Any Long-Stayer Ever Been Refused a Visa?

[BritManToo]

Just now, 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 

Yes, one of my pals moved to Cambodia 3 years back when the exchange rate dropped the value of his pensions below the retirement extension requirements. He seems happy enough over there paying $300/year for his VISAs.

[Mac Mickmanus]

2 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

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

I do not know any personally , but if you dont meet the requirements , Immigration will not accept your Wife in lieu of 800 000 Baht in the bank .

   "No, I don't have the funds in the bank, but I'm married" wouldnt be acceptable and the extension would be refused

[OJAS]

1 hour ago, Neeranam said:

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

Presumably your question is aimed primarily at retirees who first entered Thailand with a real genuine McCoy visa of the non-OA variety and who have had to exit Thailand with the aim of obtaining a fresh real genuine McCoy visa of the non-O variety so as to avoid having to comply with the 400k/40k health insurance requirement??????

Edited December 9, 2021 by OJAS

[DrJack54]

32 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

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

If I was married this would be my #1 on wish list.

If Travelling often this is a great visa.

Covid messed lot up with closed borders. Assume it is/will be available in the future.

Knew Savannakhet did them wasn't sure about Saigon. 

Great option for married guys.

[MarcelV]

A few years ago I had to travel to immigration twice as the dates in my employment contract weren't correct. Immigration was unrelenting and sent me back the 70 km to my home with an "under consideration" stamp. I was a bit concerned there, but the second time, with details still incorrect, they pitied me and extended the visa for a year. Strangely enough I didn't get a multiple re-entry permit though, which I managed to get in another province without hassle.

[mokwit]

To date it has just been a formality, but that is because I was able to accommodate the increased length of time/minimum deposit requirements. If they change the deal on people without grandfathering, as they did, and you can't meet the new terms/use alternative means then you will be refused. That was a watershed IMO. Thailand ceased to be a "retirement" destination.

[jwest10]

2 hours 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 .

  

 

1 hour ago, Neeranam said:

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

Neeranam 
Yes see your point about  providing homes and let's face it many ex-pats provide most of the finance but frankly and many years ago saw someone trying to get the Authorities to take in to account this.
They simply want you to meet the financial and other requirements and yes people do get understandably stressed out on renewing and yes many do not have a pot of gold but until the passport is stamped then one does have anxieties.
Many people are struggling and just about all of us are, unless one is very lucky and the same as Thais but not the topic here and don't have to have a minimum in the bank, though some the banks do ask for some monies credited.
No I do not know of anyone but many posts who have families do run the risk of separating but seeing posts that worried for the future but this unfortunately happens in other countries too where there is also a frozen state pension ie Canada just one out of 150 including Thailand.

 

Edited December 9, 2021 by jwest10

[recom273]

39 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

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

For sure, at the same time, we needn’t be asses to them. The woman who we saw in the subsequent year was really nice, the process was really quick and painless, yet could hear the IO from the previous year in the next booth grilling this very obviously wealthy elderly American guy about his financial and marital status (for no reason, in my eyes).. Surely they must attend seminars on psychology and profiling coupled with experience to understand who could possibly have a marriage of convenience or working illegally. 

[IvorBiggun2]

Had my very first married extension refused because I put the money requirement into a joint bank account. All ended good as they allowed me, and the wife, to go back to the bank and change it to just a single account.

Edited December 9, 2021 by IvorBiggun2

[IvorBiggun2]

15 minutes ago, recom273 said:

Surely they must attend seminars on psychology and profiling coupled with experience to understand who could possibly have a marriage of convenience or working illegally. 

As soon as you walk through the IO door the IO's have got you weighed up.

 

Edited December 9, 2021 by IvorBiggun2

[worgeordie]

1 hour ago, Neeranam said:

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

"Thais practice compassion, unlike you."    quoted by you in another thread .

so why would they make people grovel ,when they are so compassionate .

regards worgeordie

[recom273]

1 minute ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

As soon as you walk through the IO door the IO have got you weighed up.

 

Just thinking to myself tho’ 

 

They aren’t very good at their jobs.

I spent years teaching without a work permit, i would get 90 day tourist visas and then a further 30 extension at immigration. 
 

