I have recently retired/moved to Thailand with my Thai wife and Thai son. I came in on on a Tourist Visa using the Phuket sandbox scheme. I am trying to change my visa to a Thai marriage visa which requires 400,000 baht in the bank. ( I have my bank statements with me) We filled in on the required documents and went to Hua Hin immigration. Before they let us go upstairs with our paperwork they told my wife we needed to transfer ONE TIME 800,000 MORE BAHT into the account. I double and triple checked with my wife as I thought maybe something was lost in translation. My wife told me the women downstairs is telling her that it does not matter how much money you have in the bank you. You need to transfer in, at one time, 800,000 baht in order to get non-O visa to turn into marriage visa. This cannot be right. Any suggestions please!

Try asking for a printed checklist, I recently did my visa extension based on marriage here in Pattaya and they gave me a checklist (printed in Thai ????)

 

Did they get as far as recommending an "agent"?

 

I would bet that is where they were heading!

Edited January 26, 20224 yr by herfiehandbag

18 minutes ago, Gizmosgolf said:

. I am trying to change my visa to a Thai marriage visa which requires 400,000 baht in the bank

You are trying to obtain a non O marriage..

That requires 400k in bank on day of application.

I can't offer an explanation.

Clearly they would have been aware it's marriage and not retirement.

Hopefully ubonjoe can explain to us what's going on with your experience..

4 hours ago, bbko said:

Try asking for a printed checklist, I recently did my visa extension based on marriage here in Pattaya and they gave me a checklist (printed in Thai ????)

 

A checklist in Thai, ahahaa Same as me in Rayong, they gave me a list in Thai and told me next time bring the wife. Can't the IO's think that perhaps one in english might be better, that is if they truly want to assist.

6 minutes ago, herfiehandbag said:

Did they get as far as recommending an "agent"?

Hua Hin have been asking for embassy letter for covid extensions.

Had this issue with couple of friends and had to use agent (time wise thing) 

Perhaps HH now trying games with non O marriage.

Why not...in for a penny in for a pound..

Pound of flesh that is..

Edited January 26, 20224 yr by DrJack54

9 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

A checklist in Thai, ahahaa Same as me in Rayong, they gave me a list in Thai and told me next time bring the wife. Can't the idiot IO's think that perhaps one in english might be better, that is if they truly want to assist.

Learn the language if you want to live here.

16 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

A checklist in Thai, ahahaa Same as me in Rayong, they gave me a list in Thai and told me next time bring the wife. Can't the idiot IO's think that perhaps one in english might be better, that is if they truly want to assist.

The IOs at Maptaphut aren't idiots, in my experience. I don't know about other offices, but there it's pretty much expected that applicants for marriage extensions take their wife along. 

10 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

Learn the language if you want to live here.

Doesn´t it trouble you or make you wonder, how people working inside thai Immigration, announce and direct information towards foreigners, seemingly seems to refuse to use the english language...

 

I mean it is like in Sweden the migrant office would purely use swedish and force any foreigner to learn swedish before they hardly even sat foot in the country....  If you find that OK, than I can say...... I do NOT.

 

glegolo

It seems there was some confusion about what the basis was for your non-o visa application.

You only need for 400k baht in the bank on the day you apply based upon marriage to a Thai.

Here is the requirments from the immigration website. https://www.immigration.go.th/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/6-สมรส-รหัสO.pdf

If the OP's bank account is a joint account, he will need double the 400K

Perhaps that is what HH Immigration mean...

Your bank account is in only your name (not a joint account)?

4 minutes ago, fulhamster said:

If the OP's bank account is a joint account, he will need double the 400K

Perhaps that is what HH Immigration mean...

Good point, but the OP alleges that this IO is disregarding the 400k already in the bank and insistinng on another one-time transfer of 800k. He/she must have got out of bed the wrong side that morning.

2 minutes ago, fulhamster said:

If the OP's bank account is a joint account, he will need double the 400K

Perhaps that is what HH Immigration mean...

I did read report of exactly what you state.

Was upcountry not HH but clearly some offices allow a joint account as long as it has 800k.

I would love if that was available for retirement extensions. 

