Retirement Visa

[rbrick49]

Hi Folks

i went to immigration Korat today to apply for a retirement visa after travelling to Bangkok to get my dva pension papers accredited by Australian embassy only to be told i have to go out of kingdom to get visa extension as my visa is only 30 day visa isued at airport is it possible to get someone to take me where i need to go to do this THe officer told me i needed a 15 day visa and get it extended another 7 days then change to non im visa

thanks for any help regards Ronnie

ps i am in korat

[Jingthing]

I can provide a little more info that may help. It sounds to me that the officer wants to convert you using the two step process, first the conversion from a 30 day stamp into an O visa, and second to the annual extension based on retirement.

I suspect when you went to see the officer, you did not have 21 days left on your extension to stay. That minimum of 21 days left is the minimum number of days required to convert a 30 day (or 15 day) stamp into an O visa. If you can't convert to an O, you can't get a retirement extension.

So, what I suspect is the officer is suggesting you start over and get to the point of having 21 days left on your stamp before the conversion. If true, you will be under enormous TIME PRESSURE. If you get a 15 day land entry stamp and then a 7 day extension, it seems to me you need to IMMEDIATELY go into immigration right after entering Thailand. This because 15 plus 7 equals 22 days and you need 21 days left to do this.

If I am correct, you could reduce the time pressure by taking an air trip out of Thailand, and then you would receive another 30 days stamp. Then you do could this as long as you have at least 21 days left.

If you are going to Laos or Malaysia, you could probably get a single entry O visa there as well by showing your pension letter. Then, you will have lots of time to get the extension application together as that gives you a 90 day stay, and you merely have to apply for the annual extension anytime during the last 30 days of your stay. However, with this option, you should ask immigration whether they will accept your current pension letter as it would be older by then.

Good luck.

Edited December 23, 2008 by Jingthing