tjansen

Tjansen, before you can apply for the retirement extension you must get a change of visa from tourist visa to non-immigrant visa at an immigration office. The fee for this is 2,000 Baht. Therefore, your timeline looks something like this:

• With at least 21 days left on your current permission to stay, ie not later than 21 February, apply for the change of visa to non-immigrant visa. This gives you a new permission to stay for 90 days.
  
• 3-4 weeks before the expiration of the new permission to stay, apply for the retirement extension (fee 1,900 Baht)
  

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Maestro

I got it. Very helpful group on this forum. Sorry for somewhat of a double post. I posted the same question as a new post, thinking maybe my last question wasn't being noticed here. This should do it for me. Thanks once again.

I am enjoying Thailand.

Well, that part went very smoothly. I got a 60 day Tourist Visa. In the process I met up with a service in Penang that does all the leg work, including transport from the airport, hotel room for two nights, and doing the drop off and pick up at the Consulate, with the whole package costing 500 RM (5,000 baht), worth it to me.

I would like to ask about the next step in getting changed to a Retirement Extension. I will ask by describing my situation and my understanding of what I need to do and asking for a yeah or nay.

-My new, single entry, 60 day Tourist Visa is stamped "Used", having been used on January 15 to enter Thailand from Malaysia at Suvarnabhumi.

-The stamp in my passport says "Admitted until March 13". The "Visa Class" space is handwritten in Thai.

-My Thai bank account with 800,000+ baht achieves 60 days seasoning on February 23.

-Does a Tourist Visa have to have 21 days remaining on it in order to obtain an Extension?

-If so I would have to get the extension by February 21, two days before my bank account is seasoned.

Here is what I plan to do:

-On February 16 (arbitrary date, but assuring that I still have 21 days left), I will apply for an Extension of my Tourist Visa at Thai Immigration in Bangkok. I am targeting a Monday for my convenience, but I can travel a different day if need be.

-Then, after February 23, with my bank account seasoned, I will apply for the Retirement Extension of Stay.

Am I missing anything? Any other pitfalls to watch for or general advice?

Thanks again for this helpful forum.

Tom

Understood. Thank you.

Well, that part went very smoothly. I got a 60 day Tourist Visa. In the process I met up with a service in Penang that does all the leg work, including transport from the airport, hotel room for two nights, and doing the drop off and pick up at the Consulate, with the whole package costing 500 RM (5,000 baht), worth it to me.

I would like to ask about the next step in getting changed to a Retirement Extension. I will ask by describing my situation and my understanding of what I need to do and asking for a yeah or nay.

-My new, single entry, 60 day Tourist Visa is stamped "Used", having been used on January 15 to enter Thailand from Malaysia at Suvarnabhumi.

-The stamp in my passport says "Admitted until March 13". The "Visa Class" space is handwritten in Thai.

-My Thai bank account with 800,000+ baht achieves 60 days seasoning on February 23.

-Does a Tourist Visa have to have 21 days remaining on it in order to obtain an Extension?

-If so I would have to get the extension by February 21, two days before my bank account is seasoned.

Here is what I plan to do:

-On February 16 (arbitrary date, but assuring that I still have 21 days left), I will apply for an Extension of my Tourist Visa at Thai Immigration in Bangkok. I am targeting a Monday for my convenience, but I can travel a different day if need be.

-Then, after February 23, with my bank account seasoned, I will apply for the Retirement Extension of Stay.

Am I missing anything? Any other pitfalls to watch for or general advice?

Thanks again for this helpful forum.

Tom

Only your passport. Nothing else is needed. Might not hurt to have your bank book just in case.

Thank you. And how about a list of cities that have consulates?

Thanks again.

OK. I am on my way.

Thanks for all of the help.

Tom

Well, that part went very smoothly. I got a 60 day Tourist Visa, since, as I understand it, I do not qualify for a Non-Imm-B. In the process I met up with a service in Penang that does all the leg work, including transport from the airport, hotel room for two nights, and doing the drop off and pick up at the Consulate, with the whole package costing 500 baht, worth it to me.

I would like to ask about the next step in getting changed to a Retirement Extension (I am told it won't be a Visa but rather an Extension of Permission to Stay). I will ask by describing my situation and my understanding of what I need to do and asking for a yeah or nay.

