Failed Trying To Change Ed Visa To Retirement Visa

[mojaco]

The following happened today. There is a USA couple (friends of mine) who have been on education visas studying Thai. They hired a lawyer to prepare all the paperwork for them to change over to a retirement type of status (Non-Immigrant O visa for Retirement Purposes). The Immigration officer in Bangkok (Suan Plu) gave them the new status and visa good until July of next year, and they then got multiple re-entry visas and were about to go out the door when Immigration called them back and cancelled the entire process. They said there is a "new rule" that they cannot change an education visa into a Non-O visa inside of Thailand now. And so they told my friends to take all of their paperwork and go to Laos, or Cambodia or KL to get a Non-O "retirement" visa good for 90 days and come back (I think they mean just a normal Non-O but for retirement purposes? My friend still needs to find out from the lawyer whether Immigration is talking about a typical Non-O visa and not a Non-OA visa). And then in two months Immigration in Bangkok will redo the process and give them the year's extension "free" (because they didn't give any of the money back that they had already taken.)

I guess I am surprised that the Immigration officer in Bangkok that actually did the status change didn't know about this "new rule".

All this is just for information to those interested. I don't know if this means Immigration will now no longer change Tourist visas to Non-O or not, or whether this is just for those on Ed visas. I had my Tourist visa changed in Bangkok to Non-O for retirement purposes, but that was many years ago.

Edited July 16, 2008 by mojaco

[Thanyaburi Mac]

The following happened today. There is a USA couple (friends of mine) who have been on education visas studying Thai. They hired a lawyer to prepare all the paperwork for them to change over to a retirement type of status (Non-Immigrant O visa for Retirement Purposes). The Immigration officer in Bangkok (Suan Plu) gave them the new status and visa good until July of next year, and they then got multiple re-entry visas and were about to go out the door when Immigration called them back and cancelled the entire process. They said there is a "new rule" that they cannot change an education visa into a Non-O visa inside of Thailand now. And so they told my friends to take all of their paperwork and go to Laos, or Cambodia or KL to get a Non-O "retirement" visa good for 90 days and come back (I think they mean just a normal Non-O but for retirement purposes? My friend still needs to find out from the lawyer whether Immigration is talking about a typical Non-O visa and not a Non-OA visa). And then in two months Immigration in Bangkok will redo the process and give them the year's extension "free" (because they didn't give any of the money back that they had already taken.)

I guess I am surprised that the Immigration officer in Bangkok that actually did the status change didn't know about this "new rule".

All this is just for information to those interested. I don't know if this means Immigration will now no longer change Tourist visas to Non-O or not, or whether this is just for those on Ed visas. I had my Tourist visa changed in Bangkok to Non-O for retirement purposes, but that was many years ago.

Just wondering if they got a refund for the baht 1,900 +++ from Immigration?  Or, perhaps, was it marked up as a credit for when they reapply?

Mac

[mojaco]

Just wondering if they got a refund for the baht 1,900 +++ from Immigration? Or, perhaps, was it marked up as a credit for when they reapply?

Mac

Mac, Nothing was refunded, but they were told that it was all credited to them and they would not have to pay anything when they do this process again in two months. I imagine they will need to keep and present the receipts they got today though.

[Lite Beer]

Non-O "retirement" visa good for 90 days and come back (I think they mean just a normal Non-O but for retirement purposes? My friend still needs to find out from the lawyer whether Immigration is talking about a typical Non-O visa and not a Non-OA visa). And then in two months Immigration in Bangkok will redo the process and give them the year's extension "free" (because they didn't give any of the money back that they had already taken.)

It would not be a O-A Visa as that would only be issued to them in USA and would be for 1 year.

So a single entry Non O Visa is what they need.

They could always get a Tourist Visa and convert that to a Non O at Immigration.

[stacker10]

Non-O "retirement" visa good for 90 days and come back (I think they mean just a normal Non-O but for retirement purposes? My friend still needs to find out from the lawyer whether Immigration is talking about a typical Non-O visa and not a Non-OA visa). And then in two months Immigration in Bangkok will redo the process and give them the year's extension "free" (because they didn't give any of the money back that they had already taken.)

It would not be a O-A Visa as that would only be issued to them in USA and would be for 1 year.

So a single entry Non O Visa is what they need.

They could always get a Tourist Visa and convert that to a Non O at Immigration.

You say if i get a touristvisa from ex Lao i can go to immigration inside Thailand and change it to Non O?Sure??

Then i will go and get a touristvisa in Lao and when its almost finished I change it to NonO for visit my child?That

would be great but I dont think it will work

[Lite Beer]

So a single entry Non O Visa is what they need.

They could always get a Tourist Visa and convert that to a Non O at Immigration.

You say if i get a touristvisa from ex Lao i can go to immigration inside Thailand and change it to Non O?Sure??

Then i will go and get a touristvisa in Lao and when its almost finished I change it to NonO for visit my child?That

would be great but I dont think it will work

It would not work in your case as it has to be part of the process of applying for a years extension. Which you cannot get.

The best you would probably get from Immigration is a one off 60 day extension to visit your child.

This is the rule.

7.23 In the case of an alien

visiting a Thai spouse

or child: Permission

will be granted for a

period of not more

than 60 days at a time.

(1) Proof of relationship; and

(2) In the case of a spouse, their

marital relationship shall be de

jure (legitimate) and de facto.

1. Application form

2. Copy of the applicant's passport

3. Copy of household registration

certificate

4. Copy of the national ID card

held by the Thai concerned

5. Copy of the marriage/birth

certificate

Edited July 17, 2008 by Lite Beer

[lopburi3]

Yhis was not a visa change (as that would have involved a 60 day wait for extension) - it was a direct extension of stay from a non immigrant visa. I also suspect it was actually from a 90 day extension of stay of a non immigrant ED visa rather than the visa entry itself and that is probably the key factor. This is a new system (90 day extensions of stay) so probably no clear understanding below highest levels.

From this we can deduce that the short 90 day ED visa extensions of stay can not be converted into other types of extensions of stay.

Person now needs to obtain a single entry non immigrant O visa and when down to 30 days or less visit Immigration to make the extension of stay. If Consulate will not issue the non immigrant O visa he can obtain a tourist visa and then within first week back visit immigration with 2,000 baht for conversion to non immigrant O at immigration. But first choice is obtain the visa from Consulate.

[mojaco]

Lop,

This couple have been studying Thai at a popular school for almost a year and they travel to Vientiane every 90 days to get a brand new Non-ED visa each time because Suan Plu would not extend it for them in the past. So the visa that couldn't be converted to a Non-O from the Non-ED was a new visa obtained in Vientiane 2.5 months ago.

[lopburi3]

Thanks for the clarification - most seem to use 90 day extension of stay these days. In that case suspect it has everything to do with the "ED" status as that seems to also rule out any work permit issue now also.

But there is no such thing as converting to non immigrant O visa - either you obtain a non immigrant visa from immigration or they use the non immigrant visa entry you have and extend your stay from it. If he had a non immigrant B visa entry there would not be any conversion to non immigrant O visa. They would just make the extension of stay for the reason of retirement.