Retirement Extension Renewal-today

[longball53098]

Information for those using Maptaput to get their one year retirement extension for a single man. I am a 63 year old American living with my (unregistered) Thai wife.

I went to Maptaput today which is 9 business days before my extension expires. I arrived a little after 9 am and I was the only one there for an extension and only one other person doing something. This is my third extension based on retirement.

I presented the following documents to the lady officer for review:

1. Form TM 7 filled out with 4 x 6 cm photo attached and signed in front and back

2. My current passport

3. My recently canceled passport with Non-b visa and extension stamps

4. Copies of both passports, face pages, visa pages, extension stamped pages and transfer stamps pages; all copies signed

5. US embassy letter of income ( dated March 21, 2008) stating current income in US dollars

6. Letter from SCB bank from 2 days earlier showing current bank account number and balance

7. SCB bank passbook (my personal account)

8. Copies of bankbook including main page and all deposit pages including final page with balance matching the bank letter amount; all copies signed

Upon her review she asked me about the declared amount of income on my Embassy letter and what is that in Baht? I stated a number and she looked at me and said that sounds OK also. Then she looked further into the stack of paper and asked why the bank account was new within the last 4 months and with the help of my wife we explained that we had moved into Ban Chang in March and I opened a new account there as it was easier than having the Pattaya accounts. She was Ok with that and then asked where is the proof of my residence in Ban Chang. The only thing I had with me was an invoice with my name and local address from Hutch. She basically laughed at that and said she wanted to see a copy of a house book with me listed as a resident and/or a rental contract showing where I rent. I admitted to her I did not have anything like this with me. She asked another officer for his input and he said must have certificate showing where I live. She handed back all the documents and I said I would return shortly. Luckily we live 10 minutes from the Immigration office. Went home found my rental contract and copies of the owners house book and her ID card. Made copies and returned to the Maptaput office.

Arrived back now 10am still no one in the place except me. This time I handed the papers back to the same officer and included:

9. Copy of house book; signed

10. Copy of rental contract; signed

11. Copy of owners ID card signed

She reviewed all the documents again with no further discussion. She passed them off to an officer in the back desks. He proceeded to do his thing and I sat down to wait. About 15 minutes he came to a window, gave me my old cancelled passport and my bankbook and asked me for 1,900 baht. Paid him and sat down again. After another 20 minutes I was called up again to come inside and see the lead officer in her office. Again with me present she went over all the documentation in my packet, asked me to sign my name near my photo on the back side of the TM 7. She looked at the papers some more and then initialed her name onto the already stamped and dated extension in my passport.

Total time in the office was about 45 minutes after the return with the proof of where I lived. No other questions or statements by me or them during the process. I did make some inquiries regarding what I should show next year but this is like looking into a crystal ball and predicting the future. The one question I did need answered? Will I need to bring in my cancelled passport and copies next year. The answer was a clear no by two different officers. I intend to bring it next year anyway along with copies as I did this year. Keep them back and if asked present them. But that’s a story for next year.

So, I am good to go for another year. I don’t travel out of country so I did not get a re-entry permit. If I do need one I will obtain at that time.

I hope this information is a benefit to those using Maptaput.

[wpcoe]

To contrast that with my Jomtien experience last Thursday, Friday and Monday:

They required me to leave my old and new passports overnight (Thursday) to transfer the visa and extension stamps to the new passport. I could apply for my retirement extension only after that was completed. I then applied on Friday morning for the extension and was told to return Monday morning for my passport with new extension.

A simple TOT bill with my name and address was accepted as "proof of residence."

Senior officer reviewing my documentation referred to some web page on her computer for the current exchange rate, and used that to convert my embassy letter to THB.

Just to show that things vary in implementation from location to location...

(The past years, I believe if one arrived at Jomtien Immigrations in the morning, they could pick up their visa/passport in the afternoon of the same day. The past two years I was there in the afternoon, so was required to return the next morning, but I'm pretty sure others reported that it could be done same day, so this year I got to Immigrations in the morning, but no same-day service.)

[longball53098]

Just a slight clarification on my renewal process.

I had already moved the relevant stamps from old passport to new passport back in March at Jomtein and that was an overnight process.

The proof of address for me I think was scrutinized because of my move from Pattaya to Ban Chang and this was my first renewal there.

