On 1/27/2022 at 2:11 PM, Wookie said:

I only put up with the bureaucratic <deleted> here because I like the weather and the scenery and have a great wife. Otherwise I would be on the first flight out.

Pretty much sums it up for the lot of us in the same position.  Sorry you had to deal with this. I just filed my first application for marriage visa and I lawyered up for this very reason

34 minutes ago, Nickelbeer said:

Those rules were NOT in effect when I arrived here. so I kept MY part of the bargain.

Im on retirement extensions.

The rules for money in bank method changed few years back.

I just met the new requirements.

Didn't moan about it. 

On 1/28/2022 at 2:30 AM, ivor bigun said:

ps always use blue ink.

Except when they want you to redo the documents in black.

 

I used to use photocopies to avoid filling in a new form every year, but I doubt they would be acceptable now.

On 1/27/2022 at 1:08 PM, BritManToo said:

And the blue ink trick (although it's only signatures if you push them a little)

The pens they sell inside Pattaya IO have black ink, yet when we submit our paperwork they prefer blue ????

On 1/27/2022 at 1:50 PM, recom273 said:

Not trying to have a dig, but after 12 years you should know about blue ink. Its not even a trick, it's standard procedure, just in the same way some UK government forms can only be filled in black. 

Probably the reason they want you to sign in blue ink instead of Black is when they make copies they can tell which one is the original. That's what my lawyer told me a long time ago.

I do marriage extension every year, its not the huge drama people make it out to be. A couple of extra documents and maybe a quick home visit, but its less money (for less time) in the bank, no insurance requirements, can work etc.

 

This years extension, due to covid, I was in and out of the immigration office in 15 minutes, later that same day a 15 minute home visit to the condo office, a couple of photos and the office staff (witness) ID etc, done for another year.

 

Its like anything, the extra checks exist because the system has been abused in the past.

I just cleaned up this topic and removed several off topic, bickering, basting and etc posts.

On 1/27/2022 at 1:56 PM, Wookie said:

Well they accepted black ink for 12 years. What's annoying is the constant changing of the requirements.

quite agree, today all Ok, next year not Ok, following year back again. 

Just wondering after reading about all this rigamarole and suffering... why not apply for permanent residence if you've been there for over three years? It might be painful for the application, but after it's done, it's pretty much done... and dusted

4 minutes ago, MeHere said:

Just wondering after reading about all this rigamarole and suffering... why not apply for permanent residence if you've been there for over three years? It might be painful for the application, but after it's done, it's pretty much done... and dusted

If memory serves you need to have had a work permit and paid Thai taxes for 3 years.

6 minutes ago, MeHere said:

Just wondering after reading about all this rigamarole and suffering... why not apply for permanent residence if you've been there for over three years? It might be painful for the application, but after it's done, it's pretty much done... and dusted

It is not just staying here for 3 years. You have to be working with a work permit and paying taxes for at least 3 year to apply.

9 minutes ago, MeHere said:

Just wondering after reading about all this rigamarole and suffering... why not apply for permanent residence if you've been there for over three years? It might be painful for the application, but after it's done, it's pretty much done... and dusted

It can take many years, at least three, costs over 100,000 baht and need to speak Thai. I am not interested in learning any more languages.

In addition to the basic requirements or permanent residency - 3 years of paying taxes on an income of at least 40K - there is also a points system.  You get points for owning a business in Thailand, employing a certain number of Thais, having Thai children, being under 40...  While I meet the basic requirements for PR, I am in employee, not an employer, I have no children, I am over 60... I simply do not have the points to qualify for PR.

 

Back to the OP, the real problem with my marriage visa are the random changes in how the requirements are interpreted from year to year.  For example, one year I printed out a Google Map showing where I lived.  I was told to draw a map by hand and include the location of the local police station.  The next year the hand-drawn map was rejected and I was told to give them a Google Map!  Every year my extension is approved, but every year the requirements have some random petty change!

You say blue ink indicates the original from the copy, does that mean IO can't lay their hands on a colour copier.

