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Unfairness Of Thai Immigration And Help


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Guys, i just got my one year extension cancelled because i forgot to do my re-entry permit.

My brother passed away and in my rush to go home, i just did not think about it.

On my way back, i talked to the immigration at the airport. Told them my story. How much fine they want? Show them my work permit, driving license.

Nope. no sympathy. anyway now i got to go singapore and redo the whole process. From the thai embassy in singapore,

Required documents are:

1. One completed and signed visa application form

2. One recent passport-sized photograph (3.5 x 4.5cm)

3. Passport (valid for no less than 6 months)

4. Airline ticket or confirmation slip with flight number date of entry/exit.

5. Marriage Certificate.

6. Bank Statement (at least 400,000 Baht)

For marriage certificate, i got married in singapore. Do i need to bring the documents when i notified my status in the amphur too?

Do i need my wife ID card and housebook?

Bank statement - will making photocopies of my siam commercial bank book be enough? do i need to bring original?

How much will it cost to get the 3 months non-0 visa?

Thanks so much.

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If you can qualify for one year extension of stay there is no need to travel anywhere further than Bangkok immigration and convert your current stay to non immigrant there. It will cost 2,000 baht. If you have 400k it would seem you would qualify.

If you are unable to qualify a single entry visa should not require 400k in a bank account (are you sure that is not for multi entry?). Would expect your Singapore marriage to be fine at any Consulate. I would take original passbook if really have to have money and copy of wife ID card and home register signed/dated. You have a Singapore passport or residence? Otherwise KL or other Embassy would likely be a better choice.

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My condolences.

Unfortunately there is no option to get a re-entry permit after you have left the country, so there is nothing immigration can do about that.

You might be able to convert your visa exempt entry to a non-immigrant visa at immigration, or at least get a 60 day extension of stay and convert to a non-immigrant visa at the end of that without leaving the country.

But might require a few trips to Bangkok if you don't live there.

Regarding non-O visa in Singapore:

Believe costs are 5,000 baht in local valuta.

Bring a signed copy of wife's ID-card along.

Kuala Lumpur also gives non-O, even multiple.

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Thanks guys, yes i prefer to go to singapore and get a single entry non immigrant O visa and i will get it extended here in Bangkok.

I will bring my passbook with 400k to show the embassy although i do not know if that is a requirement for a single entry non-o.

I will get my wife to sign a copy of her ID card and also housebook just in case.

Thanks again.

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In 2001 I went to singapore with passport and a note my wife wrote on the plane( she drooped off in Bkk), and got my Non imm the next day.

its not difficult, with just the mistake you made , they will look mercifully upon you.

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Officially you lost your visa and that’s it.

But I know from experience that it can useful to have a talk with the immigration officer from which your received the visa.

I know of some people which were able to receive their original visa again at Phuket immigration.

They had a retirement visa extension and left the country shortly after without the re-entry permit.

After explaining this to the immigration officer they received the original retirement visa again in their passport.

Off-course this is fully up to the immigration officer and you can’t count on it but it maybe useful to give it a try, you never know.

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Only if converting from entry to non immigrant with TM.86/87 and another TM.7 extension would such be official - total cost 2k + 1.9k. You can not extend again once non immigrant visa status is lost without obtaining that status again.

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My condolences.

You might be able to convert your visa exempt entry to a non-immigrant visa at immigration, or at least get a 60 day extension of stay and convert to a non-immigrant visa at the end of that without leaving the country.

But might require a few trips to Bangkok if you don't live there.

Friend of mine had the same problem when he panicked and left the country suddenly during the Red Shirt protests. He tried getting a Non-O from Hong Kong and Malaysia under advice from Sunbelt. Both embassies turned him down flat. He spent over $1000 going to both embassies and ended up without a non immigrant visa.

