Retirement visa expired.

[Jack james]

I had my passport stamped in Cambodia before I left to go abroad. Thai border gave me 1 year stamp. I was told thats all I needed to return, then renew my retirement visa. Customs told me no. They gave me 30 day visa. Now what?

Edited September 17, 2017 by Jack james
Add more info

[asiaexpat]

It is not clear what type of visa you obtained in Cambodia or if it was multiple or single entry. Based on the comment that immigration (customs is not involved in immigration issues) gave you a visa exempt 30 day stamp I believe you failed to get a reentry permit before leaving Thailand. If you want a Non-O visa for retirement you should go to Laos or Cambodia and get a new Non-O visa then apply for extension of stay in Thailand. Always get a reentry permit before leaving Thailand if want to keep your permit to stay active.

[Jack james]

When I went for my 30 check in, they told me a border run would give me a 1 year extension of my retirement visa. Which I did. But they didn't tell me about re entry permit.

[Goldbear]

What type of visa do you have, Jack?

 

[phuketrichard]

30 day check in??

if your on an extension (ie your extension was issued INSIDE thailand at an immigration office, you do 90day reports)
Borders CANNOT issue 1 year extensions.

When you leave on a 1 year EXTENSION, you need a re entry permit to keep the extension valid

customs has nothing to do with visas

so they gave you a 30day visa EXEMPT entry?

 

Edited September 17, 2017 by phuketrichard

[Tanoshi]

I think you had a 1 year extension of stay based on retirement, obtained from a local Immigration office.

It is not a Visa and does not allow any entries.

 

By leaving without a re-entry permit you were only given a 30 day Visa exempt entry.

You need to start the complete process again.

Edited September 17, 2017 by Tanoshi

[Andyfez]

sounds like you didn't have a RE-ENTRY visa?

[xerostar]

It just shows you how a small oversight in the visa process can cause a lot of headaches.

That last minute re-entry permit can make all the difference.

The Immigration officers can't be relied upon to tell you what you need.

They can even give you wrong information, if they don't want to be bothered understanding your particular circumstances.

 

I remember showing my passport to one of the officers at the service desk at Suvarnaphum

I asked if i needed to get a re-entry permit before I went to the departure lounge.

He had a quick look at my passport, smiled and gave it back to me. 

I asked if everything was OK - he smiled and said "yes".

I should have actually ASKED for a re-entry permit  - in other words I should have known myself, what I needed ..

So you need to have a bullet-proof plan written down as a checklist and keep up with any changes in the rules

Otherwise all your hard work to get the Retirement Visa will be history and you will have to start again.

 

 

[ICECOOL]

A few years ago I came in after my retirement visa extension had expired. They gave me the 30 day exempt and I duly went to immigration and renewed my extension. You have quite a long period after it expires to renew but not sure what that is.

 

 

Edited September 17, 2017 by ICECOOL

[Tanoshi]

11 minutes ago, xerostar said:

It just shows you how a small oversight in the visa process can cause a lot of headaches.

That last minute re-entry permit can make all the difference.

The Immigration officers can't be relied upon to tell you what you need.

They can even give you wrong information, if they don't want to be bothered understanding your particular circumstances.

 

I remember showing my passport to one of the officers at the service desk at Suvarnaphum

I asked if i needed to get a re-entry permit before I went to the departure lounge.

He had a quick look at my passport, smiled and gave it back to me. 

I asked if everything was OK - he smiled and said "yes".

I should have actually ASKED for a re-entry permit  - in other words I should have known myself, what I needed ..

So you need to have a bullet-proof plan written down as a checklist and keep up with any changes in the rules

Otherwise all your hard work to get the Retirement Visa will be history and you will have to start again.

 

 

It shows how not understanding the difference between a Visa and an Extension causes self inflicted problems.

When someone states they have a Retirement Visa, it could mean either;

A single Non Imm O Visa obtained from a Thai Embassy/Consulate

A multi entry Non Imm O Visa obtained from a Thai Embassy/Consulate

An extension of stay based on retirement obtained from an Immigration office.

