Transition from non B visa to non O visa

[Petchou]

Hi everyone.  Hope you are doing well.

I have been under visa for work with work permit for few years now 

I started contemplating to seek "retirement visa" or what is commonly called non O.

Would you please share your experience/advice to smoothly move from my present status.  What would be the process?

Thank you in advance for your help  ????

Edited October 3, 2023 by Petchou

[timendres]

I am in the process of doing the exact same thing through my agent.

There is documentation required to terminate your Non-B properly (not sure if it is the extension what is canceled, which I think it is, but she keeps saying visa, so I am not sure).

Then your work permit needs to be properly terminated.

In my case, my agent states that I must leave the country and return to transition to the Non-O required for the retirement extension. Someone here once suggested that they accomplished this without leaving the country, but my agent suggested that it was likely done by "cutting corners", which I do not want.

Once I return on Visa Exempt, my agent will process a change to the Non-O visa.

Once that is complete, on to the extension.

Edited October 3, 2023 by timendres

[Pouatchee]

cannot do non b to non o

you have to do visa run

non b is in a class by itself

you can change non o retiree to marriage and vice versa but not non b to any other category

[bigt3116]

10 hours ago, Pouatchee said:

cannot do non b to non o

you have to do visa run

non b is in a class by itself

you can change non o retiree to marriage and vice versa but not non b to any other category

Absolute bonk!

 

The OP is on an extension of stay based on employment and can easily change that to an extension based on retirement

 

Get a letter from your employer stating your last day of employment(this can be pre-dated)

Cancel work permit at Labour

Got to immigration and cancel extension of stay based on employment (again this can be do in advance)

Get your ducks in a row

Go back to immigration prior to your last day and apply for an extension based on retirement

Done and dusted

 

[bigt3116]

10 hours ago, Pouatchee said:

cannot do non b to non o

you have to do visa run

non b is in a class by itself

you can change non o retiree to marriage and vice versa but not non b to any other category

You can not change class of any Non-Imm visa to any other type of Non-imm visa

 

Luckily the OP is talking about extensions of stay

 

[bigt3116]

11 hours ago, timendres said:

In my case, my agent states that I must leave the country and return to transition to the Non-O required for the retirement extension. Someone here once suggested that they accomplished this without leaving the country, but my agent suggested that it was likely done by "cutting corners", which I do not want.

Your agent presumably just wants to make more work (money) for themselves

 

What you mention about not leaving the country is perfectly normal and done all the time

[Skipalongcassidy]

If it is not a burden for you, I highly recommend following your agents advise... it streamlines the process and avoids pitfalls... contrary to statements above... not all, if not most agents are truly interested in doing visa work for you to best suit what you goals are regarding staying in Thailand.

[Lemsta69]

12 hours ago, timendres said:

I am in the process of doing the exact same thing through my agent.

There is documentation required to terminate your Non-B properly (not sure if it is the extension what is canceled, which I think it is, but she keeps saying visa, so I am not sure).

Then your work permit needs to be properly terminated.

In my case, my agent states that I must leave the country and return to transition to the Non-O required for the retirement extension. Someone here once suggested that they accomplished this without leaving the country, but my agent suggested that it was likely done by "cutting corners", which I do not want.

Once I return on Visa Exempt, my agent will process a change to the Non-O visa.

Once that is complete, on to the extension.

Your agent is either lying to you or is incompetent. A quick Google search brings up a couple of previous threads, including one from the late great Ubon Joe, that say it is a fairly straightforward process to change the reason for your extension of stay from employment to retirement. 

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1085564-non-b-conversion-to-retirement-visa/

 

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1304886-non-b-to-non-o-retirement/

 

[BKKKevin]

1 hour ago, bigt3116 said:

You can not change class of any Non-Imm visa to any other type of Non-imm visa

 

Can you enter the country on a 60 day single entry tourist visa and change to a Non O for retirement purposes?...

[Lemsta69]

46 minutes ago, BKKKevin said:

Can you enter the country on a 60 day single entry tourist visa and change to a Non O for retirement purposes?...

Yes, but a TR60 is not a Non-Immigrant visa.

Edited October 4, 2023 by Lemsta69

[Eff1n2ret]

1 hour ago, Lemsta69 said:

Your agent is either lying to you or is incompetent. A quick Google search brings up a couple of previous threads, including one from the late great Ubon Joe, that say it is a fairly straightforward process to change the reason for your extension of stay from employment to retirement. 

