2020 BKK CW Retirement Extension trip report

[Why Me]

3 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

See my edited, added response to you above.

 

Thanks, it would be great to have a copy. I used an agent this year because it was my first extension. But I never got copies of the paperwork. Next year I plan on going it alone. So I have a folder to which I add whatever useful info I can pick up from threads like this.

[Ajooma]

7 minutes ago, Why Me said:

Thanks, it would be great to have a copy. I used an agent this year because it was my first extension. But I never got copies of the paperwork. Next year I plan on going it alone. So I have a folder to which I add whatever useful info I can pick up from threads like this.

This thaivisa thread above has an example of the letter ... most banks will be familiar with the letter and should have a template on their computers somewhere.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

15 hours ago, Why Me said:

Thanks, it would be great to have a copy. 

 

Here's a Krungsri letter from a few years back.

 

 

 

Edited August 21, 2020 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[cormanr7]

1 hour ago, Why Me said:

Thanks, it would be great to have a copy. I used an agent this year because it was my first extension. But I never got copies of the paperwork. Next year I plan on going it alone. So I have a folder to which I add whatever useful info I can pick up from threads like this.

I think most banks just use a 'lose' format with only a few lines (in Thai) stating that person X has account number (and type) Y with Z Baht. Costs 100 B at most banks but 200 B at SCB. It is generally easier to get such a letter in/near the immigration building (but NOT for SCB which has closed permanently at CW and been merged with the SCB office in the Big C Chaeng Wattana). I went to some small SCB offices in central Bangkok and some had no idea what I was talking about. Anyway ask for a bai rabrong.   

[DrJack54]

2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

So far that is only being stated by Chaeng Wattana immigration.

This what the official Immigration Notification says.

"(2) Aliens whose residency report is due on 26 March 2020 onwards and has not reported
within prescribed period, may report their residency in person or by assigning a person or via
registered mail or electronic means from 1 August 2020 to 31 August 2020;"

Also the stamp in the passport was not done when I reported this month at the office here after skipping one in April. No TM47 form was asked for and I now have a report date in November. It only took about 5 minutes for it be done.

I think that's a bit rich. You have been advising folk constantly that the 90 report was not required during amnesty and to be fair that was sound advice given what was entered into gazette. 

You say "only CW imm"....which happens to be by far biggest imm office. 

Lucky for you that your annual extension was due in August in small town.

As per my earlier post that I needed to return to BKK from Rayong last week just to do 90 report. Don't advise me that I can challenge io when I attend for annual extension mid October if I decided not to bother.

In my pp I received stamp had some red stamp also and received report slip with my next due in 3 months from Aug 14.

What immigration did on very short notice was ridiculous.

[ubonjoe]

43 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

You say "only CW imm"....which happens to be by far biggest imm office. 

I did say so far only CW immigration was stating that it had to be in person.

And I also posted what the Immigration Bureau Notification states. It seems CW has created its own requirements.

I have only been stating what the ministerial order states. Also I did what I wrote and skipped my report in April.

 

48 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Lucky for you that your annual extension was due in August in small town.

Actually not a small town since it is for the entire province of Ubon Ratchathani that is one the largest ones.

Even without immigration stating they should be done the month I probably would of done my report anyway a to avoid another trip to immigration.

If I was you I would of probably waited to do the report until I returned to Bangkok since they could not of fined me for being late.

[Why Me]

1 hour ago, cormanr7 said:

I think most banks just use a 'lose' format with only a few lines (in Thai) stating that person X has account number (and type) Y with Z Baht. Costs 100 B at most banks but 200 B at SCB. It is generally easier to get such a letter in/near the immigration building (but NOT for SCB which has closed permanently at CW and been merged with the SCB office in the Big C Chaeng Wattana). I went to some small SCB offices in central Bangkok and some had no idea what I was talking about. Anyway ask for a bai rabrong.   

Thanks. The sample letters in the previous posts should do the trick. As my home branch is across the street from my building I am going to set up a pm appointment at CW and then get the bank stuff together in the morning before I go.

[DrJack54]

23 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

If I was you I would of probably waited to do the report until I returned to Bangkok since they could not of fined me for being late.

I would only being returning to bkk for my annual extension mid Oct. 

The fickle attitude of immigration would make it delicate issue for my annual extension without 90 day report. Especially when I have directive from imm (CW) to do so in August.

I don't want another guess. 

"I would of probably waited" is not your normal valued advice 

 

[ubonjoe]

5 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

I would only being returning to bkk for my annual extension mid Oct. 

Or changed your address to Rayong and done it there would of been an option.

[DrJack54]

1 minute ago, ubonjoe said:

Or changed your address to Rayong and done it there would of been an option.

