Retirement Visa Renewal Application Time Frame

[quadricorrelator]

I was under the impression that retirement visas should be renewed within a week before to a week after the expiration date. But, a friend recently renewed his retirement visa and he was told to go three or four weeks early next near. Will my application for retirement visa renewal be rejected if I go in three weeks early?

thanks,

-q

[Jingthing]

I think 21 to 30 days before is the proper timing. It also seems to me if you showed up a week after expiry of your previous extension, you would be in overstay.

Edited January 21, 2007 by Jingthing

[DFCarlson]

I believe that it's the 90 day report that can be done +/- 7 days from the due date. The renewal of the permission to stay has to be complete before your original permission to stay runs out.

[quadricorrelator]

OK, thanks.

I will try to renew my retirement visa about four weeks before the original visa expires and then report my results.

[lanny]

I have always understood that you are able to extend anytime during the 30-days prior to expiration of the current extension. Can't speak from experience, though. I do have one extension stamp in my passport dated March 16 for an April 1 extension, so it appears you can go in at least 15 days early.

[Krub]

I was under the impression that retirement visas should be renewed within a week before to a week after the expiration date. But, a friend recently renewed his retirement visa and he was told to go three or four weeks early next near. Will my application for retirement visa renewal be rejected if I go in three weeks early?

thanks,

-q

My period of stay had an expiry date of October 4

I applied for a 1 year extension on September 5 and received a new period of stay valid until the following year's October 4.

I believe you can apply witiin a one month period of end of period of stay for a new extension

God luck

Edited January 21, 2007 by Krub

[Naam]

we renewed our retirement visa last year "on the dot", i.e. one day before it expired. no problems. this year we did it one month earlier as we are required to travel abroad, again no problems.

[lopburi3]

Recent policy is that they like to do this between 3 and 4 weeks prior to expiration of permission to stay stamp.

[briley]

Just done mine - 29 days before expiry and a piece of cake.

But a correction of above, 90 day reporting is now only 7 days before the time, not +/- 7 days.

[Spaniel]

Just done mine - 29 days before expiry and a piece of cake.

But a correction of above, 90 day reporting is now only 7 days before the time, not +/- 7 days.

Has this been a recent change? It has always been you had up to 7 days AFTER the report in date to apply for the 90 day registration. Has anyone been to immigration recently to confirm this?

[jayenram]

Slightly off topic. Our local Immigration office does not accept that your application to extend your visa is akin to a 90 day report. Is this true of the whole country?

If so, within five or six years (if you haven't left the country), the dates between your 90 day reporting due date and the earliest date to renew your extension will have drifted far enough apart to necessitate two visits in subsequent months.

[DFCarlson]

But a correction of above, 90 day reporting is now only 7 days before the time, not +/- 7 days.

Has this been a recent change? It has always been you had up to 7 days AFTER the report in date to apply for the 90 day registration. Has anyone been to immigration recently to confirm this?

I'll be in Mae Sai tomorrow for my third 90 day report (due tomorrow).

I'll try to remember to ask about the +/- 7 day rule and about how early I can apply for renewal of my permission to stay based on retirement.

I'll also ask about the possible gap between my last 90 day report and the last day of my current permission to stay stamp. The gap for me would be 10 days and would therefore necessitate two visits in 10 days!

Edited January 22, 2007 by DFCarlson

[lopburi3]

1. 90 Day reporting is still plus/minus 7 days per recent report in another thread.

2. Only the first application (TM.7) at immigration is considered a 90 day report. Once you have extended your stay the 90 day report is a separate item and if you do any travel (you do not report unless you stay 90 days - new 90 day count starts on your return) your yearly extension of stay is likely not to be due at the same time as your 90 day address report.

[briley]

Sorry - and I hope I am wrong - but I recall reading a note in Chiang Mai immigration saying only 7 days before for 90 day reporting.

Hope everyone can prove me wrong as it makes for a tight window.

[retiredusn]

I was under the impression that retirement visas should be renewed within a week before to a week after the expiration date. But, a friend recently renewed his retirement visa and he was told to go three or four weeks early next near. Will my application for retirement visa renewal be rejected if I go in three weeks early?

thanks,

-q

Just renewed my Retirement Visa and for the last three times I have done it 30 days prior to the experation with no problems, this also gives you a bit of time to correct any errors which may pop up. From the time I walked into the Bangkok office to the time I left with visa extension for one year and multi entre it was 51min. The staff were as always GREAT and Helpful

[DFCarlson]

I'll be in Mae Sai tomorrow for my third 90 day report (due tomorrow).

