Hi,

I have a retirement visa which is due to be renewed in October and want to leave Thailand for about a year.

If I leave before renewal, do I have to start the whole procedure again when I return?

If I leave after renewal is my 1-year extension only valid until the end of the permitted period of stay? Or how long is my retirement visa extension valid when I return?

E.g. Renew extension and then get reentry permit. Can I then leave Thailand and come back before extension expires and then renew again? I intend to take the 800,000 with me and re-deposit a few months before returning.

I will naturally get a reentry permit before leaving in both cases.

Thanks for any clear advice

You must renew your extension of stay (it is not a visa) before you leave or you will need to start all over again.

As long as you re-enter before extension ends there will be no problem.

Edited August 18, 201312 yr by ubonjoe

If you leave before extending there is no need for a re-entry permit as it would only allow stay until original time (October this year) and would have to be used by that date. Just get a single entry non immigrant O or tourist visa before you return and then you can start with extension (or change to non immigrant O visa entry/extension if using tourist visa).