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

[phetphet]

On 5/22/2019 at 2:29 PM, evadgib said:

2.       Print and sign the Bio Page, entry page and all previous pages of passport since your visa was issued/entered the Kingdom. Do same re your departure card (TM6). 2 sets are needed if applying for re-entry permit (double sided TM8 plus photo) too.

Does this mean the original Non Imm O visa? Or from last years extension? 

 

[khunPer]

5 hours ago, TerraplaneGuy said:

Thanks - did they make you give them a copy of the owner's ID?  (Above I noted that may be impossible for me).

I'm a house owner with Yellow Book, so I haven't tried it, but others have posted that a photo copy of owner's ID works, the photo copy shall be signed by the owner.

 

Perhaps someone with experience from rental agreement can answer more specific.

[khunPer]

19 minutes ago, phetphet said:

Does this mean the original Non Imm O visa? Or from last years extension? 

The immigration office seems sometimes to prefer all pages in one's passport, even if it's not specified in the list, which only says name page (or bio page), and all pages since last entry "until current stamp", but must include a non-immigrant visa.

Just copy all pages since your non-immigrant visa and until last stamp, and if you have changed passport after your visa-entry, copy from first page, which should include a visa-transfer stamp with data from the original visa in an older pasport.

 

If you have too many photocopies it's not a problem, you will get the excess copies back; if you have to few they might just photocopy the extra pages in the immigration office (free of charge).

 

All copies need to be portrait (readable portrait), signed and not stapled...????

[phetphet]

54 minutes ago, khunPer said:

The immigration office seems sometimes to prefer all pages in one's passport, even if it's not specified in the list, which only says name page (or bio page), and all pages since last entry "until current stamp", but must include a non-immigrant visa.

Just copy all pages since your non-immigrant visa and until last stamp, and if you have changed passport after your visa-entry, copy from first page, which should include a visa-transfer stamp with data from the original visa in an older pasport.

 

If you have too many photocopies it's not a problem, you will get the excess copies back; if you have to few they might just photocopy the extra pages in the immigration office (free of charge).

 

All copies need to be portrait (readable portrait), signed and not stapled...????

KhunPer.

Are you saying if stamps in passport are sidewards I should print them as portrait and  not the passport itself?  

 

Immigration can be a real pain. I have a 48 page passport and have travelled  extensively. Looks like I had better order some more ink cartridges.

 

 

[khunPer]

15 hours ago, phetphet said:

KhunPer.

Are you saying if stamps in passport are sidewards I should print them as portrait and  not the passport itself?  

 

Immigration can be a real pain. I have a 48 page passport and have travelled  extensively. Looks like I had better order some more ink cartridges.

I've scanned my passport into PDF-file and just ad new pages with stamps, or changes to last pages, and print it. I've used one PDF-file per page lookup, as I find it more easy to handle, than a huge PDF-file, where I might need to erase last page, and update.

 

Screen shots here from how I've done it (2019) – some rubber stamps will be wrong format, but Samui Immigration has always accepted my prints – I've blurred some personal data and numbers, and left out a number of pages also, in this show-copy (don't do that for Immigration...), which shows bio-page, visa transfer stamps, some previous exit/entry stamps and extensions of stay stamps, last entry and TM6 card...

 

(Unfortunately it seems like there has been some problems with Thaivisa's web-server the last few days, today new uploaded images don't show at all in my Chrome-browser, but I'll leave the upload and check later, and if not showing the image, I'll try to upload again in a new post, as the edit-window is narrow to be allowed editing this post...????)

 

 

Edited January 13, 2021 by khunPer

[phetphet]

I went to Samui Immigration after lunch today to renew my Non O retirement extension. Fairly quiet there as to be expected at the moment.

 

The good news is that they accepted the completed Samui specific TM7 and TM8 that I scanned to pdf and filled in on my computer.

 

The bad news (for me at least) was that although I had printed all pages of current bank book, and had bank letter and statement for last three months, they still wanted to see my old bank book.

When I asked why, I was told, " Boss says have to have old bank book because you used money in bank method last year."

 

I was still doing the same this year. So a trip home was required.

 

I don't know if it would make any  difference, but maybe next time I will ask for a "last twelve months statement" from the bank.  Can't be any more expensive than a three month one.

