Joe Joe

There is the OA non immigrant visa application you make at the Embassy in your home country that provides a one year permitted to stay stamp on arrival in Thailand. You later use the below extension of stay.

There is the extension of stay stamp that you obtain from Immigration inside Thailand that provides a one year permitted to stay stamp from the end of your current entry (a non immigrant visa) which may have been obtained overseas or as a conversion for 2,000 baht inside Thailand from a tourist visa or visa exempt entry (with 21 days or more remaining).

Lopburi Sir,

You didn't answer the question=Must I use the immigration office in the state I reside?

By monthly income, I presume you are talking about a pension and not from employment?

Yes

Hi,

I live in Chiang Rai but I want to do my retirement extension in Chiang Mai because the Mae Sai office wants a monthly income of 40k in addition to the 800k in the bank. My Social Security is about 31k a month. Must I use the immigration office in the state I reside? I could just lie and say I live in Chiang Mai but there are those 90 day address checks.

Thanks,

Joe

Am not sure why you are going to Penang - is it to obtain a single entry non immigrant O visa? If you qualify for retirement extensions of stay you can do that at Immigration at a cost of 2,000 baht and save the trip. If it is to obtain a multi entry non immigrant O visa have no idea if Penang will issue them or not. Singapore seems willing to issue with proof of 800k in a bank account somewhere less then a month old.

Mae Sai told me that I had to go out to another country and get a non immigrant O visa that I could extend as retirement. I had no idea that I could get a retirement extension without first having the 90 day single entry non-o visa. I was finishing up my 30 day visa exempt stamps hopping and they said that I couldn't extend on one of those. Mae Sai seemed to show a lot of trouble understanding the rules on a number of issues.

I'm in Penang now and I'm not sure that they are going to give me the 90 day non-o.

Thanks

Joe

Hi,

I'm applying for a non-o for retirement but my Bank book has 3 weeks since my last entry. Will Penang accept this time or must it be sooner?

Thanks

Joe

The government hot line is 1111 and you can directly connect to an immigration officer on request.

But the most productive approach is normally asking them to confirm suspect rules and then again to the next level if it still seems wrong. I suspect most offices do want to see some indication of income, even if not stated.

Hi,

I do have proof of my social security retirement and a printout of my ATM transactions. But they can still just say "no" and leave me hanging. I'll try the 1111 number and try to get someone to call up here from Bangkok.

Thanks

Joe

Ninety days entry.

Lopburi3,

Thanks again!

Joe

Hi,

The Mae Sai immigration office says that I have to have a 40k baht per month income in addition to the 800k in the bank to get a retirement extension. I'm not married so that rule doesn't apply. If I have to, I'll just go down to Chiang Mai and get it, but I don't want that extra 3 hour bus ride and overnight with a 3 hour bus ride back to Chiang Rai.

Is there a phone number at central immigation in Bangkok that deals with this type of problem? Or, is there an office/window where I can personally tell my story when I pass through BK on my way out to Panang?

I'm not sure if the guys at Mae Sai aren't looking for TEA MONEY. This is a very corrupt office with a fat history of cheating the tourists.

Cheers,

Joe

Hi Folks,

Is the non-o visa good for 2 or 3 months? Then I'll do the retirement extension. If it is only good for 2 months I'll have to stay out of Thailand longer to get my 3 months on my 800k deposit.

Thanks ,

Joe

There is no such rule. One office has sometimes asked for extra proof of money access/transfer of some people and that was one of the items that could be used. There is no requirement for any card and few people seem to have been asked for such additional documentation.

Lopburi3,

Thanks for your prompt reply.

Cheers

Joe

Hi Folks,

I am about to transfer 800k baht to my Thai savings account for retirement but I don't have a credit card. From what I have read on this forum it seems that the new rules aren't being followed in Bangkok and maybe other places. Also, I'm not clear if its A CREDIT CARD AND/OR AN ATM CARD. I have an ATM card. Will that be enough at Chiang Mai immigration?

Thanks,

Joe

Lopburi3,

Thanks for the info. I was geting information from Mae Sai for the future, 3 months from when my money arrives. Good to know that I can get the non imm o in Panang or Laos or Chiang Mai.

