Friendly Provincial Immi for Marriage Extensions for money in the bank

[Saraburi121]

Thinking about moving and one of our notes about moving within Thailand is a "user friendly" immigration when it comes to marriage extensions.  We keep much above the 400K so that is not a problem.  One of our considerations about moving is a friendly immigration when it comes to marriage extensions, not retirement extensions, marriage extensions. Married 10 years together just want a change.   Not looking at Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Phuket or Krabi.    

 

Any input based on personal experience especially over multiple years would be appreciated. 

[meatboy]

for over 10yrs i had a fixed bank account for my retirement ext.with well over a million bht in it,korat immigration were always great IO'S knew how the acc.worked,that was untill 2yrs.ago when they started to have so called imm.police volunteers checking your paper work.first they dont know how a fixed acc.works and the last one insisted the 800k.had to be in the bank for 3months before,although my pass book showed it had been untouched for 9yrs,and she couldnt speak a word of english,

2yrs ago we were at imm.for 8hrs.last yr.5hrs.lets see next ext.when i present a bank acc.pass book with the same amount in it but this time it will be A SAVINGS ACCOUNT known in the uk.as a current account.also the volunteer wouldnt except a signed copy of my wife's id,with the blue book confirming my address,that was the same as the previous extensions.

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, Saraburi121 said:

Any input based on personal experience especially over multiple years would be appreciated.

I don't have personal experience (not married), but I suggest you don't be too concerned about immigration office.

For all extensions it seems from many threads that income method sometimes has an issue. 

Your using money in bank. 

That requirement is clear. 

Other than that you won't have an issue.

Just choose to live where it suits you and wife. 

[Gottfrid]

As Dr Jack already posted. I do not see the problem, as you have more than necessary in the bank. When that is a fact, you only have to go by all other rules and show papers they ask for as well as take you wife with you when applying for extension.

[Lite Beer]

As long as you qualify you should not have any problems anywhere.

Pretty straightforward.

I did mine at Khon Kaen Immigration last month and was in and out in less than an hour.

[Orinoco]

The only thing consistent about Immigration in Thailand.

is inconsistency.

What's good this year at your chosen office, may not be good next year.

Don't let immigration be the deciding factor of where you live.

TIT

[cmarshall]

If the OP is over fifty with monthly revenue coming into Thailand of at least ฿65,000 then the retirement visa is more straightforward.  They don't hit you up with new requirements out of the blue.  In my experience at Chaeng Wattana, they just check the bank statement for qualifying transfers for every month.  Then you sign all the documents warning against various infractions and then you are done.  You don't have to go back a month later to get the stamp in your passport.

 

Immigration doesn't seem to like the marriage visa.  In the years when I was doing the marriage visa the officers were forever suggesting that I switch to retirement.  I have no idea why.

[Saraburi121]

4 hours ago, Orinoco said:

The only thing consistent about Immigration in Thailand.

is inconsistency.

What's good this year at your chosen office, may not be good next year.

Don't let immigration be the deciding factor of where you live.

TIT

Very true comment.  Immigration is not a deciding factor but a consideration.  

[Saraburi121]

6 hours ago, Lite Beer said:

As long as you qualify you should not have any problems anywhere.

Pretty straightforward.

I did mine at Khon Kaen Immigration last month and was in and out in less than an hour.

Agree you should not have any problems but some offices give you the run around, what was good last year is not good this year. KK is nice, visited there several times and enjoyed the visits. 

[1FinickyOne]

You do understand that Imm is made up of individuals? 

 

my general assumption is that if you meet the requirements you will be given the visa... sure, it will help if you are polite. 

[CM Dad]

Just now, CM Dad said:

 

It is due to stories like yours that I finally began using an agent three years ago after doing everything myself for almost thirty years.  I pay very little for the service and now my wife and I only go to immigration once a year.  Everything, including 90-day reports, is handled by the agent,  All we do is take a few new photos and send them by phone app to the agent.  After that we meet at the bank for the necessary account paperwork then enjoy a nice lunch during which we sign everything.  The next day we meet at immigration where an IO takes my photo once again, and that is it.  This year we were at Immigration for exactly 13 minutes.  Sabai, sabai...

