Retirement Type O Visa Renewal Questions

[brahmburgers]

I have a type O multi-entry visa which is about to expire this April. I understand that it I leave and return before its expiration date, that I will likely be afforded an additional 90 days. Ok. In order to secure another 1-year visa (this time a Type A-O?) when is the optimal time for me to apply in Bangkok? ...is it a couple weeks before the additional 90 days is up? I reckon I'll need the financial statement (which I didn't need initially, when I got my visa in the States) plus medical and police records.

If I extend my stay after the 90 day extension - by 30 day visas and possibly a 60 day tourist visa - would that <deleted> up my chances of renewing (or obtaining) a new one year type O-A (or A-O) visa?

closing commentary: the knowledge that lopburi3 and other knowledgable people disseminate on this site is invaluable and mucho appreciarlo. It's a pity the Thai immigration rules have built-in confusion and that interpretations often vary from one Thai consulate to another.

[Maestro]

At the immigration office, you apply not for a visa, but for an annual extension for the reason of retirement. Form TM.7 is used for this application. You can look at it in the topic “Thai Immigration Application Forms” pinned at the top of this forum. Apply anytime during the last 30 days of your permitted stay, but the general advice is not to leave it to the last moment. Ideally, go with 15 to 30 days left.

No medical or police record is needed. In Bangkok, all you need is your passport and a photocopy of it, the completed application form, a photo, and evidence of either 800,000 Baht in the bank for at least three months or monthly income abroad (pension, etc.) of at least 65,000 Baht. If you go with the monthly income, you need a letter from your embassy certifying that income, which the embassy does based on your information.

--

Maestro

[naka]

Maestro is correct.

Note that you wish to apply for a one year extension of your Non O (retirement extension).

You are not extending an O-A so forget this terminology.

Naka.

[lopburi3]

Your over age 50 we assume and planning retirement extension of stay. As said you can do now as outlined or you can obtain a new visa and do later. The only thing different would be that if you only had a tourist visa an extra 2,000 baht conversion step would be involved in the process. With proof of bank account funds you can probably obtain non immigrant visas, at least in Singapore, if you do not yet meet the 3 month bank deposit requirement for extension of stay or have some other reason for delay.

[lotus eater]

I too will be applying in May to extend my non o visa for a year. Have gathered what I believe is the necessary info and advice to do this.

However I am utterly at a loss to understand what the frequent discussion about o-a visa is all about and whther this visa has anything to do with my case - or a non immig o visa I'm particularly lost on lopburi3's occasional referral (in other threads) to the possibility of getting a year's extension simply by doing a trip just prior to expiry. I put it down to my deteriorating brain,and just proceed on the basis that the latter thing, the o-a, is irrelevant to me, and the free one year extension lopburi refers to would be equally unavailable to me. Maybe I'll grasp it all for the renewal in 2008.