An Idiots Guide to the Retirement Extension process at Samui Immigration Office

[phetphet]

2 hours ago, TerraplaneGuy said:

I know it's kind of pointless to ask "why" ... but if she was prepared to accept all your docs and give you that slip, why couldn't she just give your package to the people upstairs and let them process it without you having to return?

 

 

2 hours ago, Neilly said:

Just did my retirement extension renewal, nothing has changed from the last years requirement.

 

Except, there is now a limit on how many retirement extensions they will handle per day...I arrived at immigration last week just after 10:30am (it should have been sooner but the bank took it's time doing the statement etc) and was told by the lady downstairs who checks all your documents that the days quota had already been reached and that I would have to come back the following morning at 8:30am. She checked all my documents and gave me a further one to sign and using a binder clip put all the doc's together along with my passport and a slip which had the following days date and 8:30am written on it. She said I didn't have to queue up the next day, just come to the window and show her the slip and she would give me a ticket for upstairs.

 

This I did, and left 45mins after handing all the paperwork over to she-who-must-be-obeyed upstairs the following day.

 

Today I went and collected my passport...seeing as it was quiet there (there was a power cut and all their computers were off) I asked the lady downstairs who checks all the doc's what the quota was per day for extensions, it's apparently 10, so, if you're late or unlucky expect to be told to come back the following day at 8:30am 😉

I wonder if it is to do with the high season, and the numbers of tourists extending visas. It was extremely busy when I last went there end of July.

Things should quieten down a little now the schools are starting the new year in Europe.

[Tropicalevo]

42 minutes ago, phetphet said:

 

I wonder if it is to do with the high season, and the numbers of tourists extending visas. It was extremely busy when I last went there end of July.

Things should quieten down a little now the schools are starting the new year in Europe.

I agree. They get a lot of walk-ins .

Not only tourists but also conscript refugees from both KPN and Samui.

Then there are the business visas etc for old farts like me.

I know that when my accountant does my business visa, my passport it is AWOL from the office for a while with a number of temporary extensions whilst the company accounts and work permit are also checked and so on.

[TerraplaneGuy]

12 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

I agree. They get a lot of walk-ins .

Not only tourists but also conscript refugees from both KPN and Samui.

Then there are the business visas etc for old farts like me.

I know that when my accountant does my business visa, my passport it is AWOL from the office for a while with a number of temporary extensions whilst the company accounts and work permit are also checked and so on.

But think about it:  in a given month, there are a certain number of people who have to extend their retirement stays, because they are expiring.  So say there are 100 in August.  They will not reduce their workload by making you come there twice.   If they want to spread them out, just 10 each day, they can accept your package the first time you come and do some the next day or whenever.  It seems they made Neilly come back just to take the package upstairs which they already had downstairs.

[Neilly]

4 hours ago, phetphet said:

 

I wonder if it is to do with the high season, and the numbers of tourists extending visas. It was extremely busy when I last went there end of July.

Things should quieten down a little now the schools are starting the new year in Europe.

 

The place was almost deserted when I went there on the first day at 10:30, I thought my luck was in and it was going to be a breeze

 

3 hours ago, TerraplaneGuy said:

  It seems they made Neilly come back just to take the package upstairs which they already had downstairs.

 

No, I had to take my paperwork home and bring it back the next day

 

4 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

I agree. They get a lot of walk-ins .

Not only tourists but also conscript refugees from both KPN and Samui.

 

 

Good point, if a boat load arrive from KPN before you you're screwed...but we're only talking about retirement extensions

[khunPer]

On 8/29/2024 at 6:49 AM, TerraplaneGuy said:

I know it's kind of pointless to ask "why" ... but if she was prepared to accept all your docs and give you that slip, why couldn't she just give your package to the people upstairs and let them process it without you having to return?

 

Because you need to apply in person; the office downstairs just check that the needed documents are there and gives you a queue number.

[khunPer]

On 8/29/2024 at 9:25 AM, phetphet said:

 

I wonder if it is to do with the high season, and the numbers of tourists extending visas. It was extremely busy when I last went there end of July.

Things should quieten down a little now the schools are starting the new year in Europe.

Likely not to do with tourists and their visa extension, as it's two different systems and counters.