 

So for my retirement extension and a Multiple Re-entry Permit I gave them thirty three pages of A4. That included bank letter and statement and all other pages they asked for.

 

i wish they would hurry up and  become  as  SMART as their BMW's. 

[lom]

13 minutes ago, phetphet said:

I don't know if it would make any  difference, but maybe next time I will ask for a "last twelve months statement" from the bank.  Can't be any more expensive than a three month one.

 

I think it is the same price.

I got a call from Samui immigration a day after I had supplied the docs for the new 1 year extension, they asked me to come back and bring the bankbook with me.

The 3 month bank statement was accepted but they wanted a copy of the bankbook for the whole previous year, not only for the last 3 month.

So it seems that they have skipped the request to bring the bank book when you do your first 90 day report after a new extension (which a few  persons has been asked for) and instead do the check next time you apply for the extension.

Edited January 13, 2021 by lom

[khunPer]

5 hours ago, phetphet said:

The bad news (for me at least) was that although I had printed all pages of current bank book, and had bank letter and statement for last three months, they still wanted to see my old bank book.

When I asked why, I was told, " Boss says have to have old bank book because you used money in bank method last year."

 

I was still doing the same this year. So a trip home was required.

You need to show 12 month in bankbook copies, and all pages in a bank book. So when you change bankbook it might be a lot of pages. If you use income method, you need to show that FTT for each month is not less than 65k; if deposit method, you need to show 800k for at least five months, and not less than 400k for the remaining (seven) month.

 

If using deposit method, then use a separate bank account for the deposit, and thereby bankbook, that makes life easy when it comes to immigration matters...????

 

5 hours ago, phetphet said:

I don't know if it would make any  difference, but maybe next time I will ask for a "last twelve months statement" from the bank.  Can't be any more expensive than a three month one.

It's depending of your bank. If for example Bangkok Bank, a branch can only make a three month statement. Longer statements, i.e. 12 month, need to be ordered in advance from the head office and will cost an additional 200 baht fee. Bear in mind that the bank statement is only valid for seven days, which might be a problem having a statement send in due time from a head office.

 

However, you might still need to show copies of all pages in the bankbook, because that's what the list says.

 

My best advice, based on several years experience with Samui Immigration: Just strictly follow the rules in their list, then extension of stay is smoothly handled with a smile...????

[TerraplaneGuy]

6 hours ago, phetphet said:

...

 

The bad news (for me at least) was that although I had printed all pages of current bank book, and had bank letter and statement for last three months, they still wanted to see my old bank book.

When I asked why, I was told, " Boss says have to have old bank book because you used money in bank method last year."

 

I was still doing the same this year. So a trip home was required.

 

I don't know if it would make any  difference, but maybe next time I will ask for a "last twelve months statement" from the bank.  Can't be any more expensive than a three month one.

 

To be clear, are you saying they want a bank book that shows the entire 12 months since your last extension?  If that's the case, I'd like to know what they would do if your current book only goes back say 6 months, and you don't have the old one because you either lost it or discarded it.  There's no law that says you have to keep old bank books, and how could you know it's required if it's your first time with this office? (Other offices don't require this).  Samui's official document list just requires "6. Copies of a bank book, showing the all page." (sic).   Nothing about old books. Surely if you have a statement that goes back 12 months it should suffice .... ? 

Edited January 13, 2021 by TerraplaneGuy

[phetphet]

8 hours ago, TerraplaneGuy said:

To be clear, are you saying they want a bank book that shows the entire 12 months since your last extension?  If that's the case, I'd like to know what they would do if your current book only goes back say 6 months, and you don't have the old one because you either lost it or discarded it.  There's no law that says you have to keep old bank books, and how could you know it's required if it's your first time with this office? (Other offices don't require this).  Samui's official document list just requires "6. Copies of a bank book, showing the all page." (sic).   Nothing about old books. Surely if you have a statement that goes back 12 months it should suffice .... ? 

i'm only going by what I was asked for. I got a new bank book about three months ago, and took it along with photocopies of all (3) pages, bank letter and three month statement.

 

I was quite surprised to be asked for the old book. I have never been asked at all for neither book nor statements at any 90 day reports. 

