Non O Marriage Extension Report (C/Wattana, Wed 26 April)

[Cuchulainn]

Just a quick report on my annual Non Imm 'O' Marriage extension (B400k in the bank) at Chaengwattana today.

 

Everything much the same as last year but with a few differences.

 

1.  Two photocopies of EVERYTHING (passport, wife's ID, marriage certificate, tabien baan, bank letter, KR2 from Amphur, etc) which I had.

2.  As well as showing an updated bank book (today's date) showing over B400k and a bank letter (dated yesterday), the IO wanted a 3 month bank statement as well.

3.   Photocopies of house photos wanted as well as originals.     They caught me out on that one!!

4.   I registered my TM30 during the 'purge' a few years ago and submitted a copy of that.    No further questions asked about it nor asked to 'update' it.

5.   Photocopy of wife's declaration also wanted.    This is the form they give you before you get the queue number outside.    They caught me out on that one too!!

 

Married for 23 years, 14 of which have been Marriage extension category,  but put under the microscope for today's extension.

 

Had to run to the bank for statement and photocopy shop for a few other things, but all in all, went pretty smoothly.

 

While I was waiting, I went to desk L2 to ask what was required for the under consideration stamp next month, and was told passport only. No bank book needed. Guess I'll take it anyway????

 

So, heads up, get EVERYTHING copied twice and a 3 month bank statement.

 

Edited April 26, 2023 by Cuchulainn

[Celsius]

Yes, strangely they didn't ask me to sh

9 minutes ago, Cuchulainn said:

3.   Photocopies of house photos wanted as well as originals.     They caught me out on that one!!

 

Went there a few days ago and didn't have to do this. Also, 2 month bank statement for me, not 3 months,

 

How strange.

[DrJack54]

Thank for excellent report. 

 

I notice that 3 month  Bank Statement was required.

Bank book pages not acceptable?

 

I didn't notice on your list most recent TM47 receipt? 

Edited April 26, 2023 by DrJack54

[Snugs08]

What form is the wife's declaration? Can you download it to avoid endless trips downstairs?

[pagallim]

OK, I'll bolt onto this thread for my recent experience, albeit this was in Phuket Immigration on Friday 22nd April.   Not unlike the OP, married for 13 years, though only the last 5 (of 15 extensions) have been Marriage, the remainder Retirement.

 

Anyway, for the previousl 5 Marriage extensions, used the same photos (1 of us both at house gate showing number, another inside the house - in our case sat together at a dining table).   I keep copies of all documents on a computer, so it's just a case of printing two sets out each time, except for updates of my bank book and a new KorRor 2.

 

Everything went great, but they now want two different photos outside, one showing us full length (which we had), the other from the waist up).   Likewise, they specifically wanted photos of us together in both our bedroom and our kitchen.   I was given the 'under consideration' stamp and passport returned, and my wife was to return on Monday/24th with the extra photos (done).

 

Another odd one, they asked for my wife to make a Line video call to the IO once we got home on the Friday, and we did a walk through showing us at the front gat, kitchen and bedroom.   We have never had a home visit, so can only assume that this was in lieu of one.

 

One final thing, given the amount of extensions happening in Phuket at the moment, I decided to use their on-line appointment system.   This worked well, and was given 2.00 p.m. Friday/22nd.   I printed out the appointment email and had it with me at the due time, and we were ushered to the appropriate IO straight away.

 

 

[pagallim]

6 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Thank for excellent report. 

 

I notice that 3 month  Bank Statement was required.

Bank book pages not acceptable?

 

I didn't notice on your list most recent TM47 receipt? 

3 months statement is standard at least in Phuket, as well as the current TM47 and TM30.

[Cuchulainn]

25 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Thank for excellent report. 

 

I notice that 3 month  Bank Statement was required.

Bank book pages not acceptable?

 

I didn't notice on your list most recent TM47 receipt? 

Updated bank book shown, bank letter given AND 3 month statement required!!