My new Tourist Visa expires on March 15.

My bank account with 800k baht achieves 60 days seasoning on February 23, leaving less than a 21 day gap.

Am I correct in my understanding that a Tourist Visa must have 21 days remaining on it in order to obtain an Extension? If so I would have to get the extension by February 21, two days before my bank account is seasoned.

Here is what I plan to do:

On February 16 (arbitrary date, but assuring that I still have 21 days left), I will apply for an Extension of my Tourist Visa at Thai Immigration. I am targeting a Monday for my convenience, but I can travel a different day if need be.

Then, after February 23, with my bank account seasoned, I will apply for the Retirement Extension of Stay.

Am I missing anything? Any other pitfalls to watch for or general advice? Thanks again for this helpful forum.

Tom

Only your passport. Nothing else is needed. Might not hurt to have your bank book just in case.

Thank you. And how about a list of cities that have consulates?

Thanks again.

OK. I am on my way.

Thanks for all of the help.

Tom

Only your passport. Nothing else is needed. Might not hurt to have your bank book just in case.

Thank you. And how about a list of cities that have consulates?

Thanks again.

Glad we could clear the haze.

Good Luck

Joe

!!!!!!!!Well, I am glad I learned about the required actions!!!!!!!! Now I need some very quick answers.

Could somebody list nearby cities serviced by Air Asia, flying from Bangkok, that have a Thai Consulate, where I can get the 90 day Non-Immigrant-O Visa, as well as the procedures. Is there an overnight wait, etc. I plan travel to the airport area tonight and fly tomorrow, Tuesday, returning as quickly as practical.

Thank you for any detailed help!!!!!

I forgot to ask, What documents do I need, other than my passport, to apply for the Non-O?

Thanks again,

Tom

Glad we could clear the haze.

Good Luck

Joe

!!!!!!!!Well, I am glad I learned about the required actions!!!!!!!! Now I need some very quick answers.

Could somebody list nearby cities serviced by Air Asia, flying from Bangkok, that have a Thai Consulate, where I can get the 90 day Non-Immigrant-O Visa, as well as the procedures. Is there an overnight wait, etc. I plan travel to the airport area tonight and fly tomorrow, Tuesday, returning as quickly as practical.

Thank you for any detailed help!!!!!

Any nearby consulate will do a single entry non-o for retirement.

It depends on which part of the country you are in as to which one you choose to use. In the northern part of the country Vientiane Laos if going overland is the nearest. You can fly to Udon and go by bus to Vientiane instead of bus or train to Nong Kai.

In the South Penang or Khota Bharu are the nearest.

Great. It sounds like Penang will be my best option. I am staying in Ban Pong, Ratchaburi Province, and can travel by train from Nakon Patthom to Butterworh, Malaysia, for 1,100 thb, now a relevant consideration, having ceased my employment.

Again, thanks to all. This Forum is an amazingly efficient way to get pertinent advice in what had appeared to be a cloudy haze of uncertainty.

Tom

You probably will need proof of taxes being paid on what you earned in Thailand.

To: ubonjoe, Terry LH, and Interested Observer. Thanks to all for making it very clear what I need to do and what my options are. It is interesting how the need for action hurries one along the learning curve. I have gone from a befuddled reader / working visitor to a near-expert on Extensions of Stay...well maybe not quite, huh?

My company is very by-the-book so my taxes were withheld--thanks for the heads up to bring proof. I understand both options that were given. I will copy this suggestion to my company and see what they think. Referring to the first sentence of this paragraph, there is a good chance that they would not consider this proper, in which case I will exercise Option 2.

This begs one additional question. What nearby country would be the most likely to grant the required Non-Immigrant O Visa. I am used to traveling to Penang, Malaysia, by plane as well as by train, so that one woule be the most familiar, but I am willing to go to some other country that might be closer and / or more cooperative. Train would be my desired mode of travel at this moment, but it would be nice to have a destination that I could also fly to.

Thanks again for the excellent advice. Tom J

If you have a multiple entry visa it is still good.

