camsouth

And if you're planning on going abroad during the extension period you'll also need a re-entry permit to keep your permission to stay alive upon your return. Definitely worth obtaining at the same time as your extension if your office do both at the same window like mine (Maptaput) does, rather than make you queue up again for the re-entry permit. The form you'll need to complete is the TM8.

i cant seem to down load tm8 either , i am in Chiang Mia

You use a TM7 form. PDF file. http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/download/pdf/tm7.pdf

Perhaps you are trying to open the MS office doc version.

The TM47 form is for 90 day reports.

thanks joe yes i was you are a life saver

well i am getting ready to go get my 12 month extension, based on retirement ( my first time for wife and me) so i don't remember what form I need tm7 or tm47 i know it sounds silly and for some reason i cant open the the file s when i down load. my adobe newest version cant open it . so any help would be great

my wife and i are new here and are looking for a good dentist here we live near Maya Mall so any ideas or good referrals

thanks gary

"Foreigners on a one-year marriage visa are normally required to report to the police every three months along with their spouses."

No they are not ONLY the foreigner not the wife. Putting that aside as this is normal reporting by the Nation. Why would I believe the HEADING.

Police to check on foreigners involved in marriage scam

The Nation

Seeing that Pattaya , Phuket and apparently Chiang Mai Immigration can not issue single entry 90 day O-visa for conversion to retirement I have personally seen some very questionable marriage extensions..OH YEA Let the cavity search continue.

are you sure about that? the conversion do you mean a conversion from a tr to a 90 day O based on retirement , or am i reading that wrong?

They will do it all on the same day,

A copy of the lease for the applications is fine but you should have the original with you in case the ask to see it.

thanks Joe , you are a great help. and i will. have a great day

You wife can do her extension at the same time as yours but you will have to time it to where she only has 45 day left on her 90 day entry. I failed to notice that she got her visa a month later than yours.

why can you explain? when then can i do mine mine is good untill nov 18

You could do yours now because it is within the 45 day period. You cannot apply for an extension earlier than for 45 days before your current permit to stay ends (Nov. 18th for yours).

If you waited until the 4th of November or later to do yours she could do hers at the same time.

great joe so do you know if they do same day? and you have been great help. you are the best so i think we will do it on nov 4 .last question will they accept a copy of lease or do i need the real one ?

You wife can do her extension at the same time as yours but you will have to time it to where she only has 45 day left on her 90 day entry. I failed to notice that she got her visa a month later than yours.

why can you explain? when then can i do mine mine is good untill nov 18

Where did you originally post your topic?

Did you get an affidavit from the US consulate in Chiang Mai proving an income in USD equal to 65k baht or more?

For your extension of stay application you will need the affidavit, copies of your passport photo page, visa, entry/permit to stay stamp and TM6 departure card. Also proof of residence. A completed TM7 application form with attached 4cm X 6cm photo.

For wife's dependent extension application after your extension is completed and your passport stamped. Copies of your passport photo page and extension stamp. The same copies her passport pages you did and departure card. Original of your marriage certificate and a copy. Same application form and photo.

i cant find the topic . i knew you answered me but could not locate it thanks joe again for your help. yes i do have affidavit from the US consulate in Chiang Mai. when they where in phuket. i do have a lease for my apt will that work? so we will have to go twice to im? or can we do both at same time ? i have marriage certificate and a copy. also 2 months of bank recordeds as well

I meant this topic because it was apparently moved to the visa forum another forum. It did appear here until this morning.

Do you have the original of your affidavit? A copy will not be accepted.

You can do it in one visit. But it will be 2 separate ticket numbers and making a copy of your extension stamp after you get yours to do your wife's application.

Are you aware that you will need to be at immigration in CM very early to get a number.

yes i posted this in the cm forum last night, and yes i do have original affidavit i had two done when they where in phuket . yes i was told i had to be there at 6:30 am. my wife s 90 day is good until dec 18th . i am surprised at how early you have to be in cm . phuket im was like 8 30 am and was very fast . i dont know how cm operates. so we could go twice

Where did you originally post your topic?

Did you get an affidavit from the US consulate in Chiang Mai proving an income in USD equal to 65k baht or more?

For your extension of stay application you will need the affidavit, copies of your passport photo page, visa, entry/permit to stay stamp and TM6 departure card. Also proof of residence. A completed TM7 application form with attached 4cm X 6cm photo.

