I will leave my gvmt school job on Friday, and have a letter acknowledging my resignation. I am 59 and will retire.

I am due to collect my "proof of income" letter from the UK embassy today.

Questions:

Can I go to Immig (San Plu) on Thursday, a day early? Or earlier? I guess that it depends on whether I need to show my termination letter. If not, then could I go and get the extn any day?

I have TM7. Does the "interview" need only one visit? I have heard of people being asked to return after 1 or 2 days.

If I attend Immig on Monday (after the weekend, the first day of not working) will that be an overstay?

I have income of over 85,000b a month proven and shown. However, being cautious by nature, I am worried that something will go wrong. Is this procedure only a formality (i know that I don't need police or doctor letters now)?

Thanks

Eddy

You will need to show your letter of resignation to immigration, as that will confirm on what date your job ends and your current permission to stay ends. You have to go on or before your job ends as otherwise you will indeed be on overstay.

At the same time you will need to apply for an extension of stay based on retirement, so yu will need to show the income letter and possibly a bankbook with some money in it.

You need the letter to end your current extension of stay. You should visit Friday. I have never heard of anyone being asked to return for retirement extension of stay in Bangkok. In Pattaya is seems to be normal. Not sure if they can directly change or if you will have to get the 7 day extension of stay first.

The worst case would be them asking you to obtain new visa entry which would require a visit to Vientiane or Malaysia to get a new visa and then after 60 days on that do the extension of stay. It is really a simple process. Just have photo copies of passport/arrival card and visa/extensions of stay stamps. And make sure the 4x6cm photo is current (although believe they are starting to use a digital photo system so they may not be required much longer).

You need the letter to end your current extension of stay. You should visit Friday. I have never heard of anyone being asked to return for retirement extension of stay in Bangkok. In Pattaya is seems to be normal. Not sure if they can directly change or if you will have to get the 7 day extension of stay first.

The worst case would be them asking you to obtain new visa entry which would require a visit to Vientiane or Malaysia to get a new visa and then after 60 days on that do the extension of stay. It is really a simple process. Just have photo copies of passport/arrival card and visa/extensions of stay stamps. And make sure the 4x6cm photo is current (although believe they are starting to use a digital photo system so they may not be required much longer).

I see! What would be the logic of them asking for a 7 or even 60-day extension? Is that a whim of theirs? I have a non-Imm B, and have had every year for the past 4 yrs. You are getting me a bit worried. I just want to change the visa basis. I have the embassy income letter no problem.

I have never transferred money to a Thai bank--only my small salary is shown in my SCB book. I knew that I would pass tests on income. Do I need to show a bankbook? That is bad news.

Your extension ends with that letter of termination so the normal procedure is to allow a 7 day extension to give you time to pack out/extend again/whatever. You request the extension. They may be able to do without the 7 day first but it could be that might be required (for one thing the queue is hours long in Bangkok). The 60 days I was talking about is if you leave to obtain a new visa and return - you then stay on visa for 60 days before you make application for extension of stay.

If you have letter from Embassy that exceeds 65k per month pension there is unlikely to be a need for bank book when done in Bangkok.

Edited July 29, 200916 yr by lopburi3

Thanks to all for the advice.

I have my shiny new "retired" stamp, as of Friday. It was easy, but I did wait for 2.5 hours, and another hour to get a multi-reentry (might as well do it, I said).

I can confirm the following:

There was no requirement for a 7 day extension, a 60 day extension or whatever. I had been warned by a friendly farang that my Non-Imm B would need converting to an "O" before I converted to "retirement"--meaning Ventiane or Penang--but this was not true either.

The UK Embassy letter of Income/pensions was fine, and the officer converted the GBP sum into THB in seconds. I didn't go down the 800,000 in bank route, so I can't comment about the 2-mth rule for that.

It was helpful/vital to show my headed paper "termination letter", with date, from my well-known gvmt school. It was the first thing the officer wanted to see, and copies were made of it. I did not need to show or give in my WP, it wasn't mentioned. I was warned quite strongly against working in future.

Only 1 TM7 with 1 photo were required (Suan Phlu)

I had made a complete copy of all 32 pages of my passport, plus a copy of my departure card (included). This was obviously a good idea, because every page was checked by the officer and signed by me when asked. At the end of everything, I went to a superior type who signed my new stamp and checked all the papers again.

The cost was 1,900b, with 3,800 for the multi-entry at desk 7. all as anticipated.

There were no other problems. let me know if I can answer any queries. i did all this 48 hours ago.

Eddy

I will leave my gvmt school job on Friday, and have a letter acknowledging my resignation. I am 59 and will retire.

Wow! Living in Thailand has aged you. You were only 49 in 2005:

19th July 2005, 15:15

49 y o MBA with CELTA etc.

I am male, white, 49 and about to return to LOS. the past 3 or 4 years I have been TEFLing in Spain...

Good luck to you though