 

Even the most experienced on TV can only give informative answers after establishing which of the above they actually have.

The biggest clue is right there under your nose in your Passport.

[aussieinphuket]

Now you know why i changed to a Thai Elite card for 5 yrs. i was sicking and tired of getting the run around by

Immigration, when we first arrived 10 yrs ago everything was easy my wife and i could do the extensions or roll-overs every 

12 months ourselves and was never an issue in and out max 45 minutes including Multiply Re-Entry visas all done.

 

last few years has been an absolute pain in the arse and we been using our lawyers to do it for us at an expense and still

many other documents or photographs they want...

 

after an issue with Phuket Courts against my wife where everything thing was thrown out , defamation case civil and criminal bought by a thai loan shark who took over a villa in our development  because previous owner was owning money to management company the courts held her passport and and when retirement visa was due for extension immigration would not issue it until all resolved,  a few million thb later for lawyers expenses and judge through both cases out of court we went to get retirement visa reissued but what a drama , no leave the country in 7 days, but she was innocent and no charges she still had to leave and return then re-apply again for retirement visa..

 

<deleted> that for a joke, i spoke to Thai Elite, yes we approve both you and your wife, just make payment thb500,000 each and we

will issue in 24 hours. all done, no more thb800,000 each in a bank account, and its makes life easy, we don't have to renew every year its 5 yrs straight but still need to do 90 day reporting if we have not left the country. it probably only costs us overall and additional thb300,000 each over 5 yrs after you take out all the visa expenses and lawyers fees for doing it for us..

 

i am not promoting Thai Elite as i know not everyone can afford it, but it does make life easier for the next 5 yrs while we make a decision to stay or move elsewhere.....

 

 

[Roger Harris]

A few years ago I came in after my retirement visa extension had expired. They gave me the 30 day exempt and I duly went to immogration and renewed my extension. You have quite a long period after it expires to renew but not sure what that is.

 

Its about 3 months from starting afresh. My friend left without a re entry permit. Its a long drawn out exercise and costly involving border runs

[ubonjoe]

13 minutes ago, ICECOOL said:

A few years ago I came in after my retirement visa extension had expired. They gave me the 30 day exempt and I duly went to immigration and renewed my extension. You have quite a long period after it expires to renew but not sure what that is.

 

 

That is incorrect information. You have no amount of days to get another extension. The extension ended as soon as the 30 day stamp was done. You have to start all over again by getting a new non-o visa entry and then apply for another extension.

[pby92]

As it's impossible to state if the op has:

A single Non Imm O Visa obtained from a Thai Embassy/Consulate

or:

A multi entry Non Imm O Visa obtained from a Thai Embassy/Consulate

or:

An extension of stay based on retirement obtained from an Immigration office.

 

its impossible to give a correct answer 

May be he can make pictures of stamps in his passport 

[JackThompson]

6 minutes ago, pby92 said:

As it's impossible to state if the op has:

A single Non Imm O Visa obtained from a Thai Embassy/Consulate

or:

A multi entry Non Imm O Visa obtained from a Thai Embassy/Consulate

or:

An extension of stay based on retirement obtained from an Immigration office.

 

its impossible to give a correct answer 

May be he can make pictures of stamps in his passport 

Or maybe a Non-OA Visa from a consulate in his home-country, hence the reference to "1 year stamp" - but returned after the "enter before" date?

[Henricus]

1 hour ago, aussieinphuket said:

Now you know why i changed to a Thai Elite card for 5 yrs. i was sicking and tired of getting the run around by

Immigration, when we first arrived 10 yrs ago everything was easy my wife and i could do the extensions or roll-overs every 

12 months ourselves and was never an issue in and out max 45 minutes including Multiply Re-Entry visas all done.

 

last few years has been an absolute pain in the arse and we been using our lawyers to do it for us at an expense and still

many other documents or photographs they want...

