New Thai Immigration Commissioner From October 1, 2011

[spacebass]

Marriage extension

What plans do immigration have to accommodate genuine long stayers who:

are married to a Thai?

[hgma]

Annual extensions in general

what is the procedure to appeal a decision is "based" on

1.unlawful (immigration law)

2.unfair......

3.rude comments

4.discrimination

thanks

hgma

[Jane34]

90-day notification of staying longer than 90 days

Why as a fully registered, full tax paying business owner in Thailand with a work permit, a one year visa and a re-entry permit, do I have to report every 90 days to immigration. Would it not be a better system for immigration to insist that should my address or job change then I legally must report these changes?

On another note to immigration. What's with all the paper? It really is unnecessary. Maybe a few changes in your systems would save a few forrests.

Edited September 22, 2011 by Maestro

[banglampu]

I believe the whole point of doing the 90 day or border runs are for the money involved and to give employment to many Thai people.

But with so many having to take flights to enable some Visa's, surely this is very inefficient.

Why not just have the immigration points take around the same amount of money and no travelling involved. Then the government could use the money were its probably more needed perhaps ? Creating more Thai jobs that are beneficial to the kingdom.

This would deffinetly have more Tourists visit and stay longer, as at present there seems to be a decline.

//Edit: visa question. Not suitable for meeting with Immigration Commissioner.

Edited September 22, 2011 by Maestro

[RegularReader]

Presumably Employment extension

Recently the Labor laws were amended, to to expand the range of permitted work allowed by foreign workers and the business structures under which this employment is carried out. Does the Immigration Department have plans, to take these new Labor regulations into account, when considering the granting of visas ?

If so, when are we likely to see this happen ?

[williamp]

Permanent Residence

If i am resident in Thailand over 5 years on a Retirement Visa , married to a Thai lady (registered marriage both here and UK) , with a permanent address in Thailand , and a wife who owns a business , why can't I

a) Have a Permanent Residents Visa

Retirement extension

or

Have either a 5 year or 10 year visa

90-day notification of staying longer than 90 days

c) Be excused the 90 days report

[hungryhippo]

Marriage extension

Are there any plans to make the visa requirements less sexist so that men don't require many more documents then women do?

What is being done for the many people that have given many hundreds of thousands of baht for citizenship applications just for the government to keep the money and applicant in limbo for up to 6 years now.

Edited September 22, 2011 by Maestro

[a99az]

Marriage extension

How about affording foreigners in Thailand, the same deals that Thai's get when they visit/ marry abroad? That would be a good start. No on further reflection it would be wonderful.

[Surasak]

Marriage extension

Why, in this age of computers do all Married to Thai lady have to produce so many reams of paper each year, when a passport number and copy of marriage certificate, should be all that is needed to register?

90-day notification of staying longer than 90 days

Same for the 90 day reporting. If you are legal you are legal.

[meir181]

90-day notification of staying longer than 90 days

Why do you have to report 90 days if you just was there to renew your one year visa isn't that same info......in some cases you may need to go back after one week,,,,

[pipchatel]

Marriage extension

Like many I am comming into my 20th annual visa, Thai family/spouse. WHY O WHY cannot guys like us have a longer renew, say 5 or 10 years even?

90-day notification of staying longer than 90 days

and forget the 90 day stuff. Lets hope that the new Guy is IT friendly, thats the only way, the paper work is just staggering,thanks and good luck.

[Dag]

Could the option of Mail 90 day reports be made available at all immigration offices.

Uniform interpretation of rules

as stated on their website...yet denied by certain branches.

[othersideofme]

1) Why asian Countries need to go back their home country to get Non B Visa? My all documents were correct and perfect but Immigration told me go back to your country and I lost 45,000 Baht to change Visa. Immigration should think about it.

//Edit: not clear what "asian Countries" is about.

2) Immigration Should also improve policy about to get Non O marriage Visa. ( 400K in Bank or 40K Per month salary)

//Edit: not clear what this is about.

Edited September 22, 2011 by Maestro

[jonnyscot]

Annual extension for under 50s not qualifying under existing rules

I am sure there are many married and unmarried Foreigners Supporting a Thai Child as their own that may not be a blood relative to them,, thus helping provide that child with an education, a loving family and also financial support that may otherwise not be available to them, are there any future plans to provide a more secure route to longer term visa's to safeguard that relationship ?

[CMExpat79]

I would also say the question about long term expats, who are under 50, not married or in my case even in a relationship to a thai etc can do to stay here like we used to be able to do on a non o for the purpose of visiting friends (also non thais)

//Edit: visa question. Not suitable for meeting with Immigration Commissioner.

Edited September 22, 2011 by Maestro

[hbullinger]

90-day notification of staying longer than 90 days

Reporting once a year for a holder of a 1 year retirement visa for the purpose of extension of stay should be enough. If shorter reporting frequency is really essential then why not change the 90 day reporting into a 3 months reporting. Saves both the immigration staff and the visa holder unnecessary calculations and the reporting days can be easily remembered.

[djlest]

Why do we have to exit the country and re enter on a NON-B visa - why doesn't Thailand use the money instead of to give it Cambodia for a visa run?

Can Visa laws that Thais receive in other countries be brought into Thailand for us - seems fair no?

//Edit: visa question. Not suitable for meeting with Immigration Commissioner.

Edited September 22, 2011 by Maestro

[OldeBellPedr]

Lots of good questions here about residents and 90 day reporting, As someone whose business depends on long and short stay tourists. Could the immingration dept please consider:-

Now that the 90 visa waiver for Japanese tourists has been trialled, are there any plans to extend this scheme to other countries in the visa waiver scheme that are presently allowed 30 days (UK,EU,US,Oz)?