[TerraplaneGuy]

On 8/29/2024 at 11:45 AM, Neilly said:

 ... I asked the lady downstairs who checks all the doc's what the quota was per day for extensions, it's apparently 10, so, if you're late or unlucky expect to be told to come back the following day at 8:30am 😉

Anyone have updates on this?  Are they still only taking 10 people per day for retirement extensions?  

[khunPer]

23 hours ago, TerraplaneGuy said:

Anyone have updates on this?  Are they still only taking 10 people per day for retirement extensions?  

They did the same in October, when I renewed my extension of stay. You might need to show up at opening time and stand in the queue-line. I came some 10 minutes before opening with a dream of being number one in the line. In real life I ended up long way down, but luckily got a number for same day. I had to wait some hours upstairs till my number was called. It was getting threatening close to lunch-time, but I was let out before lunch without my passport, replaced by a small number-sticker,  and asked to come back a week later and exchange the number to an extension of stay stamped in my travel-document.

[TerraplaneGuy]

Thanks.  Is it still ok to apply for the extension as early as 30 days before due date?

[khunPer]

6 minutes ago, TerraplaneGuy said:

Thanks.  Is it still ok to apply for the extension as early as 30 days before due date?

To my knowledge they accept 30 days now – before you couldn't come more two weeks before the present extension ended – I've been advised, about two years ago, to come earlier up to 30 days before, because I waited till less than two weeks.

 

If you don't live too far from the immigration office, then do as I do, get there an afternoon when no queue-line downstairs and ask for this years "menu", TM7-form and other documents to sign, so you can prepare everything from home. Then you can also get confirmed if 30 days before is accepted. Samui Immigration only eccept their own TM7-form with stamp on the back for e-maill address and mobile phone number, not a downloaded vertsion. Even that they state that bankbook shall be updated same day as application for extension of stay – which can be quite difficult with a fixed account when you need to queue up early morning – they accepted my update from the day before.

 

This is the "menu" from October 2024 (please note that the insurance for non-OA officially is back to 400k + 40k baht; I got no idea if Samui Immigration accepts that)...

 

[churchill]

On 1/8/2025 at 3:28 PM, khunPer said:

They did the same in October, when I renewed my extension of stay. You might need to show up at opening time and stand in the queue-line. I came some 10 minutes before opening with a dream of being number one in the line. In real life I ended up long way down, but luckily got a number for same day. I had to wait some hours upstairs till my number was called. It was getting threatening close to lunch-time, but I was let out before lunch without my passport, replaced by a small number-sticker,  and asked to come back a week later and exchange the number to an extension of stay stamped in my travel-document.

 

Try an afternoon visit - much calmer 

 

I went today at 2.30 pm for proof of address for driving licence / only 3 in the queue downstairs and not many waiting upstairs with tickets / in and out in about 10 minutes 

[TerraplaneGuy]

19 hours ago, khunPer said:

To my knowledge they accept 30 days now – before you couldn't come more two weeks before the present extension ended – I've been advised, about two years ago, to come earlier up to 30 days before, because I waited till less than two weeks.

 

If you don't live too far from the immigration office, then do as I do, get there an afternoon when no queue-line downstairs and ask for this years "menu", TM7-form and other documents to sign, so you can prepare everything from home. Then you can also get confirmed if 30 days before is accepted. Samui Immigration only eccept their own TM7-form with stamp on the back for e-maill address and mobile phone number, not a downloaded vertsion. Even that they state that bankbook shall be updated same day as application for extension of stay – which can be quite difficult with a fixed account when you need to queue up early morning – they accepted my update from the day before.

 

This is the "menu" from October 2024 (please note that the insurance for non-OA officially is back to 400k + 40k baht; I got no idea if Samui Immigration accepts that)...

 

 

Thanks.  Unfortunately I live far from the office so not convenient at all to go in advance to get the form TM47.  If I have to fill out the form onsite would that set me back in the queue for extensions now that they only accept 10? I really don't want to have to go twice.  Also, do you know if they now regularly accept a bankbook update from the day before as they did with you (although I see from the checklist it still says same day) or were you just lucky?

[khunPer]

5 hours ago, TerraplaneGuy said:

Thanks.  Unfortunately I live far from the office so not convenient at all to go in advance to get the form TM47.  If I have to fill out the form onsite would that set me back in the queue for extensions now that they only accept 10? I really don't want to have to go twice.  Also, do you know if they now regularly accept a bankbook update from the day before as they did with you (although I see from the checklist it still says same day) or were you just lucky?

