Tourist visa to "o" to extension of stay "retirement" Chiangmai

[Thailand]

I believe this can be done in Chiangmai provided certain criteria are met?

 

Chinese friend currently on tourist visa  wants to convert to "retirement" status, 

Is it correct that she would have to convert from tourist to "o" visa before she can convert to extension of stay based on retirement?

She has seasoned money in a Thai bank and proof of address etc.

What is the procedure and how long should she have remaining on her tourist visa to allow her to apply for the "o" visa, and anything else that would help her application.

 

Thanks

[sirmud63]

following.

[Saraphee]

Thailand - I'm delighted to see that you have taken Cunk as one of your gurus. We can only hope that her influence spreads.

[ubonjoe]

1 hour ago, Thailand said:

Is it correct that she would have to convert from tourist to "o" visa before she can convert to extension of stay based on retirement?

She would have to apply for a change of visa status to get a 90 day non immigrant (category O) visa entry. She would need at least 21 days (CM rule at others it is 15) remaining on her current entry or the 30 day extension of it. She will need proof the funds came from abroad to apply.

Then during the last 30 days of the 90 day entry she could apply for a one year extension of stay based upon retirement. The money would need to be in the bank for 60 days on the date of application.

[sfokevin]

Go have a chat with the people at OTain in Pramenade mall... They had Visa Change on thier pricelist for 20k baht...

[NancyL]

3 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

She would have to apply for a change of visa status to get a 90 day non immigrant (category O) visa entry. She would need at least 21 days (CM rule at others it is 15) remaining on her current entry or the 30 day extension of it. She will need proof the funds came from abroad to apply.

Then during the last 30 days of the 90 day entry she could apply for a one year extension of stay based upon retirement. The money would need to be in the bank for 60 days on the date of application.

She will also need to prove that there is a TM30 on file for her.  Her landlord, owner of her house/condo or the property manager should have given her a receipt from the TM30 form that they submitted when she moved in and gave them a copy of her passport.

 

Also, she will need to make an appointment at Immigration Promenada for the application of the visa conversion.  What she may find is that all the appointment slots are booked and she won't be able to obtain one while she still has at least 21 days remaining on her current entry or even a 30 day extension of her current entry.  This is where the agents come in -- somehow they can get priority appointments for their clients.  

[Thailand]

Thanks all, very useful, she has more than 60 days if she extends an additional thirty so should get an appointment, with luck!

 

Where would she make the important appointment? 

 

Immigration closed tomorrow I believe?

[Rimmer]

A post that was not very much help has been removed

[NancyL]

I expect that Immigration would be closed since it is Royal Ploughing Day.  Appointments for conversions are made at Immigration Promenada and there is a limited time frame each day that they will accept applications for appointments, so it's advisable to arrive by 8 am so as not to miss the time that they'll accept applications for appointments.  

 

(They really do try to make the process of visa conversion difficult for Do-It-Yourselfers)

[Thailand]

50 minutes ago, NancyL said:

I expect that Immigration would be closed since it is Royal Ploughing Day.  Appointments for conversions are made at Immigration Promenada and there is a limited time frame each day that they will accept applications for appointments, so it's advisable to arrive by 8 am so as not to miss the time that they'll accept applications for appointments.  

 

(They really do try to make the process of visa conversion difficult for Do-It-Yourselfers)

Thanks

 

Is there a line queue? Are applicants simply lining up to book an appointment in the future?

[NancyL]

10 minutes ago, Thailand said:

Thanks

 

Is there a line queue? Are applicants simply lining up to book an appointment in the future?

No, there isn't a queue to book an appointment, per se, but given the uncertainty about what 1/2 hour time period is the "correct" time to come to book an appointment, it's good to come early.  I'm under the impression that if too many people come to book appointments during the window of opportunity, they tell the late comers to come back the next day.  In other words, they only book three or four appointments a day.  

[Thailand]

25 minutes ago, NancyL said:

No, there isn't a queue to book an appointment, per se, but given the uncertainty about what 1/2 hour time period is the "correct" time to come to book an appointment, it's good to come early.  I'm under the impression that if too many people come to book appointments during the window of opportunity, they tell the late comers to come back the next day.  In other words, they only book three or four appointments a day.  

Sorry.

 

Not quite getting this.

There is no queue so where would she go to try to book the elusive appointment as immigration does not open until 9am but recommended to be there at 8am?

 

Thanks

[Superoo]

Isn't it good enough that one has seasoned funds in a Thai bank?

 

Are they really going to ask for proof where the money came from in order to apply for a retirement visa?

 

 

[Thailand]

1 hour ago, Superoo said:

Isn't it good enough that one has seasoned funds in a Thai bank?

 

Are they really going to ask for proof where the money came from in order to apply for a retirement visa?

 

 

It  is not required for a "retirement" visa, it is required when changing from tourist visa to "o" visa.

 

 

[Maverell]

On 5/13/2018 at 8:51 AM, ubonjoe said:

She would have to apply for a change of visa status to get a 90 day non immigrant (category O) visa entry. She would need at least 21 days (CM rule at others it is 15) remaining on her current entry or the 30 day extension of it. She will need proof the funds came from abroad to apply.

Then during the last 30 days of the 90 day entry she could apply for a one year extension of stay based upon retirement. The money would need to be in the bank for 60 days on the date of application.

