savannakhet now require bank statement (400k) for 1 year multi visa (non-O marriage or Thai family)

[youreavinalaff]

2 hours ago, MangoKorat said:

You may think so and I would have previously agreed with you but there's an awful lot of foreigners working in Bangkok that are not teachers.  One of my Thai friends is an office manager with a reasonable sized multi national and she tells me that there are over 100 foreigners in her building alone.  Apparently they are well above the required foreigner to Thai employee ratio but they have an 'arrangement' with immigration. Part of her job involves administering that 'arrangement'.

 

Thailand, the country where nothing is as it seems. 😁

Over 100? That's good.

 

There are approximately 11000 expats teaching in Thailand.

 

Like I said, teachers likely make up the large majority of expats working in Thailand.

[MangoKorat]

3 minutes ago, youreavinalaff said:

Over 100? That's good.

 

There are approximately 11000 expats teaching in Thailand.

 

Like I said, teachers likely make up the large majority of expats working in Thailand.

In one office building!!!  You might be surprised to learn that there are thousands of office buildings and businesses in Bangkok.

 

I don't see anywhere like the amount of 'expat' teachers in Thailand as I used to do but whenever I visit areas like Silom, I see an awful lot of foreigners working in that area.  Then you have to consider the Eastern Seaboard Automotive sector - the management of which contains a very high percentage of foreigners.

 

In my area there is a very large foreign owned factory which also has a branch in Chonburi - again, most of the management are foreign.

 

I used to work for a Dubai based construction/civil engineering company with offices throughout Asia - including Thailand.  Our management consisted of 90% expats and that applied to our Bangkok office.  Much of the construction industry (major projects) operate on the same basis - companies just cannot find enough qualified Thai staff.

 

I wouldn't be confident enough to put a number on it but 11,000 seems a small amount to me and I would not be at all surprised if there were 3 or 4 times that number of foreigners working in areas other than teaching in Thailand.

 

 

[rattlesnake]

3 hours ago, MangoKorat said:

You may think so and I would have previously agreed with you but there's an awful lot of foreigners working in Bangkok that are not teachers.  One of my Thai friends is an office manager with a reasonable sized multi national and she tells me that there are over 100 foreigners in her building alone.  Apparently they are well above the required foreigner to Thai employee ratio but they have an 'arrangement' with immigration. Part of her job involves administering that 'arrangement'.

 

Thailand, the country where nothing is as it seems. 😁

Thailand, the country where nothing is as it seems has a price. And that includes visas. 

[bigt3116]

12 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

It doesn't matter that your visa expired when you have an extension of stay. 

He does not have an extension of stay, he has a permission to stay based on the visa in his passport, (totally different).

[bigt3116]

47 minutes ago, rattlesnake said:

Thailand, the country where nothing is as it seems has a price. And that includes visas. 

Everything is free ?

[Tod Daniels]

12 hours ago, JGon said:

I just got back from Savannakhet, Laos. No Multi-Entry Non O Visa (I gave them 5000 baht and the lady at the counter gave me back 3,000 and said only single entry). Oh well... 

 

You SURE you applied for a year long, multi-entry Non-O based on MARRIAGE to a thai? I ask because your VISA has the thai phrase อุปการะบุตรไทย and they write that when you get raising thai child Non-O visas NOT married to a thai Non-O's
I ask because Savannakhet has NEVER issued year-long, multi-entry Non-O visas based on having a thai child

[NanLaew]

16 hours ago, kiddeemak said:

If you have the funds, isn't it easier to go to a local imm office?

 

For me, it was the freedom of NOT having to attend immigration police offices in Thailand, with their tendency to play fast and loose with (or make up) the rules. Getting a visa means a one-time dealing with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (they run the embassies and consulates), and the only immigration jobsworths I have to face are the ones stamping me in/out of Thailand.

[NanLaew]

14 hours ago, sandyf said:

The writing was on the wall when they started to roll out the e-visa platform.