Dear oh dear.

22 hours ago, zoza said:

a friend of  the wife explained it to us, that all ''Married visa'' was

sent to Bangkok hence the delay, and while there everything is

checked = more work + no bribe= no like...we had an x goverment

employee as witness, they no like big time.

this year she will be with us from day one.

For the marriage extension it depends on where you live. I live in Kamphaeng Phet province which is Immigration region #5, so my copy application goes to Chiang Mai which is the Immigration region #5 head office. 

 

IO  who send their have to send their stuff to Bangkok would be IO under region #1 which would cover Bangkok and some other offices in provinces near to Bangkok.

8 minutes ago, billd766 said:

IO  who send their have to send their stuff to Bangkok would be IO under region #1 which would cover Bangkok and some other offices in provinces near to Bangkok.

Division one is only for Bangkok. Division 3 is for the offices in the central region.

As most of us are retired, I think we have enough time to fill out some more papers and make a few pictures. 2 weeks ago, i made an online appointment at immigration in Korat. There was a special online counter for checking the papers and getting the first stamp in the passport. So no waiting. After 90 min we were on our way home... We have had always a good and friendly service at the immigration

On 1/28/2022 at 12:00 PM, John Drake said:

Why are you so hostile in these topics? What difference does it make to you if someone can or cannot comfortably put away $12,000. I thought the immigration forum was to help people solve problems and get information about what is going on and what to expect at various immigration offices. Not jump down their throat.

Thank you. Spot on. Nearly every time I see someone complaining, or observing a shortfall within Thailand, some lame guy, who has not taken the time to think things through, nor to devote any focus or effort to a reasonable reply, says something like "Perhaps Thailand is not for you", or maybe you should leave, or the top prize, "if you do not like it here, go back to your own country". Or why are you complaining about putting money in the bank? Has he even considered some have less cash, than he does?

 

Hard to even respond to such inane statements. Why? Because I have some issues with the place? Sorry to inform you, but the nature of a discerning mind, is to have issues. 

 

Though absolute contentment must be a beautiful state of mind, it is not something most of us are blessed with, in case you have not noticed. The fact that I complain, does not mean I do not love Thailand, nor most of it's people. I do. I love my life here. I have a very good life here. But, I do have some complaints, and there are some things I would love to see improved. I should leave because of that? Or stop the criticism and make Prayuth proud of bad policy? 

 

 

 

10 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

I do marriage extension every year, its not the huge drama people make it out to be. A couple of extra documents and maybe a quick home visit, but its less money (for less time) in the bank, no insurance requirements, can work etc.

 

This years extension, due to covid, I was in and out of the immigration office in 15 minutes, later that same day a 15 minute home visit to the condo office, a couple of photos and the office staff (witness) ID etc, done for another year.

 

Its like anything, the extra checks exist because the system has been abused in the past.

Same here, 

Perhaps it is different at different location, but my extension based on marriage was a simple and pleasant process. (Khon Kaen) 

At the desk where you sign in and take a number, the girl checks your paperwork, she did find something out of order. (The bank had made a mistake and mixed with my bank certificates one of the documents of someone else's , probably the person that was there before us)

So we went back to the bank and got it straightened out. Came back Immigration, girl checked our paperwork, found everything to be in order, and gave us a number, Fifteen minutes later we were sitting with a very pleasant Immigration officer, and twenty minutes later we had the under consideration stamp. 

Next week two Immigration officers came to out house, a couple of our neighbors came over for witnesses, again all very pleasant, we all had a nice visit and a couple of sodas, I think it was three weeks later that we went back to to IO and got the final extension stamp. 

I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised how easy and pleasant it all was. 

 

On 1/27/2022 at 1:50 PM, recom273 said:

Not trying to have a dig, but after 12 years you should know about blue ink. Its not even a trick, it's standard procedure, just in the same way some UK government forms can only be filled in black. 

Not true. Black ink for forms and blue ink for signatures. (Shows the signature  not a photocopy.)

parent of Thai