Extension Of Stay Hearing Date Later Than Visa Expiry

[wandinhk]

Appreciate informed feedback on this situation..

I have had a Non-imm O visa for marriage for a year now. I initially obtained the nonimm O in HK per standard 90 day visa, then came to Thailand had my first extension of stay added as of june 15, 2008. As such it runs out on june 15, 2009. I also have a reentry permit on this visa valid until June 15, 2009.

Last month, I put in for another extension of stay, and they have advised me to come back to 'hear the result' on June 17, 2009. My TM white card in my passport says i must exit thailand by June 15, 2009, (aligned with my existing visa), and this TM card was issued and stamped on May 30, 2008 (as i was out of the country for business AFTER i submitted my application for extension of stay.

Question: By virtue of fact i have a hearing on June 17 to get extension of stay reaproved, Do I NEED to leave thailand on or before June 15 and then renter on june 16 to attend my June 17 hearing ? in fact, if I do leave on say June 13 and return on June 16 , will it screw up the process?

Anyone had experience with the Extension of stay hearing being later than their visa expiry date similar to this?

[lopburi3]

Did you receive a 30 day under review extension of stay when you last made application for one year extension of stay? That should have covered you up until your date to appear if you did. But some offices have reportedly not been providing them. If that was the case you are probably safe.

If you did get a new extension of stay you should have obtained a new re-entry permit to match that date before you traveled. And a new re-entry permit (on the new 30 day stamp) and quick trip would probably be in order.

[ubonjoe]

It is not a hearing it is the date you go back and get the extension stamp in your passport if the extension approval is back to your local office.

Don't worry about your current permit to stay. As long as your application is under consideration you don't have to leave.

Last year when I did my extension my under consideraton date was more than 3 weeks after my permit to stay ran out.

[wandinhk]

Did you receive a 30 day under review extension of stay when you last made application for one year extension of stay? That should have covered you up until your date to appear if you did. But some offices have reportedly not been providing them. If that was the case you are probably safe.

If you did get a new extension of stay you should have obtained a new re-entry permit to match that date before you traveled. And a new re-entry permit (on the new 30 day stamp) and quick trip would probably be in order.

I have a stamp in passport indicating that a review is under consideration for extension and to present myself on June 17. That was issued on May 18. On May 22-30 I had to travel out of thailand for business, but since I had a rentry valid til june 15, i did not think a new reentry stamp was needed.

[lopburi3]

I would advise a quick border trip. You will not be legal after the 15th without it. They might just ignore it but since they did provide a 30 day extension suspect they will notice.

What you should have done was obtained a new re-entry permit for the new extension of stay stamp so the return date would have been the 17th.

[ubonjoe]

You used your re-entry permit when you entered on May 30 and got a permit to stay until June 15 which is the same as your original permit to stay that you got from your last extension. Correct

So you don't have a problem if that is what you did.

Edit: Lop I think he is ok because he used a re-entry permit so he kept his original permit to stay. The under consideration stamp is still valid. If he had entered or does leave and enter without using a re-entry permit he would have to start the application process all over again because he would of lost his original extension.

He can stay until he gets his new extension stamp because of the under consideration stamp.

[wandinhk]

I would advise a quick border trip. You will not be legal after the 15th without it. They might just ignore it but since they did provide a 30 day extension suspect they will notice.

What you should have done was obtained a new re-entry permit for the new extension of stay stamp so the return date would have been the 17th.

Thanks for the input, so to clarify, the stamp received on May 18 was not an extension of stay... it simply said 'application for extension of stay under consideration, come back on june 17' (words to that effect).

As such, i read it as 'current visa expires june 15, and i have a rentry permit under that visa valid til june 15'. After june 15 i am here illegally so do I a take flight to hk (I'm a resident of HK and keep a home there, so i need to go often anyway) before june 15 and come back on june 16...? or if i do this do i screw up since i will be entering under different visa conditions (eg. without valid visa, would be entering under my APEC card).

[wandinhk]

You used your re-entry permit when you entered on May 30 and got a permit to stay until June 15 which is the same as your original permit to stay that you got from your last extension. Correct

So you don't have a problem if that is what you did.

You are correct in understanding, that is exactly what i did (the immigration officer in airport did not even notice my 'application under consideration til june 17 stamp' i assume)

[ubonjoe]

You used your re-entry permit when you entered on May 30 and got a permit to stay until June 15 which is the same as your original permit to stay that you got from your last extension. Correct

So you don't have a problem if that is what you did.

You are correct in understanding, that is exactly what i did (the immigration officer in airport did not even notice my 'application under consideration til june 17 stamp' i assume)

You don't have to leave. You kept your orginal exrtension of stay when you used the re-entry permit which is what you have made the application to extend. The under consdieration period is still valid.

Immigration has even stated that if the application is not back by the stamped date it does not matter because it is still under consideration and have even refused to give another stamp just telling people to come back in a week and check.

[Lite Beer]

I think he is ok. Most people do not leave the country while under consideration so I have not come across this before.

If it were me I would go back to Immigration on the 15th just to make sure. Maybe I worry too much

[samran]

It is not a hearing it is the date you go back and get the extension stamp in your passport if the extension approval is back to your local office.

Don't worry about your current permit to stay. As long as your application is under consideration you don't have to leave.

Last year when I did my extension my under consideraton date was more than 3 weeks after my permit to stay ran out.

unfortunately one of the mis-translations. In Thai it is described as 'fung phon' or literally, to hear the result. When I heard it the first time, for my wife's extension, I thought we would have to go back for a go for some sort of formal hearing.

the reality is much different! More a mad scrable as you wait 4 hours for your visa to get procced and stamped into the passport.

