Retirement Visa Renewal

[longball53098]

Hello all,,,,I keep reading various posts about all the issues with renewals and money and such,,,,,,,,,,,

I went to the Pattaya/Jomtein Immigration office yesterday around 9:30 in the morning with all my required documents.

1 TM 7 Application

1 Photo

1 Passport

1 Set of copied passport pages (the usual pages)

1 Bankbook (with current balance showing from one day earlier)

1 Set of copied bankbook pages

1 Letter from bank certifying my account and balance

1 copied letter from bank

1 Pension letter from embassy (USA) dated May this year

1 copied pension letter

1900 baht in cash

When I arrived there was 23 in que ahead of me due to the crowd after the holiday,,,,,,,,,,,,I waited about 1 hour to get to the retirement desk.

The nice officer took my documents, arranged them in the proper order he needs, returned to me the copied bank letter and the copied pension letter, asked me to write down my local mobile number on the TM 7 and continued to look over all documents. When he was satisfied he stamped all documents and my passport, I paid the 1900 baht, went to the supervisor's desk where she looked over all the documents and passport. She handed me a number card and told me to return at 3 in the afternoon.

I returned at 3 and received my passport with proper renewal stamps for the next year.

I accomplished this with almost no discussion from me to either officer. No questions were asked of me. They kept the original pension letter dated May 2007. When I asked the supervisor about this she indicated this is now their procedure and they will continue to keep the originals requiring a new letter every year. But as we know things change from day to day and year to year.

This was my third renewal and second using the pension letter. My pension letter more than covers the necessary income of 65,000 baht per month. They used 34 to 1 on the calculator for conversion of baht to dollars. Nothing was said about amounts of money in the bank or about wire transfers or any other sources of money coming here.

As I said , no discussion from me or them,,,,,,,,,,the 3 people I encountered did their work without comment to me or from me. They did all that was needed and got me in and out in about 15 minutes processing time. When I returned at 3 to get my passport there was no wait or questions,,,,,,,,,,,,,so I am good to go for another year,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I renewed about two weeks early based on my stamp of 9 September,,,,,,,,,,my one year date is up to 8 September 2008 which is correct.

All in all,,,,,,,,,,,,,,very positive experience at the Pattaya office and I hope next year will be the same.

Just one more comment,,,,,,,,,,,I went there neatly dressed in clean clothes. Clean shave and shower,,,,,,,,,,this can't hurt I think.

Thanks for listening and I hope this commentary is helpful to some of you,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[Krub]

Hello all,,,,I keep reading various posts about all the issues with renewals and money and such,,,,,,,,,,,

I went to the Pattaya/Jomtein Immigration office yesterday around 9:30 in the morning with all my required documents.

1 TM 7 Application

1 Photo

1 Passport

1 Set of copied passport pages (the usual pages)

1 Bankbook (with current balance showing from one day earlier)

1 Set of copied bankbook pages

1 Letter from bank certifying my account and balance

1 copied letter from bank

1 Pension letter from embassy (USA) dated May this year

1 copied pension letter

1900 baht in cash

When I arrived there was 23 in que ahead of me due to the crowd after the holiday,,,,,,,,,,,,I waited about 1 hour to get to the retirement desk.

The nice officer took my documents, arranged them in the proper order he needs, returned to me the copied bank letter and the copied pension letter, asked me to write down my local mobile number on the TM 7 and continued to look over all documents. When he was satisfied he stamped all documents and my passport, I paid the 1900 baht, went to the supervisor's desk where she looked over all the documents and passport. She handed me a number card and told me to return at 3 in the afternoon.

I returned at 3 and received my passport with proper renewal stamps for the next year.

I accomplished this with almost no discussion from me to either officer. No questions were asked of me. They kept the original pension letter dated May 2007. When I asked the supervisor about this she indicated this is now their procedure and they will continue to keep the originals requiring a new letter every year. But as we know things change from day to day and year to year.

This was my third renewal and second using the pension letter. My pension letter more than covers the necessary income of 65,000 baht per month. They used 34 to 1 on the calculator for conversion of baht to dollars. Nothing was said about amounts of money in the bank or about wire transfers or any other sources of money coming here.