For wife's dependent extension application after your extension is completed and your passport stamped. Copies of your passport photo page and extension stamp. The same copies her passport pages you did and departure card. Original of your marriage certificate and a copy. Same application form and photo.

i cant find the topic . i knew you answered me but could not locate it thanks joe again for your help. yes i do have affidavit from the US consulate in Chiang Mai. when they where in phuket. i do have a lease for my apt will that work? so we will have to go twice to im? or can we do both at same time ? i have marriage certificate and a copy. also 2 months of bank recordeds as well

well, i don't know what kind of info you are expecting...but the address of immigration and the proper forms are all there...

other than that, the only "local" info you might get is on how to get a queue number... which involves getting to immigration by 6:30 am for a yearly visa extension...

otherwise, just show up (usually after lunch) for your 90 day report and you will probably get in and out very quickly..

anything else and you will need to be more specific in your question...

ok i will explain to you what i need to know , what paper work do i need to bring with me .

i converted my 60 tour to a 90 day retirement in phuket im . my wife and i went to penang to get her non o visa. now we have moved here got a apt and i need to convert to a one year extension based on retirement and add her as my dependent she is under 50. so i need to know the process here in chang mai im and what added paper work i will need to bring . i have retirement pensions from usa that i have consol noted, and its well over the 800,000 bah per year . so added paper work do we need to take with us ?

start here: http://www.chiangmaiimm.com/en.html

and then look at pinned topics here on CM thaivisa page

well thanks but looking for someones insight and how it works here chaing mai

Hello, I am on my 90 day to retirement visa. Wife has her o visa so what do I need to get my extension and her as dependent. My 90 day expires on Nov 18th hers on Dec 18th. Sorry to ask. Just want to know what paper work we need and where to go We are new here in Chiang Mai

Did you have any success OP. Please share experience

well yes we found a nice 130 meter apt furnished and ran a 6 month lease nice kit and all updated. nice deck as well and its close to shopping mails very roomy which i like electric 4 bah gov rate now just learning more about area. we are between maya mail and tops market and city

i was in same postion and joe is right i got my o visa and my wife who is younger than 50 . we went on visa run. to phang and i went along as well all documents for me and marraige cert as well income bank account ect . now we went befor i got my extention , was on a 90 day o with intent to retire here the processed her o just fine. they saw that i was retiring here and married so they gave her the o visa . now we just have to go to IM to finish it. my extemtion and her dependant

I'm in the same boat so to be clear...

The spouse who is over 50 and has the financial requirements sorted can get a Non Imm O at a nearby embassy and then get the extension based on retirement in Thailand.

The spouse who is NOT old enough... how does it work? Does he/she need to wait for the other spouses extension to be valid? And then what, take a copy of that to a nearby embassy to obtain a Non Imm O based on being a dependent? What is he / she required to bring to the embassy?

Sorry for the newbie questions but Visas of all sorts seem to be harder to obtain these days and if you are missing one small detail, you won't be successful.

When the spouse that qualifies for the extension goes for their non-o visa the other should submit an application for a non-o also. You would need your marriage certificate to apply for it.

If they will not to do the non-o then getting a single entry tourist would be next best option. Then go out for a non-o visa after the spouse gets their extension.

Another idea would be to rent a car and do a drive around. You can probably cover the basics of outer Chiang Mai in two days.

I strongly advise against that. It's carnage on the roads here. Lack of traffic signs, bad roads, almost zero enforcement of traffic laws by police, etc. I suggest you have an experienced person drive you around for at least the first few months so you'll have a good idea of what you'll be up against. Use public transportation whenever you can.

If you have driven in Sydney you will be OK. It's not all that bad here. Our American friends find it harder because, for them, it is on the wrong side of the road.

i agree i am american and been in thailand for while and driving here is hard to get use to. was in patong and used bike. took a while to remember other side of street lol not so much taxis here are cheap and faster way to get around 3 bucks usd any where you want to go in city.

Welcome to Chiang Mai. First, and perhaps most important bit of advice... do NOT listen to the advice of one person. There is such a wide range of experiences here, both positive and negative, that you really need to poll several different people and then draw your own conclusions. Australian appliances 'should' work here, although there may be a bit of a language barrier resulting in minor confusion.

