My mom is due on her first retirement visa renewal (she's had it for 12 months now) in about a week. She wanted to renew it nearly 2 weeks ago already but found out the Embassy doesn't issue pension letter confirmations in Bangkok anymore, so she apply for the pension letter from the government in her home country, which is taking longer than usual to arrive here.

In case it doesn't arrive in time for the renewal, is there any possibility to get a temporary extension for about a week or so at the Immigration office? I doubt it but figure it won't hurt to ask. In case not, there aren't any problems except that the retirement visa expires, she would have to just leave the country on time and get another non-immigrant O visa and start the entire application process again, right?

Edited November 18, 200817 yr by rainman

Some immigration offices will start the retirement visa process with a 30 day stamp if you apply when you have at least 21 days left on the stamp. So in that case, she wouldn't even have to get a new O outside Thailand, just do a visa run, get a 30 day stamp, and then she can get both the O and the extension in Thailand. Good question about a possible extension, obviously more convenient.

You should mention which immigration office she uses. This do it all in Thailand thing (without any visa) is not unusual and if you mention the office, local people might be able to tell you specifically if that would be a go at that office (but best to ask directly at the office). If all else fails, yes going for a new O probably in Penang would be the ticket.

Edited November 18, 200817 yr by Jingthing

Which embassey does not issue the pension letter????

My mom is due on her first retirement visa renewal (she's had it for 12 months now) in about a week. She wanted to renew it nearly 2 weeks ago already but found out the Embassy doesn't issue pension letter confirmations in Bangkok anymore, so she apply for the pension letter from the government in her home country, which is taking longer than usual to arrive here.

In case it doesn't arrive in time for the renewal, is there any possibility to get a temporary extension for about a week or so at the Immigration office? I doubt it but figure it won't hurt to ask. In case not, there aren't any problems except that the retirement visa expires, she would have to just leave the country on time and get another non-immigrant O visa and start the entire application process again, right?

The Embassy should be able to do an affidavit which will be accepted by immigration

My mom is due on her first retirement visa renewal (she's had it for 12 months now) in about a week. She wanted to renew it nearly 2 weeks ago already but found out the Embassy doesn't issue pension letter confirmations in Bangkok anymore, so she apply for the pension letter from the government in her home country, which is taking longer than usual to arrive here.

In case it doesn't arrive in time for the renewal, is there any possibility to get a temporary extension for about a week or so at the Immigration office? I doubt it but figure it won't hurt to ask. In case not, there aren't any problems except that the retirement visa expires, she would have to just leave the country on time and get another non-immigrant O visa and start the entire application process again, right?

I'd suggest she go down to Immigration and request a 30-day "under consideration" extension to her current 12 month extension of the Non-O visa. Reason for the short-term extension? Waiting for confirmation letter of pension from home country as embassy will not issue same.

I'd think she'd have a good chance of such a short-term extension.

And, reason for not wanting to break the chain of continuous Retirement extensions of the Non-O visa are that some time in the future Immigration may change the rules but "grandfather" those people who have been on such extensions for some xxxx period of time.

I'm happily grandfathered under the pre-October 1998 rule so don't have to have the baht 800,000 in the bank, just baht 200,000. Must say, tho, last time I did an extension the Immigration gal didn't understand and kept asking if I had the "embassy letter." I had such which made her happy as she didn't have to deal with something she was not familiar with, and have to admit she didn't know about it.

Mac

And, reason for not wanting to break the chain of continuous Retirement extensions of the Non-O visa are that some time in the future Immigration may change the rules but "grandfather" those people who have been on such extensions for some xxxx period of time.

This isn't entirely rational. Yes, there has been grandfathering in the past, but for retirement extensions they have not had anything at all to do with having continuous extensions for "xxx period of time", rather they have been for people with continuous extensions BEFORE the time of a change.

For example, as I started in 2006, if the rules change in 2012, it would be predictable based on previous changes that I would be grandfathered under my current rules. However, again based on previous immigration behavior if I "broke the chain" in 2010 and soon afterwards started a new chain, I would STILL be eligible for the grandfathering if the rules were changed in 2012. See the difference? Your concern would be relevant if a person was CURRENTLY on a grandfathering deal, in which case it would be a bad thing to ever break the chain. One exception: if the change occurs at exactly the small time period after breaking the chain, then you are SOL.

Edited November 18, 200817 yr by Jingthing

Which embassey does not issue the pension letter????

