Martyp

I hope you are going early enough to give yourself time to sort out anything you get wrong.

I continue to get a retirement extension even though I was married last year. A couple of years ago I asked Kasikorn what happens to my account if I die. They said there is a procedure for family members to claim the account. I assume it would take some time. For an account with over a million baht it would probably be worth the time and effort for my wife to pursue the process. Since we got married we opened a joint account the primary purpose of which is to provide her with funds if I am temporarily incapacitated or, I guess, to support her for a while if I die. 

2 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Can I ask a dumb question.

If I use money in bank method. Personally I have 1mill in FD account. So if I was attending imm for annual extension based on retirement tomorrow, what do I need show. I was thinking just bank letter and activity on day of application. 

There is new requirement?

When I got my 2nd one year extension at CW in October of last year I submitted 3 months of bank statements, the bank letter (2 days old), and my bank book updated that day. I use the 800,000 baht banked money method. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were asking for a year of bank statements now.

Check the websites for the other Thai Consulates in the US. Los Angeles for instance. Maybe you can use one of them and do the whole process by mail.

4 hours ago, JustAnotherHun said:

So I'll order a one-year statement to be on the safe side. It's just a visit more to my bank.

Could be quite funny if the statement needs a week to be provided and the IO tells you then, it may not be older than two days or so...

A one year bank statement is not the same as the bank letter. The bank letter just states that you have an account with the bank and the balance as of the day of the letter. This is the document that often cannot be more than 2-3 days old. In addition you may have to do a same day bank transaction and update your bank book. It is always better to go over prepared rather than under prepared if the tasks are cheap and easy to do.

29 minutes ago, RocketDog said:

"The only fear I have is that I may get the OA visa here in the States, but then when I arrive in Thailand, the officials at BKK airport will arbitrarily decide that they do not like nor approve things."

 

I think the OP or yourself as you say, might find himself standing in the airport with his (deleted) in his hand wondering where to fly to next. Trusting to the vagaries of a Thai immigration official at the airport is a fool's game. 

All the OP should need is the same insurance certificate they used to apply for the O-A visa. They will use the end date of your insurance policy to determine how long to stamp in your permission to stay. The worst case, and the reported experience of TVF members trying to enter without insurance, is that a US citizen would be stamped in for thirty days visa exempt giving them time to sort things out with Immigration.

24 minutes ago, wealthychef said:

  

 

 

You cannot get an "O" visa outside of Thailand.  That is why the LA consulate does not list it.  You MUST get an OA in LA.  You cannot get one inside of Thailand.  

Here's the thing about Thailand:  it's a confusing, bureaucratic country with many contradictions, bribery, and ridiculous official nonsense, the rules are different at every immigration office, and many things are done outside of the proper channels.  

If this concept is news to you or you are about to say "but...", then I agree you should just stick with your attorney.  ????  

I believe you can get a O visa in several of the neighboring countries and you can get an O visa inside Thailand. The process and financial requirements are different inside vs outside. People choose depending on their financial situation. Once you are inside Thailand with an O visa then you can apply for a 1 year extension of stay based on that O visa and no medical insurance is required. 
 

By the way, are you on an O visa or a 1 year extension of stay?

1 hour ago, bbi1 said:

Yes, the fingerprint scanners. How does is the IO able to determine if someone scans their fingers flat or the tips of their fingers? Someone can lightly scan their fingers flatly or just use their tips and I think the IO just would see fingerprints on their screen without knowing if it's the bottom part done flat or just the fingertips. 

The scanner instrument determines if you have entered a complete fingerprint. My phone has facial recognition. You don't think the scanner software can recognize a complete fingerprint? 

28 minutes ago, phka said:

Accually I need to make 6 seperate trips to Bangkok so I will need to submit 6 tm30s on my return each time I guess

When you go to your Immigration office to file the first TM30 you will find out whether they require it for travel inside Thailand. You will get better answers if you tell us which immigration office you are using.

You might as well tell us what Immigration office you report to . . . 

Bangkok CW and many other offices are not requiring TM30's for travel inside Thailand.

14 hours ago, peterdwje2 said:

Was that also at CW?

If CW no longer requiring it, can anyone think of any reason to continue filing them after overseas trips?

Look at it this way. How hard is it to file your TM30 vs what you have to do if they ask for it and don’t have it? My philosophy is to bring more than you need rather than less than you need if it is easy and low cost. 

This being TVF you will get every kind of story. In October I went to CW on Monday at 8:30am. I completed my extension by 10:30am. Got my multiple re-entry permit before noon. How long is a matter of chance and luck. I’ve never used an agent so I can’t comment on that.

8 hours ago, TerraplaneGuy said:

I don't.   The problem is that when you go to extend, say on November 2, your new certificate, for the upcoming year, will not be uploaded.  They will not accept it as proof of coverage.  So they will say come back when it is uploaded.  Changing your policy to December 1 won't change that. 

