Weird Visa Situation

[Philatio]

I am staying here on the 1 year extension (Marriage) and have been for a number of years.

I made my usual application for this years 12 month extension as I always do, about 1 month before my previos permit expires - This I did late February this year.

Submitted all the paperwork and received an extension stamp requiring me to come back to the immigration office 21st April (Saturday)

My extension of stay was due to expire 22nd March this year ( so as usual they stamped me the extra month when I made the renewal application)

When I went to the office today I asked to if I could get my required 12 month stamp, initially I was told all the interviews were full and to come back at 7 am tomorrow.

This from past experience I knew was incorrect as you usually simply hand over the passport, no need the number queueing system, and in about 30 minutes you get it back with your 12 month stamp or another 30 day extension until it is completed.

I asked one of uniformed guys on the desk and he told me exactly what I thought and to just hand it over to the three "students" (civilians) at the next window along.

They seemed to understand exactly what was needed and disappeared with the passport.

10 minutes later, they called me up and told me it wasn't ready, and to come back on Monday (23rd) - No new stamp nothing! I queried them that in effect, it seems like by Monday, I am technically two days on OVERSTAY, but was assured that "No Problem"

I am almost sure that a few years back I had a similar situation where I was late to pick up my visa and was charged the fee and an overstay put into my passport. - I am on my 3rd passport and cannot find the original overstay stamp!

Does anyone know if I am likely to get stamped as an overstay or is it possible to apply Monday (given 21st falls on a Saturday and the office is closed)

Thanks!

[wobblyjohn]

I'm in a very similar situation myself

my marriage visa expired 20th March so I applied 3 weeks prior but was then told to come back 20th April, the worrying thing for me is I fly out on the 22nd for 6 weeks so if I don't get it tomorrow I either have to get a new 1 year multi entry in the UK and go the the whole process of extending that next year or come back in on a 30 day and hope the will give me my extension back dated to March 20th

Given your own situation I don't think you will have a problem with overstay for 2 days, in the past my 90 day reporting fell on a Saturday but there was no problem when I went back the following Monday (my own stupid fault for not going earlier though)

[Philatio]

I'm in a very similar situation myself

my marriage visa expired 20th March so I applied 3 weeks prior but was then told to come back 20th April, the worrying thing for me is I fly out on the 22nd for 6 weeks so if I don't get it tomorrow I either have to get a new 1 year multi entry in the UK and go the the whole process of extending that next year or come back in on a 30 day and hope the will give me my extension back dated to March 20th

Given your own situation I don't think you will have a problem with overstay for 2 days, in the past my 90 day reporting fell on a Saturday but there was no problem when I went back the following Monday (my own stupid fault for not going earlier though)

Thanks, hope I don't have a problem, I have been a few days late for the 90 days and also never had any problem - (In fact I was here for 3 years before I was ever even asked to apply for it! No one told me, and I never knew - it was only one sharp eyed lady at immigration when doing my 12 month extension asked me the paper was. I got fined 1500 Baht)

It is the overstay stamps I don't want in my passport, I am sure I had them before, 500 and a stamp for being a day over.

[lopburi3]

I suspect because of the holidays a few more days may be required and as long as you return when they advise it will not be a problem.

[Philatio]

I suspect because of the holidays a few more days may be required and as long as you return when they advise it will not be a problem.

Thanks, I got the impression that they were really busy and simply couldn't be bothered to even process it or issue the stamp, so hopefully this is the case. (What worries me is I have absolutely no proof other than my word that I turned up today)

Thanks anyway. I'll let you know Monday if I get an O/S Stamp

[Lite Beer]

Monday should be no problem.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

[Philatio]

Monday should be no problem.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

Thanks!

[wobblyjohn]

I suspect because of the holidays a few more days may be required and as long as you return when they advise it will not be a problem.

Thanks, I got the impression that they were really busy and simply couldn't be bothered to even process it or issue the stamp, so hopefully this is the case. (What worries me is I have absolutely no proof other than my word that I turned up today)

Thanks anyway. I'll let you know Monday if I get an O/S Stamp

I suspect because of the holidays a few more days may be required and as long as you return when they advise it will not be a problem.

Thanks, I got the impression that they were really busy and simply couldn't be bothered to even process it or issue the stamp, so hopefully this is the case. (What worries me is I have absolutely no proof other than my word that I turned up today)

Thanks anyway. I'll let you know Monday if I get an O/S Stamp

Went for mine yesterday and was told to come back Wednesday luckily I took the missus because she explained very politely (I don't think I could have done so) that we were flying to the UK on Sunday and we had been waiting 7 weeks since the application was submitted

They promised they could have it ready in the afternoon and said they would call us to go back in, the call came at 2pm, eventually got it finished with re-entry permit at 4pm

I really don't understand why it takes so long when the consulate in the UK can turn round an application for a multi O in 3 days

[lopburi3]

The Consulate makes the decision - just as immigration does for retirement (same day most places). But for Thai wife it must be approved at higher level and then at committee meeting and then results returned.

[attrayant]

A committee? How strange. I though the decision was a straightforward pass/fail. Either you meet the criteria or you don't. I wonder what a committee could possibly have to ponder?

[lopburi3]

The validity of the relationship - there are a number of 'marriage of convenience' for visa cases here just as there are in other countries and this check requirement is contained in Police Order 777/2551 as:

(3) In the case of a spouse, the marital relationship shall be de

jure (legitimate) and de facto;

[kriswillems]

I had a similar problem. My extension of stay arrived 3 weeks late (3 weeks after the final date on the "under consideration" stamp).

To make things even more complicated, the lady that does the 90 day reporting refused to give me a 90 day report because I had no extension stamp.

