Retirement Visa Extension Chiang Mai O07 - Field Report

[mpce]

Last year's 1 year retirement visa took me 5 hours. This time I tried a slightly different approach. A week ago I got from CM Immigration the TM-7 "Application for Extension of Temporary Stay in the Kingdom".

I called my bank HSBC/BKK and asked them to send me a bank Guarantee Letter. They did, but it took 4 bank representatives to understand it and follow through. My HSBC Thai baht account does not have a bankbook, just an ATM card, and I had so much trouble at Immigration last year that I read some of the posts here hoping to find some better ways of handling the 1 year visa requirements. I PMed one of the senior posters here and he PMed me to advise that w/o a bankbook to "...definitely take in whatever document you can obtain from your bank to show your use of the account for expenses."

He definitely highlighted the mistake I made last year, I had practically zero financial documentation. I got ahold of a bank manager today at HSBC and told her every time I call the bank I get transferred to a different person, I told her I cannot do business with 45 people at one bank, I need ONE person to handle my account. Amazingly she immediately offered to call CM Immigration and ask exactly what they needed from HSBC. She called back, said Immigration wanted to see the last 3 months account activity, and she said she would stamp, sign and fax the pages and would call after she sent them.

I collected my HSBC faxes from last year ago showing account balance, copied them, I copied every single page of my passport, copied my 5 page apartment rental agreement, brought 6 (!) pasport sized photos, and put everything in a legal-sized brown manila folder. It was almost .5 inch thick.

I almost hate to say this, I know the standard experienced advice is to get to Immigration early, but nevertheless, with my 1 year visa expired Oct 23, I decided to "jai yen yen" (cool heart), did a shortime, but HSBC called to tell me the faxes had been sent. I could not believe how fast the time went, it was 1pm, I collected a 3 meter continuous sheet of HSBC faxes, copied all 12 pages, and got to Immigration to see the largest collection of farangs, about 80. I could not believe it. I have never seen this many at Pattaya/Jomtien. But I felt so wonderful I really did not stress hardly at all, put my name in the ledger in the second window and in 70 minutes they called me.

25 minutes. Who looked like the head Immigration policeman there said he recognized me from last year - which was simultaneously pleasant and scary - good reason to be as polite as possible - I spoke Thai for "How are you, big brother?", he reached for the manila folder, and pulled out at least 40 pages of financial documents, he was swimming in legal/financial Thai documents, and it was almost a comedy from then on, the women chatting loudly, the policemen tossing comments everywhere, I was laughing up my sleeve. Waited outside for 9 minutes, Immigration handed over my passport, shocked because it was 8 times faster and 100X smoother than last time I asked "Are you sure this is the retirement visa?" The Immigration policeman drew himself up and replied "I signed it. You don't believe me?" I can't wait to go again.

[Cyberstar]

I may be wrong, but to me it sounds like if with such a simple and easily obtainable thing as an account with a bank book, you could have cut both the hassle and the paperwork in less than half.

[asiaexpat]

I may be wrong, but to me it sounds like if with such a simple and easily obtainable thing as an account with a bank book, you could have cut both the hassle and the paperwork in less than half.

HSBC uses statements rather than passbook. With internet access at HSBC one can download a statement with current balance. Since HSBC only has on branch and it is Bangkok, a passbook would be difficult to keep up to date. But I agree the passbook works best with immigration.