//Edit: visa question. Not suitable for meeting with Immigration Commissioner.

Visa-exempt entry period of stay

Could the 14 day stamp available at land borders also be extended to 90 days with the proviso that individuals should not be allowed to stay in the Kingdom for more than 180 days per year?

Edited September 22, 2011 by Maestro

[Bobsuruncle]

90-day notification of staying longer than 90 days

Are there any plans for an immigration office for Chumphon in the near future? If not can I do my 90 day reporting for my retirement visa at any police station?

[mca]

Marriage extension

Would it be possible to change back the immigration law on marriage extensions to how it was a couple of years back and allow westerners to also extend on the basis of their wife's salary. Plus how about giving at least a 2 year or 3 year extension to folks who've been married at least 5 years which proves by then that the marriage is legit.

Edited September 22, 2011 by Maestro

[Thailsacien]

90-day notification of staying longer than 90 days

90 days online would be great

Marriage extension

The visa-extension (1 year or even better 5 years for those staying in Thailand for more than 5 years and having a Thai family or being retired)

I'm married to a Thai, we have children together and are married for 12 years.

I'm on my 8th 1-year extension.

A few years ago, it was possible to prepare the 1-year extension online (http://bangkok.immigration.go.th/en/base.php look at the left: E-Application, now a dead link).

I did it once and it was really efficient. I filled the online form, sent all required documents as attachments and an Immigration officer called us back the next day to confirm the appointment and asked us some more documents. It was still in Soi Suan Plue. We went there about 10 minutes before the appointment time with the orginal documents, and didn't spend more than 30 minutes. Unfortunately, they didn't keep this online service when they moved to Chaeng Wattana.

[prakhonchai nick]

Permanent Residence

I too hold a residence visa, with an accompanying Alien registration book. Carrying these together with a passport is bulky, Cannot a plastic card (ATM size) be issued for everyday use

[Arkady]

Permanent Residence

My questions are:

1. Can the commissioner explain what is the reason for the long delays in approving applications for permanent residence since 2006?

2. Will Immigration be accepting applications for permanent residence this year?

Service at border check-points

3. Would Immigration consider a system for rating the service of immigration officers at airports?

China has a good system whereby you press a button to give the immigration officer a score of 1 to 5 based on friendliness and speed of processing, after he or she has stamped your passport. The officer see the score and gets immediate feedback. All of them now smile and make friendly remarks to travellers as they process them within seconds. No lengthy queues like at Suwarnabhumi.

Perhaps a similar system could also be implemented in Immigration offices around the country.

[SaNim]

Permanent Residence

Will applications for Permanent Residency be open this December?

[Jaykiss]

Permanent Residence

I have a resident permit since more than 10 years already and also work permit.

I am married to a non thai. my wife has yearly visa.

My son was born in thailand but just because only i had resident permit and not my wife, he was not granted thai nationality.

To renew both of their yearly visas i need to show my valid work permit plus tax papers every year.

My question is, what if i retire or am jobless/laid-off and do not hold a work permit anymore and do not pay salary tax can i still support my wife and son's yearly visa extension or do they have to leave the country??

Thai citizenship

** Recently (around 6-8 months back) I heard that children those were born in bangkok from 1985 year until 1995 were granted thai citizenship without any questions asked. Was that true? If yes then when is the next phase due..i.e. from 1996-2006?? Also, how do we know if such a thing is announced where will it be announced publicly? How do we follow news as regards to this topic??

[pogal]

Employment extension

After living here for 11 years, if I quit or loose my job, I have 7 days to leave the country! That's a very short time to sell 11 years of belongings or take care of 11 years of lifetime in Thailand. Could we not have a few weeks grace?

[writeshack]

Permanent Residence

Clear the long backlog of people who have completed the residence permit process and been kept waiting for years for the little book - and still have to do 90-days and get only 6 month extensions of stay at a time.

[oldsailor35]

It appears that this insidious 90 Day visa run has no real benifit. Why cannot it be ended and the more modern approach be instigated. For example an online service with a reasonable charge. So much money is being exported out of Thailand with these visa runs all to the advantage of neighbouring countries.

Please sir, at least have a look at it. I would much rather spend my money on Samui than at the Sadao crossing or taking that time wasting longtail boat ride into Myanmar and having to give them their demanded $US10 every time.

//Edit: visa question. Not suitable for the meeting with the Immigration Commissioner.

Edited September 22, 2011 by Maestro

[herb59]

90-day notification of staying longer than 90 days

like others have still questioned:

if you own a 1year-visa, why then a 90days report or leaving the country??? and they proof your income before you receive the visa! in schengen, you get a maximum of 5years stay!! looks like upkeeping a bureaucracy-act and money for thai-travel-companies.

Thai ID card

a small ID-card would be fine for longstayers, as well as online-extensions (if they insist in "paperwork"). WE LIVE NOW IN 2011 WITH SECURITY-PASSPORTS AND AND AND!

well, i can choose other countries for living , if they like it complicated and want to milk us....in my opinion ,the best years for thailand are history!

[jabenna]

Dependent extension

Hi,

Would it be possible to ask if it's even on the agenda for same-sex couples to be able to get a Non-Imm O to join their partner who is here working with a Non-Imm B+Work Permit? I would like an answer for couples who do not have a civil partnership/gay marriage....and then an answer for couples who do have a civil partnership/gay marriage certificate.

Many thanks.