How long does it take to renew a retirement visa at immigration in Bangkok?

[wealthychef]

Hi, it's time for me to go get a 12 month renewal of my retirement visa.  I am a US citizen.  I know I have to go get the statement of income from the US embassy.  Once that is done, can someone point me to a walk-through so I have the right forms and don't waste a trip to the heinous immigration office?  Thanks for any help, and apologies if this is a duplicate.  I searched google and this website and after about a half hour could not find what I'm asking for yet so I thought I'd ask here.  

Side note of interest, I tried to contact a visa service (speedy-visa.com), thinking to pay for convenience and save some time, and the impatient man on the phone there was really quite unkind and unhelpful, adamant that they don't do "hand holding" service and berated me for not reading his website closely enough.  Bad taste in my mouth.  He hung up on me without a goodbye.  I recommend avoiding speedy visa "services" if you want kindness and service, unless you are desperate and a bit masochistic.  

Thanks for any help.  

[BritTim]

If you want hand holding in Bangkok, Bangkok Buddy (http://bangkokbuddy.com/) is fine. They have a contact at Chaeng Wattana who does a good job. You will need to attend immigration, but they will set up an appointment, and transport you there and back.

[partington]

Firstly, although it seems pedantic, you should use the correct terminology so that you fully understand what you are doing and so people know what you are referring to exactly.

 

You are not renewing a "visa": a visa is a permission to enter a country at a border, which you obtain outside a country in order to be allowed to enter, and the period of validity of a visa is the time within which you will be allowed to enter the country using it (except under very restricted circumstances involving a nominal 'conversion' of a tourist to a non-imm O visa which is instantly used and therefore not valid). The period of validity of the visa does not refer to how long you are allowed to stay in the country, merely how long you are allowed to use it to enter the country.

 

When you go to immigration to apply for an extension of the period you are allowed to stay on the grounds of retirement, you are not renewing a visa: you are asking for the time you have been allowed to stay after entering on that visa to be extended. You will not have a valid visa at this point, that is you will not be allowed to enter at a border with your one year permission to stay intact. This is because you no longer have a visa, and will be allowed entry on a visa waiver, which for most countries only allows you to stay 30 days.

 

To answer your question specifically:

I did my retirement extension at Chaengwattana Bangkok last week.  I arrived at 8am, and had the extension by 10:30 am, with only 25 people waiting before me.

 

You need the filled in TM7 form (titled 'application for extension of stay in the kingdom'  not 'application for visa'!) 

 

a 4cm X 6cm recent photo on white or grey background .

 

Photocopies of passport photo page, visa page, last entry page and TM 6 departure /entry card: also last retirement extension stamp if you have one.

 

Letter from Embassy detailing income. 

[EDIT : You should probably bring any documentary evidence of income just in case they ask, on the better safe than sorry principle, not because they are likely to ask.]

 

I would take Bank book and photocopies of it even if applying entirely on the basis of income in case they ask.

 

Need bank letter stating account balance if applying by combination of income/balance, and update bank book on day of application, with photocopy of updated page .

 

Proof of address (asked for if this is your first application, but not usually after that, but take it anyway)

Sign the photocopies at the bottom.

 

That was all I needed.

You will need to apply for a re-entry permit if you intend to leave Thailand during any period of your extension when your visa is no longer valid.

 

Edited February 7, 2018 by partington

[asiaexpat]

To answer your question about "how long does it take", that depends on the day and time you go to CW. Two weeks ago I went on a Tuesday and arrived at 9AM. I finally got to see the first officer at 1:30 PM. Finished process at 2:30 PM. Never know how long until you get there.

[wealthychef]

1 hour ago, BritTim said:

If you want hand holding in Bangkok, Bangkok Buddy (http://bangkokbuddy.com/) is fine. They have a contact at Chaeng Wattana who does a good job. You will need to attend immigration, but they will set up an appointment, and transport you there and back.

Thanks for the tip!  :-) 

[TommyTucker]

Firstly, although it seems pedantic, you should use the correct terminology so that you fully understand what you are doing and so people know what you are referring to exactly.
 
You are not renewing a "visa": a visa is a permission to enter a country at a border, which you obtain outside a country in order to be allowed to enter, and the period of validity of a visa is the time within which you will be allowed to enter the country using it (except under very restricted circumstances involving a nominal 'conversion' of a tourist to a non-imm O visa which is instantly used and therefore not valid). The period of validity of the visa does not refer to how long you are allowed to stay in the country, merely how long you are allowed to use it to enter the country.
 
