Prevent your retirement visa in Thailand from expiring

[webfact]

Photo: Freepik

 

by Kriti Sharma 

With the availability of a Retirement Visa in Thailand, it becomes possible for retirees to reside in the country long-term and enjoy all the perks it has to offer. However, like all good things, a retirement visa comes with an expiration date, and understanding the implications of a retirement visa expiring is crucial for those planning to settle down in this Southeast Asian haven. In this guide, we will explore the options to avoid your retirement visa from expiring.

 

Options to consider to prevent your retirement visa from expiring

Preventing your retirement visa in Thailand from expiring requires careful planning and adherence to the rules and regulations set forth by the Thai government. Here are some essential steps you must follow to prevent any hassle in your long-term stay.

 

1. Apply for the re-entry permit

Photo: Freepik

 

Applying for a re-entry permit as soon as you obtain your retirement visa in Thailand is a prudent and proactive approach to securing your residency status. A re-entry permit ensures that your visa remains valid when you exit and re-enter Thailand. Without a re-entry permit, your retirement visa may be voided upon exiting Thailand, even if it has not reached its expiration date. If you are not in Thailand when your 90-day reporting is due, you should have an exit stamp on your passport. However, you will need a Re-Entry Permit for this. Your 90-day reporting period will resume once you re-enter Thailand.

 

The re-entry permit ensures that your retirement visa remains valid when you leave Thailand for any reason, be it a short vacation, a family visit, or any other personal or medical situation. This permit essentially “freezes” your visa’s validity, allowing you to return to Thailand without having to reapply for a new retirement visa. With a re-entry permit, you can freely travel in and out of Thailand without worrying about jeopardizing your retirement visa status. This flexibility is particularly helpful for retirees who have family and friends in their home country or other countries and wish to visit them regularly.

Failing to obtain a re-entry permit before leaving Thailand can result in unexpected complications, such as having to reapply for a retirement visa or being denied entry upon your return. You can complete the 90-day reporting within 14 days before or up to seven days after the due date. Failing to report within this timeframe will result in a THB2,000 penalty. If you are arrested for not reporting, the fine increases to THB4,000, and you may face jail time. Additionally, you could be added to the Immigration “blacklist,” potentially hindering future visa applications.

 

2. 90 days reporting
 

Photo: Freepik

The 90-day reporting is a crucial requirement for maintaining the validity of your retirement visa in Thailand. This reporting rule mandates that you notify the Thai Immigration authorities of your current address every 90 days while residing in the country.

 

The 90-day reporting rule is a stipulation set forth by the Thai government to monitor the whereabouts of foreign nationals residing in the country long-term. Failing to comply with this requirement can lead to fines, and penalties, and even jeopardize your retirement visa status. Regularly reporting your address every 90 days helps establish your continuous residency in Thailand. This record of compliance can be beneficial when renewing your retirement visa or applying for any other immigration-related services.

 

Ensuring timely 90-day reporting can help you avoid any potential legal complications arising from non-compliance with Thai immigration laws. These complications can include fines, visa cancellation, or even deportation, which could disrupt your retirement plans in Thailand.

 

Full story: https://thethaiger.com/guides/visa-information/prevent-your-retirement-visa-in-thailand-from-expiring

 

-- © Copyright Thaiger 2023-04-20

 

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[Bim Smith]

"You can complete the 90-day reporting within 14 days before or up to seven days after".

 

Has anyone tried online reporting. I want to try it for the first time next month and always thought it was 7 days before due date and 7 days after. Can anyone confirm? Thank you 

[ezzra]

It is always highly advisable to adhere to the immigration's rules and conditions to avoid headaches and the 90 days reporting is one of them rules that it's better to get it done before rather than be late and from experience my 90 days reporting were always without a problem, so go ahead and do it.

[Tookta]

23 minutes ago, Bim Smith said:

"You can complete the 90-day reporting within 14 days before or up to seven days after".

 

Has anyone tried online reporting. I want to try it for the first time next month and always thought it was 7 days before due date and 7 days after. Can anyone confirm? Thank you 

Online, you can report up to 14 days before due date. If you apply on the actual due date it's too late. Also you cannot apply up to 7 days after due date like you can if you were to go to immigration in person.

[Barrydives]

21 minutes ago, Bim Smith said:

"You can complete the 90-day reporting within 14 days before or up to seven days after".

