My First Extension of Stay - My Experience at Jomtien

[rumak]

1 hour ago, Rarebear said:

Since this is a new requirement in addition to the T 28/30 (or whatever the current number is) for a retirement extension how much does a lawyer cost to draw up the papers and sign them and I assume a paid Thai witness if one is not married?

 

Forgive me I've only gotten 18 retirement extensions so I'm not up on the residence requirements as I've only ever been asked for a lease or rental contract. 

hopefully (but not for sure) after 18 retirement extensions your local ( ?) imm. office will smile when you

go in and ask if you now need some form of "proof of residence".  Maybe yes, maybe no . If yes,  I am guessing you do not have a "yellow book".  If you do, no problem.  If not, ASK them what they want.

Best place to get the real info is from the horses mouth (try calling if too far to go).

BTW:   do you have a TM30 stapled in your passport ?   Many old timers are getting "surprised" with this

requirement which is not new...but is NOW being enforced at many of the immig offices...but not all

Edited June 1, 2018 by rumak

[Rarebear]

4 hours ago, rumak said:

hopefully (but not for sure) after 18 retirement extensions your local ( ?) imm. office will smile when you

go in and ask if you now need some form of "proof of residence".  Maybe yes, maybe no . If yes,  I am guessing you do not have a "yellow book".  If you do, no problem.  If not, ASK them what they want.

Best place to get the real info is from the horses mouth (try calling if too far to go).

BTW:   do you have a TM30 stapled in your passport ?   Many old timers are getting "surprised" with this

requirement which is not new...but is NOW being enforced at many of the immig offices...but not all

My Secretary does my 90 day reports and I believe she had something stapled in my passport a couple of years ago.  I only see immigration once a year for 20 minutes.  I use the same list I got 15 years ago at the Pattaya expats club it still works fine. 

Edited June 1, 2018 by Rarebear

[Jingthing]

5 hours ago, Pilotman said:

It's not a new requirement.  It was suggested  to me as a way to prove  my address, as all of our bills are in my wife's name.  The cost was 1,000 Baht and no independent witness was involved. 

Yes, not a new requirement.

Likely you did overkill on that one.

I would say generally NOT required.

Your report was excellent and detailed but people need to be very careful about jumping to conclusions that rules have changed when they most likely have NOT. 

[ratcatcher]

On 5/31/2018 at 5:04 PM, Pilotman said:

Next challenge is the first 90 day report, but I'm relaxed about that.  For now !!

after successfully getting your well reported extension, the 90 day reporting will seem like a walk on the beach.

[Kerryd]

On 5/31/2018 at 5:04 PM, Pilotman said:

Next challenge is the first 90 day report, but I'm relaxed about that.  For now !!

Walk in the park. I have attached a blank TM.47 (Form for Alien to Notify of Staying Longer than 90 days)
The first time you do a 90 day report they will (most likely) require that form as well as some proof of address (I used copies of utility bills, you might be able to use that same letter you used for your Extension of Stay).
It's a painless process. When your number is called, hand over the form, proof of address and passport. All going well (they accept the letter), they make some notes on the computer, print out a "Receipt of Notification" slip which will show your next report date and that's it.

 

The next time you go (90 days give or take a week), you just have to present your passport (with that notification inside, they usually staple it to the last page). They scan the bar code, print a new slip and you are out of there in 2 minutes. 

Here is the link to the same document on the Immigration Website (remember to "enable editing")
https://www.immigration.go.th/download/1486548499388.doc

TM 47 - 90 Day Report - Blank.doc

[Wallander4]

Good for you that you did a Retirement extension since Marriage extension is a straight out nightmare (reasons unknown but idiotic for sure).

 

I'm gonna change from Marriage to Retirement as my wife is torn up every year having to deal with the unprofessional and rude officers at Counter 6 - they apparently see their job as to harass and annoy people that support thai family ...

 

I dont care about the 800,000B compared to 400,000B, its just the principle that are so wrong here and why we are gonna move away from Thailand in 2-3 years, probably Italy or Bulgaria. Anyone has any experience there you are most welcome to pm me - all inputs welcome

[Psimbo]

On 5/31/2018 at 6:31 PM, Pilotman said:

Please yourself mate, I have the extension and they were quite clear about what they wanted,  Don't follow the advice at your peril, personally I don't care one way or the other , I'm just passing on what was said to me ( there was no 'miscommunication as you call it') and what happened.  if you can detect my irritation with your unhelpful  post, you are dead on.       

Well said- I love it when others jump in with outdated or incorrect info when someone makes a post about WHAT HAPPENED ON THE DAY!

[Colabamumbai]

Yearly extension at Sriracha Immigration last month, income letter at least two months old, no problem.

