Lichiyado

I pretty much skimmed over this suggestion. Words like 'ugly' and 'messy' get my attention. And it feels like following this path would be these things. But I appreciate your suggestion and will think about it.

Pondering it now, Scuba. Not a horrible resolution if I go the agent route. I have a chum who wants to also convert from Non OA to Non O. We might do a road trip to the border. I'll decide over the next few days.

UPDATE: Spoke to my friend, a staff at Jomtien immigration and he said yes, the IO I was dealing with, desk 7, is a sole operator, having no in-house supervisor I could communicate my concerns to. Today I went to Maneerat Agency on Soi Post Office in Pattaya and talked with Nan, a well--known agent. She said yes, the 800K 2 month seasoning is standard, accepted procedure for the first application for the Non-O. I showed her the instruction document from immigration: https://www.immigration.go.th/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/9.FOR-RETIREMENT-PURPOSES-50-YEARS-OLD-NON-O.pdf Her response was that the 800K seasoning should be listed on the form. But as we all know by now, it is not. I asked her if this rule applies to all immigration offices and she indicated it does, whether or not it's enforced. I tried calling the immigration info line at 1178, hoping to verify that this policy is, in fact, law. I waited on hold for 15 minutes then gave up. Maneerat offered a solution similar to the offer from the IO to resolve this. 23,000 THB for a 90 day Non-O visa and one yearly retirement extension. Total, 15 months of joy. Immigration fees are included in this price. She even offered to throw in a freebie 90 reporting service. Wheee! ???? I'm now clear what I have to do. 1. Pony up the dough and pay for the service, either through an agent or directly to the IO. 2. Do a border run. Nan quoted 4,500, one day service via mini-van. 3. Go to an embassy or consulate in a neighboring country and do the Non-O there. I haven't decided which to do yet, but to me, the information gathering and clarification of this issue is resolved. Thanks to all who participated in this thread, and I highly recommend you consider that Jomtien immigration policy requires 2 month seasoning before your initial 90 day Non-O application. This may or may not apply to other immigration offices. You should check. Cheers and thanks again!

HCMC isn't my first choice if travel is necessary, but I would like to visit some day. Thanks for the tip Joe. I appreciate it.

Thanks for the tips. I'll consider everything by and by. Nothing is off the table at this point, other than paying that #%&*%% 22,000 THB. Likely head to Maneerak tomorrow and see what they have to say. I'll report back about that. Cheers!

Still pondering, Jack. But the idea of ever talking to her again or even talking to her supervisor, if she has one, makes my skin crawl. I have to admit there's a tad bit of vigilante juice roaming through my synapses, wanting what's fair and law-abiding. But I'm not a fool. I'll do my best to do the right thing...for me. With as little muss and fuss as possible. Saigon, you say? Hmmm....

Thanks much for your input. It was a good read, and I admire your fortitude and tenaciousness. And it got my blood flowing a bit. But I'm pretty sure your idea is not quite my M.O. Clearly, she's very experienced and knows how to game the system. And I think you're right, her subordinates would likely toe the line if necessary. And if she has a big boss supervisor, she might have his blessing. So, I'm still pondering the situation. It isn't the end of the world, but requires a fair amount of my brain-space to deal with. I'm trying to make it not ruin my day, week, year, life. Do you want to do the negotiations for me? ????

She already did that. When she said "2 months seasoning" I mildly protested and tried to explain what I understood about the procedure and the law. She cut me off saying "Who's the immigration officer here, me or you?" I looked away and tried my darnedest not to roll my eyes. Our communication remained polite, but at that point it was checkmate. I knew it, she knew it.

Well, I slept on it. Still pondering strategies. Thanks for the idea that Boss Lady might not have a supervisor, and that I might be piXXing in the wind if I go back to immigration. I hope to talk to my friend who works at immigration today, asking him if she, in fact, does have a boss I can pleasantly talk to, but being very careful not to get my friend involved in anything other than information gathering. I don't want him to risk his job over this. Also I'm thinking of going to Maneerak today or tomorrow to get a quote for their service. 12.5K or even 8K seems a little rich for my blood, but it remains an option. As does another trip to Laos. I'll keep you posted.

Yes, I plan to post updates as I figure out what's up. Thanks to all for your input.

Hmmm...when you suggested to use an agent, I was thinking I'll be on the hook for something like the 22K the IO asked from me. In addition I was concerned that I might be on the hook to an agent, ad-infinitum. Upon further thought maybe that's not justified because I'm not asking them to do anything outwardly hinky. And if Maneerat is willing to do it for 5Kish, that certainly would be worth the price of admission, and certainly cheaper than another trip to Laos. Thanks for doubling down on this, Jack. I just wasn't getting it. I'll give the agent a call or visit, if the trip to JT immigration to talk to a supervisor yields no useful results. Thanks!

Hi Peter. Thanks for the history. As I strategize how to do this, if I do this, I know I need to be aware of making sure nobody loses face and to communicate as clearly, calmly, and kindly as possible. The document linked above about immigration procedures doesn't mention when the 800K needs to be in the bank when I apply for the Non-O visa. So there is no specific clause to refer to. The document certainly does NOT say it has to be in the bank 2 months prior to the initial application. That's all I have to go on at this time. And there is plenty of anecdotal information here on AseanNow, but I'm not sure how I can incorporate this into my chat with the supervisor. A friend had a good suggestion; go into the office, speak to a supervisor, seeking clarification of the rules and procedures. If he concurs with the IO who refused my visa, no harm, no foul...off to Laos I go to start the procedure fresh. Or maybe he'll make a phone call...

Oh, so she gave you the 15 month visa and extension thingamajiggy too? For only a paltry 20K? Such a deal! I guess my price went up. Inflation, you know. Yeah, I have my 800K in the bank. So now I have to decide if I want to talk to her supervisor or take another trip to Laos. Tough call.

This is certainly an IO we're talking about, not an agent. And with both 'scubascuba3' and me she's wangling for extra cash to grease the wheels.

And how did you handle it?