Perhaps the best place for you to do that will be at the Expats Club. Now that it is functioning as a well-run organization no longer out for scalps, you can find many, many good people more than willing to give you advice AND help in getting started here in Chiang Mai.

NancyL is the new leader of this organization, and she will be here shortly to give you the details about where and when the group meets.

my wife and i are new here also, been here about a 2 weeks have an apt but still dont know the area that much we no live between maya mall and the tops store. no friends here as of yet so we are in the same as op

well ach transafers work better bank to bank limt on transfers is 108,000.0 per day and no fee and current market exchange rate and its free no fees

Moving 2000~ pounds like that you're going to get eaten alive with fees.

Why not do a wire transfer?

There's also other options for international transfers like this, which typically incur lower fees than pulling it out of a wall multiple times.

The only fees with a counter withdrawal are any fees the "home country card-issuing bank" may apply. If a person has a "no foreign transaction fee" Visa card it's the cheapest way to move funds (i.e., absolutely no fees) and the Visa exchange rate is plus or minus a few stang of the TT Buying Rate used for wire transfers. However, if the home country card-issing bank does apply a foreign transaction fee...1 to 3% is typical...then all a counter withdrawal saves over a ATM withdrawal is the ATM Bt150 to Bt180 foreign card fee...and then a wire transfer could be cheaper fee-wise.

For example at this moment in time from looking at the Visa Europe exchange rate page (webpage for Visa cards issued by European banks) and this website that shows Thai bank exchange rates for the average TT Buying Rate, the Visa rate is 51.77 baht/GBP and the average Thai Bank TT Buying Rate is 51.78 baht/GBP, And many times the Visa rate is better than the TT Buying Rate. Like if I compared the Visa rate and Bangkok Bank TT Buying Rate for 26 Sep, Friday before last, the Visa rate is 52.37 baht/GBP and the Bangkok Bank rate 52.34 baht/GBP. Compare the Visa rate and Thai bank TT Buying rate over time and you'll see what I mean.

As mentioned the counter withdrawal has no fee and you get your money immediately in-hand vs waiting X-business days for a wire transfer to post to your account...and of course there are usually wire transfer fees involved such as the 0.25% (Bt200 min, Bt500 max) on the Thai bank receiving end for sure and whatever sending fees your home country bank (and its correspondent bank) may apply.

P.S. Ignore the note on webpage above showing Thai bank exchange rates regarding "For ATM rates, select the TT currency type" as that is a completely bogus statement as ATMs use the Visa/Mastercard exchange rate unless the ATM also offers the bank's rip-off DCC rate which is several percent below the Visa/Mastercard exchange rate. Both Visa/Mastercard frown on use of DCC (but its legal) because many customers blame Visa/Mastercard when in fact it was the bank operating the ATM that offers a DCC rate. Just say no to DCC and continue on to get the Visa/Mastercard exchange rate. The webpage probably includes this false note for web click/traffic/ad purposes to its site. But the other rates reflected are accurate as they are pulled for bank exchange rate pages/Bank of Thailand data. But the TT Buying Rate will be a close estimate of the Visa/Mastercard exchange rate...definitely go to the Visa/Mastercard exchange rate pages to see their actual rate.

I asked in Chiang Rai and was told the same. No renewals at this time. Another loophole has been plugged.

sorry could you explain the health card issue ?

Talk to the SCB about a Fund Book. 3 months deposit and then you can transfer any amount without restriction overseas. Quite legal and I have clients who have done this for quite large sums.

Could you elaborate on this, please? I don't know what a Fund Book is. And, after three months, where is the money transferred from? The "Fund Book" or an ordinary account. I'm very interested to learn the mechanics of what you're describing.

Contrary to what some people are reporting, in my experience it is most certainly not easy (or even possible) to transfer money out of Thailand, unless it is a relatively small amount or it's from the sale of a foreign freehold condo.

Well i have a bankok bank account and i transfer money to it from citi bank in usa . i also do on line banking with them . i tried to set up the us account so i could transfer money back to citi if i wanted to .but bbk bank said i could not because i was retirement visa not on a work visa . but i cam wire transfer the money. on line with out setting up a international account. as long as you have the banks swift number and routing number and account.an address. i think thats how it works on wire transfers

good morning everyone .

i am on a 90 day retirement o visa, and my wife just got her non o just a few days ago. so some time in Oct i need to go in for my extension of stay and add her as my dependent. we both have accounts at a bank. i dont have the 800 k but i do have the stated income from embassy that shows i make well over that per year. around 2 mil. we just moved to chiang mia found an apt here ect. i got my non 0 retirement from phuket im . so what do i need now for the extension and to add her as dependent .

i know i need house book what else?

thanks

I opened my first Bangkok Bank account in 1990 as a tourist at the branch on Soi 43 Sukhumvit Road.