When you go to immigration to apply for an extension of the period you are allowed to stay on the grounds of retirement, you are not renewing a visa: you are asking for the time you have been allowed to stay after entering on that visa to be extended. You will not have a valid visa at this point, that is you will not be allowed to enter at a border with your one year permission to stay intact. This is because you no longer have a visa, and will be allowed entry on a visa waiver, which for most countries only allows you to stay 30 days.
 
To answer your question specifically:
I did my retirement extension at Chaengwattana Bangkok last week.  I arrived at 8am, and had the extension by 10:30 am, with only 25 people waiting before me.
 
You need the filled in TM7 form (titled 'application for extension of stay in the kingdom'  not 'application for visa'!) 
 
a 4cm X 6cm recent photo on white or grey background .
 
Photocopies of passport photo page, visa page, last entry page and TM 6 departure /entry card: also last retirement extension stamp if you have one.
 
Letter from Embassy detailing income. 
[EDIT : You should probably bring any documentary evidence of income just in case they ask, on the better safe than sorry principle, not because they are likely to ask.]
 
I would take Bank book and photocopies of it even if applying entirely on the basis of income in case they ask.
 
Need bank letter stating account balance if applying by combination of income/balance, and update bank book on day of application, with photocopy of updated page .
 
Proof of address (asked for if this is your first application, but not usually after that, but take it anyway)
Sign the photocopies at the bottom.
 
That was all I needed.
You will need to apply for a re-entry permit if you intend to leave Thailand during any period of your extension when your visa is no longer valid.
 

What a fantastic, clear and helpful article, well done Partington!


Enjoy life, whilst you can!

[wealthychef]

1 hour ago, partington said:

Firstly, although it seems pedantic, you should use the correct terminology so that you fully understand what you are doing and so people know what you are referring to exactly.

 

You are not renewing a "visa": a visa is a permission to enter a country at a border, which you obtain outside a country in order to be allowed to enter, and the period of validity of a visa is the time within which you will be allowed to enter the country using it (except under very restricted circumstances involving a nominal 'conversion' of a tourist to a non-imm O visa which is instantly used and therefore not valid). The period of validity of the visa does not refer to how long you are allowed to stay in the country, merely how long you are allowed to use it to enter the country.

 

When you go to immigration to apply for an extension of the period you are allowed to stay on the grounds of retirement, you are not renewing a visa: you are asking for the time you have been allowed to stay after entering on that visa to be extended. You will not have a valid visa at this point, that is you will not be allowed to enter at a border with your one year permission to stay intact. This is because you no longer have a visa, and will be allowed entry on a visa waiver, which for most countries only allows you to stay 30 days.

 

To answer your question specifically:

I did my retirement extension at Chaengwattana Bangkok last week.  I arrived at 8am, and had the extension by 10:30 am, with only 25 people waiting before me.

 

You need the filled in TM7 form (titled 'application for extension of stay in the kingdom'  not 'application for visa'!) 

 

a 4cm X 6cm recent photo on white or grey background .

 

Photocopies of passport photo page, visa page, last entry page and TM 6 departure /entry card: also last retirement extension stamp if you have one.

 

Letter from Embassy detailing income. 

[EDIT : You should probably bring any documentary evidence of income just in case they ask, on the better safe than sorry principle, not because they are likely to ask.]

 

I would take Bank book and photocopies of it even if applying entirely on the basis of income in case they ask.

 

Need bank letter stating account balance if applying by combination of income/balance, and update bank book on day of application, with photocopy of updated page .

 

Proof of address (asked for if this is your first application, but not usually after that, but take it anyway)

Sign the photocopies at the bottom.

 

That was all I needed.

You will need to apply for a re-entry permit if you intend to leave Thailand during any period of your extension when your visa is no longer valid.

 

 

Thank you very much for your clear description and quick reply.  

However, now I'm confused by your "clarification."  You said

 

Quote

you are not renewing a visa: you are asking for the time you have been allowed to stay after entering on that visa to be extended. You will not have a valid visa at this point, that is you will not be allowed to enter at a border with your one year permission to stay intact. This is because you no longer have a visa, and will be allowed entry on a visa waiver, which for most countries only allows you to stay 30 days.

