Jackson B

UPDATE: I have obtained a new passport (faster than the caution of 6 weeks - it actually took 10 days). Last week I went to Chaeng Watthana immigration to transfer the stamps. To my surprise, they demanded bank statements for the last 5 months to prove the 800k was still there. They were not interested in the balance on my phone. So a quick trip to the photocopy shop to print out monthly statements. Then they demanded I withdraw 100 baht from the same account at an ATM. I warned them this would not show the balance, but they still asked for it. OK.... went to ATM to withdraw and print out receipt. Of course, it did not show they balance, and they drew a big question mark around it. After 10 minutes of being referred up the chain, the stamp transfer was approved.

This requirement for bank statement is not in the list of requirements on the application form. They added this requirement quite spontaneously.

3 hours ago, Jackson B said:

I have a non 'O' (retirement) visa, valid only until my passport expires in June. I am currently waiting for new passport to be processed. Once I get the new passport I plan to travel to Australia and return to Thailand in April.

 

A few questions occur to me:

(1) Do I have the option of travelling and returning on the new passport, and have immigration transfer the visa extension from the old passport when I return? Can that be done at the airport on arrival?

(2) My most recent visa extension was granted only for 6 months (the validity of the passport). Is it possible for them to grant the remainder of the extension back to the usual 12-month date (once they see the new passport)?

(3) Could I return to Thailand in April on a passport that is about to expire in June (with existing visa)?

 

Thanks to knowledgeable members!

 

To be clear, I have not actually submitted my passport application yet, only started the process. But because of the long wait to get an appointment, I am worried I will run out of time before the travel date, so need a plan B, plan C, etc.

2 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

OP, once you have new pp apply for reentry permit (unless you have one already.

The reentry permit will be valid till expiry of current permission of stay.

Travel to Oz and back with both passports. 

When you arrive back in Thailand you will be stamped in according to reentry permit.

At some point you will have immigration transfer your non O information and entry stamp, reentry permit.

Can do that at same time as applying for next extension.

30/45 days prior to expiry permission of stay. 

I usually get re-entry permits at the airport. But this solution is really useful, thanks. I just don't think Australia will process my new passport in time to get one here (no appointments available for 10 days, plus minimum 6 weeks to process), so I'm now thinking better to apply in Oz.

Getting the visa transferred and extended at the same time certainly does save a headache. Thanks for that suggestion!

2 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

Lite Beer was quite direct:

1) When you get new passport in Thailand, you can go to immigration office that issued visa and have it transferred (what's left of it) to the new passport. But at the time you get new passport, your old one with visa will be vioded and hence no longer usable as you'll be stamped out on new passport. If you got your passport in Australia, then came back with both of them, you could show both passports to immigration at the airport, and they would stamp you in on old visa rules but stamp new passport. You'd then be able to transfer visa later. But with passport issued in Thailand, you can transfer it before. Then when you're back in April, request an annual extension on new passport.

2) No, but if you transfer visa to new passport, you can request a new 12 months extension. If you lost visa altogether, you'd need to start from scratch.

3) Yes, you could, but only if you did not get new passport yet, and from above I believe you would get a new one before that, which means that passport would be invalidated. Read point 1 above.

Yeah, I was slightly ambiguous in my question. I have not actually submitted the passport for renewal yet. Considering other options that just occurred to me, because I cannot get an appointment at the embassy for some time. Yes, I'm aware the previous passport would be voided, but I was unsure if a voided passport and a new one could be used together (this sounds the best option).

2. That's a bugger. I did ask immigration, but got a confused look. I had never been given a term shorter than one year before, even when I changed passports.

3. Right, this would be the option to leave it all till later. The question is really whether one can travel on less than 6 months' validity.

Thanks!

3 hours ago, Lite Beer said:

1. No.

2. No. Start again.

3. Yes.

1. That surprises me. Does that mean there's a minimum time frame for transferring visas between old and new passports? Or do you mean "no" not at the airport but Chaeng Wattana is possible?

2. Thought so. :-(

3. Ah. That would be helpful. But I have read that one needs 6 months' validity to travel to Thailand (but maybe holding a visa makes a difference?)

2 hours ago, NoDisplayName said:

3.  You've already applied for a new passport.  Won't your old passport be cancelled when you pick it up at your embassy?  Why can't you transfer the visa/extension to the new passport before you leave?

I have not submitted the application yet. Only booked an appointment. Because of the minimum processing time of 6 weeks, I'm considering other options, including applying for a new passport in Australia. (If I go ahead with the current application, yes, I would get the visa extension transferred before travel.)

I have a non 'O' (retirement) visa, valid only until my passport expires in June. I am currently waiting for new passport to be processed. Once I get the new passport I plan to travel to Australia and return to Thailand in April.

