In other words, if my current status is on the 3rd (final) leg of a 30-day visa renewal - can I apply for a type O retirement visa (I qualify) ...or do I have to precede my application for a retirement visa with an externally acquired 2 month visa (or similar)?

I'm now in north Thailand and realize I have to go to a neighboring country to apply (the airlines must love us). I've heard Singapore is good and KL is not bad - for applying for a retirement visa. How does Vientiane compare - in terms of fair treatment for applications? Pardon if these topics have been covered in earlier Thaivisa posts, but some of us don't read (or retain) the thousands of pages of earlier posts.

If you have 21 days remaining on your current permitted to stay stamp you can visit Immigration with proof of retirement extension ability to obtain a non immigrant O visa and can then extend your stay on a yearly basis from that without leaving the country - cost will be 2,000 baht for visa and then 1,900 baht for extension of stay (normally done several months later).

You can also leave country and obtain a non immigrant O visa from most Consulates that you could return with and then after 60 days obtain the one year extension of stay from Immigration.

You can also leave country and obtain a tourist visa which Immigration can change/extend as in para 1 above (if the Consulate is not friendly to issue non immigrant).

If you have 21 days remaining on your current permitted to stay stamp you can visit Immigration with proof of retirement extension ability to obtain a non immigrant O visa and can then extend your stay on a yearly basis from that without leaving the country - cost will be 2,000 baht for visa and then 1,900 baht for extension of stay (normally done several months later).

I used to preach the standard line that one can never convert a 30-day walk-in to a retirement visa without leaving the country, but what you state above is definitely true. A fellow American did it not long ago. He went over to Suan Phlu with a big stack of documents, half a dozen photo portraits, plenty of baht, all day to kill, and a smiling willingness to dash across the street to get copies made.

If you have 21 days remaining on your current permitted to stay stamp you can visit Immigration with proof of retirement extension ability to obtain a non immigrant O visa and can then extend your stay on a yearly basis from that without leaving the country - cost will be 2,000 baht for visa and then 1,900 baht for extension of stay (normally done several months later).

You can also leave country and obtain a non immigrant O visa from most Consulates that you could return with and then after 60 days obtain the one year extension of stay from Immigration.

You can also leave country and obtain a tourist visa which Immigration can change/extend as in para 1 above (if the Consulate is not friendly to issue non immigrant).

Thanks sincerely, Lopburi. I assume current "permitted to stay stamp" is the baby blue rectangular stamp issued at border crossings(?) Though I am just an hour's drive from the Imm office at Mae Sai, they don't treat me well (they seem to get a kick out of causing frustrations for farang) - so I could try going the 3.5 hours south to the Imm office in Chiang Mai. If they grant me the non-imm retirement type O visa, does it go in to effect immediatly, or does it go in to effect when my 'permitted to stay' stamp is due (June 17)?

Parting words: I've said it a hundred times and I'll say it again; "when will Thai Imm simpify the processes?" Retirement aged people don't like to jump through hoops and travel over hill and dale in order to POSSIBLY/HOPEFULLY comply. The entire process could and should be made simpler and fairer.

It helps to have the right visa - non immigrant O visa is what you need. You can change to that as explained above but this will give you a 90 day stay and after 60 days you return to apply for the extension of stay. They have done together in the past but believe they now want to wait (as many people have to age there bank accounts).

To change to non immigrant O visa costs 2,000 baht and the yearly extension of stay costs 1,900 baht.

So to answer do not believe you can do both the same day anymore when you have to also obtain the visa but only the immigration office can answer for sure. They might be able to accommodate you if everything else is in order.