That is exactly what I did - so easy, took about 30 minutes,  but at  Chiang Rai immigration office at Mae Sai. Then when I got the years extension it took all of 20 minutes at the office near CR airport. I appreciate the OP is talking about CM but someone might read this who wants to do the same in CR.

[Thailand]

23 minutes ago, Maverell said:

That is exactly what I did - so easy, took about 30 minutes,  but at  Chiang Rai immigration office at Mae Sai. Then when I got the years extension it took all of 20 minutes at the office near CR airport. I appreciate the OP is talking about CM but someone might read this who wants to do the same in CR.

Useful for Chiang Rai but as pointed out earlier Chiangmai Imm is geared towards pushing  applicants towards agents and this particular application seems to be one of the more lucrative ones with prices up to 20K. 

[NancyL]

13 hours ago, Thailand said:

Sorry.

 

Not quite getting this.

There is no queue so where would she go to try to book the elusive appointment as immigration does not open until 9am but recommended to be there at 8am?

 

Thanks

The Immigration office opens at 8:30 am.  She should go to the Info desk in front of the Immigration office and there is a spot for people to queue who have business with the second floor Immigration office.  This is where they book the appointments, along with other business like filing TM30s.  

[Thailand]

3 hours ago, NancyL said:

The Immigration office opens at 8:30 am.  She should go to the Info desk in front of the Immigration office and there is a spot for people to queue who have business with the second floor Immigration office.  This is where they book the appointments, along with other business like filing TM30s.  

Just to clarify. 

 

The desk outside of the immigration office manned by the students or the info desk at the front inside the office?

[Thailand]

Update.

 

The office for making the appointment is the 2nd floor office where the TM30's are submitted but at the rear,there is a sign saying q to make appointment for change of visa 9~10am.

Went in at 8.50am this morning,officers very helpful.The lady walked out at 9.10am with an appointment for Friday next week.

 

Thanks for the useful posts,18,000 baht cheaper than Tian! ☺

 

[EricTh]

On 5/14/2018 at 9:40 AM, Thailand said:

Useful for Chiang Rai but as pointed out earlier Chiangmai Imm is geared towards pushing  applicants towards agents and this particular application seems to be one of the more lucrative ones with prices up to 20K. 

That is true.

 

The retirement and residence cert queues seem to be connected to the agents. Not sure about education and others.

 

How else can you explain that they only process 25 applicants for the residence certificate daily and you have to go three trips to get the cert?

 

1. Make appointment to submit documents on week 1

2. Submit documents on  week 2

3. Collect cert on week x.

 

[EricTh]

On 5/13/2018 at 8:51 AM, ubonjoe said:

She would have to apply for a change of visa status to get a 90 day non immigrant (category O) visa entry. She would need at least 21 days (CM rule at others it is 15) remaining on her current entry or the 30 day extension of it. She will need proof the funds came from abroad to apply.

Then during the last 30 days of the 90 day entry she could apply for a one year extension of stay based upon retirement. The money would need to be in the bank for 60 days on the date of application.

I didn't need to prove that the money came from abroad when I first applied.

After all, it was all cash.

[EricTh]

On 5/14/2018 at 7:38 AM, Superoo said:

Isn't it good enough that one has seasoned funds in a Thai bank?

 

Are they really going to ask for proof where the money came from in order to apply for a retirement visa?

 

 

Not necessary.

[EricTh]

On 5/13/2018 at 12:12 PM, NancyL said:

She will also need to prove that there is a TM30 on file for her.  Her landlord, owner of her house/condo or the property manager should have given her a receipt from the TM30 form that they submitted when she moved in and gave them a copy of her passport.

 

Also, she will need to make an appointment at Immigration Promenada for the application of the visa conversion.  What she may find is that all the appointment slots are booked and she won't be able to obtain one while she still has at least 21 days remaining on her current entry or even a 30 day extension of her current entry.  This is where the agents come in -- somehow they can get priority appointments for their clients.  

I thought we can't convert from tourist to 'O' while we are in Thailand? We need to apply for 'O' outside the country .

 

Or the rules have been changed?

[NancyL]

3 minutes ago, EricTh said:

I thought we can't convert from tourist to 'O' while we are in Thailand? We need to apply for 'O' outside the country .

 

Or the rules have been changed?

You have been able to convert from a tourist to an O visa within Thailand for quite some time, at least in some provinces.  They discontinued it for a time right after the coup but started back up after about six months.

 

 

[Thailand]

This was the document requirements provided by immigration yesterday.

 

 

Additional documents now required: Two copies of TM 30

 

[sfokevin]

“5.3 A document proving foreign remittance”...

 

This seems to run counter to what a number of posters have stated?...

[Thailand]

25 minutes ago, sfokevin said:

“5.3 A document proving foreign remittance”...

 

This seems to run counter to what a number of posters have stated?...

See post 14

[EricTh]

1 hour ago, sfokevin said:

“5.3 A document proving foreign remittance”...

 

This seems to run counter to what a number of posters have stated?...

Maybe it's a new requirement.

 

They really need to have some Thai people write the requirements in proper English instead of having an amateur write in pidgin English.

 

Some of the sentences are just improper English and I don't know what it means.

[Thailand]

21 minutes ago, EricTh said:

Maybe it's a new requirement.

 

They really need to have some Thai people write the requirements in proper English instead of having an amateur write in pidgin English.

 

Some of the sentences are just improper English and I don't know what it means.

See post 14

[EricTh]

3 hours ago, Thailand said:

See post 14

No. It doesn't say that in the photo.