Retirement Visa In 60 Minutes

[Apache704]

Just got my Retitement Visa at Udon Thani Immigration in 6o minutes. I had to wait 30 minutes in Queu, saw the Officer,gave her the Embassy Letter of proof of Funds,showed the Yellow Book of Residence,gave 2 copies of Passport Pictures and Arrival and Departure Card,signed all the papers she gave me,paid the 1900 Baht and all was done in 30 Minutes. I applied 2 months early and they stamped me until July 2014. It's a heck of a lot easier than applying for a Marriage Visa. I hope the rest of you have the same good fortune that I had.

[OJAS]

Interesting to note that you obtained your extension 2 months early, bearing in mind that the earliest you can do this normally is 30 days beforehand. Is this standard practice at Udon Thani (as it is, I gather, at Jomtien), or were there special circumstances in your case?

Edited April 30, 2013 by OJAS

[Gerald14]

I agree and think you were lucky to get it two months early. A friend of mine was told to come back in one month as he applied 2 months early in Nan, they would not do it. On the other hand I just did mine in Nan about 10 days before expiry and it took about 30 minutes including a re-entry

[gamini]

An hour is a long time so whats the good fortune?. I average about 20 minutes but have all the forms filled in and required copies initialed.

[curtklay]

I agree and think you were lucky to get it two months early. A friend of mine was told to come back in one month as he applied 2 months early in Nan, they would not do it. On the other hand I just did mine in Nan about 10 days before expiry and it took about 30 minutes including a re-entry

Hey Gerald,

I also do my retirement extension at Nan, and will be making my annual trip in June. May I ask if you brought a medical certificate among your paperwork? I have been getting one every year because I was told Nan is one of the few offices still requiring it. Just wondering if that is still true. It's a pain to get, and I'd rather skip it if Nan isn't asking for it anymore.

[Maestro]

I have deleted an off-topic post about a "magic solution"

[sitta]

"Just got my Retirement Visa at Udon Thani Immigration in 60 minutes"

Retirement Visa from visa exempt 30days stamp or tourist visa?

[Apache704]

Interesting to note that you obtained your extension 2 months early, bearing in mind that the earliest you can do this normally is 30 days beforehand. Is this standard practice at Udon Thani (as it is, I gather, at Jomtien), or were there special circumstances in your case?

I don't know if this is standard practice or not at Udon. I do know that they changed the Staff there recently so I went in early to see if there would be any problems getting the Extension and ended up getting it.

[Apache704]

Interesting to note that you obtained your extension 2 months early, bearing in mind that the earliest you can do this normally is 30 days beforehand. Is this standard practice at Udon Thani (as it is, I gather, at Jomtien), or were there special circumstances in your case?

No special circumstances in my case.

An hour is a long time so whats the good fortune?. I average about 20 minutes but have all the forms filled in and required copies initialed.

I had to wait 30-40 minutes to see an officer.

[Apache704]

I agree and think you were lucky to get it two months early. A friend of mine was told to come back in one month as he applied 2 months early in Nan, they would not do it. On the other hand I just did mine in Nan about 10 days before expiry and it took about 30 minutes including a re-entry

Hey Gerald,

I also do my retirement extension at Nan, and will be making my annual trip in June. May I ask if you brought a medical certificate among your paperwork? I have been getting one every year because I was told Nan is one of the few offices still requiring it. Just wondering if that is still true. It's a pain to get, and I'd rather skip it if Nan isn't asking for it anymore.

No medical certificate was needed.

[curtklay]

I agree and think you were lucky to get it two months early. A friend of mine was told to come back in one month as he applied 2 months early in Nan, they would not do it. On the other hand I just did mine in Nan about 10 days before expiry and it took about 30 minutes including a re-entry

Hey Gerald,

I also do my retirement extension at Nan, and will be making my annual trip in June. May I ask if you brought a medical certificate among your paperwork? I have been getting one every year because I was told Nan is one of the few offices still requiring it. Just wondering if that is still true. It's a pain to get, and I'd rather skip it if Nan isn't asking for it anymore.

No medical certificate was needed.

Thanks, but I'm asking specifically about the NAN office. Every branch is different, and Nan was still requiring the medical certificate last time I checked.

[Mario2008]

I couple of years ago it was asked for, but since then I have not seen any new posts telling it is still required at Nan.

If you want to know for sure just call them.

[phuketrichard]

Phuket

during summer when my extension is due takes me less than 30 minutes in and out an that includes getting the re-entry permit

max they will allow u is 30 days in advance

no medical

no yellow book or proof of residency required

[ubonjoe]

"Just got my Retirement Visa at Udon Thani Immigration in 60 minutes"

Retirement Visa from visa exempt 30days stamp or tourist visa?

He did not get a visa of any kind. He got an extension of stay based upon retirement.

Their is no such thing as a retirement visa (unless you call the OA visa that).

A non immigrant visa entry can be applied for at some immigration offices with documents and financial proof needed for an extension of stay.

[OJAS]

"Just got my Retirement Visa at Udon Thani Immigration in 60 minutes"

Retirement Visa from visa exempt 30days stamp or tourist visa?

It would appear from the OP's original post that it was from either a marriage visa or (more likely, I suspect) an extension of stay for this purpose. Retirement extensions are, indeed, easier as he suggests since, unlike marriage extensions, they can be sanctioned on the spot by local immigration offices instead of having to be referred to some committee of local Immigration Bureau big-wigs for final approval.