 

I must admit that on the way  home I was thinking to myself, "S**t! Did I throw it away?"

I suppose concerning Thai bureaucracy, especially Immigration, it  is better to keep all documents.

Including bank books.

 

 

But 

[TerraplaneGuy]

9 hours ago, khunPer said:

You need to show 12 month in bankbook copies, and all pages in a bank book. So when you change bankbook it might be a lot of pages. If you use income method, you need to show that FTT for each month is not less than 65k; if deposit method, you need to show 800k for at least five months, and not less than 400k for the remaining (seven) month.

My best advice, based on several years experience with Samui Immigration: Just strictly follow the rules in their list, then extension of stay is smoothly handled with a smile...????

Good advice but the problem is their list is not nearly as specific  as (from what I hear) the office actually demands.  For example this quibbling about bank books and the exact format of copies. 
 

Also,  the list asks simply for a medical certificate without saying what it should contain and apparently now clinics are not acceptable.  I’ve even heard that only public (not private) hospitals qualify. Is that true? Some of the best hospitals in the country are privately owned.  

[lom]

1 hour ago, TerraplaneGuy said:

Also,  the list asks simply for a medical certificate without saying what it should contain and apparently now clinics are not acceptable.  I’ve even heard that only public (not private) hospitals qualify. Is that true?

No it is not true.

Years ago Samui Immigration only accepted medical certificate from governments Samui Nathon Hospital which involved both a blood test and a urine test.

Nowadays they gladly accept medical certificate from private hospitals, I and most others use Thai Inter in Chaweng where you get the certificate within 20-30 minutes to the price of 250 baht.

You declare yourself fit to stay and the doctor listens to your lungs. That's all.

[TerraplaneGuy]

45 minutes ago, lom said:

No it is not true.

Years ago Samui Immigration only accepted medical certificate from governments Samui Nathon Hospital which involved both a blood test and a urine test.

Nowadays they gladly accept medical certificate from private hospitals, I and most others use Thai Inter in Chaweng where you get the certificate within 20-30 minutes to the price of 250 baht.

You declare yourself fit to stay and the doctor listens to your lungs. That's all.

Thanks, good to hear.  Any chance you know of a good hospital for this on Koh Phangan (that's where I'm located)?

[lom]

10 minutes ago, TerraplaneGuy said:

Thanks, good to hear.  Any chance you know of a good hospital for this on Koh Phangan (that's where I'm located)?

No. Please ask locally, other expats there would know.

[TerraplaneGuy]

5 hours ago, phetphet said:

 

I was quite surprised to be asked for the old book. I have never been asked at all for neither book nor statements at any 90 day reports. 

 

It's hard to understand why they would ask for bank documents of any kind for a 90 day report.  It's not required by law and not in other offices (at least not in BKK) and it makes no sense because when you report online or by mail you never include bank documents.   Have other people been asked for them?

Edited January 14, 2021 by TerraplaneGuy

[khunPer]

6 hours ago, TerraplaneGuy said:

Good advice but the problem is their list is not nearly as specific  as (from what I hear) the office actually demands.  For example this quibbling about bank books and the exact format of copies. 
 

Also,  the list asks simply for a medical certificate without saying what it should contain and apparently now clinics are not acceptable.  I’ve even heard that only public (not private) hospitals qualify. Is that true? Some of the best hospitals in the country are privately owned.  

It actually says almost all that in the list:

"Copies of bank book, showing all pages
Medical Certificate (Hospital only valid for 7 days)"...

 

Many of us use Thai International Hospital, the private hospital opposite Tesco-Lotus in Bo Phut (Chaweng), they know exactly what is needed for retirement extension of stay, it takes about 15 minutes from you walk in in daytime without a prior appointment, and it costs you 250 baht in fee; and it's previously posted in this thread...????

[khunPer]

15 hours ago, TerraplaneGuy said:

To be clear, are you saying they want a bank book that shows the entire 12 months since your last extension?  If that's the case, I'd like to know what they would do if your current book only goes back say 6 months, and you don't have the old one because you either lost it or discarded it.  There's no law that says you have to keep old bank books, and how could you know it's required if it's your first time with this office? (Other offices don't require this).  Samui's official document list just requires "6. Copies of a bank book, showing the all page." (sic).   Nothing about old books. Surely if you have a statement that goes back 12 months it should suffice .... ? 

