We live in Chiang Mai and need to get an extension on our retirement visa. Can a representative go for us, or must we go in person? We tried to get an online appointment but it's all full, so we would likely need to wait all day to be seen. Thank you.

An application for extension of stay must be done in person.

paulaaloha

Be careful !

If you ask for a "retirement visa" you run the risk of being told to go home to apply for an O/A visa!

What you ,I think, are seeking is an extension of stay which must be applied for in person.

Edited March 26, 201412 yr by thepool

I do wish that those in the know would make reference to the fact that there is no such thing as a retirement visa or marriage visa. They are merely extensions of a non-O visa for 1 year.

I am amazed at the confusion in this matter.

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

I do wish that those in the know would make reference to the fact that there is no such thing as a retirement visa or marriage visa. They are merely extensions of a non-O visa for 1 year.

I am amazed at the confusion in this matter.

Those "in the know" make constant reference to the importance of avoiding confusion and misunderstanding by using accurate terminology.

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

I do wish that those in the know would make reference to the fact that there is no such thing as a retirement visa or marriage visa. They are merely extensions of a non-O visa for 1 year.

I am amazed at the confusion in this matter.

Those "in the know" make constant reference to the importance of avoiding confusion and misunderstanding by using accurate terminology.

100% correct Pool this guy does not take into account newbies, people who have never travelled before or just plain confused about visa's, extensions, this is a public forum and I was under the impression poster here are trying to help. I am amazed at the stupid posts as above which is no help.

Can't we be nice to the newbie? It's very possible that she has a O-A retirement visa, issued in her home country and now wishes to extend her permission to stay.

Paula, I live in Chiang Mai and what you've heard about CM Immigration is true. If you wish to extend your permission to stay due to retirement, you have to arrive very early to obtain a place in the queue and it's likely once you get your queue number that they'll tell you to come back in the afternoon.

If you can afford 5,000 - 7,000 baht, you can pay a visa agent to make the process go easier. You'll still have to show up at Immigration, but the agent will make sure the paperwork is done correctly and tell you a specific time to come to Immigration. They may even drive you there. There is nothing illegal about the service these visa agents provide -- they're simply making your life easier for you. But, some who have lived here a long time regard their services as rather expensive hand-holding. Up-to-you.

Can't we be nice to the newbie? It's very possible that she has a O-A retirement visa, issued in her home country and now wishes to extend her permission to stay.

Paula, I live in Chiang Mai and what you've heard about CM Immigration is true. If you wish to extend your permission to stay due to retirement, you have to arrive very early to obtain a place in the queue and it's likely once you get your queue number that they'll tell you to come back in the afternoon.

If you can afford 5,000 - 7,000 baht, you can pay a visa agent to make the process go easier. You'll still have to show up at Immigration, but the agent will make sure the paperwork is done correctly and tell you a specific time to come to Immigration. They may even drive you there. There is nothing illegal about the service these visa agents provide -- they're simply making your life easier for you. But, some who have lived here a long time regard their services as rather expensive hand-holding. Up-to-you.

Wow...in Pattaya the copy shop girls outside immigration do this for free (I tip them B 100) plus the cost of photocopies and your photos if necessary. You're getting hosed up there in CM.

...and for all you pedants out there, at Chiang Mai immigration you will go to a desk marked "Retirement Visa"

...and for all you pedants out there, at Chiang Mai immigration you will go to a desk marked "Retirement Visa"

Same same at Chonburi.

Maybe one of the pedants out there should also inform the Thai Immigration service of their faux pas and set the matter right.

Nothing to do with being a pedant.

Giving the best advice depends on people giving the correct information to start with without confusing everyone with the wrong terminology.

It is as simple as that

I don't care what a sign says in immigration. They probably do that because are so many people that would never understand a sign that says extensions of stay based upon retirement because of the incorrect terminology often used.

All I can say is people should please post a stamp in their passport that says they have a retirement visa.

Or the form you fill out that says retirement visa. You can look here and see if you can find it: http://immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/base.php?page=download

I do wish that those in the know would make reference to the fact that there is no such thing as a retirement visa or marriage visa. They are merely extensions of a non-O visa for 1 year.

I am amazed at the confusion in this matter.

Incorrect.

A Thai Consulate or Embassy (outside of Thailand) can issue a " Non-immigrant "O" Visa based on Marriage or a Non Immigrant "OA - Retirement" Visa.

These can be extended within Thailand at a Thai Immigration office giving you an Extension based on your original Visa (Buddha willing).

Sorry - another peed ant.

Edited March 27, 201412 yr by Evilbaz

Nothing to do with being a pedant.

Giving the best advice depends on people giving the correct information to start with without confusing everyone with the wrong terminology.

It is as simple as that

Lite Beer is right here.

O-A (retirement) visas are one thing. Retirement extensions of stay are something different.

When people post here, they often mis-state or confuse the two, which makes offering the correct advice and guidance difficult, and usually takes some back and forth posting to get to the bottom of what a poster actually has.

If posters used the correct terminology (or at least close to it), there'd be better advice given here and less confusion all the way around.

I'm not criticizing or complaining about the OP here. Just saying, it works better in general when people can accurately state their situation. And hopefully over time, through conversations like this one, more members here will come to understand the differences between visas and extensions.

