soisanuk

Not an issue at Chonburi (Pattaya) Immigration. They have accepted the TM.7 single sided from me at least for the past 10 of the 20 years I have been doing my extension renewals there.

I can only speak for doing my annual retirement extension at Pattaya Immigration (Jomtien). I usually get two photos taken at the shop adjacent to the Immigration Office and they know the size to of photo needed. Jomtien Immigration has always only required one photo. So I save the second one and used it the following year with no problems. They also attached it to the TM.7 which I handed to them separately. I have never seen them look up paperwork from the previous year or look up anything on their computer screen for me or anyone else they were processing ahead of me - so I would say they are not comparing the current photo with the previous one. This year in June I was using the second photo I obtained last year. This year the Immigration Officer kept all the documents, but gave the photo back to me. She did take my photo with her phone camera.

I know the person that provides the information on Immigration matters for their website. He relies on reports from expats of their first hand experience to keep the site updated. I did my renewal in mid-June at Jomtien Immigration office using the 65k monthly income method (from USA, so no Embassy letter) - I used the checklist from their site for the documents needed (as I have done for the past several years) and encountered no problems at Immigration in doing my renewals.

When I did my first renewal after the US Embassy quit providing the monthly income letter, Pattaya Immigration would not accept my certified bank statements. Instead, as mentioned, they wanted a letter from my bank listing the foreign source deposits to my account for the past 12 months (I use Bangkok Bank, so they were all coded FTT on my statements, which the bank branch used to prepare the letter). The listing showed I had met the requirement for transferring at least 65k baht per month into my account. For all my subsequent renewals, I have used the bank letter listing the FTT deposits (which is in addition to the one from the bank verifying the account that is required by Immigration for both 800k in bank or 65k monthly income). As I understand it, the bank staff could prepare the letter from my passbook provided it has been kept up to date. Since I do not regularly update my passbook, the bank branch needs my account statements to prepare the letter. I went yesterday to Bangkok Bank's customer service counter at the Lotus on Sukhumvit Road and ordered the bank statements for the past 12 months - the fee was 200 baht (if for more than 6 months, they have to order them from the main office in Bangkok which takes at least 5 business days to arrive). Next Monday, I will go back and get them to prepare bank letters and do my renewal on Tuesday (Pattaya Immigration wants the account verifying letter to be on the day of application or the day before if renewing early before the banks open).

From several reports I have seen, you cannot use the online service to make an appointment. As mentioned, visit in person to get an appointment time. No, you do not watch the video there. They now require you to watch it online beforehand and, as mentioned, bring proof of "completion" with you. Note, you can't just set the video to play and ignore it, there is some interaction required during the playing of the online video. The Pattaya City Expats Club has information about watching the video at: https://pcec.club/Video-for-Driving-License

Why is it many posters with information on Immigration issues never state the Immigration Office where it occurred? Although the overall rules are supposed to apply to all, each Immigration Office has their own policies. From reports I have seen, it appears that most Immigration Offices have no such requirement, but a few do such as the Chonburi (Pattaya) Immigration Office. However, Pattaya Immigration in Jomtien requires a report back with bank book only one time - 90 days from date if extension, but even that has been hit or miss as some are told to do so and others are not. Further, as noted by other posters, not complying with the report back has no consequences as they have no tracking system to record who does or does not report back. Also as mentioned, which appears to be the policy at all Immigration Offices, your bank book will be examined at the time you apply to renew your extension to verify that you met the requirement to keep 800k for 3 months and before renewal application but never letting it fall below 400k in the interim period.

I have been using the online system for my previous 4 reports. I did my 5th one yesterday receiving confirmation of successful delivery almost immediately and the receipt about 3 hours later. When I did my first report, it was about 3 days before I rec'd the receipt. Since then it has usually taken about 2 to 3 hours. However, this time I did not receive an email reminder as in the past that it was now due (6th April was due date shown on last report).

It is possible that the term "Residency" means someone who has obtained Thai permanent residency rather than those residing here on the basis of continuing annual extensions of stay.

As mentioned by Dr Jack 54, a dependent spouse or child must have entered Thailand on a Non-Immigrant Visa in order to be granted an extension of stay based on your having a retirement extension. It is my understanding that the dependent cannot apply for the Non Immigrant Visa within Thailand.

I use Turbo Tax and, as mentioned, they advised me I needed to file a FBAR report when I answered "yes" to having had more than the US$10,000 threshold for such reports. However, when I answered "no" to having foreign financial assets of more than US$50,000 they said no report was necessary - that threshold applies to the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) - a different law from the one that requires the FBAR report - the $50k is the lowest of several thresholds that vary depending on filing status and how long you have been outside the USA during the calendar year. The FBAR report is done online and filed with Fincen (a part of the Dept of Treasury, but separate from the IRS). If required to report under FATCA, it is done on a form included with the Form 1040 income tax report, which I presume would be incorporated into the Turbo Tax filing.

As others have mentioned, if extension is based on retirement, work is not permitted - thus no work permit. As to the American Treaty of Amity, there are special rules. I know one person who obtained a work permit under its terms and didn't have any Thai employees. He did need a Thai lawyer to assist in setting everything up as he said the rules were a bit complicated, but it can be done.

