2020 BKK CW Retirement Extension trip report

[mtls2005]

20 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???

 

 

Yup.

 

That's my experience, one appointment per passport number. 

 

Making a new appointment cancels the old one.

 

Hopefully when that original appointment date passes one can make a new appointment? Who knows.

 

 

[rwilem]

8 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

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.

I get it, completely understand. And I believe from some of your prior  posts you are caught in a bad catch-22 of not being able to do 90-day reporting online.  

 

So I get that, and when the announcement that there would be a 90-day reporting amnesty, sure, it makes total sense not to go out there and do it, for the reason you stated.

 

What I wanted to convey is that folks in BKK who could do them online but chose not to, because of the announced amnesty, are now faced with having to trek out to immigration. Even early in the crush of folks convergng on the immigration office and the subsequent opening of the new facility to handle the overflow, 90-day reporting was moved to that second location for a while. I wanted no part of that. 

 

So if you could do the report online, and they were still accepting them online, it would probably be prudent to continue as is. Amnesty need not apply, just do the 90-dayer online.

.

[JimGant]

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

But this year for some reason, I was instead given a new stay until date of Sept 26,

John, see the below thread for exceptions to the 26 Sept renewal date.

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1141826-chiang-mai-immigration-q-a-info-and-reports-2020/page/14/#comments

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

17 hours ago, JimGant said:

John, see the below thread for exceptions to the 26 Sept renewal date.

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1141826-chiang-mai-immigration-q-a-info-and-reports-2020/page/14/#comments

 

You're referring to people with original O-A visas and O-A based retirement extensions who now have to show medical insurance policies, and thus their extensions and insurance dates have to align?

 

Edited August 26, 2020 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[JimGant]

4 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

You're referring to people with original O-A visas and O-A based retirement extensions who now have to show medical insurance policies, and thus their extensions and insurance dates have to align?

Yes. This does not include you, with an O visa extension renewal, thus your new 26 Sept 2021 extension expiration date, per the amnesty guidelines for extensions expiring between 1 Aug and 26 Sept.

Thus, I was just pointing out the exception to this, namely, those of us requiring med insurance from a Thai company. Plus, that there may be a real traffic jam at Imm next year for the multitude of renewers, all with 26 Sept 2021 expiration dates (yes, there's a 45 day flux period to ease the situation).

Of course, you knew why your new renewal expiration date slipped to 26 Sept; just pointing out why some were excluded from that date.

 

[Ajooma]

10 minutes ago, JimGant said:

Yes. This does not include you, with an O visa extension renewal, thus your new 26 Sept 2021 extension expiration date, per the amnesty guidelines for extensions expiring between 1 Aug and 26 Sept.

Thus, I was just pointing out the exception to this, namely, those of us requiring med insurance from a Thai company. Plus, that there may be a real traffic jam at Imm next year for the multitude of renewers, all with 26 Sept 2021 expiration dates (yes, there's a 45 day flux period to ease the situation).

Of course, you knew why your new renewal expiration date slipped to 26 Sept; just pointing out why some were excluded from that date.

 

If you use the online appointment system at CW for retirement extension you can avoid the masses ... as long as all your paperwork is in order can be finished within 30 minutes.

[JimGant]

3 hours ago, Ajooma said:

If you use the online appointment system at CW for retirement extension you can avoid the masses ... as long as all your paperwork is in order can be finished within 30 minutes.

Yeah, the online appt system should even out next year's crowd of 26 Sept extension expirations.

[Pib]

On 8/21/2020 at 4:04 PM, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

I'm out at MTT on Wed, and finally am called into the air-con 90-day reporting section where the officers are working, after waiting queue for an hour in an unused parking garage deck, which is their social distancing formal queue area.

 

I ask the IO, what happened with my mailed-in 90-day report. Show her my EMS receipt from Aug. 5. She looks in her PC, and says I had a report due in May, and didn't do it. I say, hey, Immigration told all of us NOT to report during that period. It was AMNESTY.

 

Even though Immigration themselves used that term in their EN communications, the IO I'm talking with appears to have no idea what I'm talking about when I say AMNESTY. So I try again in EN, "YOU/Immigration told us NOT to report!!!" Then she seems to understand a bit more...

