Retirement extension experience

[Bluetongue]

As some of you may recall, I was asking for advice re the pro's and con's of doing another extension or just using the 30 day airport permit as I was going back to Australia more frequently and for longer. Anyway the advice was better off with the extension so I did that. Just one point came up.

 

I presented Chantaburi Immigration with letter from bank, stat dec from Embassy, and a copy of wife's ID and tabien baan. Not sure whether the last document was required or not. I asked for a 12 month extension. He briefly studied my documents and said " where is your wife?" I said well I didn't bring her. He said "I have to interview her". Then I said well I didn't bring her in previous years, I didn't know this requirement, in any case she's gone to Udon Thani until the 20th. This was the 17th. He  said "the law has changed I have to interview her" I said well my permit expires tomorrow, what can I do. He had apparently misheard me because he then said " your wife does not come back until the 28th" and I told him that she was doing something with the temple, I wasn't precisely sure. Anyway at that point he said nothing further but it appeared that he was processing the extension, I got him the photocopies and photograph he wanted, he took the photo of me etc. I did think at one point that maybe he initially thought I was getting an extension based on marriage and then realised so didn't push it further but not sure about that. And after lunch had passed and the usual interruptions everytime some one came in, he called me to the counter and got the money 1900 baht off me, laboriously produced a receipt, called me again and said he was giving me the extension this time but next year I have to bring her with me. He then advised that the chief wasn't in and I would have to come back on Friday (19th) to collect my passport or, maybe, next week. I wasn't happy about that but they have done that before. Anyway he gave me the phone number and I picked it up alright on Friday, although I half expected there to be some problem.

 

So anyway, just wanted to alert the forum to what the officer said, next year I will probably ask for advice again as the wife and I are under the same roof, but I doubt whether she'd be happy to go with me, and I really don't want her to be having a conversation with Immigration about my finances anyway.

[stereolab]

Nong Khai have also made this a requirement to bring along wife when making an extension of stay (retirement) application. You mention above “the law has changed”, but is it a country wide law, or another lawless immigration office.

[ubonjoe]

A inflammatory and abusive post has been removed.

[ezzra]

A scout's motto is ' be prepared ' and when you deal with Thai bureaucracy

it's best to anticipate that things will go side ways as they often do,

so be ready for all sorts or new requests and documents, best to be

patient and take chalk everything to next year knowledge...

 

[asiaexpat]

Wife not needed according to my recent extension based on retirement at CW. However, my wife was with me and the officer did not read my application and started a Thai Wife extension. When he asked for the marriage certificate I inquired why it was needed for a retirement extension. He then read the paperwork and ask my wife to sit outside the office. I believe that since my previous extensions were Thai Wife extensions he expected the same this time. All went fine without the wife after that. 

[OJAS]

22 hours ago, asiaexpat said:

Wife not needed according to my recent extension based on retirement at CW. However, my wife was with me and the officer did not read my application and started a Thai Wife extension. When he asked for the marriage certificate I inquired why it was needed for a retirement extension. He then read the paperwork and ask my wife to sit outside the office. I believe that since my previous extensions were Thai Wife extensions he expected the same this time. All went fine without the wife after that. 

But did he ask your wife to confirm that she was happy with the switch from marriage to retirement before asking her to sit outside the office (as, I gather, is - or rather should be - standard practice in such cases)?

[BritTim]

8 minutes ago, OJAS said:

But did he ask your wife to confirm that she was happy with the switch from marriage to retirement before asking her to sit outside the office (as, I gather, is - or rather should be - standard practice in such cases)?

Very few immigration officials was to risk a change of mind that would force them to process the more onerous marriage extension which involves them in extra work. The only surprising feature is that they were willing to talk to the person applying for a retirement extension when there was a native Thai speaker they could talk to instead.

[OJAS]

23 hours ago, asiaexpat said:

All went fine without the wife after that. 

