Latest nonsense at P.Thani IO for Marriage Extension

[NoshowJones]

3 hours ago, recom273 said:

Let’s wait and see when they close the loophole and remove the ME visa, I had a ME for a few years and got sick of hearing that I was abusing the visa, from border and local office staff, which I was. The joys of yearly trips to savannakhet wear thin after a while.

Life is so much easier and cheaper with an extension, 1900b for a year, send the wife to do my 90 day, just one day of putting up with the B S.

 

"The joys of yearly trips to savannakhet wear thin after a while". I thought each ME based on marriage lasted up to 15 months.

[Rimmer]

A sarcastic troll baiting post has been removed.

[Neeranam]

4 hours ago, colinneil said:

Read the last sentence of my post, that answers it.

My wife is higher in the government ranks than the person dealing with my extension.

Isn't your wife a teacher in a rural school?

 

This is not the reason you got it done quickly. 

 

I went once with a relative, director of Khon Kaen technical college, an influential figure, in his white uniform. They told him to sit down and they wanted to speak to me alone. They hate that and actually made things harder for me.

 

It took me a deputy commander in the RTP, head policeman of 7 Isarn provinces  to fix my issue.

 

Edited January 27, 2020 by Neeranam

[Denim]

55 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

What about recording them on your smartphone while keeping it hidden?

I have a spy pen. Has proven a useful little toy.

 

 

Takes reasonably good video.

 

I did an extension based on marriage once and once only about 35 years ago at Udon. Several ( but not all ) of the immigration officers there were so rude and corrupt I vowed I would never deal with them and their nitpicking ever again.

 

So, despite having the cash I have always done visa runs every 90 days. Not bored yet and we always enjoy the travel which I would otherwise probably be too lazy to do.

 

I can see that this option will probably disappear in the near future but am not bothered too much. My mother is now 86 and will be needing my assistance soon anyway so for me it looks like I will have to spend at least 6 months a year in the UK anyway.

 

As soon as my other half gets her new 10 year passport I will try to get her a 10 year UK visa so that in future we can come and go at short notice.

 

Every dog has its day and Thailand has clearly changed for the worse since democracy was trampled on. If I have to go , it will no longer be with a heavy heart.

[orchidfan]

5 hours ago, bobnuts said:

@ Orchidfan, I feel your pain! I also have to 'deal' with Pathum Thani immigration office and a I dread the days I have to go there. The 'reception girl', if the one I am thinking of is the prime cause of my frustration and the best advert I have ever met for not wanting anything to do with Thailand, ever. She is clearly a complete disaster and utterly atrocious in her attitude. You have to think that rule number one for anyone working in immigration should be a positive a friendly attitude with the necessary communication skills for dealing with foreigners.

 

By contrast I have found all the other people working at that office most helpful and friendly.

 

Yes, she with the pig tails and permanent scowl...would be the one. How could she lose so many things over lunch time? And no apology,  just a disappointed look.on her face when I found them!

[orchidfan]

5 hours ago, RoiEtDale said:

Just one thing that’s a little odd about this story you said this was your fifth annual extension yet still needed a home visit? I’ve done 7 annual extensions based on marriage and they only require either two witnesses or a home visit for your first extension only. So something just doesn’t sound right here. I recently did my 7th extension and no problems no request for witnesses or a home visit so that’s strange. Am I the only person here who has caught on to that part of the ops story? 

I doubt that you did your extensions at the quoted Immig Office.

I can assure you that this mob do a home visit EVERY year.

Maybe because we live only 20 minutes away, and they.like the outing......especially this year in the new Beemer.

[Kalasin Jo]

 An updated kor ror 2 seems to be new this year? We always used the very original issued when we married 6 years ago. We used to have to go to Sakon Nakhon and found them friendly if a little cheeky and once I was given the runaround over my bank passbook but now we have an IO in Kalasin thank the Lord as SN is a 4 hour plus round trip so a lack of paperwork always was a worry.. But at the moment I've stopped doing these extensions as I don't spend more than 6 months a year here in total and so find a non O 90 day multi. from Savanakhet suits me fine at the moment.....

[SteveK]

An updated KR2 is probably one of the few sensible and understandable requests in the whole debacle - it proves that you are actually married and didn't just get divorced after getting your marriage certificate.

[orchidfan]

5 hours ago, RoiEtDale said:

That’s the weirdest part of his story I’ve done 7 marriage extensions and you never need a home visit or witnesses after the first extension unless it’s his first year under that immigration office if he recently moved to that province, that’s the only reasonable explanation I can think of. Op, did you just recently move to that province? Otherwise you don’t need a home visit unless maybe you just recently moved there. That’s always a possibility. Even I’ve been through that once in 8 years but it wasn’t that hard when I switched provinces last year, just a quick TM30 form and I was in and out in a few minutes. No problem although the first extension I had to have two witnesses which wasn’t that hard but every year after that you don’t need them anymore or any home visit. So I guess the op must’ve recently moved to a new province that’s what it sounds like there’s no other way he’d need a home visit after 5 extensions no way. 