 

Has anyone tried online reporting. I want to try it for the first time next month and always thought it was 7 days before due date and 7 days after. Can anyone confirm? Thank you 

I have done an online report quite a few times. It is normally a very easy process but one time the website was down and I had to go to Immigration. Take a look at the immigration website and if I were you I would apply 14 days before your 90 day report is due even though it might get completed in a couple of days. You also cannot apply online for your first 90 day report of any new visa,

[scubascuba3]

41 minutes ago, Bim Smith said:

"You can complete the 90-day reporting within 14 days before or up to seven days after".

 

Has anyone tried online reporting. I want to try it for the first time next month and always thought it was 7 days before due date and 7 days after. Can anyone confirm? Thank you 

 

[Dr. Zorg]

40 minutes ago, Bim Smith said:

"You can complete the 90-day reporting within 14 days before or up to seven days after".

 

Has anyone tried online reporting. I want to try it for the first time next month and always thought it was 7 days before due date and 7 days after. Can anyone confirm? Thank you 

I have been doing it for years. Since 2017. Just go to https://www.immigration.go.th/

[BritScot]

The reason we left Thailand in 2019 after nearly 9 years was due to uncertainty (changing rules on a whim with very little warning). The ever hanging threat of compolsory health insurance hanging over my head, the 400/800k being kept in a Thai bank etc. I learnt very early on I could buy a very nice suv, several big bikes as my health insurance which I could sell if needed (I never needed to). I reached an age that having to start again due to a change in circumstances was a risk I could not take. Best move we ever made returning to the UK. Children are very happy, education far better and free and even though the national health service is free my wife and children all have private health care for about 2,500  baht (£65) a month, compare that to Thai health insurance!!! A very wise man told me "Never invest more in Thailand than you can afford to walk away from". Yes I still have a house in Thailand, yes I still love Thailand and we just had a wonderful holiday there but we will never ever live there again.

[skatewash]

What a bizarre article! The legal requirement for 90-Day Reporting of your address to immigration has absolutely no connection to "keeping your retirement extension alive."  No one in history has lost their retirement extension by failing to do a 90-Day Report.  The consequence for not doing a 90-Day report is limited to the following: a 2,000 baht fine and a notation made in your passport that you were late In filing your 90-Day Report. 

 

The only thing that keeps your retirementra extension alive Is a re-entry permit obtained from immigration for 1,900 baht (single) or 3,800 baht (multiple)..  Whether youn file a 90-Day Report or not has no bearing at all on this issue.

 

The article mistakenly considers them to be intertwined.  They are not.

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, Bim Smith said:

"You can complete the 90-day reporting within 14 days before or up to seven days after".

 

Has anyone tried online reporting. I want to try it for the first time next month and always thought it was 7 days before due date and 7 days after. Can anyone confirm? Thank you 

I've done the online reporting ever since it started.

A few hiccups with the first version but the latest version has worked every time.

Online is 14 days prior to expiry date.

The 7 days grace period after expiry date is in person to the immigration office.

[bigt3116]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

You can complete the 90-day reporting within 14 days before or up to seven days after the due date.

Actually it is 15 days before.

 

17 minutes ago, skatewash said:

re-entry permit obtained from immigration for 1,900 baht (single) or 3,800 baht (multiple).

Actually it is 1000 for a single entry

 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

If you are arrested for not reporting, the fine increases to THB4,000,

Actually the fine could increase to 5000

 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Ensuring timely 90-day reporting can help you avoid any potential legal complications arising from non-compliance with Thai immigration laws. These complications can include fines, visa cancellation, or even deportation, which could disrupt your retirement plans in Thailand.

Absolute hogwash, scaremongering non-truth.

 

It would also appear that the article is talking about an extension of stay, not a visa.

 

All in all, a factually incorrect and misleading load of tosh.

[ikke1959]

Just another headline that doesn't match with the content.  I think everybody knows that you have to report every 90 days and need a re entry visa if you leave the country and most important extent in time, as you never know what new requirements are needed.. 

90 days reports always do at the office, as the immigration told me better can do it here than on the website, because if something goes wrong you have a problem. 

[jacko45k]

It isn't a 'Visa', it's an extension. 

[dinsdale]

90 days is 15 days before and 7 days after but keep in mind this is inclusive of the expiry date i.e. so if the expiry date is the 1st of the month this means you have up to and inlcluding the 7th. 13th would be the 19th.

[Lemsta69]

12 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

7 days after

That's only for in-person TM47s.

[dinsdale]

3 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

That's only for in-person TM47s.

That's why I said 90 day reporting but yes I should have included in person. My post, however, of which you only quoted 3 words "7 days after" was to highlight the fact that 7 days after or 15 days before is inclusive of the expiry date.

