TaoNow

somo -- you did the absolutely correct thing to do. Don't let others scold you.

Don't know about Chaiyaphum, but in Bangkok, Immo/CW would probably consider the dip below 800K to be a violation of the terms. I would go to you local Immo office ahead of time to see what their position is.

I guess I did miss the boat, TGJ, as I registered the marriage to my Thai wife with ACS in 1979. Sorry you are hard done by.

TGJ -- actually, what do you have to notarize? You've been here long enough not to need that kind of support from ACS/US Embassy. As I noted in another thread, try to be as independent as you can as an ex-pat. That is skillful. Don't rely on a spouse, an agent, the consulate, the embassy, or any which way. You will enjoy life more and have less need for forums like this.

I would go to Immo/CW ASAP and do the 90-day report and pay the (probably) 2,000 baht late-report fee. If you get there early, you should be out before 9 a.m.

Although I have done the marriage extension in the past, for me, the clincher for doing the retirement extension (after age 50) was the fact that I could do this alone, without having to bother or depend on anyone else. My policy in dealing with Thai Immo is that you will have much greater peace of mind if you know the ropes and that you can do it yourself - whatever it is. Any reliance on someone else being there (or using an agent) means you are losing some degree of control of the process. Not worth it. You are an ex-pat. Man up. Show that you can do it yourself without holding anyone's hand. 'Nuff said.

There is another reason to carry your passport when you travel up-country: If you happen to lose your ATM card (with a Thai bank), getting a replacement up-country will probably require showing your passport. Thus, I carry mine (plus my bank book for the ATM card) whenever traveling overnight in Thailand.

Lemsta69: OP said the following in his/her first post: And people actually go to an immigration office? This suggests that OP is getting around the requirement of appearing in person at Immo to renew an annual extension of stay. If you think that it is odious that people object to this corrupt practice, do you also think it is odious to complain about how corrupt Thailand is?

I was able to find the following news report through a Google search: https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/american-teacher-charged-with-reckless-homicide-over-8-year-olds-drowning-in-chumphon

This morning (March 7) on Channel 8 News, there was a disturbing story of a foreign English-language teacher who was charged with negligence in the death of a Thai friend of his son. I didn't catch all the details, but the teacher (didn't get the nationality), his (non-Thai) wife, their son, and a Thai friend of the son went to a beach on the ocean (didn't get the name of the beach). The two boys had an inner tube and went into the surf to play. A rogue wave came in and knocked the Thai youth under the water, and he was taken away by the current. The English teacher frantically tried to rescue the Thai youth but could not find him in the churning water, which was now over their heads. I post this since it is a situation that many of us ex-pats might have found ourselves in, and with dire consequences all around. Did anyone hear the whole story or have a link to a credible news source on this incident?

The Thai housemaster of the house and land where I am the sole occupant died 12 years ago. My name is not in the blue household registration book (because I am not a Thai citizen). Yet, I own the land on which the house sits -- as evidenced by my name being the last one listed on the Chanote (deed). The local land office has assured me that I can sell the land -- but not the house (which can only be owned and sold by a Thai national). Will I have a problem if they ask for a TM30? (They never have yet at Immo/CW during annual extensions for retirement). Food for thought.

If OP is referring to an extension based on retirement with money in the bank, then the only forms I prepare are the following: 1. The application form with photo 2. A map to my home in Bangkok 3. A photocopy of my last 90-day report receipt 4. A photocopy of my passport photo page, and visa/latest extension pages 5. A photocopy of my updated fixed savings account bank book (pages dating back one year) 6. A bank letter verifying the balance, and 7. A bank statement for the previous 12 months. Not really "millions" of photocopies. Indeed, I keep multiple copies of these documents on hand in any case when I visit Immo. What's the problem?

I also do my ret. ext. at Immo/CW with 800K in a fixed deposit account, which is never touched until D-Day. In my experience (past 5 years), it seems that Immo/CW does want to see the one-year statement + the bank book, updated on the day of application. With a fixed deposit account, it is possible that the updates (showing interest and tax) are consolidated and hard to read -- thus, the need for the annual statement. In any case, since you already have to go to the bank to get the bank letter authorizing the balance, I would err on the side of caution and get the annual statement too. There is no extra cost or time to do so -- at least at the SCB branch opposite Central/CW where I do the dox each year.

Last month, I first e-mailed the American Citizens Service (ACS) website to see if I could go to the Embassy to do the renewal. The ACS responded within 24 hours saying I could go in, but they preferred that people mail in their passport, form, and fee. So, I made an appointment, printed it out, and went to the Embassy around 9 a.m. on Jan. 17. Turned in the renewal form, and then. I paid the $130 in US cash, but you can pay by baht cash. If mailing it in, you have to buy a bank draft in the equivalent baht amount. They have a branch of ThailandPost in the ACS compound, so it is easy to buy the return envelope there (100 baht). (Copy down the EMS code so you can track the item when they mail it back.) Then, you turn that in with your PP fee receipt, and that's it. It took me about 1.5 hours as there were quite a few people in the ACS section. In sum. it's no faster by going to the Embassy in person compared to mailing in your PP as they recommend on the Embassy website.

There have been several threads on renewal of a US passport while in Thailand. It takes about 3 weeks. I did mine last month, and it took 2.5 weeks from the time I went to the Embassy in Bangkok to hand in my old passport and form and pay the fee, until I received the new and old one by EMS post to my home in Bangkok. Then, a quick trip to Immo/CW to get the visa/extension stamps transferred. The only hiccup for me was that I had to go to the bank in the morning to update my fixed account passbook, plus obtain a bank statement of the account for the past 12 months -- before heading to Immo. Still, all in all, a very efficient process.

