Had a really bad experience at Lad Prao this week when renewing my retirement visa. It all started with being handed the wrong info. earlier in the week and ended with a very tense stand off. I'm surprised I am still here.

To cut a long story short I found the agents downright rude, incompetent, blaming and lazy, the numbering system also seems flawed.

Which brings me on to a couple of questions:

Is it possible to hire an agent anywhere in Bangkok just to run the paperwork up to the office?

Next year can I apply for a retirement visa extension anywhere in Thailand, say Pattaya, even though I live in Bangkok?

with any luck they will soon be back to Chang Wattana

You can only apply for extensions of stay (it is not a visa) where you are living.

As said you must do where you live - but in two more weeks the normal office should be open again and expect that will help everyone (much nicer work environment for officials which should help them keep cool in dealing with the many customers without a clue - who knows that they may have faced before you).

As said you must do where you live - but in two more weeks the normal office should be open again and expect that will help everyone (much nicer work environment for officials which should help them keep cool in dealing with the many customers without a clue - who knows that they may have faced before you).

Who knows. I wondered whether I might have been mistaken for someone else. I'll go with a Thai next time and try to keep in the background.

You can only apply for extensions of stay (it is not a visa) where you are living.

Are you now saying that this terminology is wrong.

"Next year can I apply for a retirement visa extension anywhere in Thailand, say Pattaya, even though I live in Bangkok?"

If you live in Bangkok that is where you must obtain your one year extension of stay for retirement. There is no such thing as a visa extension - the extension is to permit you to stay longer - the stay is being extended.