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1085564-non-b-conversion-to-retirement-visa/

 

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1304886-non-b-to-non-o-retirement/

 

Correct. This question has popped up several times in the past. I commented on the second of those linked topics because I successfully transitioned from a 'B' to an 'O' retirement extension some years ago without leaving the country. The OP can read up on that if he wants.

[damian]

1 hour ago, Eff1n2ret said:

Correct. This question has popped up several times in the past. I commented on the second of those linked topics because I successfully transitioned from a 'B' to an 'O' retirement extension some years ago without leaving the country. The OP can read up on that if he wants.

Me too - easy.

 

Provided all your paperwork and financials are in order of course. 

[Ginkas]

I entered Thailand with a Non-Imm 'B' visa many years ago.

Had annual extensions based on working.

A few (quite a few!) years back I changed my annual extensions to Retirement, which I continue to do.

All paperwork and Immigration records still show me arriving on a Non-Imm 'B'.

 

You don't 'change' the Non-Imm visa (which expired years ago) you change the 'reason' for the annual extension.

[Eff1n2ret]

1 hour ago, Ginkas said:

I entered Thailand with a Non-Imm 'B' visa many years ago.

Had annual extensions based on working.

A few (quite a few!) years back I changed my annual extensions to Retirement, which I continue to do.

All paperwork and Immigration records still show me arriving on a Non-Imm 'B'.

 

You don't 'change' the Non-Imm visa (which expired years ago) you change the 'reason' for the annual extension.

That seems to be the way it works. From the renewal of my passport 3 years ago the transfer of stamps show firstly a visit stamp at Pong Nam Ron, a 90-day Non B visa from Bangkok and a manual endorsement denoting a 1-year Non-B extension. That appears to be how Immigration now view my history, although I previously had 1-year retirement visas issued in Hull (remember them?) and reverted to Retirement extensions after the Non B.

[jumbo]

On 10/4/2023 at 7:44 AM, bigt3116 said:

Absolute bonk!

 

The OP is on an extension of stay based on employment and can easily change that to an extension based on retirement

 

Get a letter from your employer stating your last day of employment(this can be pre-dated)

Cancel work permit at Labour

Got to immigration and cancel extension of stay based on employment (again this can be do in advance)

Get your ducks in a row

Go back to immigration prior to your last day and apply for an extension based on retirement

Done and dusted

 

Correct as correct can ever be, in this process now!!! I was on occasion also wrongly advised to leave the country.... and advised to go through an agent which will complicate your future extensions as well, it's a life long contract...

Costs are photo's, photocopies, documents from Amphur if needed and 1.900 for the extension or an additional 1.900 for a multi entry

[timendres]

On 10/4/2023 at 8:52 AM, Lemsta69 said:

Your agent is either lying to you or is incompetent. A quick Google search brings up a couple of previous threads, including one from the late great Ubon Joe, that say it is a fairly straightforward process to change the reason for your extension of stay from employment to retirement. 

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1085564-non-b-conversion-to-retirement-visa/

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1304886-non-b-to-non-o-retirement/

I do not believe my agent is lying, nor are they incompetent. They have been handling my work permit and extensions for nine years without a single mistake. They know their business.

 

When I pressed my agent about precisely the posts you reference, which I read previously, they stated that "sure, we can do that", but that would then require a small processing fee, which would then be required every year until I switched to the proper Non-O. I do not want that. On the other hand, I know coming in on visa-exempt and converting to Non-O is entirely legitimate, because there are forms specifically for it.

 

If my agent is wrong, then I am making a flight out and back in for no reason, and I can accept that.

 

---- [edit]

Called my agent to clarify.

It appears that my case is not normal. I believe there was an issue with the company paperwork regarding the work permit, and that somehow affects the whole process. So it may be that what my agent is really saying is that I need to reset the original Non-B specifically because of this issue.

Edited October 5, 2023 by timendres

[arithai12]

On 10/3/2023 at 8:45 PM, Pouatchee said:

cannot do non b to non o

you have to do visa run

non b is in a class by itself

you can change non o retiree to marriage and vice versa but not non b to any other category

I did it. You should tell immigration CM that they got it wrong.

[arithai12]

On 10/4/2023 at 7:44 AM, bigt3116 said:

Absolute bonk!

 

The OP is on an extension of stay based on employment and can easily change that to an extension based on retirement

 

Get a letter from your employer stating your last day of employment(this can be pre-dated)

Cancel work permit at Labour

Got to immigration and cancel extension of stay based on employment (again this can be do in advance)

Get your ducks in a row

Go back to immigration prior to your last day and apply for an extension based on retirement

Done and dusted

 

Correct.