I've visited the immigration office today. New rule: You need to go there one month before your extended stay expires and book time for your next extension. At same time you will be handed the menu, the form and other other documents to sign.

 

I asked if you can book online, but the usual long stay-assistent on the ground floor had no knowledge about that possibility, instead she showed me her handwritten pile of papers with daily bookings for extension of stay.

[khunPer]

18 hours ago, churchill said:

 

Try an afternoon visit - much calmer 

 

I went today at 2.30 pm for proof of address for driving licence / only 3 in the queue downstairs and not many waiting upstairs with tickets / in and out in about 10 minutes 

You cannot come in the afternoon and apply for long term extension of stay; it's however okay for 90-days address report, which only takes a few minutes in the late afternoon.

[khunPer]

5 hours ago, TerraplaneGuy said:

Also, do you know if they now regularly accept a bankbook update from the day before as they did with you (although I see from the checklist it still says same day) or were you just lucky?

I asked specific about that the day before in October 2024, as same day update is a problem if you have a fixed term-account, which might need to be updated by a bank assistant. My 12-month fixed bank book updated the date before was accepted. If you have a normal savings account, you can update by the a machine same morning, I was told. If the machine don't update, then you can deposit 100 baht in the cash deposit machine and then update the bank book. Alternatively, I was told by a high level assistant upstairs, that you can get your queue number and then go to a bank when they open to get the bank book updated and come back to the immigration office.

 

However, now when you have to book time in advance, you might be able to get appointment late enough to update your bank book in the morning.

[TerraplaneGuy]

17 hours ago, khunPer said:

I've visited the immigration office today. New rule: You need to go there one month before your extended stay expires and book time for your next extension. At same time you will be handed the menu, the form and other other documents to sign.

 

I asked if you can book online, but the usual long stay-assistent on the ground floor had no knowledge about that possibility, instead she showed me her handwritten pile of papers with daily bookings for extension of stay.

Wow. Are you saying we have to go at least a month before expiry or no more than a month before? Obviously we can’t always go exactly one month early.  In my case, my expiry is February 12.  So even if I go this Monday it will be the 13th, therefore less than one month.  Surely this doesn’t mean it is impossible for me to extend?

[yabbra]

18 hours ago, khunPer said:

I've visited the immigration office today. New rule: You need to go there one month before your extended stay expires and book time for your next extension. At same time you will be handed the menu, the form and other other documents to sign.

 

I asked if you can book online, but the usual long stay-assistent on the ground floor had no knowledge about that possibility, instead she showed me her handwritten pile of papers with daily bookings for extension of stay.

 

Thanks for this important information...So you mean we have to go to the office approximately one month before to just book the appointment date & that's it? I would assume it's the same for a marriage extension as well as retirement? Finally, do you know if you can make the appointment by phone or it has to be in person? I'd rather avoid the extra 50km round trip if I can.

 

Cheers

[churchill]

21 hours ago, khunPer said:

You cannot come in the afternoon and apply for long term extension of stay; it's however okay for 90-days address report, which only takes a few minutes in the late afternoon.

There was a couple in front of me presenting paperwork for retirement extension - did not seem to be an issue ?

[khunPer]

2 hours ago, churchill said:

There was a couple in front of me presenting paperwork for retirement extension - did not seem to be an issue ?

When was that?

It couldn't be done in October 2024 – the year before they advised me to come next day, as there were already a long queue, if I didn't want to wait about two hours, which I decided to do.

[khunPer]

5 hours ago, yabbra said:

 

Thanks for this important information...So you mean we have to go to the office approximately one month before to just book the appointment date & that's it? I would assume it's the same for a marriage extension as well as retirement? Finally, do you know if you can make the appointment by phone or it has to be in person? I'd rather avoid the extra 50km round trip if I can.

 

Cheers

Sounds right – about a month before – even the lady said "one month before"; which might also be a reply to @TerraplaneGuy.

 

I asked specific about, if it could be done online – around a year ago there were posters downstairs about booking time online and upload paperwork, which I presumed was for 30-days tourist-extension; no one ever mentioned it here, about using it – but it is not possible to her knowledge.

