months seasoning time left for your 1-year extension of stay application when using that method < as you correctly point out in 6 >

 

6 )  OK then , if I have 400,000 in the bank how long does it have to be in before I can apply for 1 year extension ? Answer as expected .....2 months. 

I thus explained that even if I put the money in the bank today , the 2 months seasoning would go over the amnesty hence the need for a 60 day  extension. The coin dropped and they agreed.

>> Did they indeed agree that you could do the 60-day extension of stay first, to provide you with the necessary time to do the 2 month seasoning of the only available method < 400K on a personal thai bank-account > and then apply for the 1-year extension of stay at the end of the 60 days that 60-day extension of stay would provide you?

This is ESSENTIAL, because you wrote higher under < 4 > that they said it was not possible to apply for the 1-year extension of stay from that intermediate 60-day extension.

But I presume they agreed that their initial response was incorrect.

 

Thanks again for this clear report!

And as you correctly point out, there have been reports from other offices that would have handled your case differently.

It only goes to show that in these crazy Amnesty times with IOs totally confused on how to apply the rules/regulations, that it is not only recommended but actually absolutely necessary to enquire up front at your local IO about your options and how they would handle your application.

So that in case if your local IO is adamant on their interpretation of the rules/regulations during the Amnesty, and which would block your application, that you could still:

a) Engage a 'fixer' Agent to circumvent the requirements they impose;

OR

b) Temporarily/administratively relocate to another province with a more accommodating IO.

Edited August 19, 2020 by Peter Denis

[trucking]

14 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

Did they indeed agree that you could do the 60-day extension of stay first, to provide you with the necessary time to do the 2 month seasoning of the only available method < 400K on a personal thai bank-account > and then apply for the 1-year extension of stay at the end of the 60 days that 60-day extension of stay would provide you?

Yes....they did. But only after a huddle.

 

14 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

This is ESSENTIAL, because you wrote higher under < 4 > that they said it was not possible to apply for the 1-year extension of stay from that intermediate 60-day extension.

But I presume they agreed that their initial response was incorrect.

 

What I think they meant is that if your Non O from Savannah has expired you could not extend 60 days for the reason of visiting your wife.

 

If it has not expired and you extend before it does expire , there is no period where you don't have some kind of permission to stay. The visa and the extension of it are sequential. 

 

As I said , although they were friendly and helpful , I cant's say the appeared 100 % sure of their own answers. When I left I felt that a bit of goal post shifting might not surprise me sometime soon.

 

What I learnt was that from what they told me today , having 2 months of 40,000 transfers was not acceptable. The younger of the guys deferred to his senior but I did not ask if that senior was the head honcho or whether he would have the final say. My wife was listening to all this and felt that the older guy was likely the one actually dealing with applications.

 

One other thing. This older guy told me that if you phone the immigration helpline number you can be put through to the Petchabun office to enquire. This seemed odd to me since others have said on the forum that when you call the help line you can speak to someone with a good command of English. Neither of these guys gave that impression. My Thai is good and we went over the points several times because I felt some of their answers were contrary to reports on TV. Having said that, there was another poster on the forum in another thread that was also told no 60 day extensions on an expired Non O multi.

 

In the end, I now have to apply to the Bank of Mum for a bridging loan since my own money is in a high return bond which I don't want to cash in on default. Money and time lost. 

 

I am still pondering whether to do the 60 days extension then fly home to the UK in November some 6 months late or stay longer. As we know, once you leave....no telling how long or how difficult it would be to return. I had only planned a 4 month trip to the UK ....... not 6 months to a year !!

[BritTim]

On 8/18/2020 at 9:46 AM, Bangkok Barry said:

Maybe because they don't want to tie up 400,000 baht? Especially when there is absolutely no reason to. I'm pretty certain that, as long as borders remain closed and re-entry into Thailand is as complex and difficult as it is, the amnesty will stay in place for those on long term ME visas.

I am not sure why you think visas granted by embassies/consulates outside Thailand will affect the valid reasons of extension under the relevant police orders. Those orders often refer to type of entry (non immigrant versus tourist) but not whether someone has/had a multiple entry visa. I think you are engaging in a lot of wishful thinking.

 

I concede that there is no real logical reason for Thailand making it hard to remain under the prevailing conditions, but you should not underestimate a combination of xenophobia and "rules are rules" that influence decision making here.