[Emster23]

Congratulations, well played... read with bated breath, wondering where the foul up might come from... and there was none!

[Jingthing]

Well said- I love it when others jump in with outdated or incorrect info when someone makes a post about WHAT HAPPENED ON THE DAY!

You don't get what my point is. He is saying he was told the rule was changed about income letters freshness from six months to one month. That's not only about him. That's about all people using those letters. I'm suggesting that is most probably incorrect information that needs to be challenged so that false rumors aren't started about that. Indeed I started a need thread just about that and so far as I expected there is no further evidence that the rule has really changed.
I will be happy to acknowledge that it has changed if such evidence emerges but the time being I think expats should assume the rule has not changed and the OP here has sincerely posted unfortunately incorrect info.
.

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Suradit69]

On 5/31/2018 at 8:47 PM, Rarebear said:

Where would one get a notarised document saying where they lived?  That is a new one on me and no one has asked me for that before.  

Agree. I've done 11 extensions at Jomtien without a hitch and have only used signed (by me) copies of utility or condo bills as proof of address and have used income affidavits up to 5 months old.

 

Despite his annoyance and loss of face at the temerity of anyone to question his report, he seems to suffer from the newbie feeling that he's achieved oracle status and that his experience is the sine qua non for future reference.

 

Every photocopy you submit needs to be signed by you as part of the submission process. Why only the address verification would need to be notarized makes no sense.

 

Asking some random person, no matter how many gold braids/bars adorn his/her uniform, invites some speculative guesses since that person saying "I don't know" is not going to happen. And miscommunication is possible for anyone in such situations. 

 

 

 

Edited June 2, 2018 by Suradit69

[bobonzo]

I did mine at Samutprakran a few months ago and my story was very similar to yours. Once I understood what was required and presented it, it was no problem at all.

[hobobo]

No need to fret about the 90 days. Apply online (you've got a range of days, but in my experience the best time is about 7 to 8 days before due date). Do this and you don't need to visit IO in Soi 5 until the end of May 2019.

Thanks for your post, very helpful and if it starts a debate about the Embassy letter, so much the better.

[Suradit69]

1 hour ago, Psimbo said:

Well said- I love it when others jump in with outdated or incorrect info when someone makes a post about WHAT HAPPENED ON THE DAY!

No one is questioning his interpretation of what happened, but since the implication for all those who will be doing extensions at Jomtien is fairly major, especially with regard to the income affidavit, people want to separate fact from fiction.

 

Assume that the O/P may contain incorrect or misleading information just as easily as you seem to assume that those who question the validity of the post "jump in with outdated or incorrect info."

 

The implications for others is too important to simply swallow everything some newbie ( or many oldies) say. If you read threads in the visa forum on TV, it's amazing how many people get things muddled.

 

This is a forum for discussion and debate, not for meekly buying everything someone is peddling.

Edited June 2, 2018 by Suradit69

[GOLDBUGGY]

This 90 day reporting is very easy to do. Some people do it online but I prefer to do this in Person. Usually in and out in about 10 minutes. 

 

Just for your information, in case you don't know, if you do decide to leave Thailand anytime during your Retirment Extension, do get a Multi Entry Visa first at the same Immigration Office. It saves you the hassel and cost of having to apply again for your Retirment Extension once you return. As you will lose that once you leave the country if you don't have a Multi Entry Visa first. . 

 

Another thing to consider if you do leave Thailand during this time, and you do have a Multi Entry Visa. your 90 day reporting period starts new on the day you return to Thailand. So if you were in Thailand 2 months before you left, and returned 2 weeks later, you would not have to report in 2 more weeks. Rather you would report 90 days from the day you arrived. 

[davhend25]

On 5/31/2018 at 6:09 PM, Pilotman said:

They did yes, 

I just did my one year extension based on retirement, in Chanthaburi, and my income letter from the U.S. embassy was about 3 months old. I had been originally told, by this office, that the embassy income letter would be good for 6 months. It just so happened that I was ready to apply sooner (3 months). For residence requirements I just gave them photocopies of my wife's Tabien Baan and national I.D. card. They retained my passport over the weekend and I picked it up the following Monday. I don't remember them taking my picture when I picked it up. All was pretty straightforward. 

[ToddinChonburi]

Thank you for your report !! Good job.

[Media1]

On 5/31/2018 at 6:15 PM, Jingthing said:

Sorry I find it extremely hard to believe they changed the rule on the income letter from six months to one month.

I don't believe it.

The topic deserves a separate thread to smoke out the truth.

At this point I would class news of this change as probably a miscommunication.