[lopburi3]

Hopefully you are right. I can see the logic but not sure how it will be viewed if noticed. In any case they probably will not even notice and in worst case a new application could always be made.

[wandinhk]

Hopefully you are right. I can see the logic but not sure how it will be viewed if noticed. In any case they probably will not even notice and in worst case a new application could always be made.

Thanks for all the input, to be honest if they knock it back, I'd probably scrap it - I have an APEC card and am travelling in/out of the country 2-3 times a month for business all over the region so its not like its critical to me to have it, keeping the Non-imm O for marriage was really just intended to make it easy to apply for PR down the road if i chose to do so...

(off question - do i need such a visa to get a local drivers license - if i just come in/out in future on my APEC card, i suspect i could not apply for a local driver license... )

[ubonjoe]

It is not a hearing it is the date you go back and get the extension stamp in your passport if the extension approval is back to your local office.

Don't worry about your current permit to stay. As long as your application is under consideration you don't have to leave.

Last year when I did my extension my under consideraton date was more than 3 weeks after my permit to stay ran out.

unfortunately one of the mis-translations. In Thai it is described as 'fung phon' or literally, to hear the result. When I heard it the first time, for my wife's extension, I thought we would have to go back for a go for some sort of formal hearing.

the reality is much different! More a mad scrable as you wait 4 hours for your visa to get procced and stamped into the passport.

My stamp is in English with no Thai on it and only says to contact immigration on xx date.

Mine took less than half an hour.

[ubonjoe]

Hopefully you are right. I can see the logic but not sure how it will be viewed if noticed. In any case they probably will not even notice and in worst case a new application could always be made.

Thanks for all the input, to be honest if they knock it back, I'd probably scrap it - I have an APEC card and am travelling in/out of the country 2-3 times a month for business all over the region so its not like its critical to me to have it, keeping the Non-imm O for marriage was really just intended to make it easy to apply for PR down the road if i chose to do so...

(off question - do i need such a visa to get a local drivers license - if i just come in/out in future on my APEC card, i suspect i could not apply for a local driver license... )

They won't knock it back.

Best to keep the extension. It hard to say about the drivers license issue with the travel card.

A big reason to keep the extension is because of the possibily of them raising the finacial requirement for the extension. They traditionaly have a grandfather clause so that if you are on extension already you keep the old requirements.

[samran]

It is not a hearing it is the date you go back and get the extension stamp in your passport if the extension approval is back to your local office.

Don't worry about your current permit to stay. As long as your application is under consideration you don't have to leave.

Last year when I did my extension my under consideraton date was more than 3 weeks after my permit to stay ran out.

unfortunately one of the mis-translations. In Thai it is described as 'fung phon' or literally, to hear the result. When I heard it the first time, for my wife's extension, I thought we would have to go back for a go for some sort of formal hearing.

the reality is much different! More a mad scrable as you wait 4 hours for your visa to get procced and stamped into the passport.

My stamp is in English with no Thai on it and only says to contact immigration on xx date.

Mine took less than half an hour.

what they tell you verbally in thai is to come back on xx date to 'fung phon'...or hear the result. Agree that the stamp is in English and simply says to come back. Was just trying to explain why I suspected the OP described it as a 'hearing'.

got there at 9 and wasn't out of suan phlu till 1pm. Seemed like they simply dug out my wifes file and it had to go through about three signatories before it was finalised. And so did everyone else!

Sounds like things have improved then!!

[lopburi3]

The new system at Suan Phu is you put your passport in a basket at room 101 entry and attach a queue card/keep one. This is done from 0830 until noon and you come back at (1400-1500) to pick up* outside in a sala area behind the main hall (entry road). Indeed it is translated as hear the results on the signs.

Edit: corrected morning return time to 14-1500 - be sure to arrive before 1200 as basket is removed until 1300.

[ubonjoe]

Mine was done in Phibun that is why it was so quick. Application took less than an hour.

[wandinhk]

The new system at Suan Phu is you put your passport in a basket at room 101 entry and attach a queue card/keep one. This is done from 0830 until noon and you come back at (1300-1400?) to pick up outside in a sala area behind the main hall (entry road). Indeed it is translated as hear the results on the signs.

Edit: check sign - not sure if it is 13-1400 or 14-1500 pickup for morning drop off - be sure to arrive before 1200 as basket is removed until 1300.

Actually I can confirm this... last year i put my pssport in the basket in room 101 around 830am and i actually had it returned to me around 945am with the extension stamp... sometimes thai has surprised me.

[noudb]

The new system at Suan Phu is you put your passport in a basket at room 101 entry and attach a queue card/keep one. This is done from 0830 until noon and you come back at (1400-1500) to pick up* outside in a sala area behind the main hall (entry road). Indeed it is translated as hear the results on the signs.

Edit: corrected morning return time to 14-1500 - be sure to arrive before 1200 as basket is removed until 1300.

Yesterday (12 June) picked up my stamp at Suan Plu and it actually says:

"Drop of passport from 8:30-12:00, Pick up passport from 14:00-15:00" and

"Drop of passport from 13:00-1500, Pick up passport from 16:00-17:00".

The dropping of and picking up takes place inside in the usual area for most passports (some of them are sent outside).

It seems they are very busy with this procedure so there can be a delay so that you cannot pick up your passport at 14:00 and 16:00 sharp. It seems the different cases are handled by different officers so it is difficult to track when your passport is finished. At the pick up time you will have to check with the lady at the drop of point, if you are friendly they will be very helpful.

As I observed I would say the quickest way to go through this is, drop of your passport just around 14:30 then you can pick it up at 16:00, only 1.5 hours wait. It seems that later in the afternoon there are also more officers available to process the passports and the files.