So, I had to "pull" her to go to talk to the lady that arranges the extension stamps.

As a compromise, I was give a 2 weeks extension first and after that I could make my 90 day report.

2 weeks later the approval my 1 year extension arrived (from BKK).

I don't understand that it took that much time to prove our relationship was real. We have a child together. And if they really want to check, they better check it over here (at our home) instead of in some office in BKK.

[attrayant]

The validity of the relationship - there are a number of 'marriage of convenience' for visa cases here just as there are in other countries and this check requirement is contained in Police Order 777/2551 as:

(3) In the case of a spouse, the marital relationship shall be de

jure (legitimate) and de facto;

I see. But I am still not clear on how a committee of people sitting around a table can determine this. A judgement call based on the paperwork? Seems like there is a good possibility that they could mistakenly declare some marriage unacceptable.

[lopburi3]

It is a final approval - in almost all cases the first interview will be supported if new information has not been obtained to disprove the relationship during the under review time (which is used for personal checks of home/neighbors/police and such as directed by local office).

[ThaidDown]

In the computer age its possible that the Bangkok committee scans all the Amphur databases to check if you or your spouse are married elsewhere in Thailand. If I recall correctly the authority for the local immigration office to ok retirement extensions is relatively new (last 10 years or so ???) , before that all extension requests had to go to Bangkok, so that got easier. Marriage extensions require more checks now than long ago, partly due I'm sure to some bogus marriages as mentioned by lopburi3.

Also long ago it could take months and months for approval to come through but I have never heard of an extension due to marriage (genuine) being turned down after the paperwork was accepted by the local immigration.

[Philatio]

Well, you guys were correct - I went back to the office today and got the full year stamp, no questions asked, within 15 minutes.

I did however manage to find my previous overstay stamps and these were because I was 2 days late returning to the office, but I was late, and it was not because the renewal date fell on a weekend when the office would have been closed as it was this time - so I guess a different rule if you miss your date and the office is open as opposed to another rule if the office is closed.

It still leaves a 2 day discrepancy in my stay as todays issue is stamped 23rd, and my last date of permission to stay is 21st! Still, no worries all worked out well.

I still honestly believe that they were just too busy with other money making visas to be bothered to waste time on my application at the time, as the place was mayhem when I turned up on the 19th.

Thanks for you advice!

[Philatio]

The validity of the relationship - there are a number of 'marriage of convenience' for visa cases here just as there are in other countries and this check requirement is contained in Police Order 777/2551 as:

(3) In the case of a spouse, the marital relationship shall be de

jure (legitimate) and de facto;

This is not like it was my first renewal, there really was no need for digging any deeper, we usually see the same immigration lady every year (9 years now) She even asks me if she looks older and fatter every time I come in- We have an 11 year old son. You would think this would simply be a rubber stamp issue. Same situation, same address, same people and circumstances the same after 9 years, yet it still seems that Bangkok has to vet every case, and instead of getting easier it gets harder - MAPS, PHOTOS...we didn't need any of this rubbish when we first applied in 2004. I wonder what they do with all the paperwork and photocopies - maybe they cross out the front side with all the details on and reuse the blank side for note paper?

[lopburi3]

I can say photos were required here in Bangkok in 2004, but not defined as they are now. Map was not required but Bangkok has an address system that allows finding most locations without too much effort (and has improved in last few years).

[Philatio]

For me Chiang Mai has got a bit daft, but, I have heard stories whether true or not from some old time ex pats that said that they needed to provide photos of the family inside the house and photos of both the husband and wifes clothing in the wardrobe!

Not sure if it is true.

It was obviously a bit more "easy" up North, as I went throught the extension for at least 3 years without ever doing a 90 day report - No one asked, and I simply didn't know.

[Philatio]

In the computer age its possible that the Bangkok committee scans all the Amphur databases to check if you or your spouse are married elsewhere in Thailand. If I recall correctly the authority for the local immigration office to ok retirement extensions is relatively new (last 10 years or so ???) , before that all extension requests had to go to Bangkok, so that got easier. Marriage extensions require more checks now than long ago, partly due I'm sure to some bogus marriages as mentioned by lopburi3.

Also long ago it could take months and months for approval to come through but I have never heard of an extension due to marriage (genuine) being turned down after the paperwork was accepted by the local immigration.

I wouldn't have thought much would come of that though, as most Thai girls seem to change their names almost as often as their knickers, and lets hope that the immigration are not waiting on a similar "One Immigration Officer - One Computer" - or even their Chinese i-pad tablets! - as for running a scan on a database - half of them seem to be on WinXP and some on Win7! - probably all fakes too.

[TommoPhysicist]

Year before last I went in on the appointed day, they told me the approval paperwork was not back from BK yet.

They stamped another 1 month 'under consideration' and I returned next month for the year stamp.

This year I went in 3 weeks before the end for my next extension, I got a seven week 'under consideration' stamp.

Out of an assortment of photos I handed them including and excluding kids, they selected my wife and I standing at our farm gate, and my wife and I sitting on our sofa in the living room.

We had two extra documents to fill out this year during the interview,

I had to sign a form saying I agreed to all terms of my 1 year Visa extension.

My wife had to sign a declaration that everything we completed was truthful and accurate and she was my sponsor.

They know I understand Thai, at each yearly interview (I'm not really included in the interview, totally Thai but sometimes I butt in) the immigration officer finds an excuse to get me out of the office (usually for an extra photocopy of something) while they question my wife about if I am a good husband and if she really wants my visa extension. Is it the same for other Thai speaking husbands?

[dorchester]

my situation was the guy i knew at immigration was on vacation,he told me to come back in two weeks! he was incredibly causual about it,he said no problem,amazing thailand.