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Set him.on fire 

[Jingthing]

7 minutes ago, Media1 said:

Set him.on fire 

No. Let's not get carried away. I have no doubt he posted a sincere report. But my point is people should be very careful about assuming major policy changes based on his report. I still do not believe the rule for income letters has changed, but if it has, we can hopefully find out for sure based on the dedicated thread that I started on that issue.

[ubonjoe]

A inflammatory baiting post has been removed.

[jesimps]

I reckon Jingthing is dead right here and the OP, although well intentioned, is opening a can of worms. He's been worried about doing his first one year extension and has asked questions of the someone at Pattaya Immigration with gold bars on their shoulder questions instead of going by the Immigration Directive. Being here for a couple of years, he should realise that a Thai will never admit to not knowing something because he/she'll lose face. You've obviously been told what the person thinks the answer should be, not the one that's laid down.

 

By posting this, a lot of people on here will take aboard what he says and will do the same. Before you know it, this will become a mandatory local immigration requirement even though it's different from the main directive. It's happened in the past. A case in point being that you now have to provide proof of address for retirement extension, whereas in the past you only needed it for the 90 day reporting.

 

I've done twelve extensions now and have always submitted the letter outside of 30 days but within the 6 months laid down in the directive. I've never had any problem. I have another due in October and unless the directive changes, or I see different from Ubonjoe, I'll be outside the 30 days again. It's easy to get it within the 30 days, but what happens if the consulate beggar up the letter, or for some reason you neglect to submit the correct docs and your letter is refused? Doesn't give you much time to sort it out does it? That's the beauty of the six month rule and I suspect that when it was put in place, the person responsible had this in mind. He also probably realised that peoples pensions only change once a year so what's the hurry?.

 

As for the proof of residency, again, no need to fork out 1000 baht to a lawyer. I submit a TM30 signed by my wife (house is in her name): a copy of her ID card: a copy of the blue house book and a short signed letter from her saying that I'm her husband and reside at the property. I also take a copy of my marriage certificate which they never seem to ask for and I never offer. Nothing wrong with going through a lawyer, but if too many do it then it'll become a requirement.

 

In future, I suggest you contact either Ubonjoe or Jingthing if you have an immig query, these are the resident experts and will put you right. That's what the rest of us lesser mortals tend to do, then we don't upset the immigration applecart. 

Edited June 2, 2018 by jesimps

[Pdavies99]

Wait to you find out what time you have to be at driving licence office!!

[bkk6060]

Is this the guy that started the "one month maximum" rumor for the income letter?

Uhhh OK, whatever......

 

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, jesimps said:

...

 

In future, I suggest you contact either Ubonjoe or Jingthing if you have an immig query, these are the resident experts and will put you right. That's what the rest of us lesser mortals tend to do, then we don't upset the immigration applecart. 

Thanks for that but I wouldn't pretend to be anywhere near the same league as Ubonjoe on visa information in general.

But I do know a lot about retirement extensions and being in the area I have a good feel for what goes on in Jomtien over the years.

What this means is that I think I have a pretty good B.S. detector / sense of what new information is or is going to be real as far as enforcement and what's another passing rumor (that will unfortunately upset a lot of people until the rumor is crushed).

There are also things that are enforced for a short time and then dropped (remember that bizarre personal info form were required to file one year).

So this is a case where I felt we were seeing the birth of a rumor that most probably does NOT reflect any change in enforcement policy at all.

 

Short version -- there is no logical reason (as yet) to actually believe that Jomtien enforcement rules on income letters has actually changed.

The rule is six months.

It is not one month.

Except if actual strong evidence emerges that there really has been a change. 
Which I do not expect, has not emerged here as yet on my specialized thread, and I don't think readers should expect it either.

Edited June 2, 2018 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

 

Please take this issue to the dedicated thread on the income letter issue. There has now been one report of an older than one month letter being rejected at Jomtien. Needless to say, I am surprised. The issue requires further reports going forward to figure out what the heck is going on.

 

Thank you for your cooperation.

Here is the running thread to help determine in a DEFINITIVE way what the actual enforcement rule is now on age of income letters at Jomtien. It is ONLY about that. Please respect that focus --

 

Edited June 2, 2018 by Jingthing

[RocketDog]

Thanks so much pilotman. Your post is helpful to many people facing this issue.

As for the agents, I heartily agree. They are sharks preying on ignorant or lazy expats and totally unnecessary middlemen..Educate yourself and take control of your own destiny in LOS.

For first extension of stay I went to the Myanmar border crossing last week and spent a total of less than an hour crossing and returning to get the extension stamp and refreshed departure card.

That said however, it makes total sense to me to have a bank account here with 2-month "seasoned" balance exceeding the magic 800k baht number.