A few questions occur to me:

(1) Do I have the option of travelling and returning on the new passport, and have immigration transfer the visa extension from the old passport when I return? Can that be done at the airport on arrival?

(2) My most recent visa extension was granted only for 6 months (the validity of the passport). Is it possible for them to grant the remainder of the extension back to the usual 12-month date (once they see the new passport)?

(3) Could I return to Thailand in April on a passport that is about to expire in June (with existing visa)?

Thanks to knowledgeable members!

5 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

They normally do not do a under consideration stamp but tell you to return in 15 days to get the visa and 90 day entry stamps. When did you do the the non-o visa application?

Hey Ubonjoe, yeah, you're right. There is no stamp "under consideration", but it's all stamped the same day in September, 2020. I recall they sent officers to photograph my apartment before it was approved, so there must have been a period between application and approval. And then they backdated everything to the date of application.

Just now, ubonjoe said:

I think you were applying for a one year extension of stay based upon retirement not a non-o visa that allows a 90 day stay.

It was my first non-immigrant visa, converting from a METV during Covid. I'm pretty sure I have never had a "under consideration" stamp, but I'll take a look through my passports to check. I remember being sent directly from counter C to L.

While I have got you here @ubonjoe, can retirement extensions at CW be done 30 or 45 days before the due date? Cheers!

On 7/26/2022 at 1:37 PM, Caldera said:

Sorry but you can't claim that you prepared carefully, but at the same time didn't realize that there's an under consideration period. I've never heard of a non-immigrant visa being issued on the spot, there's always an under consideration period.

 

Same with the bank letter. When was the last time anyone didn't need one? Having to go one floor down to obtain one also doesn't exactly amount to a bad experience, more like a very minor inconvenience.

 

All that being said, thanks for your report and I mean it. It will help others to come prepared. 

I got my Non-O same day. No "under consideration period". But I had a bank letter with me and it was needed.

6 minutes ago, fishtank said:

Visas are not transfered.

Extensions of stay are.

It should be free of charge but some offices have their own ideas.

 Do CW "have their own ideas"?

23 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

If you received your new passport in Thailand, you just take it, together with the Embassy letter you should have received with the new passport, to Immigration and get your Extension of Stay transferred.  You will need your old passport as well as they need to check your original visa.  There should be no charge.

 

If you have a visa sticker, as opposed to an Extension of Stay stamp, it can't be transferred.  You just present the old passport with the visa in it, when you need to.

Very clear, thanks. It's a stamp, not a sticker. Yes, new passport issued in Thailand. Do you know if there is any time limit for doing this? It seems unnecessary to go to CW at the moment with the Covid situation. Or is it MTT?

Hi folks, I guess this has been asked dozens of times before, but I can't find the thread. What bureaucratic procedures are involved in transferring my Non-Im O visa to a new (replacement) passport? Is it straightforward? Anything to watch out for? Thanks.

13 hours ago, SooKee said:

Thanks for the comments, useful.  At the moment I have accounts with Kasikorn and Bangkok Bank so prefer to stick with those, partially because I can't be bothered with the run around rigmarole of 'can I / can't I' open an account, especially at this period in time.  Even with the FD account, if the answer is anything other than "Yes, no problem" I won't go down that route either.  Hopefully, already having accounts at both banks will make at least one of them easier, Kasikorn would be the preferred option.  

 

On top of that I really just need to see if it's worth opening an FD.  On the savings account the interest is negligible so I'll need to check the rates on the FD accounts vs regular savings at the banks I have accounts rather than shopping around for the best.  If there's not much in it, I'll just stick with effectively moth-balling one of the savings accounts and drop 850,000 into it, likely Bankgok Bank as I only opened that when the Embassy letters stopped and the proof of overseas transfers being needed (which I find is easier using Wise and Bangkok Bank).  Even at 0.5% it's 4,250 year, peanuts in comparison but it'll cover the extension costs etc.  I'll then keep the Kasikorn account live for transfers when it suits as transfers to Kasikorn are instant with Wise whereas they can take up to 24 hours (working day) with Bangkok Bank.  

 

Just got tired of the hassle with monthlies, remember to do the transfer before the end of the month, make sure there's no public holiday, check the transfer is FTT, update the bank book each month, get the statements, get credit advices if the IO wants them.

I moved my 800k to a deposit a/c with SCB. It pays 1.5% and withdrawals are instant and any amount without charges. I am yet to show CW this account as I moved the money from my current account last year. They advised to do it on the day of extension.

What is the quarantine situation for farang visitors from Bangkok? Can I come for a day or two? Or is there a 14-day quarantine as I have read in the papers? Are there checkpoints to show residency papers, or what? Are any hotels operational? Thanks for local reliable advice.

8 hours ago, petedk said:

Still no confirmation as to whether foreigners are included in the program or not. 

 

I was counting on paying for the vaccine.

