I went to Phuket Immigration this week to apply for my one-year Non-O Retirement Extension. I had all of the required documents prepared, and the entire process was quick. As we know, the process can vary by office and officers, but here’s my experience. In Phuket, you can still apply up to 45 days before your current extension expires. 

Here's what was required of me:

1. Completed TM7 form with picture.  

2. Passport copies:

   1. Detail page

   2. Important: They wanted copies of every passport page containing any stamp or visa, copied vertically. In previous years, they only wanted the current extension history and latest entry stamp. I brought copies with me.

3. Three acknowledgement statements supplied by Immigration and signed. The versions available online are outdated, so there's no need to print or sign them in advance. They provided them.

4. A photo of me standing in front of my residence with the number clearly visible. I put two pictures on a single sheet of paper - one of me in front of the condo name and one in front of my door with the room number. 

5. A Google Maps printout showing my residence with the latitude and longitude coordinates visible.

6. TM.30 receipt. Note: I own my condo, submit a TM.30 online, and filed a new TM.30 after my most recent entry into Thailand. They kept the receipt. I'm not sure whether they would have accepted my application without it, even though I've lived at the same address for years.

7. Proof of financial status (I have a fixed deposit at SCB with 800,000+ Baht)

   1. I went to SCB the same morning for a bank letter and bank statement (both signed and stamped), showing the required balance and transactions for the past 12 months. SCB charged 200 baht for the bank letter and 200 baht for the bank statement (400 baht total).

   2. Copy of the SCB passbook, including the account information page and the last 12 months of transactions. With a fixed deposit account, I’ve had no transactions since the last interest update and rollover in March. I did not update the passbook on the day of application, and Immigration accepted it without issue.

   3. All financial documents showed the required same account balance.

8. Fee of THB 1,900

Re-Entry Permit at Same Time

You can apply for a re-entry permit at the same time as your retirement extension. If you do, submit a completed TM.8 form with photo with your extension application. Immigration will process both together, and when you collect your passport (between 4:00 PM and 5:00 PM the following day), it will contain both your new extension and your re-entry permit. Applying for the re-entry permit with your retirement extension costs an additional 700 baht "processing fee," but saves you a potential second visit.

To save the 700 baht, you can  return the following day and hopefully collect your passport a bit before 4 PM, and quickly make copies of your new extension, detail page, and last entry stamp. Then go to the separate room where they process re-entries and apply. The issue is that they stop accepting re-entry applications at 4:00 PM.

I’ve always found the extension process in Phuket very efficient. The young guy who reviewed my documents was friendly and spoke perfect English. It took less than 10 minutes from the time I walked in to have the documents reviewed and submitted. Collecting my passport with the new extension and re-entry permit the following afternoon took about one minute. 

Thanks for excellent detailed reply.

Don't see the point of immigration requiring copys of all pages with stamps, visas etc.

Also the 700b surcharge for reentry permit is, plain ripoff.

Much the same experience at Chaeng Wattana in recent times, and previously at soi Suan Phlu, Sathorn. I only wish the immigration authority would allow us to extend for more than 1 year. 3 years would be good, but I fear it will never happen.

I've lived near Phetchabun for over 20 years and have never had a bad experience at the Immigration Office here or at the one in Pittsanoluk.

On 6/30/2026 at 9:53 AM, DFPhuket said:

I went to Phuket Immigration this week to apply for my one-year Non-O Retirement Extension

Not of relevance in your case, of course, but Phuket used, at one time, to be the sole office which did not apply the mandatory health insurance requirement to retirees who had originally entered Thailand on the basis of a long-expired (in most cases) non-OA visa. But now they do, unfortunately.

Edited July 1Jul 1 by OJAS

15 years in The Kingdom with Non Immigrant O ... 10 in BKK ... 5 in Isaan. First time I have ever heard of photos in front of the house, Google Map, etc. Are we talking about Non Immigrant O ... or Non Immigrant O-A?

10 minutes ago, JustinTyme said:

15 years in The Kingdom with Non Immigrant O ... 10 in BKK ... 5 in Isaan. First time I have ever heard of photos in front of the house, Google Map, etc. Are we talking about Non Immigrant O ... or Non Immigrant O-A?

That's been a requirement in Phuket for Non-O retirement extensions for around 4 years. Those two items are also specifically listed on their website.

8 hours ago, Thingamabob said:

Much the same experience at Chaeng Wattana in recent times, and previously at soi Suan Phlu, Sathorn. I only wish the immigration authority would allow us to extend for more than 1 year. 3 years would be good, but I fear it will never happen.

Like you, I doubt it will ever happen, but I believe Immigration is missing a trick by not offering something like:

A) Apply each year for 1 year extension @ b1900

or

B) Apply for a 3 year extension @ say b7000

Even better than 3 year would be a 5 year extension

If deemed necessary, immigration could make B) conditional on having x number of consecutive extensions.