Go to the bank in the morning to get a letter showing your current balance, costing 30 Baht.. Then off to your local immigration office with your bank book in hand to prove the deposit record.

Along with the photo application and passport page copies, you are done in minutes, assuming no queue.

 

Forget the whole income letter or border crossing efforts entirely.

I took the border crossing route because my funds weren't seasoned and I didn't have two months to wait for that.

For next year I will be doing it the smart way.

I like to have a Thai bank account because I live here and want locally secured funds not dependent on the whims of international banking leeches emperiling my security to stay here. Also, keeping large amounts of money in an American bank account is just risking "bail in" seizure of my funds when my country's debt finally causes the bank collapse that will surely come sooner or later. For the same reasons I also have funds in a bank in Singapore and Canada.

 

For those wags jawing about the safety of Thai banks I gave only this to say: if you think your home country bank is safer then you are woefully naive. Chances are very high that your country is also swimming in debt it can never repay.. Printing money is not the solution to debt problems and quickly erodes currency value as history has shown countless times.

 

I too lost sleep over the extension unknowns. If more folks shared their experiences in these common immigration tasks they would be less traumatic for newbies.

 

[RocketDog]

On 5/31/2018 at 7:39 PM, thainet said:

Mr Pilotman.

Well done on posting this up to date information...lots of people will find it very useful.

Don't get pissed at the few that always have to find something wrong with a post. You have to remember some of these guys live for 'replies' and have their fingers ready to type as soon as a new topic opens.

So keep up the good work, and I personally like a person that checks all the ins and outs before applying.

Well done from me.

Let the others open their own thread on the topic they don't believe and you (and I) can read it from the sidelines.

Good evening..

In general I agree with you about the armchair critics, but UbonJoe and jingthing are seasoned experts in these areas and should be considered the final opinion on such things. If they are by chance wrong on some point I suspect they will correct each other.

[Andycoops]

On 5/31/2018 at 7:39 PM, thainet said:

Mr Pilotman.

Well done on posting this up to date information...lots of people will find it very useful.

Don't get pissed at the few that always have to find something wrong with a post. You have to remember some of these guys live for 'replies' and have their fingers ready to type as soon as a new topic opens.

So keep up the good work, and I personally like a person that checks all the ins and outs before applying.

Well done from me.

Let the others open their own thread on the topic they don't believe and you (and I) can read it from the sidelines.

Good evening..

Hear, hear !

[Jingthing]

Let the others open their own thread on the topic they don't believe and you (and I) can read it from the sidelines.

 

BTW, of course I did open a separate thread to deal with the most shocking and potentially onerous (for some expats) bit of information in the OP's report -- suggesting that the rule for income letter aging has changed from six months down to one month.

 

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1040760-jomtien-immigration-tracking-rumor-about-change-in-policy-about-freshness-of-income-letters/

 

So far, there is overwhelming evidence that (as I assumed all along) that the information transmitted by the OP via an immigration officer (which he refuses to say whether she was at the front desk or the much more relevant and credible retirement extension desk) is indeed FALSE INFORMATION.

 

There is one third hand report contradicting this conclusion, but still there is the overwhelming and quite credible info that the rule has NOT changed.

 

Of course the issue should continue to be tracked (on that other thread) and I will be the first to acknowledge a change if there ever is enough credible evidence that there has been one.

 

So far -- NOT. 

Edited June 3, 2018 by Jingthing

[Kohsamida]

On 5/31/2018 at 7:11 PM, Pilotman said:

look let' s  stop this now.  Two weeks ago, in preparation for my application, I went into the Immigration office and spoke to one of the officers there. Around 30 years old, two gold bars, nice smile, sorry, I didn't get her name, or a copy of her ID.  She was very helpful in telling me precisely what was expected in terms of documentation,  It was she who suggested that I get a notarised document saying where I lived in place of a utilities bill. 

 

This is the very last  time I bother to detail any experiences I have of this nature. Good luck to you.  

Whether or not you are correct about the "income" details, I don't know.  Ubon Joe seems to be a genuine and well respected expert on Immigration matters so perhaps there are some discrepancies in what you say or some miscommunication...BUT, that's doesn't matter to me so much because the main point I got out of your discussion was that The Imm office in Jomtien did not present you with any major road bocks or serious hassles in achieving your goal.

 

This is in stark contrast to what people face at the Imm office in Chiang Mai, where the situation seems almost opposite of yours.  I've heard some real horror stories about people trying to get extensions there (i.e.: having to queue in line like at 2am and still getting turned away to have to come and try again on another day). 

 

So, I for one, appreciate the time you took to share your experience because I will be facing this in a few months when I also go to apply for a 1 year extension, and will probably be living in Jomtien at that time ?