Any Long-Stayer Ever Been Refused a Visa?

[Neeranam]

Has anyone here on an extended yearly visa ever been refused another one? 

I know many expats who get really worried when their visa ext. time gets close, yet they have  virtually 0 chance, in my opinion, of not getting their extra year. Many have property and kids here but somehow think they will be thrown out the country. 

I've never known anyone to be refused, have you?

[Mac Mickmanus]

Are you talking about the people who meet all the requirements ?

   People who don't meet the requirements will not be given another visa .

  

[DrJack54]

2 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Has anyone here on an extended yearly visa ever been refused another one?

Its an extension to your current permission of stay. 

There are clear criteria for obtaining an extension.

The requirements are either met or not.

So no, your not going to the casino. Your attending immigration with the appropriate paperwork. 

[tonray]

Many have been refused....if they fail to meet the requirments. you cannot just show up without all required and expect an extension.

[Mac Mickmanus]

6 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

I know many expats who get really worried when their visa ext. time gets close, yet they have  virtually 0 chance, in my opinion, of not getting their extra year.

The concern is that maybe immigration will suddenly ask for new documents that they may not be able to provide 

[DrJack54]

1 minute ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

The concern is that maybe immigration will suddenly ask for new documents that they may not be able to provide 

Thats true and the very reason that folk should not leave it till last minute. 

I did my last one only 6 days pre expiry which I think is bit silly.

We are allowed 45/30 days prior so early visit allows time for new doc etc 

[BritManToo]

19 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Has anyone here on an extended yearly visa ever been refused another one? 

Before COVID my problem was always the queues at immigration.

I used to fly to Saigon to avoid them.

Now it's easy, just walk in anytime and be seen immediately.

[userabcd]

It is a precarious situation with the increasing requirements to facilitate a year by year temporary stay.

 

Not yet met anyone who has ever been denied

 

[DrJack54]

3 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Before COVID my problem was always the queues at immigration.

I used to fly to Saigon to avoid them.

Now it's easy, just walk in anytime and be seen immediately.

Out of interest.....what visa were you obtaining in Saigon.

 

[DrJack54]

1 minute ago, userabcd said:

It is a precarious situation with the increasing requirements to facilitate a year by year temporary stay.

 

Not yet met anyone who has ever been denied

 

What are the increasing requirements. 

Exclude the acknowledgement forms. 

[userabcd]

1 minute ago, DrJack54 said:

What are the increasing requirements. 

Exclude the acknowledgement forms. 

Well they changed the money in the bank requirement drastically for retirees, they imposed Thai health insurance for those on the o-a visas/extension of stay, one has to produce updated bank book and a copy thereof when collecting the extension of stay based on marriage, photos sometimes are not to an immigration officers liking so had to go and do what they wanted and submit them.

 

Not insurmountable changes but they are changing and am anticipating in future there will be some increased financial deposit in the bank and compulsory health insurance for all.

[recom273]

I had a moment where I was applying for my marriage extension and the immigration officer had some strange idea that the person who applied the previous year wasn't me, because there was a note on my file that's said I speak excellent Thai, which I do not. The previous officer was really nice and I was happy to blab away to her as her English was pretty poor.

This year was the first months of covid and the IO was mumbling behind a mask, the wife was translating her mumbles and I just wasn't happy to speak Thai to her. 

 

We thought she was joking, and we laughed at her. She asked my parents names, my wife and I looked at one another and said "mum and dad" - She said "Do you know who I am????!!! I am a police captain" - The interview continued downhill, to the point where she wouldn't accept the papers that I was signing, I had to place them on the desk and she would pick them up.

 

When I left I was shaken, thinking that I would be refused.

 

6 weeks later, no phone call, we returned to pick up the stamp, the underlings took my passport while we waited outside - returned 10 mins later - no problems.

 

Thats when I realized, these people have very little powers, they are just paper checkers waiting for their pension.

[Neeranam]

25 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

The concern is that maybe immigration will suddenly ask for new documents that they may not be able to provide 

My point is that they never ask for anything that they can't provide ot pay something under the table to get. 

[greeneking]

Just now, userabcd said:

It is a precarious situation with the increasing requirements to facilitate a year by year temporary stay.

 

Not yet met anyone who has ever been denied

 

Always a worry. 400,000 in the bank for 90 days, though this year they said only need 60 days.

And then they wanted a further form about my monthly income too anyway.

If I applied a month before that is more time with no access to the money, and then there is one month extension under consideration too.

Visit after a few days by Immigration to the house was not after a phone call, but by surprise. Change in policy. Some applicants are not honest apparently so they come not knowing if I am in or not, whether my wife is at work or not, and then we have to find a witness at the last moment who can drop everything and come to the house.

If I really was mafia I would find a way to avoid these problems, I'm sure. Nearly 20 year's now telling them the same things every year.

 

[Neeranam]

35 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Are you talking about the people who meet all the requirements ?

   People who don't meet the requirements will not be given another visa .

  

Yes, those who have the 400/800k in the bank, or have a job. Theya re never refused. 

[Neeranam]

2 minutes ago, greeneking said:

Always a worry. 400,000 in the bank for 90 days, though this year they said only need 60 days.

And then they wanted a further form about my monthly income too anyway.

If I applied a month before that is more time with no access to the money, and then there is one month extension under consideration too.

Visit after a few days by Immigration to the house was not after a phone call, but by surprise. Change in policy. Some applicants are not honest apparently so they come not knowing if I am in or not, whether my wife is at work or not, and then we have to find a witness at the last moment who can drop everything and come to the house.

