It's being suggested that as of tomorrow, 1st Feb 2008, Penang will only issue Tourist Visas to those applicants who can show an outbound flight. This flight cannot be to a neighbouring country - such as Vietnam, Cambodia etc - although the meaning is all rather unclear at the moment.
Again, the reasoning behind this is to supposedly get rid of those farangs who they deem to be "working" or quite simply aren't here as "tourists".
Personally, I know a few people who are significantly better off than me with foreign income, but who are not married to a Thai, not over 50, or are not working legitimately.
Again, the above is unconfirmed, but would make sense judging by some neighbouring Embassy/consulates behaviour over recent months. Those actions were taken during the good old army's reign.
Now we've got a right wing cook in power, watch this space.
If they double the financial requirements for a Non Immigrant O visa - whether on the basis of "marriage" or retirement - in a couple of months, I'm off.
Sorry to say, but I've been predicting the possible outcomes for a while now on the visa forum. I hope I'm wrong.
Rant over.
Penang Tourist Visa - unconfirmed reports
I know of a few farrangs that have been "red carded " in Penang.
Two in particular are well over sixty, have a decent income but, due to the fact that they aren't married to Thai's are unable to meet the requirements of the retirement visa.
Just hope that sometime in the future, the government don't hike the prices for the rest of us!
Onlyme.
There but for the grace of God..........................
Two in particular are well over sixty, have a decent income but, due to the fact that they aren't married to Thai's are unable to meet the requirements of the retirement visa.
Just hope that sometime in the future, the government don't hike the prices for the rest of us!
Onlyme.
There but for the grace of God..........................
¼Ã
There you go. And it can happen to all of us.Onlyme wrote:I know of a few farrangs that have been "red carded " in Penang.
Two in particular are well over sixty, have a decent income but, due to the fact that they aren't married to Thai's are unable to meet the requirements of the retirement visa.
Just hope that sometime in the future, the government don't hike the prices for the rest of us!
Onlyme.
There but for the grace of God..........................
Remember, these are unconfirmed reports today.
However, until they confirm the current government's stance about us farangs, no-one can be sure.
It's all about money. How much will they be asking for in 5 years?
Just remember what happened about three years ago regarding: Right to stay for supporting Thai spouse. The 20,000 baht per month doubled overnight and the 200,000 baht in the account doubled to 400,000baht.
There was "no mixture" of savings and income for that extension.
No grandfathered right to stay. I wonder how many happily married gentlemen had to leave the country then?
Beleive me, I read of one report of an old chap who had no option but to leave. He'd lived in Issan for many years, supporting his extended family etc..............They threw him out!
There was "no mixture" of savings and income for that extension.
No grandfathered right to stay. I wonder how many happily married gentlemen had to leave the country then?
Beleive me, I read of one report of an old chap who had no option but to leave. He'd lived in Issan for many years, supporting his extended family etc..............They threw him out!
¼Ã
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Wanderlust
- Legend
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- Location: Hua Hin
I'm certain that the changes last made to the marriage and retirement extension rules did allow anyone who had an extension under the previous rules to continue under those rules - the 'grandfathering' Onlyme refers to for those who were puzzled. I am also pretty sure that this would apply to any future changes, as that seems to be the way they operate. I am sure there are people posting on HHAD who can confirm this with their own personal experiences. The only time someone who had had an extension under the previous rules would not be grandfathered is if they had failed to renew their extension on time, and even then i suspect that could be worked around - the immigration officers really are quite human and understanding you know! 
Wanderlust. Believe me, I am "grandfathered" on the 400,000 baht:right to support a Thai spouse.
About 3 years ago it changed from 200,000 baht for afore said "visa."
Those people were NOT GRANDFATHERED!
I'll let you into something else.
People who were here on retirement visas, were grandfathered.
They never "grandfathered." Right to support a Thai spouse.
Onlyme.
PS. I really liked your quote about the Immigration being, quite human.
They do what they're told! Or what they perceive as being the law. Tea money etc......
About 3 years ago it changed from 200,000 baht for afore said "visa."
Those people were NOT GRANDFATHERED!
I'll let you into something else.
People who were here on retirement visas, were grandfathered.
They never "grandfathered." Right to support a Thai spouse.
Onlyme.
PS. I really liked your quote about the Immigration being, quite human.
They do what they're told! Or what they perceive as being the law. Tea money etc......
¼Ã
hi all i have just come off a reliable site that deals with all things Thai in the way of visas and it looks as if the rumours could indeed be true..
What IS going on out there?? do i assume that if I come to live in HH with my wife on a non immi -o visa thenafter 12/15 months when that has run out i have got to show Penang that we both hold air tickets to come back to the UK for 2 /3 days then fly all the way back again, then if this IS the case forget it.
I also have family out there and this is the main purpose of coming but this time also i will have to sell my home here in order to do it and i sure dont feel like getting into a frying pan and fire situat over this so,,,,,,,,,,?????
What IS going on out there?? do i assume that if I come to live in HH with my wife on a non immi -o visa thenafter 12/15 months when that has run out i have got to show Penang that we both hold air tickets to come back to the UK for 2 /3 days then fly all the way back again, then if this IS the case forget it.
I also have family out there and this is the main purpose of coming but this time also i will have to sell my home here in order to do it and i sure dont feel like getting into a frying pan and fire situat over this so,,,,,,,,,,?????
Firebird,
You don't mention if your wife is Thai. If she is, then you should be able to get another Non O visa in Penang, or elsewhere. All you'll need is the marriage certificate and a copy of your wife's ID card. A letter from her confirming that you're still married wouldn't go amiss either. Whether Penang give you a single entry - 90 days - or a multiple-entry is a lottery. If your wife isn't Thai, then you'll not be eligible for the Non O visa, unless you're over 50 and try for it on the basis of retirement.
