allane

thank yo u。If doing on line，whatａrｅthe exact steps？

Thank you.  I am intending to proceed to a Non-O.  Am I required to make a separate, earlier, trip to the Immigration Office to file the TM-30, or it can it be done at the same time I will do the application for the Non-O ?

I recently returned to Thailand on a 45 day visa exempt entry.  I am living in Bangkok, at the same address where I previously resided, and for which I submitted a TM 30 in May of last year.  Do I need to do a new TM 30 ?

Thank you both.

Thank you.  Is there a required minimum of days remaining on the 90 day Non-O Visa, at the time he application for Extension is made ?

16 hours ago, BritTim said:

Yes. His post is extremely confusing. My assumptions: (i) he thinks a retirement extension must be associated with a Non B visa (perhaps, because he was once on a Non B visa before retiring); and (ii) he thinks the "conversion" to a Non O visa from his visa exempt entry must be followed by a further conversion to a Non B visa before he can do a retirement extension.

 

Right now, he is asking about how to do the border bounce to get a visa exempt entry. That does not require straightening out his understanding of visas and extensions, but he will hopefully have everything clarified in due time.

I am not a newcomer; it might be said that my problem is the opposite. For 11 years I have been living here on annual Extensions of Stay - Retirement, all using the B 800,000 money in the bank method.  And despite having moved to three different provinces since obtaining the first one, I never had  trouble extending.

Yesterday, I returned to see the same Immigration supervisor who had refused my application last week. I asked him specifically about the possibility of getting a Non-O visa.  My Thai is better than his English; the conversation was 90% in Thai.  He said "OK, you go to Lao or Cambodia".  I asked if Malaysia was a possibility, and he said yes.  He looked again at my bankbook, and said in English "Your money good, you go Section C for Non-O", gesturing to the corner of the office where Section C is. After leaving him, I went to Section C hoping to speak to a supervisor.  There was no one at the desk.  Having received assurance from one supervisor, and Upon Joe here. I left.

As I said in my other thread, I haven't had to make a border run since 2004.  If I am using incorrect terminology here, please correct me.  

I worked here for 15 years. For the last 11 years, I have been retired, using the B 800,000 money in the bank method.  I want to continue to do the same, but find myself unable to prove that I met the  "3 months after"  while I was still living in another province Feb. - May of 2022.

I don't care exactly what they call it.  I know I won't get a visa to do that, unless I return to my country (Canada), or "recycle" some of my B 800,000 through Canada.  Either of those seem expensive. So, I'm proposing to step out of Thailand into an adjacent country, and then returning ASAP.  

I am currently on an Extension of a Non-Immigrant "B" visa for Retirement, expiring March 19, 2023.  Due to some negligence by myself and my bank, I won't be able to get a new Extension inside Thailand.  (To those who have read my concurrently running thread, I returned to Bangkok Immigration this morning and confirmed that.)

I was advised by an Immigration supervisor that I can exit to a neighboring country (without a Re-entry Permit, of course), return to Thailand visa exempt, then go to Immigration in Bangkok and obtain a Non-O visa, and later, switch that to a new Non-Immigrant "B", using the B 800,000, which will have been in a Thai bank account for about ten months at that time.

This will be my first border run since 2004, and my first ever one of this type.  Can I simply step out of Thailand, walk around the Immigration building, and walk back in ?  Or is there a requirement that I spend at least one night outside of Thailand ?  Depending on travel schedules and logistics, I think I might prefer to spend as little time outside of Thailand as possible, and keep the trip as short as possible.

Any other pitfalls that I need to be aware of ?

I

2 hours ago, DJ54 said:

OP can you access your closed account on BKK app? You could try getting 12 month 

statement emailed to you. Go to or call BKK Headquarters and hopefully get someone 

to help. 

- I don't have a smartphone, so don't see how getting one now would help.

-As stated in my OP, I was in Bangkok Bank (last Thu.) They say they can't print a statement for a closed account.

14 minutes ago, shortstop2 said:

As many have suggested enlisting the help of an agent for one year should solve the problem and then next year you can go back to doing it yourself.  Contact a few agents and see what their pricing is.

 

I am a disorganized slob.  Sometimes I search for three hours to find something, figure I don't have it and then a year later I find it.  Usually old bank books have a hole punched through it.

 

It's also a possibility that an agent with special connections with Bangkok bank could get you the the printout you need.  Mot in Pattaya is one such agent.  Although her connection is with a local branch it is "possible" that branch could possibly intercede for you with the head office.

 

Good luck!

 

Thank you for the constructive, on-topic reply.  Can you, or anyone else, give me contact details for a reputable agent who may have dealt with a similar problem.  To anyone contemplating a reply.  Please read or re-read my Original Post before doing so.

11 minutes ago, Shop mak said:

Simple solution: talk with a visa agent, they can fix most if not all problems.

I was anti agent myself, did all myself until I met problems with IO who clearly directed me to use agent.

Members here are clearly divided about use or avoid agents. End of the day, they can save you lots of time, travel and expences, see the full picture of options given already.

Can you send me a Private Message with contact information, and a guess as to cost ?

I am the OP. The more people who reply, the muddier the waters become.  Can anyone provide a link stating the exact requirements for a Non-O visa ? And for the O-A visa too ? I've searched the Immigration site attached to the Pinned topic here, but couldn't find an answer to my questions.

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

You can apply for a non-o visa at immigration.

If you have had the 800k baht in the bank for a long time proof it came from abroad is not required.

