Retirement Visa Extension. Up to date info

[roger101]

Anybody have the latest information on an extension. I think I have everything covered but I just want to make sure

On a slightly different note I went to Pattaya Immigration this morning to pick up a couple of TM 7 forms. It seems like absolute chaos.

[DrJack54]

OP, nothing has changed.

Best to mention which method for financials you are using.

Money in bank or income method

[roger101]

Income. I am due to  pick up the years statement tomorrow. It's just the number of copies of passport and bank book etc and I read somewhere about rental agreement. This will be my 17th Extension and it seems that every year I have to go and get something else copied. At least now you dont have to go next door,or you didn't last year.

[hotandsticky]

12 minutes ago, roger101 said:

Income. I am due to  pick up the years statement tomorrow. It's just the number of copies of passport and bank book etc and I read somewhere about rental agreement. This will be my 17th Extension and it seems that every year I have to go and get something else copied. At least now you dont have to go next door,or you didn't last year.

The 12 months bank statements may well not be enough.

 

I am with Kasikorn and last month I had to go to the main Pattaya Klang office to get a certificate from them re the 22 x 65,000 Baht. The boy at desk 8 gave me an Immigration template to take to Kasikorn.

[dddave]

If you have any doubts about your documents, go into one of the copy shops next to Immigration on Soi-5.  They know exactly what copies you need and will put it all in the correct order.  They are always up to date on Immigration policies and the charge is minimal.

Pattaya Immigration may look chaotic, especially with the current construction in the front area but wait patiently, get your queue numbers and it all goes along pretty well.

 

Edited June 12, 2023 by dddave

[soisanuk]

16 hours ago, hotandsticky said:

The 12 months bank statements may well not be enough.

 

I am with Kasikorn and last month I had to go to the main Pattaya Klang office to get a certificate from them re the 22 x 65,000 Baht. The boy at desk 8 gave me an Immigration template to take to Kasikorn.

When I did my first renewal after the US Embassy quit providing the monthly income letter, Pattaya Immigration would not accept my certified bank statements.  Instead, as mentioned, they wanted a letter from my bank listing the foreign source deposits to my account for the past 12 months (I use Bangkok Bank, so they were all coded FTT on my statements, which the bank branch used to prepare the letter). The listing showed I had met the requirement for transferring at least 65k baht per month into my account.

 

For all my subsequent renewals, I have used the bank letter listing the FTT deposits (which is in addition to the one from the bank verifying the account that is required by Immigration for both 800k in bank or 65k monthly income). 

 

As I understand it, the bank staff could prepare the letter from my passbook provided it has been kept up to date. Since I do not regularly update my passbook, the bank branch needs my account statements to prepare the letter. I went yesterday to Bangkok Bank's customer service counter at the Lotus on Sukhumvit Road and ordered the bank statements for the past 12 months - the fee was 200 baht (if for more than 6 months, they have to order them from the main office in Bangkok which takes at least 5 business days to arrive).   Next Monday, I will go back and get them to prepare bank letters and do my renewal on Tuesday (Pattaya Immigration wants the account verifying letter to be on the day of application or the day before if renewing early before the banks open).

[newnative]

    I just did mine at Jomtien and it was no different than previous years and required the same docs. as what you stated, OP.   Someone a few weeks back mentioned something on this forum about being fingerprinted but I wasn't--perhaps my prints were already on file due to traveling in and out of the country several times in the past few years.  One thing new--they took a photo of me.

[roger101]

4 hours ago, soisanuk said:

When I did my first renewal after the US Embassy quit providing the monthly income letter, Pattaya Immigration would not accept my certified bank statements.  Instead, as mentioned, they wanted a letter from my bank listing the foreign source deposits to my account for the past 12 months (I use Bangkok Bank, so they were all coded FTT on my statements, which the bank branch used to prepare the letter). The listing showed I had met the requirement for transferring at least 65k baht per month into my account.

 

For all my subsequent renewals, I have used the bank letter listing the FTT deposits (which is in addition to the one from the bank verifying the account that is required by Immigration for both 800k in bank or 65k monthly income). 

 

As I understand it, the bank staff could prepare the letter from my passbook provided it has been kept up to date. Since I do not regularly update my passbook, the bank branch needs my account statements to prepare the letter. I went yesterday to Bangkok Bank's customer service counter at the Lotus on Sukhumvit Road and ordered the bank statements for the past 12 months - the fee was 200 baht (if for more than 6 months, they have to order them from the main office in Bangkok which takes at least 5 business days to arrive).   Next Monday, I will go back and get them to prepare bank letters and do my renewal on Tuesday (Pattaya Immigration wants the account verifying letter to be on the day of application or the day before if renewing early before the banks open).

Went to Bangkok Bank (Thepprasit) today as it opened. Got served at 1010. Picked up the 12 months statement (ordered last Tuesday) and asked for the letter for Immigration. All done and dusted by 1020. Excellent service. Last year went to Bangkok Bank in Central Festival (Beach Road) which is the branch that actually holds my account. Took 4 trips and and I vowed never to use that branch again.

So at about 2 o'clock off to Jomtien, I just hope they can be as efficient as The bank this morning.