Obviously they knew, but just can’t be bothered to do their jobs, which makes a total mockery of it all and begs the questions, why must we jump through hoops like this constantly. 

[Mac Mickmanus]

38 minutes ago, recom273 said:

For sure, at the same time, we needn’t be asses to them. The woman who we saw in the subsequent year was really nice, the process was really quick and painless, yet could hear the IO from the previous year in the next booth grilling this very obviously wealthy elderly American guy about his financial and marital status (for no reason, in my eyes).. Surely they must attend seminars on psychology and profiling coupled with experience to understand who could possibly have a marriage of convenience or working illegally. 

Thats the concern , getting an I.O that's in a bad mood and just wants to argue and make problems and wants a bit of excitement 

[Mac Mickmanus]

2 minutes ago, recom273 said:

Just thinking to myself tho’ 

 

They aren’t very good at their jobs.

I spent years teaching without a work permit, i would get 90 day tourist visas and then a further 30 extension at immigration. 
 

Obviously they knew, but just can’t be bothered to do their jobs, which makes a total mockery of it all and begs the questions, why must we jump through hoops like this constantly. 

How would they have known that you were working illegally ?

[IvorBiggun2]

1 minute ago, recom273 said:

why must we jump through hoops like this constantly. 

It keeps you in your place and stops you getting complacent.

[Lite Beer]

2 hours ago, userabcd said:

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.

Yes but it probably won't affect you as the requirements will probably be grandfathered.

[mokwit]

2 minutes ago, Lite Beer said:

Yes but it probably won't affect you as the requirements will probably be grandfathered.

That precedent was broken with this Government. Changes were made without Grandfathering.

[recom273]

40 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

How would they have known that you were working illegally ?

I think the big c polyester trousers might have been a give away.

 

Many times I was stopped at the southern border, and interrogated “we know you are working …” 

 

Its just a cat and mouse game, glad I’m out of it now. 

[ubonjoe]

30 minutes ago, mokwit said:

That precedent was broken with this Government. Changes were made without Grandfathering.

The last ones done in March of 2019 did not change the basic financial requirements for a extension of stay.

It lowered the 800k in the bank requirement to 2 months and then the 3 months after and after that 400k baht.

There were no changes made to the 65k baht income option.

The change for those extending a entry from Non-OA visa insurance requirements but it was not the same as a financial requirement change.

[Skallywag]

2 hours 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.

<deleted>, Get a handle on what is important in life.  If your married life requires you investing your 400K to make ends meet, that is crazy.  400K is hardly a nest egg, 3-4 million baht is a nest egg, which allows you to easily keep 400K in the bank each year.   

Never gamble with money you cannot afford to lose, that goes for investing as well IMO

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, userabcd said:

3 hours 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

Those additional requirements were introduced a long time ago, they are not "increasing requirements" which suggests that requirements are currently being amended .

[mokwit]

20 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

There were no changes made to the 65k baht income option.

I thought you had to show proof of actually transferring THB65k every month rather than providing an affidavit witnessed by your Embassy/whatever the UK situation was.

 

A lot of people who were not transferring the full amount - possibly becuase they had expenses to pay in their home country are now required to actually transfer the full amount - that is not a change?

 

Requiring you to keep a minimum THB400K year round is an increase by other means - I had to transfer 400k more because I could not spend 400k of the money from last year - that is not a change? They just kept the headline number the same.

 

They changed it but kept the top line numbers the same to PRETEND they had not changed it.

Edited December 9, 2021 by mokwit

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, mokwit said:

I thought you had to show proof of actually transferring THB65k every month rather than providing an affidavit witnessed by your Embassy/whatever the UK situation was.

I was writing about a change to the 65k baht requirement.

Immigration changed that in December of 2018 after 3 or 4 embassies stopped issuing proof of income at the end of December of that year that were valid for 6 months from the date of issue.

The cover letter for the order had a provision that the 12months of transfers were to be waived to only a 2 or 3 months for the first year.

If your embassy was still doing the proof of income you could still use it.

[1FinickyOne]

3 hours ago, Neeranam said:

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

Not sure. I am 100% legal.. I have to go with them to Immigration but the road is paved. Imm surely knows that the agent has all forms put together properly and so they just need my photo... and the costs re nowhere near 20k - closer to 5k.. 

