Question about Nonthaburi Immigration

[puyaidon]

It came time for my visa extension based on retirement so I had my forms ready for the Nonthaburi office including a TM30 form and a copy of my landlady's ID card. On Monday, went to the office and waited due to many doing visa extensions. The lady looked at my forms and commented on my income letter from the US embassy. For some reason, I needed a stamp/sticker from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Chaengwattana on the back of the form. Off we go to an office with no parking space but finally got in. Filled out some forms and paid 400 baht. Two to three hours later, got the forms. One of the forms had something about legalization something on it in English. Got the stamp/sticker on the back of my income statement with a signature of an official from the ministry and her stamp. It seems that the stamp is needed to verify my signature on the front of the income letter is actually my signature. Confusing to say the least.

Tuesday morning, went to the Nonthaburi Immigration office and waited to be called. While sitting there, the immigration lady told an American sitting next to me that he had to get this stamp just like me when he came in for his visa extension. As I had waited for two to three hours the day before, the lady processed my extension very quickly and after paying my visa extension fee, I had my extension.

From what I observed, this only applies to the Nonthaburi office. Can someone explain what this stamp is about when visa extensions don't need this stamp from either the main office or other provincial immigration offices? I learned that I would have to do the same process next year also. i have heard that this may be due to a shakeup in the office or the entire immigration system and due to interpretation of the rules regarding visa extensions for retirement. Whether this applies to the entire immigration process has to be answered by someone smarter than me.

I am mainly confused as to how this will affect both myself and other retirees in the future. Please advise if you know the answer.

[ubonjoe]

The stamp is to verify the signature of the consular officer signing the affidavit.

It is a rubbish requirement that apparently only the Nonthaburi office requires. No explanation is possible as to why they want it.

[Ozfatboy]

When I did my extension of Stay (Retirement) last month at the Pathumthani Office, they also required my income letter from the Embassy to translated and legalised form MFA. I was advised this was a new requirement and will also be required next year.

As Ubonjoe mentioned, I believe it is to verify the Consular Officer.

No big deal really, just another document to add to the list when applying for my yearly Extension of Stay.

[lem]

Similarly for myself yesterday. My British Embassy pension letter with confirmation of address was not now sufficient to renew my 'Retirement Visa' as they call it.

I had to retreat to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Chaeng Wattana, Legalisation Division on the 3rd floor. At the 6 booth reception area you tell them that you want a 'Certified Genuine Signature' stamp to confirm the authenticity of the Embassy letter. You get a number, wait for a call on this number and hand in the form which you have been given and filled in together with the original Embassy letter.You pay B400 and wait. Sometimes up to four hours but in my case I was called back by name after 3 hours to receive the receipt for my payment and collect the original Embassy letter with the Thai MFA stamp on the back.

As you say, it's an added burden, but I believe that because the Thai MFA have an up to date record of stamps and signatures from various Embassies (and the signatures certainly change over time), Thai Immigration is less likely to be fooled by a fake letter - and surely this has happened in the past.

I was very lucky with parking as someone pulled out just in front of me when I arrived. But I think the ideal method is to get dropped off by taxi, otherwise you could be travelling the length of Chaengwattana looking for a parking space and then a taxi to get back to where you were.

I had added burden this year of providing a TM30 'Notification for House Master ... of the residence where the alien has stayed', completed by my landlady together with a copy of her Thai ID and a copy of the Tabien Ban'. Both signed.

I did not know of these changes before I turned up at Non' Immigration and it's probably too much to ask that they put up new information on their website.

So are there any positives from this? Yes. You have a month before your 'Retirement VIsa' expires which leaves plenty of time to conform to the latest edicts and secondly you can read on Thai Visa of other recent experiences at your local Immigration Office.

In other words - forewarned if forearmed.

Lem

Suan Yai, Nonthaburi