It seems that OP is renewing his/her Oz passport while in Thailand. If the OP is currently here on a retirement extension, please note the following (as reported in another thread about 6 months ago): At Immo/CW, they will want to see the bank book used to establish your financials (updated on the day of application to transfer stamps), with a one-year bank balance statement for the past 12 months, and photocopies of the bank book going back 12 months, in order to transfer the stamps. Note: You will *not* need the bank letter affirming the bank balance: just the updated book and one-year statement. Hope this helps. (I tried to do my stamp transfers last Friday at CW and found this out - though I was warned by this forum and forgot.)

Been here for 40+ years and travelled to every province by road. Never carried my PP with me on most trips. Only once, about 3 years ago, was I stopped at a check point and asked to produce my passport. The location was the highway connecting Bangkok with Nakorn Pathom Province (Borom Rachachonanee) -- inbound at about the Sai 2 intersection in mid-morning. It was close to New Years Day. The officer was polite and professional. I showed my photocopy of the PP and relevant pages. He said I was supposed to have the passport in my possession. Luckily, we were speaking Thai, and I engaged him in some casual conversation. That seemed to do the trick and he waved me on. Those who say that you should pretend not to speak Thai when accosted by a police officer are giving bad advice. Even if your Thai is basic, speak Thai whenever you can with an officer; I guarantee that most will appreciate that you are trying to acculturate, and usually be lenient.

@Srikcir - I went to the US Embassy last week to renew my passport. You can go in person; no need to mail in. However, they will keep your current passport (unlike ten years ago in my experience) and have you buy an EMS envelope to send the new pp back to your Thai address. There is a ThailandPost outlet inside the ACS compound. So, that is convenient. Cost is 100 baht. Remember to jot down the EMS code so you can track the return mailing. In sum, this system is no faster than mailing in your pp from the start - and I had to sit there in ACS for about 1.5 hours to complete the process. Many people.

Just on the US passport renewal questions: The payee on the 100 baht bank draft is "American Embassy Bangkok." Kasikorn charged me 15 baht for the draft. Also, I went to the Embassy this past Tuesday, hoping that I could keep my current passport while they processed the new one. No dice. They only mail back the passports to you after they receive the new one from State Dept.. They said it takes 3 to 4 weeks -- but I notice some folks on this forum report faster turn around. Just make sure you note the EMS code number so you can track the mailer. At the Embassy, they said I had to buy an A4 envelope for the return EMS mailing - it cost 100 baht and they have a ThailandPost office in the American Citizen Services section, so that is convenient. But the wait was unnecessarily long with all the other people there. I was in by 9 a.m. and out by 10:30 a.m. So, in sum, it is probably less hassle just to do the renewal by mail, since going to the Embassy won't make it any faster and you won't be able to hold on to your passport while waiting for the new one. I'll report back when I receive the new PP and if there were any complications.

A few years ago, I asked my daughter in the US to purchase and send a designer bag to me (which I planned to present as a gift to someone here in Thailand). My daughter did so, and sent the bag to me in Bangkok by regular mail. However, the postal customs office intercepted it, and I was called in to pay a hefty luxury tax in order to claim the item -- but no fine. Out of curiosity, I asked the official at the postal/customs office how they identify items that are eligible for import tax, given that so many items arrive at Suvannabhumi Airport each day. She said that they conduct a sample of items. But that didn't seem plausible to me since the probability of this single package being selected was surely extremely small. Now, as one of the above posters reported, it seems they have a way of scanning packages, parcels, and luggage, for imported luxury items. That makes more sense. So, buyer beware, indeed.

Yes, I realize I can report online or by mail, but I prefer going to Immo in order to have the 90-day receipt in-hand, just for security and to see if there are any changes at Immo/CW. Also, I don't think they will overrule my current 90-receipt date with the re-entry date in my passport. We'll see, and I'll report my experience. Thanks for responding, Dr. Jack.

I realize that this is referring to the online 90-day reporting. My issue is that I recently took a short trip out of the country (Oct. 1 -10) and, technically would not have to report until 90 days after re-entry. However, I would prefer to use the report date on my 90-day receipt which is mid-December since I have that 90-day cycle programmed into my schedule of domestic travel (and memory). Question: Is there any problem with reporting earlier than I technically have to but still in compliance with the latest 90-day receipt window?

I plan to renew my US PP in January or February 2023. Reading the US Embassy website, it seems they went to the mail-only procedure because of Covid. I am not too happy about sending my PP in the mail and being without it for the three weeks it takes to process. Does anyone know whether the US Embassy in Bangkok will go back to in-person processing of a new passport application, say, starting in 2023? I would prefer visting the American Services section in person to do that.

It sounds to me like an officer-in-training case -- which I have experienced once before. However, thanks for the detailed update. These are always the highlight of Forum in this section.

Out of curiosity, it would be relevant to know what the health issue is. If I had a terminal illness with, say, a year or two to live, I would risk just being on continued over-stay, as long as I had compassionate end-of-life care... ...rather than huffing it back to Oz or some other country where the hospice care might be worse. It's my opinion that Thailand Immo is not concerned about these kind of over-stayers. They want to nab the international criminals or those with excessive debts to Thai institutions (e.g., courts, hospitals, etc.). Is OP's friend's in an end-of-life situation?