 

I frequently exit and re-enter, and previously my visa was a multiple-enty visa.  The term of the visa expires at end of Feb.  I need to extend my permission to stay as well as permission to exit and enter at will.  You have just made things more confusing for me.  Definitely the visa expires at end of Feb.  Are you saying I don't need to renew that?  <deleted>, thanks.  

[SpokaneAl]

  I frequently exit and re-enter, and previously my visa was a multiple-enty visa.  The term of the visa expires at end of Feb.  I need to extend my permission to stay as well as permission to exit and enter at will.  You have just made things more confusing for me.  Definitely the visa expires at end of Feb.  Are you saying I don't need to renew that?  , thanks.   

 

 To keep it simple, you are not renewing a visa. You are applying for an extension of stay. If you have plans to leave the country, additionally you will need to purchase a reentry permit which is an additional cost. You can purchase a single reentry permit, good for one out and return, or a multi reentry permit, if you plan to leave the country more frequently.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

[wealthychef]

7 minutes ago, SpokaneAl said:

 To keep it simple, you are not renewing a visa. You are applying for an extension of stay. If you have plans to leave the country, additionally you will need to purchase a reentry permit which is an additional cost. You can purchase a single reentry permit, good for one out and return, or a multi reentry permit, if you plan to leave the country more frequently.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

Thank you for the clarification.  You are incorrect about one thing:  I am renewing my visa, as well as applying for an extension of stay.  I'm actually doing both because yes I have plans to leave the country.  

Your post should be pinned as a permanent fixture to inform people of the process of renewal of visas and entry permits.  Thanks again. 

EDIT:  given that I am applying for both things, are there more documents I need to prepare?  

Edited February 7, 2018 by wealthychef

[wealthychef]

21 minutes ago, asiaexpat said:

To answer your question about "how long does it take", that depends on the day and time you go to CW. Two weeks ago I went on a Tuesday and arrived at 9AM. I finally got to see the first officer at 1:30 PM. Finished process at 2:30 PM. Never know how long until you get there.

Sigh, that's my concern.  Thanks for sharing that.  I have also heard it's a good strategy to arrive after lunch and get a number, as they try to clear the lines before leaving for the day.  I tried it once and it worked pretty well.  

I do note that the other person that it went quickly for got there at 8AM but I'm not willing to suffer to that level.  :-)  

[SpokaneAl]

  Thank you for the clarification.  You are incorrect about one thing:  I am renewing my visa, as well as applying for an extension of stay.  I'm actually doing both because yes I have plans to leave the country.   Your post should be pinned as a permanent fixture to inform people of the process of renewal of visas and entry permits.  Thanks again. 

EDIT:  given that I am applying for both things, are there more documents I need to prepare?  

 

 

 I don’t think so. You are applying for an extension of stay based on retirement. There is no more visa for you. Purchasing the reentry permit will allow you to leave and return while you maintain your extension of stay.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

[BritTim]

12 minutes ago, wealthychef said:

Thank you for the clarification.  You are incorrect about one thing:  I am renewing my visa, as well as applying for an extension of stay.  I'm actually doing both because yes I have plans to leave the country.  

Your post should be pinned as a permanent fixture to inform people of the process of renewal of visas and entry permits.  Thanks again. 

EDIT:  given that I am applying for both things, are there more documents I need to prepare?  

As others have tried to emphasize, there is a  high risk of getting something wrong until you understand the difference between a visa and a permission to stay.

 

Your visa has an 'enter before' date. This determines when you are able to use it to enter the country. When you enter Thailand, you are given a permission to stay that has its own expiry date ('admitted until').  When you leave Thailand, your permission to stay ends but, if you have an unexpired visa, you can enter later and get a new permission to stay. Usually, if you want to stay longer than the admitted until date of your current permission to stay (and you do not have an unexpired multiple entry visa that you can use by exiting and returning to Thailand to receive a fresh permission to stay)  you want to go to an immigration office inside Thailand to ask them to extend your permission to stay (giving you a later admitted until date).  The immigration office will not give you a new visa to leave and re-enter Thailand to get a new permission to stay. What they will give you on payment of an application fee is a single or multiple re-entry permit which enables you to leave and re-enter Thailand without losing your current permission to stay.