As I said , no discussion from me or them,,,,,,,,,,the 3 people I encountered did their work without comment to me or from me. They did all that was needed and got me in and out in about 15 minutes processing time. When I returned at 3 to get my passport there was no wait or questions,,,,,,,,,,,,,so I am good to go for another year,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I renewed about two weeks early based on my stamp of 9 September,,,,,,,,,,my one year date is up to 8 September 2008 which is correct.

All in all,,,,,,,,,,,,,,very positive experience at the Pattaya office and I hope next year will be the same.

Just one more comment,,,,,,,,,,,I went there neatly dressed in clean clothes. Clean shave and shower,,,,,,,,,,this can't hurt I think.

Thanks for listening and I hope this commentary is helpful to some of you,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Thanks for the report

An extension as it should be according to the rules

[taxexile]

Just one more comment,,,,,,,,,,,I went there neatly dressed in clean clothes. Clean shave and shower,,,,,,,,,,this can't hurt I think.

i think a lot of people underestimate the importance of this when dealing with officials in this country.

[Lancelot]

Thanks for the info. I've successfully completed five retirment extensions and they've kept the original pension letter every time

I've heard that with the new "certification" of a pension letter will allow us to retain the original pension letter as long as our current passport is valid.

Time will tell

[stickyb]

I renewed about two weeks early based on my stamp of 9 September,,,,,,,,,,my one year date is up to 8 September 2008 which is correct.

Thanks for the report. Very helpful, as I am about to do the same thing for my first renewal. One question - the TM7 form asks for date of entry to Thailand. What do you put on there? The same information as on the orginal TM7, or the most recent entry details?

[mackayae]

This was my third renewal and second using the pension letter. My pension letter more than covers the necessary income of 65,000 baht per month. They used 34 to 1 on the calculator for conversion of baht to dollars. Nothing was said about amounts of money in the bank or about wire transfers or any other sources of money coming here.

Thanks for the report. If I read you correctly, your pension letter was the only proof of income required. You did not have 800,000 baht in your bank book nor monthly wire transfers of 65,000 baht? Was your income letter certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?

Edited August 22, 2007 by mackayae

[thaireg]

the TM7 form asks for date of entry to Thailand. What do you put on there? The same information as on the orginal TM7, or the most recent entry details?

I'm never sure what to enter in this section either. I entered Thailand in 1989 and have been extending my visa every year since. I have had holidays abroad since then (with a re-entry visa). Should I enter 1989 or the date I last returned from holiday?

I have always entered the latest date that I returned from holiday as that would be the date of my arrival/departure card and I have never had a problem, but I've never been sure that I've entered the correct date. Anybody know for certain which date I should use?

[lopburi3]

In the area asking for this information they ask for TM.6 number - you only have a TM.6 for your most recent entry.

[stickyb]

In the area asking for this information they ask for TM.6 number - you only have a TM.6 for your most recent entry.

thanks, excellent advice as usual

[naka]

Pattaya immigration is always a breeze ... as long as your paperwork is shipshape.

A very efficient operation, never took me more than 20 minutes including waiting time

Naka.

[longball53098]

This was my third renewal and second using the pension letter. My pension letter more than covers the necessary income of 65,000 baht per month. They used 34 to 1 on the calculator for conversion of baht to dollars. Nothing was said about amounts of money in the bank or about wire transfers or any other sources of money coming here.

Thanks for the report. If I read you correctly, your pension letter was the only proof of income required. You did not have 800,000 baht in your bank book nor monthly wire transfers of 65,000 baht? Was your income letter certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?

You are correct. The pension letter was the only proof of income showing more han 65k baht per month based on a 34 to 1 rate.

I did not have 800k in the bank book and as I state I was not asked to prove anything regarding transfers although my bankbook would have shown transfers incoming in the bank code of course.

And no the pension letter was not stamped by MFA,,,,,,,,,,,not required until 1 Oct.

[longball53098]

I renewed about two weeks early based on my stamp of 9 September,,,,,,,,,,my one year date is up to 8 September 2008 which is correct.

Thanks for the report. Very helpful, as I am about to do the same thing for my first renewal. One question - the TM7 form asks for date of entry to Thailand. What do you put on there? The same information as on the orginal TM7, or the most recent entry details?

I used the most recent entry date,,,,,,,,,,based on my entry/departure card

[stickyb]

I have just read on another forum that Pattaya immigration will prcoess renewals up to 3 months before they are due, in order to help people beat the mfa requirement.

This was posted by someone who had just renewed their visa with a renewal date in October 2007 - the new one expires a year from the old one.