Marriage Visa Now Requires Home Photos

[boldfj]

I just returned from the Immigration Office on Soi Suan Phlu in Bangkok after submitting all of the documents I read were needed for an extension of stay based on living in Thailand to live with and support my Thai wife. I was told by the Immigration Officer that I also needed at least four photos of my wife and me together (1) standing in front of our house, (2) sitting in our living room, (3) sitting in our bedroom, (4) sitting in another room of the home. I was also told that I couldn't use the form TM.7 that I downloaded from the internet, I believe because the spacing of the form doesn't match the layout of the actual form issued at the Thai Immigration Office. This is the first time I am applying for an extension to my Non-O visa so everything is new to me. My wife and I arrived in Thailand on June 1st this year after living 6 years in the US. I am now retired and we chose to return to Thailand to live. I'm not sure if the photos are a new requirement or if I just happened to catch an Immigration Officer with some new ideas of her own!!! Has anyone else had to provide photos? One other comment, I was surprised when the US Embassy issued my an affidavit of my monthly income, to demonstrate that I had income in excess of 40,000 baht per month. What surprised me was that I didn't have to show any proof to the Consular Associate. I only had to swear before her and pay the $30. I expected to have to provide significant proof.

[bangbuathong]

A Friend of mine encountered almost the same at Sri Racha, photo's where needed standing in front of the house with the house number clearly visible, also photo's of the marriage ceremony and party where required (not the ones you can make in a photo shop).

Edited July 24, 2007 by bangbuathong

[lopburi3]

Yes photos are requirement on first application. But this is first I have heard that the TM.7 is not accepted (you did download from Immigration website and print on A4 paper back-to-back? I used such a form last month, as I did the year before, without a problem here in Bangkok. However they did have to add phone number so perhaps they have a new hard copy form with that included.

Embassy has no way to confirm paperwork you present so they don't require it. You swear to the figure and if Immigration wants they can ask for supporting paperwork.

[boldfj]

Thanks Bangbuathong for your reply about your friend. My photos of the outside also have to show the house number. But I wasn't asked for any photos of the wedding ceramony.

Thanks Lopburi3 for your reply also. I did download from the Thai Immigration website and printed on A4 paper. I didn't, however, print back to back. As I downloaded it, it resulted in 3 sheets, single sided. Also the Thai and English print were not together like they are on the forms given at the Immigration Office. Perhaps I didn't download it correctly or perhaps my computer is still laid out for US-sized paper, not A4.

Anyway, the information I gained from this site was extremely useful and now that I have made some photos of the wife and me at home, I don't expect I'll have any problems thereafter. I must also say that the Immigration Officer was extremely nice, a pleasant surprise.

[lopburi3]

Believe that explains the TM.7 problem - you may not have Microsoft Word installed, or used another program to open the download. Do not believe OpenOffice will format it right. If done in Word it comes out perfect on two pages and proper format. I suspect if you are set up for letter format with the print it could also cause extra page as that is a shorter/wider page.

[Mumbo Jumbo]

We had to show some photo’s which came as a surprise

As I was applying for my 5th one year extension

To my Non ‘O’ visa (married to a Thai citizen, ) but the difference this time was

We had moved to a new province and this time I was applying for the extension in Bangkok and not in the old home province,

So I was told as I had moved to a new Province, my extension application

is being considered as a ‘’First ‘’ extension application , hence the request

for photographs.

Mumbo

[JimmyTheMook]

Also asked for photos of my family and I in front of our house.

An Immigration Officer visited our house and my wife was asked to get someone to sign a document aong with a copy of that persons Thai ID card that we were a married couple living together.

1st application was a pain in the ass, had to bring numerous documents to the Bangkok Consul to get stamped.

Edited July 24, 2007 by JimmyTheMook

[LostInBKK]

I didn't have to present pictures for the 1st visa, though it was optional. The officer said that if I had submitted pictures or shown a birth record of a baby with me named as the father, the visa would be issued instantly. If we were unable to provide pictures or a b/c for a baby, then we had to wait 7 days. I didn't provide either of those items. The passport with visa stamp was ready in 4 days, I picked it up on day 5. The cost was THB 2000.

[lopburi3]

The cost should have been 1,900 baht.

[sua yai]

Pretty much everything that everyone has said about photos etc is my experience. So are visits, but I reckon they were were always necessary. The evidential stuff was rarely done, however.

Hate to say it again, but now Imm want to see the 40k a month coming into a Thai Bank account - at least my local office does. I'm amazed at that.

Despite 9 years here. Despite being with my wife for two years before getting married and then for over 2 years properly married, "they" still want to see some commitment to this country. What?

The thing is that they want the money here. My local office is simply not interested in my history, or more importantly my current earnings that show more than twice that 40k limit. They also don't seem to be too interested in what my wife may have to say about it.

Pretty simple - "bring the lowest amount into the country. That's it". No extension otherwise.

A commitment?

Rant over.

[JimmyTheMook]

Hate to say it again, but now Imm want to see the 40k a month coming into a Thai Bank account - at least my local office does.

Can anyone else confirm this?

I only bring in my cash when needed.

[boldfj]

FYI, during my second visit to the Immigration Office on Soi Suan Phlu today, to give my home photos along with all of the other paperwork I had given yesterday, the Immigration Officer (the second level officer, one apparent level higher than the first lady who made the initial check of all of my documents) told my wife, in Thai, that according to new regulations, we should actually apply for our extension at the Samut Prakan Immigration Office since we live in Samut Prakan. We told her we were not aware of this requirement and she was kind enough to process our paperwork anyway. I return in a few weeks to hopefully collect the extension. She emphasized though that in the future we will have to process future one-year extensions in Samut Prakan. She advised that they are trying to enforce this requirement to reduce the workload on the workers in the Suan Phlu Office. She also mentioned that there should be less people at the offices outside Bangkok and, therefore, the process should be completed in less time.

[KhaoNiaw]

She emphasized though that in the future we will have to process future one-year extensions in Samut Prakan. She advised that they are trying to enforce this requirement to reduce the workload on the workers in the Suan Phlu Office. She also mentioned that there should be less people at the offices outside Bangkok and, therefore, the process should be completed in less time.

Samut Prakan office is usually very quiet, so nothing takes very long there.

[paulfr]

Can confirm the photos are required.

We did it on our first wife visa extension but had to do it again this year. I think the reason for us is that the officer was too lazy to even pull our hard copy file out and see the photos from two years ago. I had to tell her my pension statement from the Embassy was already on file as she wanted an Embassy letter this year. She eventually pulled the file and found it.

We got a one month temporary extension a few weeks ago. Last year I had two of these before getting the full 1 year stamp. This year I hope it will only be one month before I get the full year stamp.

I sure hope this rumor that future documents will need a stamp from some office out by Mong Thong Thani ...Consular Office or Ministry of something. I work every day and it will be a huge pain to have to go out there during business hours.

Ahhhh the trials of an expat in LOS.

[mellow1]

Been doing it for 5 years,never got asked for a photo.No one ever came to our house.I bring in money every 2 months,because I don't want to pay $35 a month for a wire transfer.It exceeds the monthly requirement,but I'm here on the 400,000 Thai wife visa deal.I top off the account with the transfers.Does anyone see this as a future problem.So far,all has gone fine for us.The only time we encountered any friction was last year after the coup,they had a whole new bunch of officials there.Very unfriendly,and they did the whole process over just like the first time I applied.Luckily,I take every family members personal folder every time I go,you never can be sure what to expect.I hear that the old crew has returned to were we go,so it should be much friendlier this year.