Immigration Hours During HM Cremation Week

[Khon Baan Nok]

I am arriving in BKK on 24 October with the intention of doing my retirement visa renewal.  Is there any official word on what the Immigration work schedule will be the week of and the week after HM's cremation?  Looking for hard facts, not guesses...

 

S.

[thedi]

There was a statement, that shopping centers, business etc. will close only one day: the 25. Oct. I can not remember if government offices where listed too.

Regards

Thedi

[007 RED]

43 minutes ago, thedi said:

There was a statement, that shopping centers, business etc. will close only one day: the 25. Oct. I can not remember if government offices where listed too.

Regards

Thedi

Not sure why shopping centers, business etc. will close only one day: the 25th Oct. 

 

The Royal Cremation is on the 26th Oct and this day has been designated a public holiday, so all Government offices will be closed on that day.  Normally shops etc. open on public holidays but given the significance of the day I would expect that many will also close on the 26th as a mark of respect.

 

OP.... You can definitely expect immigration offices to be closed on the 26th Oct.

 

FYI - Thai public holiday list = http://www.officeholidays.com/countries/thailand/index.php

[thedi]

Sorry, it was the 26. Oct. in that official statement. The point was, that they should close only one day.

[ubonjoe]

The only holidays this month are these.

13 October (Friday) King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s Passing (see note)
23 October (Monday) Chulalongkorn Day
26 October (Thursday) King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s Cremation (see note 2)

(Note: Holidays canceled and added according to Cabinet resolution on 11 April 2017
Note 2 Cabinet resolution on 24 April 2017)

Source: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/961315-official-holidays-in-thailand-2017/?do=findComment&comment=11477173

 

[Tanoshi]

If as your username suggests your residence in Thailand will be in Khon Baan Nok (Phitsanulok) and that's where you'll be renewing your extension based on retirement (not a Visa), I'd suggest you plan on visiting Immigration the week after you arrive.

 

With millions of Thais expected to be visiting Bangkok from 24th of that week, travel could be a little chaotic. 

[mikosan]

No one knows, but it would be best to forget the week starting 23rd October. Plan on the following week.  And yes, it is an extension of your visa for the purposes of retirement, NOT a retirement visa.  When will people realise this?

 

[Aditi Sharma]

8 minutes ago, mikosan said:

 And yes, it is an extension of your visa for the purposes of retirement, NOT a retirement visa.  When will people realise this?

 

What is the difference?

[mikosan]

2 minutes ago, Aditi Sharma said:

What is the difference?

It's a technicality.  Whilst everyone calls it a 'retirement visa' it is actually and extension of your visa for the purposes of retirement.  Look it up on the Internet.

 

[Aditi Sharma]

5 minutes ago, mikosan said:

It's a technicality.  Whilst everyone calls it a 'retirement visa' it is actually and extension of your visa for the purposes of retirement.  Look it up on the Internet.

 

Thanks. If the OP is flying in from abroad then it is a retirement visa, if he is coming to BKK from another province he is interested in doing the annual extension. Am I right?

[Tanoshi]

11 hours ago, mikosan said:

 And yes, it is an extension of your visa for the purposes of retirement, NOT a retirement visa.  When will people realise this?

 

11 hours ago, Aditi Sharma said:

What is the difference?

 

It is not an extension of your Visa. A Visa cannot be extended.

You can only extend your permission to stay.

 

 

[Tanoshi]

11 hours ago, Aditi Sharma said:

Thanks. If the OP is flying in from abroad then it is a retirement visa, if he is coming to BKK from another province he is interested in doing the annual extension. Am I right?

No.

Visas are Vignettes or Apostles stuck in your passport.

They describe the type of Visa Non Imm O or Non Imm O-A, the number of allowable entries, either single or multiple.

They have validity date, and an enter before date.

The word 'Retirement' never appears on a Visa.

 

You must have a Non Imm type Visa to obtain the annual extension based on either 'marriage' or 'retirement'.

This is a permit, not a Visa, it is a stamp placed in your passport.

Unlike a Visa It does not allow any entries to Thailand.

You are not extending the Visa, that becomes dead when you reach the 'enter before' date.

You are extending your permission to stay in Thailand.

 

TM7.

APPLICATION FOR EXTENSION OF TEMPORARY STAY IN THE KINGDOM

[Aditi Sharma]

2 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

No.

Visas are Vignettes or Apostles stuck in your passport.

They describe the type of Visa Non Imm O or Non Imm O-A, the number of allowable entries, either single or multiple.

They have validity date, and an enter before date.

The word 'Retirement' never appears on a Visa.

 

You must have a Non Imm type Visa to obtain the annual extension based on either 'marriage' or 'retirement'.

This is a permit, not a Visa, it is a stamp placed in your passport.

Unlike a Visa It does not allow any entries to Thailand.

You are not extending the Visa, that becomes dead when you reach the 'enter before' date.

You are extending your permission to stay in Thailand.

 

TM7.

APPLICATION FOR EXTENSION OF TEMPORARY STAY IN THE KINGDOM

You enter with a non imm o in the passport and at renewal they stamp it with a permit. But if I step out of the country even for a bit and haven't got a multiple entry visa I am going to have to come back with a fresh non-imm o visa. Will they give me that visa on arrival at the landborders or at the airports?

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, Aditi Sharma said:

You enter with a non imm o in the passport and at renewal they stamp it with a permit. But if I step out of the country even for a bit and haven't got a multiple entry visa I am going to have to come back with a fresh non-imm o visa. Will they give me that visa on arrival at the landborders or at the airports?

Immigration at entry points do not issue visas other than a 15 day visa on arrival after paying a 2000 baht fee for those that qualify for one.

You would have to apply for a new visa at an embassy or consulate.

[petermik]

On 10/6/2017 at 12:32 AM, ubonjoe said:

The only holidays this month are these.

13 October (Friday) King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s Passing (see note)
 

 

I take it then Jomtien Immigration will be shut.....or not?

[ubonjoe]

8 minutes ago, petermik said:

I take it then Jomtien Immigration will be shut.....or not?

All immigration offices will be closed on those holidays.

[brewsterbudgen]

No one knows, but it would be best to forget the week starting 23rd October. Plan on the following week.  And yes, it is an extension of your visa for the purposes of retirement, NOT a retirement visa.  When will people realise this?
 

"No one knows...?" Actually, I don't think Ubonjoe's information could be any clearer or more definitive!

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[mikosan]

4 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

No.

Visas are Vignettes or Apostles stuck in your passport.

They describe the type of Visa Non Imm O or Non Imm O-A, the number of allowable entries, either single or multiple.

They have validity date, and an enter before date.

The word 'Retirement' never appears on a Visa.

 

You must have a Non Imm type Visa to obtain the annual extension based on either 'marriage' or 'retirement'.

This is a permit, not a Visa, it is a stamp placed in your passport.

Unlike a Visa It does not allow any entries to Thailand.

You are not extending the Visa, that becomes dead when you reach the 'enter before' date.

You are extending your permission to stay in Thailand.

 

TM7.

APPLICATION FOR EXTENSION OF TEMPORARY STAY IN THE KINGDOM

OK, OK, let's be pedantic.  It is an extension of your permission to stay, for the purposes of retirement, based on the fact that you originally had a Non-Imm O or Non-Imm O-A visa .  If you didn't have the visa in the first place you wouldn't have been able to extend your stay. Yes or no?

[Aditi Sharma]

1 hour ago, mikosan said:

OK, OK, let's be pedantic.  It is an extension of your permission to stay, for the purposes of retirement, based on the fact that you originally had a Non-Imm O or Non-Imm O-A visa .  If you didn't have the visa in the first place you wouldn't have been able to extend your stay. Yes or no?

Yes. But it is being assumed here that the OP was flying in to BKK from another province. What's the difference between Non-IMM O and Non-Imm O-A visas, mikosan.

[Phuket Man]

A Non Imm O Visa gives a stay of 90 days.

A Multiple Entry Non Imm O Visa gives multiple stays of up to 90 days and is valid for 12 months.

A Multi Entry Non Imm O-A Visa gives a stay of 12 months.