Unless the officers at Chaengwattana are, in general, reasonably fluent in the English language (as presumably the one you dealt with on this occasion was) - or, conversely, you are reasonably fluent in the Thai language - it might nevertheless still be strongly advisable IMHO to have your wife accompany you on future extension of stay trips so as to minimise the risk of major communication problems arising on account of the language barrier.

[phuketrichard]

On 1/29/2018 at 11:23 AM, stereolab said:

Nong Khai have also made this a requirement to bring along wife when making an extension of stay (retirement) application. You mention above “the law has changed”, but is it a country wide law, or another lawless immigration office.

why would you need bring a wife if ur doing a retirement extension?
I have never been asked at immigration if i am married or not.

[kingstonkid]

I always take the GF because they want her to sign the copies to establish they are legit.  To me it just makes things easier and she can help interpret what they want.

[stereolab]

2 hours ago, phuketrichard said:

why would you need bring a wife if ur doing a retirement extension?
I have never been asked at immigration if i am married or not.

Nong Khai is a rogue office. I will, off course, do a pre-visit, a few months ahead of this years extension.

[kingstonkid]

In my case, I live with my gf and she owns the house, therefore, they want the landlord papers done and also have aske3d for copies of her paperwork.  Is it needed NO but the last time I did it without her they wanted her confirmation about residency so we have just made a day of it.  Go to immigration then lunch, see a movie or do something else.  

 

Too me not a huge thing just makes it easier.

[wilkis333]

For retirement extension, someone need to put 800k in the bank but spouse visa ,someone just need to put 400k. If i need to bring my wife for the process,i will not go through the retirement channel.

[Suradit69]

25 minutes ago, wilkis333 said:

For retirement extension, someone need to put 800k in the bank but spouse visa ,someone just need to put 400k. If i need to bring my wife for the process,i will not go through the retirement channel.

Interesting perspective. You choose to apply for an extension based on retirement because that's preferable to bringing your wife to the immigration office.

[Isan Farang]

3 hours ago, phuketrichard said:

why would you need bring a wife if ur doing a retirement extension?
I have never been asked at immigration if i am married or not.

Went to do my 90 day report in Ubon yesterday, the guy spent some time on his computer studying my profile and then he asked me if I was married, when I replied yes he told me to call my wife as he wanted to talk with her.

When I returned home my wife told me he wanted her full name and telephone number for there data base.

 

He also asked me if I owned the house as per the address they have on file.

 

Never been asked any of this before, and when I done the initial 1 year extension my wife was not present.

[TKDfella]

'...back on Friday (19th) to collect my passport or, maybe, next week...' Having been here 20+ years and been through both marriage and retirement procedures my passport has always been given back to me containing the appropriate stamp. Even when changing procedures I retained my passport. Why would immigration want to keep the passport for extension procedures? Sounds suspicious to me.

[Thaidream]

Some of these offices are a law unto themselves with odd ways of processing and odd requests for extra paperwork. 

 

-Chaengwattana never asks for anything other than the normal paperwork for retirement or marriage nor does Chiang Mai

-Samui asks for a medical check- no other office does this

-A few offices ask the income letter from the Embassy be signed off at the Thai ministry of foreign affairs-

-Jomtien/Pattaya- keeps the passport for 1 day and you pick it up the next day. If you need to do a conversion to a Non O- this office does everything it can do to stymie the process.

-Phuket asks for pics standing outside your residence for the retirement extension.

_Nong Khai has some odd requests based upon who you get as the processor.

 

These are all I can remember.... and hope there are no more.

 

 

[Jonnapat]

On 29/01/2018 at 11:52 AM, ezzra said:

A scout's motto is ' be prepared ' and when you deal with Thai bureaucracy

it's best to anticipate that things will go side ways as they often do,

so be ready for all sorts or new requests and documents, best to be

patient and take chalk everything to next year knowledge...

 

Everyone should know that they like to be the boss of the faring.