I'll try to remember to ask about the +/- 7 day rule and about how early I can apply for renewal of my permission to stay based on retirement.

I'll also ask about the possible gap between my last 90 day report and the last day of my current permission to stay stamp. The gap for me would be 10 days and would therefore necessitate two visits in 10 days!

I got back from Mae Sai this afternoon. The people there seem to be very friendly and helpful and they actually remembered me from my last visit three months ago! English is not one of their strong points however.

In any case, I spoke to the officer who processed my address report (my third). Using my best effort to understand, these were his responses:

1) You can appear +/- 7 days from the date specified for your address report without penalty;

2) You can apply as early as 30 days or so before your permission to stay expires for an extension based on retirement, and he recommended that you start the process early in case of glitches. My understanding was that if you applied 31 or 32 or 35 days ahead it would probably be OK but not if you applied 60 days ahead;

3) He was not sure whether you would be required to report your address in a separate visit if your fourth required reporting date fell between the time you apply for an extension and the time your current permission to stay runs out. However, he thought in this case that you could put in your address report at the same time as you applied for the extension, and so negate the requirement for a separate visit.

As always, we'll see! My permission to stay expires on May 3.

Hope this helps!

[AJARNJACK]

I'm sure glad that I checked out this web site before going to Immigration. I've been teaching in Thailand for 4 years now and last year I changed my Nonimmigrant B to a Nonimmigrant O (Retirement) visa. This past year I've been teaching at a govenment highschool on that visa because although it prohibits the visa holder from working, it will allow you to work for the Thai government (school). I just married a Thai lady in November and now I'm wanting to quit the government school job and change my visa to a Nonimmigrant Marriage Visa so that I can get a Work Permit and teach privately from our home. Does anyone know if I can switch easily since I've been in-country continuously for 4 years but only found out about the need to have 400,000 baht in the bank for three months previous to my appliation last week? My retirement visa expires April 26th and I hurrying to get money transferred here within the week but might still might be shy of the 3 months limit. I've got a retirment check for more than 40,000 baht each month already so is that the route I should go. Any help would be greatly appreciated before I have to "sit before the judge".

I was under the impression that retirement visas should be renewed within a week before to a week after the expiration date. But, a friend recently renewed his retirement visa and he was told to go three or four weeks early next near. Will my application for retirement visa renewal be rejected if I go in three weeks early?

thanks,

-q

Just renewed my Retirement Visa and for the last three times I have done it 30 days prior to the experation with no problems, this also gives you a bit of time to correct any errors which may pop up. From the time I walked into the Bangkok office to the time I left with visa extension for one year and multi entre it was 51min. The staff were as always GREAT and Helpful

[lopburi3]

I really do not believe you qualify for 400k support bank deposit method on a change of extension type as that is only for those already using the system and grandfathered. The new requirement is 40k family income.

[AJARNJACK]

I really do not believe you qualify for 400k support bank deposit method on a change of extension type as that is only for those already using the system and grandfathered. The new requirement is 40k family income.

Thanks for your opinion Lopburi3. I just went to the Immigration Office nearest to Trang which is in Kantang. I should have guessed, they had no information concerning visa application requirements printed in English. Since they couldn't speak English either they asked to talk with my wife, who was in my pickup waiting to see if they could communicate with me. They told her that we must go to the provencial office and get a record showing the recording of our marriage - in addition to the Marriage Certificate and other paperwork! Of course the folks at the provencial office didn't understand what she needed from them. It would seem that each small office is it's own 'kingdom' and dictate their interpetation of the needed paperwork. In the chance that you are correct about me not being able to use the bank deposit method, I'll plan a trip to the US Embassy for that affidavit of monthly income.

Do you or any other reader of this forum, know what the requirements are for getting a Work Permit to teach privately? Is there any money or employee stipulations involved besides the fee for the permit?

[lopburi3]

Believe what they want is paper proving you were single at time of marriage registration - it's the law and often requested these days it seems. Believe it dates back to before they started to register an Embassy letter at MFA as in those days many districts did not check documentation very closely.