[wealthychef]

53 minutes ago, SpokaneAl said:

 I don’t think so. You are applying for an extension of stay based on retirement. There is no more visa for you. Purchasing the reentry permit will allow you to leave and return while you maintain your extension of stay.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

<redacted my own reply as it is redundant>

Edited February 7, 2018 by wealthychef

[wealthychef]

30 minutes ago, BritTim said:

As others have tried to emphasize, there is a  high risk of getting something wrong until you understand the difference between a visa and a permission to stay.

 

Your visa has an 'enter before' date. This determines when you are able to use it to enter the country. When you enter Thailand, you are given a permission to stay that has its own expiry date ('admitted until').  When you leave Thailand, your permission to stay ends but, if you have an unexpired visa, you can enter later and get a new permission to stay. Usually, if you want to stay longer than the admitted until date of your current permission to stay (and you do not have an unexpired multiple entry visa that you can use by exiting and returning to Thailand to receive a fresh permission to stay)  you want to go to an immigration office inside Thailand to ask them to extend your permission to stay (giving you a later admitted until date).  The immigration office will not give you a new visa to leave and re-enter Thailand to get a new permission to stay. What they will give you on payment of an application fee is a single or multiple re-entry permit which enables you to leave and re-enter Thailand without losing your current permission to stay.

 

OK, thanks.  That is such a confusing bureaucratic soup!  But to summarize: 

1.  I'm getting an extension of permission to STAY

2.  I'm getting a re-entry permit to LEAVE and RE-ENTER without losing permission to stay.  

Pointless bureaucracy if you asked me, and there is a reason everyone is confused I think about this.  It is really great to have this clarified.  Thanks again

[scuba2day]

18 hours ago, wealthychef said:

 

Thank you very much for your clear description and quick reply.  

However, now I'm confused by your "clarification."  You said

 

 

I frequently exit and re-enter, and previously my visa was a multiple-enty visa.  The term of the visa expires at end of Feb.  I need to extend my permission to stay as well as permission to exit and enter at will.  You have just made things more confusing for me.  Definitely the visa expires at end of Feb.  Are you saying I don't need to renew that?  <deleted>, thanks.  

If you currently have a one year multiple entry visa valid until the end of Feb then you should be able to do a "border-run" before the end of Feb and get one year from that date. You would then need to get a re-entry permit if you wanted to leave the country. I am not an expert but this is my understanding of how the one-year visas work.

 

Actually all visas work the same way. The valid from/to date is when the visa is valid to enter the country. You are then allowed to stay in the country for the length of time allowed by the visa. That could be 60 days for a 60 day tourist visa or one year for a one year retirement visa. 

Edited February 8, 2018 by scuba2day

[Baerboxer]

19 hours ago, wealthychef said:

 

Thank you for the clarification.  You are incorrect about one thing:  I am renewing my visa, as well as applying for an extension of stay.  I'm actually doing both because yes I have plans to leave the country.  

Your post should be pinned as a permanent fixture to inform people of the process of renewal of visas and entry permits.  Thanks again. 

EDIT:  given that I am applying for both things, are there more documents I need to prepare?  

 

You cannot renew a visa. If you want to apply for a new one it must be done outside of Thailand. 

 

You can apply for an extension of stay based on retirement and purchase a separate single or multi-entry re-entry permit. If you leave without a re-entry permit then your permission to stay extension will end when you leave. 

 

 

[BritTim]

18 hours ago, wealthychef said:

 

OK, thanks.  That is such a confusing bureaucratic soup!  But to summarize: 

1.  I'm getting an extension of permission to STAY

2.  I'm getting a re-entry permit to LEAVE and RE-ENTER without losing permission to stay.  

Pointless bureaucracy if you asked me, and there is a reason everyone is confused I think about this.  It is really great to have this clarified.  Thanks again

You've got it! If you keep this in mind (and do not forget any necessary re-entry permit) you should not get into trouble.

[Koratjohn77]

20 hours ago, wealthychef said:

Thanks for the tip!  :-) 

Actually the best visa service in Bangkok is TSL.  Just email David Lam at [email protected] they do everything for you but you will have to go with them to immigration.  Other than that they do it all for you and normally they have your visa ready in a few days.  Actually this year they told me it would be a week but I still got mine done in 2 days for an extra 4,000 baht.  They're a little pricy but they're really good and they don't just hold your hand they literally do it all for you.  All you have to do is go with them to immigration but you'll be ushered in front of the line and you'll be in and out in 5 minutes.  I've been using them for 4 years and I've never had a problem.  If you're in Bangkok it'll actually be easier for you.  