[Will B Good]

Chaiyaphum......not overly friendly, but far from aggressive.....fairly quiet most days...can book, though I doubt the booking system actually works.

 

(Just booked for Tuesday using their app.....no problem!!!)

[GreasyFingers]

I would have said Phetchabun but with rules changing yearly there were some problems this week. The clerk who looks at the paperwork has been there for years and is normally friendly. This week she was a bit kurt in her attitude when my passport copies were not the right size. I scan them and put them as .jpg into a word document so they are there every year and just print them out. No problem the last 2 years but they were about 5mm too small in width this year so had to have them photocopied on site.

 

However the clerk was soon her normal self and was extremely helpful from then on, even staying back in her lunch break to make sure everything was in order.

 

As Charlie H has pointed out you now have to print your full name, as in MR STUPID BUFFALO FARANG, below each signature on every page. After getting the under consideration stamp I asked the girl if I could use a stamp next time for my name. Her reply was "you could but I do not know what the rules will be next year."

 

So you take your chances every year wherever you are.

[brianthainess]

Trat IO for Koh Chang i would say are friendly and patient but quite strict, as long as you follow their clearly written rules,  there is no problem, its when people turn up without the wanted documents and then get angry with the officers as if its their fault, even then they keep cool and explain what is needed it takes about 1 hr/1.5hr max. Also there is a sub-office on the Island to do your 90 days, takes 5 min. 

[DrJack54]

So we have covered about 3 immigration offices 

Only ~ 73 to go.

The OP needs to pack to move to a friendly imm office.

OP, just move to where you want to live. Silly thread.

[problemfarang]

Probably it was our unlucky day or a bad mood immigration officer, but when i went to extend my non-o with my wife, the immigration officer told me i can do that only where my wife's house book is registered or where ever she is registered. then we went to her registered city and did there. of course faced other problems as always immigration like to create but later was ok.

 

So, just in case be ready to also move your wife's registration to the city you are moving. I dont know whats needed to do that. probably your wife can find it out from the city amphue where you will move.

 

In my 17 yrs in thailand, i never found a friendly immigration to be honest. the level is like bad, worse, worst.  And it is not about me or else. I go there speak thai, nice clothes, very polite and most importantly all paper work is ready in folders, in order, etc. Its really all up to his mood in that day. If he wants, he will find some missing paper work. i remember 1 time he checked all of my paper work 12 times (im not joking) over and over. and at the end even he confessed 'oh, wow couldnt find anything, i was hoping to find' i was shocked. 

 

Also many years before i found out very small city immigrations were really more friendly. But now i dont know.. i couldnt find any friendly one. So my suggestion is try to find a place where you are close to immigration actually. Makes things easy sometimes. You can see some immigration officers around the area, market, local bar, big c, etc. in time that will create some kind of friendship, or you can use it like ohh i remember you, you always go blah blah right? saw you few times... like that. most of the times its useless but can work.

 

good luck

 

 

[JustAnotherHun]

A "friendly" immigration can turn to a worse one from one day to the other. And then? Move again?

I'm not married, but from what I read here the marriage extension means more huzzle. So if it's not due to the funds, why not move to the 800k method instead changing the place to stay?

[problemfarang]

17 hours ago, GreasyFingers said:

After getting the under consideration stamp I asked the girl if I could use a stamp next time for my name.

you cannot. it must be your handwriting. plus anyone can make a fake stamp, thats the point of writing your name and signing it. Also you must use blue ink pen.

[ubonjoe]

12 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

So we have covered about 3 immigration offices 

I can make it 4. I have done 14 extensions based upon marriage at immigration here in Ubon with no major problems.

Nothing new added for almost 10 years now.

About 3 years ago when I first used the transfers of 40k baht from abroad option I waited until about 4 pm to have my documents checked and the officer gave me the impression she did not want to finish it then so after approving them I told her I would return the next day. Returned the next day got it done without any problems.

[DrJack54]

10 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

I can make it 4

The OP stated this......

 

  "We keep much above the 400K so that is not a problem".

 

My point re this thread is that if using money in bank option, the OP hardly needs a thread regarding advice about where to live based on immigration office. 

