Saraburi Immi Marriage Ext #5 experience

[Saraburi121]

It's always a joy when the time of year comes to extend the marriage visa. Nice scenic 1.5 hour one way drive to the new office which is a really nice new place.  This extension was the same as the other marriage extensions at this office, full of flip flops from the last and new rules not posted anywhere. Doing due diligence as one should before attempting a task as monumental as a visa extension asked the wife to check the Saraburi Immi website and same same except for pictures of the glorious accomplishments.  Its the same pressure to ask you why you don't want to do a retirement extension as before( I'm over 50), my answer is I have a job pending. Which I do but just haven't found it yet. What do the offices get out of retirement extensions?  To those who say they never had an issue at this office please denote if you were doing a retirement or marriage extension in your reply, big difference at this office. Retirement extensions are greeted with great enthusiasm. To those who have no problem at their provincial immi office please let me know your province and how many pain free years you have been doing your marriage extension, maybe move there. 

 

-Last 90 day I did in person (90 day online never has worked for me, mail works) since I was in the area and I was told explicitly to come at the 30 day mark before expiry of the marriage extension when the IO looked at my passport. Since the 30 day mark was on the weekend showed up today (Monday) and went through the information desk which looked at my passport studiously and said give your information to the IO when she calls you.  First thing said by the officer is you have to come at 7 days before your extension expires not 30 days before.  Contentious subjects such as the "come back at the 7 day before" was only spoken in Thai to my wife and I appreciated the officer not wanting to make me stress. I do understand a little Thai but didn't want to cause a fuss and continued to listen.  Wife asked why and response "rule change". Can we come before and leave papers? No was the answer.  Called the 1178 hotline afterward to see if there was some major rule change but was told each office can make up their own rules which I fully understand after 5 extensions at this office.  Return date just happens to fall on our 10th wedding anniversary which we were talking about spending on a beach in Koh Kood, good thing we didn't make reservations.  Love Saraburi but doesn't quite have the beaches or ambiance that Koh Kood does. Anyway the kind officer did review our package so everything would be ship shape for when we come back. Reminded me a lot of being in primary school with the teacher you hated that made those big pen marks on your paper of your wrong answers.  

 

-Four extensions I filled out the entire TM.7 and signed on the front and back.  Guess Immi never noticed I was doing it wrong all this time but was corrected.  My wife was instructed to fill in and sign the back side of the TM.7 when we come back on the blocks that say "This application written by", address info and a signature by author (writer) Crazy that all those years I filled out the TM.7 I thought the application written by was me and I was applying? If my wife on a marriage extension application form TM.7 has to fill out the back side kind of verifying my address since we live in the same house isn't that kind of like a TM.30? Learn something new every day. 

 

-My photos were 4mm smaller in width portrait format than was accepted last year as detailed by the same officer, rejected. Wish my eyesight was that good.  Have to print some new ones for next time and break out the ruler.  I really want to ensure Immi knows we are living together so next time I will take about 50 pages in different formats so they can see in every way we are still together.  Maybe a few pictures from the drone so they can be entertained by my photography excellence. Second thought is save the drone entertainment for the home visit. 

 

-photo copies of passport pages have to be in portrait 2.5 inches down from the top of the paper (illustration of the correction of my mistake attached) Can't be in landscape. Maybe its to tiring to flip the page around or flip the view if it's scanned.  Whatever I can do to make the job easier! 

 

-another thing that caught me by surprise was told not to date the TM.7.  If we didn't date it wouldn't that negate any proof that I submitted on time?  Shouldn't it be stated on the form "leave blank" so there would be no confusion?

 

-I did do something right this year.  Didn't sign anything beforehand in blue ink and left space on any document do put the stamp for signature on photo copied documents.  For reference  photo attached. No rejection for wrong font on the the TM.7 this year.  I took a TM.7 home last time from immigration last time and photocopied. 

 

-On a good note the professional lady at the Kasikorn Bank in Wang Muang was well versed in getting the required bank letter and statement printout.  Kudos to the small branch!  She didn't look at me like I had three eyeballs when my wife asked for the documents. Took all of 10 minutes. 

 

I have kept copious notes from each visit and had the same officers contradict what they asked for before. Pre visits to verify documents are worthless and I chunked my notes in the trash, too many rule changes.