OJAS

Given your reference to Sattahip this was presumably Jomtien?

How short is this window, please? A month, a fortnight, a week ............?

Anxiety, rather than boredom, would, I think, more appropriately sum up my feelings if I were in your shoes! But, assuming that a trip to Immigration on your part has now taken place, what was the verdict?

And her blue tabien bahn (housebook) if that is for the address where you will both be living.

Presumably the absence of any reference to the mandatory health insurance requirement means that your original non-immigrant visa was of the "O" variety?

Maybe, just maybe, HMPO will sit up and take notice if Virgin Money tell them that it's high time for the antediluvian risk-laden (for the applicant) With-It Tower Passport Renewal Experience to be replaced by procedures which are far more compatible with the relatively secure hi-tec world of the 3rd decade of the 21st Century (as already apply when renewing from the UK). But, there again, probably not, unfortunately, if they are entrenched, as they seem to be, in the view that we Brits living in LOS are all Luddites.

Annual CSP increases are implemented each April on the basis of the previous September's CPI rate (which is usually announced around mid-October).

Yep, the UK passport renewal procedures from Thailand are the ultimate in hi-tec!????

As suggested by ubonjoe, multi-entry non-O visas for marriage obtained from the Savannakhet Consulate requiring no proof of funds plus border runs every 90 days during the lifetime of each visa strike me as being the most practicable option in your pal's case, once, of course, he has married his girlfriend. An additional advantage is that he would also be spared any possibly confusing (for him) dealings with his local immigration office, including no need for 90-day reports, nor even for a TM30 form to be filed in his case.

For which you would, of course, require a work permit which could prove easier said than done to obtain.

Yes, back in 2015 you could only apply for a non-O conversion at CW regardless of where you lived in Thailand.

Think I can now answer my own question. Available times at Bangkok are 08:30 - 14:00 Mondays to Fridays. Same times at Chiang Mai, but only on Tuesdays & Thursdays. https://visa.vfsglobal.com/tha/en/gbr/hmpo

Between what times is it possible to book initial appointments at VFS Mondays-Fridays excluding public holidays, please? Could be useful for those living some distance from Bangkok to know in determining whether or not they also need to book overnight accommodation in that not-so-fair (IMHO) city. Maybe you could include this info in your closed/pinned thread.

Particularly at 90-day reporting time if he needs to do this in person for whatever reason!

According to the Bangladesh Bangkok Embassy website, all you need as a non-Thai national applying for a visa there is a "work pemit / stay permit in Thailand". https://bdembassybangkok.org/application-process-for-visa/ Don't you already have a Thai work permit? If for some reason you don't, then you do at least have a current permission to stay stamped in your passport, don't you? I would therefore strongly advise you to check with the Bangkok Embassy whether either of these (as appropriate) would do the trick in your case before sending your passport off on a magical mystery tour of Washington DC. While your company might well pay for the shipping, would they necessarily pay for the cost of a replacement passport in the event of your existing one going astray en route to or from - or while in - DC?

The following thread includes useful info provided by ubonjoe as to how you go about obtaining a non-O conversion at your local immigration office initially:-

Fingers firmly crossed for Phuketian retirees that the Police Order referred to by ubonjoe doesn't spark a change of heart from 1st October, though!

Bumping this thread because today (1 September) was the date from which the increased 100,000 USD health insurance requirement for retirees with original non-OA visas who hadn't yet ditched these for replacement non-O ones was supposed to apply according to perceived wisdom on here. Yet no Police Order has, to the best of my knowledge yet been issued to confirm this implementation date. Had one already been issued I am sure that it would have resulted in a multi-page thread on here by now. According to @JimGant in the following inappropriately-titled (IMHO) thread, it would appear that the implementation date has been put back to 1 October. But, once again, this is, of course, subject to a suitable Police Order being issued between now and then. https://aseannow.com/topic/1268670-mickey-mouse In the meantime annual retirement extensions for original non-OA visa holders are presumably still being issued on the basis of the 400,000/40,000 THB insurance requirement.

You may well have been exceedingly fortunate in never having encountered a queue of any shape, size or description anywhere or at any time at BKK Departures. Many others haven't, though.

Yeah bullet-proof simple provided there aren't humungous queues for check-in, security, the re-entry permit itself and immigration departures, of course.

The reason I was asking was that, although Rayong is my local immigration office, Chanthaburi is more or less the same distance from where I live in the opposite direction on Highway 3. Unfortunately, unlike you, I don't also have a place in Chanthaburi, so it looks like it might be touch and go as to whether I could obtain a re-entry permit there instead of at Rayong. Out of curiosity, in view of your recent positive experience at Chanthaburi might you now be seriously tempted to switch your "allegiance" for annual extensions and 90-day reports to there from Jomtien by filing a TM30 for your Chanthaburi place? That is definitely something which I would consider doing if I were in your shoes!

I strongly suspect that the only discussions which the ambassador is having with the Immigration Bureau at the present time is in connection with the development and implementation of a joint UK/Thai intergovernmental strategy aimed at making life for British retirees in Thailand as difficult as is humanly possible in the short term and completely impossible eventually. As part of this exercise he is probably also having detailed discussions with other interested governmental parties - namely HMPO, DWP & his FCDO masters in the UK and the MOPH & MOFA here in Thailand. At least that's what it feels like to me sometimes! ????

@ubonjoe - is it standard practice for an immigration office other than the one where you obtained your latest annual extension of stay to issue you with a re-entry permit?

Or marry her. If he is a Thai national she would then become eligible for a non-O visa for marriage followed by annual extensions of stay when she would be given a much easier time by Immigration than is the case with foreign men married to Thai women. If he is not a Thai she would then become eligible for a non-O visa and subsequent annual extensions of stay on the grounds of being his dependant.

There is an outside chance that some picky immigration officer might spot the 2-day discrepancy when you submitted your first 90-day report after your return to Thailand. Not worth your while running even this small risk IMHO.