No. Been in the same house and address for ALL the extensions. I notice that people living upcountry seem not to get the home visits, but we are too close maybe to the PT I office.

I even queried this with my wife who confirmed that this mob always need a home visit.

[orchidfan]

5 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Does the OP or his wife have tattoes?

Were they dressed in appropriate attire when visiting immigration?

 

Be assured that I am over 65, no tattoos, my wife of 20yrs marriage is orig from Isaan, we are of course polite and act appropriately (I've worked/lived in Asia over 30yrs so I know the drill). She often brings gifts of cakes etc, plus the home visit afternoon tea.

90 day and TM30 reports for me used to take only 5minutes....now I do them online.

[orchidfan]

4 hours ago, RoiEtDale said:

When I did my last extension earlier this month based on marriage I probably would have been done in an hour or less probably 30 minutes or less but I had to go back to the bank and get updated paperwork but other than that it went really well. No problems. 

Sounds good....but did they spring a TM28 form on you upon arrival?

Dont think even UJ's very good list includes this one.

"New procedure" says the new IO

[puchooay]

1 hour ago, Neeranam said:

Isn't your wife a teacher in a rural school?

 

This is not the reason you got it done quickly. 

 

I went once with a relative, director of Khon Kaen technical college, an influential figure, in his white uniform. They told him to sit down and they wanted to speak to me alone. They hate that and actually made things harder for me.

 

It took me a deputy commander in the RTP, head policeman of 7 Isarn provinces  to fix my issue.

 

Location of school has no bearing on rank of teacher. 

 

The lady in question is the poster's wife. Not some official that he decided to take to show off with. I would imagine you had major issues or p%$ed someone off quite badly if you needed such a high ranking officer to "fix your issue".

[recom273]

2 hours ago, UKresonant said:

 

Down to every ones point of view I suppose, from my point of view calling the non-O ME a "loophole" ???? is unreasonable, and such a visa no longer being issued in home country being very disappointing ????. If for some reason I had to go to Thailand urgently from the UK, having the ME in the passport is comforting (only a short period annually where it would be unavailable).

(From my point of view it would seem, an extension with a multi-entry permit is not viable either , as it takes longer than 90 days in Thailand for it to be processed. As well as potentially using up my wife's time, if they were unable to make it a straight forward process at whatever office, as many have described).

Correct. I gather this is the correct use of the visa.

 

I really don’t care how people stay here, none of my business, but it’s irritating when posters think that going to Savannakhet or Phom Phen is an justifiable alternative to keeping 400,000K and spending a day at immigration jumping through hoops, tugging forelocks and being treated like a criminal in your own home.

[puchooay]

1 minute ago, recom273 said:

Correct. I gather this is the correct use of the visa.

 

I really don’t care how people stay here, none of my business, but it’s irritating when posters think that going to Savannakhet or Phom Phen is an justifiable alternative to keeping 400,000K and spending a day at immigration jumping through hoops, tugging forelocks and being treated like a criminal in your own home.

Would you care to share a link or something to show this?

[recom273]

1 hour ago, SteveK said:

An updated KR2 is probably one of the few sensible and understandable requests in the whole debacle - it proves that you are actually married and didn't just get divorced after getting your marriage certificate.

Lol - How? How does this 20B stamped piece of paper prove anything?

 

The first year we both went, with loads of documents, and I was ignored, no need to even sign it in front of them.
I now send the wife on her own and now they don’t even require a copy of her ID card. 
 

The whole thing is messed up.

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, recom273 said:

How does this 20B stamped piece of paper prove anything?

Because you would not be able to get a printout of it since it would no longer exist if you got divorced.

[m Stender]

I am becoming flabbergasted every time I am reading about this nonsense, to me it looks as every imm. officer has his own kingdom and make his own rules and will do everything to protect it 

Why can there not be one common rule for this as in ALL other civilized countries, it is a giant vast of time, both for the imm. and for the applicant, it is time for some top brass people to start thinking and convey it down the line, lot of money and time could be saved here, I agree there must be some rules, but those should be common to the whole country, Chiangmai, Phuket and all other places where expats are requiring their service, and it should be SERVICE and not  ignorance. Luckily there are some imm.officers who is  reasonable, serviceminded, polite and helpful, but they are a minority     

[recom273]

35 minutes ago, puchooay said:

Would you care to share a link or something to show this?

This is part of the problem isn’t it. There is no link, its down to an individual interpretation.
 