It's that nationalistic thing again which is learned at an early age (

[Golden Triangle]

My last extension was a nightmare, I report to Jomtien immigration, I'll try to cut a long story as short as possible.

 

I renewed my passport prior to my retirement extension expiry,

 

New passport arrives, I head to immigration with all the paperwork for transferring visas and also renewal of extension of stay (retirement) 

 

We arrived in the afternoon, always the best time to hit Pattaya immigration, the guy with 3 pips at the front desk was a total dick, I showed him that I had completed all the required paperwork for both issues, but he still decided that he needed to throw 3 forms at me to fill in (which I had done already).

 

Eventually got my ticket sat in the queue and when my number was called went to see the nice young lady, not so nice, firstly she said that to transfer visas takes 2 days, this was a Thursday, so they would process the visas from one passport to the other but would not action the extension.

 

I got my plastic numbered tag  and told to come back on Monday but when I came back on the Monday I would need to show money going into my account ?? I questioned this and the girl said that as the letter from the bank was dated from the Wednesday that the letter was okay but as it was a Monday and 5 days later she needed to see money coming in to my account, I have more than the required amount in my everyday account so just be aware guys okay.

 

I got my extension eventually, next year I will try and avoid the bird in civvies to the far right on desk 8 

 

 

[asiaexpat]

23 hours ago, OJAS said:

But did he ask your wife to confirm that she was happy with the switch from marriage to retirement before asking her to sit outside the office (as, I gather, is - or rather should be - standard practice in such cases)?

No

[seancbk]

On 1/29/2018 at 11:23 AM, stereolab said:

Nong Khai have also made this a requirement to bring along wife when making an extension of stay (retirement) application. You mention above “the law has changed”, but is it a country wide law, or another lawless immigration office.

 

This might prove tricky for guys who are not married.    

The extension is either for retirement or for marriage, obviously if you are applying for an extension based on marriage you'd need to prove you have a wife, but for an extension based on retirement it clearly isn't required.   

 

[sandyf]

On 1/30/2018 at 5:22 PM, TKDfella said:

'...back on Friday (19th) to collect my passport or, maybe, next week...' Having been here 20+ years and been through both marriage and retirement procedures my passport has always been given back to me containing the appropriate stamp. Even when changing procedures I retained my passport. Why would immigration want to keep the passport for extension procedures? Sounds suspicious to me.

Common practice when there is no one available to sign, 'out to a meeting'.

It is fairly obvious at Sri Ratcha, you walk in the door and there are no 'agents' with a pile of passports in their hand, they must get word on the meetings.

[JackThompson]

On 1/31/2018 at 1:01 AM, Golden Triangle said:

We arrived in the afternoon, always the best time to hit Pattaya immigration, the guy with 3 pips at the front desk was a total dick, I showed him that I had completed all the required paperwork for both issues, but he still decided that he needed to throw 3 forms at me to fill in (which I had done already).

That is his normal attitude.  See his pics displayed on the right-side of the center desk, if you are curious why he is always angry (not sure if still there).  I think it is "dress-code" related.

 

Quote

Eventually got my ticket sat in the queue and when my number was called went to see the nice young lady, not so nice, firstly she said that to transfer visas takes 2 days,

This is new.  Thanks for reporting it.  That could affect a lot of people. 

How much you want to bet this doesn't affect "agent submitted" applications?  Looks like another desk wants brown-envelopes, now.

[Bluetongue]

On 1/31/2018 at 1:48 PM, seancbk said:

 

This might prove tricky for guys who are not married.    

The extension is either for retirement or for marriage, obviously if you are applying for an extension based on marriage you'd need to prove you have a wife, but for an extension based on retirement it clearly isn't required.   

 

I think you would be OK if you had never mentioned marriage and they didn't know, but in my case I was initially on a marriage extension a few years ago and I live with my wife, they know this. I chose to change to the retirement extension because it was easier. I guess an immigration officer can make whatever inquiries they like about an extension, including talking to your wife if they know you have one. It just throws a spanner in the works in my case.