It's Time to Change the Annual Visa Extension Approval Process

[MJCM]

 

9 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

 

Just had a quick look.....flight rebooking could be as little as 400 baht??? I could push my departure to April 13/14.

Do you have Twitter or now called X? Contact their service center via there, they are very good and can tell you exactly how much it costs.

[Will B Good]

1 minute ago, MJCM said:

 

Do you have Twitter or now called X? Contact their service center via there, they are very good and can tell you exactly how much it costs.

 

Going to sit on it for a day or two.......I booked direct with Emirates so have an a frequent flyer account with them.

 

This has happened because my IO has always been bang on the money regarding dates, and it never crossed my tiny little mind the extension could be late!!!!!

[MJCM]

6 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

 

Going to sit on it for a day or two.......I booked direct with Emirates so have an a frequent flyer account with them.

 

This has happened because my IO has always been bang on the money regarding dates, and it never crossed my tiny little mind the extension could be late!!!!!

Good idea, I also booked direct with them and as I needed to change dates because I developed an Eye problem, their contact centre via X was excellent. You only need your name and Booking Number when contacting them via DM

[Will B Good]

3 minutes ago, MJCM said:

Good idea, I also booked direct with them and as I needed to change dates because I developed an Eye problem, their contact centre via X was excellent. You only need your name and Booking Number when contacting them via DM

 

 

Brill...cheers.

[orchidfan]

1 hour ago, Will B Good said:

 

Funds went in Dec 2.

 

So I planned to apply for the one year extension Feb 4.

 

If I apply for a 60 day extension instead...on say Feb 10....this would at least get me past the overstay problem....correct?

 

Or I gamble on missing my flight and hope the new extension comes through bang on time April 4......which in Chaiyaphum....it always has SO FAR!! But potentially quite an expensive gamble.

 

 

I fly Emirates all the time to/from Hong Kong and always buy a Flex ticket which, in the case of the Hong Kong flight,  is 1600 baht fee to change the date .

I've used this a number of times.

Takes the worry out of "missing three flight".

[orchidfan]

"Under consideration " date.

 

@DrJack54 FYI

 

For the first time this year Pathum Thani IO had me scan a QR code for LINE which allows me to connect, enter the 4 digit hand written number above the Under Consideration stamp and it immediately tells me if the application is still pending or approved and hence, when to come in and get the "final" extension stamp.

 

Previously had to phone in, quote this number and wait while they rummaged through their paperwork to let me know if it's arrived, and approved, and when to come in.

 

They advised me to start checking it around Jan 10th, being the current under consideration date.

 

Let's see if it works.

(It's called somethingi like "Visa Status Check" in Line Chats)

[orchidfan]

Correction

[DrJack54]

30 minutes ago, orchidfan said:

For the first time this year Pathum Thani IO had me scan a QR code for LINE which allows me to connect, enter the 4 digit hand written number above the Under Consideration stamp and it immediately tells me if the application is still pending or approved and hence, when to come in and get the "final" extension stamp

Was not aware of that.

That would be really helpful. 

[orchidfan]

32 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Was not aware of that.

That would be really helpful. 

Yes it could be if it works   currently says "pending".....but will wait and see.

 

PT imm usually come up with something new each year, like filling out a TM28 for same address, providing my((Oz) parents names and mother's maiden name, my employment before getting married,  wife's divorce confirmation (iver 25 years ago) and change of name etc...

 

But this new one "might" be handy.

[DrJack54]

12 minutes ago, orchidfan said:

PT imm usually come up with something new each year,......

The married guys certainly get put through the ringer compared to extensions retirement.

If any guys 50+ can use income method (65k per month) then of course extensions retirement is an option..

[WDSmart]

Yes, and although I've not applied for an extension based on Marriage for several years (I've since switched to Retirement), I, too, have seen this problem, but my extension was always approved (by Chaing Mai) within the 30 days required.  I think the first step would be to allow the Provincial Immigration officers to approve the extension, and then it can be reviewed by Bangkok or Chaing Mai officers. If all is okay, then no change is needed. If there is something wrong, then the applicant will have to sort that out with the local officers. 

[Andycoops]

I to date haven't had any issues with my 16 annual marriage extensions.

 

It is usually processed within 3 weeks of submission to be made available for me to collect the stamp in the passport.

 

No tea money is requested.

 

Obviously some offices are more inefficient and corrupt than others.

[Rob Browder]

On 12/27/2024 at 7:37 PM, scottiejohn said:

Which for the average pensioner it will!

Not if taken from funds earned before Jan 1, 2024.  Also, for some with dual-tax treaties, not if the source of funds is from a state-pension.