Just in case the OP doesn't know: one of the ducks is to have 800k in the bank for 2, 3 months (I forget which) prior to the change, and the corresponding bank letter.  If he goes with the 65k/month version, then I have no experience.

[arithai12]

13 hours ago, jumbo said:

Correct as correct can ever be, in this process now!!! I was on occasion also wrongly advised to leave the country.... and advised to go through an agent which will complicate your future extensions as well, it's a life long contract...

Costs are photo's, photocopies, documents from Amphur if needed and 1.900 for the extension or an additional 1.900 for a multi entry

just a minor point, unless prices have changed the single re-entry is 1000, multi 3,800

[Pouatchee]

6 hours ago, arithai12 said:

I did it. You should tell immigration CM that they got it wrong.

no worries. when the op gets it done (without an agent) he can come back and follow up. 

 

did you do it without an agent? and you can come here and tell rayong immi that it can be done and that they got it wrong bucko

 

[foreverlomsak]

On 10/4/2023 at 7:44 AM, bigt3116 said:

Absolute bonk!

 

The OP is on an extension of stay based on employment and can easily change that to an extension based on retirement

 

Get a letter from your employer stating your last day of employment(this can be pre-dated)

Cancel work permit at Labour

Got to immigration and cancel extension of stay based on employment (again this can be do in advance)

Get your ducks in a row

Go back to immigration prior to your last day and apply for an extension based on retirement

Done and dusted

 

Did that exactly as stated, of course you need all the appropriate paperwork for your retirement extension, the IO asked me to write a letter there and then to explain why I wanted to retire here (don't know if standard or not), simple for me the contract with the school is terminating and wish to remain in Thailand to be with my family. All done on the day, it maybe helped that one of the schools owners was with me all the time to present the required papers from their perspective.

[jumbo]

7 hours ago, arithai12 said:

just a minor point, unless prices have changed the single re-entry is 1000, multi 3,800

Could very well be, company paid for them......I just heard these amounts swirling around

[BritTim]

12 hours ago, timendres said:

When I pressed my agent about precisely the posts you reference, which I read previously, they stated that "sure, we can do that", but that would then require a small processing fee, which would then be required every year until I switched to the proper Non-O. I do not want that. On the other hand, I know coming in on visa-exempt and converting to Non-O is entirely legitimate, because there are forms specifically for it.

There is a form for an extension of stay also: the TM7 form. If your agent will not go to Immigration to apply for an extension of stay based on retirement, do it yourself. Yes, there is the requirement to close off your work permit and extension of stay based on working, but there are plenty of prior threads explaining that process.

 

It is up to you, but leaving the country and applying for a Non O visa at a consulate abroad so you can return and apply for an extension of your permission to stay is stupid when you can apply for the extension of stay without a visa run. To leave Thailand, return, apply for a fresh visa at Immigration and then an extension is even more stupid (unless you are an agent trying to exact as much money as possible from a client. None of these options does anything to deal with closing out your work permit and extension based on working (arguably the most complicated part of the process, albeit still not hard).

[Petchou]

On 10/4/2023 at 7:44 AM, bigt3116 said:

Absolute bonk!

 

The OP is on an extension of stay based on employment and can easily change that to an extension based on retirement

 

Get a letter from your employer stating your last day of employment(this can be pre-dated)

Cancel work permit at Labour

Got to immigration and cancel extension of stay based on employment (again this can be do in advance)

Get your ducks in a row

Go back to immigration prior to your last day and apply for an extension based on retirement

Done and dusted

 

Thanks.  It sounds logical and rational.   I have never used agents here.  I always do everything y myself after knowing the process.  I was in non O before and did it by myself.  It was very easy.     Thank you buddy.  

[Petchou]

On 10/4/2023 at 8:31 AM, Skipalongcassidy said:

If it is not a burden for you, I highly recommend following your agents advise... it streamlines the process and avoids pitfalls... contrary to statements above... not all, if not most agents are truly interested in doing visa work for you to best suit what you goals are regarding staying in Thailand.

I am not planning to use agents.  I never did in a decade.   I can do it myself once I know well the process.   I will be in real retirement, plenty of time in my hands ????.   

[OJAS]

18 hours ago, Petchou said:

I am not planning to use agents.  I never did in a decade.   I can do it myself once I know well the process.   I will be in real retirement, plenty of time in my hands ????.   

Just be aware that your initial retirement extension will be dated from when you apply for it at Immigration rather than from when your current permission to stay expires. Subsequent annual extensions will, however, be dated from when the permission to stay granted under the preceding extension expires.