I am a 55 year old U.S. citizen living in Thailand on a Category O visa, converted from a 60 tourist visa and extended to a full year under the retirement provisions (health check, 800k in the bank, etc.)

I will leave Thailand about 45 days before my 1 year retirement visa expires, and will return abou 15 days after it expires. Therefore, I hope to obtaiin a new extension and re-entry permit before leaving. I have only heard that these visas can be renewed a couple of weeks prior to expiration, but is that the rule or just a good idea?

This will he the first time I've applied for a second 1 year extension. Has anyone obtained a 1 year extension this long before the expiry of the exiting extension?

Can this all be done in one day like the last one, provided I have the letter from the bank certifying funds on hand, photograhps, etc.?

I am trying to get all my ducks in a row ahead of time to minimize the number of long, long drives up to Soi Suan Plu.

Thank you in advance for your advice.

RickF

You will have to be very persuasive and have some luck to have an application accepted more than 30 days prior. It would not be normal. The policy is within the last 30 days.

...persuasive

that is the right word. I did it some years ago with a non-imm B. After lots of talking, explaining why I had to travel and showing the ticket, they gave me a 'under consideration' stamp allowing me to 'come back' after my return.

So talk and smile and talk is the way.

Thanks for the info. I had been told this wasn't going to be a problem by the guy who converted my tourist visa to a category O, but that was based on his understanding that the extension would be good for one year after the extension was issued -it wasn't. They marked the expiration date as a year from when I entered the country on the tourist visa.

Bad luck. Well, rather than loose the visa the have to go through the whole money transfer and medical certificate routine, I'll wear my neatest clothes, bring my airline tickets and smile a lot until I get what I need or feel its really a lost cause.

It would be logical for them to happily reset the clock to an earlier time and take a full year's renewal fee, but in law and bureaucracies, logic is not always what it appears to be.

Axle, did you bring a completed application form, the photocopes of the bankbook, letter from the bank, photo etc. when you applied for the early extension?

Thank you again, both of you, for your advice.

RickF

Yes, Rick. Application and all the attachments, copies etc. they want.

Mine is a 'B', in a sense more complicated as I have to show balance sheets of the company, tax-receipts, staff list etc. etc.

All non imm have one thing in common, however, extension is always counted from the date of last expiration. If your visa expired in July, you might get your extension in September, 1 year from July....

Good luck!

Yes, Rick. Application and all the attachments, copies etc. they want.

Mine is a 'B', in a sense more complicated as I have to show balance sheets of the company, tax-receipts, staff list etc. etc.

All non imm have one thing in common, however, extension is always counted from the date of last expiration. If your visa expired in July, you might get your extension in September, 1 year from July....

Good luck!

Start date of extension is from date of entry into Thailand for first extension.

Enter July 3 - apply for extension October 15 - extension ends July 2 (next year).

Visa date has nothing to do with extensions; only for entry (period) into country.

Yes, Rick. Application and all the attachments, copies etc. they want.

Mine is a 'B', in a sense more complicated as I have to show balance sheets of the company, tax-receipts, staff list etc. etc.

All non imm have one thing in common, however, extension is always counted from the date of last expiration. If your visa expired in July, you might get your extension in September, 1 year from July....

Good luck! 

Start date of extension is from date of entry into Thailand for first extension.

Enter July 3 - apply for extension October 15 - extension ends July 2 (next year).

Visa date has nothing to do with extensions; only for entry (period) into country.

Thanks lopburi3, you are right. I should have said permit instead of visa.

If your permission to stay expired in July, you might get your extension in September, 1 year from July....

(Of course you apply for extention before expiration date)