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

[churchill]

3 hours ago, khunPer said:

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

Don't know 

 

RE TM30 

 

I filled mine out after my last trip overseas in May and I have been to BKK many times since  - TM30 was accepted without issue .

[TerraplaneGuy]

4 minutes ago, churchill said:

Don't know 

 

RE TM30 

 

I filled mine out after my last trip overseas in May and I have been to BKK many times since  - TM30 was accepted without issue .

Interesting.   Do you mean that after returning from BKK you used the TM30 you filed before you went to BKK?  Did you stay in a hotel there and do you know if they filed one?  If so I wonder why it didn’t eclipse your old filing.  

[churchill]

21 minutes ago, TerraplaneGuy said:

Interesting.   Do you mean that after returning from BKK you used the TM30 you filed before you went to BKK?  Did you stay in a hotel there and do you know if they filed one?  If so I wonder why it didn’t eclipse your old filing.  

 

Yes I use TM30 I filled in on my return from Europe last year - have stayed in a number of hotels in BKK since and I assume all hotels have a standard procedure .

[TerraplaneGuy]

18 minutes ago, churchill said:

 

Yes I use TM30 I filled in on my return from Europe last year - have stayed in a number of hotels in BKK since and I assume all hotels have a standard procedure .

So I guess when you went to Samui Imm they didn’t check your old TM30 that you brought in the system to see if it was still current.  Or maybe they did but realized that your BKK stats were temporary so didn’t matter.   Any idea how this works?

[churchill]

12 minutes ago, TerraplaneGuy said:

So I guess when you went to Samui Imm they didn’t check your old TM30 that you brought in the system to see if it was still current.  Or maybe they did but realized that your BKK stats were temporary so didn’t matter.   Any idea how this works?

I went for proof of address / the TM30 was required .

[TerraplaneGuy]

1 hour ago, churchill said:

I went for proof of address / the TM30 was required .

I see, well I still I wonder why the old one still worked given the more recent BKK filings 

[Tropicalevo]

12 hours ago, churchill said:

 

Yes I use TM30 I filled in on my return from Europe last year - have stayed in a number of hotels in BKK since and I assume all hotels have a standard procedure .

 

There are a number of thoughts on this subject.

All hotels are required by law to register all foreigners upon arrival.

But not all do.

 

I am a solo farang traveller and I have always been asked for my passport.

I give them a photocopy, crossed with 'for hotel use only' written on it.

My friend (farang) is married to a Chinese girl and when they see her at registration, they rarely ask for passports.

They assume that she is Thai.

So, inconsistency rules.

 

Then there is the interpretation of the law.

During Covid, for TM 30 reporting, there was an amendment for foreigners that live in Thailand - long stay.

The law was amended so that long stay foreigners did not have to re-submit a TM 30 when returning to their 'permanent' address.

Your experience would seem to indicate that the IO person that served you are accepts this version.

If you are using the Samui office then I am surprised, because I have always had to re-register my TM 30 when returning home here.

 

I was told that the amendment was only for during Covid, in order to lower the number of foreigners going to immigration.

 

 

[TerraplaneGuy]

Is the Samui Form TM7 the same now as it was last year? I have an extra from then that would save me having to pick up one now if there’s been no changes.  

[churchill]

'The law was amended so that long stay foreigners did not have to re-submit a TM 30 when returning to their 'permanent' address.'

 

I assume this is the case .

 

I stay at Novotel in Bangkok and am sure they would process passports correctly .

[khunPer]

22 hours ago, TerraplaneGuy said:

No

 

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.  

Please report back here, if it works...🙏

[TerraplaneGuy]

9 minutes ago, khunPer said:

Please report back here, if it works...🙏

I will!

[khunPer]

20 hours ago, churchill said:

Don't know 

 

RE TM30 

 

I filled mine out after my last trip overseas in May and I have been to BKK many times since  - TM30 was accepted without issue .

Mine was not in 2023, I had to go home a file a new TM30 – I'm "host" of my own house, so I can do it online – and come back, and start all over again. The long time extension-lady specificed said that Samui Immigration don't accept a TM30 if you have been registered for stay outside the province or has left the Thailand. I had a print of the police order to show here, but she didn't care; of course their rules are the rules, it's actually up to an immigration officer to approve entry and stay, but they will normally consult a superior officer.

[TerraplaneGuy]

2 minutes ago, khunPer said:

Mine was not in 2023, I had to go home a file a new TM30 – I'm "host" of my own house, so I can do it online – and come back, and start all over again. The long time extension-lady specificed said that Samui Immigration don't accept a TM30 if you have been registered for stay outside the province or has left the Thailand. I had a print of the police order to show here, but she didn't care; of course their rules are the rules, it's actually up to an immigration officer to approve entry and stay, but they will normally consult a superior officer.

Did she know you had been outside the province because she checked her system and it showed a TM30 registered outside?  Is that why she rejected your old one?

[khunPer]

9 minutes ago, TerraplaneGuy said:

Did she know you had been outside the province because she checked her system and it showed a TM30 registered outside?  Is that why she rejected your old one?

Yes, they seems to check the TM30-system while you are waiting for approval, after having supplied the paperwork. The check downstairs can only see that you have a copy of a TM30 registration, but not that it's still valid.

[frank83628]

On 1/9/2024 at 1:57 PM, TerraplaneGuy said:

Is it correct that you can apply for extension up to 30 days before your current one expires?  Anyone applied even earlier?

45 days I believe

[phetphet]

 

Trying to get all my paperwork ready to go to Immigration tomorrow morning to renew my Non O retirement extension.

The K-Bank branch near Thai International Hospital that used to open early, closed last year and the one in Central doesn't open until 11 am. So I went there this evening around 4:30, and queued for an hour to get my 12 month statement and make a small deposit in passbook. Charged THB300.

 

Just spent over an hour at home getting everything ready, then realised bank statement must be on day of renewal application.

So my statement and letter are a total waste of time.

 

As bank doesn't open until 11am, it's impossible to get to immigration before lunch. It's now a whole day process, and they hold your passport for a week. What a <deleted> palaver.

 

I hope they don't expect me to be smiling in the photo to be taken outside house.

 

Rant over  

 

 

Profane language edited out by a Moderator

[TerraplaneGuy]

10 hours ago, phetphet said:

 

Trying to get all my paperwork ready to go to Immigration tomorrow morning to renew my Non O retirement extension.

The K-Bank branch near Thai International Hospital that used to open early, closed last year and the one in Central doesn't open until 11 am. So I went there this evening around 4:30, and queued for an hour to get my 12 month statement and make a small deposit in passbook. Charged THB300.

 

Just spent over an hour at home getting everything ready, then realised bank statement must be on day of renewal application.

So my statement and letter are a total waste of time.

 

As bank doesn't open until 11am, it's impossible to get to immigration before lunch. It's now a whole day process, and they hold your passport for a week. What a <deleted> palaver.

 

I hope they don't expect me to be smiling in the photo to be taken outside house.

 

Rant over  

 

 

Profane language edited out by a Moderator

The bank letter is good for 7 days.  The statement can be from the day before but you have to update your bank book the day of application with a fresh transaction that day. .   You can make a transaction by phone in the morning or go to an ATM and withdraw something. Then use the update machine if they have one that works. Or wait for the bank to open and have staff update.