@Kool ******

Nothing to do with right or wrong my friend.. we are sharing experiences in this group to help educate people on the processes and protocols relating to immigration matters.. you've shared your prior experience as it related to you when you last interacted with immigration.. I've shared my experience, which was reported on the day i was at CM immigration, which was yesterday.. so I'm guessing more recent than your last interaction.. it just might be possible that they have changed the rules.. or at least their interpretation of them.. so people need to be aware of this in case it affects them.. a smooth application process rests on good preparation and these threads will help people prepare.. I'm not interested in being right because this is not my opinion versus yours.. it's what came out of the mouth of an IO only yesterday.. so that trumps both of us.. and if someone reports that they were treated differently next week then so be it.. it's about the application of rules today not last week or last year.. and that is an ever changing quagmire!

@Kool ******

You are not reading my words my friend.. i was TOLD by the immigration officer that i need to include an original Korror 22 with the Amphur stamp on it EVERY time i make ANY application to immigration.. including my next annual extension.. and that document will not be returned to me.. so unless you have the power to override his decision and grant me an exception to the stated ruling.. i will choose to follow the directive from them.. it may work differently in other provinces of course.. but in CM this is the current requirement.. stating what has happened in the past does not mean it is currently the practice.. and you are misleading people by suggesting your view is factual.. especially when somebody else reports their experience on the day of attending immigration in person.. your insistance suggests that either you think i am mistaken and didn't understand what the IO said.. or that this was a rule they applied to me only and it will not apply to you or anyone else in the future.. the reality is that anyone making an application that demands production of a Korror 22 should take 1 original and 1 copy.. and should not expect to have the original returned to them.. irrespective of it being an initial application or their tenth application.. it's important to manage expectations here because they may need the original Korror 22 for another purpose.. and if they haven't already sourced multiple 'originals' it means another trip down to the Amphur.. better to plan for the worst scenario than to hope for the best!

@Kool ******

Well he wouldn't let me leave with the original today.. insisted one original and one copy were submitted.. ie. one of the 2 application packs had to contain an original.. so either i was unlucky to catch this particular IO or they have changed the rules more recently.. can only state what happened and how it was resolved ;)

@Kool ******

Just to clarify.. the Korror 22 was issued by the Amphur when we registered our marriage.. which included the certified translation since it was outside of,essentiall Thailand and written in English.. but it also confirmed my residence in the marital home which is owned by my wife.. and was a key document in getting my 'yellow book' and the 'pink ID card'.. but immigration in CM made it clear that they would want an original Korror 22 attached to every future application (ie. extension) and a photocopy would not be acceptable.. but as we all know, the next officer appraising my documents may not see it as essential!

What is your current marital and residential status in Thailand? Are you married to a Thai? Do you live in a private residence owned by said wife.. or perhaps another relative? What visa do you presenly hold, if any, and how long is left on it? This is all relevant to the banks.. and with a better understanding of your situation you might get some better advice my friend

PS. I forgot to mention that the DLT in CM also demanded production of a pink ID card.. which i was expected to have since i was in the process of applying for my non-o 'married' visa.. and already had my yellow book in respect of our marital home.. i was unaware of this ID at the time so didn't have it and nearly got my license application rejected because of this.. but was eventually granted an exemption on this provided i sorted it out and provided proof of this later.. was the first time any govt official had demonstrated any flexibility in all of my dealings with the authorities here.. but as other people have stated elsewhere you shouldn't expect any reasoning.. or even standardization of protocols between different offices in different provinces.. since your fate is always at the whim of the officer you deal with on the day!

@Brandon ***********

I understand that.. but i did make reference to the immigration process in CM in my thread.. so that the reader could get an understanding of what happens in my locality.. as there are so many immigration offices not to mention thousands of Amphurs across Thailand it should be understood that processes may indeed vary.. so readers need to check with their local administration centres.. the intention was to give readers 'the gist' of what to expect rather than a hard and fast solution.. because as well all know this is Thailand 😉

As regards your driving license.. appointments at the DLT in CM are usually backed up and being booked around 3-weeks in advance.. meaning an online booking on 1-Aug will offer you an appointment around 22-25 Aug say.. so again time on your stamp is critical if you don't have an extended visa.. but you can drive on your overseas driving license for 3-months.. I'd suggest you get an International Permit or License from home country prior to travelling.. which will make your transition painless.. meaning 'less' pain not zero pain.. lol.. and again it's an inexpensive process so use of an agent is really unnecessary.. since you would have plenty of time to do this if you are in country continuously for 90-days.. when technically you would need to acquire a Thai license.. and i believe border runs would reset that clock anyway.. so perhaps there is no rush to do this?

You need to apply to Immigration for a letter confirming your address.. you can easily do this in person and you don't need an agent for this.. this is normally provided free of charge but in CM they charged me 500bht for said letter.. it will take 3-4 weeks to arrive and will be delivered by courier.. however it will only be valid for the period of your visa (ie. your stamp).. meaning if you enter on an exempt stamp it will expire when your stamp expires.. it is not an open ended 'confirmation' since the expectation is that you will leave Thailand once your visa expires.. but if you are staying in a private residence (eg. with Thai wife or family) and have applied for an extension (or another category of visa) you can then go to your local Amphur / Municipality to request a formal certificate of residence.. subject to your Thai wife (or relative) sponsoring you.. meaning they attend with you and certify that you are living with them.. I'm speaking from my personal experience having just jumped through all these hoops to further my married visa.. and whilst the process is a bit mind-numbing.. and definitely not designed for efficiency.. ie. you will have to bite your lip many times when evaluating some of the idiosyncrasies.. you can do it all yourself at minimal cost.. though it's not realistic to achieve all of this.. without extending your visa beyond 30-days.. hope that insight is helpful to you.

I would never advise anyone to use an agent.. unless you do not meet the criteria and cannot get a long term visa any other way.. but this assumes that money is no object for you and you don't intend to renew it.. ie. you are going to leave Thailand after 1-year.. otherwise I'd advise people to learn the rules and abide by them.. yes there are many hoops to jump through.. but you'll come out the other end in a much better position.. and will have the opportunity to live in Thailand for many years free of worry.. just my pennies worth ;)