Another Marathon of paperwork -Thai Wife ext.

[The Hammer2021]

21 hours ago, tgw said:

 

does Thailand have some kind of agency battling the waste of taxmoney ?

 

while I wish immigration authorities in Western countries were more restrictive, but what Thai immigration is doing is often just clownesque, what benefit does the country Thailand get from putting up hassles for extensions that should not be denied unless for imperious reason?

 

what if the old passport had just been lost? would they require a police report for the loss of lost passport, or would they require the embassy to replace an expired passport?

 

might be a case for the administrative court.

An agent resolves these issues..either you have a history of traveling in developing countries, in the  ME,  Africa and Asia  or you don't..People aspire to jobs in public service in such countries to make money by giving service often working  for low salaries. When I was in Kuwait  a small tribe with no powerful  connections ran the driving license authority and thus they gained influence and wealth...Another  small tribe guarded oil installations and extorted money for doing so...When I was in India the post masters were influential. When wealthy whites go through complex immigration  procedures without spreading  some money around to helpers they are considered  cheap and mean and potentially low class.  Try importing good here, if you are inexperienced without using an agent, ie one of the kids hanging  around the counter. Try getting a Saudi visa and work permit with out an agent...Here the agent system is grey not black and white but indisputably very useful.

[The Hammer2021]

10 hours ago, Andycoops said:

Thailand 4.0 has been O.O since it's inception, the idea of computerisation or digitalisation is remove paperwork not increase it but the Thai bureaucracy is so dumb it can't work this out.

People need to be kept in work...it seems dumb  to some dumb foreigners with limited experience and imagination but at least it gives such people something to moan about while assiduously avoiding criticism of their own countries.

[The Hammer2021]

14 hours ago, brianthainess said:

Last year in Trat; 6 photos 2 copies; cut out photos from your A4s stick them to their A4s with a pre-printed Name......................Sign.......................????

dafter by the minute, I am of the opinion all this extra BS is for them to keep their jobs. 

 

Indeed. It serves a purpose but as this thread started  about a Thai wife extension I can see reason for her not to be doing all the heavy lifting

[The Hammer2021]

14 hours ago, berrec said:

I went through a similar exercise with the last two marriage visa extensions, each year just the run around by these clowns at IM was for more paperwork, they could not ever point me to the legal requirement for the additional requests. 

 

As the legislation indicates IM visa approvals are always at the discretion of the IM officer; my wife was in in tears both times.

 

I decided ok enough of this <deleted> i can see what these unscrupulous charters are up to; forcing me to use a visa agent to enhance their financial wellbeing.

 

Found a great agent; he moved me to a retirement visa (as I am an old fart), paid the required IM benevolent fund money and bob's your uncle everything happens each year now with no hassles and a  minimum of paperwork.

 

There is a price to pay for sanity here and you just have to bite the bullet.   

 

Money can buy you anything you like in Thailand as you see daily from all the news items. 

 

This says it all   https://www.nacc.go.th/english

Well done for doing the right thing. See my long post about this. You grew up on the basis of experience. One of my friends tried to go it alone until his wife  straightened him out. He was still a bit doubtful until I explained the context of the system and his role in it...

[stereolab]

11 hours ago, Andycoops said:

Thailand 4.0 has been O.O since it's inception, the idea of computerisation or digitalisation is remove paperwork not increase it but the Thai bureaucracy is so dumb it can't work this out.

All any Immigration office need do is to open a file upon an individual first applying for whatever he needs. On the left hand of the file is a colour photocopy of the passport etc, the main substantiating documents. These are never to be removed from the file. Right hand of file is for future applications etc. Each year you turn up with your passport and application form. No need for any copies.

[problemfarang]

10 hours ago, Denim said:

 

Could you clarify ? 1500 or 15,000 ?

15.000 for re extending it. Your first time will be around 25K - 30K regarding to your nationality. thats how my agency doing.

[Tagged]

When I wanted to keep my old passport they said they could not give it back to me, but after I begged them just in case I needed it for visa, they chopped 1/3 of it off by one of the corners. So I got a big piece of it ????

 

the one before that, they just perforated with holes in it. 

 

 

[foreverlomsak]

16 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

Once you get know what your office requires, it's a no brainer..

There lies the problem, even when you visit the office and get a detailed list of their requirements it is always

we also need this or

you haven't supplied that or

we don't need that anymore (only to be needed again next year) or

new boss wants.

In 15 years I have never been asked for a TM30 receipt for my extension, until this year that it, it was last done 4 years ago when I was working at a school, by the school, and they never gave me a copy, Immigration couldn't find it in the records because I had replaced the passport in the interim. They found it using the number of the previous passport, only because I was able to produce the old passport (not because the old passport number is one of the first things they transfer into your new passport).

[foreverlomsak]

10 hours ago, stereolab said:

All any Immigration office need do is to open a file upon an individual first applying for whatever he needs. On the left hand of the file is a colour photocopy of the passport etc, the main substantiating documents. These are never to be removed from the file. Right hand of file is for future applications etc. Each year you turn up with your passport and application form. No need for any copies.

Your applying common sense and logic to a Thai activity.

This would result in efficiency.

