mikem20

1 hour ago, jaxon said:

 

Thanks for the reply.  Yes, the idea is a (roughly) 60 day stay followed by another 60 days so slightly over 4 months.   Isn't that what an METV will permit as long as its withing the 6 month validity ?  Do you happen to know if the 6 month validity is from the date of issue or from the date of entering Thailand ?    I'd really like to avoid applying for extensions if I can.

It's valid 6 months from the date of issue. In that period you can enter as many times as you like and stay 60 days from each entry.

8 minutes ago, wolf66 said:

Thanks i already tried the print option but it doesnt allow me to save to pdf or save at all only gives me the option to print

As I said I don't know how you are reading your email. But in Chrome browser on Windows computer you can choose print and then in Destination choose Save as PDF. Same in Firefox browser.

10 hours ago, Dmaxdan said:

Perhaps the most bizarre thing that happened to me was some guy trying to give me a neck massage in a lavatory that was in a bar in Chiang Mai whilst I was standing at the urinal, trying to take a leak.

 

I saw him when I walked in and he crept up behind me and yanked my neck, cracking the bone and then stood there expecting a tip.

 

At the time, I thought I was being mugged.

Hahaha. When I came to Bangkok for the first time a long time ago, some restaurants and night places had dressed up restroom attendants to hand you a towel after washing, but wanted to give you a massage as well for tips. Sometimes started at you at the urinal, so I couldn't go and had to flee to a stall to do my business. (Peeing. Alone.)
One time a neat young man insisted on giving me massage chops on the back after I dried, then turned me around and gave some chops on the chest. Finished with giving me a quick peck on the mouth. I walked out dazed and confused.

11 hours ago, alex8912 said:

Just do the METV at first. What's the big deal about taking 2 small trips out of country anywhere for a couple days after each 90 day stay? You can also plan your 2 visits to immigration ahead of time and do weekday visits not after a holiday and if you travel ( or want to travel ) around Thailand you can just stay in a hotel that does the TM 30 for you the night before your visit to immigration. All the other options seem almost silly.  If you " tire" from doing that after a couple years ( poor dear) then look at some of the other confusing options!  No one really knows what other ( easier ) options may come along. Have you tried the METV yet? I did it for the first 5 years in a row when it was offered for 6-7 months stays. So easy! You seem to know already how to get up to 9 months out of it. Good luck.

Thanks. I've done METV twice already in the past and I'm afraid I'm tired of having my deep procrastination disturbed by unwanted travel and IO visits.
But seriously, I'm not knocking the METV and I will use it if it comes to that. But now I would like to see if getting a non O and an extension will be easier and cheaper in the long run, so I did this post to get some feedback on that.

12 hours ago, khunPer said:

Best snowbird visa is the non-immigrant O-A visa, when you are 50 years or older. It gives you one years stay on each entry within the one year visa period – no need for visa runs – and you don't need to open any bank accounts to transfer and deposit money in Thailand to permit your stay; i.e. you can keep your funds in your home country. A health insurance is required – which is good common sense to have, and preferable one with repatriation, when being a snowbird – the only little difficult part here that insurance needs to be approved by the Thai authorities.

Yes the non O-A would be perfect for me but the insurance requirement kills it for me. I've extended my travel insurance when I've gone for long stays and that suits me fine. If anything happens the insurance company has a choice of repatriating me or paying for treatment locally. I'm sure that Thai authorities would never approve that insurance. The red tape is just crazy. And I don't like to buy throw-away insurance on top of travel insurance and national health. But thanks for the advice.

13 hours ago, Iamloki said:

To throw another wrench into the cogs - and not offer any solutions... in the next year or two, those of us here over 180 days may (or may not) be required to pay tax on income brought into the Kingdom...

 

 

555 I cross that bridge when I come to it but not planning on becoming a tax resident of Thailand.

13 hours ago, DJ54 said:

OP obtaining an income letter is dependent on country your from US,UK,OZ no longer provides 

 

I'm lucky enough to be from a country that still provides them.

20 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

You seem aware of your options.

IMO, since you imply that this will be ongoing plan.....

The METV will become tiresome at some point.

Depends on travel habits. 

Would suit me fine as I enjoy trips to Saigon. 

For some it's a pain.

Good thing about Pattaya is several good agents and certainly an option. 

Maneerat is often recommended.

 

If you do the process yourself Jomtien has few issues if you enter visa exempt and apply for non O.

These are mentioned in attached thread @Red Phoenix post. 

 

Assume that you already have a Thai bank account in your name only.

 

In some countries you can apply for ME Non O (retirement) 

UK being one example.

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1297092-non-o-visa-retirement-purpose/

Thanks for the answer.

I did the METV twice pre-covid and I found the unwanted travel a pain. I rather take some trips for my own reasons. That's why I like to try non O this time.