Edited March 27, 201412 yr by TallGuyJohninBKK

people?

do you get anything with the O-A extension, or just some slip of paper?

i want to say TM7 is the extension paperwork? doesn't look to complicated

I don't care what a sign says in immigration. They probably do that because are so many people that would never understand a sign that says extensions of stay based upon retirement because of the incorrect terminology often used.

All I can say is people should please post a stamp in their passport that says they have a retirement visa.

Or the form you fill out that says retirement visa. You can look here and see if you can find it: http://immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/base.php?page=download

people?

do you get anything with the O-A extension, or just some slip of paper?

i want to say TM7 is the extension paperwork? doesn't look to complicated

I don't care what a sign says in immigration. They probably do that because are so many people that would never understand a sign that says extensions of stay based upon retirement because of the incorrect terminology often used.

All I can say is people should please post a stamp in their passport that says they have a retirement visa.

Or the form you fill out that says retirement visa. You can look here and see if you can find it: http://immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/base.php?page=download

There is no OA extension. There are only extensions of stay based upon retirement.

You can extend the last permit to stay of a entry you got from a OA visa.

The TM7 form is the same one used for all extensions of stay. You only get a stamp in your passport that says extension of permit to stay to xx date xxxx month xxxx, year.

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

I do wish that those in the know would make reference to the fact that there is no such thing as a retirement visa or marriage visa. They are merely extensions of a non-O visa for 1 year.

I am amazed at the confusion in this matter.

Those "in the know" make constant reference to the importance of avoiding confusion and misunderstanding by using accurate terminology.

and those "in the know" do not know that one does not need to appear personally for an extension of stay

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

I do wish that those in the know would make reference to the fact that there is no such thing as a retirement visa or marriage visa. They are merely extensions of a non-O visa for 1 year.

I am amazed at the confusion in this matter.

Those "in the know" make constant reference to the importance of avoiding confusion and misunderstanding by using accurate terminology.

and those "in the know" do not know that one does not need to appear personally for an extension of stay

well you are NOT "in the know" as you do need to appear personally for an extension of stay, especially if it is based on marriage

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

I do wish that those in the know would make reference to the fact that there is no such thing as a retirement visa or marriage visa. They are merely extensions of a non-O visa for 1 year.

I am amazed at the confusion in this matter.

Those "in the know" make constant reference to the importance of avoiding confusion and misunderstanding by using accurate terminology.

and those "in the know" do not know that one does not need to appear personally for an extension of stay

Only if you are willing to pay a substantial amount of money to pay somebody to do it for you. Or are working for a company that pays somebody to do it.

Removed an off-topic post and the replies to it.

re

All I can say is people should please post a stamp in their passport that says they have a retirement visa

here ya go

based on 800 thousand in the bank every year for about five years and im not married

ive not been to immigration once coz i use an agent in chiang mai to go for me including doing all my 90 day reports

dave2

Nothing there that says "Retirement Visa"

All is a normal extension stamp with a stamp that says retirement to indicate the basis for it, I don't see visa anywhere.

re

All I can say is people should please post a stamp in their passport that says they have a retirement visa

here ya go

based on 800 thousand in the bank every year for about five years and im not married

ive not been to immigration once coz i use an agent in chiang mai to go for me including doing all my 90 day reports

dave2

Sorry dave2 you do not have a visa.

I am Belgian, on each page of my passport there is printed "Visas" so often the stamp " Retirement" is placed just above the term "Visas"

In Chonburi, since years there is the same officer at the reception, if you ask him :

Extension of stay please, you get a

but if you ask him :

Retirement visa please, you get a number.

I went Wednesday for my extension of stay ( "Retirement Visa" ), didn't have to see any officer, the Belgian aid checked everything, paid him the 1.900 ThB, he went to see the officer in charge, I collected my passport with new stamp in the afternoon, tipped the aid.

Edited March 28, 201412 yr by luckyluke

dave2

Thank you for the picture which depicts a normal "extension of stay" stamp issued on the basis of retirement.

You do NOT have a visa !

dave2 the visa the retirement extension of stay is based on has been expired for years

I don't even have a visa in my passport. Just a stamp in Thai where immigration put info about my last visa entry and a couple of extension stamps.

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

I don't even have a visa in my passport. Just a stamp in Thai where immigration put info about my last visa entry and a couple of extension stamps.

Neither do I !

However, some will continue to insist that an "extension of stay" stamp is,in fact, a "visa"

What I think is interesting here, apart from the terminology debate, is the fact that we've had three different posters -- including one in CM and another in Chonburi -- talking about renewing retirement extensions by paying visa agents for the service, and not themselves having to appear in person.

My understanding was that Immigration rules required you to appear in person when doing a retirement or marriage extension at Thai Immigration. And that's been discussed a lot, in situations where the person is disabled or frail and would have a hard time traveling to Immigration and/or waiting. And my recollection of the advice given was, they'd still have to go -- short of something like being hospitalized.

But based on the several posts here, it certainly appears that at at least some Immigration offices, there are ways to do retirement extensions without having to appear in person. This being Thailand, I guess it shouldn't be surprising that most problems can be solved through the doling out of a sufficient amount of money.