I will just have to go to CW later in the year and have a discussion about what they will accept at that time. You seem to presenting a situation where no one can get an extension unless they are there at 4:30pm on the day it expires. Obviously that is not the case for many people who have obtained extension for the last couple of months. 

42 minutes ago, TerraplaneGuy said:

OP UPDATE:  I've had a lot of discussion with Aetna and they've talked to Immigration about my problem.   Aetna offered to increase my coverage to the required B40,000 OPD for the stub period before my next extension (between now and February 12) so that I can go in advance and extend.  But Immigration said it won't work because they will not accept even a signed certificate from Aetna confirming that.  They will only accept an uploaded certificate as proof, and since Aetna had to upload the certificate for my upcoming extension year already, and the system only takes one per customer, there is no way to upload another.  In other words, Immigration is saying that if I want to apply in advance (as per usual) I have to prove current coverage as well as coverage for the upcoming year, but that is impossible because the system can't show both!  So Immigration is sticking to their position that the only day I can apply is my expiry day, February 12.  And they are sticking to the time requirement, which means I can't apply before 4:30 PM (the time of my policy, and everyone's) when Chaeng Wattana closes.  As a special accommodation, they say they are prepared to have the staff work a few minutes late to get my extension done.  However, I will have to come back another day for my re-entry permit because that office will be closed by the time I have my extension.  I have Aetna's legal team working on the possibility of moving the time of my policy to an earlier time (although the law normally requires 4:30 pm).  I'm not optimistic on that.  Meanwhile what I'm wondering is:

 

1. Will this happen again next year?  If they continue with these rules, even though I will have proper coverage for the then-current year, when I go to apply again for an extension it seems I will run into the same problem:  Aetna will have to upload my new certificate for the upcoming extension year and the previous one will be deleted.  That will prevent me from applying in advance and force me to apply only on my expiry date at 4:30 PM.  That is unless Immigration is smart enough to devise a system of recording or preserving previous year's certificates.  Or doing the rational thing and relying on the fact that if you've already got an extension you met the requirements at that time.  But they're not doing that now so I'm not holding my breath for next year.  And if they don't change their rules, how can I expect them to make a special accommodation for me year after year?  Obviously they won't, so they'll force me to overstay and apply late, breaking the law.

 

2. Why do I seem to be one of only a very few people having this problem?  Are there not many holders of Non-Imm. O-A visas getting extensions?  If there are, why are you all not having this problem of being unable to apply in advance for want of proof of current insurance coverage?  I'd appreciate any input.

My Pacific Cross insurance begins January 1st. I originally got my PC insurance before the insurance requirement. If I understand the logic of what is happening to you then I think I will be OK in November if I can get my insurance renewed early enough before November 19th when my extension of stay expires. When I apply I will have an insurance certificate for this year in the database. I will have a certificate for next year, starting January 1, but not yet uploaded to the database. I may have to move my insurance back to December 1 if renewing early becomes a problem. In any case do you see this timing as a possible solution to your situation?

You need to buy a re-entry permit to keep your extension alive. Your 90 day report requirement will reset to 0 when you return from Europe.

2 hours ago, bluesky1234577 said:

Does it need to be on that day?

Or is it possible to be within 7 days?

 

I am planning to go to the immigration office on next monday. 

But, I want to get the bank letter and update the passbook tomorrow Friday. 

 

 

Personally, I like to get there at 8:30 when the doors open. There will be a lot of people that got there earlier but they file into the main area in about 15 minutes. Section L, where you will be going to, will not have a lot of people but the process takes longer. I arrived at 8:30 and had my year extension by 10:30am. It's not always that quick.

Kasikorn bank has a machine to update passbooks so I am able to update my passbook without having to go into the office. I already had my bank letter.

For the monthly method you need proof of international transfers but I thought you could get that from your Thai bank.

7 minutes ago, bluesky1234577 said:

Does it need to be on that day?

Or is it possible to be within 7 days?

 

I am planning to go to the immigration office on next monday. 

But, I want to get the bank letter and update the passbook tomorrow Friday. 

 

 

Last October I got my bank letter at Kasikorn on Saturday and applied for my  1 year extension at CW on Monday. I am using the 800,000k banked money method. If you are using the monthly income method then the letter you want from the bank will be different than mine.

Separate from the bank letter, CW will want to see a transaction updated in your bankbook on the same day. 

12 minutes ago, peterdwje2 said:

I have a multiple re-entry on current O-A stay. Do I need to somehow void this before flying out and returning visa exempt to apply for Non-O at CW? When you return visa-exempt, that automatically voids your O-A stay?

And what happens if for some reason your Non-O application is rejected at CW? Is it safer to apply for the non-O abroad?

 

I also have a multiple re-entry on my O-A based extension of stay. My understanding is that you have to wait until the expiration of the re-entry permit. Then you leave and re-enter on visa exempt. I can’t see how an O application would be rejected at CW if you meet the requirements. It’s not a rogue office. I’ve used CW for three years. What I read about other offices seems crazy. All my interactions at CW have seem pretty normal.