 

Yep, submitted latest 90 days report (2 copies).

[Cuchulainn]

27 minutes ago, Snugs08 said:

What form is the wife's declaration? Can you download it to avoid endless trips downstairs?

I don't know if you can download it.     It's the form given to you (Thai and English) before you are given a queue number for outside seating.

[Cuchulainn]

39 minutes ago, Celsius said:

Yes, strangely they didn't ask me to sh

 

Went there a few days ago and didn't have to do this. Also, 2 month bank statement for me, not 3 months,

 

How strange.

Guess it depends on the mood of the IO!!!????

[aluc]

49 minutes ago, pagallim said:

 

 

Everything went great, but they now want two different photos outside, one showing us full length (which we had), the other from the waist up).   Likewise, they specifically wanted photos of us together in both our bedroom and our kitchen.   I was given the 'under consideration' stamp and passport returned, and my wife was to return on Monday/24th with the extra photos (done).

 

Another odd one, they asked for my wife to make a Line video call to the IO once we got home on the Friday, and we did a walk through showing us at the front gat, kitchen and bedroom.   We have never had a home visit, so can only assume that this was in lieu of one.

 

 

 

 

I applied for Non-O visa on monday 24th and was asked exactly same things as you. But I knew about these photos, because month ago when I went to immigration to ask for required document list for Non-O they gave me that list, which was updated on February 2023.

Also IO did video call with us following morning, to confirm that photos what I give to her is from house where we actually live.

[Bangkok Barry]

19 hours ago, Celsius said:

19 hours ago, Cuchulainn said:

3.   Photocopies of house photos wanted as well as originals.     They caught me out on that one!!

 

Went there a few days ago and didn't have to do this. Also, 2 month bank statement for me, not 3 months,

 

How strange.

Not really. Par for the course. They'll probably be new rules again on Monday.

[Old Croc]

Just did my latest marriage extension at a small office in the north.

Despite my meticulous efforts to get everything correct, they found a number of (non) issues to make the visit as difficult as possible. Despite the appointment guidelines stating it can be done in 30 minutes, it took 3 hours for the second year in a row.

They rejected my TM7 because it was on 2 pages instead of their (new) insistence that it has to be double sided. The female officer also had a problem with the date on the top of the form which was a few days before my visit. I explained this was when I completed and signed the form and it had never been a problem for the previous dozen years, and anyway, could be easily amended. She didn't agree on those points!

Do other offices ask for it to be on one page or accept 2?

I was astounded to find they had photocopied my 90-day notification slip for my next report, included it as part of the application, stamped it and insisted I sign. They were not swayed by my insistence that it was issued by their office as a reminder, not produced by me, was not an official form and had nothing to do with the extension.

Has this happened to anyone else?

 

They sent us back to the bank because they claimed it had to stamp and sign copies of every updated page in the bankbook, not just the ones with transactions for the last few months. The bank said no, we never do, and rang immigration to clarify. It was not mentioned again later.

 

The photos of us in front of the house number were rejected because he claimed they were taken from an angle, and he couldn't read the number.  If this was correct, I wouldn't have presented them. The wife had to go out to a copy shop and print several more old photos from her phone.

 

I had carefully signed every page of the 2 applications and left sufficient room for their stamp to go on top,

They stamped the pages everywhere but on top of my signature and presented me with a huge pile of paper to sign again, Difficult with arthritic fingers. I lost it about here while pointing out the absurdity of it. The female officer threatened to reject the extension if I didn't do what I was told. I eventually acquiesced, but doubt the 100 or so scribbles were close to my actual signature.

Then followed a long period where the main officer tapped away at his PC while asking inconsequential questions about my long dead parents and sibling and my former working life. He continued to produce copies of various forms that I had to sign. When he produced copies of my TM7 I asked why they weren't double sided like he insisted mine had to be, He blamed the computer. 

 

There were other annoyances also, but this is too long already. I'm sure some here will enjoy hearing of my travails.