 

She said, that when booking time, you are handed this year's "menu" and various documents – including the office's own application form, which need to be used, I was not allowed to hand-write "Email:" and "Phone:" with a blue pen, it had to be their be their blue rubber stamp – handing over papers is not easily done via phone-booking.

 

She also mentioned that you don't need to show your paperwork, when booking time; which was self understood for me.

 

I luckily live nearby Samui Immigration – a few minutes drive – so, therefore I decided to check if something was changed since last October; now ,when the question were raised.

 

Photo from October 2023...

[churchill]

42 minutes ago, khunPer said:

When was that?

It couldn't be done in October 2024 – the year before they advised me to come next day, as there were already a long queue, if I didn't want to wait about two hours, which I decided to do.

 

2 days ago - No queue and few waiting upstairs .

 

I assume once documents are in order you are given a ticket to present upstairs and then told to return in a week when process is complete .

[TerraplaneGuy]

24 minutes ago, khunPer said:

Sounds right – about a month before – even the lady said "one month before"; which might also be a reply to @TerraplaneGuy.

 

I asked specific about, if it could be done online – around a year ago there were posters downstairs about booking time online and upload paperwork, which I presumed was for 30-days tourist-extension; no one ever mentioned it here, about using it – but it is not possible to her knowledge.

 

She said, that when booking time, you are handed this year's "menu" and various documents – including the office's own application form, which need to be used, I was not allowed to hand-write "Email:" and "Phone:" with a blue pen, it had to be their be their blue rubber stamp – handing over papers is not easily done via phone-booking.

 

She also mentioned that you don't need to show your paperwork, when booking time; which was self understood for me.

 

I luckily live nearby Samui Immigration – a few minutes drive – so, therefore I decided to check if something was changed since last October; now ,when the question were raised.

 

Photo from October 2023...

It’s really hard to understand how this is supposed to work. “About a month” doesn’t seem accurate enough to be a real rule.  Is 40 days ok?  20? And what if you’re traveling off island in the preceding month?  It seems far-fetched even for these jokers to insist that people come TWICE in person for an extension, first to create an appointment, then for their application.  I’m wondering if it’s more a “suggestion” than a rule?  Can it be that they would refuse to extend a stay even if you go two weeks ahead of your expiry, with all the right paper, just because you hadn’t made this new extra visit, weeks before?  

[khunPer]

23 hours ago, churchill said:

 

2 days ago - No queue and few waiting upstairs .

 

I assume once documents are in order you are given a ticket to present upstairs and then told to return in a week when process is complete .

And you are sure it's not somebody that had booked time in advance..?

[khunPer]

23 hours ago, TerraplaneGuy said:

It’s really hard to understand how this is supposed to work. “About a month” doesn’t seem accurate enough to be a real rule.  Is 40 days ok?  20? And what if you’re traveling off island in the preceding month?  It seems far-fetched even for these jokers to insist that people come TWICE in person for an extension, first to create an appointment, then for their application.  I’m wondering if it’s more a “suggestion” than a rule?  Can it be that they would refuse to extend a stay even if you go two weeks ahead of your expiry, with all the right paper, just because you hadn’t made this new extra visit, weeks before?  

You need to ask the Immigration Office, to get an answer of that. Surat Thani-immigration can, just like other immigration offices, make their own rules, like the need of medical statement (I wonder what happens if I don't pass my check as "healthy"...).

 

And by the way, now you need to go there three times: 1) To make an appointment and get the documents; 2) To have the documents checked and wait upstairs for a number; 3) Which number you shall use about a week later to be handed over your passport. Last time I did my extension (October 2024) they took my photo with a smartphone when my paperwork was accepted, instead of when I collected my passport with the extension-stamp.

 

In a way, it's a benefit to get an appointment, rather than coming early in the morning, get a number way down in the queue-line and wait for hours upstairs, not knowing if the numbers before you are finished quickly, or takes long time because something is not in the expected perfect order. For example, if you have been outside the province, you need a new TM30-registration, which the lady downstair cannot see, when you have a copy of an older one. Samui Immigration don't follow the police order earlier mention in AN-news, but checks the TM30-status while you are waiting for your passport-pickup-number.