Bear in mind that there has been no change to Imm law - yet. Consulates are able to set their own criteria for issuing visas. If Penang's difficult, another place may be less so.
To my mind, all the changes to Imm law and the interpretation of them by Thai missions and even Imm offices here are designed to to disallow foreigners staying long term in Thailand unless they have a valid reason - married to a Thai, over 50 or legitimately working. That's pretty obvious, I suppose. If you're a "tourist", then you should be going back to your home country, or at least moving on. (That's Imm thinking, not mine).
As far as grandfathering is concerned, that's all well and good - depending on how long they allow it. For instance, after the laws changed with regard to extensions when married to a Thai are concerned, people who had been granted extensions based on 400k in a Thai bank account, prior to Oct 1st 2006, could continue to do so. New applicants had to show overseas income of 40k per month. However, certain Imm offices were telling applicants that they'd allow the extension based on saving for the forthcoming year, but after that income would have to be shown. (Mind you, I'm yet to hear of an instance where someone's gone through this. That's probably due to the fact that the year's not passed yet).
If Imm decide to increase the financial requirements for marriage/family income and retirement extensions in the future, people will probably be grandfathered at the start. My question would be whether this grandfathering will continue indefinitely. Personally, I think not. At some point, people will be told to comply with current regulations. (Again, that's just my view. There's no evidence of this at the moment).
I suppose I'll be the guinea pig for Penang. I've got to go down there within the next ten days and apply for a Non O visa. If they ask for a ticket back to the UK, then at least I've got one more 30 day entry up my sleeve to get back into Thailand. Then it's back home and apply there. Somehow, I think Penang's just doing this for Tourist visas, not Non O's. Time will tell.
You don't mention if your wife is Thai. If she is, then you should be able to get another Non O visa in Penang, or elsewhere. All you'll need is the marriage certificate and a copy of your wife's ID card. A letter from her confirming that you're still married wouldn't go amiss either. Whether Penang give you a single entry - 90 days - or a multiple-entry is a lottery. If your wife isn't Thai, then you'll not be eligible for the Non O visa, unless you're over 50 and try for it on the basis of retirement.
Bear in mind that there has been no change to Imm law - yet. Consulates are able to set their own criteria for issuing visas. If Penang's difficult, another place may be less so.
To my mind, all the changes to Imm law and the interpretation of them by Thai missions and even Imm offices here are designed to to disallow foreigners staying long term in Thailand unless they have a valid reason - married to a Thai, over 50 or legitimately working. That's pretty obvious, I suppose. If you're a "tourist", then you should be going back to your home country, or at least moving on. (That's Imm thinking, not mine).
As far as grandfathering is concerned, that's all well and good - depending on how long they allow it. For instance, after the laws changed with regard to extensions when married to a Thai are concerned, people who had been granted extensions based on 400k in a Thai bank account, prior to Oct 1st 2006, could continue to do so. New applicants had to show overseas income of 40k per month. However, certain Imm offices were telling applicants that they'd allow the extension based on saving for the forthcoming year, but after that income would have to be shown. (Mind you, I'm yet to hear of an instance where someone's gone through this. That's probably due to the fact that the year's not passed yet).
If Imm decide to increase the financial requirements for marriage/family income and retirement extensions in the future, people will probably be grandfathered at the start. My question would be whether this grandfathering will continue indefinitely. Personally, I think not. At some point, people will be told to comply with current regulations. (Again, that's just my view. There's no evidence of this at the moment).
I suppose I'll be the guinea pig for Penang. I've got to go down there within the next ten days and apply for a Non O visa. If they ask for a ticket back to the UK, then at least I've got one more 30 day entry up my sleeve to get back into Thailand. Then it's back home and apply there. Somehow, I think Penang's just doing this for Tourist visas, not Non O's. Time will tell.
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margaretcarnes
- Rock Star
- Posts: 4172
- Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:28 am
- Location: The Rhubarb Triangle
Penang Tourist Visa reports
See you in Barton soon then Lomu? Remember to pack the thermals, its flippin freezing here!
Re: Penang Tourist Visa reports
Yeah. Havn't got a lot of those leftmargaretcarnes wrote:See you in Barton soon then Lomu? Remember to pack the thermals, its flippin freezing here!
Lomuamart,, no my wife isnt Thai we are both English and living in the UK at present.
The situation is this in order for us to come and live there, we would have to sell our home here. We of course can get a non-imm-o here b4 we leave ,but if Penang are not renewing the thing once it has expired then we would have no choice but to come back to he UK and be homeless ,,we certainly cant afford to sell here and then come back and buy another place the money we would make on this place would b nowhere what we would require...
We are both of retirement age so,, yes we could go 4 that but i am not sure that my wife would pass the medical and there is the prob,, with them NOT renewing non-imm-o's and she may fail the medical then we would be stuck well and truly up the river..
Thoughts anyone????
The situation is this in order for us to come and live there, we would have to sell our home here. We of course can get a non-imm-o here b4 we leave ,but if Penang are not renewing the thing once it has expired then we would have no choice but to come back to he UK and be homeless ,,we certainly cant afford to sell here and then come back and buy another place the money we would make on this place would b nowhere what we would require...
We are both of retirement age so,, yes we could go 4 that but i am not sure that my wife would pass the medical and there is the prob,, with them NOT renewing non-imm-o's and she may fail the medical then we would be stuck well and truly up the river..
Thoughts anyone????