Retirement Visa

[Robin]

Successfully extended my Non O retirement visa for 1 year yesterday, at Phayao Immigration.  Only 1 caveat;  The photo I offered was considered to be too small as it did not cover all of the box on the form.  Luckily I had a photo similar to the one used on the previous year' extension, and used that.  But.. last year that photo was said to be 'too old' and only accepted because I gave a false dater for it.  So this yer, I hd new photos taken same day as visa extension. shop sold me the wrong size.

Also at Immigration was another Farang  doing something with his visa, and I/O rejected his photo as being 'too old,' and sent him away o get a new photo.  I/O also told him to "wear a suit when his photo was being taken"  Farang was wearing shorts and old T shirt at the time.  I was wearing my normal 'visit Immigration' gear, (pressed trousers and clean shirt,)

Farang was sent away to get new photo, ( some distance, as Phayao Immigration is out of town,) and I left before he returned.

Shows it might be a good idea to dress smartly when visiting Immigration.

Is there any rule about the age of your photo when applying for visa or extension?  Or is this just at the whim of I/O?

Whatever, I am going to get some new photos made, the right size, and wearing smart clothes.

 

[Surelynot]

Got sent away this year.....photo had me with no beard........funnily enough the shop next door was doing a roaring trade.

[statman78]

In Chiang Rai immigration does not define how old a photo can be.  They just say recent but I have used a photo that was 6 months old.  According to CR immigration a man must wear a shirt with a collar.  Like the OP, when I go to immigration I wear a polo shirt and clean jeans.  I’ve never had any problems.

[mikebell]

21 hours ago, Robin said:

Is there any rule about the age of your photo when applying for visa or extension?

I had a photo taken & cut/pasted it onto a sheet - about 30 in all.  I used one a year for ten years.  The trick was to wear the same shirt as in the photo so it looked like you had just got it done.  Age finally caught up with me and a lady IO suggested a new photo.  (I have five of these; different shirt.)

[tonray]

12 minutes ago, mikebell said:

The trick was to wear the same shirt as in the photo so it looked like you had just got it done

Ha ha....I do the same thing.....the shirt is getting a little long in the tooth...so almost time for a new set of pics

[ubonjoe]

I do new pics for the TM7 form every year. I do a selfie on my tablet (white wall behind me), crop it to get it get close to 4 X 6 cm and print them out on photo paper.

[brianthainess]

One year the photo shop, photo shopped my photo, showing me in black suit, white shirt and black tie. Looked like I was on my way to a funeral. 

[Eff1n2ret]

2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

I do new pics for the TM7 form every year. I do a selfie on my tablet (white wall behind me), crop it to get it get close to 4 X 6 cm and print them out on photo paper.

I did the same for my British passport photo. There's an app in the Windows Store which produces the right size, location of head in the frame, etc.

[joloit]

It's a government facility and people should dress accordingly. Just like you are boarding an airplane to fly somewhere...... 

[J Town]

On 7/6/2021 at 10:32 AM, Surelynot said:

Got sent away this year.....photo had me with no beard........funnily enough the shop next door was doing a roaring trade.

Any more I just get the picture taken before I submit the paperwork. No question about it being the most recent photo of me.

[Acharn]

I thought there was a regulation handed down a few years ago that every male visiting Immigration had to wear long pants. In any case I've always done so, because the officers have paid a price to achieve their status, and it is not helpful to disrespect them. I suspect it's partly because I remember when "hippies" or "back packers" were considered problematic, also.

 

I keep thinking I should get new pictures taken. I'm not sure, but I think the ones I have are at least seven years old. Anyway, they take your picture when they're processing your request, which is what they look at if they have to check the file, so the officers at Nakhon Sawan look on the picture pasted to the form as an archaism and unnecessary. No one's ever going to look at it.

 

Good grief, I realized this year that next year will be 40 years since I retired and came back here. I had to change from a marriage visa to a retirement visa after my first wife died, so Immigration only sees me as living here continuously since 1997, but to me the border runs were trivial and I feel like I've lived here continuously since 1982.

Edited July 7, 2021 by Acharn

[Jen65]

Why does Chonburi Immigration always give me a headache , sometimes give wrong information and this time it appears they do not understand their own directive  ( attached )

I was in to Chonburi Immigration the other day to sort out an issue on my Immigration entry stamp .

I produced my passport with my O-A visa showing expiry in November and the entry stamp with the annotation "up to 31st August 2021"  which is the date my current Health / Covid insurance expires .  Since I wished to synchronize my Visa and Insurance renewal dates , I produced a new Insurance document with valid insurance to the date of expiry of my visa and asked them to delete/amend the annotation on the entry stamp .

The reply was " you have to get a new visa on 31st August " !!!!!!!   They produced the attached directive !!!  Didn't want to listen to me to explain what I was trying to do  ,  so I just left .

After carefully reading exactly what it states "  Note that visa expiration date will not exceed the insurance coverage period (maximum of 1 year )

That is exactly what is written on the entry stamp .

The directive does not mention anything about having to obtain a new Visa or having the existing one cancelled ,it only states that the expiration can not exceed the Insurance validity ( granted ) .

Insurance companies do NOT issue policies for more than one year .  In addition to having the required Insurance up to the expiry of my O-A visa ,I also have the next 12 months Insurance policy from the expiry of my Visa and the expiry of the new Insurance up to the expiry of my visa.

Immigration is not allowed to write on or cancel my O-A visa since it is issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (nothing to do with Immigration)  unless I did something totally illegal or committed a crime and being deported !!

SO ,   I am not going to get a new visa / retirement or extension of stay (whatever) on 31st August as I have a valid Visa and valid Insurance !!     What are Immigration going to do ??  arrest me ?? 

I have no faith in Chonburi Immigration and especially their dictatorial attitude .  ( Prior to obtaining my O-A visa in Portugal ,Chonburi Immigration gave me wrong information and had to be corrected by the Embassy )  

   

  

[ubonjoe]

10 hours ago, Jen65 said:

Why does Chonburi Immigration always give me a headache , sometimes give wrong information and this time it appears they do not understand their own directive  ( attached )

I was in to Chonburi Immigration the other day to sort out an issue on my Immigration entry stamp .

They may not of understood what you wanted or are not aware a clause in the immigration order for the insurance requirement clause that states this.

That is shown on the last page of the order here in Thai and English. Immigration order for OA insurance.pdf

You could try again but I suspect you may have to apply for a extension of stay based upon retirement (it is not a visa)

 

 

[Jen65]

34 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

They may not of understood what you wanted or are not aware a clause in the immigration order for the insurance requirement clause that states this.

That is shown on the last page of the order here in Thai and English. Immigration order for OA insurance.pdf

You could try again but I suspect you may have to apply for a extension of stay based upon retirement (it is not a visa)

 

 

Thanks for sending me the full text of the order . I reckon exactly what you said - they don't understand what I am trying to do (synchronize my visa/extension of stay with my insurance .    I know it will be extension of stay if I stay in the country but if I went out just before the expiry of my visa and returned before it expired , then I get another year on my visa .