Chiang Mai Annual Extension for Retirement & Dependent Brit Wife Application - Marriage Certificate

[tomdfc]

Well all, up at 0400, in the queue at 0515, cold, but still mosquito-bitten - but nevetheless seen / interviewed by 1115. Assiduously having followed the rules and good advices on this forum, since this is our first extension, with high expectation of success. Result - No Go.

Yes, we had signed copies of the 38 year old marriage cert in the dependent's package and even the original but this was not enough. Apparently we need a certified marriage certificate letter from the British Consulate. I mentioned that I was unaware of this requirement in any rule book I had seen or advice I had been given. Big Smile.

I was told to also copy page 13 of my own passport (the one with the last entry stamp). I pointed out it had already been copied and signed and was in my package which the officer had. This elicited nothing other than another Big Smile. Copy page 13 required. Maybe 13 is an unlucky number out here.

Shot over to the Consulate before 1145. Closed, until 1330. Great. What is it with Officialdom?

More seriously, for the benefit of others following us, is this certified letter a bona fide requirement? As mentioned, I have had much good advice on this forum but no mention of this.

Next stop - the ATM to get some more cash to pay the Consulate this afternoon no doubt a hefty fee to print a piece of paper. Then back to Immigration. Thks.

[theoldgit]

You seem to be posting about an extension of stay in Thailand, I will move to the appropriate forum.

[ubonjoe]

I don't recall anybody being asked for a certification of the marriage certificate.

You will probably do a self certification of it because the embassy and/or consulate cannot do it.

[tomdfc]

I don't recall anybody being asked for a certification of the marriage certificate.

You will probably do a self certification of it because the embassy and/or consulate cannot do it.

I agree with your observations, UbonJoe, which is why I am so confused and angry. To add salt to the wound a second trip to the Consulate this afternoon was a further waste of time and expense since I now know they don't open in the afternoons.

So at the moment we are pointed at their offices for 0900 tomorrow - but, as you said, can't see what they can do except write an innocuous letter and charge us 2,000 baht for the privilege. For no good reason as far as I can see.

I'm not sure what "self-certification" means other than having my wife / dependent print her full name and sign a copy of the certificate - which was already done, like every other piece of paper in the extension application.

How do we square this circle?

[briley]

I had to get my marriage certificate certified by the UK consulate. It is quickly done and only needed for the first extension then a copy is OK.

[tomdfc]

I had to get my marriage certificate certified by the UK consulate. It is quickly done and only needed for the first extension then a copy is OK.

Thanks, Briley. It helps me calm down a bit and get back to the more philosophical approach to living here .... if only the rules could be clearer and consistent.

[moe666]

I had to get my marriage certificate certified by the UK consulate. It is quickly done and only needed for the first extension then a copy is OK.

Thanks, Briley. It helps me calm down a bit and get back to the more philosophical approach to living here .... if only the rules could be clearer and consistent.

It wouldn't be half as much fun if they were clear and consistant. Just think about what Thais go thru to get things done with agencies we never deal with. O you want to transfer your sons chool well that will cost you .

[tomdfc]

Process completed yesterday, at long last after getting not the certified marriage certificate from the Consulate but a certified Affirmation that the Marriage Cert was kocher. The Consulate cannot certify a document to which they do not have copyright. For the pedantic.

It is of course a farcical process since the Consulate have no access to a database (going back to 1976, and Scottish, not English) nor did they ever intend to make any such cross-check. We got some kind of (unasked for) lecture from the one in-house staff member there yesterday (an otherwise lovely Thai lady) before she printed a pro forma one-pager and charged us 3,080 baht for the privelege. And, when asked, she said they often do this for people in our situation if she understood my question properly - for info, UbonJoe.

The moral of this story? On your head be it should you ever foolishly throw away your hard-won extension by overlooking the need to have a re-entry permit when leaving temporarily (which we already have) and having to go through that extension nightmare again.

The upside? Being able to enjoy the wonderful Thainess at the local level and climate at this time of year, here, which we did big-time last night. My head's still sore.

Thks to All.