[streetlite]

I have a question about the proof of income letter from the US Embassy. What do you have to show the embassy in order to obtain their letter? I have a retirement income of $3400 US per month. It is automatically deposited into an American bank and from their I will wire transfer during the month as needed. I do not really have a piece of paper indicating this lifetime retirement benefit. Can I just state that this is my monthly income?

Thanks.

[lopburi3]

At the Embassy your fill out a paper and have your signature notarized as swearing to it.

But you should have some kind of paperwork for retirement income that could be shown if Immigration asks for proof. You must have something that tells you your retirement entitlement - and if it is subject to yearly adjustment there should be something new each year. If nothing else your income tax paperwork could probably be used.

[thetefldon]

I hope you don't mind me adding to this thread as the subjects the same just a different location. Here is my experience today at the Singkhon Immigration checkpoint for my initial EXTENSION TO STAY APPLICATION (RETIREMENT VISA).

Just to set the scene when I visited the office today I had 28 days to run on my current permission to stay and 4 months on my Non O visa issued in Hull UK last December. As border runs are expensive and time consuming I decided to try and convert to a years extension.

When I arrived there was no queue and I was seen immediately by a female IO, who was formal but polite. Although she clearly spoke English she addressed any questions to my Thai partner. There were not many questions and the whole process lasted about 25 minutes.

I had prepared the following documents in advance:

1. TM7 with photo already pasted in place (this document was not checked-just signed on the back by the boss)
   
2. Copy of all pages of my passport containing a stamp + page with bio data. (each page signed by me)
   
3. Copy of TM 6 (departure card).
   
4. Copy of our house book ( not asked for but she used it for address and asked partner how long we had lived there, however my Embassy letter also confirms my address and citizenship.).
   
5. Letter from UK Embassy stating my pension income (over 800,000 per year).
   
6. 1900baht
   

I was asked my Mother and Fathers name.

A few things of interest:

1. The officer asked me to convert my annual pension to baht. So I picked the exchange rate (I had already done this prior to arrival).
   
2. My new permission to stay now runs until 27/6/2009 which is one year from the date I last entered the KIngdom on a visa run from Cambodia.
   
3. I actually went to visit the office yesterday but was told no one could deal with my request " the lady was in Bangkok" so it is probably worth a phone call in advance. By the way the phone number on the Thai Immigration site is incorrect, its actually some poor sods private number.
   
4. The office number is 032 810565-7 or 032 811062
   

Overall a good experience, quick efficient and with a minimum of questions. The lady also supplied me with information on re-entry permits and 90 day reporting. Including copies of the relevant forms.

Total cost was 4410 baht, the Embassy charge a whopping 2510 Baht for the letter.

However still a lot cheaper than using an agent.

[longball53098]

I have a question about the proof of income letter from the US Embassy. What do you have to show the embassy in order to obtain their letter? I have a retirement income of $3400 US per month. It is automatically deposited into an American bank and from their I will wire transfer during the month as needed. I do not really have a piece of paper indicating this lifetime retirement benefit. Can I just state that this is my monthly income?

Thanks.

Lopburi is as always correct.

The US Embassy hands you a form to fill in with your information regarding how much income you have and your name and address here in LOS. You pay 30 USD for the notary service, the consular rep will ask you to swear that this info is correct and accurate, they ask you to sign the form in their presence and the rep will sign and stamp the form and hand to you and bid you farewell.

There is no record of your visit, no copy of the form made and no proof of anything needed other than you swearing that this is true.

This same thing can be done when they consular outreach travels to Phuket, Pattaya and CM about 3 times a year.

[JimGant]

My new permission to stay now runs until 27/6/2009 which is one year from the date I last entered the KIngdom on a visa run from Cambodia.

Question for Lopburi:

I thought initial one-year extensions now began on the expiration date, not entry date, of one's last 90-day permitted to stay period?

Or is this just when you convert to/obtain a Non Imm O in-country?

Thanx.

[lopburi3]

From other reports for the last year to two the time starts from end of current permitted to stay date. Perhaps Singkhon Immigration checkpoint is different.

[Maestro]

To me, it sounds like JimGant entered with a multiple-entry non-O-A visa. Nothing to do with an extension of stay.

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Maestro