From the e-visa application form

 

10 . Bank statement, showing GBP10,000 minimum, with name & visible

 

The THB400,000 required at Savanakhet works out a bit less than that (at the moment).

[NanLaew]

7 hours ago, MangoKorat said:

Bad but not quite that bad as a single entry can be extended by 60 days to 150 days.  The people I feel really sorry for are the offshore workers who used a MENO as it was intended.  They sometimes find it impossible to comply with the terms of the extension of stay route as their rotations don't allow time.

 

Given these changes, first HCMC and now Savannakhet wanting financials, I think the days of being able to obtain a MENO at either location are numbered - they may go over to Evisa.  What will the offshore workers do then?

 

Go home and get a 1-year MENO from an embassy there? They're offshore workers after all, so they're filthy rich and can afford the one-time extra airfare.

[NanLaew]

7 hours ago, travelerjim said:

18 hours ago, transam said:

How do you know that, were you interrogating the others there...😉

Obviously you are not aware of the Thai Visas issued by Savannakhet. The Non O multi-entry Visa as Married to Thai has been a special situation at Savannakhet with no proof of 400,000 Thai banked money in your Thai bank account.

 

@transam is fully aware of that visa and, like myself, has acquired more than a few of them at Savanakhet.

 

Maybe you missed the winking emoji?

 

7 hours ago, travelerjim said:

YES you can get a 60 Day family visit extension of stay at your local Thai Immigration office for 1900 Thai baht. Ask your local Thai Immigration office for their list of requirements.

 

Better to do an exit/entry just before the visa validity expires, thus obtaining a 90-day stay, and THEN apply for the 60-day extension in-country.

[sandyf]

15 hours ago, MJCM said:

 

And what recent is is of course up to the Consular Officer 😉 

 

Same with the Marriage Registration (KR2) some Immigration offices want it issued on the same day as going to Immigration while others don't mind that it is a couple of day old. TiT!

 

 

Visa applications are not done at immigration offices and such references only muddy the waters in respect of such applications.

[sandyf]

2 hours ago, NanLaew said:

 

The THB400,000 required at Savanakhet works out a bit less than that (at the moment).

Indeed, all visa offices should be asking for the equivalent of 400K THB, being the local requirement for a 12 month stay in Thailand based on marriage.

[JGon]

11 hours ago, kiddeemak said:

Did you get a same day service? Or did you apply on Friday?

I applied Friday (stay the weekend, Monday was a Thai holiday) and pick up the passport on Tuesday. There's hardly anyone there on Friday and I don't mind relaxing a few days.

[transam]

10 hours ago, travelerjim said:

Obviously you are not aware of the Thai Visas issued by Savannakhet. The Non O multi-entry Visa as Married to Thai has been a special situation at Savannakhet with no proof of 400,000 Thai banked money in your Thai bank account.

I have been there at least 12 times for a multi-O.......🤭

[JGon]

4 hours ago, Tod Daniels said:

You SURE you applied for a year long, multi-entry Non-O based on MARRIAGE to a thai? I ask because your VISA has the thai phrase อุปการะบุตรไทย and they write that when you get raising thai child Non-O visas NOT married to a thai Non-O's
I ask because Savannakhet has NEVER issued year-long, multi-entry Non-O visas based on having a thai child

Yes you're correct, this is for a child... not marriage. I applied for a 1 year ME Non O Visa (5,000 Baht). I guess I should've mentioned that before.  

[bob smith]

well that is a shame indeed, I used to like going to Savanny for a few days.

 

Not that I needed to as I have the required funds for an extension, but was nice to know that there was always a friendly embassy to fall back on.

 

Can you feel the screws tightening yet?

I certainly can!!

[transam]

5 minutes ago, JGon said:

Yes you're correct, this is for a child... not marriage. I applied for a 1 year ME Non O Visa (5,000 Baht). I guess I should've mentioned that before.  

I thought Savv didn't do a child based non-O........🤔

[transam]

28 minutes ago, sandyf said:

Indeed, all visa offices should be asking for the equivalent of 400K THB, being the local requirement for a 12 month stay in Thailand based on marriage.