 

after an issue with Phuket Courts against my wife where everything thing was thrown out , defamation case civil and criminal bought by a thai loan shark who took over a villa in our development  because previous owner was owning money to management company the courts held her passport and and when retirement visa was due for extension immigration would not issue it until all resolved,  a few million thb later for lawyers expenses and judge through both cases out of court we went to get retirement visa reissued but what a drama , no leave the country in 7 days, but she was innocent and no charges she still had to leave and return then re-apply again for retirement visa..

 

<deleted> that for a joke, i spoke to Thai Elite, yes we approve both you and your wife, just make payment thb500,000 each and we

will issue in 24 hours. all done, no more thb800,000 each in a bank account, and its makes life easy, we don't have to renew every year its 5 yrs straight but still need to do 90 day reporting if we have not left the country. it probably only costs us overall and additional thb300,000 each over 5 yrs after you take out all the visa expenses and lawyers fees for doing it for us..

 

i am not promoting Thai Elite as i know not everyone can afford it, but it does make life easier for the next 5 yrs while we make a decision to stay or move elsewhere.....

 

 

the last 9 years i had a retirement (visa) extension, no lawyers, no hassle total 17100 THB together with my wife easy to do   

[JohnC]

Retirement Extension is 1900 baht so no idea why you are paying 17,100 ! 

Edited September 17, 2017 by JohnC
Spelling

[ubonjoe]

2 hours ago, xerostar said:

The Immigration officers can't be relied upon to tell you what you need.

They don't have to tell you that a re-entry permit is needed.

It is written on the extension of stay stamp.

 

 

[stevenl]

21 minutes ago, JohnC said:

Retirement Extension is 1900 baht so no idea why you are paying 17,100 ! 

How much is 9 times 1,900?

[aussieinphuket]

i am sure he means 1900 x 2 is 3800 for retirement visa then multiple re-entry is from memory about

3600 each so that gives you about 7200 add both together you get about 11000 for 2 persons 

 

unless costs for each have increased.???

 

yes i know it use to be easy thats what i wrote but of late here its been a chore, moving goal posts all the

time, asking for different things, i just got sick and tired of all the bullshit each visit... if you again read

another reason was all the crap my wife has to go through in the courts and then they told her to leave in 

7 days and return and apply again ... yes i know its expensive for Thai Elite i acknowledged that point but

for 5 yrs i don't have to go there again and tolerant them. 

 

i was there 2 weeks ago for 90 day reporting, i was 7 days early and my wife was 5 days late. 

i arrived got a number and in 30 seconds was called to counter, he did my passport in about 1 minute

then he noticed my wife was late only 5 days not it 8 days we don't count month by month we count 90 days

i said ok lets sort it out how much, for the next 20 mins small talk, lots of private questions i tried not to

answer , i asked has your computer broken down why so long to process, all of a sudden guy next to him left

and he said give me thb1,000 and i will stamp immediately otherwise you have to pay bigger fine, he was my

boss i cannot ask infant of him, i gave him the 1000 and told him just get on with it please...

 

i know Thai Elite is not for everybody cost wise but with all the other benefits such as limo transfers to and from the

airport and VIP through immigration departing and returning does make life a lot more enjoyable.

 

 

 

 

[ThaiWai]

Cambodia, Thai border, Customs??? Entirely baffling OP does not merit a speculative response. Post photos of what's in you passport if you want good information as you either have no idea what is going on or are terrible with English sentence structure. 

[Suradit69]

4 hours ago, xerostar said:

It just shows you how a small oversight in the visa process can cause a lot of headaches.

And it shows you that there is a significant & important difference between having an extension of stay versus having a valid visa despite many posters insisting that those who make the distinction are being pedantic and that the difference is just semantics. It isn't petty semantics. It can be quite important.

 

And references to 30 day checks, re-entry visas, etc make it even more difficult to understand the problem.

 

That said, if the O/P had a re-entry permit and a still valid existing extension of stay, it is possible that immigration failed to note that and just gave him a 30 day entry. When returning to Thailand you need to put the re-entry permit number on the arrival card (assuming you have one) and/or ensure that the immigration officer sees the re-entry permit in your passport when you enter the country.