If you look through some previous posts by our respected TV visa experts, you will see this is the original purpose.

 

I live on the southern borders, I have had discussions at the border when reentering that a ME is not a ‘correct’ visa. I had an instance in Hat Yai immigration where I thought the officer was going to put a pen through the sticker - he was screaming repeatedly “How did you get this?” Well, I applied .. “bbbbut you have been here for 8 years on a ME visa, this is not correct”

[recom273]

3 hours ago, possum1931 said:

"The joys of yearly trips to savannakhet wear thin after a while". I thought each ME based on marriage lasted up to 15 months.

I think even longer if your local immigration will grant an extension. Mine won’t.

 

I used to ride up on my bike from Songkhla, an annual get away from the wife. In the time before Songkran, before the wet season arrived. If I did a 15 month cycle I would end up riding 2000km in pouring rain.

Edited January 27, 2020 by recom273

[ChaiyaTH]

On 1/26/2020 at 5:51 PM, EricTh said:

Now we have to keep 800k in our bank accounts for 5 months instead of 3 months....

Not to mention the risk of like up to 30% loss if the baht suddenly drops for everyone who had to do deposits in the past few years.
That is one reason I already think the 400K is not worth the risk for me personally.

At a young age, that would hit my financial reserve hard and it is meant to be for remigrating back to Europe (in emergency or if desired).

Edited January 27, 2020 by ChaiyaTH

[colinneil]

3 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Isn't your wife a teacher in a rural school?

 

This is not the reason you got it done quickly. 

 

I went once with a relative, director of Khon Kaen technical college, an influential figure, in his white uniform. They told him to sit down and they wanted to speak to me alone. They hate that and actually made things harder for me.

 

It took me a deputy commander in the RTP, head policeman of 7 Isarn provinces  to fix my issue.

 

 Once again you are wrong, my wife is as you well know a director of a school in Banphai

Where you present ?at Khonkaen immigration last friday morning?

As you were not there, you have absolutely no idea what transpired.

Now what is all this about Deputy commander of the RTP, MORE SILLY NONSENSE i think.

 

Is it not time for you to stop trying to ridicule my wife and her job as a school director, you need to get yourself a hobby.????

[RoiEtDale]

16 hours ago, orchidfan said:

I doubt that you did your extensions at the quoted Immig Office.

I can assure you that this mob do a home visit EVERY year.

Maybe because we live only 20 minutes away, and they.like the outing......especially this year in the new Beemer.

Naw, they don’t it’s a one time thing when you get your first extension based on marriage either that or you bring witnesses depending on the province. But no immigration office does it every year lol unless maybe the IOs have reason to be suspicious about someone maybe. 

[Neeranam]

23 hours ago, colinneil said:

 Once again you are wrong, my wife is as you well know a director of a school in Banphai

Where you present ?at Khonkaen immigration last friday morning?

As you were not there, you have absolutely no idea what transpired.

Now what is all this about Deputy commander of the RTP, MORE SILLY NONSENSE i think.

 

Is it not time for you to stop trying to ridicule my wife and her job as a school director, you need to get yourself a hobby.????

I am in no way trying to ridicule anyone, especially your wife.

Head teacher, whatever.

The point I was making is that the immigration officers do not take kindly to others trying to show their authority, and the police ranking is very different from government workers. Immigration officers are quite highly ranked and would not bow to a government worker, unless they were perhaps governor/senator.

 

 

[Neeranam]

On 1/27/2020 at 4:48 PM, puchooay said:

Location of school has no bearing on rank of teacher. 

 

The lady in question is the poster's wife. Not some official that he decided to take to show off with. I would imagine you had major issues or p%$ed someone off quite badly if you needed such a high ranking officer to "fix your issue".

I never took anyone to show off. Going with the relative was actually when people in Khon Kaen had to go to Nong Kai, and he was going there for a funeral, so gave me a lift.

The immigration officer was annoyed that someone was trying to invade their little kingdom and made me travel to NK every month for 5 months. This got annoying and I told the policeman, who I was doing some work for, who offered to help.

[Monomial]

10 hours ago, RoiEtDale said:

Naw, they don’t it’s a one time thing when you get your first extension based on marriage either that or you bring witnesses depending on the province. But no immigration office does it every year lol unless maybe the IOs have reason to be suspicious about someone maybe. 

 

Wrong.

 

The subject district of this thread, P.Thani, does it every year, and it has nothing to do with being suspicious. It has been done every year for the last 5 years. The IO's even remember exactly where my house is now. They commented the last time that I had changed the landscaping since their previous visit. They consider the home visit to be a non negotiable requirement.

 

If they don't do a home visit every year where you are, you should simply consider yourself very fortunate.  Many of us do not live in such lax districts.

 

Edited January 28, 2020 by Monomial