Extension Of Stay (Retirement) With A Non-B Visa ?

[dolvitius]

Please allow me to ask a question which might have been asked before, but I usually find it confusing to deal with Thai immigration and visa matters, as rules change from time to time.

I wish to apply for an extension of stay based on retirement. I have not done that before.

• I hold a French passport
  
• I currently hold a Non-Immigration B Visa (1 year - multiple entry) which expires on 27 June 2012
  
• I live in Bangkok
  
• I am just over 50 years old
  
• I have about 1 million THB deposited in a Thai bank account. The funds have been in this account for over one year. I have the bank passbook which shows the balance and dates. I do not have but I can ask for a letter from my bank stating this if necessary.
  
• My passport expires on 18 May 2013
  
• My last entry in Thailand was on 9 May 2012
  

In my situation, can I apply for this extension of stay with this non-B Visa ?

I also wish to apply for a re-entry permit as frequently travel out of Thailand. Can I do that at the same time ?

[lopburi3]

Believe your application will be accepted as the requirement is non immigrant visa entry which you have. You must have the bank letter as well as passbook/copies. Your extension will only be to expiration of passport and re-entry permit will be the same. Once you obtain new passport extension will be transferred to full one year but a new re-entry permit will likely be required.

[dolvitius]

@ lopburi3

Many thanks for your answer, Lopburi.

When I wrote my OP, my concern was that :

• either my non-B visa would expire too soon (10 days from now) : I have time to go to the Immigration but they might reject my application
  
• or my passport would expire too soon (11 months from now) : Hull Consulate website seems to indicate here (http://www.thaiconsu...=20110922090441) - at paragraph 1) - that the passport containing the non-Imm Visa should be valid for at least one year.
  

However, in your answer, you seem to suggest that this should not be an issue.

As for the re-entry permit, you say that it will expire once my passport expires (or gets canceled, if earlier). Now, given that my passport will expire in May 2013, I will have to renew it in October-November 2012, since a passport valid for at least 6 months is required to travel about anywhere. So, once I get a new passport, I will have to get my extension transferred, no problem with this. However, you say that the re-entry permit can’t get transferred and I will have to get a new one at that time. If I get a new re-entry permit in October (or November) 2012 on my newly issued passport with an extension of stay which will expire in June 2013, how long will this new re-entry permit be valid for ? Is a re-entry permit normally linked to an extension of stay (meaning that when an extension expires, the re-entry permit will expire too ?), or do they work independently ? Is a re-entry permit valid for 1 year too ?

Sorry, it’s a little tricky, but I would just like to optimize things in order to avoid to waste time and to make unnecessary trips to the Immigration. At the same time, I need to learn on extensions of stay and re-entry permits since this is the first time that I will apply for those papers.

I would really enjoy your clarifications ! Thanks !

[digitalchromakey]

As for the re-entry permit, you say that it will expire once my passport expires (or gets canceled, if earlier). Now, given that my passport will expire in May 2013, I will have to renew it in October-November 2012, since a passport valid for at least 6 months is required to travel about anywhere. So, once I get a new passport, I will have to get my extension transferred, no problem with this. However, you say that the re-entry permit can’t get transferred and I will have to get a new one at that time. If I get a new re-entry permit in October (or November) 2012 on my newly issued passport with an extension of stay which will expire in June 2013, how long will this new re-entry permit be valid for ? Is a re-entry permit normally linked to an extension of stay (meaning that when an extension expires, the re-entry permit will expire too ?), or do they work independently ? Is a re-entry permit valid for 1 year too ?

Sorry, it’s a little tricky, but I would just like to optimize things in order to avoid to waste time and to make unnecessary trips to the Immigration. At the same time, I need to learn on extensions of stay and re-entry permits since this is the first time that I will apply for those papers.

I would really enjoy your clarifications ! Thanks !

You will be applying for an Extension of Permission to Stay, not a Visa, so don't worry about what a Thai Consulate is saying - what your local Thai Immigration department decrees is what matters in this case.

If all goes well you will get a Permission to Stay stamp to the expiry date of your passport and this can then be set to the one year anniversary of your extension when you present your new passport to your local Immigration Dept.

As regards the Re-Entry Permit this is always 100% locked to your Permission to Stay and is not per se for a fixed duration; so consider getting a Single Re -Entry Permit (1,000 THB) to cover you each time you need to travel.

Should you travel more than three times in any 'Permitted to Stay' period, then the Multiple Re-Entry Permit becomes best value.

With the limited validity of your passport plus your frequent travel in/out of Thailand then worse case you will need to budget for two Multiple Re-Entry Permits over the next 12 months.

[dolvitius]

@digitalchromakey

Thanks for the useful feedback.

Regarding the re-entry permit options, I understand your point on whether obtaining one multiple entry permit vs. several single entry permits money wise. But the practical aspect has to be considered too : I would rather like to minimize the number of visits to the Immigration Centre.

A question : is it possible to obtain a re-entry permit (whether single or multiple entry) at the airport (Bangkok) upon departure ? Or is the Immigration Centre the only place where to get this important document ?

