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[inalyat]

Hi,

I have been a silent member for a number of years, having lived in the Pattaya area (sattahip) for the past 7 odd years. I was working international so never needed a visa to enter the country as the 30 day visa exemption stamp at the airport worked fine for my work arrangements. 

My story, I married a Thai woman, had 2 children now aged 4 and 5 and after 5 years am now divorced from the woman. On our divorce she was given full custody of our children as I was working internationally. (As well as all property, vehicles, bank accounts etc etc even the dog, god I miss him, but that's another story)

I have for the last few months however been out of work so I am living in Thailand so I can still be a part of my children's upbringing, I get the non o visa when I can but to leave every 3 months to go to Australia is a pain in the butt and also costly.

My current non o visa expired yesterday so I had to do a boarder run to Cambodia get 14 days extension so as to meet my departure flight to Australia on the 21st of Dec. They told me at the boarder not to do this again. 

The Thai embassy in Australia is shut during the time I am there so I cant get another visa so will be entering on the visa exempt again on the 4th of Jan. I know this can be extended for 30 extra days at immigation but again not practiclemand defeats the purpose of trying to get a long stay visa, or at least a multi entry. 

I have asked many places and people but no one is giving me credible information as to how I can obtain a visa (which visa and how and where to obtain it, also the cost of it) to stay and continue to be a part of my young children lives, I have gone to immigration to try and get a Dependants visa based on my 2 children but they advise me I can't because the divorce order has my my ex wife as the custodian, immigration were no help and would not advise what I needed to do to allow me to continue to stay in Thailand only saying "not my problem". I am too young to be eligible for the retirement visa and the education visa that has been explained to me is more costly per year than going to Hong Kong business class 6 times a year and returning on the visa exempt stamp and getting it extended for 30 days each time. 

I know if I sift through the thousands of threads of information on here I may be able to find the same circumstances which have been answered, this is just in hope that some kind person/s can expedite the correct information as they too may have been in this situation and know away around it. 

 

[ubonjoe]

You can get a 60 day extension to visit your children at an immigration office. No need for custody of the children to get it.

You could get a multiple entry non-o visa in Penang based upon being the parent of a Thai. You would need to show 400k baht in the bank or proof of income to get it. The 400k baht does not need to be in a Thai bank.

[inalyat]

Thanks for your reply, I tried to get an extension previously, took my kids with me, their birth certificates and their duel citizenships and even a letter from their mother, only to be told at immigration in jomtien "not my problem" and they only extended it for 30 days. Looks like I might have to give Penang a try. 

[ubonjoe]

5 minutes ago, inalyat said:

Thanks for your reply, I tried to get an extension previously, took my kids with me, their birth certificates and their duel citizenships and even a letter from their mother, only to be told at immigration in jomtien "not my problem" and they only extended it for 30 days. Looks like I might have to give Penang a try. 

They were wrong or thought you were wanting a one year extension. Many people get them to visit their children that are not married to the child's mother.

I don't your children's house book registry listed in your post which is a firm requirement to apply for one.

[inalyat]

4 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

They were wrong or thought you were wanting a one year extension. Many people get them to visit their children that are not married to the child's mother.

I don't your children's house book registry listed in your post which is a firm requirement to apply for one.

Yes, I took the blue book for my kids registered address, I took my 12 month lease agreement with me to confirm my address, I took all passports, (kids have Thai and Australian), took a letter from my kids school that I have them enrolled in, a letter from my ex wife, birth certificates and Australian citizen ship by descent documentation, marriage certificate and subsequent divorce paperwork and still they said "you do not have custody, not my problem" and only granted 30 days extra. Pain in the arse as one person at the court fee told me I could get 60 days, then when I filled I the forms, the girl doing it only gave me 30 days, then she said come back in 30 days and we will give you another 30 days, however when I went back there I got some jumped up smart girl who was having a bad hair day and she refused to give any extra time, giving no reason or advise and just throwing my passport back at me saying "not my problem" hence the reason I am trying to obtain the correct visa so I can avoid all the hassle of going to immigration and being at the whim of the immigration official who seem to please them selves without following any due process or consistency.