If you have an extension of stay then it does end on the date your employment ends. You are then required to leave the country or get an extension for 7 days. In your case your could apply for the retirement extension on that date.

You don't have to turn in the work permit to anybody.

Your employer has to notify the labour departmentt when your job ends.

You only need the money in the bank for 60 days for a first time retirement extension (new rules since Nov. 25).

The foreign remittence proof only shows up on the change of visa status page on the immigration website so you don't have to worry about that.

Thank you for the clarification. Your comments are helping me understand the details, which, up until now, I have not needed to know and have therefore ignored. Looking at the stamps in my Passport, the stamp that they were looking at is "Extension of Stay permitted to 31 Mar 2009" Next to that is another stamp that says "Non-Imm. Immigration Thailand Re-Entry Permit." It is also stamped "Multiple" and the date stamped on it is also 31 March 2009.

Please continue your advice and bear with my need for details. Would I be getting an Extension on the Extension? And must I do that when or before my company notifies the labor department (they used the term BOI) of the end of my employment?

And when I apply for the Retirement Extension, and the 60 days have not passed, can I remain in Thailand, and with what type of permit? krop khun krub.

My Contract with a Thai Company ended after nine months. I still have my Work Permit and have not yet officially notified Immigration about the end of my contract for reasons that I explain below.

I have a one-year, multiple entry Non-Imm-B Visa with the company's name on the Visa in my passport. There are 3 months remaining on this Visa

I want to get a Retirement Visa. I meet the requirement for a bank deposit, but I just crossed the 800,000 thb line about 3 weeks ago. So as I understand it, I will need to wait the balance of 90 days, or about 9 weeks, to use this to apply for the Retirement Visa. This money was earned in Thailand and direct deposited by the company in the Thai bank.

I went to Immigration yesterday to start my inquiry. The officer told me I need to turn in my Work Permit to the company I was working for, cancel my Non-Immigrant-B Visa and apply for the Retirement Visa.

Here are my questions:

1) I was told by an expat at Immigration that is working in a similar status to mine, that when the Work Permit is turned in, the Visa is canceled immediately, and I need to leave the country that day. Is that true?

2) Given that I still have a wait of 9 weeks to verify my bank account, what is my best course of action to get the retirement Visa.

3) I plan to request that my former employer delay turning in the work permit by extending our contract for a period that will cover my waiting time, but I can't count on that happening.

4) Somewhere on the Internet I saw a requirement for proof of foreign remittance (SWIFT) for the money in my Thai bank account, which I don't have since I earned the money in Thailand. The Retirement Visa requirement form that I got at Immigration yesterday does not mention this requirement of proof of foreign remittance. Does anyone know of this being a requirement?

Big Whoops! I have a Non-Immigrant B Visa good for 1 year. I am working with a work permit. I unknowingly have neglected to notify Immigration about my address. It looks like a big penalty for the time period involved. Any suggestions on where to go to get some financial clemency??

Thank You

TJansen

Firstly to answer your question, Myself and on disturbingly regular basis I might add , like when I wake up after an all nighter on the town with the friends , and cry never never again my head hammering my stomach churning but knowing very well that it soon will happen again .

I am also a gadget man and whenever I see something new I cant resist buying it, then when I get home and sit with my new gadget in the sofa I more often than not think why the hel_l did you buy that and when are you ever going to use it

Anyway I hope you will feel better starting on a new fresh day

In 1981, this way of life got painful enough for me that I joined Alcoholics Anonymous in Cincinnati, Ohio. Today I am a very happy, living-alone, working-in-Thailand expat, with many adventures behind me and seemingly many ahead. Chok dee to you. I believe your spirit will pull you through.

ha- i was just thinking what a crappy city bangkok is compared to NY and making plans to leave it soon.

I was thinking that the poll was not taken by an English-speaking-only driver trying to get on Rama VIII on Monday morning. Suddenly I realized and told my friend in the US, The Thais were fine before I came and will probably not even notice when I leave in a few months. Where else could I have the experience of this Tuesday morning at 6:45, sitting at a red light that did not change for 20 + minutes, staring at the ramp that would take me to Rama VIII. I finally followed a few brave cars going the wrong way in the diamond lane so I could get back to work in Ban Pong.