Unlike in the case of our drivers, the third time was a charm when it came to my attempt to get my one year visa. That's write, I walked out of the Thai immigration office this morning with a one year visa with a multiple entry permit.
As you may remember, during our first visit we were not able to complete our request because Tim's lack of a penis (a fact for which I am very grateful) required her to provide proof of tax payment, which she didn't have at the time. During our second visit, we had the required paperwork and I met one of the least polite Thai's I've ever encountered. It was also that second visit where I was not asked a single question during my interview. At the end of our second visit, we were instructed to come back on January 7th to learn the results.
Interestingly, my visa actually expired on January 6th. That would have been the date where I learned the result of my interview, but the office was closed on Sunday. I guess I'm fortunate that they didn't arrest me when I entered the office today for overstaying my visa. That would be what they like to call irony.
We left the house at 6:00 today to try to get their early. Before going to the office, we had to stop at Top's house to pick up a letter verifying her employment. The salary listed on the one we provided with my application did not match the tax documentation that Tim provided.
We got to the office a few minutes before 8:00, and Tim had breakfast at the little cafe behind the offices. Our contact was out running errands, so we went and did the unthinkable. We actually put my passport in the queue just like everyone else.
Fortunately, the office wasn't as crowded, and after thirty minutes, the immigration officers reviewed my passport and provided the all important stamps. So, I was free to leave, right? Well, not quite yet.
While I now had the legal privilege to stay in Thailand for a year, if I left for any reason, my visa would be invalidated. So for about $125, I obtained a multiple entry permit, which allows me to leave and re-enter the country multiple times during the year. Of course, our contact had someone in her office fill out the form, and she ran it over for us. Somehow I think the fifteen minutes it took her to get it processed was much faster than waiting in the line.
So, with any luck, our family is not due back in the immigration office until we need to renew the kids' visas in October.
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