 

Some us of these people remind me of grammar teachers with their visa terminology, "oh no no it's not a visa it's an extension of your permission to stay". They're right but who cares I know what you're talking about it's the same thing.  It is true though that on an extension if you want to leave Thailand you do have to get a re entry permit so when you come back to Thailand your visa OH WAIT I'M SORRY "EXTENSION OF STAY" is still valid for the rest of the year until you have to get your next extension.  Yes of course you still have a valid visa an extension of stay is just an extension of your valid visa although it's no longer a multiple entry visa anymore.  Once you're on an extension don't leave Thailand unless you have a re entry permit prior to departure so when you come back your extension will still be valid.  

[SooKee]

20 hours ago, wealthychef said:

Sigh, that's my concern.  Thanks for sharing that.  I have also heard it's a good strategy to arrive after lunch and get a number, as they try to clear the lines before leaving for the day.  I tried it once and it worked pretty well.  

I do note that the other person that it went quickly for got there at 8AM but I'm not willing to suffer to that level.  :-)  

Hmmm.  Not sure I'd risk that to be honest.  Very much depends on the day.  Arrive too early and you could very well be in and done before 10:00; time it later and you risk at least having to wait over lunch; arrive in the afternoon and it could be very late.  IIRC they have a sign saying they stop issuing queue tickets at 1:30pm.  The other potential problem is if you need, or intend to do,  a re-entry permit (REP) the same day.  That's the bottleneck.  I always do, prefer to get it ALL done in one day AND, if possible, get it all done before lunch.  The snag with the REP is that there's only one desk issuing them and you have to time your REP queue ticket just right.  As an example, yesterday:

 

As an aside, last year I travelled to MRT Chatuchak and then got a taxi.  This time I took one of the vans (25 baht) and then a motorbike taxi down to Building B (20 baht).  Seemed to be much quicker, certainly pleasant enough.

 

8:00  Arrived at Immigration.  Got a pre-queue ticket from the officer in front of the office door.  It seems they stop issuing these at around 08:15 or when they run out.  When I arrived I got number 255!  They stopped at 280.

 

They then call these numbers to line up in strict order ready for the doors to open at 8:30am.  Those arriving after the pre-queue tickets are all used up are held in a line in front of the office, that line is allowed in after the pre-queue ticket people have gone inside.  I spoke to one guy who arrived at 10:30 for an extension and it seemed unlikely he'd get seen before lunch.

 

Like I say, I had ticket 255 (I was surprised there were so many there), then got inside to queue where they issue the main tickets and got number L36.  So, on that day at least, seems around one in eight were doing extensions.  They were processing the extensions at the rate of about 12 per 30 minutes and I was at the IO's desk by 10:00.  The IO only took about 5 minutes to do what she needed.

 

Then out to wait for the passport AND go get a ticket for the REP queue. Got ticket C2 153 and a quick check showed they were currently processing queue number 100.  In hindsight I probably could have got my REP ticket earlier, maybe when there were just 8-10 people still in front of me for the extension. Note for next time!

 

Got the passport back with the extension stamped about 10:30.  Quick trip down to the basement to copy the new extension page then back up to the REP queue.  Finally got that submitted at 11:30 then out to wait for that to come back.  Office then closed at 12:00 with still about 20 passports in front of me yet to come back.  Eventually got it back about 1:30 pm.

 

Bit of a pain really, the REP application is what really slows it down.  On balance  though I'd rather get there early (I'll aim for 7:30 next time)  and stand a chance of getting all done by 12:00 than going later.  Luckily it's only once year and if you only need the extension they're pretty quick IMO.

Edited February 8, 2018 by SooKee

[ubonjoe]

5 minutes ago, SooKee said:

IIRC they stop issuing queue tickets at 1:30pm.

They stop at 3:30 pm.

[Sumarianson]

Before you apply for a retirement extension then you will need to have an O type visa prior to application normally 30 days. This from Thai Embassy contradicts the respondent.

Non-Immigrant Visa Type “O-A” (Long Stay) may be granted to applicants aged 50 and above who wish to retire in Thailand. Applicants for this type of visa must be Indonesian citizens or have Temporary Resident Permit (KITAS) or Permanent Resident Permit (KITAP). The visa is valid for 1 year from the date of issue.