I will stop now as thinking you misunderstand my situation. I live bkk same condo 8 years. I came to Koh Samet March 18. When saw all going to poo in bkk and Samet national park close march 23.

I spoke to owner here and booked 6 month on the spot.

Changing address to Rayong then back to bkk to match my lease. Come on!

Anyway ubon my gripe not with you. 

We all so appreciate your help.

Just upset with Thai imm

[SooKee]

Jeez, glad I carried on doing my 90 day reports despite the Immigration announcement that it wasn't needed.  I do mine online anyway, figured they could always just reject the 'amnesty period' one if they didn't want it, but it got approved in the normal way.  Latest one approved online 2 days ago in the normal way too.  Good call!  Last thing I need is the hassle of pointless trip to MT.

[mtls2005]

On 8/19/2020 at 8:38 PM, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

and stamps info from your old passport.

 

Would this be just the last stamp in your old passport, made when one formally transfers stamps to a new passport?

 

Or some/all of the stamps in the old passport?

 

And how far back do you need to go? Do you need a copy of the original visa being extended?

 

I used my "new" passport last year for my current extension. Do I still have to provide copies of my 'old' passport? (Yes, I will have them in hand, of course.)

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

16 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

 

Would this be just the last stamp in your old passport, made when one formally transfers stamps to a new passport?

 

Or some/all of the stamps in the old passport?

 

And how far back do you need to go? Do you need a copy of the original visa being extended?

 

I used my "new" passport last year for my current extension. Do I still have to provide copies of my 'old' passport? (Yes, I will have them in hand, of course.)

 

If you're referring to my OP list of various documents that BKK CW Immigration typically wants...

 

No, I wasn't talking about anything directly from a person's old/expired passport.

 

Yes, I was talking about the front two pages of a NEW passport, where Immigration will typically note the presence of any prior visas and such that had existed in the old passport...  Presumably, so they'll know your history, without you having to bring and show them the old passport every time.

 

If you've had Thai visas and such in the old passport, it's just those opening two pages from the NEW passport where they've notated your history info that they like to see a photocopy of. 

Edited August 23, 2020 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[ChouDoufu]

2 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

If you're referring to my OP list of various documents that BKK CW Immigration typically wants...

 

No, I wasn't talking about anything directly from a person's old/expired passport.

 

Yes, I was talking about the front two pages of a NEW passport, where Immigration will typically note the presence of any prior visas and such that had existed in the old passport...  Presumably, so they'll know your history, without you having to bring and show them the old passport every time.

 

If you've had Thai visas and such in the old passport, it's just those opening two pages from the NEW passport where they've notated your history info that they like to see a photocopy of. 

 

but this is immigration, where the documentation requirements can change depending on the particular officer's fengshui that morning.

 

to be prepared, why not carry the old passport and copies of relevant stamps? you know, just in case?  there must be literally thousands of posts in the archives where poor souls were sent home to collect ancient relics not listed in the visa or extension requirements.

[mtls2005]

3 minutes ago, ChouDoufu said:

to be prepared, why not carry the old passport and copies of relevant stamps? you know, just in case? 

 

Of course I will have my previous passport, copies, all signed in hand. 

 

Just was curious what TallJohn meant in his original post when he appeared to be saying ( "stamps info from your old passport") he provided some copies of his old passport? I now think he simply meant the stamps (three in my case) on the first page (page 8, Liberty Bell) of the new passport which detail your previous visa/ext history.

 

Going the appointment route, I would just like to have a complete package ready to go.

 

 

[John Drake]

37 minutes ago, ChouDoufu said:

to be prepared, why not carry the old passport and copies of relevant stamps? you know, just in case? 

Actually, I do that, because, you're right. You never know. It never hurts to be over-prepared. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

4 hours ago, ChouDoufu said:

but this is immigration, where the documentation requirements can change depending on the particular officer's fengshui that morning.

 

to be prepared, why not carry the old passport and copies of relevant stamps?

 

In general, I always believe in being OVER-prepared for a visit to Immigration, because indeed you never can be entirely sure what they might ask for...  And there's certainly no harm in carrying along more than you might need.

 

However, in my case, its now been 7 years since I traded in my old, prior passport with my original Thai visa stamps for a newer, current one with just extensions stamps in it. And BKK CW Immigration never once in those past seven years has asked to see anything from my old, prior passport.

 

And I believe the reason for that is, anything/everything they might be concerned about was written into the first two pages of my NEW passport by them when I did the passport changeover back 7 years ago... Which, of course, is the reason I advised including those first two pages for anyone with a new passport who started out their time in Thailand with a prior passport.

 

That's the whole reason for having Immigration (I don't know what the proper term is) bless the new passport once you get it, where you bring along a letter from your consulate/embassy asking Immigration to accept your newly issued passport and handle the carrying over of any necessary data.