Yes, I find that lack of transparency both troubling and incompetent. What's more, no information from my embassy. Very hard to have confidence in people who are supposed to lead us out of this mess.

2 hours ago, billzant said:

 

When Immigration refused the CoR I went to DLT, and they said they would only accept the CoR from immigration. Immigration then sent me to the Amphur  saying the Amphur would write me a letter. The Amphur had no intention of writing me a letter. But they told me get a yellow book.

I am single. To get a yellow book is very long - PM me for details. Fast forward last Thursday 7 weeks later I finally got a yellow book and surprisingly a pink Thai ID card. I went back to the DLT and they said the yellow book was no good. Now the office is closed.

Smiggley, difference with your situation, it was the Amphur who told me a yellow book would be OK - not the DLT but it is all so unreasonable.

Since I started this I have discovered I can renew at any DLT office. When things open up again it looks like an agency in Pattaya is the answer for me. 

I don't know why it is all so impossible, 5 years ago I used the same DLT office with a CoR from the same immigration, medical certificate. eye test, brake test, and within a couple of hours had renewed.

Someone somewhere has decided on new rules and not squared it with other offices.

As part of the yellow book I was in Bangkok. I met people complaining about having to sit through an hour's video before they could renew. Same country, different worlds.

If only there was a British organisation that could represent their people and help them through such government messed-up bureaucracy????? Like a Consul or an embassy??

I sympathise. I recently got my licence renewed - what a palava. Nothing would be accepted unless I got that CoR from immigration (Bangkok). I paid immigration 200 bt each for the motorbike CoR and the car CoR (surprisingly the same address! ;-)) and waited for them a week to be posted back to me. Then back to DLT where they only allow 50 foreigners a day to be processed. A lot of waiting, and a change of clothes (they don't allow shorts, even when it's 38 degrees), herded through the tests with 30 other people, and watched a strange film about not having a car accident.

My embassy does not issue affidavits for Thai bureaucracy needs, so it must be the CoR.

You are right. 5 years ago, it was much more straightforward. I get the impression that government departments are at odds with each other and are avoiding integration.

I went to the DLT today, armed with lease, other evidence of address, passport, photocopies, and medical certificate.

But no. Must have certificate of residence from Immigration Police. My embassy (AUS) no longer issues affidavits for the purpose of Thai bureaucracy -- and rightly so.

So much for Thailand 4.0 and joined up government. Surely COVID would have spurred them on to make it all electronic. ???? If only...

So, yet another trip to Immigration tomorrow. And how much will it cost? The various reports on here suggest anything from free to 1,500 bt. It's enough to make one's eyes roll.

And another thing. Only 50 foreigners per day allowed at the DLT. So, even though there was no queue in the afternoon, mai dai.

I'm beginning to understand why people drive without a licence.

On 3/6/2021 at 12:23 PM, bronzedude said:

Where is the easiest and cheapest place to get a medical certificate done in Pattaya?

I got mine done yesterday at a clinic in Bangkok. It cost 80 baht. Any clinic with a doctor present should be able to certify. Download the form (in Thai) from the DLT.

My licence is due for renewal, in Bangkok, and I'm wondering what documents they actually require. Medical cert is easy enough, but what about proof of address? Is a lease sufficient? What else do I need?

Happy to learn from your experience. Do they apply the 12 months from the day of application or the day of expiry?

39 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

You can apply up to 45 days prior to expiry of committed until date. 

Make sure you use the appointment system.

As for great detailed advice just Google for info from thaivisa. Don't use thaivisa search. It's rubbish.

Just Google stuff like.

"Appointment for retirement extension CW thaivisa"

"Requirements for annual extension retirement Chaengwattana".

Etc etc. You will have very recent threads. 

Couple of recent excellent ones.

 

Thanks Dr Jack. You're right that the internal search engine didn't find it. I used google as well, but missed that post, which I actually have seen before. In any case, it's good to find out the latest pedantry of the IO.

Any tips and tricks appreciated. Will go next week to CW for my first 12-month extension to my Non-O (retirement) visa. It's NOT an O-A, but an O, as I obtained it in-country. Anything to watch out for? Is there a list of requirements somewhere? I think the earliest I can apply is 1 month before the 90-day expiry, right? And is the 12-month date given from the date of application or the date of the 90 days after first getting it in September?

Thanks!

When I asked the IO at CW this exact question last month, I was told that ONLY university courses would be considered for an ED visa. I decided there was not enough time to organise the paperwork etc. so opted for the Non-O instead.

2 hours ago, Promula said:

They wanted 200 million baht in fees to pay this month's IO costs.

Nope. That's not how government financing works. Theoretically at least, all visa fees are a tax, so that money should be returned and deleted from circulation by the treasury. Under-the-table fees, of course don't work that way, and presumably find their way to an annual performance bonus for good work.

What I find shocking (but not surprising) is that no newspaper has dared touch the issue.