[Individual One]

My renewal experience for the marriage visa was a breeze in Nakhon Pathom. I always bring the wife.  Maybe I should say that she always brings me, Lol, as she's a teacher and a whiz with the paperwork! It sounds to me like the officers were just messing with you to let you know who's boss.  That's a universal trait of bureaucrats everywhere in the world.  If they catch the least whiff of disdain, they suddenly need more stamps, forms and copies to make themselves feel better. 

[Lemsta69]

On 4/24/2021 at 10:32 PM, CharlieH said:

Thats just not true (generally). I have been using that office since it opened AND went there 3 days prior to ask and get all the written requirements and they STILL changed things on the day !

i don't live in Thailand but I have a buddy that's been living there 20+ years. he loves to tell me that he's never had any problems with immigration and that anyone that says they do is either lying or doing something wrong (wrong clothes, not smiling blah blah blah). it's getting quite tiresome dealing with the poor chap.

[CharlieH]

42 minutes ago, Individual One said:

My renewal experience for the marriage visa was a breeze in Nakhon Pathom. I always bring the wife.  Maybe I should say that she always brings me, Lol, as she's a teacher and a whiz with the paperwork! It sounds to me like the officers were just messing with you to let you know who's boss.  That's a universal trait of bureaucrats everywhere in the world.  If they catch the least whiff of disdain, they suddenly need more stamps, forms and copies to make themselves feel better. 

I think your right and my problems are possibly routed in my defiance and refusal to pay the 2000 baht additional "fee" last year !

[DaLa]

On 4/22/2021 at 11:49 PM, DavisH said:

Once I saw a guy in the Nonthaburi office trying to do his marriage extension. They didn't want to do it until his wife arrived at the office. Not sute if that's normal or not. 

I have used Nonthabhuri for the last 6 years and generally (not always) found them to be quite reasonable. I was ‘married’ by ceremony 10 years ago, however we have never ‘legalized’ the event but I still take my ‘wife’ with me for my extensions. I let her do all the talking and it all progresses smoothly.

 

I’m at a loss as to why the ‘married’ route is more arduous requiring more hurdles. Is their a consensus amongst us that believe age is an issue? That is once you are over 65 and in receipt of a UK pension they have a more favourable view of your application.

 

Footnote. I’m from Yorkshire and would never use an agent. Not because of the unethical issues; simply my ‘wife’ is cheaper.

[The Fugitive]

1 hour ago, Individual One said:

My renewal experience for the marriage visa was a breeze in Nakhon Pathom. I always bring the wife.  Maybe I should say that she always brings me, Lol, as she's a teacher and a whiz with the paperwork! It sounds to me like the officers were just messing with you to let you know who's boss.  That's a universal trait of bureaucrats everywhere in the world.  If they catch the least whiff of disdain, they suddenly need more stamps, forms and copies to make themselves feel better. 

Agree! Take a Thai with you, preferably a 'Government' worker, ideally a teacher. Thai to Thai communications always work better and, although many people will never agree with it, a modest tip each time will ensure you never have any problems.  

[CharlieH]

15 minutes ago, DaLa said:

I have used Nonthabhuri for the last 6 years and generally (not always) found them to be quite reasonable. I was ‘married’ by ceremony 10 years ago, however we have never ‘legalized’ the event but I still take my ‘wife’ with me for my extensions. I let her do all the talking and it all progresses smoothly.

 

I’m at a loss as to why the ‘married’ route is more arduous requiring more hurdles. Is their a consensus amongst us that believe age is an issue? That is once you are over 65 and in receipt of a UK pension they have a more favourable view of your application.

 

Footnote. I’m from Yorkshire and would never use an agent. Not because of the unethical issues; simply my ‘wife’ is cheaper.

My opinion is that the "wife" route creates not only more paperwork for the applicant but also creates alot more work for the processing office and where its referred to and back again. Those 90+ pages that I signed, all required stamping and most would need to be also signed by an IO.So they kind of shoot themsel es in the foot by creating or asking for more as they have more to process.

Whereas as an example the "retirement" ext. Which I did for many years, was in and out in 20 minutes or so and there is NO referral or application submission or homevisit etc etc. Its all done and finished on the spot.

[lopburi3]

On 4/24/2021 at 8:40 PM, problemfarang said:

another good reason to use agency. This is also what IO wants so they can make extra money. Simple as that. This is also confirmed a year ago from 1 of my good IO friends.

Tbh i dont mind to pay 15K 1 time in a year instead of seeing a IO face. Agency no headache and so easy... 

The issue with using a 3rd party is you do not have control, or often knowledge, of what they are doing.  If they are using/taking shortcuts to obtain it could come back on you.

Edited April 27, 2021 by lopburi3

[khunPer]

Wow, thanks for sharing your experience, and I thought that Surat Thani's Koh Samui immigration office was difficult, they have that reputation. Happy I can afford extension based on retirement, it seems to be little less complicated.

[OJAS]

3 hours ago, DaLa said:

I’m at a loss as to why the ‘married’ route is more arduous requiring more hurdles. Is their a consensus amongst us that believe age is an issue?

 

I suspect that the issue boils down to the fact that marriage extension applications need to be referred to bigwigs in divisional HQ for final approval (hence the initial 30-day "under consideration" stamp), whereas retirement extension applications are approved on the spot at the local office level. Local offices appear to live in fear of receiving a rollicking from divisional HQ if a single hurdle (be it real or, more likely, perceived) is, in their eyes, left unjumped in the case of marriage extension documentation.

Edited April 27, 2021 by OJAS