Someone I know that is usually knowledgeable about Jomtien Immigration requirements a few weeks ago told me they were going to start requiring a map from those getting retirement extensions. HOWEVER, a friend of mine went to renew his retirement extensions a few days later and said no map was required - I have not received or seen any reports of a map being required when renewing a retirement extension. As to TM.30, I have seen at least 3 recent reports, but none were firsthand experiences, saying they are now requiring a new one even if returning to the same address. They now have 3 desks outside - to the right of the parking lot entry gate for (1) retirement extensions, (2) 90 day address reporting, and (3) TM.30 address reporting. If going for any of those services, you can avoid the long lines to the entry door. So, you should be able to check at the TM.30 desk to see if a new one is required before going to the retirement extension desk next to it.

About 8 years ago, I bought a rollator through lazada and it still works fine. The advantages to a rollator is that unlike a walker, it has a seat where you can sit if you get too tired when walking with it. There are many choices with low to high price. The one I bought, link below, was a more expensive kind but had the features I wanted - higher weight capacity for sitting, large wheels for using outside, and lockable hand brakes. It was worth the price as it has held up well - it also folds to a more compact size for transporting. https://www.lazada.co.th/products/0-10-wheelchair-rollator-circlife-2-in-1-alp3300-1-bcosmo-the-pharmacy-i173724234-s217577069.html?clickTrackInfo=query%3Arollator%3Bnid%3A173724234%3Bsrc%3ALazadaMainSrp%3Brn%3A77327aed2e477d53a9f98a21c888952a%3Bregion%3Ath%3Bsku%3AAL676HBABMNLVVANTH%3Bprice%3A11190%3Bclient%3Adesktop%3Bsupplier_id%3A100049194%3Basc_category_id%3A4794%3Bitem_id%3A173724234%3Bsku_id%3A217577069%3Bshop_id%3A5737&fastshipping=0&freeshipping=1&fs_ab=1&fuse_fs=1&lang=th&location=กรุงเทพมหานคร&price=1.119E 4&priceCompare=&ratingscore=3.0&request_id=77327aed2e477d53a9f98a21c888952a&review=1&sale=12&search=1&source=search&spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.i120.2f452c9a4n4ghC&stock=1

With those documents, you shouldn't have a problem at any of the Bangkok Bank branches. For convenience, you may want to open the account at one close to where you live OR the Branch on Jomtien 2 Road near Soi 5 which would be convenient near to Pattaya Immigration.

If you are renewing your retirement extension at Jomtien, you do not have to join the queue. They now have a desk outside - to the right of the entry gate - where you can obtain a queue number for Desk 8 then bypass line to enter when number is called. Apparently you have to look for it as the sign is small. I have had a couple of folks tell me they were not aware of it, but they just went to the exit door and told the Immigration person they were there for retirement extension and were admitted. Jomtien Immigration also has an outside desk for 90 day & TM.30 reporting where you turn in your passport, get a claim number, and wait while an Immigration Officer takes them inside for processing and brings them back. There are chairs available to sit in while you wait.

The Pattaya City Expat has posted the following on their website:

The Pattaya City Expats Club website notes the requirements for the first (initial) report requires the following documents at Jomtien Immigration: For subsequent reports, all you need is your passport and the receipt with bar code. You can also use online reporting - the PCEC page describing the online reporting is at: https://pcec.club/online-90-day

Now that the latest online reporting appears to be working fine, there is no need to go to Immigration at all. I have now been using the online system for my past 3 reports. With this latest system, they send me an email reminder when the next report is due.

Each Immigration office may have different documentary requirements for the extension. Also, sometimes it may depend on the IO processing the extension. At Chonburi (Pattaya) Immigration, they require some form of proof of residence. I use my lease, but I know some that have used their Thai driving license (showed their current address on the reverse side).

Using the Long term stay option works provided you are sending funds to a Bangkok Bank account (a Wise partner) so that Wise will send the funds through them rather than another partner bank - it is also my understanding if you have a Kasikorn Bank account (another partner) it will also be the same for their account holders. However, if you have an account at another Thai bank, it will not result in it being shown as international as the funds going to that account will be from one of their partner banks and be coded as a domestic transfer.

Pepper and Salt & Suggestions are good restaurants. Another I like is Vespresso - it is opposite the Tara Pattana International School ( Thung Klom-Tan Man 9 Road)

Based on this message, I contacted the PCEC and they have now updated the page to clearly show a 5 year Thai driving license is required.

That link is supposed to automatically send you to their new website URL, which is: https://pcec.club/ The link for IDP information is: https://pcec.club/Thailand-IDP

The Pattaya City Expat's Club has a webpage with information about getting an International Driving Permit (it not a driving license) based on your Thai 5 year license(s). The nearest location for those in Pattaya is at the Chonburi DLT (the Banglamung DLT near the Regent's School does not provide them). Visit the PCEC's website at www.pcec.club - across the top hover your mouse over the Living in Thailand topic, then hover it over Driving Vehicles in the drop down menu - and another drop down menu will have the link to the IDP page - it is the second item listed.