[giddyup]

14 minutes ago, 1FinickyOne said:

Not sure. I am 100% legal.. I have to go with them to Immigration but the road is paved. Imm surely knows that the agent has all forms put together properly and so they just need my photo... and the costs re nowhere near 20k - closer to 5k.. 

I'm 100% legal as well and been doing it myself for 11 years without a hitch, cost 1900 baht.

[TheScience]

4 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

There are clear criteria for obtaining an extension.

Not really.

 

For instance, after nine years of no problems I was hassled to get a formal lease for our apartment. Prior, we had a rental agreement. The IO informed us of this "problem".

 

The IO took my paperwork and processed it and then told me I must return the next day with a lease or lose b1900 and all my photocopies. Luckily and it was just that the apartment manger came through for me.

 

I also had a letter from immigration to be used for my license stating my legal address. Moreover, I had a formal letter from the apartment on official letterhead stating the amount of time that both my wife and myself have been at the apartment. His identification was also attached to it.

 

While it's understood that this sort of paperwork is required (housing). It is not asked for whatsoever on the official list of documents.

 

Moreover, immigration has no legal right to tell me and my legal wife what sort of contract to enter into to procure living quarters.

 

Arbitrary and capricious comes quickly to mind.

 

She also took the original and not the copy even when I questioned it.

 

There was a small queue outside her cube of panicked farang. What a monster. Quite willing and happy to cost us three days work and another b750 for nothing.

 

Solution: Hey, sorry...we can't accept this any longer so next year you must have a formal lease. Thanks (smile).

 

 

I lost what little respect I had for Immigration that day. The rest of it lost when I returned and saw the line of foreigners. She's obviously new and out to prove something but even her coworkers will end up hating her as she nitpicks the apps, wastes time with returnees and her production drops to nothing.

Edited December 9, 2021 by TheScience

[DrJack54]

3 minutes ago, TheScience said:

I was hassled to get a formal lease for our apartment. Prior, we had a rental agreement.

What is a "rental agreement" and what's the difference from a lease.

[TheScience]

I am of the opinion that is soon as a person starts using an agent if you go back to attempting to do it yourself and there's any indication that an agent was used that they will see that you go back to using an agent in one way or another.

 

You don't save anytime you still have to gather your primary documents anyway.

[giddyup]

5 minutes ago, TheScience said:

Not really.

 

For instance, after nine years of no problems I was hassled to get a formal lease for our apartment. Prior, we had a rental agreement. The IO informed us of this "problem".

 

The IO took my paperwork and processed it and then told me I must return the next day with a lease or lose b1900 and all my photocopies. Luckily and it was just that the apartment manger came through for me.

 

I also had a letter from immigration to be used for my license stating my legal address. Moreover, I had a formal letter from the apartment on official letterhead stating the amount of time that both my wife and myself have been at the apartment. His identification was also attached to it.

 

While it's understood that this sort of paperwork is required (housing). It is not asked for whatsoever on the official list of documents.

 

Moreover, immigration has no legal right to tell me and my legal wife what sort of contract to enter into to procure living quarters.

 

Arbitrary and capricious comes quickly to mind.

 

She also took the original and not the copy even when I questioned it.

 

There was a small queue outside her cube of panicked farang. What a monster. Quite willing and happy to cost us three days work and another b750 for nothing.

 

Solution: Hey, sorry...we can't accept this any longer so next year you must have a formal lease. Thanks (smile).

 

 

I lost what little respect I had for Immigration that day. The rest of it lost when I returned and saw the line of foreigners. She's obviously new and out to prove something but even her coworkers will end up hating her as she nitpicks the apps, wastes time with returnees and her production drops to nothing.

I sympathise, but you can find those petty bureaucrats in just about any country.

[TheScience]

1 minute ago, DrJack54 said:

What is a "rental agreement" and what's the difference from a lease.

It's a great question.

 

Actually, all the paperwork that we provided for the rental agreement is far more detailed.  The total package is about eight pages.

 

The lease is a simple one page proper contract.

 

The whole thing is absolutely insane because all that really matters is whether we are married and whether I have money in the bank in the end that is all that matters for a marriage visa or extension. The photos are another bit of silliness.