Re-igniting an old retirement extension - or starting again?

[jpinx]

My situation changed somewhat and I have not been in Thailand since March 2017.  I had been on multiple annual renewals of a retirement extension but that has all lapsed.  My question is:  Is it still possible to enter on a 30 day stamp and then get the necessary visa which will be extended based on retirement?  This how I originally got the annual renewal process working, all done at Samut Prakan immigration office.  Is this still possible and can it still be done at Samut Prakan?

[ubonjoe]

Yes it is still possible. You will need at least 15 days remaining on your entry or the 30 day extension of it.

General requirements are here for the non immigrant visa application.

 https://www.immigration.go.th/content/service_80 (click Eng at the top right of the page for English) 

[Pib]

OP, keep in mind that if you used the income letter method before vs evidence of foreign transfer of funds, that depending on what nationality you are you might not be able to get an income letter from your embassy.  Like the UK, US, and AU embassies are ending income letter issue over the next month or so...and the Danish embassy has already stopped.  It's expect other embassies will do the same over the coming months.

[jpinx]

Thanks ubonjoe.   I seem to remember someone saying that the first visa and/or extension could no longer be done at Samut Prakan.  Is that right?

[ubonjoe]

There was short period of time that only a few offices could issue the non immigrant visa but that was changed. Last year immigration made a directive that all offices can accept  the application. Your visa application will be sent to division 3 headquarters for approval after your application is accepted. You will not get the visa/entry stamps in your passport for about weeks when you return to have them stamped in your passport.

[jpinx]

On 11/19/2018 at 1:52 PM, Pib said:

OP, keep in mind that if you used the income letter method before vs evidence of foreign transfer of funds, that depending on what nationality you are you might not be able to get an income letter from your embassy.  Like the UK, US, and AU embassies are ending income letter issue over the next month or so...and the Danish embassy has already stopped.  It's expect other embassies will do the same over the coming months.

Thanks for the heads-up on that.  Reading the extensive commentary in this and other forums, it would appear that the issue is mostly surrounding the individual embassys interpretation of the Thai immigration requirements for *Proof* of income. Fortunately my embassy has been dealing with me for some years on this and seem to be happy with the evidence I give them.  It has proved to be useful to have the government/state pension award letter to hand as well.

[jpinx]

16 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

There was short period of time that only a few offices could issue the non immigrant visa but that was changed. Last year immigration made a directive that all offices can accept  the application. Your visa application will be sent to division 3 headquarters for approval after your application is accepted. You will not get the visa/entry stamps in your passport for about weeks when you return to have them stamped in your passport.

Thanks again Ubonjoe, at least it sounds like I won't have to head up to Changwattana. I'm guessing it'll take two visits to Samut Prakan office get the job done, separated while Div3 communicate their approval to the local Immigration office - I wonder how long that might take and what is my passport status during that time.

[ubonjoe]

8 hours ago, jpinx said:

Fortunately my embassy has been dealing with me for some years on this and seem to be happy with the evidence I give them.  It has proved to be useful to have the government/state pension award letter to hand as well.

I think that is the UK embassy by looking at your posts done in the past. If you don't send in a application for a income letter prior to December 12th you will not get one.

8 hours ago, jpinx said:

Thanks again Ubonjoe, at least it sounds like I won't have to head up to Changwattana. I'm guessing it'll take two visits to Samut Prakan office get the job done, separated while Div3 communicate their approval to the local Immigration office - I wonder how long that might take and what is my passport status during that time.

It takes about 2 weeks for approval on average. That is why you have to have at least 15 days remaining on your entry when you apply.

You keep your passport while waiting for the approval.

[Suradit69]

15 hours ago, jpinx said:

Fortunately my embassy has been dealing with me for some years on this and seem to be happy with the evidence I give them.  It has proved to be useful to have the government/state pension award letter to hand as well.

Many of us have been getting such letters from our embassies for many years. Won't help if your embassy has announced they will no longer certify income. Still uncertain whether Thai immigrations will continue accepting such "proof" of income from any other embassy even if they continue to issue letters in 2019. 

 

Best to develop plan B if you were thinking of using the income method.

