Non-Imm.-O (Retirement) Visa Extension Chiang Mai

[acepredator]

I will be extending my Non-Immigrant-O (Retirement) visa later this month. Can anyone who has done their extension recently here in Chiang Mai please let me and any other interested individuals know if there have been any changes to the process since late last year? There were very few people at the Immigration office last November, so I was in and out in a short period of time. I suspect that there may be more people visiting Immigration this year as the country is much more open to foreigners now than it was then. Thanks in advance for any information that any readers can provide. 

[Lite Beer]

To be clear you are applying for a 12 month extension of your permission to stay.

No reason why it should not be the same as last year.

[acepredator]

22 minutes ago, Lite Beer said:

To be clear you are applying for a 12 month extension of your permission to stay.

No reason why it should not be the same as last year.

Yes, that is what I'm applying for. I hope and expect that it will be the same, but after 17 years of dealing with Chiang Mai Immigration, I have learned that expectations can prove to be very much mistaken.

[kiaora1968]

I extended my permission of stay 3 weeks ago. Painless process. First, on the parking lot, in front of the main car entrance, they'll check your temperature, give you a little sticker that you'll stick to your clothes, and give you a waiting number. With that number, you'll go under the temporary tent, on the left of the parking, and sit while waiting to be called. Your documents will be checked there. There can be a long wait. For my extension, I had to wait about one hour as there was only one person on duty. Once checked and validated, you'll get a big cardboard number and you can enter the main building. Report to the information counters, submit your documents once again, and you'll get another queuing number. That's it. Same documents as before. 

[carbon007]

Only thing different this year September was that they also wanted copy of 90 days paper.

[acepredator]

8 hours ago, kiaora1968 said:

I extended my permission of stay 3 weeks ago. Painless process. First, on the parking lot, in front of the main car entrance, they'll check your temperature, give you a little sticker that you'll stick to your clothes, and give you a waiting number. With that number, you'll go under the temporary tent, on the left of the parking, and sit while waiting to be called. Your documents will be checked there. There can be a long wait. For my extension, I had to wait about one hour as there was only one person on duty. Once checked and validated, you'll get a big cardboard number and you can enter the main building. Report to the information counters, submit your documents once again, and you'll get another queuing number. That's it. Same documents as before. 

Thanks very much for your highly informative reply. That answers my question completely.

[acepredator]

6 hours ago, carbon007 said:

Only thing different this year September was that they also wanted copy of 90 days paper.

Thanks very much for your response. In actuality, I've had to provide a copy of my current 90 day report (the paper that's stapled in the back of the passport) every year since I've had the retirement visa.

[DrJack54]

29 minutes ago, acepredator said:

Thanks very much for your response. In actuality, I've had to provide a copy of my current 90 day report (the paper that's stapled in the back of the passport) every year since I've had the retirement visa.

Which is strange as 90 day report has zero to do with obtaining extension. 

[acepredator]

4 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Which is strange as 90 day report has zero to do with obtaining extension. 

It's just another pointless and meaningless hoop that Chiang Mai Immigration requires us to jump through every year. It provides them with job security and a reason to hassle us if we don't have the copy along with the other required documents. 

[DrJack54]

3 minutes ago, acepredator said:

It's just another pointless and meaningless hoop that Chiang Mai Immigration requires us to jump through every year. It provides them with job security and a reason to hassle us if we don't have the copy along with the other required documents. 

Agree.

It's very sad IMO that a country can accept that various immigration offices can "do their own thing"

My favourite is being critical of rogue Jomtien requiring  extensions using money in bank to return post 90 days to show bank book.

Fools. 

 

 

[falang1969]

Was in there today getting 1 yr extension (marriage), I didn't realise what that tent was for, so just went up to the counter inside and handed over documents and was given the last TF ticket of the day. Maybe having two active kids in tow helped.

 

Was busier than last year at same time. Arrived at 1.30pm and out at 4pm. 

 

I supplied copies of last 90 day report (they kept it), last TM30 (they kept it), TM7, updated bank passbook/letter from bank AND printout from bank which I got this morning. I did a small bank transfer this morning but it didn't show on my updated bank book OR the statement I got from the bank today after I had done the transfer, which I didn't notice and don't know why, so had to walk down to Bank in Airport Central to update book again!

 

Also, give them the original of the bank letters and statements. The bank gave me one original and two copies, I gave them the two copies (didn't even realise, the only difference is the small blue stamp on them) had to go to car and get the original.

 

The lady mentioned quite specificially do not copy 2 pages of passport onto one page and don't give them copy of whole passport! I supplied WHOLE passport BUT only, photo/details page, last expired visa page, last extension page and copy of last TM6 slip are required.

