Non-immigrant O

[taxidriver]

I'm currently in Penang & as soon as i got off the bus i went to a money exchanger.He asked me if i wanted him to take care of the visa by service.I said no.

Regardless of this,he said there were 2 options.

1.The 3 month visa that can be extended 1 year in BKK. OR

2.a Multi-Entry visa valid for 1 year & (leaving Thailand every 3 months)but he said i don't have to extend it in BKK & never show money in a Thai bank account.

Now i'm not sure which one to apply for.I know the laws will be grandfathered if i extend the 3 month visa before July in BKK.But if option 2 is correct wouldn't it be alot more easier?I was advised to get a multi-entry last time i posted but will this interfere with the 'Grandfathering'?

Any help on this will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[huski]

I was advised to get a multi-entry last time i posted but will this interfere with the 'Grandfathering'?

a single entry vs. multi entry is not going to have an effect on your one year extension application at thai immigration. if you feel you can qualify for the extension and will be prepared before july, then the 90 day visa is all you are going to need .

is your paperwork in order for your one year extension based on your non immigrant O visa? if you aren't 100% sure, then you will be better off with the one year visa since you are down there right now.

the grandfathering is keeping the same thai bank balance requirement for the next extension a year later. this should remain at 200k if all goes well for new applicants before july.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I'm currently in Penang & as soon as i got off the bus i went to a money exchanger.He asked me if i wanted him to take care of the visa by service.I said no.

Regardless of this,he said there were 2 options.

1.The 3 month visa that can be extended 1 year in BKK. OR

2.a Multi-Entry visa valid for 1 year & (leaving Thailand every 3 months)but he said i don't have to extend it in BKK & never show money in a Thai bank account.

Now i'm not sure which one to apply for.I know the laws will be grandfathered if i extend the 3 month visa before July in BKK.But if option 2 is correct wouldn't it be alot more easier?I was advised to get a multi-entry last time i posted but will this interfere with the 'Grandfathering'?

Any help on this will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Are we talking about a retirement or a marriage visa extension ?

[taxidriver]

I have the correct paper work as follows:

marriage certificate,her I.D,Kasikorn bank account with 200,000 bt transfered from abroad & an address in BKK.(and my wife will come along also).

Is this ok or is there more?

This is a marriage visa, not for retirement.

So,will the 1 year multi-entry have to be extended in BKK too?Or can i come to Penang this time every year & never show funds etc?

Thanks for your help with this,sorry to sound baffled

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I have the correct paper work as follows:

marriage certificate,her I.D,Kasikorn bank account with 200,000 bt transfered from abroad & an address in BKK.(and my wife will come along also).

Is this ok or is there more?

This is a marriage visa, not for retirement.

So,will the 1 year multi-entry have to be extended in BKK too?Or can i come to Penang this time every year & never show funds etc?

Thanks for your help with this,sorry to sound baffled

That is all you'll need.

You can go to Penang every year but that involve 90 day border hopping. You'd need to find 400,000 baht if you seek extensions after July 2004. After a couple of times Penang could refuse to issue to you on the grounds that you are avoiding the financial obligations.

[Suzy]

My work permit terminates (as does my employment) in mid June together with the accompanying visa. From what I read in your forum pages am I right in assuming that I can go down to Penang and obtain a 1 year multiple entry visa. Do I apply for an 'O' or 'B' if I plan to obtain new work? Exactly how much money must I have in a Thai bank account? Can it be in a savings account or must in be in a fixed deposit account? With the new laws coming into effect in July I am quite confused as to how and what to do.

[roberteales]

Yes, it is all very confusing.

I will be going to Penang in June and applying for a non-immigrant 'O' visa (one year, multiple entry) with my marriage certificate, birth certificate of my child born here to my Thai wife also.

However, I have ZERO funds in a Thai bank account. My missus does work and can give evidence of the salary she makes. I hope this will be enough, if not then I'm going back to England and they can shove their new laws right up their arse for all I care.

Rob

[taxidriver]

Ok,i'm alot more clearer on this game now & i'm sure your right Dr pat pong about having to eventually show funds in Penang after a couple of times.I,m young & haven't been married long so i'll keep everyone posted on how things go for people in my situation.

Rob,by the look of things down here you can get a multi-entry by showing a marriage certificate & her ID but as the Dr said,i don't know how long it will last.

Thanks!

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Yes, it is all very confusing.

I will be going to Penang in June and applying for a non-immigrant 'O' visa (one year, multiple entry) with my marriage certificate, birth certificate of my child born here to my Thai wife also.

However, I have ZERO funds in a Thai bank account. My missus does work and can give evidence of the salary she makes. I hope this will be enough, if not then I'm going back to England and they can shove their new laws right up their arse for all I care.

Rob

You sound like a real prize as a spouse and father.

