I have been living in Thailand for the past 8 years on a non-immigrant "retirement" visa. Each year I go to Chaeng Wattana to extend the visa for one more year and also to get a multiple entry Re-Entry Permit. This year, I will be out of Thailand for the entire extension period, which is basically 6 weeks prior to the expiration date of the visa. I'm planning to return one or two months after the expiration date of my current visa. Is there a way to extend the extension date of the "retirement" visa, before I leave Thailand. That will be 10 weeks prior to the expiration date of the visa. Or is there no way to do this? 

 

My next question is: if my "retirement" visa has lapsed because I was unable to extend it due to being out of the country, is there an easy way to renew it?  Or do I need to start from scratch? And if so, what kind of visa do I need to enter Thailand with for re-starting the "retirement" visa process?

 

I think this situation may apply to many members of Thai Visa at some point in time. Thanking all of you in advance for the relevant information.

 

 

There is no way to extend once it lapses and no way to do it that far ahead of time. You will have to start all over from scratch.

 

I'd suggest altering your plans so that you are here in time to do the extension.  Otherwise you'll need to get a new non O visa to come back in etc etc

 

I visit my home country every year and always make sure to time it so that I have done my extension of stay first, even though that is not very convenient. It beats having to start the process all over.

1 hour ago, NavaJauvana said:

And if so, what kind of visa do I need to enter Thailand with for re-starting the "retirement" visa process?

Assuming that you will be bound for your home country, you have 2 options:

(1) a non-OA visa, or

(2) a single-entry tourist visa that you can then convert to a non-O visa at Chaengwattana Immigration after your return to Thailand. 

1 hour ago, OJAS said:

Assuming that you will be bound for your home country, you have 2 options:

(1) a non-OA visa, or

(2) a single-entry tourist visa that you can then convert to a non-O visa at Chaengwattana Immigration after your return to Thailand. 

Both visas are easily available to get from a Thai Consulate in one's home country?

And which visa would be easier or faster for re-starting the "Retirement" visa process at Chaeng Wattana Immigration?

The tourist visa is easier and faster to get you again on a retirement extension in Thailand.

Ideally, if possible, you should obtain a single entry Non Imm O Visa to enter Thailand.

Within the last 30 days of that entry, you can apply for the retirement extension (it is not a Visa).

 

Whether you are eligible to apply for the Non Imm O SE Visa depends on;

1. Your nationality.

2. Your age.

3. Your marital status.

 

I'm surprised no one asked you those questions first before replying.

Edited June 13, 20188 yr by Tanoshi

10 hours ago, NavaJauvana said:

That will be 10 weeks prior to the expiration date of the visa. Or is there no way to do this? 

You might want to check with Chaeng Wattana about doing the extension just before you leave.They might do it if you have a ticket to prove you are leaving the country. I have heard of them doing it 60 days early before.

10 hours ago, NavaJauvana said:

Both visas are easily available to get from a Thai Consulate in one's home country?

And which visa would be easier or faster for re-starting the "Retirement" visa process at Chaeng Wattana Immigration?

Admittedly obtaining a non-OA visa could prove quite a complex process involving the provision of a bank statement showing a mimimum of the equivalent of 800,000 THB in your home country currency, a medical certificate and criminal records check.

 

If you are married to a Thai national, however, it should prove relatively straightforward to obtain a non-O visa in your home country on those grounds.

 

Otherwise your best bet is, as Maestro says, to obtain a tourist visa and then convert this to a single-entry non-O visa at Chaengwattana Immigration - to be followed in due course by applying for a 1-year extension of stay there for retirement as you have, hitherto, been doing. I gather that non-O visa conversions are relatively easy to accomplish at Chaengwattana - in stark contrast to provincial immigration offices who tend to place major roadblocks in the way of this process in practice.

 

Instead of a tourist visa you could chance your arm at a visa-exempt 30-day entry prior to the non-O conversion - although, in this case, you should brace yourself for difficulties in being permitted to board your return flight to Thailand unless you had booked an onward flight ticket out of Thailand within these 30 days.