 

Apart from the above, same as last year. 

[falang1969]

35 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Which is strange as 90 day report has zero to do with obtaining extension. 

Correct, but they wanted it, the officer even specifically mentioned to me and showed me my last 90 day report to remind me when my next one is in January, which is nothing to do with the extension.

 

So it won't be 90 days from when my extension is granted, I guess that is normal?

[acepredator]

8 hours ago, falang1969 said:

Was in there today getting 1 yr extension (marriage), I didn't realise what that tent was for, so just went up to the counter inside and handed over documents and was given the last TF ticket of the day. Maybe having two active kids in tow helped.

 

Was busier than last year at same time. Arrived at 1.30pm and out at 4pm. 

 

I supplied copies of last 90 day report (they kept it), last TM30 (they kept it), TM7, updated bank passbook/letter from bank AND printout from bank which I got this morning. I did a small bank transfer this morning but it didn't show on my updated bank book OR the statement I got from the bank today after I had done the transfer, which I didn't notice and don't know why, so had to walk down to Bank in Airport Central to update book again!

 

Also, give them the original of the bank letters and statements. The bank gave me one original and two copies, I gave them the two copies (didn't even realise, the only difference is the small blue stamp on them) had to go to car and get the original.

 

The lady mentioned quite specificially do not copy 2 pages of passport onto one page and don't give them copy of whole passport! I supplied WHOLE passport BUT only, photo/details page, last expired visa page, last extension page and copy of last TM6 slip are required.

 

Apart from the above, same as last year. 

Thanks for your detailed reply. I had forgotten that copies of only the relevant pages of the passport are required. I was going to copy them all until I read your post. That saves me and the Immigration officer a bit of a hassle.

[TigerandDog]

10 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Which is strange as 90 day report has zero to do with obtaining extension. 

that is true, but CM have always required a copy of it for the 7 years I've been doing extensions here.

[DrJack54]

2 minutes ago, TigerandDog said:

that is true, but CM have always required a copy of it for the 7 years I've been doing extensions here.

In a perfect world we would have a standard check list for extensions retirement and marriage and every immigration office would follow that.

How easy would that be.

Instead on AseanNow any question that relates to immigration is met with ..."which immigration office do you deal with?"

That question should not even be required. 

[JanPeder]

Today I made my extension in CNX. I had no problem the last 9 year. First I passed the guard and got number 3024 (no. 24) I was huddled in a tent. After 30 minutes, the young people had checked that I had the right documents . After that, I left the tent and met the officer. He checked the papers. "You have not copy the first page of the passport" -he said. "Well, that page is on page no. 2 in the Income Letter". I answered super nice (in Thai). "Not enough he ansvered me". "But last year you wanted me to take away that page, because you told me to much paper". I replied supernice (in thai). "Ok this time we skip it", he said...with an officer's voice....Many Chinese trampled around but after 40 minutes all clear and really super fast service. I am impressed.
One question. My friend makes 0 extension on Friday for the first time. Is his TM 6 enough for to show adress certificate??? He has 49% ownership of the house and his wife 51% if I understood correctly. And he arrived with O spoused 90 days - but wants to apply for an extension retirement.

[acepredator]

On 11/16/2021 at 12:20 PM, JanPeder said:

Today I made my extension in CNX. I had no problem the last 9 year. First I passed the guard and got number 3024 (no. 24) I was huddled in a tent. After 30 minutes, the young people had checked that I had the right documents . After that, I left the tent and met the officer. He checked the papers. "You have not copy the first page of the passport" -he said. "Well, that page is on page no. 2 in the Income Letter". I answered super nice (in Thai). "Not enough he ansvered me". "But last year you wanted me to take away that page, because you told me to much paper". I replied supernice (in thai). "Ok this time we skip it", he said...with an officer's voice....Many Chinese trampled around but after 40 minutes all clear and really super fast service. I am impressed.
One question. My friend makes 0 extension on Friday for the first time. Is his TM 6 enough for to show adress certificate??? He has 49% ownership of the house and his wife 51% if I understood correctly. And he arrived with O spoused 90 days - but wants to apply for an extension retirement.

Thanks for your detailed reply. Good to know that I can look forward to super fast service at Chiang Mai Immigration, which is certainly different than in the past. The TM 6 is the Arrival/Departure card. It only shows the most recent date that someone entered Thailand. An address certificate would be what's called a Certificate of Residence, which is TM 16. To get it your friend must go upstairs at the Immigration office (to either the second or third floor; I can't remember.) The cost last time I got a certificate was 500 baht. It may be more than that now.