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House visit for Non-O (marriage), Chaeng Wattana


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Next week, I'll be submitting my application for Non-O based on marriage, at the Chaeng Wattana office. I am currently on V-E with a 30-day extension. 

Our "official" residence is my father-in-law's house at Onnut.  This is where we stayed when we first arrived, and keep most of our stuff there.  However, the reality is we have a series of 1-month Airbnb rentals around BKK as we are investigating where we want to live long-term, with a focus on access to schools for our daughter.  Naturally, the airbnb hosts don't file TM-30 but my in-laws do. 

What is the best way to approach this with regards to the house visit?  We don't want to lie about our housing arrangements, but we find that Immigration employees don't enthusiastically embrace unaccustomed or novel information.  I'm sure it's not forbidden to travel on holiday during one's Non-O application, but for us, the "holiday" is most of the time (I am retired, with independent income). 

I presume CW does house visits because most offices do.  We will have all our pictures: In front of the house, in the bedroom, kitchen, all the crazy stuff they insist on. The neighbors nearby don't see us much, so I'm not sure what to expect if they are interviewed. (people pretty much stay bottled up in their homes, which have high block walls in front).  Also, what is CW's normal standard of home visit... Do they actually do it?  Is it scheduled in advance (we have to make sure we are there when they come), etc. etc.

Please limit your answers only to CW... each office has its own unique practice, and I'm not interested in what they do in Pattaya or Korat.  TYIA. 


 

Edited by USNret
grammatical error
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16 minutes ago, Youlike said:

Why is the title house visit? I've had to bring my neighbours to the office to get interviewed there.

My understanding of the process is that police or immigration officials actually visit the home.  Perhaps this is more up north, etc.  Not sure what they do for the CW office. 

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46 minutes ago, Youlike said:

Why is the title house visit? I've had to bring my neighbours to the office to get interviewed there.

That depends upon the office you apply at. Some want witnesses instead of doing a house visit. He is asking about Bangkok that does house visits instead asking for them.

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Your unlikely to get a home visit from CW.  I had a non-imm O marriage visa which I renewed for years at CW and never had a home visit.  Then I decided to switch to a retirement visa and that change prompted a home visit.  Unless you provoke their curiosity for some reason, it's unlikely to happen.

Edited by cmarshall
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Anyone know if CW will want to talk to neighbors?  If so, we'll need to get them lined up. Even though this is an older, established neighborhood, neighbors don't really mingle. They stay behind their block walls, and just come out when they get hungry.  My FIL doesn't know any of them well. 

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I've never had a house visit in six years from CW.

 

The issue you will have though is making the visa without some lease. So have your FiL draw up a backdated lease on the property. Take the photos at the property and map to the property. Your wife files TM30 for you or your FiL.

 

I'd just wait till you're more settled. Be certain the sluglord will do the TM30 or allow you.

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If I could also ask about the map they want to see, what exactly are they looking for?  This house is tucked away in a little mooban (not gated), far off the beaten track.  Should we show the main roads out to Onnut Road, or all the way to Onnut BTS as a point of reference?  Do they want to see any major landmarks like police station or govt buildings?  Or just the immediate few blocks around the house? 

We can, of course, print up google maps but I hear they want or insist upon hand-drawn.  And sometimes, even hand-drawn in their presence.  So any guidance on what, exactly, they are looking for is greatly appreciated. 

Edited by USNret
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3 minutes ago, Number 6 said:

I've never had a house visit in six years from CW.

 

The issue you will have though is making the visa without some lease. So have your FiL draw up a backdated lease on the property. Take the photos at the property and map to the property. Your wife files TM30 for you or your FiL.

 

I'd just wait till you're more settled. Be certain the sluglord will do the TM30 or allow you.

Thank you. That's a terrific idea, and we will do it.  Does anyone have a simple lease form they can share? Or can these be purchased somewhere or download?  I'm sure I could find a sample in English, but it would help to have a common Thai sample.  

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4 minutes ago, USNret said:

Thank you. That's a terrific idea, and we will do it.  Does anyone have a simple lease form they can share? Or can these be purchased somewhere or download?  I'm sure I could find a sample in English, but it would help to have a common Thai sample.  

I think either will do. Our apartment lease is totally valid but very informal. CW likes leases. We always get a bit of an eye roll but they get on with it. So do yourself a favor and get something that looks official.

 

You'll also need wife's housebook. If the housebook is the residence your "renting" this could be an issue. Just sayin.

 

I'd go get a 90 day visa in Savanakhet, finish your search and settle in.

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So if I understand you right, a quick trip to Savanakhet, I can get a 90-day non-O. I just looked at their website and it looks a lot simpler than getting non-O at CW.  And during that 90 days, can I apply for the 1-year marriage extension at CW just as if I had gotten the non-O in Thailand? I don't want to get tangled up in the insurance problems that entangle those on O-A visas. 

