cormanr7

On 5/12/2020 at 12:52 PM, hansunger said:

do you have a link, where this JUNE 1 flight resumption is anounced?tks... here it says otherwise: https://loyaltylobby.com/2020/04/29/rumor-thai-airways-domestic-fleet-to-remain-grounded-for-4-months-international-flights-restart-in-julu/

If you look at the Thai Aw website (https://www.thaiairways.com/en_TH/book/timetable.page?) you will note that the first bookable domestic flights are now on July 1st (not June 1st as originally announced in various newspapers) and there is a pop-up saying that 'Due to the Covid-19 crisis, THAI has temporarily suspended its operations until 30th June 2020'. 

At CW, when using the 800K Baht method, in addition to the bank letter (which just confirms that person X has bank account number Y with amount Z at date...) , at least some IO's like a separate account statement showing all transactions over the last 2,5 months. Some bank will provide this automatically together with the bank letter, if not you could ask for it.

9 hours ago, JackThompson said:

Somehow, it is bad to sit in a chair in the food-court area, but everyone sprawled out all over the floor in the atrium was considered ok.  Go figure.  People were not allowed in the actual immigration area until their queue number was close.  This was a few weeks back, though - sounds less busy now.

Five weeks ago they were quite serious/panicky about social distancing and indeed persons unable to find a seat were booted out and told to come back shortly before their que number was due. Would be VERY helpful if they installed monitors outside. Anyway, you could sit at the black benches in the atrium (where distancing is basically ignored), advantage for the L1 section is that you can see the que number from there, no need to go in. By now, things seem to have been relaxed, the people assigned to keep an eye on available seats seem to have disappeared. About ten days ago there were quite a few people standing within the office without anyone paying attention.  

Gets more complicated, just found out that Thai Aw does not start flying until June 1st. Might be easier to wait until early June if that fits into your schedule.

You need to make sure that your domestic flight is to Suvanabhumi, which leaves Thai Aw, Thai Vietjetair and Bangkok Aw. Thai is part of STAR Alliance (as is LH) and can check through your bag, otherwise you would have to collect it and check in again. 

Fly BKK-FRA on May 24th? Strange, according to the LH website there is no (direct) flight to FRA that day, the first flight is May 25th. You now have to wear a face mask on LH-flights and self-isolate for 14 days (includes EU citizens) in Germany, all noted on the airline's website) As mentioned above, for the domestic flight better check directly with the airline.

7 hours ago, Max69xl said:

They are supposed to measure within 1-3 cm from the forehead. Some thermometers manuals says 1-5 cm. To far away and the temperature will be way to low. A 7/11 close to where I'm staying has a very accurate thermometer if they measure within the correct distance. So it depends on the person doing it. 

Correct, at some places (including the parks I have been too) they hold it at least 5-10 cm from your forehead, completely useless. At the 7/11's I have visited, temperature checks were done now and then (certainly not full time) but the personnel seems to have been better instructed and they normally manage to do a more or less accurate reading.

On 4/29/2020 at 9:47 AM, 5633572526 said:

If you are going in person you only need the filled out tm47 and your original passport. Did mine last week arrived at 8:15 am Q number 85 took 1 hour. Changwattana 

Indeed, if report in person at CW only need passport and tm.47. Fairly quiet these days. Had tried to do online but failed, IO said need to report once in person first, next time online 'will work for sure'. 

Had a booking AMS-BKK with EVA leaving April, booked with cc on the airline's website . The flight was cancelled by EVA, choices were either a re-booking within the one year validity of the ticket (change fee waived but not potential fare difference) or full refund (fee waived). Choose the latter, full refund received after ca 18 days. I have always had a good experience with EVA, last year when they had that strike, the BKK office offered to rebook a BKK-AMS flight with any carrier (as long as it was economy class) at no cost. Ended up with direct flight with KLM. 

Lots of people running/walking without masks in Chatuchak and Railway park this morning (May 3rd). They just take them off after passing the cameras/temp check at the entrance. I am not sure whether it is actually compulsory here, unless for instance the MRT where everyone wears one.

Funny experience this morning (May 3rd): at Ladphrao MRT a professional looking thermal camera, result 36.6 oC. Entrance to Chatuchak park: 33.2 oC, entrance to Suan Rot Fai (railway park) 31.7 oC (both reported without blinking an eye) , the latter two measured with a white toy-like laser-gun aimed roughly at your forehead. Not just for me, others scored the same values. I guess it actually just measures the ambient temperature!

1 hour ago, moon0205 said:

looking at the problems I have with extending my NON-OA Retirement - can this be changed to NON-O which does not need health insurance?
I would love to hear if that is possible> Thank you.

Some posters here might help you with that, I am not sure this can be done within Thailand. What I did a few years ago was enter on a tourist visa, convert this into a NON-O (valid 3 months based on retirement, took 10 min) and then convert the latter to a NON-O stay permit (validity one year). Main problem here for some people is that you need to have a Thai (?) bank account and show that you have seasoned the 800,000+ Baht (if you use the bank method) for x months. In my case I had opened a bank account a long time ago when it was very easy and kept it going. The whole process was easy, for conversion of the TR visa they were mainly interested in a letter from the bank confirming that the funds came from abroad.

10 hours ago, bkkguy1970 said:

how crowded was the seating area at the L queue area? social distancing? where any of the coffeeshops or the foodcourt open?

Even though most seats are roped off there was enough room, never seen it this quiet. The coffeeshops and foodcourt(s) were open (take away only, but there are tables in the foodcourt where you can stand and eat).

55 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Any mention or knowledge of the TM-30 reporting issue?

No, I always ask the front desk in my apartment to do a TM.30 when I return from abroad, but don't know whether they actually do it (and do not have any proof). However, on one of the three extra forms you have to sign when you do the extension you confirm that you still stay at...................... Maybe they use this instead of a TM.30? Actually your address is also on the 90 day report.  