[huski]

My work permit terminates (as does my employment) in mid June together with the accompanying visa. From what I read in your forum pages am I right in assuming that I can go down to Penang and obtain a 1 year multiple entry visa. Do I apply for an 'O' or 'B' if I plan to obtain new work? Exactly how much money must I have in a Thai bank account? Can it be in a savings account or must in be in a fixed deposit account? With the new laws coming into effect in July I am quite confused as to how and what to do.

suzy, you will need to get another non immigrant B outside thailand, as you did the first time , followed up by a work permit. you won't be getting a non immigrant O visa as that is for support of a thai citizen. for your non immigrant B, there isn't a thai bank balance requirement...that is for a one year extension at an immigration office in thailand based on an existing visa.

Ok,i'm alot more clearer on this game now & i'm sure your right Dr pat pong about having to eventually show funds in Penang after a couple of times.

taxidriver, you won't be showing funds in penang, the good doctor is telling you penang could refuse you someday/someyear after too many visas are issued to you...the thai bank balance requirement is for a one year extension granted by immigration in thailand, based on an existing visa.

[taxidriver]

Thanks Huski,i understand now.Actually i applied for the 3 month visa instead of 1 year.If i have no luck extending it in BKK(only have 220,000 bt) i will come here or go to Oz & get the 1 year visa.Sometimes you try to do the right thing & end up 2nd best considering there are alot of people staying in Thailand on tourist visas with 'Thai girlfriends' for a long time and not having to show anything.

Thaksin seems to have it in for farangs and he's doing well for a 2nd generation Thai(grandparents Chinese)but if you are Chinese you can go aywhere & set up shop.But if you are a farang in Thailand who wants to be with their WIFE you must pay through your teeth.I know most Thais think we are rich but he knows this isn't the case.Sorry about the 'farang moment' i had can't be jai- yen- yen all the time.

[roberteales]

Actually, I meant to say that WE (my wife and baby included) will go back to England if I cannot continue to stay here.

Who the ###### does Thailand think it is? The UK? USA? Japan? Thailand has to remember (in a personification sense) that it is still a poor country and it needs us more than it arrogantly thinks it does!

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Actually, I meant to say that WE (my wife and baby included) will go back to England if I cannot continue to stay here.

Who the ###### does Thailand think it is? The UK? USA? Japan? Thailand has to remember (in a personification sense) that it is still a poor country and it needs us more than it arrogantly thinks it does!

Start packing for the trip to Blighty.

[roberteales]

What for?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

What for?

Perhaps a re-read of your previous contributions on this thread will illuminate you. You did talk of no job and no money. In this patriarcal society, there are no prospects of a visa for you. As you so quaintly put it, they'll have to " stick it up their arse ". The man is considered to be the ' breadwinner ', and indeed the Thai laws do not accommodate alien freeloaders.

[mbkudu]

I think if everyone goes along with the system one way or another some type of

visa will always be granted unless the person is breaking the law. When foreigners

say the government doesn't want us here so that's why they are making the visa

rules tighter I don't believe it. They are not focusing on Farangs either. It's getting

just as hard, maybe harder for the African, Indian or Indonesian. We just hear all

the whining and bitching from Farangs. Sensible people just deal with it and get it

done. They are tightening their regulations simply because they want to weed

out undesireables who will most likely contribute little or nothing to society. A bank

clerk once told this to me right in my face. I wasn't sure if she was refering to me

personally; I can't recall how much money I had in my account. Another case of

TIT.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I think if everyone goes along with the system one way or another some type of

visa will always be granted unless the person is breaking the law. When foreigners

say the government doesn't want us here so that's why they are making the visa

rules tighter I don't believe it. They are not focusing on Farangs either. It's getting

just as hard, maybe harder for the African, Indian or Indonesian. We just hear all

the whining and bitching from Farangs. Sensible people just deal with it and get it

done. They are tightening their regulations simply because they want to weed

out undesireables who will most likely contribute little or nothing to society. A bank

clerk once told this to me right in my face. I wasn't sure if she was refering to me

personally; I can't recall how much money I had in my account. Another case of

TIT.

The Government is certainly looking harder at those aliens without means.

[harpman88]

Hi all,I dont think mbkudu could have said it any better,and Im sure Dr.P

would agree. Same thing with smiling,being polite ,and dressing nice

during visa applications.Many foreigners,

(whether farang or whatever) just cant

get these essential things thru their

heads,and go into the "blame game" as a result. Preparation is the key!

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I think if everyone goes along with the system one way or another some type of

visa will always be granted unless the person is breaking the law. When foreigners

say the government doesn't want us here so that's why they are making the visa

rules tighter I don't believe it. They are not focusing on Farangs either. It's getting

just as hard, maybe harder for the African, Indian or Indonesian. We just hear all

the whining and bitching from Farangs. Sensible people just deal with it and get it

done. They are tightening their regulations simply because they want to weed

out undesireables who will most likely contribute little or nothing to society. A bank

clerk once told this to me right in my face. I wasn't sure if she was refering to me

personally; I can't recall how much money I had in my account. Another case of

TIT.