 

[DrJack54]

54 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

And I believe the reason for that is, anything/everything they might be concerned about was written into the first two pages of my NEW passport by them when I did the passport

That's exactly correct. Imm want to see photocopy of the first couple of pages of new pp that shows transfer of "details" of original visa.

The visa is not transferred.

BTW, I do same as you. Pack everything that they could possibly ask for in my bag.

Just to add tip for new extension (money in bank) guys. I have finally realized that the io like if your stuff is in order. For myself at CW, I slide over pp and quickly followed by bankbook with photocopies along with bank letter. 

Seems to set nice tone with io.

[rwilem]

On 8/21/2020 at 11:44 AM, JimGant said:

Is Bangkok Bank the only bank that doesn't require a transaction to update one's passbook? With BB bank, the balance is forwarded to the next line, along with today's date. No transaction required. Plus, any transaction would then make a mismatch with the balance obtained with the previously obtained bank letter. I suppose Imm could do the addition, or subtraction, of the transaction to make the balances match. But, then, you just might get dimwitted dang, who with puffed up chest proclaims: 'No matchy, you go fix.'

My experience at CW from last year's extension.

 

Bangkok Bank, account passbook update on the day-of-extension, no transaction made, just an update. Maybe from an update-only machine? Or from one of the ATMs that allows a passbook update? The clerk guided my to one where I could do it. But I did not make any withdrawl/deposit. 

 

Balance amount matched with the bank letter I had gotten the day before from my branch in town. Figured I just didn't want to deal with trying to get the letter out at CW on the same day. Last year's extension was the first for me having to go with the deposit method after the end of embassy letters, so I just figured why not get that out of way ahead of time? There are enough things that one can get tripped up on out there on 'extension day'.

 

Bank letter in town took just a few minutes. Worth it to get it out of the way for me. I'll do the same again later this year.

 

As well as take advantage of the online appointment system for extensions, that is great. Used it last year for a re-entry, worked like a charm. (Yep, I was not able to get the immigration 'double dip'--extension and re-entry--on the same day last year. At least the second visit was a piece of cake.)

 

Thanks for the detailed report Tall Guy John.

 

 

Edited August 23, 2020 by rwilem
Errors

[rwilem]

On 8/21/2020 at 1:44 PM, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

All things considered....

 

--Using the appointments system this year made my BKK CW visit this week one of the least stressful and bothersome of my trips there ever...  Didn't have to get up so early in the morning... Didn't have to stand around in the outer queue area waiting around for 1-2 hours before Immigration opened, didn't have to wait an hour or more from my L section queue number to be called, etc etc...

 

--However, I'm still P.O.d about the 90-day reporting fiasco involving the supposed reporting "amnesty" and then later being told that because I had skipped a 90-day report (because they specifically told everyone they could/should skip their 90-day reports during the amnesty period) that now my current/next report can't be done online or by postal mail, and instead I (and everyone else similar) have to trek out to MTT for a useless, pointless in-person report.... Made all the worse by the fact that you now can't even do any 90-day reports at BKK CW when you're there for your other business. P.O.d!!!!  

 

If they had said/explained that was going to happen when they told everyone not to do their 90-day reports during the amnesty period, I never would have skipped mine, and would have done it as normal. But no...they didn't do that. They only disclosed the part about then having to do the next 90-day report in person AFTER the fact....  And no clear reason why they had to require that at all vs. simply knowing in their system that any 90-day reports during the amnesty period would simply be ignored/forgiven.

You know, I figured I would just continue with doing my 90-dayers, amnesty notwithstanding.

 

I have been doing them online with just a few hiccups, and it was no sweat to do the one due about seven weeks ago. Just stay on course. Not gonna say I had an inkling of a potential messup that might be ahead, regarding the 90-day reports. But.....I had an inkling...just do 'em online, stay with the routine.

 

Some folks I know in BKK have skipped theirs. Feeling, 'oh, joy...amnesty for 90-day reports' when the amnesty was announced and then extended. 

 

And now they can't even be done at CW, that is a drag. 

[lopburi3]

5 hours ago, rwilem said:

Some folks I know in BKK have skipped theirs. Feeling, 'oh, joy...amnesty for 90-day reports' when the amnesty was announced and then extended. 

Actually many of us were trying to be helpful to immigration and observe COVID norms as there was a lot of concern that COVID could be transmitted not only to other expats but to immigration officers if making such visits.  ????

Not all of us are allowed to do online.

Edited August 24, 2020 by lopburi3

[mtls2005]

5 hours ago, rwilem said:

As well as take advantage of the online appointment system

 

Has anyone figured out a way to cancel an existing appointment?

