Is it possible to convert an Ed Visa directly to a retirement visa. That is, not having to go through an intermediate step (such as getting an "O" Visa)?

I doubt you can get a non-O visa at the immigration office for this purpose, but if you meet the requirements for a retirement extension you should ask your local immigration office if they will accept a new application for a one-year extension for the reason of retirement.

I have just done this at Jomtien. As the ED visa is a Non-Imm, i applied for retirement extension with the necessary paper work from the bank and an income statement from Australian Embassy in Bkk.

2 slight hiccups:

- i had to get a letter from my school saying that i had finished studying there (i thought that was obvious from the fact that the visa was about to expire)

- the start date of the retirement extension was the day i applied for it, not when the ED extension finished, so i've lost just over 2 weeks.

The only other things they wanted (besides the TM7 form and THB 1,900) was the usual passport front page, old visa and departure card copies (only 1 copy of each) and a look at my bank book plus a copy of the bank book name page and last updated page.

There is something hand written in Thai in the back of my passport plus some date stamps (the date when i received the retirement visa) but no one seemed too fazed about it when i picked up my passport and applied for a re-entry permit. I will get a Thai friend to look at it, but guess it might have something to do with the change of visa expiration date.

Edited May 30, 201214 yr by taichiplanet

While on an extension of stay, your permisison to stay ends when the reason for the extension is no longer there. So when you fnished your course, your permisison to stay ended. That is why you start from the day you applied for an extension of stay for reason of retirement.

You are spot-on; the writing on the back page (under the last re-entry using the ED visa) says that it has been cancelled. If I had know that I probably would have waited another week or so, but am just happy that I got it changed over so easily. Actually, the letter I got from the school stated I would finish on the 15^th June, so I was probably lucky they didn’t send me back for another letter with a revised finishing date!

BTW, this visa section of ThaiVisa is great with lots of helpful info which I used to research what to do about the Retirement Visa (and for the next round of fun; the Yellow Book!). So a big thanks to everyone that keeps up with the rules and regularly help answer people’s question.

Thank you for your vote of appreciation. It is the active participation of you and all other members who make ThaiVisa the most popular expat forum in Thailand.

I have just done this at Jomtien. As the ED visa is a Non-Imm, i applied for retirement extension with the necessary paper work from the bank and an income statement from Australian Embassy in Bkk.

2 slight hiccups:

- i had to get a letter from my school saying that i had finished studying there (i thought that was obvious from the fact that the visa was about to expire)

- the start date of the retirement extension was the day i applied for it, not when the ED extension finished, so i've lost just over 2 weeks.

The only other things they wanted (besides the TM7 form and THB 1,900) was the usual passport front page, old visa and departure card copies (only 1 copy of each) and a look at my bank book plus a copy of the bank book name page and last updated page.

There is something hand written in Thai in the back of my passport plus some date stamps (the date when i received the retirement visa) but no one seemed too fazed about it when i picked up my passport and applied for a re-entry permit. I will get a Thai friend to look at it, but guess it might have something to do with the change of visa expiration date.

Question: Same procedure to change from Ed-Visa to "Marriage O" ? Or is this another ballgame ?

Thanks & cheers.

Basicly the same, but do check if your immigration office will allow it.