 

So many threads regarding difficult immigration offices. Often ends up being issue with the applicant.

Pretty lame reason to choose where to live, which is what the OP asked.

 

[ubonjoe]

21 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

So many threads regarding difficult immigration offices. Often ends up being issue with the applicant.

Pretty lame reason to choose where to live, which is what the OP asked.

I agree to a point but not you calling it a lame reason since I consider it a little rude.

[Moonlover]

My general impression, gleaned from the many, many posts over some 7 years on the topic, is that further away from the farang populated areas that you are, the easy the process becomes. 

 

To answer the O/Ps specific question, Sakon Nakhon have always been very friendly and easygoing.

 

Back in the day, I was one of the 1st to report to them for a marriage extension using the income method sans embassy income letter. I had a doorstep of paper which included FETs, Transferwise slips and unstamped, downloaded bank statements. Neither was my passbook updated.

 

No problem at all, they were completely unfazed and with a bit of friendly advice from them, I've managed to refine the process so that it's now easier for both me and them.

 

I've no complaints about Sakon Nakhon at all.

 

[Moonlover]

1 hour ago, problemfarang said:

18 hours ago, GreasyFingers said:

After getting the under consideration stamp I asked the girl if I could use a stamp next time for my name.

 

1 hour ago, problemfarang said:

you cannot. it must be your handwriting. plus anyone can make a fake stamp, thats the point of writing your name and signing it. Also you must use blue ink pen.

When I raised the issue of hand cramp a couple of years ago, the IO suggested I get a stamp made. ????

 

[problemfarang]

41 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

 

When I raised the issue of hand cramp a couple of years ago, the IO suggested I get a stamp made. ????

 

lol nice try, but probably she just had fun with you

[Moonlover]

11 minutes ago, problemfarang said:

53 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

 

When I raised the issue of hand cramp a couple of years ago, the IO suggested I get a stamp made. ????

 

11 minutes ago, problemfarang said:

lol nice try, but probably she just had fun with you

I think not. As I've mentioned above, Sakon Nakhon are pretty easy going.

 

Anyway, I've got round the problem know. I download the Wise slips and bank statements each month and sign then straight away. They're happy with it and no more cramp for me. ????

 

[meatboy]

18 hours ago, Moonlover said:

 

When I raised the issue of hand cramp a couple of years ago, the IO suggested I get a stamp made. ????

 

since 2018 i have had epilepsy now i have a problem signing as before,immigration has been ok.but my bank wont except it now,that was done over 10yrs.ago.

[tlcwaterfall]

1 minute ago, meatboy said:

since 2018 i have had epilepsy now i have a problem signing as before,immigration has been ok.but my bank wont except it now,that was done over 10yrs.ago.

If you have a trusted partner would you consider setting up a power of attorney to allow them to sign for you?

[meatboy]

Just now, tlcwaterfall said:

If you have a trusted partner would you consider setting up a power of attorney to allow them to sign for you?

thanks for the reply T,i have done that with the bank,but they want a signed form every time the wife goes in.wether its to apply for a new book,just last week i wanted them to change my name on one of my accs.from thai TOO english which the acc.name is mr.xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxxxx but because i signed with MR.they wouldnt except it,made my wife come all the way home to get another form,of attorny.

[Peterw42]

OP, I do marriage extension every year at Pattaya (Jomtien). This year, I was in/out in 15 minutes. I literally submit mostly the same documents each year, photos, map etc. 

[Andycoops]

On 2/12/2022 at 10:55 AM, cmarshall said:

If the OP is over fifty with monthly revenue coming into Thailand of at least ฿65,000 then the retirement visa is more straightforward.  They don't hit you up with new requirements out of the blue.  In my experience at Chaeng Wattana, they just check the bank statement for qualifying transfers for every month.  Then you sign all the documents warning against various infractions and then you are done.  You don't have to go back a month later to get the stamp in your passport.

 

Immigration doesn't seem to like the marriage visa.  In the years when I was doing the marriage visa the officers were forever suggesting that I switch to retirement.  I have no idea why.

Because they are lazy and it's less hassle for them as with marriage they have to check that 2 sets of paperwork are in order, 1 set for you, 1 set for your wife.