Tod Daniels

How about you stick with what you know (here's a hint it is NOT entry/visa/extension stuff) The O/P is on an extension of stay, they can cancel that up to 3 weeks early at Cham Churi Square and that gives them plenty of time to apply for the year extension at Chaengwattana

You need to understand that you don't have any Non-B visa right now and you will NOT be applying for a Non-O visa either ???? You are on a yearly extension of stay (or sometimes a 2 year one as you get your extensions at Cham Churi Square's One Stop Service Center) As I said you will not apply for a Non-O visa inside the country. All you are doing is changing the REASON for your extension from one based on employment to one based on retirement. You will take documentation from your employer to C/C Square a few weeks before your termination date, cancel the current extension you're on <- they will give you a new stamp allowing you to stay until the termination date. Then you meet the requirements and go to Chaengwattana to apply for a yearly extension of stay based on being over 50 (retirement) <- in Section L-1 at the main immigration office for 1900baht. Cham Churi Square only cancels your current extension, they won't issue a new extension based on retirement, that's done at Chaengwattana. I would say well before you're going to do this cancel extension/apply for a new one you slog on out to Chaengwattana and get the hand out listing the requirements for the yearly extension of stay from the first cubbyhole on the right as you walk in to Section L-1 (it has a sign that says "Document Check" on the entry. That way you can have everything ready for when you do go to apply. Remember you need the 800K baht banked in a thai bank account in your name only for 2 months before you APPLY for the extension. People change the reason for extensions all the time, and going from an extension based on employment to one based on being over 50 (retirement) is pretty straightforward even though you are dealing with two different offices

I went out there Tuesday the 15th and the station to the pink line was not open, and the guards there said there are no plans for it to open in the immediate future. You take a taxi from exit number one downstairs at Wat Phra Sri Mahathat and it's about 50 baht to the door of the immigration office in building B at the government complex

Okay just confirmed thru a border bounce service out of Chiang Mai (and having some one ask on a C/M f/b page) that the Lao crossing at Chiang Saen / Special Economic Zone (Kings Romans Casino) breaks down like this; It's 100baht to get the boat across to the Lao side. On the Lao side they will ask 2000baht for the Lao Visa On Arrival <- (you HAVE TO BUY ONE), but if you just give them 1500 they will accept it ???? Then the boat ride back is 200 baht ???? not much you can do other than swim back ???? So 1800baht all in AND it takes a full page plus entry/exit stamps because the lao visa sticker is one page.. It is NOT a day pass 10USD anything to get in to Lao and back

I believe you're in error there with that advice.., The Chiang Saen border with Lao DEFINITELY will sell you a Visa On Arrival for 1800baht, and not a "day pass for 10USD" <- which is what the BURMA borders do The Chiang Saen border goes across to the Special Economic Zone (Kings Romans Casino Complex), you take the boat across and back It's not that much faster (or any cheaper) than the Chiang Khong border just a ways away that has the friendship bridge to cross into Lao

You will need to have your landlord or yourself file a TM 30 showing you're registered as staying at that address before you apply for your yearly extension. And when you do apply you will need lease, you should also have the land lord thai I/D copy, house book copy but might not be asked for them.

You can only use Thai children as a reason for an extension until they are 20 years old. So your child is out as a reason to get an extension. I would say before you divorce go to the Thai consulate in Savannakhet Lao and get a year-long, multi-entry non-o visa based on marriage. That Visa is valid for a year from the day they issue it whether you divorce or not. On that visa you have to bounce in and out every 90 days, but you can do that for a whole year (even if you divorce or won't invalidate the visa). You can get almost 15 months of stay out of that year long, multi entry Non-O visa.