Very well put. Thanks for your contribution.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Hi all,I dont think mbkudu could have said it any better,and Im sure Dr.P

would agree. Same thing with smiling,being polite ,and dressing nice

during visa applications.Many foreigners,

(whether farang or whatever) just cant

get these essential things thru their

heads,and go into the "blame game" as a result. Preparation is the key!

The grubby singlet or tank top, with shorts, all the while smelling like a brewery are recipes for disaster when one deals with the bureacracy.

[roberteales]

I'm not a freeloader, as it happens I am the breadwinner. Because I do not have any funds in a THAI bank account, does this automatically mean that I have no funds AT ALL, Dr. Patpong?

I have an income from the UK but I do not have a work permit here and without one A FARANG CANNOT OPEN A BANK ACCOUNT!!!!! My wife has an income which she can prove. However, my income is a lot larger than hers.

Read the posts clearly next time before making stupid comments. For being a Doctor, I would have though that you would have been more intelligent!

[lopburi3]

I have an income from the UK but I do not have a work permit here and without one A FARANG CANNOT OPEN A BANK ACCOUNT!!!!!

You do not need a work permit to open a bank account.

[unbiasbob]

Robert, thank you. I finally have someone to back me up on the "cannot open bank account w/o work permit" deal. I ran in to the same problem (catch 22) and after declaring it on this and other sites, it was shot down by many stating that it was not necessary to have the permit in order to open the bank acct. It is just one more nightmare about trying to get a legit long term visa and this nightmare is huge. It is truly amazing how money in a thai bank is required prior to getting visa when you cannot open an acct. No doubt that some time back (not long ago), one could open an acct w/o getting turned away for not having a work permit. Now one gets tossed w/o the precious document that cannot be obtained w/o the non imm b visa. I give up. It aint worth the hassle

[unbiasbob]

Hey Lop, how exactly do you know this? I and no doubt Robert have attempted to do so and have been turned away. So if you opened your acct 6 or more months ago, you do not know

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Yes, it is all very confusing.

I will be going to Penang in June and applying for a non-immigrant 'O' visa (one year, multiple entry) with my marriage certificate, birth certificate of my child born here to my Thai wife also.

However, I have ZERO funds in a Thai bank account.  My missus does work and can give evidence of the salary she makes.  I hope this will be enough, if not then I'm going back to England and they can shove their new laws right up their arse for all I care.

Rob

I REST MY CASE EALES. Do go home Freeloader.

[Axel]

Hey Lop, how exactly do you know this? I and no doubt Robert have attempted to do so and have been turned away. So if you opened your acct 6 or more months ago, you do not know

You walk into a bank around the corner and they tell you, you need a WP to open an account. Don't think you will be able to prove that is not correct. If you do not know anybody higher up in a bank, you have a problem.

I posted on 3/3/04,

Wed 2004-03-03, 11:18:10 http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7031&hl=

Just talked to a client who moves with Thai wife to Bangkok and arrived here last Saturday. Holds a non-imm O and walked yesterday into 5 different banks with Euro 17K in his hand to open an account. The first 4 refused as no W/P. Bangkok Bank happily took the money and will confirm funds came from outside Thailand, as paid in foreign currency. He also went with wife to immigration office. Will change his visa to 1 year as soons as he brings bank book and the letter. Promised can be done within 10 minutes.

[lopburi3]

The current requirement to open an account with Bangkok Bank as per their extensive web site:

Bank Account

If you are working or living in Thailand or just moving here, we can help to set up a new bank account for you quickly and easily. With a long-term visa and a work permit or a Certificate of Residence, you can apply for access to our additional banking services like phone banking, mobile phone banking and internet banking.

Once you have opened your account you will receive a Bangkok Bank passbook which can be updated at our handy terminals in our branches. Your passbook is a handy way of tracking your account movements and takes the place of an account statement.

With a Bangkok Bank account, you can also apply for a Bualuang ATM card. 

[dr_Pat_Pong]

You can get a bank account without a work permit. Mind you, with aggression you'll get nothing.

[unbiasbob]

well it would appear that BKK Bank is the exception. Seems like every other bank throws you and your cash out before you can sit down at a desk. I would like to point out something here as a response to many posts i have read on the matter. It is about being polite in Thailand and that persons who run into problems must not be polite or are back packer scum. I'm referring to immigration mainly. I feel that those people do get harrassed and rightfully so. However there are those of us who are nice and clean cut as can be and are running into all kinds of hassles trying to remain here on tourist visas. I'll see what happens in 10 days

[dr_Pat_Pong]

There are hassles Bob. For some peculiar reason, Thailand doesn't want you to stay here as residents on tourist visa's.