Thanks to all forum members, especially @Peter Denis for all the help.

I successfully (so far) applied for NON-O one-year extension at the totally empty Chachoensao IO but IOs seemed bored to death with no work.

 

The staff was super nice all the way through.
 

My situation:
NON-O ME valid til Dec 2020

60day extension used in April
Now on amnesty

What they required, 2 sets of each:
TM7
Passport
Wife’s ID 
Marriage Documents (original and copy of UPDATED Kor Ror 2)
House Documents
Photos (6 of them)
Bank Documents (original statements and certificates issued by the bank, copies of bank book)
---I used the 2 month 40k+ transaction method (Transferwise: Funds for long-term stay, July and August)

Proof of Income (Embassy Notary Certificate)
Map

 

This was weird to me:

The stamp expires Sep 25th and they set the visit our house date on that date, Sep 25th. They said they visit in the morning and later in the day you can go get the stamp for 1-year extension if visit is OK. I thought the visit is normally within 2-3 weeks of the application? Makes me a bit uneasy that there's no wiggle-room at all, with the amnesty ending effectively on the same day too.

Edited August 27, 20205 yr by stoicccc

Congrats with your successful application and many thanks for the report! 

And IMPORTANT > Contrary to the 12 months of +40K monthly income transfers now required at many IOs, your application from an original ME Non Imm O marriage Visa while on the Amnesty was approved with only 2 months of such transfers required.  That is indeed the normal IO policy/practice but since 1-2 weeks IOs in CW, CM, Phuket, Jomtien as well as other local IOs, suddenly required 12 months of such transfers causing despair and havoc on those that already used up their 60-day extensions and lack the time to meet the 2 month seasoning requirement for the alternative 400K funds-in-bank method.

A temporary/administrative relocation to Chachoensao province (situated between Bangkok and Pattaya) may therefor prove an attractive option for those with their backs against the wall because of their local IO unwilling to handle their application.

Edited August 27, 20205 yr by Peter Denis

13 hours ago, stoicccc said:

Proof of Income (Embassy Notary Certificate)

Thanks for the info!
 

Did they specifically ask for this document when your were applying? 

13 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

And IMPORTANT > Contrary to the 12 months of +40K monthly income transfers now required at many IOs, your application from an original ME Non Imm O marriage Visa while on the Amnesty was approved with only 2 months of such transfers required. 

He apparently had proof of income from his embassy which means he did not need the transfers into his bank other than possibley for additional proof to support the document from the embassy.

14 hours ago, stoicccc said:

Makes me a bit uneasy that there's no wiggle-room at all, with the amnesty ending effectively on the same day too.

Congratulations, as they haven't asked you for petrol money, can I recommend you have your wife provide them with a bag of homemade cookies to take with them when they leave.

 

The first time I did mine they asked the wife for 1,500 baht when I did the application, it was for petrol money as it is a 3 hour return trip, I didn't argue, she wasn't impressed, but I saw it as a one off some 4 years ago, having read many similar stories here on TVF.

47 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

He apparently had proof of income from his embassy which means he did not need the transfers into his bank other than possibley for additional proof to support the document from the embassy.

 

58 minutes ago, Eibot said:

Did they specifically ask for this document when your were applying? 

I had the the proof of income from Embassy when I went in and I didn't have the documents for the 40k transfers.
Had to go to BKK Bank to get the documents for the transfers and go back to IO to complete the application.
They needed both the proof of income from embassy and the 40k transfers.

 

42 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

Congratulations, as they haven't asked you for petrol money, can I recommend you have your wife provide them with a bag of homemade cookies to take with them when they leave.

 

The first time I did mine they asked the wife for 1,500 baht when I did the application, it was for petrol money as it is a 3 hour return trip, I didn't argue, she wasn't impressed, but I saw it as a one off some 4 years ago, having read many similar stories here on TVF.

I'll be happy to make them Nordic pancakes myself, they were just off the charts nice and accomodating.