 

Reply to the email? Any blowback on that?

 

Can't find anything in the system except to find/view your appointment.

 

 

[ThailandRyan]

34 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

 

Has anyone figured out a way to cancel an existing appointment?

 

Reply to the email? Any blowback on that?

 

Can't find anything in the system except to find/view your appointment.

 

 

I was able to use the online system to change my appointment.  It asks you, of course in Thai with a pop up if you wish to cancel the appointment scheduled and then allows for a change.

[mtls2005]

19 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

I was able to use the online system to change my appointment.  It asks you, of course in Thai with a pop up if you wish to cancel the appointment scheduled and then allows for a change.

 

Is that from the "Search your appointment" button?

 

If so, maybe I'm blocking that pop-up.

 

Or do you have to go through the "make a new appointment"? There I get a pop-up which says do you want to make a new appointment. Maybe that cancels the old one?

 

Thanks.

Edited August 24, 2020 by mtls2005

[ThailandRyan]

54 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

 

Is that from the "Search your appointment" button?

 

If so, maybe I'm blocking that pop-up.

 

Or do you have to go through the "make a new appointment"? There I get a pop-up which says do you want to make a new appointment. Maybe that cancels the old one?

 

Thanks.

Yes, that's the button a little pop up shows at the top of your screen.  I had to actually translate it by using my camera app on my Google translation app.  I took a photo of it. Then open upped the translate app on my phone and hit the camera on the left. Chose my photo and then scanned it with the program and then looked at the English translation. I use it for most paperwork so I can get about an 80% idea of what the document says, as Google translate is not perfect 

[mtls2005]

19 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Yes, that's the button a little pop up shows at the top of your screen. 

 

Thanks, I was lazy, defaulted to English line.

 

In Thai it says something like, do you want to cancel this appointment and make a new one. I think.

 

So maybe just one appointment allowed per passport? Which explains why they might allow one to handle follow-on business (TM.8) without queueing?

 

And making a new appointment cancels the old one, so no re-scheduling per se.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 24, 2020 by mtls2005

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

On 8/23/2020 at 12:15 PM, rwilem said:

As well as take advantage of the online appointment system for extensions, that is great. Used it last year for a re-entry, worked like a charm. (Yep, I was not able to get the immigration 'double dip'--extension and re-entry--on the same day last year. At least the second visit was a piece of cake.)

 

These days.... I confirmed it last year and again last week ... getting a re-entry permit at BKK CW should be a piece of cake... Even though they still have a queue tickets system, and a separate online appointments system, for re-entry permits, all anyone really needs to do is take their paperwork, walk up to the re-entry permits desk, and politely hand it to the ladies there... and then wait a bit.

 

Last year, I got a queue ticket, and had sat down and was waiting because my number was far higher than the number showing on their queue tickets board... then after about 5 minutes, one of the officers walked over and asked me what I was waiting for... I explained re-entry permit... And she said no problem, just give her my paperwork, which I did...

 

Later, last year, I asked them specifically, OK to walk up and just present the application without either a queue ticket or online appointment, and they said YES....  So I did exactly that again this year, with the same result.  And this year, also asked again, OK to just walk up and hand you the application paperwork, and they once again confirmed YES.

 

Both times, last year and last week, the entire process at the re-entry permits desk took about 10 minutes from start to finish.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

17 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

So maybe just one appointment allowed per passport? Which explains why they might allow one to handle follow-on business (TM.8) without queueing?

 

So, are you saying, once you use the online appointments system to make an extension appointment for a particular day, the online system won't allow you to make a 2nd appointment for that same day, for something like the re-entry permit?  Or what about a 2nd appointment for 90 days at MTT???

 

[ThailandRyan]

4 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

So, are you saying, once you use the online appointments system to make an extension appointment for a particular day, the online system won't allow you to make a 2nd appointment for that same day, for something like the re-entry permit?  Or what about a 2nd appointment for 90 days at MTT???

 

It will only allow for one appointment and not even to make a second one on another day.  I don't believe they put that kind of thinking into the design.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

15 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

It will only allow for one appointment and not even to make a second one on another day.  I don't believe they put that kind of thinking into the design.

 

In one sense, I can understand that.... Historically at BKK CW, the time it takes waiting to get your passport back and complete the extension application process can be SO variable... that it would make it almost impossible to pre-schedule any follow-up appointment for some other service, unless you were willing to do the 2nd one many hours later, say in the afternoon of the same day...

 

Last year, I waited about 2 hours from the time I finished with the IO to finally get my passport back with the supervisor's signoff... This past week, the wait time to get my passport back turned out to only be about a half hour... But no way to know going in which it's going to be.

 

Edited August 24, 2020 by TallGuyJohninBKK