Possible To Renew Retirement Visa After Visa Expires?

[fiddlehead]

I was in the PHuket Immigration office last week to do my 90 day reporting.

I have a non-immigrant O-A visa that i got in NY city.

My present 364 days will expire on Dec 20/ 2008.

At this time, I will be out of the country (I'll be in the USA)

So, I asked the officer there if it would be best for me to get another visa in NY City or, wait until i come back and apply for an extension here.

He said, no problem to do it here, it's easy. (as long as i have 800k in the bank for 90 days)

I then went back to the back where the visa extensions take place and asked the same thing to an officer there (because i didn't believe it could be easy)

He looked at my passport and said: "no problem, as long as you have 800 k in the bank for 90 days

Now, my question to you Thai Visa Visa Experts: What do you think? Have you heard of this happening before? Successfully?

I tried searching the forums but didn't find anything too close to this situation.

I'm hoping it would be as easy as they let on but think maybe not!

Thanks in advance.

[Maestro]

There are two dates that matter:

1. The visa expiration date, ie the date on your visa after the words “this visa must be utilized before...”.

2. The permission-to-stay date, ie the date after the word “until” on the last entry stamp in your passport.

If you return from the USA later than the day before the visa expiration date you will receive an entry stamp for 30 days. With at least 21 days of your permitted stay remaining you will go to the immigration office and apply for a change of visa to non-immigrant (fee 2,000 Baht), then apply for a retirement extension (fee 1,900 Baht)

If your non-OA visa is valid for multiple entries you can make a border run any time before you leave for the USA and you will receive another entry stamp for one year. Then you apply for a single-entry re-entry permit (fee 1,000 Baht) to keep you new one-year permission to stay alive and when you come back from the USA you can then directly apply for the retirement extension.

Either way you can get your retirement extension after your return from the USA. The second option mentioned above may be a little more expensive (border run plus re-entry permit) and more arduous, unless you plan to make a trip in the region anyway before flying to the States.

A third option, and this is at the discretion of the immigration officer, would be to go to the immigration office before your trip to the USA with return ticket in hand, show them how you will be away when you should be applying for your first retirement extension and ask if they will process your application so early. If they refuse, you still have the other two standard options.

--

Maestro

[fiddlehead]

Both of the first two dates you mention will have expired when i return.

I have a feeling they didn't totally understand that when they said: "no problem" and i will attempt to your 3rd option.

I guess I will lose aprox 80 days but since i go back to the states every year about this time, it may work out best in the long run.

Thanks for your help.

[Lite Beer]

There really is no problem. It does not matter if you current Visa has expired or not. Just come back with any type of Visa. A single Non O would be best but a Tourist Visa will do,

(With no Visa they may not let you on the flight)

Trundle down to Immigration with your passport, letter from the bank certifying your 800,000 plus the up to date bankbook saying the same and they will sort you out.

Edited June 18, 2008 by Lite Beer

[lopburi3]

Do you have a multi entry non immigrant OA visa? If you do and you have not passed the use before date you can exit Thailand and return to get a new one year permitted to stay until stamp. If you did that next week you would be allowed to stay until June 2009.

If you do the above and plan a trip that will have you return after your original use before date on the OA visa you would obtain a re-entry permit for 1,000 baht that would have the same June 2009 date and on return you would be stamped for that date. So there would be no need for extension from Immigration until June 2009.

As said retirement extension of stay is easy from any entry but if from visa exempt or tourist visa requires an extra fee of 2,000 baht and must be done with 21 days or more reaming on your permitted to stay stamp.

[fiddlehead]

My present visa has already expired (Dec 22, 2007) i arrived again on Dec 21, 2007 and got another year. So, my present: "permission to stay until" date is Dec 20, 2008 at which time I will be in the states. I will return around New Years and be too late to apply for a one year extension while still valid (or within the "permission to stay until date" )

Now "Lite Beer's" post #4 is what i want to hear. Do the rest of you agree with his statement? The immigrations officials seemed to but my friends here say: No way! don't trust them! So, that is why i am asking Thai Visa for the expert help.

[lopburi3]

You fail to mention when you plan to leave Thailand - if only a little more than the normal 30 days before expiration they will normally extend early for you if you bring tickets to show. If you are leaving much earlier then it would be best to obtain a single entry non immigrant O visa for your return travel and after being here 60 days make a normal one year extension of stay for retirement.

[Lite Beer]

If you cannot renew it before you leave it really is no problem to get the extension when you come back.

Read the official police order.

7.21 In the case of a

retiree: Permission

will be granted for a

period of not more

than 1 year at a time.