Edited May 1, 2013 by OJAS

[ubonjoe]

"Just got my Retirement Visa at Udon Thani Immigration in 60 minutes"

Retirement Visa from visa exempt 30days stamp or tourist visa?

It would appear from the OP's original post that it was from either a Marriage Visa or, more likely, an extension of stay for this purpose. Retirement extensions are, indeed, easier as he suggests since, unlike marriage extensions, they can be approved on the spot by local immigration offices instead of having to be referred to some committee of Immigration Bureau big-wigs in Bangkok (or more locally) for final approval.

There is no longer a committee and not all applications go to Bangkok. For Udon they would go to Korat for approval by a high ranking officer for immigration region 4.

[FlorC]

I agree and think you were lucky to get it two months early. A friend of mine was told to come back in one month as he applied 2 months early in Nan, they would not do it. On the other hand I just did mine in Nan about 10 days before expiry and it took about 30 minutes including a re-entry

Hey Gerald,

I also do my retirement extension at Nan, and will be making my annual trip in June. May I ask if you brought a medical certificate among your paperwork? I have been getting one every year because I was told Nan is one of the few offices still requiring it. Just wondering if that is still true. It's a pain to get, and I'd rather skip it if Nan isn't asking for it anymore.

No medical certificate was needed.

Thanks, but I'm asking specifically about the NAN office. Every branch is different, and Nan was still requiring the medical certificate last time I checked.

Hi , I am going this month for my first retirement extension in NAN.

I also want to know if they want the medical certificate , and is this the same one you get for the driver's licence?

Is it ok to bring the TM 7 printed on 2 papers or does it have to be 1 front and back paper?

How many photo's do they want for the extension only , no re-entry permit.

Do they want proof of residence?

And , do they accept bank letter for the 800k from the day before? Going first to the bank in Phrae and on the same day

with the bus to Nan , is difficult.

Thanks

[sarathjay]

I am a born Sri Lankan with German citizenship retiring at the age of 61 and joining my wife who has a two year work permit for Thailand. All what I read in Forums about visas is still too much for me to understand.I love my freedom to wake up in the morning and decide to do a trip to a neighbouring country as often as I please. I see that this is only possible with complications.

My wife will be having a work visa but coming into the country on a thirty day one that needs to be converted to a different status.

As I am accompaning her, I need to get a similar one issued in The Consulate in Germany.

Can someone here explain why my wife must leave Thailand to get her Visa extended after 90 days? This is the most awkward visa system in the world! Must I do the same? I am slowly regretting and feeling sorry for my wife who has to spend hours at Immigration offices and borders begging for visas.

[OJAS]

"Just got my Retirement Visa at Udon Thani Immigration in 60 minutes"

Retirement Visa from visa exempt 30days stamp or tourist visa?

It would appear from the OP's original post that it was from either a Marriage Visa or, more likely, an extension of stay for this purpose. Retirement extensions are, indeed, easier as he suggests since, unlike marriage extensions, they can be approved on the spot by local immigration offices instead of having to be referred to some committee of Immigration Bureau big-wigs in Bangkok (or more locally) for final approval.

There is no longer a committee and not all applications go to Bangkok. For Udon they would go to Korat for approval by a high ranking officer for immigration region 4.

Drat, you obviously beat my editing to delete the Bangkok ref! But noted that approvals are now given by a local Chief Big-Wig instead of a committee.

[IMA_FARANG]

I don't think there is a hard and fast rule that says they won't do a retirement extension until 39 days before it is due.

It's probably based on how much work they have at the time.

if you happen to be in a place where there are relatively few applicants and they are not busy, they may take your application early.

Now if you are in a place like Pattaya or Jomtien trying to get that same extension .... they may enforce the "no application until 30 days before due" rule.

Just because they have many more applications to deal with.

If it is somewhere that is not busy, and you appear with all the proper documents in hand, why not just do it now?

Now if they are already processing a lot of other applications .... well that's a different story.

[OJAS]

Interesting to note that you obtained your extension 2 months early, bearing in mind that the earliest you can do this normally is 30 days beforehand. Is this standard practice at Udon Thani (as it is, I gather, at Jomtien), or were there special circumstances in your case?

No special circumstances in my case.

Have other Udon Thani-ites out there in TV land had similar experiences to the OP in successfully obtaining extensions of stay more than 30 days before their existing extensions expired?

If so, there might be a case for adding Udon Thani to the list of immigration offices accepting applications early (which AFAIK would then stand at the princely total of 2 along with Jomtien).

[bouph12]

It took 2 days to get my retirement extension at the Udon office last month.

It was going smoothly until I refused to pay 500 baht to have the stamps transferred to my new passport. After this, our previously acceptable copies of the chanote to the house were deemed inadequate and we were told to return the next day with a completed Tm 30 and a map to the house.

I now have to take both passports with me when I leave the country.

[zombie nights]

OP: Come to Pattaya. Can get the retirement visa confirmed in less than 60 minutes and that includes time going to the bank and getting the letter confirming the 800k deposit.

[ubonjoe]

He would have to move to Pattaya to do that. You have to use the immigration office where you live.

There have been other reports of Jomtien taking longer than you mention plus having to come back the next day to pick up their passport.

[sitta]

He would have to move to Pattaya to do that. You have to use the immigration office where you live.

There have been other reports of Jomtien taking longer than you mention plus having to come back the next day to pick up their passport.

Is that the case with Bangkok immigration too, must live in Bangkok?

[lopburi3]

Yes - but for non immigrant visa issue/conversion they will do if your local immigration will not - but actual extension of stay will have to be made where you live.