I believe she is Swiss.

In case it doesn't arrive in time for the renewal, is there any possibility to get a temporary extension for about a week or so at the Immigration office? I doubt it but figure it won't hurt to ask. In case not, there aren't any problems except that the retirement visa expires, she would have to just leave the country on time and get another non-immigrant O visa and start the entire application process again, right?

Only Immigration can answer this. She will have to go and ask them for advise.

As said at a last resort she can do a border run and enter with a 30 day stamp and start again with this.

I remember you having problems with the Embassy before. They are not very helpful are they?

As I remember it, the OP and his mother are dealing with the Swiss embassy. I remember reading another topic where a Swiss had to write his own affidavit and then got his signature authenticated by the Swiss embassy. It’s what many embassies do: they “certify” the authenticity of the signature, not of the contents of the document.

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Maestro

I searched for and found the topic I talked about:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Foreign-Emba...-I-t215596.html

The member in question was Swisshusband. He appears to be online on Thaivisa infrequently and I have emailed him with a suggestion to look at this topic and relate details of his successful experience with the Swiss Embassy.

--

Maestro

It's the Swiss Embassy, yes. Basically they will issue a pension confirmation at the Embassy, but not without first receiving the pension confirmation from the government. Previously they were able to request the pension confirmation through their computers directly from the government, which took only a day, but now apparently you need to receive the pension confirmation from the government by mail and then have the Embassy confirm it. No prior notice, though, so I think this will cause a lot of problems for retirees who think they can just pick-up the letter a week before the renewal.

I have had luck in the past starting a "marriage visa" renewal process and then having additional documentation dropped at Suan Phlu within a week or two, during the under-consideration period. I think it depends on the whim of the officer and whether they want to like you that day. However, I think it is easier for them to process a renewal than a brand new application. So they probably would like to accommodate you if they can within the rules.

Give them a call or stop in and ask!

Just use last years letter! My retirement extension expires 29th April each year but my pension letter for my 1st April increase does not get issued until May so every year I am using he previous years pension letter and never had a problem. Also here in Pattaya you can renew your extension up to three months in advance thereby giving you time if there is a problem. The new extension is post dated to co-incide with the expiry of the old one.

Most offices require a new letter every year.

I'd suggest she go down to Immigration and request a 30-day "under consideration" extension to her current 12 month extension of the Non-O visa. Reason for the short-term extension? Waiting for confirmation letter of pension from home country as embassy will not issue same.

Is it possible to get a 30 day extension? Or maybe only a 7 days extension? While waiting for the pension letter to arrive...

Edited November 22, 200817 yr by rainman

Most offices require a new letter every year.

Yes correct, but new embassy letter not new company letter, at elast not here in Pattaya where my pension statement letter is always from the previous year but I get a new embassy letter.

Someone please explain difference between company letter and embassy letter? If company letter is the statement from your home country that you have a pension exceeding 65.000 baht/month, then what is the embassy letter?

Company letter is the letter from your company stating your income. Based on that the embassy will isue a letter confirming your income.

Now, get this. Went to the Immigration office today and asked for the options. They said an extension of 30 days or even 7 days was not possible. So we asked if it is better for her to go outside of Thailand and get a new visa and start the process again. The officer then said if she expected the letter to arrive in the next few days, she should overstay and just pay the 500 Baht fine per day until she can get the extension.

I asked her several times and she actually said she recommends to overstay.

Is it even possible to renew the retirement visa again once you've overstayed, without leaving the country?

Edited November 24, 200817 yr by rainman

Yes, it is possible to get an extension while on overstay. There are enough reports about this.

Now, get this. Went to the Immigration office today and asked for the options. They said an extension of 30 days or even 7 days was not possible. So we asked if it is better for her to go outside of Thailand and get a new visa and start the process again. The officer then said if she expected the letter to arrive in the next few days, she should overstay and just pay the 500 Baht fine per day until she can get the extension.

I asked her several times and she actually said she recommends to overstay.

Is it even possible to renew the retirement visa again once you've overstayed, without leaving the country?

Why don't you try an affidavit from the Embassy should work with Immigration and no need to overstay or to go out for a new visa

Actually, just spoke to the Embassy again. They will make an exception and issue a confirmation of the pension, as long as they receive a fax today from the government office in Switzerland confirming the pension. Now comes the waiting for 2pm when they open (-6 hours) and hope everything works out last-minute.