(1) The alien has obtained a

temporary visa (NON-IM); and

(2) The applicant is 50 years of age

or over; and

(3) Proof of income of not less than

Baht 65,000 per month; or

(4) Account deposit with a bank in

Thailand of not less than Baht

800,000 as shown in bank

account transactions for the

past 3 months; or

(5) Annual income plus bank

account deposit totaling not less

than Baht 800,000 as of the

filing date of application

1. Application form

2. Copy of the applicant's passport

3. Proof of income, e.g., retirement

pension, interest earnings or

dividends, etc.; and/or

4. Certificate of local bank account

deposit together with copies of

bank account records

5. Only in the case set out in clause

(6), the same documentation as

stated in clauses 1-4 above shall

be required.

[fiddlehead]

You fail to mention when you plan to leave Thailand - if only a little more than the normal 30 days before expiration they will normally extend early for you if you bring tickets to show. If you are leaving much earlier then it would be best to obtain a single entry non immigrant O visa for your return travel and after being here 60 days make a normal one year extension of stay for retirement.

I plan to leave around Oct 15 which is aprox.2 months plus a week or two before my present year "permission of stay" expires.

Another question: Must I have a letter from my Thai bank stating i have the 800k 90 days before i apply for extension PLUS proof of the 800k when i apply? (prove 800k was there all that time?) if so, how do i do this? 2 letters from the bank? or one letter and my passbook?

Thanks much guys. You have been so helpful to many and i'm sure you do it for free. You save a lot of grief and worry to us. Thanks.

[lopburi3]

You should have both letter of account balance and passbook/copies of activity. Some have had bank include statement that amount has been above 800k for previous 3 months but it does not seem to be required and copy of passbook should answer any question in that regard.

[WilliamIV]

There really is no problem. It does not matter if you current Visa has expired or not. Just come back with any type of Visa. A single Non O would be best but a Tourist Visa will do,

(With no Visa they may not let you on the flight)

Trundle down to Immigration with your passport, letter from the bank certifying your 800,000 plus the up to date bankbook saying the same and they will sort you out.

If anybodys Visa for Retirement expires - it is always open to them to get a new visa - Lite Beers observation!

But it would be preferable to get an extension to your present visa - early if you can.

Bear in mind Rules can change at any time.

For example the 800K could be increased to say 1200K on 1st Jan 2009 which would then apply to you

on a New Visa.

If you had an extension to your Present visa you would hopefully be Grandfathered at 800k

In my case I am Grandfathered at 200K and it would be disastrous for me if I missed out on an extension

and had to start over with a new visa and the current 800K.

I would suggest that this is a consideration to be born in mind when doing as the OP did - to utilise

a second one year on his O-A. During that second year criteria for extensions could be made more onerous.

It might be prudent for others reading this to apply for an extension of their first year on a O-A

so as to "Lock-In" to current requirements.

Bill

Edited June 19, 2008 by WilliamIV

[Lite Beer]

There really is no problem. It does not matter if you current Visa has expired or not. Just come back with any type of Visa. A single Non O would be best but a Tourist Visa will do,

(With no Visa they may not let you on the flight)

Trundle down to Immigration with your passport, letter from the bank certifying your 800,000 plus the up to date bankbook saying the same and they will sort you out.

If anybodys Visa for Retirement expires - it is always open to them to get a new visa - Lite Beers observation!

But it would be preferable to get an extension to your present visa - early if you can.

Bear in mind Rules can change at any time.

For example the 800K could be increased to say 1200K on 1st Jan 2009 which would then apply to you

on a New Visa.

If you had an extension to your Present visa you would hopefully be Grandfathered at 800k

In my case I am Grandfathered at 200K and it would be disastrous for me if I missed out on an extension

and had to start over with a new visa and the current 800K.

I would suggest that this is a consideration to be born in mind when doing as the OP did - to utilise

a second one year on his O-A. During that second year criteria for extensions could be made more onerous.

It might be prudent for others reading this to apply for an extension of their first year on a O-A

so as to "Lock-In" to current requirements.

Bill

Bill, you have all our envy (200k)

Of course it pays to get continual extensions. It would seem that the OP is going to be leaving a little too early for that. But it would be worth him asking very nicely. You never know.

[fiddlehead]

Wow 200k! When was that? Definite envy!

Thanks for all the advice guys. I think i'll try to renew early.

They always seem pretty nice to me in immigration.

Maybe it has something to do with dressing nice and wai-ing most of them???

[Lite Beer]

Wow 200k! When was that? Definite envy!

Thanks for all the advice guys. I think i'll try to renew early.

They always seem pretty nice to me in immigration.

Maybe it has something to do with dressing nice and wai-ing most of them???

Or the bottle of whiskey

[Artisi]

The last 3 extensions based on retirement have been obtained approx. 1 month prior to the expiry as I would be out of Thailand at the due date. I had the appropriate paper work normally required and was granted a 12 month extension without any problems from the due date. This was at Suan Plu - easy - no problem - smooth sailing.

[jstumbo]

You say that you will be out of the country every year during this time. If it was me, I would not try to get the extension early, because they will extend it from your current permitted to stay stamp. That means that every year you will have to work on getting an extension early before your trip.