[jpinx]

11 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

I think that is the UK embassy by looking at your posts done in the past. If you don't send in a application for a income letter prior to December 12th you will not get one.

It takes about 2 weeks for approval on average. That is why you have to have at least 15 days remaining on your entry when you apply.

You keep your passport while waiting for the approval.

Sorry to have unintentionally mislead you, I am on an Irish passport, not UK.  I'll email the embassy for confirmation of their intentions regarding issuing this letter in 2019 and beyond.  I haven't read anything to say that immigration will not accept them after this year, only that some embassies have decided not to issue them anymore because of new interpretation of immigrations requirements of what the embassies accept as proof.  Frankly I am amazed that the "self-affirming" style the USA embassy have been allowing has not been queried before now. 

 

As usual, there's more to all this than initially meets the eye. It makes sense to get my re-entry permit and whatever certificate of residence i need, all at the same visit to the immigration office. What else have I forgotten?

[ubonjoe]

A inflammatory post and the expected replies to it have been removed.

[ubonjoe]

11 hours ago, jpinx said:

Sorry to have unintentionally mislead you, I am on an Irish passport, not UK.  I'll email the embassy for confirmation of their intentions regarding issuing this letter in 2019 and beyond. 

You might want to check with the honorary consulate in Dublin about getting a single entry non-o visa. They have a little more flexibility than the consulates in the UK. See: https://www.thaiconsulateireland.com/types-of-visa/

Another option is a OA long stay visa by post to the embassy in London. http://www.thaiembassy.org/london/en/services/7742/84508-Non-Immigrant-visas.html#7

[jpinx]

On 11/21/2018 at 8:34 AM, Suradit69 said:

Many of us have been getting such letters from our embassies for many years. Won't help if your embassy has announced they will no longer certify income. Still uncertain whether Thai immigrations will continue accepting such "proof" of income from any other embassy even if they continue to issue letters in 2019. 

 

Best to develop plan B if you were thinking of using the income method.

I got a very prompt and polite reply from my embassy to say that they are continuing to issue "proof of income" letters and no mention of any cut-off date.  Their wording is

"If Thai immigration still accept the confirming letter from the Embassy, we would be...... etc, etc,,,"

thus telling me that they are happy with the proof I give them, but they do not guarantee that Thai Immigration will continue to accept their letter.  Not entirely clear yet, but given that I'm not travelling before Xmas things might have been sorted out by then.

 

I'm avoiding the O or OA route because of police and medical checks.  I see that the criminal record check is needed from your country of residence *and* your passport issuing country -- not the same in my case and the hassle factor of getting both would be considerable.

 

From http://www.thaiembassy.org/london/en/services/7742/84508-Non-Immigrant-visas.html#7

"Certificate of criminal record clearance from own country and country of permanent residence with validity of at least 3 months. Applicants residing in the United Kingdom will need to have a police clearance issued only from here."

 

But maybe different from here...

http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/4908/15385-Non-Immigrant-Visa-"O-A"-(Long-Stay).html

"- A letter of verification issued from the country of his or her nationality or residence stating that the applicant has no criminal record (verification shall be valid for not more than three months and should be notarised by notary organs or the applicant’s diplomatic or consular mission)."

 

This kind of confusion is what pushes me to go the tried-and-tested route of entry stamp > O visa > extension.

Edited November 22, 2018 by jpinx

[ubonjoe]

8 hours ago, jpinx said:

I'm avoiding the O or OA route because of police and medical checks. 

The medical and police certificates are not needed for a non-o visa. From just above the OA application info on the same page.

"For pensioner (aged 50 or over) : A copy of pension statement if the applicant is a pensioner, or a copy of 1-month bank statement showing your income from pension, or 3-month bank statement of at least £10,000"

 

For the OA visa application they would accept a police clearance from Ireland since that is your place of residence. 

 

[NeoDinosaw]

On 11/23/2018 at 7:47 AM, ubonjoe said:

The medical and police certificates are not needed for a non-o visa. 

 

It is my experience that a medical certificate is always required on first application. If you apply in your home country, you will need a police certificate - but not if you apply in Thailand