A friend of mine extended his retirement visa this week at the Immigration office Chonburi (Jomtien) and it was a breeze -simply because it is low season. My extension is due on January 13th and it will be the 9th time that I will have to go into the overcrowded office - nowhere to sit - long wait etc. I know that I can apply a month earlier but that does not make much of a difference. Any idea if it is possible to get the date changed to for example September. Proof of funds is no problem as I have 800.000 Baht in a fixed-year deposit in addition to a healthy balance on my savings accounts with proof of incoming transfers for living expenses. Does anyone have a suggestion? Could you cancel and re-apply?

Every extension starts on the date your current extension ends. To change it you would indeed need to leave the country and let it exire, get a new non-O visa and apply for a new extension of stay after 60 days.

Are you married to a Thai? Than you can ask for a 60 day extension, and at the end apply for a 1 year extension based on retirement. But for a new date in September you would need to leave and apply for a new visa.

You should be able to cancel your retirement but perhaps easier explaining would be just exit without a re-entry permit and obtain a non immigrant O and 60 days later extend.

You should be able to cancel your retirement but perhaps easier explaining would be just exit without a re-entry permit and obtain a non immigrant O and 60 days later extend.

Yes I thought of that one as well but also a bit of a hassle. I think I'll just have to bear with it.....

Are you married to a Thai? Than you can ask for a 60 day extension, and at the end apply for a 1 year extension based on retirement. But for a new date in September you would need to leave and apply for a new visa.

Yes I am. Good suggestion but I would still have to go in at that time to get the 60 day extension. It's not only the fact that immigration is so busy at that time of year but also I'm busy with visiting relatives/ friends and always have to plan our trips whilst bearing in mind that I have to be here for the extension.

Are you married to a Thai? Than you can ask for a 60 day extension, and at the end apply for a 1 year extension based on retirement. But for a new date in September you would need to leave and apply for a new visa.

Yes I am. Good suggestion but I would still have to go in at that time to get the 60 day extension. It's not only the fact that immigration is so busy at that time of year but also I'm busy with visiting relatives/ friends and always have to plan our trips whilst bearing in mind that I have to be here for the extension.

Would it be possible in theory for the OP to seek a series of 60-day marriage extensions (4 by my reckoning) to take him through to the following September and then seek a 1-year retirement extension then? Or is there a limit of the number of 60-day marriage extensions which can be obtained consecutively?

If this were possible, the short-term pain for him (busy immigration offices, rescheduling visits to relatives/friends, etc) might be worth the long-term gain.

Or is there a limit of the number of 60-day marriage extensions which can be obtained consecutively?

Yes, the limit is one.

On the extension applications you are asked to enter number of days you wish to extend. Normally you enter 365 days but is there any reason you could not request fewer days that would equal 5 or six months. At the end of that period you would go back to requesting 1 year extensions.

On the extension applications you are asked to enter number of days you wish to extend. Normally you enter 365 days but is there any reason you could not request fewer days that would equal 5 or six months. At the end of that period you would go back to requesting 1 year extensions.

Most likely answer: "no have"....

The police order states not more than one year at a time. If I wanted to shift date it would certainly pay to ask.

Have to go with Ballbreaker.

Just go and have a chat with the immigration guys.

Or, when the time comes for an extension, get yer bum off the mattress a bit earlier and be first in the queue.

I have a similar problem. I have to go to immigration tomorrow (90 days) and will ask if I can extend for less than 365 days.

yyou can apply for a renewal 3 months in advance so go in earlier - mine expires in October so ever year i reapply in July

yyou can apply for a renewal 3 months in advance so go in earlier - mine expires in October so ever year i reapply in July

That sounds like what Jomtien allowed in the past but not anymore according to recent reports.

It is now 30 days early like almost all other locations.

Mine expires in November, and I always go in October (or have done earlier to do with 90 day) but my "rule of thumb" is never ever go Monday or Friday, even for 90 day, as it can be a mess. The otjer days are usually very much slower, in and out withing an hour at most.

Went today to the immigration office of Lopburi.

They have no problem to grant an extension as long as it is not more than one year. 1 year or less is OKay.