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30 minutes ago, USNret said:

So if I understand you right, a quick trip to Savanakhet, I can get a 90-day non-O. I just looked at their website and it looks a lot simpler than getting non-O at CW.  And during that 90 days, can I apply for the 1-year marriage extension at CW just as if I had gotten the non-O in Thailand? I don't want to get tangled up in the insurance problems that entangle those on O-A visas. 

Just get a onee year multi non o from savvanahket and get extensions for 15 months. It will be a big hassle getting one year ext and having differnent addresses.

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10 minutes ago, crickets said:

Just get a onee year multi non o from savvanahket and get extensions for 15 months. It will be a big hassle getting one year ext and having differnent addresses.


Thanks Crickets. I just found a recent discussion about that and it sounds like the best alternative.

Never been to Laos before, so it looks like a new passport stamp is in my future! 

If the link below works, here is the recent conversation on this matter on how to get 17 months that way...

 

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Read a person used google earth for the map. Had House visit wasn’t home and told fil I needed to go to Police station next day.

Nothing really couple pictures, drawn map (fil did) glad I didn’t 

need to use it... huh what is that... Non O on Retirement 

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Do you think anyone is home every day 24 hours a day? . Quit reading the hysteria on thai visa and live a happy life here.  No worries you are good. If they do a home visit which is statically unlucky, you will not have a problem. ???? relax quit reading anxiety online please from old expats  

Edited by Wake Up
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3 hours ago, USNret said:

Thanks Crickets. I just found a recent discussion about that and it sounds like the best alternative.

Just be aware of one issue. Immigration does not particularly like people using visas issued by consular staff (a different branch of the Thai bureaucracy) to stay long periods in Thailand. They want you to use extensions that they police. Part of that is the "not invented here" syndrome, and part is losing the opportunities for corruption.

 

Anyway, after cracking down on people using tourist visas for long stays, Immigration at several crossing points has recently begun preventing people making border runs with multiple entry Non O visas to extend their stay in Thailand. If the trend continues, you will be fine getting an initial visa, but may find it difficult to avoid in country extensions from Immigration in the future (unless willing to pay bribes at border crossings).

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1 hour ago, BritTim said:

Just be aware of one issue. Immigration does not particularly like people using visas issued by consular staff (a different branch of the Thai bureaucracy) to stay long periods in Thailand. They want you to use extensions that they police. Part of that is the "not invented here" syndrome, and part is losing the opportunities for corruption.

 

Anyway, after cracking down on people using tourist visas for long stays, Immigration at several crossing points has recently begun preventing people making border runs with multiple entry Non O visas to extend their stay in Thailand. If the trend continues, you will be fine getting an initial visa, but may find it difficult to avoid in country extensions from Immigration in the future (unless willing to pay bribes at border crossings).

Yes, I'm reading an ongoing longish conversation on this very matter right now.  Lots of passion on both sides of the question.  It's an educational experience for me to see how this whole issue is currently evolving. 

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ime staying prachinburi earea been to visit me 2 years in a row had to get 2 neibores to photo copy there ID cards and interviewed them they take pictures of everthing even got the neibores to hold up a sign to dob in a farang for working etc i found it like beeing a criminal without doing anything wrong and an invasion of privasy

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prachinburi i have had a visit last 2 years they wanted copy of ID cards 2 neiboures and they interviewed them both took pictures of our bedroom and just about everthing else got the neibours to hold a big sign up to dob in a farang for working etc i personly found it an invasion of privacy and dont understand what it has to do with the neiboures and they felt the same way i felt like a criminal

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11 hours ago, BritTim said:

Just be aware of one issue. Immigration does not particularly like people using visas issued by consular staff (a different branch of the Thai bureaucracy) to stay long periods in Thailand. They want you to use extensions that they police. Part of that is the "not invented here" syndrome, and part is losing the opportunities for corruption.

 

Anyway, after cracking down on people using tourist visas for long stays, Immigration at several crossing points has recently begun preventing people making border runs with multiple entry Non O visas to extend their stay in Thailand. If the trend continues, you will be fine getting an initial visa, but may find it difficult to avoid in country extensions from Immigration in the future (unless willing to pay bribes at border crossings).

I have been doing it for 5 years. Never had a single issue or even heard about one. It has always been quick. Every time I go to immigration and see people trying to get a one year marriage visa extension there is always a problem with paper work and they are asked to come back with something else even though they have half a book of documents stapled together. 

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4 hours ago, peter harrison said:

prachinburi i have had a visit last 2 years they wanted copy of ID cards 2 neiboures and they interviewed them both took pictures of our bedroom and just about everthing else got the neibours to hold a big sign up to dob in a farang for working etc i personly found it an invasion of privacy and dont understand what it has to do with the neiboures and they felt the same way i felt like a criminal

I agree about the invasion of privacy thing, but what are you gonna do? Still, I would like this conversation to focus on the Chaeng Wattana IO.  Each office has their own different practice.

 

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