[JackThompson]

6 hours ago, trucking said:

5 ) I explained that as I understood it there were two requirements for this . Either 400,000 in the bank or 2 monthly deposits of 40,000 ( for first application only ). They said no to the 2 monthly deposits. Only 12 monthly deposits acceptable. I persisted that this was OK for the first application. ' Not here it isn't , otherwise you could just borrow the money from your wife to get the extension.'

Do they think your wife will xfer the 2 mo-payments from overseas?  Ridiculous!  They are deliberately violating a published-rule, because they disagree with it.  But thanks for the detailed report.

[Peter Denis]

8 hours ago, JackThompson said:

Do they think your wife will xfer the 2 mo-payments from overseas?  Ridiculous!  They are deliberately violating a published-rule, because they disagree with it.  But thanks for the detailed report.

Petchabun IO was suggesting his wife lending him the 400K (and forgetting that he would not be able to season the funds for 2-months, as they initially ruled out doing the 1-year extension after having first applied for the 60-day extension - a statement on which they later backtracked when they understood that would not be possible).

And indeed, requiring the 12 months of +40K monthly income transfers is utterly ridiculous.  It would require him having started with these transfers already since September 2019, and not only was it unnecessary then but it would be an impossible requirement in case he only entered Thailand early 2020 Visa Exempt and then exited to apply for the ME Non Imm O marriage Visa in Savannakhet.

Some IOs have really lost their marbles, and are interpreting the rules 'on the fly' not hindered by logic and adherence to existing rules/regulations.

[Peter Denis]

14 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

...

Some comments:

1 - They will only give a 60 day extension to visit wife if the original Non O visa is still valid. ( not 90 day entry stamp , the actual visa ) Mine is valid until September 15th so OK on that count.

>> This is very strange because 'common IO practice' is that the validity date of the Visa on which you entered the country is irrelevant, and that only the type Visa and the permission to stay it provided you are of relevance. 

...

5 ) I explained that as I understood it there were two requirements for this . Either 400,000 in the bank or 2 monthly deposits of 40,000 ( for first application only ). They said no to the 2 monthly deposits. Only 12 monthly deposits acceptable. I persisted that this was OK for the first application. ' Not here it isn't , otherwise you could just borrow the money from your wife to get the extension.'

( they did not seem to care about the whether the deposits were from pension or savings )

>> Once again a surprise.  Insisting on 12 months of +40K monthly-income transfers?  That would require having started with those transfers already in September 2019, and some applicants will not even have been in Thailand at that time!  So, totally devoid of any logic - and with the consequence that it limits your options to the 400K funds-in-bank method, and you might not even have the required 2 months seasoning time left for your 1-year extension of stay application when using that method < as you correctly point out in 6 >

...

@ubonjoe

Hi UJ, do you have any comments on issues 1 and 5 reported in Trucking's post #23 on the enquiry about his options at Petchabun IO?

> See above - and I added some comments (post #24)

These 2 stances by Petchbun IO fly in the face of regular immigration practice, and when this is 'official procedure during Amnesty times' each of these 2 interpretations by IO can make it impossible for holders of an expired Non Imm O Visa to meet the requirements to apply for a 1-year extension of stay and regularize their stay.

[ubonjoe]

17 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

These 2 stances by Petchbun IO fly in the face of regular immigration practice, and when this is 'official procedure during Amnesty times' each of these 2 interpretations by IO can make it impossible for holders of an expired Non Imm O Visa to meet the requirements to apply for a 1-year extension of stay and regularize their stay.

1. That is completely wrong. There is no requirement anywhere in the  immigration regulations for the actual visa to still be valid.  It appears to be just a excuse to turn people away.

2. That has been a ongoing problem for sometime now. It is ridiculous since it is mentioned in the amendment to police order 138/2557.

Some immigration offices or officers have a mind set it has to be a year for every extension. The only way to fix it would be for the immigration bureau to put out firm instructions that only 2 months are required for the first extension.

Last year it was the same problem when people could not get proof of income from their embassy and were trying to a apply for an extension with only a few months of transfers. There was even a memorandum from the head of immigration that a year was not required for the first year under the new rules. When I was applying for my extension last year using the transfers a officer said one year and I just smiled and said I had 3 years.