I've seen threads about problems getting the non O in Jomtien. That's why I'd like to get it from the embassy, seems dead easy on paper at least. But will Jomtien give me troubles getting an extension with an income letter, no money in the bank and no 1 year lease? Maybe easier to do that in Bangkok?
I do have a Bangkok Bank bank account if an agent requires that.
The embassy I will apply to only issues 90 days non O and a 1 year non O-A, which would be great if it wasn't for the insurance complications.

I'm trying to choose which is the best visa for a snowbird. I'm planning on staying for 7-9 months at a time. I'm thinking about the costs and the effort it takes.

On the one hand there's the 6 months ME visa that could allow me to stay for up to 9 months. That would cost me 2 or 3 30 days extensions of stay plus the hassle of dealing with IO. And two trips out of country with travel costs, maybe at a time I don't feel like travelling but would have to. And if repeated year after year could raise red flag at some immigration points?

On the other hand is getting a 90 days non O e-visa for retirement from a Thai embassy. Then apply for a 1 year extension when I'm in Thailand with TM.7. But I'm not sure if it will work, there always seem to be new obstacles put in the way by IO from what I read here.
How soon can I apply for extension? After 45 days or can I do it in the first month?
I would use the letter of income from consulate method, maybe with documents from home about my income. But for how long will documents from home be valid for IO? Will they be expired if I wait until there are 2-3 weeks left of my initial stay? Does Jomtien immigration accept the income letter method or is it strictly 800K there?
I see from some recent posts that Jomtien immigration is demanding 1 year rental contract for extension. I can't do that because I'm not staying that long and maybe I like to try different places. I've seen posts saying that in Bangkok and Hua Hin a TM.30 is enough. Is it better to do it there and then move on elsewhere if I please?
Is it possible to apply for a 180 days extension of stay, with less requirements? It's just an empty field on the TM.7 form. Anybody tried that?
If I take the agent route, will any Pattaya agents offer 1 year extension of stay from a 90 days non O visa for retirement from a Thai embassy? So I would not be paying them for the initial 90 days stay? And at the same prices that they normally charge for extensions, 12-14K baht? Anybody have experience with that?

Sorry for the lengthy post. Maybe someone in similar circumstances can offer advice on some of the points?

Thanks in advance

I had always assumed that you could use the same requirements for both the non O 90 days visa and the subsequent 1 year extension, but after reading this thread more closely, I'm beginning to think that is not true. Is it the case that you can only get the non O 90 days visa with 800K in the bank? It's not possible with 12 months of transfers? But the first 1 year extension is possible with income method?
And the non O 90 days visa is the only path to getting 1 year extension, right?

On a side note.

Would it matter if you weren't in Thailand for all of the 12 months of building up monthly transfers?
Would the immigration office accept a combination method of 12 months of 50K/mo. plus 200K in bank to convert to Non O and subsequent 1 yr Ext, if you had stayed in Thailand on tourist visas and visa exempts for 7 to 9 of the previous 12 months? Given that the immigration office allowed the combination method at all.

Thanks for some sensible advice. But does someone have first hand experience of overstaying the under consideration stamp return date or have some definite knowledge of how it works? Is it exactly the same as a extension to the return to IO date, with overstay fines if not finalized?

Would it be any use asking for them to give the final stamp now on grounds of leaving town?  Is it really a 3 week process for them to decide to reject or not?

Or would it be possible for me to apply for another 30 days extension again at another IO without getting the final stamp for the previous one? Would trying that land me in trouble?

It will be a huge inconvenience for me to have to travel two days to get that stamp in the short time I have left now and not something I was expecting. And I expect it will be futile trying to call to ask if it's ready before time.

7 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

I'm not sure if the Thailand Corruption department is either :

1. Totally underfunded and under staffed.

2. Totally useless.

3. Totally corrupt.

 

 

4. Scared for their lives if they do anything about it?

Hi

Chonburi IO finally accepted my application for 30 days extension with a consulate letter after sending me back once with a nitpicking demand for further documentation.
I got a stamp for under consideration with return on October 9th as seemingly everybody else who was there on the same errand that day.

So I guess I'm supposed to come back on that date and get the real extension stamp?

My problem is I'm not planning on anymore extensions than this, I'm waiting for a ticket on one of those special flights with Thai Airways next month that will get me as close to my destination as possible using my already paid-for ticket. So I don't care anymore how long an extension I get, I just don't want to be here illegally when my day of departure comes.

So for me it's just a ridiculous demand as October 9th is on a Friday and my first possible flight is leaving on that weekend. To be then maybe told that desk has closed now at their whim.

My plan was leave Pattaya for good and stay somewhere else until my (possible) flight goes and then go straight from there to Suvarnabhumi, but now I seem to be bound to return to Pattaya only to get a confirmation of 30 days at the IO less than 2 days before my departure. 