Since there are no guarantees that any nearby embassy will give you a Non-O visa, I'd try going to the Chaengwattana Immigration Office first. We took our Canadian friend there and had my wife accompany him. Under our advice, he kept quiet and let my thai gf do the talking for him. (She actually only explained that he was trying to get a 1 year retirement visa. The officer really wasn't interested in the whole story about how he lost his visa.) Although there is no guarantee they will do this for you, they gave him a 60 day non immigrant visa which he later converted to a retirement visa. (Another friend did the same thing with the same results.)

There is actually a form from immigration they can use to do this. Although the official form indicates you need 15 days on your current visa, one of the nicer female immigration officers scratched out the "15" for an American friend who did the same thing. (When our friend who is American explained that he was going to immigration, we all advised him he needed to leave the country. We were wrong--thai immigration does make exceptions at their discretion.)

Recommend you give this a shot and go with your thai wife, gf, or friend to Chaengwattana or whatever province you live in. Keep your mouth shut and let your thai friend speak for you and see what happens. It will cost you a day of your time at most and if they give you a non immigrant visa, it will save you loads of time and money. Remember, there is no guarantee that any embassy will give you a non immigrant visa!

Edited by mauiguy90
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for the bank certificate, make sure you request it from the bank WITHIN a calendar week you go to VISA application.

same on the bank book update, do it within a week.

mine got returned since it was a week and half. they just follow the procedure.

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My condolences.

You might be able to convert your visa exempt entry to a non-immigrant visa at immigration, or at least get a 60 day extension of stay and convert to a non-immigrant visa at the end of that without leaving the country.

But might require a few trips to Bangkok if you don't live there.

Friend of mine had the same problem when he panicked and left the country suddenly during the Red Shirt protests. He tried getting a Non-O from Hong Kong and Malaysia under advice from Sunbelt. Both embassies turned him down flat. He spent over $1000 going to both embassies and ended up without a non immigrant visa.

Since there are no guarantees that any nearby embassy will give you a Non-O visa, I'd try going to the Chaengwattana Immigration Office first. We took our Canadian friend there and had my wife accompany him. Under our advice, he kept quiet and let my thai gf do the talking for him. (She actually only explained that he was trying to get a 1 year retirement visa. The officer really wasn't interested in the whole story about how he lost his visa.) Although there is no guarantee they will do this for you, they gave him a 60 day non immigrant visa which he later converted to a retirement visa. (Another friend did the same thing with the same results.)

There is actually a form from immigration they can use to do this. Although the official form indicates you need 15 days on your current visa, one of the nicer female immigration officers scratched out the "15" for an American friend who did the same thing. (When our friend who is American explained that he was going to immigration, we all advised him he needed to leave the country. We were wrong--thai immigration does make exceptions at their discretion.)

Recommend you give this a shot and go with your thai wife, gf, or friend to Chaengwattana or whatever province you live in. Keep your mouth shut and let your thai friend speak for you and see what happens. It will cost you a day of your time at most and if they give you a non immigrant visa, it will save you loads of time and money. Remember, there is no guarantee that any embassy will give you a non immigrant visa!

Do not know of any Consulate that will not issue a single entry non immigrant O visa for those with valid/current marriage to Thai documentation. But I had advised him in post 2 of the option to use immigration for change of status. The resultant entry is for 90 days rather than the 60 days you mention (60 days would be extension of current stay to visit family).

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A few years ago I did exactly the same thing (but no death in the family) I simply forgot.

They were quite sympathetic at Suan Phlu but they did say them's the rules and after all it was my own fault.

I got a 30 visa on arrival then just before it was due up I took all the stuff I needed to Penang and started all over again.

I will not repeat what my wife said but buffalo and brains and crap were among the more polite terms. If nowt else at least I had a jolly ashore in Penang. :(

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Hey guys, just got back from singapore.

I got my non-O visa single entry for $100.

The documents used were as specified on the website. They didn't ask for my wife's ID or housebook.

Now i got to extend it hehe.

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