Early Renewal Of Retirement Visa

[Thailandvisitor]

How early can I renew my annual retirement visa?

I need to be abroad for five weeks before it expires and up to nine weeks after.

Can I renew six weeks before it expires?

Has anyone any experience of this? Its much easier for me to deal with visa matters here than abroad.

[lopburi3]

I believe you are talking about a one year extension of stay from Immigration that will be coming up for renewal but you will not be here are the time. It is normal to renew between 4-3 weeks early but if you have plans and earlier date can work. Take your travel tickets with you and go six weeks early - it should not be a problem when you have a reason. Be sure to obtain a (new) re-entry permit after you get the new extension of stay stamp.

[Thailandvisitor]

I believe you are talking about a one year extension of stay from Immigration that will be coming up for renewal but you will not be here are the time. It is normal to renew between 4-3 weeks early but if you have plans and earlier date can work. Take your travel tickets with you and go six weeks early - it should not be a problem when you have a reason. Be sure to obtain a (new) re-entry permit after you get the new extension of stay stamp.

Thanks Lopburi3. Yes. One year extension is what I am talking about.

I will do as you say. The obvious place to get a correct answer is the Immigration Office but language confusion always seems to create uncertainty.

I need to buy the airline tickets far in advance of the travel date and it would be difficult to change them at short notice if Immigration said come back next week etc.

[jbaldwin]

I needed to extend early last year. Pattaya immigration told me that it was not possible. I then went to Bangkok and there was no problem

[Thailandvisitor]

I needed to extend early last year. Pattaya immigration told me that it was not possible. I then went to Bangkok and there was no problem

Hi.

Are we talking about the same thing?

I need to renew my existing Retirement Visa with another one year extension.

Unlike previous years I will be abroad when the current extension (visa) expires.

Therefore, I want to renew it six weeks before the expiry date.

Are you saying that Jontiem were unwilling to do this? You mention Pattaya. That office closed a long time ago.

[ProThaiExpat]

So much for loose language when discussing visas. Lopuri3 is the authority so follow his advice. There is a big difference between seeking information and advice from an Immigration Officer and actually presenting your application and asking for action on it. Much of it my be language misunderstanding. We who use "prior" should use "before" if we hope to be understood by Thais speaking English.

I pay little attention to those who post what they "learned" from visiting an Immigration Office. Listen to lopburi3 and those who have actually done it.

Mine retirement extension expired during an unexpected long stay overseas last year and lopburi3 correctly advised me to get a tourist visa and then apply for a new non-imm-O when I got back and then extend that. Did so, it was a breeze. Some are now trying to get a non-imm-O from a entry permit, so far not negative reporting on that route.

Would like to hear of anyone denied a non-imm-O in Thailand when they entered on a "on arrival visa" which is an entry permit, as I understand it.