Maybe Immigration should / could think a little bit more commercially and administratively (i.e. a one-off extension for 3 years takes up less admin time for officers than 3 x 1 year extensions and would provide a bit more revenue ), and also offer a little bit back to longtermers to make our life's a little easier. We do 90 day reports so they always know where we are if they want to check on us. My support thai wife extension paperwork is basically the same every year except for photos (really unnecessary every year), KR22 and bank statement/letter, so why not offer longer extensions at higher price); they could even implement the requirement if they want that you have to upload every year a new and up to date KR22 and banking details to be approved to keep the extension valid. Make life easier for immigration and applicant.

28 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

Maybe Immigration should / could think a little bit more commercially and administratively (i.e. a one-off extension for 3 years takes up less admin time for officers than 3 x 1 year extensions and would provide a bit more revenue )

Less administration is the last thing they want. That means less staff and less budget.

5 hours ago, JustinTyme said:

15 years in The Kingdom with Non Immigrant O ... 10 in BKK ... 5 in Isaan. First time I have ever heard of photos in front of the house, Google Map, etc. Are we talking about Non Immigrant O ... or Non Immigrant O-A?

Not required in Chiang Mai either.

16 hours ago, DFPhuket said:

That's been a requirement in Phuket for Non-O retirement extensions for around 4 years. Those two items are also specifically listed on their website.

I appreciate your reply, but am sorry to report the link you furnished does not work. When you say "their website" ... whose website? Is it https://www.immigration.go.th/ ? and if so .... where exactly?

22 hours ago, Bredbury Blue said:

Maybe Immigration should / could think a little bit more commercially and administratively (i.e. a one-off extension for 3 years

Section 35 of the Immigration Act sets the category containing retirement extensions for a max. of one year.

4 hours ago, JerryM said:

Section 35 of the Immigration Act sets the category containing retirement extensions for a max. of one year.

What is your point. We are all aware of laws re annual extensions.

The guy you quoted suggests a change to those rules.

Perhaps extensions every two years or more.

Very sensible.

Next time I post that 90 reports should not be necessary please don't quote current rules.

They are well known

6 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

What is your point. We are all aware of laws re annual extensions.

If the guy suggested 3 years maybe he wasn't aware it would take an amendment to the Immigration Act. "Rules" are ministerial regulations.

And most people are not aware that the fee per the Immigration Act for one year extension whether using 800K in the bank or using the "discretion" of an IMM officer is 1900 baht. (max. 2000 baht)

Edited July 2Jul 2 by JerryM

3 hours ago, JerryM said:

And most people are not aware that the fee per the Immigration Act for one year extension whether using 800K in the bank or using the "discretion" of an IMM officer is 1900 baht. (max. 2000 baht)

So if 1900 baht is due Immigration for a "discretion" based one year extension and the agent charges 15-25K baht, where does the balance go?

8 minutes ago, JerryM said:

So if 1900 baht is due Immigration for a "discretion" based one year extension and the agent charges 15-25K baht, where does the balance go?

Into the agents and immigration officers back pocket.

Off topic post re agents removed.

7 hours ago, JerryM said:

If the guy suggested 3 years maybe he wasn't aware it would take an amendment to the Immigration Act. "Rules" are ministerial regulations.

And most people are not aware that the fee per the Immigration Act for one year extension whether using 800K in the bank or using the "discretion" of an IMM officer is 1900 baht. (max. 2000 baht)

I'm the guy who suggested 3 years and was aware it would take an amendment to the Immigration Act. "Rules" are ministerial regulations. Cheers.

And I'm the guy who posted:

So if 1900 baht is due Immigration for a "discretion" based one year extension and the agent charges 15-25K baht, where does the balance go?

To which I received a 'disagree' but they didn't bother to say with which part they disagree.

Edited July 7Jul 7 by JerryM

On 7/3/2026 at 7:03 AM, JerryM said:

So if 1900 baht is due Immigration for a "discretion" based one year extension and the agent charges 15-25K baht, where does the balance go?

agent i know in Phuket, before charged 22,000 for the exension
He told me ( and yes i believe him) he gets 5,000/
1,900 for the extension
remainder 15,100 goes to the immigration office ( minus a small bit for postage)

nice :-)

On 7/2/2026 at 9:18 PM, DrJack54 said:

Next time I post that 90 reports should not be necessary please don't quote current rules.

They are well known

Well over on the Thailand News section today you can read that:

-- Proposed amendments to Thailand’s Hotel Act and Immigration Act have drawn criticism from members of parliament, despite passing their first reading in parliament. The changes are intended to reduce duplicate reporting requirements for foreign visitors staying temporarily in the country ...

But it is dealing with visitors who stay in the Kingdom less than 90 days and the IMM Act 37(5) TM47 is being retained only suggesting more flexible ministerial regulations.