Edited June 14, 20188 yr by OJAS

@NavaJauvana - I note from the thread which you have recently originated in the "Visa and migration to other countries" forum about the difficulties which you are experiencing in obtaining US tourist visas for your adopted Thai children that you are an American national with a Thai wife. In these circumstances obtaining a non-O visa on the grounds of marriage to a Thai national from the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Hawaii would definitely be the way for you to go - unless, of course, your plans are in the process of changing in the light of what you have stated in that thread.

 

Please see the Washington DC Embassy website for further info:

http://thaiembdc.org/consular-services/non-immigrant-visas/non-immigrant-visa-category-o/

Edited June 14, 20188 yr by OJAS

Thank you, Ojas, and thanks to the other Thai Visa members who have replied to me in this thread. All very useful and helpful. "Mahalo" (thank you in Hawaiian language)!

I am in a similar situation as OP.

But I am in my home country already.  I cannot return to Thailand in time to renew the retirement extension.

Can a friend or a visa agency do it for me if I send them my passport?

 

19 minutes ago, uhuh said:

I am in a similar situation as OP.

But I am in my home country already.  I cannot return to Thailand in time to renew the retirement extension.

Can a friend or a visa agency do it for me if I send them my passport?

No they cannot do it since you are not in Thailand. As soon as immigration sees the departure stamp in your passport they will say no.

45 minutes ago, uhuh said:

I am in a similar situation as OP.

But I am in my home country already.  I cannot return to Thailand in time to renew the retirement extension.

Can a friend or a visa agency do it for me if I send them my passport?

 

There will be no valid Thailand entry stamps in your passport so no, it cannot be done this way.

 

Technically (and possibly legally) apart from on-line 90-day or mail-in 90-day reporting, pretty much all Immigration related business requires ones personal attendance. Although that is printed on pretty much every Immigration form one will submit, agents, spouses and third parties have had varying degrees of success depending on what Immigration jurisdiction they are in but ALL parties must be in Thailand and the applicant must be submitting a passport that shows that they are physically in Thailand.

Edited June 28, 20188 yr by NanLaew

Thank you

So i went to the consulate in my home town but they will not give me a new non-immigrant O visa, even I have their old non immigrant O visa with retirement extensions in my passport. Staff has changed. The new staff will give a non-immigrant O visa only to applicants who receive old-age pensions from social security. 

I am over 50 (and have 800000 in my Thai bank account) but I am not old enough for old-age pension,  and my pension will not be from social security anyway. 

 

Their supervisor discussed the matter with the staff and told me to get a tourist visa,  convert it into a non-immigrant visa in Thailand and then get the retirement extension. 

 

How does this sound? 

It sounds complicated and I am afraid to run into all kinds of obstacles.

23 minutes ago, uhuh said:

Their supervisor discussed the matter with the staff and told me to get a tourist visa,  convert it into a non-immigrant visa in Thailand and then get the retirement extension. 

How does this sound? 

It sounds complicated and I am afraid to run into all kinds of obstacles.

Other than getting a OA visa from the embassy it is about your only choice.

Not that complicated but it can depend upon the office you have to go to.

You will first apply for a change of visas status to get a 90 day non immigrant visa (category O) entry. After the application is accepted you will have to return to immigration to get the visa and entry stamps done.

Info for visa application is here. https://www.immigration.go.th/content/service_80

Then during the last 45 days of the 90 day entry from the visa you will apply for the extension of stay based upon retirement.

2 hours ago, uhuh said:

Thank you

So i went to the consulate in my home town but they will not give me a new non-immigrant O visa, even I have their old non immigrant O visa with retirement extensions in my passport. Staff has changed. The new staff will give a non-immigrant O visa only to applicants who receive old-age pensions from social security. 

I am over 50 (and have 800000 in my Thai bank account) but I am not old enough for old-age pension,  and my pension will not be from social security anyway. 

 

Their supervisor discussed the matter with the staff and told me to get a tourist visa,  convert it into a non-immigrant visa in Thailand and then get the retirement extension. 

 

How does this sound? 

It sounds complicated and I am afraid to run into all kinds of obstacles.

Which is your local immigration office in Thailand? As I have stated previously in this thread, non-O conversions are relatively straightforward to accomplish at Chaengwattana Immigration (Bangkok), but this is not always the case at provincial offices - in particular at Jomtien (Pattaya).

I live in Bangkok so this sounds reassuring