I went to immigration in Bangkok today to get a reentry stamp. Usually a very easy thing to do but not today. After I paid and handed in everything it was obvious that something was wrong because many people seemed to be discussing my passport and making phone calls. After keeping me waiting over an hour I was told that my extension of stay based on retirement was wrong! A little background.....I was working as a scuba instructor in Khaolak. I had a 6 month B visa and a work permit also for 6 months. The scuba season is longer than 6 months so when that ran out I had to get another but they will only give three months because they know that that is when the job ends. OK. So before the last B visa ran out, I went to Phang Nga Immigration and got and extension of stay based on retirement. I have done this before without a problem. Bangkok immigration says that I am not allowed to get this extension and I should have extended the B visa. I tried to explain that I couldn't extend the B visa because I wasn't working anymore but they didn't want to hear it. Then they said they spoke with Phjang Nga Immigration about it and recommend that when I need to renew the extension I should do it in Phang Nga. I explained that I can't do that because I live in Bangkok. They just said "Oh". 

  So now I am totally confused. I thought you could get and extension as long as you held any non immigrant visa. This is what I have done before without a problem. Now they tell me this is wrong. I am worried that when I go to renew I will have a problem. Does anyone know anything about this? From what I can find online they are wrong but they are the ones that make the decisions. Thanks.

   

I don't think it is really a big problem. They even do the extension based upon retirement after an extension based upon working is canceled.

Perhaps the problem was that the extension was not done there and you had not changed your address to Bangkok.

Did you get your re-entry permit?

Yes and I did change my address when I moved to BKK. Also did 90 day report without a problem. She was going on about something about it being the first year of the B visa. I didn't really understand.

 

4 minutes ago, Gtto said:

She was going on about something about it being the first year of the B visa.

It could be because she was not aware it could be done.

That is what i thought but the first woman said it was her bass and she conferred with three other older gents that definitely seem to be superiors.