Tea Money For Immigration Official When They Do 1St Yr Housecheck.

[TommoPhysicist]

A bit off topic but I was wondering having read all the posts what is the advantage of getting an extention based on marriage rather than retirement, assuming over 50 that is.

It seems you can work, a dirty four letter word, but is there any other?

Seems to me to be a lot more hassle, paperwork and house visits etc.

You can apply for citizenship.

When they chuck all other foreigners out, they might let married people with kids stay.

Only 1 house visit at the start, I've never seen them again.

I suspect if they were convinced your marriage is real, they won't come again.

Edited January 15, 2013 by TommoPhysicist

[lopburi3]

One post removed.

[steve down under]

I'm pretty sure that if i tried to offer a bung to an immigration official here in Aus for any reason I would soon feel the hand of a burly federal cop feeling my collar and possibly be wearing a pair of bracelets as i was marched off to face a charge of bribery! so if its not acceptable here why should it be acceptable there ?? keep the 3 k in your wallet as i'm pretty sure there is something better that you could do with it ,if not send it to me and I'll spend it on your behalf .

[lopburi3]

One post removed.

[4evermaat]

A bit off topic but I was wondering having read all the posts what is the advantage of getting an extention based on marriage rather than retirement, assuming over 50 that is.

It seems you can work, a dirty four letter word, but is there any other?

Seems to me to be a lot more hassle, paperwork and house visits etc.

I have noted over time that some farang hand over 2000 B and say keep the change when renewing a visa, I used to give 2 1000b notes and sometimes got the 100 back sometimes not, now I give the exact 1900b.

400,000 baht in thai bank vs 800,000 baht. The marriage extension is supposed to be cheaper version of the retirement version.

I'd probably pay it. I refused such a bribe once and it cost me much more in wasted trips to the office in Udon Thani.

Sometimes it's better to be happy than right.

It's not a country for standing your ground unless you are prepared for the grief that might go with it. I'm reminded ad nauseum that we are merely guests......alien guests. So if Mr Plod wants 200 baht and it saves me 400, I'll do whatever my charming host wants and make sure I don't upset anyone.

I'm inclined to agree with this in certain circumstances It is sometimes wiser to "pay the fine" if you are confident that you get what you want and it is still much cheaper or significantly cheaper than the official route.

[bangkokburning]

Put b300 in an envelope

OOOH I thought you said 300 not 3000.

That puts the cop in a really greasy position of asking or demanding more.Even more venal than the first go.

Then say if it happens (and you already have the stamp). We dont have it but will see what we can do (never).

Next year get your visa outside Thailand, you know what they are willing and capable of. They can demand sn annual visit and loads of other hassles.

Id never do a marriage extension, but if I had to it would only be in BKK or PTY.

[ubonjoe]

This is a very rare case of a gratuity being asked for.

Pattaya has been reported as not being exactly friendly to those making applications for this type of extension. And anyway you have no choice of where you apply unless you move somewhere just to do the extension.

I certainly would never advise anybody to get a multiple entry visa instead of an extension unless they cannot meet the financial requirements or travel frequently for work.

Why would anybody choose to make border runs every 90 days if they can qualify for the extension of stay.

[4evermaat]

Put b300 in an envelope

OOOH I thought you said 300 not 3000.

That puts the cop in a really greasy position of asking or demanding more.Even more venal than the first go.

Then say if it happens (and you already have the stamp). We dont have it but will see what we can do (never).

Next year get your visa outside Thailand, you know what they are willing and capable of. They can demand sn annual visit and loads of other hassles.

Id never do a marriage extension, but if I had to it would only be in BKK or PTY.

This is a very rare case of a gratuity being asked for.

Pattaya has been reported as not being exactly friendly to those making applications for this type of extension. And anyway you have no choice of where you apply unless you move somewhere just to do the extension.

I certainly would never advise anybody to get a multiple entry visa instead of an extension unless they cannot meet the financial requirements or travel frequently for work.

Why would anybody choose to make border runs every 90 days if they can qualify for the extension of stay.

I actually knew a younger couple who attempted to do just this. They lived in Chumphon, but because they had some family in Chonburi, attempted to do the 1 year extension out of Pattaya using the address of the family nearby. Long story short, they ended up transferring the process back to Chumphon (Ranong) for a successful 1 year extension after a total of appx 2-3 months, including the 400k seasoning and other paperwork. He ended up doing 1- 60 day marriage extension + border run in between to get through the process.

But he definitely admitted that getting a multiple entry visa from when he first left USA would have been a lot easier. I guess it would depend on how far you live from a border, but your first year especially the multiple VISA is the way to go. It's not worth it to try and save $110 and only get the single entry. I do give him a lot of credit for staying the course and getting the extension through. Part of it had to do with the fact that his wife has some apparently well-connected family. He was talking about getting a legit work permit through his uncle. We'll see what happens next year.

edit: The 1 year extension is great for those who can get one with little hassle and do not need to leave the country. Not sure how many back-to-back ones this takes before you can walk in and out of the immigration office with a new extension with minimal paperwork. The visa will kill a 1/3 day or full day out of your life once every 89-90 days. and you can always visit a neighbor country if you want. A large part of it is convenience factor. I guess it's a matter of preference, but the visa is generally much easier to obtain than an extension.

Edited January 18, 2013 by 4evermaat

[ubonjoe]

The first extension can be the most problematic unless you make a trip in person (with wife) and find out exactly what they require as far as documentation and etc.

Some offices don't do the house visit but require one or two witnesses to the fact they are living as husband and wife.

The 60 day seasoning of the money in the bank is standard and most people are well aware of this.

After the first extension it should be a lot easier.