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So it went like this. My Thai wife was insistent we use an agent, so we did. I gave him all my documents (listed in my original post) and a lot of money. Next day he gave us a big stack (clipped together) of papers, with official stamp appointment. Couple of days later he took us to Phuket DLT, arriving about 7:45AM, and dropped us off. There were two lines, eventually we figured out the long one was for drop ins, and the shorter one for appointments. About 8AM lady comes out and sorts the lines, makes sure everyone was in their correct line (many were not) and arranged them so only one line (appointment line) occupied the walkway, the drop in line further back under shade structure. Some people got rearranged from near the front of their wrong line to near the end of their correct line. Inside there were two desks for incoming processing. Lady glanced at my paper stack and told me to proceed to next station. Short wait for my reaction speed and colors test. Then we got a number, about half hour wait until it was up. This lady inspected all my papers and original documents very carefully, before finally collecting the fees. Then another short wait for picture taking, and even shorter wait for both (car and motorcycle) my cards. Finished about 10AM. Taxi home. Using agent did make it very easy, but now that I've been through it once I think I can renew (in two years) on my own.

OP is not clear, is he leaving before or after the end of a 90 day stay? The post title indicates before, but the post text indicates after, without stating exactly how many days over. All above advice seems good. My experience is I have never stayed more than 90 days on any one visa (though I've stayed more than 90 consecutive days on multiple consecutive visas / extensions), I've never filed TM47, and never had any issues coming or going.

Thank you all responders, especially for specific links and suggestions. I went here, and noted that it is for renewal, and since this is my first time, I think I will need to watch the video at DLT (or maybe at agent school). Thank you for that link, I may go there. Well, at about 2 hour drive each way, it may take less time to wait in line locally, and thanks for the suggestion. I make it a point to dress politely for any times I may deal with authorities, including at the airport, immigration office, etc. I notice that dressing and acting nicely generally gets me more respect almost anywhere. I'll "dress down" if I go somewhere that I could be potentially targeted as wealthy (which I'm not). --- I expect that I'll be able to handle renewals on my own easily enough, but since this is my first time I will consider an agent / school to "hold my hand" and "walk me through" the process, assuming the prices is reasonable. After I succeed (or fail) I will report my experience at Phuket DLT. Again, thanks everyone for their considered responses, information, suggestions, and advice.

I want to get my Thai drivers licenses for cars and motorbikes, and I want to do it in Phuket, soon. If I only get one, it would be for motorbike, but I want both. What I have now is * USA passport * Non-O retirement visa (recently renewed) * Thai (yellow) house book, Yasothon province * Thai (pink) ID card * USA, California, drivers license authorized for cars and motorcycles * International Driver Permit I have experience, riding motorbikes in Thailand, and driving cars on left side of the road in Australia, and many years of cars / motorbike riding in USA (where we drive on the right side). I consider myself to be a skillful, cautious, careful, and polite driver. Online research shows various processes and requirements, and I suppose it varies by province / office. So any specific information about Phuket office, which I understand is at 42/1 Rattanakosin 200 Pi Rd, is appreciated. I'll be in Chalong, so that location isn't far for me. I suppose I could do it on my own, with the help of my Thai wife, but maybe it would be easier with an agent or driving school? Any recommendations or advice? Thank you

I avoid using Air Asia, mainly due to their poor customer service. I only book with them (either direct or via agency like Travelocity) if I'm sure I won't change my plans - because changes are not possible with Air Asia. Unless it's their mistake, for example one time they rebooked my connecting flight such that I left before getting there, I got them to fix that. There is no direct customer service access, only the stupid Bot. I found if I pleaded with the bot long enough it would eventually put me in a queue to message with a live person, but even at then they usually can't help with problems.

She is actually very reasonable with me, we may disagree sometimes but are always very calm with each other and resolve issues amicably. You are in province "next door" to us! Cool.. Well, actually it is quite hot here now, 40+ C 😆🥵 Thank you again for the offer!

Thank you @marty147 ! That is kind of you to offer! 😊 We are actually flying out of Bangkok this morning, back to Ubon Ratchitani / Yasothon, so connecting might be difficult. I think I am successful in convincing my wife to use Thai coins, which are readily available! So, no longer an issue...

Thanks. I used to collect coins too, when I was a child. They are gone now.. I have a bucket full of loose change in the states, that doesn't help now. I will try to convince her that Thai coins are sufficient..

Hi all. My Thai wife wants some USA coins for a ceremony. Any suggestions where I can get these in Bangkok? A few rolls of Quarters, Nickles, Dollar coins, etc would be good. I know local money changers will have a few, but for larger quantities? Thank you.