Yes

On 5/21/2019 at 9:45 PM, Captain 776 said:

I went in person myself to C M Immigration 2 weeks ago with my bangkok bank statement and showed them if that covered the requirement.

 

They said 3 months.  It was 3 months BEFORE the latest change and it still is 3 months.

 

Indeed, when I went for a retirement  extension at CW (not CM) in early May, the IO clearly marked a period of 3 months on the copy of my bank book. Confusingly, she then gave me a form (in English) with the new seasoning rules that clearly state 2 months but nobody actually seems to know what the starting date of this new rule is. 

22 hours ago, 5633572526 said:

Long day at Chaengwattana May 8th 2019

I am not sure either what is going on here. As noted in my report on retirement extension (bank method) on May 3rd 2019, everything was completed in slightly over 2 h (08.45 front desk, 10.55 exit) with a L que number in the high forties (last year it also took ca. 2 h with a number in the low forties). I had tried to get the new desk staff at my apartment to do a TM.30 a few days before when I got back from a trip abroad but not sure whether it was actually done as they seemed totally clueless.

I got the impression that the IO used the form ('statement 3') where you swear you still live at .... as confirmation of the address. When it came to entering my address in the computer (even though it was the same as last year) she held up the back of the TM.7 and used that as a template.

Well there was a potential snag in the TM.30 stuff: I had just come back from abroad and found that the old desk staff in my apartment had all left (disagreement with the owner) and replaced by three girls who had never heard of a TM.30. Pointed them in the right direction but they still seemed confused but would 'try' to file one (so I do not know if this actually was performed, not sure how you can know this anyway if they do it online?). So took my chances. However, I am 100% sure the IO typed my address (which was the same as last year) in the computer using the information on the back of the TM.7 (there is nothing else there). Nevertheless I would suggest to get the TM.30 stuff done, I guess they will start checking in the (near?) future or maybe they were just lenient because of the festivities, whatever.

(Long) Report: Extension of stay, retirement, bank method.

Report from May 3rd.

Took bus 29 from BTS Mochit to Laksi (only 25 min, traffic is mostly towards central BKK in the morning), then taxi to Govt. Complex. Arrived just after 8 am, too late for the early que numbers (which seemed to go up to 400 or so). Place seemed very busy today. Was first customer at one of the banks in the basement at 08.30 to get a passbook update and the 'account conformation letter'. Off to one of the two copy shops (these will also make pictures for 100B) past the CPfood (clearly marked). Got to the front desk at 

08.45, brief look at passport only and handed a number in the high forties for the L-section.  Que moved rather quickly (this time counter 41, just around the corner was alsoopen) with a few people not turning up. The already mentioned dragon started handing out three forms to people seated in front of L, stating (in Thai only, seemed unable to speak English?) that these were important. These were 1) a form (think it is called 'statement 3') in which you swear that you still live at ................., 2) overstay rules and 3) a brief one saying something like you can only use the ex-tension of stay/visa whatever for the specific category stated (i.e. cannot work with a retirement extension, etc).

My turn came at ca. 10.30. Handed in:

Passport (plus copy front page, last 18 months worth of stamps)

Bank book (plus copy)

TM.6 (plus copy)

Bank letter

TM.7 with one pic on the back (add your phone number)

IO had a brief look at the documents, asked to sign every page and stamped some of thepages. She then asked me to draw a map (basically the only thing different from last year) and seemed quite pleased that I had one (and yes, I did use a ruler) but barely glanced at it. Took a pic, collected the fee (1,900 B) and stamped the extension in my passport. Then gave me a form with the new seasoning rules.

At this point most people are send to the supervisor (?) who sits at the back, left-hand side of each cubicle. Not this time, IO told me to wait outside while one of the assistantsdisappeared with my passport/bank book. So I settled down (now 10.40) and prepared fora potentially long wait.  However, about 15 min later an assistant appeared with a basket containing ten passports or so (maybe some senior IO does the signing batch-wise. First held up four US passport and called out the names. She then came over to me (I think she  could not pronounce my name) and handed me my passport/bank book ('ribroy').

No mention of TM.30 (though I think it is wise to get it done) or having to show that the balance over the next three months is >800,000B (guess that they might/will check it du-ring the next extension). 

Walked out just before 11 am and took of my necktie five seconds later (yes, the outward appearance is very important here!).

Thanks everyone for the input. It does confirm that outside BKK some offices make up their own requirements which furthermore may differ between places. I will report back end of next week how things went. 

In view of the ever changing requirements, could someone post a detailed list of requirements for extension of a NON-O visa (obtained in BKK after conversion of a tourist visa) based on retirement using the 800,000+ Baht route at CW.

I am confused about the bank letters required: as a letter confirming the funds came from abroad has already been submitted before conversion of the tourist visa, do you require this again? To confirm that funds have been seasoned for at least 60 days, can you use a copy of your bank book or do you need a bank letter and/or a list of transactions printed out by the bank?

Any help/suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks all for the rapid replies!

Some questions about the health form that is (is not?) required for extension of visa based on retirement:

1. Can someone provide a blank form?

2. Can anyone recommend a clinic in Bangkok to get it with a minimum of fuzz?

3. Anyone with recent experience in extending a NON-O based on retirement - did they ask for the health form?

Thanks in advance

Hi Joe

Sorry, yes I meant extension of stay done in Thailand. Thanks for the answers! 

Two questions on the 800,000 Baht requirement for O-A visa.

1.Can this be deposited in a (3 month) fixed deposit account rather than a savings account.

Anyone have recent experience with this?

2. Must the 800,000 Baht transferred from abroad in one go, or can it be spread in say two portions over a few days?