Being able to get it at the airport would make things easier for me as my international travel plans for the coming months are far from being finalized at this time. In fact, as of now, I don't even know if I will travel before October-November 2012, when I will certainly need to get my passport renewed.

[lopburi3]

I would advise a single re-entry permit as insurance when you obtain your extension of stay. Although they are available at airport during 06-2400 period after check-in it is safer to have a valid re-entry permit in passport in the event of emergency departure during hours they not operating or you have limited time for flight departure.

[ubonjoe]

I seem to recall that they will transfer re-entry permits to a new passport. It is just visas that they don't transfer.

[lopburi3]

But this poster will not have a valid one year extension of stay for his re-entry permit prior to issue of new passport because currently not valid full year and the new extension of stay period after transfer will not match current re-entry permit so believe he will have to obtain a new one to match current extension of stay after he receives the new passport/extension stamp.

[ubonjoe]

His passport is valid until May 18 next year so the re-entry permit will be valid until then. If he travels a lot he would be better off to get a multiple re-entry permit and have it transferred over. They might even give him the additional month plus a few days when they transfer the permit.

[lopburi3]

I do not believe it will be valid once new passport has a new permitted to stay stamp in it - so worth will depend on how much travel and when making the change. I would go with single entry.

[dolvitius]

I was thinking of doing exactly what Lopburi suggested : request for a single entry re-entry permit for peace of mind after getting the extension. I am almost certain I will use it, and this will save me another trip to the Immigration.

Now, since both of you (Lopburi and Ubonjoe) seem to have diverging views on whether a re-entry permit is transferable on a new passport or not, I will try to ask the question to an officer when I go to the Immigration Centre.

Just got the letter from the bank today. I am all set to pay a visit to the Immigration tomorrow.

[lopburi3]

My concern is not just a transfer but a change as your new passport will have the full extension of stay time but your current re-entry stamp will be for your old passport shorter time and do not believe they can change that date as they can on the actual extension of stay stamp.

[dolvitius]

I went to the Immigration today, and I was turned away ! Reason : I was too early to apply for an extension of stay given that there is more than 1 month to go before the end of the entry stamp in my passport. I was told that an application for an extension of stay should be done only within the last 30 days of your permission to stay given at your last entry, and not before. My entry stamp expires on 6 August and so I should apply between 6 July and 6 August, and this despite the fact that my current visa expires on 27 June. I didn’t know about this rule ! Why didn’t anyone tell me ?

OK, so I am bound to make another trip to Immigration in 2-3 weeks. Not a big issue…

I took the opportunity to ask about the transferability of the re-entry permit. I was told that, yes, a re-entry permit, just like an extension of stay, can be transferred to a new passport. This would make it more relevant for me to ask for a multiple re-entry permit once I get my extension of stay. Anyway, I will ask again once I am back at the Immigration Centre just before I select the kind of re-entry permit I wish to have.

To continued in around 2-3 weeks ……

[TommoPhysicist]

Why didn’t anyone tell me ?

Probably because in post 3 you said your visa expired in 10 days.

[lopburi3]

You question was if you could use your visa - not how and when to do it so that is the reason discussion was about that. Yes it is normal to only allow extension during the last 30 days of the current permitted to stay.

As for re-entry permit I believe you will find when new passport is obtained and expiration date of extension does not match a multi re-entry permit expiration date that it will not be transferred (but time will tell).

[dolvitius]

Why didn’t anyone tell me ?

Probably because in post 3 you said your visa expired in 10 days.

That's correct. And so what ?

In fact, I was thinking (after reading some misleading info) that the expiry date of the visa was crucial, that the extension of stay should be done a few weeks before, and that it could already be too late for me.

But, in reality, it was just the opposite : I was too early, because what counts is the expiry day of the last entry stamp.

[TommoPhysicist]

Why didn’t anyone tell me ?

Probably because in post 3 you said your visa expired in 10 days.

That's correct. And so what ?

In fact, I was thinking (after reading some misleading info) that the expiry date of the visa was crucial, that the extension of stay should be done a few weeks before, and that it could already be too late for me.

But, in reality, it was just the opposite : I was too early, because what counts is the expiry day of the last entry stamp.

The last entry stamp is the last Visa.

The one year is permission to obtain the Visa.

[lopburi3]

The visa is the one year stamp/sticker obtained from the Consulate. You use that visa for permission to enter the country - if accepted by immigration - and immigration then provides a permitted to stay until stamp allowing you to stay that specified period of time.

[digitalchromakey]

The last entry stamp is the last Visa.

The one year is permission to obtain the Visa.

No the entry stamp is not a visa and the one year is not permission to obtain the visa.

The Visa (issued at a country's Embassy) allows you to seek entry to that country and defines your planned purpose of entry, length of stay per entry and valid period for entry.

If you are allowed to enter the country then you are given a 'Permitted to Stay Until' stamp (Permission to Stay) in your passport.

If you obtain a One Year Extension of Permission to Stay, it is your last passport entry stamp (Permission to Stay) and not your visa that is extended.