 

And finally says, because you skipped, were "late", you cannot report by mail or online now, only in person for the next time. And I answer, I WASN'T late. I was told NOT to report. No answer forthcoming on that point. So then I ask, now what? And she answers, you have to file your 90-day report with us here today. (Nothing about going to retrieve or accept the paperwork I had already mailed in).  And finally she answers, when I hand her my completed TM47 form that I'd brought with me... "Don't worry, we're not going to fine you."

 

 

Early next week I will be applying at CW to switch from OA Retirement Extension of Stay to OA Marriage Extension of Stay.  But for the application package I hadn't received back my latest 90 day report receipt.

 

I have been mailing in my 90 days reports for around 3 years now...have always got the receipt back in approx two weeks.  My latest 90 days report was due 28 Aug....I mailed it EMS on 18 Aug and CW received/signed for it on 19 Aug.  I always send it approx 10 days before vs the 15 days as I lose less time that way as my experience is CW processes them the same day or next after receipt which effectively causes your report to be an every approx 80 days vs 90 days report.

 

Anyway, it's now 10 Sep an I haven't received a receipt yet...based on past mailings I should have received it already....and I want to have it when I got to extend early next week.   

 

Went to MTT this afternoon, showed the IO my EMS mailing receipt and EMS status printout.  They initially started talking I should have mailed it 15 days before the due date; I replied your guidance is "within" 15 days of due date which means before the due date...and I pointed out this is how I'm been doing it for 3 years.  

 

The IO officer talked to her supervisor setting at the next desk...they told me to wait while they call CW....I expect to confirm my report had indeed been received although my EMS status printout even stated the name of the CW person signing for my report.   I figured at this point they may be playing a possible Bt2,000 fine game for a late report.  

 

But about 20 minutes later they call me back to the desk and gave me a new 90 day receipt.   And they said one should be in the mail to me also....if/when it arrives to use it instead of the one they just gave me.   The IO said it's now taking around 3 weeks to get the report back after they receive it from you.  It will be my luck I will receive mine in the mail tomorrow...a day after making the trek to MTT to get one.  

 

I also asked do I mail future reports to the CW address like I've been doing for year or to their MTT location?  The IO said continue to mail to CW as their MTT location is only temporary and they hope to be moving back to CW "soon."  Said that in English. 

 

Her supervisor at the next desk overhead the "soon" response and jokingly said "soon" but in a "they sure hope so" type way.  It was obvious to me the IOs at MTT right now want to get back to CW also as the MTT setup is bare-bones, hot, stuck out in a lonely place, etc.

 

Edited September 10, 2020 by Pib

[mtls2005]

I did my annual ext stay/ret-inc (Non-O) at CW today, and WOW, what a breeze. Easiest renewal in seven years.

 

An appointment is KEY.  The L section was quite crowded this morning - every chair taken. My appointment was at 10:00, at 09:45 I walked up to L1-32, showed my appointment slip and was invited in for a document review. Thanks to TallGuyJohninBKK's report I had everything. Two minute review, waited 5 minutes, then sat with IO, stamp, stamp, stamp, money, picture, done. Passport in hand by 10:10. Amazing.

 

I also chose to get a single-entry REEP (TM.8), that area C2? was dead, waited a few minutes to pay, another 5 minutes for my passport.

 

Areas L, N, M  were stuffed.

 

 

 

[Pib]

Sure wish they did appointments for marriage extensions, but they don't.

[JimGant]

1 hour ago, Pib said:

I have been mailing in my 90 days reports for around 3 years now

Why not online?

[Pib]

7 minutes ago, JimGant said:

Why not online?

Me no can do.  To be in their online 90 day reporting database a person must have entered Thailand on or after 1 Jan 2013 (I last entered in 2008 and haven't left yet) and still have the same passport number from the last entry since 1 Jan 2013.    I fail at both their criteria.  And believe me I have tried online reporting numerous times....can't get past the first screen...tells me to visit my local immigration office.

Edited September 10, 2020 by Pib

[lamyai3]

Another thanks for this very helpful post - non O-A extension today went like clockwork, in and out in 90 minutes.

 

Thanks also to @Peter Denisconcerning the insurance requirements.

[Hoppyone]

On 8/20/2020 at 6:58 AM, JohnOFphon said:

Why pay for a re-entry permit now? 

Exactly what a waste of money to pay for under the current circumstances,fair chance not much international travel in next 12 mths

[wrazoru]

 

Hi Everyone, great info here... So thanks a lot.