I had a tourist visa and it was a joint account with my Thai girlfriend.

They probably won't do that today, when I retired in 2010 I opened an account in my name for my retirement funds and they insisted I must have a Non O visa (which I did then).

But in 1990, it was possible to walk into a Bangkok Bank with cash in hand and open an account immediately.

At that time I also deposited for collection a paper CHECK for collection drawn on a U.S. bank. It took 45 days to process for collection from my U.S. bank account.

You can't do that today, I don't think they have even SEEN a paper U.S. bank check deposited for collection these days.

But yes, you need to open an account in Thailand in person.

And, if you can open a bank account, they will give you an ATM/debit card on the account that is useable in the bank ATMs in Thailand with no fee for each transaction at that bank as well as outside the country (depending on bank) in nearby Southeast Asia countries.

My Bangkok Bank ATM/debit card is also useable in Malaysia and Vietnam (maybe other countries, but I haven't tried personally). Of course there is a small fee if you use that card in a banks ATM that is not the Bangkok Bank.

i think that has changed i did try to use my bbk debt card at another atm's here not one would work except bbk atm

I recently opened a BB account and during the discussion they mentioned that you cannot open an account on a tourist visa. Paying 180 TBaht per transaction is the least of your problems, check you home bank for their charges and the exchange rate where they also make money on your transfer. No easy way around the problem, but consider travelers checks, they normally offer a better rate.

well i did open a bbk bank account on a tourist visa. and i agree they might say no on one day as they did me. my next trip in a few days they did open for me. but said no to my wife. but a week later they said yes to her as well. the only thing i dont like is that a bbk debt card might not work on certain on line sites as well at other atms that are not bbk . and if you are out of area they charge you 10 b even if you use there atms.

reminds me of back in the 90's in usa so if any one know's a bank here that you can use any atm would be great to know. i keep money in my us account so i can go any where in the world and use good old citi bank just in case

The noise level at Nakorn Ping within the building is very good. The noise from outside is mostly street noise -- not bar noise. We found that it's worse at the higher levels -- somehow noise travels up and you hear everything from all around the higher you are. We're down lower now and the other buildings seem to block the noise. Still, Hubby often wakes up at 3 am as drivers on motorcycles, returning home from bars, are tearing around a corner just below our window. Doesn't bother me, though. Usually he goes back to sleep.

If you're a newcomer, you'll find the local definition of "western style kitchen" is a stretch. Often when they say that in an ad, it just means they've put a counter with a sink inside the condo and plopped a few small appliances on the counter. Maybe a couple cabinets with dishes, too.

I'd encourage you to work with that for a while. You'll find your kitchen needs are different. I was amazed at what I could make with just a rice cooker and microwave. I fully explored all their functions before investing in other small appliances. I came to realize I didn't need an oven. It doesn't make sense to bake a pot roast for an hour when you're running the aircon trying to stay cool. You want to try all the new veggies you see in the market and you use a sukayaki pot or wok on a single burner hob to prepare those.

Many newbies in Nakorn Ping start out at higher level mountain-view units. Those a good way to get into the building. You'll find the view is great, but the aircon bills are killers. Soon you'll learn about the really good units at lower levels. When those become vacant, they're never advertised. The openings become known by word-of-mouth and they're filled by tenants moving from elsewhere in the building.

so what do the air con bills run i am from nevada usa ,las vegas , so i am use to high air bills what do they run per month ?

well the wife and i just got here in Chiang Mai and we are looking for a condo to rent. some where around 15 to 30 k per month. new to city and not sure where to look.

what we want is

1 western style kit

2 one bedroom fully furnished, dishes ect living area

3 flat screen tv if possible . pool , gym

4 close to shopping mails , like maya and food stores like tops , big c lotus. walking distance or short run by taxi

we are staying in hotel near old walled city. and looked local, no luck. so any suggestions or places to look would be a help

thanks