Hong Kong Consulate Feedback

[dman]

Hello All

Some feedback on a recent trip to Hong Kong as I have heard horror stories from there in this forum. I have been living in LOS for 3 years and married to Thai lady, making the monthly visa run to Mai Sai. My work takes me out of LOS every 2 or 3 months so on my last business trip I decided to finally get legal. I had all my documents in order and presented them at the Thai consulate in Hong Kong asking for a 1 year multiple entry visa based on marriage. They were very nice and a woman from inside the office came out, sat down with me and looked over my paperwork and listened to my story. She was very polite and said they only issue non immigrant single entry 90 visas for my case in HK. She even gave me her direct phone number to call if I had any questions during my stay in Hong Kong. I did not get the one year multi-entry but overall it was a very pleasant experience after having been to Vientanne a few years back. So now that I am back in LOS on my 90 day Non immigrant visa what is my best option to get it changed based on my situation. Any feedback would be appreciated. I live in Chiang Rai and have all the neccesary qualifications, Bank account with over 400K, marriage document Etc.

Thanks

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Go into Immigration with a letter from your bank and apply for a one year extension. Take all the marriage paperwork and wife or wifes ID. Ask for a multiple entry re-entry permit ( never re-enter Thailand without a re-entry permit because you'll void the extended visa. ) Renew the year extension each year ( Another letter from the bank at each renewal ) Easy huh ?

[Thetyim]

I would recommend taking the wife along and not just here ID card.

I have been here nine years on one year extensions and Immigration always interviewed the wife and practically ignored me.

[Serge]

Yes, you must bring your wife for the 1 year extension.

Serge

[The_Moog]

Same experience for me at Thai consulate in HK

No multi entry visas

[udon]

Why not go to Brisbane, stay at the Diana Plaza opposite the consulate, just take your updated bank passbook and you will have your 1 year multiple entry type"O" in less than 20 minutes.

Go to the consulate as soon as it opens, early morning.

You could fly back to BKK the same day with Singapore Air and do some duty free shopping

[lopburi3]

Why not go to Brisbane

If all he wants is a multi entry O visa he should be able to get it in Penang. But with the bank account he should also be able to extend his stay on a yearly basis at immigration without any need for another visa. Up to him.

[sabaijai]

All you need is a 90-day single-entry visa to start the process. I got mine in Vientiane, same thing.

Back in Thailand, you simply go to Thai immigration with all the proper paperwork and ask for an extension valid for one year from the time you entered Thailand. Then get a multiple re-entry permit to go along with this -- it's a stamp that goes in your passport -- and you're done.

A lot of expats misconstrue the fact that they're only given a 90-day single-entry visa to mean that's the whole show. That's only the beginning of the process. If this is confusing to you, hire a Thai immigration lawyer to do it for you.

[udon]

Hi lopburi,

I was going to start a new thread about "Penang-Is It Under New Management Yet"

but this thread should suffice.

When talking to the friendly Thai receptionist at the BNE consulate, she said in future, I should go to Penang as it will soon be under new management and should make getting type'O's as easy as BNE.... that would save (me) at least

25KB a year.

Have you, or anyone else on this board heard or are aware of big changes at the Penang consulate for multiple entry visas?