 

Door to door it was a ten-hour day. I'm glad it only happens once a year.

[Maestro]

@Old Croc  Now you have me and probably quite a few other readers wonder what this small immigration office in the north of Thailand is.

 

Anyway, you have my sympathy.

[Will B Good]

I was grilled last week (married 16 years).......what was my mother's maiden name? How old is my brother? What was my father's first name........by the same guy we see every time we go.

 

First time around I had to bring three neighbours to the IO, from the soi we live on, and they were all interviewed.......?

[vinci]

all my extension only show bank letter and copy of bank book, what is the 2 or 3 month bank statement?

[DrJoy]

On 4/26/2023 at 3:29 PM, Cuchulainn said:

Married for 23 years, 14 of which have been Marriage extension category,  but put under the microscope for today's extension.

 

Had to run to the bank for statement and photocopy shop for a few other things, but all in all, went pretty smoothly.

 

While I was waiting, I went to desk L2 to ask what was required for the under consideration stamp next month, and was told passport only. No bank book needed. Guess I'll take it anyway????

 

So, heads up, get EVERYTHING copied twice and a 3 month bank statement.

 

Edited yesterday at 03:32 PM by Cuchulainn

I have been giving all these documents since the last 5 yrs. 

This is not a new requirement.

 

 

Two photocopies of EVERYTHING (passport, wife's ID, marriage certificate, tabien baan, bank letter, KR2 from Amphur, etc) which I had.

 

At CW, I have supplied only 1 copy of each document, never a problem (I renewed in Dec 2022)

 

Maybe a new requirement to supply two copies?

 

[Old Croc]

8 hours ago, DrJoy said:

I have been giving all these documents since the last 5 yrs. 

This is not a new requirement.

The smaller offices don't have the authorization to approve marriage extensions. They require a second set of documents to send to their designated regional office. This is why they only give a month "Under Consideration" extension initially.

It also explains why, as in my case, junior and inexperienced, officers can go overboard with their petty requirements to try to impress their seniors.

Edited April 27, 2023 by Old Croc

[BangkokAlan]

I went for my stamp last week after my under-consideration period i brough updated bank book and copies of each page, but this year not requested.

[BangkokAlan]

Just now, BangkokAlan said:

I went for my stamp last week after my under-consideration period i brough updated bank book and copies of each page, but this year not requested.

This was at Chaengwattana

[Skipalongcassidy]

24 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

The smaller offices don't have the authorization to approve marriage extensions. They require a second set of documents to send to their designated regional office. This is why they only give a month "Under Consideration" extension initially.

It also explains why, as in my case, junior and inexperienced, officers can go overboard with their petty requirements to try to impress their seniors.

This is it in a nutshell... inexperienced and junior officers think that being a hardass will gain them favor... typical of so many government employees all over the world

[DrJoy]

14 hours ago, Old Croc said:

The smaller offices don't have the authorization to approve marriage extensions

OP mentions his office as CW (Bangkok)

Bangkok office does not send documents anywhere

 

I have provided only 1 set when I renewed in Dec 2022

[tubby johnson]

I'm aware of the new "2 photocopies of everything" rule.

As for financial proof, I always only show a bank letter and copies of my bank book .... however what is the 3 month bank statement?

[Cuchulainn]

Not sure, Tubby!! I had to run downstairs to the bank and ask for it. It took 5 mins and cost B100. Then had to get a photocopy of it. Never even looked at it!!

 

No big deal, just another hurdle I jumped to satisfy the "efficient" IO.

 

It really depends on who you get at the L desks. Sometimes the microscope comes out, sometimes it doesn't.

 

She went thru my docs with a fine tooth comb despite being married for over 20 years.

Edited April 29, 2023 by Cuchulainn

[Cuchulainn]

11 hours ago, DrJoy said:

I have provided only 1 set when I renewed in Dec 2022

Take the kitchen sink with ya next time!!!☺️