1. What's my legal status while I'm waiting? Am I supposed to stay at the address I gave on the application and don't go anywhere? Am I legally bound to return to the IO on this date and neither sooner nor later?
2. I guess it's a stupid question but I expect I must go to the IO in Chonburi that gave me this stamp? I cannot just pop into the closest IO at hand?
3. Is it possible to get the stamp without waiting all this time, to expedite this somehow (I'm not talking agent money)?
4. What happens if I just completely ignore it and just show up at immigration in Suvarnabhumi for my flight, before or after the 9th, with only this stamp in my passport? Will they charge me for overstay since the 27th of September or worse? 

I just think it's nuts if Thai immigration is actually hampering people's attempts to leave the country promptly, as they so dearly wish, with idiotic bureaucracy.

By the way I got a blue receipt in Thai for 1900 baht but I was never asked for any money. Am I supposed to pay when I return or did they simply forget to charge me? They were passing my papers back and forth between two officers, each one seemingly checking the other's work. If they don't ask me for the money I'm not going to volunteer to pay, they can take it out of heap of money they're getting from the chumps who are paying 50.000 for any kind of extension.

23 minutes ago, glegolo said:

Yes you said clearly "Retirement-VISA and NOT an extension".... didn´t you???

 

glegolo

Yes I did. What I wanted was to differentiate me from other posters who are extending for another year on retirement visa, not for the first time.  Maybe inaccurately worded, let's chalk it up to inexperience. 

34 minutes ago, Puchaiyank said:

You sure make the Thai visa process sound complicated and difficult.  Have you tried going to the new immigration office and asking what they require and accept.  

 

There seems to be one thing they accept.

I'm asking the girlfriend to call them next week to check if they have the same 'pay agent or get out of the country' attitude.  I was hoping they weren't as bent but it remains to be seen. I don't know if there are any visa agents in the more rural areas where there aren't many foreigners.

6 minutes ago, glegolo said:

Yes and that is what I suggested and wrote, as you saw... But the guy specificly said he wanted a VISA not an extension, and that is what I anwered to.

 

glegolo

Yes I'm aware of I need to change to 90 days non-o with a TM.86 and then extend one year. That's why all the agents tell me I'll get 15 months. But for brevity's sake I just said retirement visa.

Hi
Can anybody advice me what is the correct way to move to another province, and IO jurisdiction, that is absolutely above reproach by any IO? I am now on a TR and covered by the amnesty. I like to move, for real, to girlfriend's province and see if the IO there is any friendlier than in the big towns.

Is it only a matter of filing a TM.30 at the local IO and then I can proceed with applying for 30 days extension there and then a long term visa? Are there any more forms to fill to be properly registered in the new province/IO?

I am seeking a visa on the basis of retirement for +50 for the first time, not an extension.

Aren't embassy/consulate income letters supposed to be accepted at face value at all IOs? As per the Thai immigration's document for +50 retirement non-O that is so often posted here when someone asks what they need. 
I have a letter from my consulate proving monthly pension of more than 65.000 baht, together with all the reference documents showing the source of the income. My IO wont even look at them.
In my attempts at my local IO I have on one occasion been told that I need to take the letter to the Department of Consular Affairs in Bangkok to have it verified and stamped. On another I was told I would ALSO need to prove income by showing income of 65.000 baht a month into a Thai bank account. I was also told the same at CW when I went to inquire there, I would need to show bank transfers. I have shown visa agents that I have all the documents in order and they've even called their contacts in IO but it doesn't matter. All they want is a less than truthful statement from a Thai bank.

This contradicts everything I've been reading on this forum about prove of income. I've never seen it mentioned that with a embassy/consulate letter of income you need to show monthly transfers of 65.000 baht to a Thai bank too. Then there is no purpose to the letter. Is this some new rule or just a new blocking tactic to push towards agent money? Can anyone advice on this?

How about the rental receipts for past three months when just moved? For the last three months I would have been paying rent in another province and for starters I am only planning on renting a cheap room by the month in the new town. Would that complicate things? Are you required to stay in the same place for three months prior to applying for a retirement visa? And what if register in family's home with no rental agreement or receipts?

Thanks if anyone can help.

I went to the Jomtien IO today to inquire about the 30 days extension with a letter from embassy. Was handed a paper with the required documents,  2 copies of everything. 
Front desk couldn't tell if I could get retirement visa while on that extension so got a ticket for the retirement officers. Was whisked into dragon lady's office very quickly. She said it was NOT possible to get a retirement visa if on an embassy letter extension. I would have to leave the country and get a new visa to apply for that. 

Does anyone know how long I would have to live in girlfriend's rural province before I could apply for a retirement visa there? And are IOs in non-tourist provinces just as bad? There are hardly any agents there to funnel the bribes through. 

