Retirement extension report - Rayong Immigration

An extremely frustrating experience for me for the first hour and a quarter in particular. Upon our arrival at just before 9:30, we found the front area outside the office cordoned off for what looked like some military-style parade of officers, so had to gain access via a side entrance. Apparently, this parade was designed to impress some visiting dignitary from the Immigration Bureau, according to my wife.

Needless to say, while a battalion of officers was marching about here, there and everywhere in full uniform, this had a corresponding negative impact on the level of service provided during this period. In particular, only 1 of the 4 dedicated extension of stay windows was in operation and only 2 ticket numbers called. Since there were still 12 numbers to go before mine was due to be called, I started wondering whether I’d actually be seen before my then current permission to stay expired on 11 August!

Thankfully after the officers had concluded all their marching about, some semblance of normality returned, and the pace quickened up somewhat to such an extent that my ticket number was the last one to be called before the officers’ lunch break, and we were able to emerge with fresh extension stamped in my passport after 2.5 hours in total. However, the office was nowhere near as busy as I’d previously heard since it relocated last October, and there was plenty of seating available. As someone of limited mobility, I particularly appreciated the row of seating reserved for the disabled right in front of the extension of stay windows.

Turning to the details of what happened once my ticket number had been called, I submitted the following to the officer:

• Passport & existing TM30 notification slip dating back to 2016 + certified copies of each (although I had brought with me an updated TM30 notification prepared online, this was not asked for).

• Completed TM7 form with 4x6cm photo affixed.

• Completed STM2 (T&C’s) & STM9 (penalties) forms (perhaps not surprisingly, Rayong had revised their versions of these 2 forms I’d scanned last year, meaning that I had to complete fresh forms obtained from the Reception counter).

• Bank account/balance confirmation letter, 12-month statement and relevant passbook copies, including the extra line I’d generated through a token transfer in the small hours duly highlighted. No comment was made about the total not now matching that stated in the bank confirmation letter and 12-month statement (I use the ฿800k method for my retirement extensions).

• ฿1,900 in exact money.

For her part, the officer asked to see the original bank passbook, presumably so as to double-check the extra line generated in the small hours (which, incidentally, was dated correctly and not the date before, as @jas007 & @LosLobo had experienced, as reported elsewhere).

On the other hand, she rejected the STM11 (fact-checking and info verification) form I’d also prepared - from which it is safe to assume, I think, that this particular form is not required by Rayong for retirement extensions at least (can’t speak for marriage extensions, though).