[Rob Browder]

On 12/28/2024 at 8:17 AM, MJCM said:

But the trouble is, that the marriage route gets abused because of arranged fake marriages, that is why the increased scrutiny and the sending off of the documents to the regional HQ.

A couple of guys from India who used it to work illegally?  Those were the "fake marriage" cases cited in the news, which I recall. 

 

A Thai wife - even a "fake" one - would cost more than most agent-solutions currently on-the-table.  Maybe immigration was mad the Thai wife was getting too large a cut of "their" action?  When the agent-cost for marriage-based went up to 35K Baht, following the change, they "fixed" that problem.

[Briggsy]

27 minutes ago, Rob Browder said:

A couple of guys from India who used it to work illegally?  Those were the "fake marriage" cases cited in the news, which I recall. 

The number quoted was 150. The extensions were put through the Nong Bua Lamphu Immigration Office.

[tandor]

On 12/27/2024 at 4:49 PM, sqwakvfr said:

This is something that would never happen in LOS. Let's say the 800,000 or 400,000 is deposited into a special type of account that is locked up and can only be touched with the approval of Immigration.  In essence if one gives up the  Non Imm O retirement or marriage  then the money is released.  In such a scenario because the money is locked  the annual extension could turn into a simple renewal process. For instance going to the local immigration office and pay the renewal fee (of course the fee would be much higher than 1900 Baht) and submit a form that indicates nothing has changed.  Of course thinking efficiently is not a common thing in LOS.   I can see the same type of extension process that currently exists staying for a long time.  Just a wishful thought. 

 

I ponder on this because the PI SRRV has a  smaller deposit requirement but a high application fee and high renewal fee. The SRRV application fee $1400 (over 47,000 Baht) and the simple renewal fee is $360(over 12,000 Baht).  When I say simple, I mean simple. Because it is "always about the money" this idea might fly if Thai culture was willing to consider ideas from other countries. Now back to reality. 

 

"Just keep an open mind"?  Never in the Land of Smiles. 

...agreed..I can't see why Thai Immigration can't have their own Bond Account where we pay our 800/400 in for the duration of our Stay, abolish the 90 Day Reporting for those on Non Immig 'O' extensions...whoopee!

[Thingamabob]

On 12/27/2024 at 1:54 PM, renaissanc said:

I should have gone to the provincial Immigration Office today, but yet again, the extension of my Marriage Visa has not yet been approved by the given date, which is a month after the application. This delay has started to happen more often in recent years. I don't think that Immigration in Bangkok can manage to check and approve the piles of visa renewal documents of hundreds of thousands of foreigners that are sent to them by the provincial Immigration Offices every day. There are just too many foreigners living in Thailand now. It might take another generation or two before this happens, still, it is time for a daring Immigration employee to suggest to the Big Bosses that provincial Immigration Offices should be allowed to approve visa extensions on their own. If the employee is really daring, s/he should suggest to the Big Bosses that visa extensions could be done online, though it might take three to four generations for the Big Bosses to approve this devilishly novel and creative idea.

..and give us 2 or 3 year extensions at 1900 baht per year instead of just the 1 year extension currently. Same income for Immigration Dept., less work for them.

[Unamerican]

On 12/28/2024 at 10:26 AM, bigt3116 said:

Let's say immigration works 340 days a year

No, let’s not!  Since 340 days per year is  more than 6 days per week!! 

[kiwikeith]

On 12/27/2024 at 10:19 PM, Rob Browder said:

Versus the corruption of the ~10K Baht extra needed for the "sign off" guy at the district-office?  Though, that price seems to have gone up, per some reports of agent-assisted marriage-extensions.

 

The whole system top-to-bottom is based on corruption.  This is evidenced by every change made to "stop corruption" only resulting in an increase in the collection of corruption-money.

True

[scorecard]

On 12/28/2024 at 6:41 AM, DrJack54 said:

You are over stating the importance of retired expats in Thailand.

Most of who are very happy with living here.

The financial requirements, especially for married folk are not onerous.

Granted the paperwork across the board could/should be simplified.

 

 

From above:

"You are over stating the importance of retired expats in Thailand."

 

Agree. I laugh when I hear / read posts claiming that millions of Thai families / half of essan is totally supported by foreigners.

 

This is just not true.

 

[DaRoadrunner]

Four visits to obtain one visa. I suggested to the officer in charge that this could have been done in one visit, thereby saving them work. Suggestion fell on deaf ears. No hope of progress at Immigration. You can't fix stupid.

[DrJack54]

19 minutes ago, DaRoadrunner said:

I suggested to the officer in charge that this could have been done in one visit, thereby saving them work.

The officer would have zero interest.

I can recall my mother referring to "Change Management" in her company. That was 50+ years ago.

 

Thai do not use this in immigration.