[Presnock]

FYI  At least at Chiang mai, I just completed my umpteenth renewal of

long stay.  Like others, it seemed that every year I needed at least

one more document.  Last yearm I got a letter from my Bangkok Bank

where I opened my acct hr in CM plus they gave me a statement that

showed t least 12 consecutive months of at least 65,000 baht but then

they told me I would have to have a "Bank Statement" from the main

office in BKK which would take 3-7 days so I said I would try to do the

extension with the two documents only fm my home bank.  At Immigration

they told me to make a copy of every page of my bank book and then

then did my extension, at immigration just about 45 minutes.

  This year, my home bank told me that immigration would also want that

"bank statement" fm Bkk but I asked that they request it from BKK and I

would see if I could get the extension that morning and if not would then

wait for the "bank statement".  Yes, when I got to immigration and they

checked my documents outside under the tent, the officer said that I

also must have the "bank statement" and told me to wait for it and then

return but that the letters I had fm my bank would be good for 7 days

only.  Fortunately the "bank statement" arrived in 3 days, I returned to

immigration and spent less than an hour prior to getting all done!

  As a side note:  I wanted get an appointment but when I checked to

do so, the only open hours (2 separate times) were over a month in the

future, just before my long stay expired.  But, they indicate that with an

appointment, one would only need 20 minutes to complete the process.

But, just about an hour without one, is a whole lot less than it used to be

that is for sure!  This is the current process for Chiang Mai Immigration

if what I did is the same for all.

[chalawaan]

Most immigration officers I've encountered are fairly intelligent, they must have all come up from junior ranks at some point, so why do they seem to make it more tedious, more backwards, more idiotic! With every passing year? 

I know here the boss is never questioned, but why do the bosses themselves not at least drop the photocopy BS?

We show up, they see the originals, and at any time, they can summon us to return and provide the same originals in the event there's a glitch. The photocopies cost pennies, so there's no profit there, so, just why? In the name of sanity and logic, why make it worse for everyone involved, every year? ????

[roger101]

Update:  Went to Immigration yesterday. After a relatively short wait I sat down next to the lady . She went through my paperwork and then told me that I was a form missing. New this year it's a summary of Foreign Transfers  over the last year. (Last year they just went through the years statement highlighting the 12 payments).

 

This year they obviously lost the ability to do that so they need a summary from the bank. She said go to your bank get it and come straight back to see me. So of I went to Thepprasit, only to be told that that summary can only be done at your home branch. So back on the bike to Central Beach Road. Joined the queue I was no 79 and the screen shows no 65. Started to get concerned about the time.

 

After 30 min or so I got to the desk and explained what I wanted . No problem 100 Baht please, and come back in 30 minutes. As it was 4 o'clock I realized that I couldn't get back to Jomtien by closing time so when I picked the form up I went for a drink instead.

This morning 8.30  got to Immigration saw the same lady I saw yesterday, in and out in 10 minutes.

 

Although the powers that be keep changing the rules (which like most people I find very annoying)  the staff I dealt with at Immigration were excellent, couldn't fault them. So to them I say thank you. See you tomorrow after 2 o'clock.

[OJAS]

On 6/12/2023 at 12:44 PM, roger101 said:

On a slightly different note I went to Pattaya Immigration this morning to pick up a couple of TM 7 forms. It seems like absolute chaos.

Could you not have downloaded these from the Immigration Templates pinned thread to spare you at least 1 chaotic trip to Jomtien? Or is it the case that they have their own special version of the TM7 which they always insist on being used?

 

[hotandsticky]

7 minutes ago, OJAS said:

Could you not have downloaded these from the Immigration Templates pinned thread to spare you at least 1 chaotic trip to Jomtien? Or is it the case that they have their own special version of the TM7 which they always insist on being used?

 

I printed mine off last month - perfectly acceptable.

[roger101]

3 hours ago, OJAS said:

Could you not have downloaded these from the Immigration Templates pinned thread to spare you at least 1 chaotic trip to Jomtien? Or is it the case that they have their own special version of the TM7 which they always insist on being used?

 

My favorite bar is in Jomtien as are a couple of shops that I use so I find it's easier to pop in. Same with 90 Day, Drop the passport off go and have a couple of drinks (and I do mean 2) and go and pick it up. So easy.

PS. if it's more than 2 I will not be going to Immigration because I will be using Bolt or a motorcycle taxi.Never used to be. I can remember coming out of the bars at 2 o'clock and going to Tesco's to do my shopping. Long time ago. I've grown up a little bit since then.

Edited June 14, 2023 by roger101
More info

[roger101]

My final post on this subject.

This is a list of the Documents I supplied for my Visa Extension (Retirement) based on Foreign Transfers of Pension at Pattaya.

 

TM 7 plus 1 Photo,

Passport plus Copy of Name Page

                        Copy of all relevant Pages.

 

Bank Book plus Copy of all Pages. Up to Date

 

From Bank: 12 Months Statement

                     Summary of Foreign Transfers

                     Letter Confirming Account and Balance. Up to date,

 

Wise (If used): Copy of all (12) transactions.

 

I hope this is useful.