New Married Visa - Udon Thani

gudtymchuk wrote:Hi Texpat, would like to know what 10 year multi-entry visa you are referring to here.

So would I.

Reported back on 13th August to see the result - office open but not manned - no notice to indicate why ( Holiday )
ditto 14th 15th and 16th
On 17th arrived - reported to window showed my passport - was told to take a Q card and sit down - one hour later I got my turn - told I had no need of Q card and he put my passport in the office window
Good news is I ended up with the one year visa even though I had failed to meet the financial requirement.
Has to be easier next time

Reported back on 13th August to see the result - office open but not manned - no notice to indicate why ( Holiday )
ditto 14th 15th and 16th

Is the immigration office still in the Udon airport or has it moved?

Holiday for HM Queen Birthday extended over the weekend.
Office is still at the airport.

gudtymchuk wrote:Hi Texpat, would like to know what 10 year multi-entry visa you are referring to here.

It's called a green card -- essentially a 10-year, multiple entry, no-reporting, work permitted, resident alien visa.

Sure the paperwork for this 10-year visa takes more time and costs more, but considering requirements to live in Thailand for a similar length of time (all the running around and bureaucratic nonsensical paperwork (how many copies of my passport does Thai immigration require?) annually and the 90 day reporting requirement and embassy runs ... ) the US model is far more efficient.

10) Proof of income - 400,000 currently in a Thai Bank with confirmation letter from bank and 2 copies of British Embassy letter regarding pension and Thai translation

Why did you need a pension letter AND 400,000 in the bank?
My understanding was 400,000 OR an income of 40,000 per month.

My understanding was 400,000 OR an income of 40,000 per month.

I was told the same thing five years ago by Mr Happy.

I had a few mil baht in the bank. I understood that satisfied the requirement for a supporting a Thai spouse visa.
He asked me what I did for a living. I said, "I am retired."
He said, "you're not old enough to retire."
I said, "I am retired, but I have the required sum in my account."
He said, "Let me see your pension proof."
I said, "I don't have proof of pension, but I have enough in the bank to satisfy the requirement."
He said, "Go to your embassy in Bankgkok and come back here with proof of pension."
He gave me one week.

So much for requirements.

mickydee wrote:Good news is I ended up with the one year visa even though I had failed to meet the financial requirement.

Wow,post that on Thai Visa and youll have thousands of expats wanting to live in Udon !

f

Texpat wrote:

My understanding was 400,000 OR an income of 40,000 per month.

I was told the same thing five years ago by Mr Happy.

I had a few mil baht in the bank. I understood that satisfied the requirement for a supporting a Thai spouse visa.
He asked me what I did for a living. I said, "I am retired."
He said, "you're not old enough to retire."
I said, "I am retired, but I have the required sum in my account."
He said, "Let me see your pension proof."
I said, "I don't have proof of pension, but I have enough in the bank to satisfy the requirement."
He said, "Go to your embassy in Bankgkok and come back here with proof of pension."
He gave me one week.

So much for requirements.

Seems you're better off with just the Pension Letter from the Embassy (providing it meets the amount of course)
If you have enough for a marriage visa what does it matter whether you are retired or not, its not a requirement to be retired to support a wife?

Yes, I understand all that. It was my first extension (4 years ago, not five). I read the requirements like everybody else.
It's either (pension, sum) -- or -- not both. But the imm officer got stuck on my retirement status. I was retired from the US, but not old enough to have a retirement visa in Thailand. When I explained the requirements are a sum in the bank OR a pension letter, he became angry that I challenged him. At that point it was a pissing contest. He didn't care how much I had in the bank, he wanted to see a pension letter.

So -- sometimes either means both.

It was one of my first lessons that rules don't mean much of anything in Thailand.

Well it was Mr Happy, thankfully he remains at Nong Khai

At the time, immigration had a flier posted on the bulletin board that listed all requirements. It showed either -- or, not both. As everyone knows, the buck stops with the officer handling your visa. He/she is at liberty to interpret the rules as he/she sees fit.

And they do -- regularly.

Which would you put more faith in -- an anonymous post on Thai Visa or a bulletin inside the Immigration office?

My point stands. The rules, the regulations, the written instructions, the law -- don't amount to a hill of beans if the immigration officer sitting across from you is on his menstrual cycle.

This is a point that should never be dismissed by so-called experts running heavy over the newbies. Everything is up for interpretation and nothing applies routinely.