How Pedantic Can They Get?

[Bandung_Dero]

One small mistake leads to Visa failure.

Yesterday a friend went into Sakon Nakhon Immigration to renew his OA (Retirement Visa) Extension for the 6th time (1st in that office) and was knocked back!

Over three months ago he topped up his bank account in Udon to 812,000 Baht. Two months ago his Thai Wife needed some cash in a hurry, he was busy so he gave her his ATM card saying to her only take 10,000 Baht. She took 15,000 out. As you might imagine he was fuming but the following day went straight into the bank and redeposited the money. Too late damage done!

Well they picked it up, would not listen to the TW’s explanation and refused the extension.

They did come up with a solution though, they gave him a 60 day Tourist visa for 1900 Baht and told him to come back then and not withdraw anything out of his account. They would do his extension then.

Will that work? I’ll leave it to lopburi3 and the experts.

Anyway it just goes to prove that they only want our money in this country and not us.

[BKKSTAN]

I agree with your last statement ,for sure,but there is a strong possibility that the officers had no choice about the matter.And they did provide an alternative rather then just say NO!

[Texpat]

Sounds to me like they did say NO. Then sold him a tourist visa for 1,900 baht. But I can hardly fault the immigration officers for following the rules. The farang knew his wife screwed the pooch and what the likely outcome would be. He wasn't disappointed.

[polehawk]

I'm no expert but I suppose that your friend knew he could use a combination of a savings account with the income statement from his embassy?

He would have needed to get a bank letter/statement very close to his visa extension date along with the notarized statement of pension income from his embassy with an end result of 800K baht total or more. The bank letter total does have to agree with the latest total in the savings passbook, of course, but no stipulation as far as leaving money deposited and untouched for 2 or 3 months. The income statement from the embassy can be used for three years.

Unless Immigration has moved the goal posts again? Lopburi3, are you out there?

[jorg]

Nice on, selling him a free tourist visa... Think it was an extension of 60 days.

[Bandung_Dero]

Think it was an extension of 60 days.

I think so as well, he said tourist this morning when he called. He had an alternative plan in place but just hoped that they would overlook a 2000 Baht mistake that was only out overnight. lopburi3 has indicated that he will be OK and get the extension in 60 days.

[phelo]

Hi, found your story by accident. If this guy is married he is only needs 400,000 big ones in the bank, so what's the fuss. Has the system changed again?

[Bandung_Dero]

Hi, found your story by accident. If this guy is married he is only needs 400,000 big ones in the bank, so what's the fuss. Has the system changed again?

The Visa based on marriage is a real 'pain in the arse' with the goal posts continuely moving. Now it's photos of the matrimonial bed for crying out loud.

[parrot]

"Anyway it just goes to prove that they only want our money in this country and not us. "

Geesh, I would have thought the immigration guy would have rewritten the rules right then and then to say, "800k is required unless you mess up and have less than 800k, then we'll give you a few hours to make it right again"

If you overdraw your account in the US by a minute, you're screwed. Pay your credit card bill late by a few minutes, you're screwed. Why should it be different in Thailand?

[747man]

Hi, found your story by accident. If this guy is married he is only needs 400,000 big ones in the bank, so what's the fuss. Has the system changed again?

The Visa based on marriage is a real 'pain in the arse' with the goal posts continuely moving. Now it's photos of the matrimonial bed for crying out loud.

PERVERTS !!!

[Bandung_Dero]

"Anyway it just goes to prove that they only want our money in this country and not us. "

Geesh, I would have thought the immigration guy would have rewritten the rules right then and then to say, "800k is required unless you mess up and have less than 800k, then we'll give you a few hours to make it right again"

If you overdraw your account in the US by a minute, you're screwed. Pay your credit card bill late by a few minutes, you're screwed. Why should it be different in Thailand?

We are not talking effin banks --- particurlarly US banks as we have all been fu#ked by their miss managements. A little bit of common sense in this case should have been applied when the Thai Rules clearly state "The Final Decision is up to the Immigration Office" that works two ways.

[Barstool]

At the risk of being flamed for ignorance, doesn't the issuance of a Tourist Visa then render the original Non Imm "O" as null and void?

[MALC]

i went to to renew my retirement visa last yr nong khai money had only been in bank 10 weeks. refused me but give me a 90 day visa and told me to come back then which i did no problem

[Barstool]

There's my answer; thanks MALC. Therefore they are bending the rules to help us

[LoveDaBlues]

I recently went for my 1 year extension based on marriage. I had done 3 before based on retirement.

I found the process for the marriage based extension to be no more difficult than the retirement. The only 'downer' is they give you 1 month and then you have to return to immigration for the 1 year stamp. This was in Nong Khai.

It will sure be nice next year when I can do it at the airport.

[Marlowe]

Did they ask why you wanted to change to a Marriage-based one?

They, well Mr. H., discouraged me bigtime from going for a "M", so kept my "R" to keep everyone "Happy".

May try to change next year, as I am thinking about working nit noi!

[papaguido]

Did they ask why you wanted to change to a Marriage-based one?

They, well Mr. H., discouraged me bigtime from going for a "M", so kept my "R" to keep everyone "Happy".

May try to change next year, as I am thinking about working nit noi!

This has come up before. Anyway, I suspect that "M" based extension is more time consuming than the "R" based. The R based is processed and approved on the spot, provided that the requirements are met. Whereas the M based is processed and sent off to BKK Imm for approval. Also a brief interview (Q&A) with the wife is conducted and she is required to sign a the statement at the end. I've gone through this 3 times and in my experience I disagree that it's a pain in the ass with the goal posts continually moving