Annual Renewal Of Retirement Visa

[eljuwa]

Hello CM Forum Members

The last 3 years my annual renewal of retirement visa was done in BKK. This is my first annual renewal with Chiang Mai Thai Immigration.

The facts are:

My one year Thai Visa and multiple entry visa expires on 16 January 2013. I already know the documents needed for the renewal. I am a US citizen and I know what I need to do with US Consulate office in CM.

Please advise me on the following:

1) How early could I go for my renewal of Retirement visa and multiple entry visa prior to 16 January 2013? My passport expiration is fine for another 3 years.

2) I know how to handle Thai Immigration at BKK. Is there anything that I need to know about CNX Thai Immigration? Such as their ability to handle non-Thai speaking folks.

3) Any other pertinent matters that you may deem appropriate for me to know.

With much thanks to all of you

James

[hellodolly]

The immigration here speaks English. I believe you are allowed to change it up to30 days early. Not sure if they will renew it from the day you renew it or the day it is already at. The same system paper wise as Bangkok. Here we have a on line system for booking appointments up to 100 days before you go in. If you choose to use it get on it as soon as you can. It only has X number of appointments a day. If you choose to go in with out it that is different. The last time I went in to renew mine I arrived there at 7:30 in the morning and signed a piece of paper with a number on it. Every one signed it no matter what they were there for. When they opened the office they had a machine and they would call your number and name. You went over to the machine and told them why you were there and they gave you a number for that particular line I was number 17 and managed to get number 15 from a gentleman and his wife who had decided to try to go in together and they were excepted. Other wise I would have had to wait.

They announced that any one over number 17 should come back in the afternoon. I was out of there at 10:45. Not sure of the multi reentry I know they are done separately but the last time I did it took only a half hour.

I am sure there will be some one come along with the link for on line registration. In addition I believe there is a pinned topic on it under the pined list. If you go in with a appointment it will go good. The last time I was in there I met two people with a appointment one got in at the set time the other only had to wait a half hour.

f you go in take a good book or be prepared to meet some interesting people.

Good luck with it and Welcome to Chiang Mai.

[NancyL]

Welcome to Chiang Mai!

1. Indeed, you can apply 30 days in advance of expiration of your current extension of stay -- that would be Dec 18. The first open appointments in the on-line queue after December 18 are on December 21. Here is the link http://chiangmaiimm.com/th/queue-online.html Never push the English flag on this website -- it will send you out of the local CM website and onto the national website from Bangkok, which doesn't offer the on-line reservations for the CM office.

Book your appointment now because the on-line appointments are reserved quickly.

You will also need to make an appointment with the American Consulate for your income letter https://evisaforms.state.gov/acs/make_calendar.asp?nMonth=11&nYear=2012&type=3&servicetype=09&pc=CHN They haven't opened up appointments for December yet. Check back in a month. They don't "book up" as quickly as CM Immigration.

2. The staff at CM Immigration are kind, patient and most are able to respond to someone who speaks standard American English (without a strong regional accent) and doesn't use a lot of extra words -- i.e. simple, direct sentences are best.

3. Nope -- there is a good copy shop behind CM Immigration that knows EXACTLY what's needed in the way of copies and photos. Just get your TM 7 form at the Immigration office, fill it out in restaurant area of the copy shop and hand it to them with your passport. They'll know what to copy. Photos need to be recent, so have them take your photo at the same time. Sure, they're a bit more expensive than the copy/photo shops elsewhere, but you don't have to worry if all the correct pages are copied when they do it.

The line at the copy shop can sometimes be long.

The OP will have a chance to size up CM Immigration before the December appointment because that's more than 90 days away. (unless, of course, the OP is traveling and won't be in the country over 90 days before the visa extension expires.

Edited September 23, 2012 by NancyL