[scorecard]

"Applying for a re-entry permit as soon as you obtain your retirement visa in Thailand is a prudent and proactive approach to securing your residency status."

 

Using the term 'residency status' can cause confusion and misunderstanding. Some folks would assume this means permanent residency which is not true. 

 

[skatewash]

2 hours ago, bigt3116 said:

Actually it is 1000 for a single entry

 

Correct, it is 1,000 baht for single entry re-entry permit, the 1,900 baht in my post was a typo.

[Andrew Dwyer]

I stopped reading after they had called it a “ retirement visa “ 4 times in the first paragraph !!

It’s almost like they don’t know the real name ??

[Skeptic7]

3 hours ago, Tookta said:

Online, you can report up to 14 days before due date. If you apply on the actual due date it's too late. Also you cannot apply up to 7 days after due date like you can if you were to go to immigration in person.

 Online includes the due date too...here in Jomtien anyway. I've done it. Get the approval here same day, in just a few hours. ????

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, scorecard said:

"Applying for a re-entry permit as soon as you obtain your retirement visa in Thailand is a prudent and proactive approach to securing your residency status."

 

Using the term 'residency status' can cause confusion and misunderstanding. Some folks would assume this means permanent residency which is not true. 

 

The original headline:  "Prevent your retirement visa in Thailand from expiring".

But Is that possible?

A so called retirement visa (there is no such visa with that specific title in the Thailand system) has an ultimate expiry date.

Do whatever to try to prevent expiry but you can't ultimately prevent it's expiry.

However the holder can apply again and must submit most of the same backup paper work and then wait to see if it's approved.  

 

Misleading headline. 

 

 

Edited April 20, 2023 by scorecard

[Lemsta69]

48 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

I stopped reading after they had called it a “ retirement visa “ 4 times in the first paragraph !!

It’s almost like they don’t know the real name ??

Of course they do but their target audience doesn't. 

[ianwheldale]

4 hours ago, Bim Smith said:

"You can complete the 90-day reporting within 14 days before or up to seven days after".

 

Has anyone tried online reporting. I want to try it for the first time next month and always thought it was 7 days before due date and 7 days after. Can anyone confirm? Thank you 

Been doing 90 day online for a year now. Works great and once you are registered in the system you will get a reminder email a couple of weeks before it's due.

[garzhe]

3 hours ago, Dr. Zorg said:

I have been doing it for years. Since 2017. Just go to https://www.immigration.go.th/

Just did it online 12 days before the due date. Can't get to work with Google Chrome, works fine with MS Edge, not sure about other browsers. Turn off your VPN if you're using one. Seems it only accepts a Thai IP address.

[Lemsta69]

35 minutes ago, ianwheldale said:

Been doing 90 day online for a year now. Works great and once you are registered in the system you will get a reminder email a couple of weeks before it's due.

The email reminder system failed just recently and caught a few people out, so best not to rely on it.

[skatewash]

18 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

The email reminder system failed just recently and caught a few people out, so best not to rely on it.

Good advice.  Also, the email reminder system only takes into account 90-Day Reports done through the online system.  If you do your report some other way (by doing it in person, by leaving the country, or even by getting an extension of stay in offices where that results in immigration doing a 90-Day report for you) it easily becomes out of sync.  Best to set a date in your calendar yourself.

[actonion]

Enjoy all the perks a retirement visa has to  offer ?.................. What perks ?

[BEngBKK]

6 hours ago, Bim Smith said:

"You can complete the 90-day reporting within 14 days before or up to seven days after".

 

Has anyone tried online reporting. I want to try it for the first time next month and always thought it was 7 days before due date and 7 days after. Can anyone confirm? Thank you 

14 before and 7 days after.

I only use online reg. Of tm47. Works fine for me

[Jonathan Swift]

7 hours ago, Bim Smith said:

"You can complete the 90-day reporting within 14 days before or up to seven days after".

 

Has anyone tried online reporting. I want to try it for the first time next month and always thought it was 7 days before due date and 7 days after. Can anyone confirm? Thank you 

This story was negligent in not including that as well as the link to online reporting. Yes, I do online every time and it is easy. If I were you I would assume it to be 7 before and seven after. I miscalculated and I did mine on the very day it was due and had immediate confirmation. The big advantage is that once you've done it you will get email reminders of the next due date. 

[Jonathan Swift]

1 hour ago, actonion said:

Enjoy all the perks a retirement visa has to  offer ?.................. What perks ?

I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you. How about this for one: Renew once a year, not reapply,  without having to worry about visa runs or other complications.