 

Just wanted to check that withm my passport's OA_Visa stamp date valid until December 5, 2020, but me going to apply for extension on Dec 2, 2020,  can the health insurance start date be Dec 5, 2020 until 2021?  Or does it need to start Dec 2, 2020?

 

Many thanks, W

[DrJack54]

30 minutes ago, wrazoru said:

 

 

Hi Everyone, great info here... So thanks a lot.

 

Just wanted to check that withm my passport's OA_Visa stamp date valid until December 5, 2020, but me going to apply for extension on Dec 2, 2020,  can the health insurance start date be Dec 5, 2020 until 2021?  Or does it need to start Dec 2, 2020?

 

Many thanks, W

Has to be start date the day you apply or earlier. When this was first introduced for extensions the start date caused issues.

Some folk were attending imm on same date as commencement of insurance.

Problem was that the policies start at 4pm with the health insurance companies. Ridiculous yes.

Think it has been sorted but starting insurance policy day earlier is possible.

Edited December 1, 2020 by DrJack54

[ThailandRyan]

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

Has to be start date the day you apply or earlier. When this was first introduced for extensions the start date caused issues.

Some folk were attending imm on same date as commencement of insurance.

Problem was that the policies start at 4pm with the health insurance companies. Ridiculous yes.

Think it has been sorted but starting insurance policy day earlier is possible.

Everyone who needs to show proof of Insurance needs to also check with their Thai insurer and ensure that it has been put into the Immigrations data base for health Insurance.  I also carried copies of my current certificate with me as well as the copy of the certificate for the next year.

[DrJack54]

2 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Everyone who needs to show proof of Insurance needs to also check with their Thai insurer and ensure that it has been put into the Immigrations data base for health Insurance.  I also carried copies of my current certificate with me as well as the copy of the certificate for the next year.

Exactly. Good advice.

There were reports where there insurer did not do this and as a result issue for application. 

[LindsayBKK]

On 8/19/2020 at 10:33 PM, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 Correct!  

 

Annual extensions of stay and annual re-entry permits at BKK CW...

 

In-person 90-day reports and various other things at MTT...

 

My last 90 day report was Jan 2021 by registered mail to CW included the usual self addressed envelope and received receipt 2 weeks later. I was not given info or told future 90day reports must be at MTT. I was also given a new TM47 form. I have no intentions of travelling to MTT what a waste of time and effort that would be. I have lived in Bangkok since 2004. I love the misinformation floating on social media such as the negative covid tests required for visa extensions oh and the appointments only, but nowhere is immune to it I guess. 

[lopburi3]

3 minutes ago, LindsayBKK said:

My last 90 day report was Jan 2021 by registered mail to CW included the usual self addressed envelope and received receipt 2 weeks later. I was not given info or told future 90day reports must be at MTT. I was also given a new TM47 form. I have no intentions of travelling to MTT what a waste of time and effort that would be. I have lived in Bangkok since 2004. I love the misinformation floating on social media such as the negative covid tests required for visa extensions oh and the appointments only, but nowhere is immune to it I guess. 

The post you quoted did not say that 90 day reports must be done at MTT - only that in-person reports must be done there.  You still have the options of mail (like you do now) or on-line (when working).

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

 

Quote

In-person 90-day reports and various other things at MTT...

 

Emphasis on the word.... IN-PERSON.

 

[SooKee]

Old thread now but, when searching for something else, this thread popped up in relation to it being suggested by Krungsri staff that it's possible to use the Krugsri KMA app to request an account ownership letter for pick up at a branch.  Figured this might be quite useful in terms of trying to cut down the waiting time at CW when I go next (albeit that's next year).  

 

I've only just opened a Krungsri account (Mee Tae Dai as the interest it pays is still better than Bangkok Bank) and wasn't aware of this functionality at the time.  Just checked the app and there is indeed a 'Request Certificate' tab under the 'All Menu' section.  Assuming that is the correct document, when I select that it returns 'You are not eligible to do this transaction'.  Not sure whether that's because of the oft encountered 'Thai citizens only' or whether it's for some other reason (e.g. wrong account type or account opened too recently).  Couple of things I need to clarify with the branch when I next go in (12 month statement and account ownership letter costs and wait times etc) so I'll add it to the list.