7 minutes ago, glegolo18 said:

Doesn´t it trouble you or make you wonder, how people working inside thai Immigration, announce and direct information towards foreigners, seemingly seems to refuse to use the english language...

 

I mean it is like in Sweden the migrant office would purely use swedish and force any foreigner to learn swedish before they hardly even sat foot in the country....  If you find that OK, than I can say...... I do NOT.

 

glegolo

What other language should they learn as most people who come here don't speak English

They gave my wife a small photocopied list of requirements and one was 800,000 baht! Clearly they have just made this requirement up! I completely agree that they are just trying to get me to pay a bribe or use an agent! (I did contact an agent and they quoted me 21,000 baht) My problem now is how to move forward! My lovely but brainwashed Isaan wife won’t question authority and I know enough 

Another factor in first sentence.  Did wife and son enter Thailand on Thai passports?

And for clarification the bank account is in my name only.

Yes, my Thai wife and son entered on Thai passports. (My son has Thai and US passport but entered on Thai.

35 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Hua Hin have been asking for embassy letter for covid extensions.

Had this issue with couple of friends and had to use agent (time wise thing) 

Perhaps HH now trying games with non O marriage.

Why not...in for a penny in for a pound..

Pound of flesh that is..

I've never been to, or had dealings with, Hua Hin Immigration, but just about every foreigner I know there uses an agent. That could be what they are looking for?

 

29 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

Learn the language if you want to live here.

Good advice, definitely make things better.

Just now, JeffCordeiro said:

Yes, my Thai wife and son entered on Thai passports. (My son has Thai and US passport but entered on Thai.

In that case along with info that account in your name only, it's clear that there was a misunderstanding.

I'm sure if you go back it will be cleared up. 

21 minutes ago, Eff1n2ret said:

The IOs at Maptaphut aren't idiots, in my experience. I don't know about other offices, but there it's pretty much expected that applicants for marriage extensions take their wife along. 

I'm not doing a marriage extension, one based on monthly income.

7 minutes ago, JeffCordeiro said:

They gave my wife a small photocopied list of requirements and one was 800,000 baht! Clearly they have just made this requirement up! I completely agree that they are just trying to get me to pay a bribe or use an agent! (I did contact an agent and they quoted me 21,000 baht) My problem now is how to move forward! My lovely but brainwashed Isaan wife won’t question authority and I know enough 

21k Baht is a lot of money. Before I paid that I would go back armed with the official requirements linked by Ubonjoe and see what they say. But that's easy for me to suggest, standing up to ingrained corruption is another thing.

13 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

What other language should they learn as most people who come here don't speak English

English alphabet used on road sign, street signs. Hmmmm wonder why that is?  

42 minutes ago, soi3eddie said:

I've never been to, or had dealings with, Hua Hin Immigration, but just about every foreigner I know there uses an agent. That could be what they are looking for?

 

I have couple of friends that needed covid extensions last week at HH. 

They were hit up with embassy letter requirement.

Time was of the essence so sorted with agent.

Hua Hin now joins my list of rubbish immigration offices.

 

30 minutes ago, soi3eddie said:

I've never been to, or had dealings with, Hua Hin Immigration, but just about every foreigner I know there uses an agent. That could be what they are looking for?

 

This says it all:

 

1 hour ago, FritsSikkink said:

Learn the language if you want to live here.

Yes, of  course ! That ties right in with everything else requiring translations into English when dealing with Immigration right?

I'm assuming the 400k has been in the bank for 2 months or longer? I say go back with all the required docs and insist on processing the application (record the whole conversation on your phone when in attendance). If they continue on about the 800k then you simply ask for a detailed explaination of why they need it and  request a signed piece of paperwork explaining the need for the 800k requirement so you can query this elsewhere. If it is not forthcoming ask to see the supervisor and request the same from them. Let's see how confident they are to put their name to this.

 

Don't take any of their s@@t.... once you cave in and pander tho their demands they will have you by the short and curlies and expect it everytime.

3 minutes ago, greenmonkey said:

I'm assuming the 400k has been in the bank for 2 months or longer?

OP, is applying for Non O not for extension.

The 400k is only required to be in bank on day of application.