My friend has a retirement visa extension than expires in October. He is deployed in Afghanistan and will not be able to be back in Bangkok until January. What does he have to do to make this right? Is this so bad that he has to start the whole retirement visa process over?

Thanks in advance for your advise.

He will have to start all over again.

Non O visa or a fast (within 9 days of arrival) change of visa status if he only has a 30 day exempt entry.

Yes. If he cannot be in Thailand to re apply in October he has to start again.

He can try to apply before he goes but I doubt they'd agree to do it so far in advance.

We have seen cases of extensions being granted earlier than the customary one month before expiry date but we have not seen many...

Since your friend is already out of the country and will not return until January, past the expiration date of his extension of stay, he will have to start all over again.