Your comment is greatly appreciated.  As of today, I can show proof of B 800,000 in the bank for a little over nine months.  What is your guess please ? Is nine months enough to be a "long time ?

I have already been bumped up to the supervisory level at Immigration, and am dealing with a hard-nosed guy.  When I return to see him, I want to be fully prepared, knowing what questions to ask, and not to ask.

I am the OP. I am prepared to do a "visa trip" if necessary.  No one has directly addressed my first question, about my money.  If I go to an adjacent country and re-enter Thailand visa exempt, can I then get the Non- O visa, using the B 800,000 I already have in Thailand ? I seem to recall that the funds have to come from outside Thailand.

Alternatively, can I apply for the O-A visa in an adjacent country ?  I seem to recall seeing somewhere, that you can only apply from your home country.  I prefer not having to fly back to Canada just to do this, if another way can be found.

17 minutes ago, norbra said:

Maybe at trip to bank in Surin is an option for you.

I think not.  I went into Bangkok Bank's head office yesterday.  They clearly understood I wanted a 12 month statement, filled in a form, had me sign it, and charged me B 200.  This morning, someone else phoned me to say they can't do it because the account has been closed (since late May 2023.)

I might consider a trip to Surin, but only if I get at least one report here that another Bangkok Bank customer succeeded with a similar request.

Background:  I am a 27 year resident of Thailand.  I have been retired here for the last 11 of those years.  For the last two of those years, I have been using the B 800,000 money in the bank method.  I know the rules.  In late May last year, I moved from Isarn to Bangkok. Also in late May 2022, I closed the bank account in Isarn in which I had "parked" my B 800,000, and transferred those funds to an account with the same bank in Bangkok, where they have been ever since.

Current: Yesterday, I went into Bangkok Immigration to do my annual renewal, and received a severe shock. The Immigration supervisor demanded proof that I had complied with the "three months after" rule from February to May 2022 in Surin.  I had my final bankbook from Surin with me. To my horror, when I opened it, it showed only the final two days of transactions. I have no idea why, if the bank employee had to start a new bankbook, she did not give me the previous one too. To get to the point:  I have no proof hat I had B 800,000 in the bank from February to May 2022.  I have asked the head office of the bank if they could print a statement, but they say they cannot because the account is now closed.

Future:  I am not here because I want to be told what I ought to have done in the past.  I can't turn back the clock.  What options do I have, if I want to stay in Thailand, continuing to use the B 800,000 money in the bank method ? (The B 65,000/mo. pension method is not an option; I receive a pension in Canada, but it is not large enough.)

1.  I have B 800,000 in the bank here, provable since May 2022.  If I want to continue to use the same money, do these funds need to make a round trip to Canada ?  I have savings in Canada, but as things stand today, only somewhere around B 300,000 - 400,000.

2.  As for myself, I presume I would need to leave Thailand, and re-enter on some sort of short-term visa ?

22 hours ago, mokwit said:

it would certainly be prudent to take these if you have them, but I am wondering if this is a new requirement? I have never been asked for either, but had TM30 filed. I suspect you will have to have a formal TM30 filed - I suspect  just showing them the lease is unlikely to be a substitute for that.

 

You will need to show current 90 day report for them to proceed based on my experience at CW.

So, I can conclude that since I filed a TM 30 when I moved to Bangkok, that a fresh copy of my rental contract and the owner's ID card is not required at this time. I will take my current copies.

As I stated at the outset, this will be my first extension in Bangkok.  I have been living, while retired, in three other provinces, so prepared my checklist as a sort of composite list based on my recollection of experience in those.

I have now been retired here in Thailand for almost 13 years.  However, having moved to Bangkok last May, this will be my first renewal here. I will be using the B 800,000, money in the bank method. The money has been "parked" in a Bangkok Bank account since June of last year, and was previously parked in another account closer to my previous Immigration office.

Here is my checklist of Immigration's requirements:

1. Fee, B 1900

2. Photo

3.  Bank Letter - verifying balance on the day; can obtain on the day at Chaeng Wattana Immig. branch

4. Copies:

   a) bankbook - ID page, and pages showing the last three months of transactions

   b) bank statement - I believe it will show 6 mos. of transactions, which is more than sufficient

   c) passport - ID page and every stamped page

   d) rental contract

   e) owner's ID card*

    * Does this require a blue ink signature by the owner, and a reasonably recent date ?  I have a photocopy here, and will copy that, if sufficient.

Is there anything that I have forgotten ?

I have now made two attempts to register on this wonderful new system. After filling in the boxes, I receive nothing except three blinking dots on the screen; no error message nor any acceptance message.  I waited about 10 minutes each time.

What do you advise ? Plain English please; I don't speak geekspeak.

You will need to provide a copy of your rental contract, so no, you can't get a long term visa while travelling around Thailand, unless you rent a place which will sit empty while you explore Thailand.

I once accompanied a tourist who had lost his passport to the Canadian Consulate. He was given a temporary "passport", so that he would not be without identity & confirmation of citizenship while awaiting a replacement passport.

If you were qualified for any such position, I think you wouldn't need to come here and ask this.

I taught for 18 yrs. at four high schools in three provinces. I can only think of one. A guy, whom I'm sure had a length of qualifications as long as his arm, was hired as some sort of consultant to improve the teaching of English.

Remember, it is actually an 89 day report, not a 90 day report.  The date of your stamp counts as Day 1, not Day 0.