Thank you to all responders! I am renewed now, reference my report:

Thank you to all responders! I renewed, and the short answer is no, TM30 was not necessary. The long answer is at:

My Thai wife and I went to Yasothon (our precinct) immigration to renew my Non-O retirement visa for another year. The immigration officer lady was friendly and helpful. This was my first time for one year renewal without an agent. The office was not crowded, and it still took a few hours. There were a few Thai people, and I also noticed a couple of Thai lady / Farang man couples. We came prepared with my updated bank book, signed and stamped bank statement pages, 4cm x 5cm passport type photos (I asked for 4x6, but shop made 4x5 anyway), photocopies of all my non-blank passport pages, my Yellow house book, and my Pink ID card. NO TM-6 or TM-30. I've never been in Thailand longer than 90 days on any visa, so no TM-47. Officer only wanted one photo. Officer provided TM-7 for us to fill out. We had two small issues. First was bank did not provide guarantee letter about my funds. Officer noted local bank branch, we went there for the proper document and returned with it. Second was one time last year when entering Thailand, the immigration officer stamped me in on 30 day VOA instead of Non-O. Not a problem at the time, when I left a few weeks later the exit immigration officer noted that error, but since it was less than 30 days stamped me out on it, and next time I made sure to be stamped in on my Non-O. But now it was problem, officer said it would take time to resolve, she needed to contact Suvarnabhumi (the entry airport) about it. So we had to wait a while for that. Finally finished, but still needed to add multiple-reentry permit, that took another picture and more forms. Finally finished, I'm good for another year.

If I am married to Thai lady, living in her house which is also my Yellow House Book address, and return to Thailand after being out of the country for a while and immediately go home to our house, is she required to file a TM30? If she doesn't, does that affect my Non-O retirement visa renewal (a few days after I arrive)? Can we do it at immigration office? Thank you.

TSA found 6737 guns at the checkpoints in 2023. So, at least somewhat effective. USA was not fine without TSA, consider 9-11. That is why USA has TSA now, to avoid that kind of thing happening again.

Here is a random review.. "Somehow, the Green Elephant Sanctuary Park got singled out as one of the most ethical elephant parks in Phuket. I think this is just a way for tourists to justify their “amazing experience” guilt-free. Sure, the elephants have it better here than with their previous abusive owners, and maybe even compared to some other Phuket elephant parks. However, the up-close interactivity that tourists love so much isn’t very ethical and is notably different from Phuket’s proper top ethical elephant park, the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary." https://theperpetualsaturday.com/green-elephant-sanctuary-park-phuket/

Kratom can be safe and effective, used correctly. A primary danger is contamination, supplements are not regulated, a manufacture could label any product as Kratom, and the product could have contamination. Same for any unregulated supplement. Kratom is sometimes used concurrently with other more dangerous drugs, and bad side effects of those drugs can be mislabeled as due to Kratom alone. Used abusively, i.e. excessive dosing, can cause physical problems, there is correlation of excessive dosing with liver damage. Kratom is not shown to be physically addicting, like opioids, however most anything can be psychologically addicting. Kratom is a mostly legal supplement that pharmaceutical industry is pushing to be incorrectly listed as Schedule I. It is relatively benign, used mostly for pain relief, to help recovering opiate addicts stay clean, and recreationally. The last attempt by USA DEA to list Kratom as schedule I was met by overwhelming public opposition, but Kratom remains in danger. Kratom is threatened by pharmaceutical industry. Because it is an inexpensive natural product that produces good results, allowing people to mitigate pain, etc. without buying expensive and addicting substances from pharmaceutical industry. At one time I was diagnosed with clinical depression and prescribed a variety of anti-depressants, some of which were effective. I'm over that now, don't take any medications for depression, but I find that when I get occasion depression symptoms then Kratom is much more effective than any of the anti-depressants were. Effect is almost immediate, compared to hours or days for the medications, and last for a few hours, though can be prolonged by additional dosage.

Reference 1999 Move "Office Space"

Same experience, sort of low cost (though extra costs aren't always clear at first), but if any changes needed, forget it. I found that if I pleaded with Bo long enough it would offer to transfer me to an "associate". Then I'd be in a long queue, few hundred, but it would move quickly, within an hour or two I'd be connected with a human. Who might or might not help. I avoid AirAsia, especially if there is any chance I might need to change anything.

Thank you all responders for the very useful and helpful information. Especially DrJack54 for the advice and the three urls to relevant threads, and khunPer for specific responses to each question. After completing my visa extension I will post a report. Reference (DrJack54) "2. You must do the extension at immigration office where are living". When I first got my visa, in Bangkok, the agent used their office address for my address, also for my Krungthai bank account they opened in my name. But my subsequent Tabien Baan Yellow House Book is my wife's address in Yasothon. So I understand I must use Yasothon Immigration office. 3 Prapa Rd Nai Muang Mueang Yasothon District. About 55km from home. They have (10) positive reviews on Google. Also I should change my Krungthai account address to match my Tabien Baan. Songkran is April 13. I read a news article https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/thailand-s-songkran-to-be-celebrated-for-entire-april-in-2024-under-govt-s-soft-power-plan that Songkran will be for ALL of April. So maybe I should start early, like Wednesday 20-March. My wife says Songkran shutdown starts Wednesday 10-April. I'll ask my wife to check with Yasothon Immigration office about their schedule for April. Also about specific requirements at that office. I'm not clear on ฿800k proof requirements. I have that (plus a bit more) in Krungthai bank. I don't think there are any Kungthai branches in Yasothon area (only ATMs), so a same day hardcopy from the bank would be difficult. I could do an ATM transaction (to update to current day) and use the Krungthai app to send me a PDF statement showing current balance for the year up to the day. But same day updating my physical bank book could be an issue. Again, I'll ask my wife to ask about local office requirements details. Since I haven't been in Thailand for more than 90 consecutive days since getting my last Non O visa, and my passport shows that, exit and entry stamps, I think I should not need a TM47 90 day report? Since I have my Tabien Baan I think I should not need a TM30? I didn't know I could get re-entry permit at airport. But I prefer to have the multiple re-entry already done, to avoid potential last moment issues. So I will apply for that again at same time as visa extension. Side note, I found this useful url for immigration documents descriptions: https://www.thaiembassy.com/thailand-visa/thai-immigration-forms Appreciate continued useful comments.

