kaptainrob;429570 said:
Yes Nelson, each province applies the rules as they see fit. Chiang Mai may change their stance but for the time being seem to be quite acomodating toward long term extensions and lenient with documents requirements. Bank letter and passbook update not less than 7 days old. Whilst they request a 12 month statement as well, my 6 month one was accepted without question.
I wonder how HKT is applying these rules .... Dean?
Well I dont really know as I havent been to PT Imm. or any I.O . since last November...
You may recall I came back from Cambodia , and I reported that the Officer at HKT airport was just a thorough a/hole to me .
Heres me 'wadee karping' and smiling and standing squarely on my square - even answering his Tha questions in Thai , and theres him scowling and flicking back and forth thru my PPt...
All was in order , so he criticised my writing , and yeeled at me for not adding my "VISA NUMBER !" to the TM7 ... which turned out to be the 'Multy Entry' stamp number ' - which I'd never heard called a 'Visa' before.
It was like he had been told to fcuk up expats..
So I went thru an agent.
Shes apparently a retired Imm Officer that was attached to the legal team.
This was early days on the new process , particularly on the compulsory Insurance front.
She said , "But the law is clear , and for O-A's , compulsory Insurance only applies to newer applicants , but I will get back to you.."
She ten got back to me and said , "My contacts insist that you get the Insurance , just get a cheap throw-away policy maybe."
Me , "As far as I can see , the cheapest is 60k. I already have a good Company in Aetna , and they will insure me forever since I signed up pre-60 years old. Im not changing that for anyone and Im not paying 60k for a throw away. Its ok , I will fliy out and come back on a 30 day exempt , then take the long process of a new 'O' legally."
Then she came back and said , "My contacts didnt seem to know the Insurance was that expensive ! They have relented. For 30k to me , you dont have to have the Insurance , you dont need 800k in the bank ( which I coulda had ) , you dont need 400k in it for ever ( which I absolutely refuse to ) either , and I will also do any reporting you need like 90 day ( meh ) , etc"
Me ; " In August I need to renew my 5 year license and that needs paperwork..."
"Yes , I will do that to."
So here we are.
After , a mate called Larry , revealed he had been using her for years ... I had got her number from Pat who owns a local g/hse who has done the same. Since then Ive met 4 others who also do the same.
Im not saying its a good thing to do .
Just what I chose to do.
Its not without its irony but.
I only saw the profits on my super not earning while the bt was sitting in KBank .
But , had I brought in the money at 21 bt on the aud back in December when I had to , I wouldnt be moaning at the 18.34 bt per aud I just got last week... 555
AND , my Super is now diminishing daily .
But the fact remains that the changes to the O-A are not being implemented to the Law , and since then Ive met a retired farang IO advisor who said the same.
( My agent said this... and Ive been reserved about saying this ..."There is a power struggle going on within all of Immigration. It is between the wealthy OVERSEAS officers , who's children get all the consular jobs outside here , and dont send back all the money collected in applications. So Immigration within Thailand , who want that money and really can issue O Visas in Thailand and dont have a problem ( read , dont need compulsory insurance ) and collect the fees HERE , is trying to make the O-A Visa not so suitable . They cannot write ( print ) it , but they want new foreigner to come here , 30 day visa exempt , then turn it to 60 day with 800,000 in bank , then get 'O' visa. Then all the fee comes into Thailand and I think that is correct .)
The latter is what I was going to do.
But I thought I would get a months extension on my old Retirement Extension ( which apparently does NOT happen ) , so I had time to then join it to my trip home wherein i would start the 800k 2 month ball rolling for my return.
But everything has gone to pack.
Had I done that for March , I would be at my daughters wondering when I would ever get back here - its a funny old world...
On the whole tho ' I would sum up the HKT office as reasonable people.
But ใใใะhe fact that anyone in these hard times still has to pay 500 a day overstay when their flights were cancelled - well thats another matter
Mind boggling stuff ...
....................he replied if not 100% my job tell you, Ok...........................no problem thank-you :respect:
