Entering on 30 day exempt

[ross163103]

My one year extension of stay will expire while I'm out of the country so I'll be entering on a 30 day exempt next time I come in. I can't obtain a visa while I'm away so just wondering what my options are for getting my one year extension of stay again. Do I need to leave the country and get a 90 day visa and convert that to an extension of stay when it's close to expiring? I'm in Pattaya if that makes a difference with the immigration office. I haven't done this in a while so not sure what the latest procedure is. Thanks in advance for any intelligent answers.

[ubonjoe]

Upon what basis will the extension of stay be based upon?

For some extensions you can apply for a non immigrant visa entry at immigration that is needed to apply for the extension.

[ross163103]

48 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Upon what basis will the extension of stay be based upon?

For some extensions you can apply for a non immigrant visa entry at immigration that is needed to apply for the extension.

Thanks for the response; it will be based on retirement and I'll be showing an affadavit of income from my embassy.

[ubonjoe]

9 minutes ago, ross163103 said:

Thanks for the response; it will be based on retirement and I'll be showing an affadavit of income from my embassy.

You can apply for a 90 day non immigrant visa entry at immigration. 

General requirements are here. https://www.immigration.go.th/content/service_80  There may be other requirements dependent upon where you apply for it.

Then during the last 30 days of the 90 day entry you can apply for an extension based upon retirement.

[JackThompson]

1 hour ago, ross163103 said:

Thanks for the response; it will be based on retirement and I'll be showing an affadavit of income from my embassy.

 

10 hours ago, ross163103 said:

I'm in Pattaya if that makes a difference with the immigration office

Yes, it does.  The "conversion" people there are downright awful.  I had a fresh income-letter (MFA-certified, no less), and was told I could not use it.  The only way anyone has gotten one directly from that office, was to have Seasoned money in-the-bank - even though the official rules for a conversion do not require seasoned money - can be in the Thai bank starting on the date of application.

 

Their goal of their "special extra rules," is to force you to an agent, pay 12x more than the actual cost, with some portion of that going to the IO(s) involved, so that they will simply "do the job" they are being paid by the Thai people to perform. 

 

One option is to stay in Bangkok for the conversion-period, since the Chang Wattana office will process a conversion "by the book."  This is the only option for many of us who live in the Pattaya / Jomtien service-area. 

 

But the "retirement" and "tourist" services in Jomtien are OK - so when you need your annual extension based on retirement, you can do that in Pattaya.  Just be sure that when you "officially move" from Bangkok to Pattaya, after doing your conversion at Chang Wattana, you file a TM-28 and TM-30 form at the Jomtien immigration office immediately.
 

See this thread on conversions in Jomtien for retirement:

 

See this thread on the question of how to do one in Bangkok, though will be living somewhere else:

 

 

Edited January 11, 2018 by JackThompson
fixed link to other thread

[ross163103]

Thanks for all the responses; one more question concerning this process. I'll only be in Thailand around 40 days so will have to do the conversions before that, is it possible? No problem with the 30 day to 90 day but what about the 90 day to one year extension of stay? Is it possible to do it before 40 days?

[JackThompson]

1 hour ago, ross163103 said:

Thanks for all the responses; one more question concerning this process. I'll only be in Thailand around 40 days so will have to do the conversions before that, is it possible? No problem with the 30 day to 90 day but what about the 90 day to one year extension of stay? Is it possible to do it before 40 days?

The last 30 days of the 90-day Non-O is when you could apply for the year extension-of-stay - 45 days before is the maximum at some offices. 

 

But, if you will be back within the 90-days of your Non-O, then you could get a "re-entry permit" to preserve your 90-day permitted-stay, come back using that for entry, then apply for the 1-year extension. 

 

But if only staying 40 days, and if you cannot return before your Non-O 90-days is over, I'd recommend arriving with a Tourist Visa or Visa Exempt + 30-day extension of it to cover that time period.  Then, begin this process on your next entry, when you plan to be here awhile.

[ross163103]

3 hours ago, JackThompson said:

The last 30 days of the 90-day Non-O is when you could apply for the year extension-of-stay - 45 days before is the maximum at some offices. 

 

But, if you will be back within the 90-days of your Non-O, then you could get a "re-entry permit" to preserve your 90-day permitted-stay, come back using that for entry, then apply for the 1-year extension. 

 

But if only staying 40 days, and if you cannot return before your Non-O 90-days is over, I'd recommend arriving with a Tourist Visa or Visa Exempt + 30-day extension of it to cover that time period.  Then, begin this process on your next entry, when you plan to be here awhile.

Thanks JackThompson, I work offshore so will always only be here 40-42 days, then out for 42 days. How do I get an extension on a 30 day visa exempt?

[JackThompson]

7 hours ago, ross163103 said:

Thanks JackThompson, I work offshore so will always only be here 40-42 days, then out for 42 days. How do I get an extension on a 30 day visa exempt?

In that case, you would get a re-entry permit on your 90-days Non-O, which should be long enough for you to go out and back while it is still running.  The re-entry permit will allow you to keep the "permitted stay date" from the Non-O alive when you return.  Then you can apply for your 1-year extension when you get back.

[ross163103]

7 hours ago, JackThompson said:

In that case, you would get a re-entry permit on your 90-days Non-O, which should be long enough for you to go out and back while it is still running.  The re-entry permit will allow you to keep the "permitted stay date" from the Non-O alive when you return.  Then you can apply for your 1-year extension when you get back.

OK, thanks for the info, hopefully it'll work out smoothly.