Do a border run just before the Visa expires and get another 12 months.

[mikosan]

13 minutes ago, Phuket Man said:

A Non Imm O Visa gives a stay of 90 days.

A Multiple Entry Non Imm O Visa gives multiple stays of up to 90 days and is valid for 12 months.

A Multi Entry Non Imm O-A Visa gives a stay of 12 months.

Do a border run just before the Visa expires and get another 12 months.

If I remember correctly, I did a border run just before he expiry of my multiple entry Non-Imm 'O' visa and they gave me a further 90 days, then I had to apply for an extension of stay for the purposes of retirement, which I have continued to do for subsequent years.  My annual extension of stay refers back to my original Non Imm 'O' visa.

[Phuket Man]

10 minutes ago, mikosan said:

If I remember correctly, I did a border run just before he expiry of my multiple entry Non-Imm 'O' visa and they gave me a further 90 days, then I had to apply for an extension of stay for the purposes of retirement, which I have continued to do for subsequent years.  My annual extension of stay refers back to my original Non Imm 'O' visa.

Correct. The Visa is valid for 12 months.

[mikosan]

3 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

"No one knows...?" Actually, I don't think Ubonjoe's information could be any clearer or more definitive!

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Far be it for me to contradict anything that ubonjoe writes on this subject, he is by far the most knowledgeable person I know in these matters.  However, if it was me I would write off the whole of the week commencing 23rd October, be that because the BKK immigration offices will be closed on the dates suggested, but as TIT, anything is subject to change at a moments notice, or because it will be chaos in BKK.

[brewsterbudgen]

Far be it for me to contradict anything that ubonjoe writes on this subject, he is by far the most knowledgeable person I know in these matters.  However, if it was me I would write off the whole of the week commencing 23rd October, be that because the BKK immigration offices will be closed on the dates suggested, but as TIT, anything is subject to change at a moments notice, or because it will be chaos in BKK.

It might. I will be working in central Bangkok on all the dates except the 26th, so will report back.

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[mikosan]

7 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

It might. I will be working in central Bangkok on all the dates except the 26th, so will report back.

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Good luck.  I hope everything goes to plan for you.

 

[007 RED]

OP......  My wife and I have just returned home from having a meal with a long-time friend of my wife (they went to university together).  My wife’s friend is a very senior officer in immigration HQ, and during our conversation she confirmed that as per the Government directive immigration will not be working on the 26th Oct. – the day of the late King’s cremation which has been designated as a public holiday. 

 

She confirmed that immigration offices will be open as normal on the 23rd, 24th, 25th and 27th.

[StayinThailand2much]

2 hours ago, 007 RED said:

OP......  My wife and I have just returned home from having a meal with a long-time friend of my wife (they went to university together).  My wife’s friend is a very senior officer in immigration HQ, and during our conversation she confirmed that as per the Government directive immigration will not be working on the 26th Oct. – the day of the late King’s cremation which has been designated as a public holiday. 

 

She confirmed that immigration offices will be open as normal on the 23rd, 24th, 25th and 27th.

And I was under the impression that both, the 23rd and the 26th were public holidays... 

[brewsterbudgen]

And I was under the impression that both, the 23rd and the 26th were public holidays... 

Indeed they are. Ubonjoe's post #5 is all anyone needs to know on this topic, not hearsay from people's wives!

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[ubonjoe]

11 hours ago, 007 RED said:

She confirmed that immigration offices will be open as normal on the 23rd, 24th, 25th and 27th.

Perhaps a misunderstanding. The 23rd is a regular holiday and immigration will certainly be closed.

[007 RED]

9 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

And I was under the impression that both, the 23rd and the 26th were public holidays... 

 

25 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Indeed they are. Ubonjoe's post #5 is all anyone needs to know on this topic, not hearsay from people's wives!

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9 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Perhaps a misunderstanding. The 23rd is a regular holiday and immigration will certainly be closed.

I stand corrected and apologies to all.... 23rd and 26th are both public holidays.... Wife's friend text this early this morning to say that she had forgotten the 23rd was a normal public holiday.