Why's that........?  🤔

[JGon]

Just now, transam said:

I thought Savv didn't do a child based non-O........🤔

 

They do, but only single entry.

[sandyf]

2 minutes ago, transam said:

Why's that........?  🤔

It would be standardisation, of course people only want that when it suits.

[transam]

2 minutes ago, JGon said:

 

They do, but only single entry.

OK...😉

[Watchit]

What's going to happen to the guys who maybe haven't got 400,000 in a Thai account and who may have spunked all their money on houses for their Thai sweethearts and who have no other alternative but to use this visa in order to stay in Thailand?

 

I do feel sorry for those that work offshore and need a visa that allows them to come and go to visit their families.

[Will27]

3 minutes ago, Watchit said:

What's going to happen to the guys who maybe haven't got 400,000 in a Thai account and who may have spunked all their money on houses for their Thai sweethearts and who have no other alternative but to use this visa in order to stay in Thailand?

 

I do feel sorry for those that work offshore and need a visa that allows them to come and go to visit their families.

Has it been confirmed that the money needs to be in a Thai bank account or can any bank account do?

[bigt3116]

1 hour ago, sandyf said:

Visa applications are not done at immigration offices

Oh yes they quite often are !

 

Hence the forms TM86 Application for change of visa (tourist to Non-Imm)

 

and

 

TM87 Application for visa

[NanLaew]

14 minutes ago, Watchit said:

What's going to happen to the guys who maybe haven't got 400,000 in a Thai account and who may have spunked all their money on houses for their Thai sweethearts and who have no other alternative but to use this visa in order to stay in Thailand?

 

Agent and extensions.

 

14 minutes ago, Watchit said:

I do feel sorry for those that work offshore and need a visa that allows them to come and go to visit their families.

 

There's nothing preventing them from dropping the equivalent of $11,000 in their Thai bank account so they can still get the visa.

 

[PJ71]

4 hours ago, NanLaew said:

 

Go home and get a 1-year MENO from an embassy there? They're offshore workers after all, so they're filthy rich and can afford the one-time extra airfare.

Filthy rich yes, stupid, no.

 

Why would they not just get a letter from bank and go to Savankhet, am i missing something here?

[PJ71]

25 minutes ago, Watchit said:

What's going to happen to the guys who maybe haven't got 400,000 in a Thai account and who may have spunked all their money on houses for their Thai sweethearts and who have no other alternative but to use this visa in order to stay in Thailand?

 

I do feel sorry for those that work offshore and need a visa that allows them to come and go to visit their families.

There's no need to feel sorry, they're filthy rich.

 

Some will just go back to tourist visas, i know guys that never stopped doing tourist visas, there was a while it was tricky but now it's situation normal.

 

This is also better for the upcomming tax gonk show that's suggested might happen, better to be on a TV than Non 'O' one would suspect.

[lopburi3]

27 minutes ago, Watchit said:

What's going to happen to the guys who maybe haven't got 400,000 in a Thai account and who may have spunked all their money on houses for their Thai sweethearts and who have no other alternative but to use this visa in order to stay in Thailand?

 

I do feel sorry for those that work offshore and need a visa that allows them to come and go to visit their families.

They still have the option to obtain single entry non immigrant O visa and extend for another 60 days before doing again.  

For those working offshore expect most would have the 400k available in Thailand but if not they likely could get multi entry O visa in home country with show of funds in that country.

[Kenchamp]

Agents are not keen to deal with marriage extensions and if age permits will suggest the retirement extension instead.

 

Those that are under 50 without the required bank balance are the ones with a problem.

[elektrified]

On 10/24/2023 at 1:21 PM, decline said:

website doesn't list the 1-year multi-entry option anymore..

 

https://savannakhet.thaiembassy.org/th/publicservice/non-immigrant-visa-o-visiting-family-member-of-a-thai-nationality-a-sp?page=5d84a44c15e39c26b400453e&menu=5d84a44c15e39c26b400453f

It never listed it, but it was always an option.