A retirement O-A " VISA" is extendable to my understanding it is no longer referred to as a Visa after first extension. 

you must however have an O type non immigrant visa before you can apply for it.

 

[ubonjoe]

5 minutes ago, Sumarianson said:

Before you apply for a retirement extension then you will need to have an O type visa prior to application normally 30 days. This from Thai Embassy contradicts the respondent.

Non-Immigrant Visa Type “O-A” (Long Stay) may be granted to applicants aged 50 and above who wish to retire in Thailand. Applicants for this type of visa must be Indonesian citizens or have Temporary Resident Permit (KITAS) or Permanent Resident Permit (KITAP). The visa is valid for 1 year from the date of issue.

A retirement O-A " VISA" is extendable to my understanding it is no longer referred to as a Visa after first extension. 

you must however have an O type non immigrant visa before you can apply for it.

 

You are confusing extensions of stay based upon retirement issued by immigration here and a OA visa issued by an embassy or official consulate.

After a OA visa and the last one year entry from it has expired you can apply for a extension of stay based upon retirement.

It is a non-oa and is a non immigrant visa which is the same as a non-o visa.

 

[partington]

Really there is nothing complicated about understanding this, if you simply remember that

 

1. A visa is a (provisional) permission to enter Thailand at a border, therefore you get visas outside the country.

2. A permission to stay is a separate thing: it is the period you are allowed to stay, after you have used your visa to enter the country.

3. So you can be inside Thailand without a visa, yet with a permission to stay. If, for example you have a single entry non-Imm O visa, you use it once to enter the country, then stay 90 days. During that 90 days you don't have a valid visa, (you can only use it once, and an entry has used it) but you do have a valid permission to stay.

4. If you leave the country without a valid visa, but with a valid permission to stay, then return, you have not got a valid visa, so you will be treated like anyone without a visa and allowed entry for 30 days only, on a visa waiver.

5. If you have a long permission to stay but no longer have a valid visa, and want to leave and still retain this long permission to stay, then you need to get a substitute for a visa, that is a substitute permission to enter the country. With no lack of logic at all this permission to re-enter the country, obtained within the country because you no longer have a valid permission to enter obtained outside the country (a visa) is called: a re-entry permit!

 

I don't understand why this seems baffling or illogical to people.

[NoshowJones]

Thanks for telling us about the ignoramus Speedy Visa Service, I will know now never to use them and hope other TV members feel the same way.

[CharlesSwann]

I never go first thing in the morning - seems like a neurotic strategy - you have to get up at an unearthly hour, fight your way there in the rush hour, and it's the busiest time of the day when you get there - there's a long queue even to get your ticket - and you are lucky to get done by lunchtime. I always go in the afternoon when it is quieter and gets done much quicker, within a couple of hours, as I did a couple of weeks ago.

Waste of money to use an agent.

[partington]

11 minutes ago, CharlesSwann said:

I never go first thing in the morning - seems like a neurotic strategy - you have to get up at an unearthly hour, fight your way there in the rush hour, and it's the busiest time of the day when you get there - there's a long queue even to get your ticket - and you are lucky to get done by lunchtime. I always go in the afternoon when it is quieter and gets done much quicker, within a couple of hours, as I did a couple of weeks ago.

Waste of money to use an agent.

The only problem with this is if you want to get a re-entry permit on the same day.

 

It happened to me once that I arrived after lunch, there was a long wait, and I got my extension too late to appply for the re-entry permit. So another entire trip to CW was needed.

[wealthychef]

1 hour ago, Koratjohn77 said:

Actually the best visa service in Bangkok is TSL.  Just email David Lam at <contact by PM for email address> they do everything for you but you will have to go with them to immigration.  Other than that they do it all for you and normally they have your visa ready in a few days.  Actually this year they told me it would be a week but I still got mine done in 2 days for an extra 4,000 baht.  They're a little pricy but they're really good and they don't just hold your hand they literally do it all for you.  All you have to do is go with them to immigration but you'll be ushered in front of the line and you'll be in and out in 5 minutes.  I've been using them for 4 years and I've never had a problem.  If you're in Bangkok it'll actually be easier for you.  

Thanks for the tip, I'll message you.  I have more money than most here and don't mind paying for the convenience.  A few baht to avoid hours of sitting around might be worth it.  