 

Maybe the O/P needs to visit an immigration office to confirm whether an error was made when he returned since it's difficult to know what really happened based on his post.

[Tongjaw]

Sorry to crash the PM's question. 

I have a Non Imm extension of stay and a multi entry visa obtained in Thailand. It expires whilst I'm out of the country working. When I return to Thailand I will get a retirement visa. My question is, Do I need to apply for 30 or 90 days visa from a county outside Thailand before I can return, or can I get a tourist visa on entry and then apply for retirement visa? I have the funds in my Thai account already. I'm travelling on an Australian passport but not in my home country just now. 

[ubonjoe]

15 minutes ago, Tongjaw said:

Sorry to crash the PM's question. 

I have a Non Imm extension of stay and a multi entry visa obtained in Thailand. It expires whilst I'm out of the country working. When I return to Thailand I will get a retirement visa. My question is, Do I need to apply for 30 or 90 days visa from a county outside Thailand before I can return, or can I get a tourist visa on entry and then apply for retirement visa? I have the funds in my Thai account already. I'm travelling on an Australian passport but not in my home country just now. 

You can do the conversion to a 90 day non immigrant visa (category O) entry with a 30 day visa exempt entry. You would have to have at least 15 days remaining on the entry or the 30 day extension of it to apply for the visa.

The during the last 30 days of the 90 day entry you could apply for the extension of stay based upon retirement.

[KarenBravo]

Get a multiple entry re-entry permit at the same time as you do the annual Non-O visa extension. That way, you never have to think about it for another year and you'll be bullet-proof.

[balo]

You can't leave the kingdom without a re-entry stamp. Or your 1 year visa will get cancelled when you return . 

 

[Tongjaw]

3 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You can do the conversion to a 90 day non immigrant visa (category O) entry with a 30 day visa exempt entry. You would have to have at least 15 days remaining on the entry or the 30 day extension of it to apply for the visa.

The during the last 30 days of the 90 day entry you could apply for the extension of stay based upon retirement.

Thanks Ubonjoe. 

I'll be back in LOS in a few weeks and will get my retirement and multi entry visa done then. 

[Jack james]

[FritsSikkink]

35 minutes ago, Jack james said:

on 19 april 2017 you got admitted until next year but you chose to leave 2 weeks later. from 4 august 2017 onwards your visa was not valid anymore.

[Tanoshi]

OK Jack, you had a Non Imm O-A multi entry Visa.

 

A multi entry Non Imm O-A Visa. (Long stay). Valid 1 year. Can be issued to those who are over 50 who intend to remain in Thailand for long periods. This Visa allows unlimited 1 year entries before the ‘enter before’ date of the Visa, at which point this Visa is also ‘used’.

If you leave and re-enter just before the ‘enter before’ date of this Visa type you are granted another 1 year permission to stay. You will however require a re-entry permit if you intend to leave and re-enter Thailand during this 2^nd year permission to stay period.

This is because when the Visa expires on the ‘enter before’ date, so does the ME facility which is only valid until the ‘enter before’ date of the Visa.

You can obtain each 90 day permission to stay by either reporting to your local Immigration office (90 day reports), or exiting and re-entering Thailand. If used correctly, you can stay in Thailand for almost 24 months with this Visa type.

 

It appears you exited Thailand on 1st May 2017, but did not return before your Visa expired on 4th August 2017.

Although your previous exit/entry gave you permission to stay until April 2018, the multi entry facility of your Visa ended when the Visa expired on 4th August. You therefore needed a re-entry permit to keep your previous permission to stay valid until Apr 2018.

You were therefore only given a 30 day Visa exempt entry when you returned.

 

You can get a 30 day extension to buy more time at your local Immigration office, but will need to return to the US to obtain another O-A Visa.

 

Long term you can convert to a Non Imm O as a prelude to obtaining an extension of stay based on retirement from Immigration, but will need proof of 800,000 baht held in a Thai bank, an income of 65,000 baht per month, or a combination of the two.

Short term a Tourist Visa from a neighbouring Embassy/Consulate will give you 60 days, which can be extended for another 30 days.