Edited August 28, 20205 yr by stoicccc

11 minutes ago, stoicccc said:

...
They needed both the proof of income from embassy and the 40k transfers.

...

Oops, if Chachoensao IO wants BOTH for the 1-year extension of stay application, that makes using the monthly-income transfer method there also impossible for US, UK and Australian citizens as their Embassies do not issue the income letters anymore. 

But it's good to know that at least they do not insist on a 'valid' permission to stay to handle your application for the 1-year extension, and will do it while on an Amnesty extension (when you meet the requirements for the 1-year extension of stay application).

6 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

Oops, if Chachoensao IO wants BOTH for the 1-year extension of stay application, that makes using the monthly-income transfer method there also impossible for US, UK and Australian citizens as their Embassies do not issue the income letters anymore. 

They would not want both. He probably thought that the transfers were required with the proof from his embassy.

6 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

They would not want both. He probably thought that the transfers were required with the proof from his embassy.

They sent me to the bank the get the records for the transfers.
Embassy letter alone was not enough. Both were needed.

21 minutes ago, stoicccc said:

They sent me to the bank the get the records for the transfers.
Embassy letter alone was not enough. Both were needed.

How did they know you had the transfers?

They would probably of accepted other proof as additional confirmation of your income.

1 minute ago, ubonjoe said:

How did they know you had the transfers?

They would probably of accepted other proof as supporting proof of you income.

The lady at the information desk said immediately as she was scannning through the docs that "Where is bank book? Need 400k". I said I have the Embassy letter. The IOs then looked at the Embassy letter and said something along the lines of "We need the bank book". I said that the embassy letter alone should suffice and that it shows about 90k/month income. They confirmed that with the currency conversion but still said that "We need to see the transactions". Then I just said "Ok, I got the transfers in the bank book, I will go them from the bank."
 

It came obvious to me that you have either
1) 400k seasoned in the bank

2) two 40k transfers AND proof of income.

I don't know exactly what they would have said if I just showed up with the two 40k transfers. However after the IO finished with the docs and the stamps we were sent to the "interview desk"where another lady went through all the docs in the application and prepared more docs for us to sign based on her interview, she didn't first see the Embassy letter, only the bank records and said "Where you get the money? I need proof."

18 hours ago, stoicccc said:

This was weird to me:

The stamp expires Sep 25th and they set the visit our house date on that date, Sep 25th. They said they visit in the morning and later in the day you can go get the stamp for 1-year extension if visit is OK. I thought the visit is normally within 2-3 weeks of the application? Makes me a bit uneasy that there's no wiggle-room at all, with the amnesty ending effectively on the same day too.

If they accepted the application, it's a done deal.

Home visit is just meaningless paperwork and a chance to extort you while having a day out.

Immigration offices are allowed to ask for any information, like an embassy proof of income letter, they deem necessary to support an application.

 

Last year, it was reported here that starting in 2020, Phetchabun Immigration would only accept the 65k baht monthly method for new retirement extensions from those with embassy income verification letters - and the income had to be from a pension.  Those without embassy letters would only have the 800k baht lump sum deposit as an option.

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1083530-the-latest-info-on-retirement-visas-from-immigrations/

19 minutes ago, SEtonal said:

Immigration offices are allowed to ask for any information, like an embassy proof of income letter, they deem necessary to support an application.

 

Last year, it was reported here that starting in 2020, Phetchabun Immigration would only accept the 65k baht monthly method for new retirement extensions from those with embassy income verification letters - and the income had to be from a pension.  Those without embassy letters would only have the 800k baht lump sum deposit as an option.

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1083530-the-latest-info-on-retirement-visas-from-immigrations/

Yes ...that magic line that the i.o.'s can ask additional information or documents is as good as Harry Potters magic stick .....

 

No matter what is on police orders papers..

 

 

Edited August 28, 20205 yr by david555