Succcess: converted my TV into a Non O on Tuesday (Almost)

[London Boy]

This is a follow up from my thread a few weeks ago here

 

I'd thought I'd update you with what happened with my trip to Chaeng Wattana on Tuesday. I arrived at 9.45am, only 4 people ahead on my at the 'C' desk.

As UJ predicted , they asked me to update my Tourist Visa first and sent me to the new venue at Impact Arena (where I got lost several times, the map location you scan is slightly wrong and it took me a while to find the entrnace) to do the 30 day extension. Hardly anyone at the new venue and only took 10 mins to do the formalities.

On my return to CW, the friendly female IO then went through all the paper work. The income declaration was the most important, and even though I also supplied a 6 month bank statement and bank book, the IO only glanced at them. No mention of a pension letter was made. Although she wanted to see my rental contract and and the last 3 months payment receipts as proof I was still living there. I also brought a printed map of the location of my condo. She has made me an appointment on the 29th July 'if her boss will aprove my application' in the meantime I had a visit today from a couple of immigration officers yesterday to check my address and take some pictures.

It all seems a bit convoluted, but I know it could be alot worse. Total cost ฿1900 for TV extenstion, ฿2000 for Non O application, and a ton of wasted toll payments for missing my turning on the ramps. Incidentally the IO officer, told me to come straight to C desk on the 29th as the place will be heaving and its unlikely the amnesty will be extended.

[dimitriv]

So if I understand it correctly you can do an extension of 30 days on an expired tourist visa while you use the amnesty....  

 

I need a 30 or 60 day extension on 3 month non O visa that expired in June (visiting child).  Probably they will handle that like an extension of your tourist visa?

 

 

 

[Peter Denis]

Many thanks for sharing your experience!

 

The MOST IMPORTANT part being that CW was willing to accept your application for the 30-day-extension of stay based on your already expired Tourist Visa permission to stay.

Luckily you did not use that 'life-line' before as you can only apply for ONE such extension per entry.

And even MORE IMPORTANT you were then able to apply for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa (retirement) from that 'valid' permission to stay the 30-day extension provided you.

That's important because some offices are not willing to process an application for a new Visa or 1-year extension of stay, when you are on the Amnesty extension. 

 

So congrats with your successful application - the 'under consideration' process is standard practice when applying for a new Visa in-country, but the fact that CW did accept your application is already proof of 'cat-in-the-bag' and you will get your 90-day permission to stay stamp when you go back to CW on the 29 July appointment date.  

And then it's only a matter of applying the last month of those 90 days for the 1-year permission to stay based on that Non Imm O Visa for reason of retirement.  So you have ample time now to meet the 2-month seasoning of the funds on your personal thai bank-account to comply with the financial requirements for that 1-year extension of stay application.

 

So now it's time to celebrate for you, cheers!

[London Boy]

9 hours ago, dimitriv said:

So if I understand it correctly you can do an extension of 30 days on an expired tourist visa while you use the amnesty....  

 

I need a 30 or 60 day extension on 3 month non O visa that expired in June (visiting child).  Probably they will handle that like an extension of your tourist visa?

 

 

 

They gave me 30 days from the day I applied, not from when my Tourist visa expires. So even if I wasn’t going for a Non-O I’d still be good until 14th August 

[eppic]

5 minutes ago, London Boy said:

They gave me 30 days from the day I applied, not from when my Tourist visa expires. So even if I wasn’t going for a Non-O I’d still be good until 14th August 

Thanks very much for reporting this, I've been waiting for confirmation that the 30-day extension from TV/VE can still be done if it has not yet been used.  We are here on a VE but I would assume the process should be identical.

 

A related question.  For the 30-day extension at MTT, were there any exceptional document requests?  In other words, did they ask or did you provide evidence that you were doing the extension specifically for the purpose of obtaining a Non-O (retirement)?

 

I ask because there is a good chance we would separate the process -- first do the 30-day VE extension (I also need to do for my family), then at a later date, probably in August, apply for the 90-day Non-O at CW or through an agent.  If I recall, normal documentation for a visa exempt extension is pretty minimal and we would prefer to avoid preparing stacks of documents and photocopies if not necessary.

[Peter Denis]

20 hours ago, dimitriv said:

So if I understand it correctly you can do an extension of 30 days on an expired tourist visa while you use the amnesty....  

 

I need a 30 or 60 day extension on 3 month non O visa that expired in June (visiting child).  Probably they will handle that like an extension of your tourist visa?

You need to enquire at your local IO whether and how they would handle such an application.

Some IOs don't accept ANY application for an extension of stay when you do not have a 'valid' permission to stay and are on the Amnesty.

Most IOs will accept an application for a 30-day extension of stay (from a Tourist Visa or Visa Exempt entry), if you did not already use it.  And that would provide you then with a 'valid' permission to stay form which you can apply for the 1-year extension of stay based on your Non Imm O Visa.

Most IOs will also accept an application for a 60-day extension of stay for reason of visiting your wife/dependant child, if you did not already use it. And that would also provide you then with a 'valid' permission to stay form which you can apply for the 1-year extension of stay based on your Non Imm O Visa.

And some IOs are very flexible, and will accept ANY application for an extension of stay even if you are on the Amnesty.  But it might involve a 'fee' for them providing that flexibility.  And there are some commendable offices that do it free of charge.

Note: In case you have to deal with a 'hard-liner' inflexible or extortionist office, you could consider relocating to a different province where the IO is more accomodating.  

Or alternatively engage a Fixer Agent that will solve the 'problem' at your IO, and the fee for their service will also include the 'brown envelope' for the Officer at your IO that needs to be persuaded to handle your application.

[London Boy]

14 hours ago, eppic said:

Thanks very much for reporting this, I've been waiting for confirmation that the 30-day extension from TV/VE can still be done if it has not yet been used.  We are here on a VE but I would assume the process should be identical.

 

A related question.  For the 30-day extension at MTT, were there any exceptional document requests?  In other words, did they ask or did you provide evidence that you were doing the extension specifically for the purpose of obtaining a Non-O (retirement)?

 

I ask because there is a good chance we would separate the process -- first do the 30-day VE extension (I also need to do for my family), then at a later date, probably in August, apply for the 90-day Non-O at CW or through an agent.  If I recall, normal documentation for a visa exempt extension is pretty minimal and we would prefer to avoid preparing stacks of documents and photocopies if not necessary.

Only two copies were needed. The standard photo page of my passport and the last visa entry and TM6 card. They IO’s at MTT were actually very accommodating as they filled in two forms for me (while I was filling in the TM7). One was a declaration acknowledging these were exceptional circumstances due to COVID and I’d been on granted an amnesty and the other was I'd sign before and it was acknowledging bans and fines for overstay.

I know there is a lot of talk of the amnesty being extended until end of September, but I actually feel a lot better switching onto a Non-Immigrant visa. So many things I couldn’t do before like getting a motorbike licence that I can now go for.