Selecting Reason for Visa Extension

[HAL9000]

I was recently in an injury auto accident. The police offered both sides the option to just accept their own losses and go home. I was not at fault and was not willing to accept my losses, nor share the expenses of a third party motorcyclist who was just waiting at the intersection when it happened. I said I wanted to elevate it to court in order to prove the other party was at fault. Unfortunately, in Thailand, this opens a criminal case where both parties are "suspects". This flagged my immigration records with court case flag that put up a red border on the immigration officer's computer screen.

 

The supervisor said I could no longer use the Retirement extension option to extend my visa, and the papers I had prepared for my Retirement extension were not sufficient. She sent me back to the court to get a different document.

 

When I returned, I got a different worker, an old timer with a lot more experience than the supervisor. I told him what happened and gave him the court papers, but he didn't want them, and he processed me for a retirement visa and stamped my passport accordingly. After he passed the packet to the supervisor for signature, she came back and told him he could not do that and made him cancel my retirement extension and do it over as a court extension.

 

I wouldn't care one way or the other, except the the court extension is only 90 days compared the the Retirement extension which is one year. Therefore I will have to pay the 1900 extension application fee every 90 days instead of annually. The case is already settled after the other party's insurance agreed to pay for it, but they said their agents are backlogged, and the payouts probably won't be made until April or June. The court will not close the case and release my immigration status until the promised payments are made. My first 90 stamp expires this month, and if the case goes until June, I will have to make a total of four 1900 visa extension application payments.

 

I was thinking that when applying for a visa extension, the foreigner gets to select which visa he wants according to which reasons for stay he is qualified for. For example, I have previously been offered to choose between a Retirement extension or a Thai Wife extension. I can see that it is nice that the government allows a court case extension in for those who do not qualify for any other type of extension, but it seems to me that since I qualify for 3 different visa extension types, that I should be able to choose which extension type I want to use instead of being forced into the court extension. Is this right or wrong? Would it help if I went over their heads and ask at the regional immigration office?

 

Thanks.

[elviajero]

1 hour ago, HAL9000 said:

Is this right or wrong? Would it help if I went over their heads and ask at the regional immigration office?

I don't know if it's officially right or wrong but my feeling is that it's right.  

You could call the help line and see what they say. Help line: 1111