Not reporting is not a big deal - or they would have checked that when you visited before for other things. It will be a please pay 2,000 baht fine.

The OP should tell us about how he plans to qualify for his new extension and then he can get some specific advise on how to proceed with that. Pension? Cash in Thai bank? Combo? Enough to exceed the 800K?

Yes....thanks for all the advice guys.

I do have the funds in the bank and will get letters to confirm and plan on getting the lease Doc. as proof of address.

My plan, as it comes together in my head, is to arrive with all requirements at immigration for the purpose of extending my current O-A visa.

My only uncertainty is how big of a deal will be made of the "not reporting" and how much cash to be prepared with.

OK, sounds good.

At this point, you are not extending your O-A visa. Your O-A visa will be dead. What you are applying for now is an annual extension of stay based on retirement. As you are using the bank account method, I will mention again it must not be one baht under the 800K even for one day for two months before the date you go in to apply for the extension, not two months before the actual expiration date of your current permission to stay. You should get the letter from the bank either the same day or the day before you go in for your application meeting. Good luck.

The OP should tell us about how he plans to qualify for his new extension and then he can get some specific advise on how to proceed with that. Pension? Cash in Thai bank? Combo? Enough to exceed the 800K?

Yes....thanks for all the advice guys.

I do have the funds in the bank and will get letters to confirm and plan on getting the lease Doc. as proof of address.

My plan, as it comes together in my head, is to arrive with all requirements at immigration for the purpose of extending my current O-A visa.

My only uncertainty is how big of a deal will be made of the "not reporting" and how much cash to be prepared with.

OK, sounds good.

At this point, you are not extending your O-A visa. Your O-A visa will be dead. What you are applying for now is an annual extension of stay based on retirement. As you are using the bank account method, I will mention again it must not be one baht under the 800K even for one day for two months before the date you go in to apply for the extension, not two months before the actual expiration date of your current permission to stay. You should get the letter from the bank either the same day or the day before you go in for your application meeting. Good luck.

So I'm not extending my O-A visa?

This is a new wrinkle. Am I still using the TM-7 form? Does my new status request provide multiple entries?

So I'm not extending my O-A visa?

This is a new wrinkle. Am I still using the TM-7 form? Does my new status request provide multiple entries?

You apply with the TM7. If you want multiple entries you must apply for a Multi Re Entry Permit at a cost of 3,800 Baht.

The extension fee is 1,900 Baht.

If you do not plan on traveling outside Thailand during the year of your extension, there is no need to apply for a multi entry permit. If you decide later in the year that you want to travel, you can apply for a single re-entry permit anytime at immigration. To be clear, with an extension based on retirement, unlike a multi entry O-A visa, there is no way to leave Thailand and reenter to get an automatic ADDITIONAL one year of permission to stay. The permits only keep your CURRENT permission to stay valid when you re-enter.

However, if in the future for some reason you decided to "start over" and apply for a new O-A visa in your home country, be sure this time to apply for a multi-entry O-A visa because that gives you the special benefit of being able to stay at two years in Thailand without the need to apply for an extension in Thailand. If you plan on staying in Thailand now indefinitely, you won't be doing that. Instead, you will just go in and apply for one year extensions based on retirement in Thailand like most all of the long term retirees here.

Edited March 29, 200917 yr by Jingthing

If you do not plan on traveling outside Thailand during the year of your extension, there is no need to apply for a multi entry permit. If you decide later in the year that you want to travel, you can apply for a single re-entry permit anytime at immigration. To be clear, with an extension based on retirement, unlike a multi entry O-A visa, there is no way to leave Thailand and reenter to get an automatic ADDITIONAL one year of permission to stay. The permits only keep your CURRENT permission to stay valid when you re-enter.

However, if in the future for some reason you decided to "start over" and apply for a new O-A visa in your home country, be sure this time to apply for a multi-entry O-A visa because that gives you the special benefit of being able to stay at two years in Thailand without the need to apply for an extension in Thailand. If you plan on staying in Thailand now indefinitely, you won't be doing that. Instead, you will just go in and apply for one year extensions based on retirement in Thailand like most all of the long term retirees here.

My current plans have me leaving Thailand in 3 mos. or so for an unspecified amount of time with a return possible but not definite.

If I understand correctly, the above referenced actions at immigration will cover me until then and then I must apply for a permit to leave a SINGLE time and return.

Is there nothing I can do at immigration NOW to allow me to travel at that time?

Is there nothing I can do at immigration NOW to allow me to travel at that time?

Yes, no problem.

At the time of your extension application you have two choices:

apply for a multi re-entry permit (if you expect to take MORE than one trip abroad during the year)

apply for a single re-entry permit (that will cover you for your expected trip)

The only rules are the permits must be purchased BEFORE you leave Thailand and they cover you ONLY until the end of your permission to stay.

As said you can get anytime before travel - but they will only reflect the current permitted to stay until date in your passport. So you want the extension of stay first - then after you have that stamp in your passport you get the re-entry permit which will also have that date on it.