Cheers,

Joe

Hi Folks,

I was told at the Mae Sai immigation office that I could only get a retirement extension on a non imm o visa and that I had to prove a 40k baht per month income. I'm not married so how and where do I get this visa? Laos? Malaysia? I have 800k baht on the way from the States but I don't have a 40k baht per month income.

Help please,

Joe

Are you sure they want to see Cash?

Read my lips.

Let me also point out that this is a potentially dangerous troll possibly spreading a false rumor that a wad of cash is needed to accompany a visa runner to mae sai. If true, this could be the deed of a criminal mind. To all, beware. A lot of Newbies reporting on this so called mae sai new rule. Likely the act of one sick mind (Joe Joe, Love and Laughter)

Wrong again Bob!

I'm in the far north of T Land and I can get quick info on Mae Sai from many guest houses. I knew, from my Aussie friend, before i made my run that the other guy, with the bad news, was probably a troll.

Can't you phone someone and check this info about the 10K bt?

Better, ....can you get this info to the bosses of immigration in Bangkok?

I learned that fact on this forum, which I read daily.

where did you learn that fact in this forum, if you look hard enought there are tom of thread about penang visa run, and it been talk to death about it.

As I recall, it was about 2 or 3 months back and the correct message then may have been that they were not giving double entry tourist visas, back to back to back, the way they did a few years ago. (I think George was the poster)

I'll look around and would be glad if you could tell me about the back to back to back double entries. Yeah, they may be giving the 2 entries if it is your first try, but my passport is loaded with Mae Sai 30 day stamps and double entries. You could save me some time with a quick answer. I'm packing now and I don't have much free time.

Thanks,

JJ

Here's a new one.  Posters have gone up at Mae sai advising that at some point soon you will need to show evidence of funds of 20,000 baht to make another monthly stamp.

I haven't seen this for myself when I was there a week ago but friends who were there this weekend told us about this.

Anyone seen the same or knows anymore about this?

The nasty thing about this 10,000 bt. demand, beginning on Oct. 1st, is that you can only show CASH. I asked the immigration person, stamping me back in yesterday, if I could show $300 in US traveler's checks or my Thai savings account bank book. They only want cash.

I think this is creating a dangerous temptation for pickpockets, bag slashers, armed robbers and muggers. Everyone will know that every person that crosses the bridge is carrying 10K Bt. I"ll be damned if I'll go down into the Tachilek market or wander the back streets of Mae Sai after Oct. 1st. If you're riding a motorcycle they could shoot you off the road on that rural stretch of Hwy. just south of town, headed to Mae Chan. Ten thousand baht is a lot of money for these poor farm laborers. Robbers here have shot people off of motorcycles for far less cash.

Another possibility is that Mae Sai immigration is initiating this "show cash" as a scam to count your money, then give you 9,900 bt change and say it's an entrance fee. About 4 or 5 years ago, they charged a 50 bt. fee to leave when going over to Tachilek. They got busted at that game after 6 months or so.

Does anyone know if this '10K notice' has gone on display at other border crossings? If not, I think the big guys in Bangkok immigration should be informed about the Mae Sai change.

I just got back from a visa run to penang last week.  got 2 tourist visas. paid 100 riggit per tourist visa.  experienced no problems.

Thanks amigo. I plan to visit KL and if I have any trouble getting the TWO there, I'll stop off at Penang on the way back.

Cheers,

JJ

Joe Joe is just passing through, and now joe joe has left the building.

I figured as much. thanks chingy

You figure wrong, Bob.

Do you know the answer to my question?

I'm a US citizen, over fifty.

Thanks if you can help.

Joe Joe is just passing through, and now joe joe has left the building.

  Wrong! I made the post then went to dinner expecting to read th replies today.

  Do you know the answer to my question?

Wrong! I made the post then went to dinner expecting to read th replies today.

Do you know the answer to my question?

Hi Folks,

      Does anyone know if it is currently possible to get a double entry tourist visa at the Thai embassy in Kuala Lumpur? I know that they have stopped giving them at Penang.

Thanks,

JJ

How do you know they stopped doing that in Penang?

I learned that fact on this forum, which I read daily.

Hi Folks,

Does anyone know if it is currently possible to get a double entry tourist visa at the Thai embassy in Kuala Lumpur? I know that they have stopped giving them at Penang.

Thanks,

JJ