Retirement extension from non O visa 24/03/20 - comments please.

[Thai Terrier]

Hi 

Regularly read the site but this is my first post and hoping to receive feedback on whether I have been given the correct information by Immigration at CW in Bangkok.

Background - from the UK and have been in Thailand since 2017.

Entered initially on Tourist Visa and converted to non O and retirement extension using UK Embassy letter confirming income in November 2017 and 2018.

I was a bit slow off the mark and did not start transferring funds until March 2019 but it was still accepted for the extension in November 2019 with 9 months of transfers.

 

Then in December 2019 went on a cruise and obtained a single re-entry permit. Big mistake.

Flight was from Thailand to Singapore - return -  and stupidly failed to recognise that since the cruise ship was visiting Phuket and Ko Samui the first visit to any resort in Thailand would use up the single re-entry permit.

Consequently , the only way I could re-enter back in Thailand was on the 30 day exempt and start over again with the non o visa and extension.

 

In mid January , with more than 15 days remaining on the 30 day exempt entry I went to CW hoping to convert to non o visa.

By this time I now had 11 months of transfers - all correctly coded FTT to show from abroad with other bank documents , income documents from UK , rental lease documents , hand drawn map etc. I realised from previous extensions that it was better to provide more supporting documents than less although many were not previously required.

 

CW Immigration stated that I need an embassy letter confirming income or 800 000 baht in the bank. I pointed out that it was a new application due to losing the previous extension with the re-entry permit and I could show 11 previous months of at least 65k transfer from UK. They would not accept and indicated I must have 12 transfers after the discretionary period changed on the 1st January 2020. I politely pointed out that a new application for a non o would be extremely unlikely to have 12 months of transfers and that I understood a minimum of 2 would be sufficient. 

Still not accepted it must be 800k baht.

No complaints regarding their attitude or manner but I then needed to generate 800k to transfer across from the UK to Thailand.

I later successfully applied for a further 30 day extension to generate the 800k and transferred the funds to Thailand a few weeks later.

The application for the non o visa was later successful on the basis of having 800k in the bank.

 

Today , the 24th March , I again visited CW with all the necessary bank statements, bank letter etc showing 12 months transfers of at least 65k from the UK - April 2019 to March 2020 inclusive. The bank account had over 800k but I wanted the extension on the basis of the 12 months of transfers. The non o extension to stay date is the 28th April and therefore I was applying 35 days early which I thought was acceptable as I understood CW would accept applications for extensions up to 45 days early.

I was told that the non o application was on the basis of 800k in the bank and it must be in the bank for 2 months before the application for the 12 months extension. I again politely pointed out the 12 months of transfers but no success and was told to come back next Monday in 6 days time.

 

I would welcome any comments on the following - 

 

1. Was I given the correct information initially when trying to obtain the new non o visa based on the 11 months of transfers and Immigration insisting I must have 12 months or 800k baht in the bank - remember no embassy letter can be obtained since I am from the UK - I am sure this will be of benefit to others.

2. Have I been given the correct information today in that I have to wait for the full 2 months for the 800k in the bank despite the fact I intend using the income method for the extension and had full evidence of 12 months of transfers from the UK.

3. When I attend CW next week can Immigration insist that the 800k remains in the bank for a further 3 months etc despite the fact I have always previously used and intended using the 12 months income method for this extension and future extensions.

 

Many thanks for any assistance and I hope everyone stays safe.

 

 

Edited March 24, 2020 by Thai Terrier

[BritTim]

You were unlucky, and some of the decisions by the officials were pretty dubious. That said, the sad truth is that the rules are whatever the official decides they are, and (especially given Thais fear of losing face) they will not usually budge just because you present logical arguments.