More immigration grief

[sargeant]

You havent quite got the hang of this have you SJ thats three words and we dont have an add three words thread
Being isnt a complete NO NO as long as it is a and doesnt lead to a

[pfotoguy369]

This is what’s been happening to me. I would suggest if you have less than 18 months left on your passport you get a new one early.

My old passport expires on Feb 10, 2009. Because of that they would only renew my retirement visa until that date and instead of a multi entry visa give me a one time entry and have you come back if you leave the country and get a new one at a 1000 BT a crack.

Now, where to renew. This is my third go around and the first 2 were done in Pattaya. They now have said you have to get you visa near to where you live which for me is Hua Hin. Let me tell you the rules vary in interpitation from one office (actually one desk) to another.

In Pattaya they wave the 800k three month rule. In HH they do not.
As a matter of fact you not only have to deposit the money 3 moths ahead you’re not allowed to touch it during that 3 month time. Your balance can not drop below 800k or you have to begin over.

When I pointed out Pattaya waves this rule after the first time and showed them documents they did in fact wave it the reply was to “go back to Pattaya”.

So back to Pattaya I did go.
Filled out all the paper work paid my fees and got up to the final desk that looked and said “you live in Hua Hin you need to renew there”.

My TG explained everything in Thai about trying to do that and they sent us here.

The officer went ahead and approved it, wrote a letter to Hua Hin telling them they had to renew the next one stapled in my passport and off I went.

I went to the US embassy in Bangkok and it takes two weeks to renew your passport. Unfortunately I had some pre arranged traveling to out of country so they gave me a temporary 1 year passport with 4 pages in it and you can not add pages to it.

This with a letter and copies of your old passport to “renew your stamps”

I go to the Hua Hin office with my 1 year temp passport and explain I’ll be getting a new 10 year passport within in two weeks but I have to go out of country in the mean time.

They take your old passport and copy ALL the pages in it, 2 copies of 48 pages and you have to sign each page both copies and give me the same as before a passport good till Feb with a one time entry stamp.

Then comes the glitch!!! I’m told when I get my new 10 year passport I have to take it to Pattaya to have it renewed for my 1 year retirement/multi entry visa and they, Hua Hin will do it the following year if I still live in HH at that time..

I point to the letter saying that they need to do it here and he staples to my paper work speaks to my TG in Thai and says ‘She will explain it to the Pattaya office.”

Where I stand now: I’m going to Bangkok Wednesday for my new passport then Tuesday to Pattaya immigration with all the paper work.

Wish me luck, I think I’ll need it.

[lomuamart]

That's all a bit complicated, pfotoguy369. I'm trying to get my head around it.
First off, I assume you're applying for an annual extension, not a visa (that you'll have from three years ago and it dosn't matter that it's expired. You're always extending from that original visa). Terminology, I know, but it's important.
To enter a country (almost any country) you should have six months validity left on your passport. If you get, for instance, a multi-entry Non O visa from somewhere outside of Thailand, I think that the issuing Thai Embassy or consulate will want to see a year's validity on your passport, plus 6 months.
But for an extension? I've heard of plenty of people who've had to get a renewal passport and then have the original visa (could be 5 years old by this stage) and the annual extension transferred to the new passport. Imm are happy to oblige as it's more money for them.
Where to renew? Certainly it's now the case that BKK have de-cenralised the whole Imm thing and most offices nationwide will insist that you apply at your local branch. This has been the case for about 6 months.
Following your post, you were lucky that Pattaya waived the 3 month rule regarding the 800k. The police order is pretty clear:
http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/2n ... p606EN.pdf
Section 7:21 is applicable to you. However, Imm officers do have discretion, so that worked in your favour.
The bit I don't understand is the back and forth from Pattaya to HH. Perhaps Imm are reluctant to extend for a full year on a temporary passport? That's all I can think of, so they time it to coincide with your old one. Strange. Can't really help you there, I'm afraid.
However, to be told to go back to Pattaya when your full passport comes sounds even stranger. You might end up having to to a fair bit of traveling. Hopefully, Pattaya will oblige again.
Definitely, good luck.

[pfotoguy369]

Part ll we try again

Well it’s finally finished up thanks to a Brit that was working as a liaison in the Pattaya office.

He asked what I was there for when I entered the building and I told him I needed stamps put in my new passport and he got me a form for that. Yes they have a form to transfer stamps.

The officer looked at the filled out form and the passports old and new and said “you need to go to Hua Hin.

I’ve been to Hua Hin they sent me here. He suggested I talk to someone else in the office.
Take a number and wait in line again.

At that point the Brit came over and ask how it was going and I told him the complete story about this being my 6th trip to immigration 3 in HH and 3 in Pattaya and just being shuffled back and forth and nobody wanting to do anything but pass the buck.

He took my passport and went through 3 officers in the building and got it through for me.

The last officer recognized me from other trips and said she would put it through this time and that Hua Hin had put the wrong stamps in but I would have to go back to them next year.

Now I have my retirement visa and a multi entry stamp so I can come and go as many times as I wish.

Good till next September.

Thanks to the Liaison working in the Pattaya office. I’m sure I’d still be going back and forth if it wasn’t for him walking things through for me.