There have been two reports about getting the free stamp to the 26th September to use for applying for a change from TR visa to a long term visa. One a week ago that said the poster did it at MTT and another two days ago that was done at CW. But if I understood correctly the stamp was given as part of the process of accepting an application for and granting a long term visa at those IOs, not given independently. One report even mentions the stamp was given on a slip of paper. 
My problem is that my IO wont give a regular 30 days extension to go from to retirement visa. So would it be worth it to go to Bangkok to try to get only this free stamp, to use for retirement visa at my original IO? I can't gather from these reports if that's possible, and which IO is suitable for just that.

Ubon Ratchathani has been mentioned as a IO that would be friendly to giving the regular 30 days extension, which would give me until middle of October to apply for retirement visa. But I've seen no reports confirming if that is consistently the case. It's a bit costly to go there just on a hope. 

Hello. I've been following this forum for a while but never had a question or contribution until now.
I came in January on a 6 months ME visa, then did a border run in March which gave me an entry stamp that was valid to middle of May. Then the borders were closed and the visa amnesty was announced just before I should have left the country again or applied for a 30 days extension.
I became valid for retirement visa this year while staying here, the plan was always to go home and apply for retirement visa at the consulate there for a stay this upcoming winter. 
When Covid 19 hit I had no inclination to change my plans and decided to sit it out here while I legally could so, especially when it came clear that it wouldn't be possible to reenter Thailand once I left for a long time. I have a paid-for ticket home with Thai Airways if and when they start regular flights again. Plus buying a one way ticket(s) home would be expensive now, there are no direct flights to where I'm going so I don't know what delays and obstacles I'd meet when changing flights. And I would really like flying to resemble something like normalcy before I fly again, though I'm not so optimistic about that anymore.
After the amnesty to 26th September was announced I started to prepare to apply for a retirement visa here in Thailand, following advise from many topics here. I have a Consulate letter to certify sufficient income and original documents showing source of monthly pension certified by the consul, so shouldn't need to deposit any money in Thai bank. All other needed documents in order as far as I know.
So I went to Chonburi immigration office with an application, half expecting to get some extra demands. I have read here that some offices deny applications for change of visa now because the visas are expired, while others give visas in spite of the applicant being on amnesty, and if denied, people have applied for a regular 30 days extension and then applied for a change of visa. I hadn't seen anything about how my office handled it so I decided to go straight for the retirement visa but be prepared for apply for 30 days regular extension if that didn't work.
Was first stopped at the front desk when I showed my TM.86 by some guy standing besides it. Asked me if I had a letter from the bank. I said no I had a letter from embassy. He said no cannot and just waved me away. It wasn't until I pointed at the item on the immigration's own requirements list for changing visas and showed him the embassy letter that he grudgingly gave me a ticket for an IO, desk nr. 7 but inside an office. Got a hearing fairly quickly but she didn't want to look at any of my documents, only looked at the stamps in my passport and told me I was too late, I should have applied in April. She took long time to explain to me that I was on overstay and had to be gone on the 26th, I had to go abroad and get a new visa and come back when Thai government allowed. I could get 30 days more with a letter from Embassy if all airports were closed. Even took the requirements paper and highlighted for me the 15 days rule to make everything clear. Tried to ask about 30 days visa but wasn't listened to so just went when she was finished.
Went to the front desk again and showed them my TM.7 application. Got another ticket for the same group of desks. There a guy looked through my papers and asked me if I wanted a year visa. Yes I said but I got a no already so I need a 30 days extension. It got confusing from there on. I think he said I should go to another desk for that, so wonder if I was given a ticket for the wrong IOs group. Anyway he said they weren't giving 30 days visa extensions anymore because of amnesty! And regarding my letter from the Consulate I would need to take that to the Department of Consular Affairs in Bangkok to get it stamped there, before showing it at immigration. Gave me a paper with a map and address of this department and it's many divisions.
I was just about speechless now, never heard anything of the kind before. Decided it was better just leave now before I got argumentative.
Didn't get to ask about the stamp to 26th September that another thread is discussing if is real or not, I expect the answer would have been no.

So I was wondering if I could get past this denial of a 30 days regular extension, that I haven't used before, then try to apply for the retirement visa again.
1. Is there any use calling the immigration hotline and asking? I don't expect they take down complaints 555
2. Wonder if there's any use applying for 30 days extension in the Imm Chonburi app? Might I get a different response then, maybe from the correct desk?
3. Am I correct in that I can apply for a 30 days extension at any immigration office? Could I go to Bangkok immigration no questions asked? I see a new thread from a poster who says he was denied it there. But I cannot take my retirement visa application elsewhere in this short time?

Else there are only two expensive and unpleasant choices left.
Just wondering if anyone knows, does going through an agent for a retirement visa cost the same whether you have all the documentation to show you qualify or you don't qualify at all?