If I really was mafia I would find a way to avoid these problems, I'm sure. Nearly 20 year's now telling them the same things every year.

 

So you got the visa. 

 

They go to the house I think to see how much money you have and if it is worth trying to get it off you. 

[Neeranam]

4 minutes ago, recom273 said:

Thats when I realized, these people have very little powers, they are just paper checkers waiting for their pension.

Right, but the continued grovelling by foreigners makes them feel important. 

[Dmaxdan]

I knew someone who rather foolishly withdrew some money from his bank account during his under consideration period and was called in early by immigration and told that his marrage extension had been refused because his account balance had dropped below 400k.

 

A few years ago I had a slightly unnerving experience renewing my marriage extension at CM.

The female officer was clearly trying to find a problem with my paperwork and was not going to be content and until she did.

 

First of all, she told us we needed to have the official certificate showing that my wife had changed her surname to mine!

To her clear annoyance, I had the certificate with me in my folder.

I always take it with me just in case although we have never been asked for it before that day or since for that matter.

 

Then, on reading the Kor Ror 2, she noticed that my wife had been married before.

So turned to my wife and said she needed a copy of her divorce certificate, which we didn't have.

By now I was beginning to smell something fishy...

Anyway, she made us return the following day (about a two hour round trip) with a copy of the divorce certificate before she would give me the under consideration stamp.

 

 

 

 

[Neeranam]

7 minutes ago, userabcd said:

Not insurmountable changes but they are changing and am anticipating in future there will be some increased financial deposit in the bank and compulsory health insurance for all.

To be fair, there hasn't been an increase in the visa cost since Taksin increased it from 500 baht to 1900 baht nearly 20 years ago. 

AS Thailand becomes developed, they should have similar requirements to developed countries, for example, the USA ask for 16 million baht to be invested by those wanting to retire there long time.  

[Mac Mickmanus]

2 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

My point is that they never ask for anything that they can't provide ot pay something under the table to get. 

Some immigration offices turn a blind eye to the requirements if you go through an agent , only a few I.O will do that . 

   At those I.O's , there have been some changes recently with certain staff being moved to inactive posts and it remains to be seen whether the new staff will be compliant in their leniency in the requirements............................if you see what I mean  . 

[ThailandRyan]

38 minutes ago, tonray said:

Many have been refused....if they fail to meet the requirments. you cannot just show up without all required and expect an extension.

Unless they decide to pay the fees an agent will charge.  If you are not prepared with what's needed yes you can and will be rejected/denied unless you use a fixer. Even Thai Elite Visa holders get in a bind if they run afoul of the system and do not exit the country just prior to the end of the 12th month, or go and pay the 1900 baht to extend while in the country by using the Elite Visa services they have.  Current OP running on that elsewhere.

[Neeranam]

2 minutes ago, Dmaxdan said:

I knew someone who rather foolishly withdrew some money from his bank account during his under consideration period and was called in early by immigration and told that his marrage extension had been refused because his account balance had dropped below 400k.

I bet he wasn't kicked out the country?

[ballpoint]

I started coming here on short term business visas while based in Singapore in the 80s, back in the days the company had to get a tax clearance stamp in my passport to allow me to leave the country each trip.  Then I moved here full time with a work permit in 1990; Changed to a marriage extension in 1997 when I started working out of Thailand, but still spending half my time here; Carried on with the marriage extension while based in KL and Singapore for 5 years, from 2010 - 2015, when I was only spending a couple of weeks here every now and then, but coming back for a visa extension every year; moved back with a work permit from 2016 - 2019, and then moved to a retirement extension when I finished working.  Every change was seamless, as were/are the annual extensions for each type, which have been done at 4 different immigration offices in Bangkok and 3 different ones up country over the years.  

 

From what I see, the requirements for a marriage extension when I did them back in the late '90s - early 2000s are pretty much exactly the same as they are now, and the only real difference to the retirement extension is the requirement to leave at least 400k baht all year.  I really don't understand those who go on about ever changing requirements and moving goal posts. I have not found that to be the case at all.  For my previous marriage, and current retirement extensions I have a folder on my computer with the required documentation, print them out and sign them each year, get my bank letter and passbook copy and I'm ready.

[1FinickyOne]

25 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I used to fly to Saigon to avoid them.

wouldn't hiring an agent be far more convenient? 

 

or maybe you just want an excuse to get out of the house and you like Vietnam? 

 

I hire an agent and am in and out in 5 minutes... 

[1FinickyOne]

No. I do not know of anyone who qualified who was rejected... 

 

I always qualified but was sometimes a bit anxious because so much depended on the outcome. I have family here. And I was relieved when all went through. Now I use an agent and that takes all the stress out of the process. 

 

 

[Neeranam]

5 minutes ago, 1FinickyOne said:

I hire an agent and am in and out in 5 minutes... 

I thought the point was that you don't have to go. Maybe this is just with the illegal agents that charge 20k?

[ubonjoe]

28 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Out of interest.....what visa were you obtaining in Saigon.

 

A multiple entry non-o visa based upon marriage. I can recall his posts about it before.

[Neeranam]

1 hour ago, tonray said:

Many have been refused....if they fail to meet the requirments. you cannot just show up without all required and expect an extension.

Do you know any who have lived here for years to be thrown out the country?

[Mac Mickmanus]

2 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Do you know any who have lived here for years to be thrown out the country?

Not literally thrown out the Country , but they leave of their own free will when they realise they cannot get further extensions 

[Neeranam]

1 minute ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Not literally thrown out the Country , but they leave of their own free will when they realise they cannot get further extensions 

How long had they lived here? Did they have any family/property?