Surely they do in manufacturing sector etc. Without it there is never improvement in productivity.

 

Sadly when immigration does try and change we get broken systems eg online TM47 etc 

 

[Will B Good]

 

 

When I apply at Chaiyaphum (extension based on marriage) I always get a stamp in my passport telling me what date to return to get the actual extension.

 

Is that the same everywhere?.....and if so, does the IO stick to that date?

 

I checked my old passport and the return date has always been bang on 30 days.

[DrJack54]

2 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

Is that the same everywhere?.....and if so, does the IO stick to that date?

 

I checked my old passport and the return date has always been bang on 30 days.

Yes same everywhere.

Referred to as "under consideration period".

The date they give you to return for final stamp generally accurate however not always.

You can check with your immigration office to see if ready. 

[Rob Browder]

7 hours ago, scorecard said:

 

From above:

"You are over stating the importance of retired expats in Thailand."

 

Agree. I laugh when I hear / read posts claiming that millions of Thai families / half of essan is totally supported by foreigners.

 

This is just not true.

 

"Millions of families" or "half" of them - who said that?  Straw-Man much?

The fact is, a LOT of families in Issan are supported by funds we spend into the Thai economy, which make their jobs exist.  That is 100% True.

[DrJack54]

4 hours ago, Rob Browder said:

The fact is, a LOT of families in Issan are supported by funds we spend into the Thai economy, which make their jobs exist.  That is 100% True.

Have to agree.... I don't like to copy paste too often from AI but ....

"As of 2024, there are approximately 3–4 million foreigners living in Thailand, which is about 5–6% of the country's total population. This makes Thailand one of the countries with the largest expat communities in the world"

 

Not a brag (I'm sure many expats transfer more) 

I transfer 120k baht to live off in Thailand each month.

That does not include real estate or car etc.

It's significant for some sectors. 

Right now on island. Only can see farang plus Chinese.

Yes most are tourists. Many live in Thailand.

Take them away ...then what

 

 

[ericthai]

On 12/27/2024 at 1:04 PM, delboy said:

In 1990 I applied for a one year extension for reason of marriage at Chiang Mai.  The IO had to phone Bangkok to find out what to do.  The application was sent for processing in Bangkok, and then I had to return every 2 weeks (not 1 month as now).  It took 5 months to process.  Then in 1991 I applied for a new extension, and that one took a whole year without a result, then they just told me to apply again, and I needed a new passport.  

dont know why you guys had issues back in the 90's.

Back then I found immigration very easy and laid back, they didn't even care about overstays, would laugh and joke about it. 

[Luuk Chaai]

On 12/28/2024 at 8:17 AM, MJCM said:

+1

But the trouble is, that the marriage route gets abused because of arranged fake marriages, that is why the increased scrutiny and the sending off of the documents to the regional HQ. Although the difference in paperwork retirement / marriage is not that much more,

a fresh copy of the KR 2,the KR3 *original*, and for some IO's pictures of the couple in the house

 

I don't see what everyones complaint is..    it's 5 minutes at the local amphur to get your KR2  maybe 20 mins at the bank to get your

2 month letter ,  and what   15-20 minutes to take 5 photo's around the house ( that includes changing clothes )

the usual time at immigration is 1/2 hour in front of the I/O ( I've never waited more than 45 minutes for my # to be called )

they came to the house 1x to take pictures ..   that was a ten minute visit ..  all pleasant. otherwise the  I/O calls at 5pm and takes  photo's over the Line app ..   so easy peasy ..  Hua Hin Imm is absolutely easy to deal with !

[sandyf]

On 12/27/2024 at 1:54 PM, renaissanc said:

This delay has started to happen more often in recent years. I don't think that Immigration in Bangkok can manage to check and approve the piles of visa renewal documents of hundreds of thousands of foreigners that are sent to them by the provincial Immigration Offices every day.

Last year my wife was told to phone up twice a day to see if the application had been returned, came about 3 days late.

On one of the calls she asked why the delay and was told it was due to immigration having to scrutinise applications from agents more thoroughly to make sure they were not breaching the financial requirements.

[Jaggg88]

On 12/27/2024 at 4:53 PM, DrJack54 said:

BTW not all applications are sent to Bangkok for approval.

Here in Nakhonsawan, the applications are sent to Chiang Mai for approval. In 2023, a 60-day period was 'under consideration' because they were so busy. Last year, it was back to 30 days. I am happy to report that in the 5 years I've been using this office they have been polite and helpful and I've never experienced or heard of any corruption. An elderly neighbour of mine fell while he was in the office so the head IO (female) told his wife he doesn't need to attend anymore as his wife can do it. When he died the IO attended his funeral. She told me that we are all her customers and she wouldn't have a job without us. I wish all the offices operated like this.