Hi folks...sure could do with a little advice here. Myself and my wife moved from Hong Kong to Samui last week on a visa-exempt 30-day entry. We have owned a house here for a number of years, are both 55 years old and of British nationality. I have had an account with Kasikorn Bank for the past 15 years, and there has always been in excess of 800,000 baht in it.

Following the instructions here for in-country application for a Non-Immigrant "O" visa, we turned up at Samui Immigration with bank letter, bank book, house book, photos and photocopies only to be told point-blank that applying for a Non-Imm O in Thailand was impossible, and that we should go to Singapore or Malaysia to apply for the visa there.

Can anyone tell me what's going on? Have the rules changed? Thank you.

You cannot apply for a visa in Thailand. This has never been possible.

You can only get extension of stay at immigrations in Thailand.

One of the requirements is a non-immigrant visa.

Some immigrations offices will convert to a non-O visa for 2000 baht, apparently not Samui.

Be aware that an extension of stay costs 1900 baht, don't pay the 5000 baht they try to scam from you at Samui immigrations.

Put 1900 baht in an envelope marked FEE.

Take a flight to KL(Subang) with Firefly, they got a sales office outside the airport arrival.

Edited November 10, 201114 yr by PoorSucker

As said above, you have to apply for the visa outside Thailand, extensions of stay and reporting are done within Thailand.

I know that some will convert a tourist visa to a non-o but not a 30 day visa-free entry I believe.

You can apply for a non o marriage visa at the HK Royal Thai Consulate ,

Thanks for the replies.

If that is the case, why is the link I posted still used here (I have seen it posted here many times)? It specifically states:

2. Submit Form TM.87, the Application for Visa form. This will change you from a 30-day visa-exempt entry to a genuine 90-day Non-Immigrant "O" visa. It costs B2,000.

Would a lawyer be able to help?

Probably not in Samui and not dealing with Immigration. Go out of the country and do it as requested. Kicking up a fuss will get you seen as a troublemaker, not the best thing to do when petitioning someone to allow you to stay in the country, IMHO.

Thanks for the replies.

If that is the case, why is the link I posted still used here (I have seen it posted here many times)? It specifically states:

2. Submit Form TM.87, the Application for Visa form. This will change you from a 30-day visa-exempt entry to a genuine 90-day Non-Immigrant "O" visa. It costs B2,000.

Would a lawyer be able to help?

The source is not ThaiVisa but http://www.wpcoe.com/visa/

Some offices do, some wants you to get the conversion done in BKK.

Edited November 10, 201114 yr by PoorSucker

You can convert from visa exempt or tourist visa to non immigrant O at Bangkok in the process for extension of stay for retirement (but needs to be done with a week or two remaining on permitted stay). Once that is done (proof of financials in place) and the visa obtained you can return to home location to extend in normal manner with less than 30 days remaining on the 90 day entry.

Probably not in Samui and not dealing with Immigration. Go out of the country and do it as requested. Kicking up a fuss will get you seen as a troublemaker, not the best thing to do when petitioning someone to allow you to stay in the country, IMHO.

With all due respect, sbk, the last thing I am or want to be seen as is a troublemaker. I've lived in Asia for 22 years, working as a regular guy with local staff (not as a manager or director). My mistake was in believing the wpcoe.com article.

I will take your advice. Please close this thread.

As said, some offices don't do the conversion and send you to Bangkok for that.

You have the option to go to Bangkok for the conversion or to apply in a neighbouring country.

Savannkhet in Laos seems the most helpful, just me two cents.

I know a number of people who have come into the country on 30 day visa exempt, applied for and obtained a 90-day O visa at Chiang Mai immigration and then returned during the final 30 days of that 90 day visa to obtain a 12-month extension due to retirement. Like the OP, they meet the age and financial requirements. They didn't have to pay some high-priced agent to do this either, although some folks do because they feel insecure and want the hand-holding of agents who don't correct their clients when the clients call them "lawyers".

So, this process appears to vary substantially between the various Immigration offices in the country.

Many of the smaller offices do not process change of status and will send to Bangkok for that step, or just advise you to visit a Consulate.

Every office has different experiences and it can also even depend on of your officer is having a good day or not. Just because it works somewhere else doesn't mean it will work here. If they said they won't do it then they won't do it, its a small office and its best to just do as they say. If the OP wants to travel up to Bangkok and brave the crowds at Suan Phlu then go for it, but I think it would be easier at this stage of the game to go out of the country with the proper paperwork then try to deal with that extra mess.

You cannot apply for a visa in Thailand. This has never been possible.

Not quite.

People are doing this everyday in Thailand as the first step in a retirement extension application, and have been for years. It's called a change of status (from a 30 day stamp or tourist visa to an O). But not ALL offices.

Edited November 10, 201114 yr by Jingthing

Agree with most of the above.

It is highly unlikely that Samui does the transfer to Non Imm O Visa.

You need to visit Bangkok Immigration or a Thai Consulate in a neighbouring country.

Whichever is easiest for you.

"You can apply for a non o marriage visa at the HK Royal Thai Consulate ,"

The OP doesn't qualify for that.