Visa Refusal Is It True ?

[Velocette]

To quote from "Retiring in Thailand . . . . live in Paradise for Pennies on the Dollar"

The Immigration office sometimes refuses one year marriage extensions for the SMALLEST of reasons !

Adding that it pays to be well prepared and have more than the minimum 400,000 baht.

I imagine that there must be evidence to support this statement, but have to see any on Thai Visa.

[zulugutt]

A friend of mine tried 3 years before he successfully got visa extention based on marriage. He had the 50+ one year extention several years before, and every time the immigration officers said he had to keep this, although he was married with a thai lady and had a child here. But he is impressingly stubborn, and finally, - after waiting and waiting, he got his one year extention based on marriage. But on the way there, immigration constantly asked for new info, new papers, money should be on different account ++. So everything is not easy in paradise...

Edited March 26, 2010 by zulugutt

[thaiphoon]

Immigration will often steer an applicant towards extension of stay based on retirement rather than marriage if meets that criteria, because the process is quicker and less paperwork for immigration than going the marriage extension route. That said, it is possible to do by presenting (lower) financial papers that only support an application for extension of stay based on marriage.

For extensions of stay based on marriage, the financial requirements are 400k in Thai bank for 2 months prior to first application or 40k/month income and do not vary between offices. What can vary between offices is the non-financial paperwork. As long as the appropriate papers are provided the extension will be issued.

[Jingthing]

Yes it is true. People are refused for tiny reasons. For example, for the first extension based on retirement using 800K in the bank, if immigration found the account has slipped to 799,999 baht during the prior two months, chances are the extension would be refused. One baht, that is tiny.