Don't mind the law, mind what Samui Immigration says, if you want an extension of stay stamped in your passport there.

 

You need to show 12-month, because if using monthly transfer-method, you need to show that no month is less than 65k baht FTT; and if you use deposit method you need to show that you kept 800k baht during three month after your permission to stay's starting date, and not less than 400k baht the following circa seven months, and that you topped up to not less than 800k baht two month before applying for another extension of stay. That's what the list says, and then you shall copy all pages of your bankbook(s). You better get used to keep your old bank book for about a year...????

[khunPer]

5 hours ago, lom said:

No it is not true.

Years ago Samui Immigration only accepted medical certificate from governments Samui Nathon Hospital which involved both a blood test and a urine test.

Nowadays they gladly accept medical certificate from private hospitals, I and most others use Thai Inter in Chaweng where you get the certificate within 20-30 minutes to the price of 250 baht.

You declare yourself fit to stay and the doctor listens to your lungs. That's all.

No (my bold in quote), never from me for retirement extension, nor has anybody else posted about that, but at least one voluntary did the big test for a retirement extension, and posted it here in the old "immigration thread", saying it was voluntary and not needed.

 

But if you extended your stay based on work permit (i.e. business visa), you needed the full test from the government hospital in Nathon, and to my knowledge you still need that for work permit

Edited January 14, 2021 by khunPer

[khunPer]

2 hours ago, TerraplaneGuy said:

It's hard to understand why they would ask for bank documents of any kind for a 90 day report.  It's not required by law and not in other offices (at least not in BKK) and it makes no sense because when you report online or by mail you never include bank documents.   Have other people been asked for them?

Yes, showing bank book if you used the 800k baht deposit-method, and the immigration office suspected that you used funds from the deposit account within three month after extension of stay.

 

Samui Immigration did ask some for showing a bank book by 90-day report, so did other immigration offices due to Thaivisa forum-postings, but it seemed to have stopped. Instead, when you apply for an extension of stay, and you during the previous 12-month didn't fulfill the financial requirement – i.e. minimum 65k a month FTT-transfer, or the required minimum balance in deposit account(s) – you cannot have an extension and need to leave the Kingdom, and restart all over again from a new Non-immigrant "O"-visa.

[lom]

39 minutes ago, khunPer said:

No (my bold in quote), never from me for retirement extension, nor has anybody else posted about that, but at least one voluntary did the big test for a retirement extension, and posted it here in the old "immigration thread", saying it was voluntary and not needed.

Where did you get your medical certificate before Thai Inter or BKK Hospital were built?

Immigration did not accept a medical certificate from a doctors private clinic in Nathon when I did retirement extensions in the early years of 2000,  Khun Nok sent me to the government hospital in Nathon.  They tested explicitly for drugs.

Samui International in Chaweng or Bandon Hospital were not accepted for med cert, it should be a government hospital.

[khunPer]

58 minutes ago, lom said:

Where did you get your medical certificate before Thai Inter or BKK Hospital were built?

Immigration did not accept a medical certificate from a doctors private clinic in Nathon when I did retirement extensions in the early years of 2000,  Khun Nok sent me to the government hospital in Nathon.  They tested explicitly for drugs.

Samui International in Chaweng or Bandon Hospital were not accepted for med cert, it should be a government hospital.

That far way back I don't know about.

 

When I started extension of stay based on retirement in 2007, there were no need for a medical statement, so if it has been there earlier, it had ceased by that time.

 

Medical certificate became a new demand from around 2014. I cannot remember the exact year, but I have filed a scanned medical test from Bandon Hospital, October 2014, so I believe my memory still serves me well...????

[Tropicalevo]

1 hour ago, lom said:

Where did you get your medical certificate before Thai Inter or BKK Hospital were built?

Immigration did not accept a medical certificate from a doctors private clinic in Nathon when I did retirement extensions in the early years of 2000,  Khun Nok sent me to the government hospital in Nathon.  They tested explicitly for drugs.

Samui International in Chaweng or Bandon Hospital were not accepted for med cert, it should be a government hospital.