 

Quote

Some us of these people remind me of grammar teachers with their visa terminology, "oh no no it's not a visa it's an extension of your permission to stay". They're right but who cares I know what you're talking about it's the same thing. 

Yep, I feel the same way, but this particular "grammar teacher" was so very clear, kind and helpful I didn't feel right pushing back against what I agree seems like a bit of excessive pedantry.  And as you point out he has the advantage of being correct.  :-)  In my mind, I'm secretly still just renewing my visa for a year, but don't tell him I said so...  :-)  I've always heard that you cannot really fairly criticize an argument unless you can restate it in terms that the originator agrees with first.  Would be good if everyone followed that process.  

[Koratjohn77]

14 minutes ago, CharlesSwann said:

I never go first thing in the morning - seems like a neurotic strategy - you have to get up at an unearthly hour, fight your way there in the rush hour, and it's the busiest time of the day when you get there - there's a long queue even to get your ticket - and you are lucky to get done by lunchtime. I always go in the afternoon when it is quieter and gets done much quicker, within a couple of hours, as I did a couple of weeks ago.

Waste of money to use an agent.

Doesn't it take like 30 days to get your passport with the extension stamp back if you do it yourself?  I've been using an agent for 4 years and I always have my passport with the extension done within two days and I've never had a problem with reporting or anything at all.  How long does the entire process take if you do it yourself till you actually get your passport back with the extension stamp?  

 

I heard that you have to wait for a home visit from immigration and all kinds of hoops you have to jump through.  With the agent I never have to do anything except go to immigration for 5 minutes a year and of course report every 90 days which is easy.  Other than that they do it all for me.  I'm considering doing it myself next year or maybe the year after but I don't know.  Is it really as difficult as I've heard to do it yourself?  

[wealthychef]

41 minutes ago, partington said:

Really there is nothing complicated about understanding this, if you simply remember that

 

1. A visa is a (provisional) permission to enter Thailand at a border, therefore you get visas outside the country.

2. A permission to stay is a separate thing: it is the period you are allowed to stay, after you have used your visa to enter the country.

3. So you can be inside Thailand without a visa, yet with a permission to stay. If, for example you have a single entry non-Imm O visa, you use it once to enter the country, then stay 90 days. During that 90 days you don't have a valid visa, (you can only use it once, and an entry has used it) but you do have a valid permission to stay.

4. If you leave the country without a valid visa, but with a valid permission to stay, then return, you have not got a valid visa, so you will be treated like anyone without a visa and allowed entry for 30 days only, on a visa waiver.

5. If you have a long permission to stay but no longer have a valid visa, and want to leave and still retain this long permission to stay, then you need to get a substitute for a visa, that is a substitute permission to enter the country. With no lack of logic at all this permission to re-enter the country, obtained within the country because you no longer have a valid permission to enter obtained outside the country (a visa) is called: a re-entry permit!

 

I don't understand why this seems baffling or illogical to people.

Haha, after laying it out into a "simple" five step description, you cannot understand why people are baffled?  LOL this doesn't seem complicated to you?  

BTW I'm not baffled any more and thank you for your help.  But I do understand why it keeps coming up over and over.  This really should be a pinned note.  How do we suggest it to the moderators?  It seemingly applies generally to any country.  

 

Edited February 8, 2018 by wealthychef
add emphasis

[SooKee]

17 minutes ago, CharlesSwann said:

I never go first thing in the morning - seems like a neurotic strategy - you have to get up at an unearthly hour, fight your way there in the rush hour, and it's the busiest time of the day when you get there - there's a long queue even to get your ticket - and you are lucky to get done by lunchtime. I always go in the afternoon when it is quieter and gets done much quicker, within a couple of hours, as I did a couple of weeks ago.

Waste of money to use an agent.

Nothing neurotic about it, no big deal for me either.  I'm normally up at 6 anyway so nothing ungodly about that.  Of course, it could vary greatly depending on where you need to come from and how.  Even then though I'd rather not risk making it a two day event and, as has been pointed out, if you need a same day re-entry permit getting there early is about the only option.

 

I left the condo around 7:10, empty MRT to Chatuchak arriving 07:30 then straight onto a van with a bunch of very pleasant office girls, straight down to the toll road, arriving at the Chaeg Wattana Soi 7 junction at around 07:50.  Bike taxi to office.  No hassle :)