 

Apart from all that, I totally agree in that the authorities are making it too difficult – more and more each year – for expats to extend stay in the country. At same time they wish more people to stay here and spend money. Retirees are actually good business, as they in average spend at least 65k baht a month – some less, and some much more – and furthermore many hold quite a nice sum in bank deposits. A news-story a few years ago stated that here are at least 80,000 retirees. If half of them keep 800k baht in the bank it's 32 billion baht in deposits, and the double of that amount in their spendings.

[TerraplaneGuy]

On 1/10/2025 at 3:43 PM, khunPer said:

….

 

I asked if you can book online, but the usual long stay-assistent on the ground floor had no knowledge about that possibility, instead she showed me her handwritten pile of papers with daily bookings for extension of stay.

So interesting.  The online booking system appears to be working fine.  Are they not aware of it?  Or do they just ignore it?   What if you arrive, not having come earlier to book, but having an online appointment confirmed by Surat Thani Immigration?  

[khunPer]

1 minute ago, TerraplaneGuy said:

So interesting.  The online booking system appears to be working fine.  Are they not aware of it?  Or do they just ignore it?   What if you arrive, not having come earlier to book, but having an online appointment confirmed by Surat Thani Immigration?  

Have you used the online-system for extension of stay?

[TerraplaneGuy]

21 minutes ago, khunPer said:

You need to ask the Immigration Office, to get an answer of that. Surat Thani-immigration can, just like other immigration offices, make their own rules, like the need of medical statement (I wonder what happens if I don't pass my check as "healthy"...).

 

And by the way, now you need to go there three times: 1) To make an appointment and get the documents; 2) To have the documents checked and wait upstairs for a number; 3) Which number you shall use about a week later to be handed over your passport. Last time I did my extension (October 2024) they took my photo with a smartphone when my paperwork was accepted, instead of when I collected my passport with the extension-stamp.

 

In a way, it's a benefit to get an appointment, rather than coming early in the morning, get a number way down in the queue-line and wait for hours upstairs, not knowing if the numbers before you are finished quickly, or takes long time because something is not in the expected perfect order. For example, if you have been outside the province, you need a new TM30-registration, which the lady downstair cannot see, when you have a copy of an older one. Samui Immigration don't follow the police order earlier mention in AN-news, but checks the TM30-status while you are waiting for your passport-pickup-number.

 

Apart from all that, I totally agree in that the authorities are making it too difficult – more and more each year – for expats to extend stay in the country. At same time they wish more people to stay here and spend money. Retirees are actually good business, as they in average spend at least 65k baht a month – some less, and some much more – and furthermore many hold quite a nice sum in bank deposits. A news-story a few years ago stated that here are at least 80,000 retirees. If half of them keep 800k baht in the bank it's 32 billion baht in deposits, and the double of that amount in their spendings.

 

[TerraplaneGuy]

22 minutes ago, khunPer said:

Have you used the online-system for extension of stay?

No

 

22 minutes ago, khunPer said:

Have you used the online-system for extension of stay?

but I’m going to try.  Why wouldn’t it work?  They offer the online appointments specifically for “retirement purpose” among other purposes.  Not to actually apply online or upload anything, just to book an appointment.  

[Tropicalevo]

35 minutes ago, TerraplaneGuy said:

but I’m going to try.  Why wouldn’t it work?

 

Very few Thai (and others?) on-line systems work properly at first.

These days, they test to only see if the main processes work.

Back when Noah was a lad, we used to do 'destruction' testing. Test to try and break it.

With most systems these days, it is more a case of 'throw the system out into the open and let the users test it for us'.

Even banks do this with their front office systems.

The better security is in the back office systems that old-timers probably wrote.

[TerraplaneGuy]

2 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

 

Very few Thai (and others?) on-line systems work properly at first.

These days, they test to only see if the main processes work.

Back when Noah was a lad, we used to do 'destruction' testing. Test to try and break it.

With most systems these days, it is more a case of 'throw the system out into the open and let the users test it for us'.

Even banks do it with their front office systems.

The better security is in the back office systems that old-timers probably wrote.

I don’t know how long this particular feature has been online but it appears to work.  I booked a date and time and I quickly got back an email from Surat Thani Immigration Samui Office confirming the appointment.  Whether it will be honored when I arrive remains to be seen but it does look functional.