Yes - that was the rule in the early 2000's. I had the same thing when I had my retirement visa back then. SIH and Bandon were the only other hospitals and they were not acceptable.

I cannot remember when the rule changed but for years, I have used Bandon (cheapest?) for my visa/work permit medical certificate.

[TerraplaneGuy]

Just dropped by Bandon hospital in Koh Phangan.  They’re up to speed on the certificate.  B650.  But I was surprised they insist on not only a blood test (syphillis) but a chest X-ray.   They say the certificate has to say I don’t have TB.  Seems crazy, especially since BKK Immigration doesn’t even require a medical certificate at all.  Why the heck should I need that radiation exposure ...

[khunPer]

57 minutes ago, TerraplaneGuy said:

Just dropped by Bandon hospital in Koh Phangan.  They’re up to speed on the certificate.  B650.  But I was surprised they insist on not only a blood test (syphillis) but a chest X-ray.   They say the certificate has to say I don’t have TB.  Seems crazy, especially since BKK Immigration doesn’t even require a medical certificate at all.  Why the heck should I need that radiation exposure ...

Sure you asked for medicial check for retirement extension?

It' might be better to use Thai International Hospital, Bandon has become more expensive during the later few years; I had no problems at TIH in October, easy and 250 baht...????

[TerraplaneGuy]

28 minutes ago, khunPer said:

Sure you asked for medicial check for retirement extension?

It' might be better to use Thai International Hospital, Bandon has become more expensive during the later few years; I had no problems at TIH in October, easy and 250 baht...????

Did you have to get an X-ray? Now I asked them and they say yes it’s needed even for retirement extension. Attached is the form they say Immigration needs.  

Edited January 15, 2021 by TerraplaneGuy

[khunPer]

1 hour ago, TerraplaneGuy said:

Did you have to get an X-ray? Now I asked them and they say yes it’s needed even for retirement extension. Attached is the form they say Immigration needs.  

No X-ray, but a kind doctor was listening to my breast, probably the lungs.

They checked blood pressure and pulse, and asked for my weight and height (I knew it well, so no need to jump on the scale).

No syphilis check on my health certificate, that is (to my knowledge) needed, when applying for B-extension.

 

And this is the (my) recent certificate from Samui International Hospital, accepted by Samui Immigration...

[TerraplaneGuy]

1 hour ago, khunPer said:

No X-ray, but a kind doctor was listening to my breast, probably the lungs.

They checked blood pressure and pulse, and asked for my weight and height (I knew it well, so no need to jump on the scale).

No syphilis check on my health certificate, that is (to my knowledge) needed, when applying for B-extension.

 

And this is the (my) recent certificate from Samui International Hospital, accepted by Samui Immigration...

I see yours does not mention syphilis (I did an app photo translation) but it does mention TB.  I guess your hospital is willing to certify no TB based just on listening to lungs rather than X-ray.  I suspect Immigration doesn’t mind that but Bandon Hospital is either trying to be more professional or is trying to justify charging more by doing an X-ray.  

 

[lom]

2 hours ago, TerraplaneGuy said:

trying to justify charging more by doing an X-ray.

bingo!

[Tropicalevo]

6 hours ago, TerraplaneGuy said:

Did you have to get an X-ray? Now I asked them and they say yes it’s needed even for retirement extension. Attached is the form they say Immigration needs.  

 

That form is similar to the one that I used to have to get signed when Noah was a lad (pre 2004???)

I have not seen one of those for years.

Try another hospital or even a private clinic? (Samui Home Clinic Bangrak. I do not know if Dr Bew is allowed to do these but a quick question to her will tell you. Google is your friend.)

Edited January 15, 2021 by Tropicalevo

[TerraplaneGuy]

2 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

That form is similar to the one that I used to have to get signed when Noah was a lad (pre 2004???)

I have not seen one of those for years.

Try another hospital or even a private clinic? (Samui Home Clinic Bangrak. I do not know if Dr Bew is allowed to do these but a quick question to her will tell you. Google is your friend.)

People say it now has to be a hospital, not a clinic.  And on the Immigration Office's list of required documents it says "medical certificate (hospital only valid  for 7 days)".

What kind of form have you seen more recently?

Edited January 15, 2021 by TerraplaneGuy