I'm considering issues about renewal, and appreciate useful advice. I got my first one year non O visa extension (from original 3 month non O visa) on 18-April 2023, and now I want to renew for another year. I also have multiple re-entry permit, which I also want to renew. I'm using 800k฿ in the bank method, Krungthai. I'm married to a Thai lady, and I have my Yellow House Book, and my Pink ID card, for what that is worth. I travel a lot, and have never been in Thailand for more than 90 consecutive days on one visa. So I never filed a 90 day / TM30 form. I used an agent to help me get my bank account, visas, and multiple entry permit. At Bangkok immigration. Same building complex as the Krungthai bank is also conveniently located. The agent charged a lot. Questions: 1) When should I target renewal process? I consider there may be holiday activity around 18-April, so some time in advance may be good. 2) Should I use the same Bangkok immigration center as before, or can I visit any immigration center, e.g. in Phuket? 3) Should I use an agent again? It was an easy process for what was very confusing to me. The agent walked me to all the various stations, filled out all the forms, I just had to be physically present and sign papers. 4) If I use an agent again (maybe the same one again), what should I expect to pay? Including for the re-entry permit. 5) If I go it alone (with help of my Thai wife for translation, etc.) what is the correct process (including forms, etc. url references also appreciated)? Thank you to all helpful responders.

Similar to others, my Thai wife helped me get my Yellow House Book and Pink ID Card. Lots of forms, several trips to local office, gift to village elder.. So far I used it once, for a substantial discount to visit the Phuket Central Aquarium. But it looks cool, and maybe it could help in some situations, like "I'm really local, not just another stupid farang tourist". Next I want to get my drivers licenses...

Doing donuts is not the same thing as drifting, which is a high speed cornering technique where the car is sliding.. "Street Takeovers" is a big problem in USA now, many, sometimes upwards of 100, cars and drivers will gather at an intersection and spin donuts for half an hour or so, with sometimes 100s of spectators. Sometimes too overwhelming for police to do anything about, but more communities are starting to crack down. Hope that doesn't start happening here.

I found when trying to deal with AirAsia issues that if I pleaded with the Bot long enough (like 15 minutes of continuing to ask for a human rep in various ways) it would finally agree, and transfer me to a queue with typically a few hundred in front, but actually went down fairly quickly, like within an hour. Then I could chat with a real human, who might or might not resolve the issue. I avoid AirAsia, especially if I think there is any chance I might need to reschedule. The other option is to go to their booth at the airport and talk with human representatives there.

Consider 3 categories 1) Real brand product. The manufacturer generally wants to maintain its reputation and has professional standards and practices to maintain quality. 2) Generic product. The manufacture is less concerned, and mainly wants to undercut the Real brand product price to get market share. 3) Counterfeit product, essentially Generic product that is labeled to be Real brand product. Consider the potential differences between Real brand and Generic product. 1) The chips for Generic may be compromised in various ways, e.g. they could have failed lot testing, be older date codes, been stored in sub-standard environment (e.g. excessive moisture content, been subject to ESD (Electro Static Discharge) damage, had other manufacturing issues, etc. Or they could be real, but stolen. They may function okay in typical use case, but fail under stress, or have reduced life. For example they could have errors and high or low temperatures, less margin as frequencies increase. 2) The circuit boards on which the chips are mounted. They could be sub-standard design or manufacture, leading to sub-optimal performance e.g. at higher frequencies. 3) Assembly of the chips to the board. Again, manufacturing could be sub-standard, e.g. poor soldering, leading to early failure. I would consider Generic, knowing I'm saving money, but with potential reliability issues. I would test them thoroughly first, including at higher speeds, hotter temperatures, and for long times (I've had modules that would only fail every several hours, but one bad bit in the wrong place can ruin a file). I would consider Real brand knowing it may be superior product and have good warranty if it does fail later. I would avoid counterfeit, Generic should be cheaper for probably the same or better quality.

Electric vehicles have intrinsic efficiency advantages, like regenerative braking (recovering energy when braking instead of wasting it as heat), and not needlessly burning fuel when idling. Also reduced carbon emissions, however while electric vehicles don't have direct emissions, there can be carbon emissions from the creation of their electricity. Most of Thailand electric power comes from burning fuel. Only recently (2016) has Thailand even allowed solar power, but now that it is allowed hopefully it will pick up quickly.