Since your visa has expired and you cannot make a border run to get another one year stay, I would just put the money in the bank prior to leaving on your trip. Then get a non-o visa from the US prior to coming back and then extend it based on retirement. That would make your annual renewal date somewhere in April instead, so you do not have to worry about your annual trip back to the US getting in the way of your renewal.

Or you could get another O-A visa while in the US for the holidays, and then you could go a couple of years before you had to put your money in a Thai bank and would also change your renewal date.

[JimGant]

Just come back with any type of Visa. A single Non O would be best but a Tourist Visa will do,

(With no Visa they may not let you on the flight)

Lite Beer's observation -- about "no visa" -- could be critical.

While it's really nice that a visa exempt entry can be converted to Non Imm O in-country (assuming you meet retirement criteria), those pesky airlines can -- and do -- insist on seeing your return ticket. And, since you're coming here for a long-stay, it's doubtful you'd have one.

So, while tempting not to spend extra time fiddling with getting a visa, it's probably worth the while to do so. And, yes, while getting a Non Imm O would be best (assuming you don't want all the hassle of getting an O-A), I'm not sure just being retirement eligible would do the trick......... (At Hull, yes. But not too sure about Consulates/Honorary Consulates in the States (?).)

[Sapillyder]

I recently renewed my retirement visa 6 weeks and 3 days before the expiration of the old one and the one year was added on to the original expiration date. This was at Jomtien, Pattaya and, with all documentation in order, took all of 15 minutes. Went back to pick up passport later in the afternoon. I was encourged to attempt it by a friend who had successfully renewed one month ahead of time. How far you can push this envelope I'm not sure.

[bottleymike]

Both of the first two dates you mention will have expired when i return.

I have a feeling they didn't totally understand that when they said: "no problem" and i will attempt to your 3rd option.

I guess I will lose aprox 80 days but since i go back to the states every year about this time, it may work out best in the long run.

Thanks for your help.

For what its worth, I had the experience in Pattaya last year, where my one year retirement visa would run out whilst I was in England. Prior to leaving Thailand (about 6 weeks before my one year visa was due to run out) i went to pattaya immigration. i explained my situation, asked them if I could renew my one year retirement visa early, and they said no problem.

i then did the normal one year form, letter from the bank for 800k etc, and returned to immigration. I took my air tcket with me which they looked at. They processed my one year as normal.

I came back the same afternoon to pick up my passport. They had renewed my one year visa for one full year from the date the old one was due to expire. So I gor a complete full new one year visa.

At the same time as a side issue I obtained the re entry permit you need to get back into Thailand to keep your one year visa valid.

a single re entry cost B1,000, and you need a passport photo, copy of passport page with your info on, and the one with the visa and boarding card on, and a completed form. That takes 10 minutes and you wait for it( in Pattaya anyway).

I hope this helps.

[redwood13]

No experience with this nor do I know anyone who's done it, but I'm sure I've read that Pattaya Immigration will process extension of stay based on retirement up to 3 months prior to the admit until date.

-redwood

[WilliamIV]

You say that you will be out of the country every year during this time. If it was me, I would not try to get the extension early, because they will extend it from your current permitted to stay stamp. That means that every year you will have to work on getting an extension early before your trip.

Since your visa has expired and you cannot make a border run to get another one year stay, I would just put the money in the bank prior to leaving on your trip. Then get a non-o visa from the US prior to coming back and then extend it based on retirement. That would make your annual renewal date somewhere in April instead, so you do not have to worry about your annual trip back to the US getting in the way of your renewal.

Or you could get another O-A visa while in the US for the holidays, and then you could go a couple of years before you had to put your money in a Thai bank and would also change your renewal date.

Bearing in mind that to delay applying for an extension - runs the risk of the 800K Bank Deposit requirement being increased before you do so.

Edited June 23, 2008 by WilliamIV

[thaikahuna]

I was in the PHuket Immigration office last week to do my 90 day reporting.

I have a non-immigrant O-A visa that i got in NY city.

My present 364 days will expire on Dec 20/ 2008.

At this time, I will be out of the country (I'll be in the USA)

So, I asked the officer there if it would be best for me to get another visa in NY City or, wait until i come back and apply for an extension here.

He said, no problem to do it here, it's easy. (as long as i have 800k in the bank for 90 days)

I then went back to the back where the visa extensions take place and asked the same thing to an officer there (because i didn't believe it could be easy)

He looked at my passport and said: "no problem, as long as you have 800 k in the bank for 90 days

Now, my question to you Thai Visa Visa Experts: What do you think? Have you heard of this happening before? Successfully?

I tried searching the forums but didn't find anything too close to this situation.

I'm hoping it would be as easy as they let on but think maybe not!

Thanks in advance.

You can renew your visa up to 45 days early here but you can also renew in the USA. Based on your comment of 800K in the bank for 90 days I am assuming you are on a retirement visa. You need to be sure your visa is renewed or extended BEFORE the expiration date. I renewed my retirement visa about 40 days early...renewed on April 25 and was not expired until May 3.