I have the opportunity to do a six week overseas job during same period my permit to stay extension in Thailand for wife is up for renewal. Is there any workaround for this (apply early possible for extension??) or do I simply have to loose the renewal extension that I have done for four years now and start all over again arriving on a visa exempt stamp (UK passport) as there will be no embassies where the job is?

You can do it up to 30 days (45 at some offices) early if that would help. But the problem then could be the 30 day under consideration period and being here at the end of it. You can get a re-entry permit for the 30 days.

Or you could apply for a 60 day extension to visit your wife. And get a re-entry permit for it.

If not it would mean starting all over again.

So I can extend existing 1yr extension for 60 days and then 1 yr again after that? I didn't know that was possible?

Confirmed.

OK thanks guys I will try this at CW, I would likely need to extend my 1 yr extension that ends start of November sometime in Sept for 60 days in order to go to work 1-Oct for 7 weeks. Hopefully I can get the 60 day application in around 45 days before 1 yr expires.

Thanks for the ideas.

Just don't try to renew it even one day late, or you will be forced to start from scratch.

A friend recently renewed his retirement 10 weeks before due date, bc he explained to head guy that he was scheduled to leave during the proper time.

I recently went through my renewal at Chonburi Immigration. I wanted to return to Thailand after my existing marriage visa had expired and was told by the head of section that this was not possible. I was told that if I wanted to do this, then I would have to apply for a non-immigrant visa in the country I was visiting and then convert this to a marriage visa once I returned. Not wishing to take this route, I changed my plans to arrive three days before my vias was due for renewal. I was allowed to apply for my new marriage visa before I left the country, which was six weeks before it was due to expire, and I was able to collect my new visa on my return.

If this conflicts with previous advice, one has to bear in mind that the person responsible for interpreting the law is the officer who sits in front of you.

Edited August 22, 201411 yr by BobHG46

Just don't try to renew it even one day late, or you will be forced to start from scratch.

that's not true.

A friend recently renewed his retirement 10 weeks before due date, bc he explained to head guy that he was scheduled to leave during the proper time.

That's good to know. In my case if I brought application forward my bank money would only be in account above limit 60 days (I let it drop below 400k for a few days), not 90 days from new application brought forward date, so I'll probably go the route of extending 60 days first before trying the 1 yr again.

Happens to me last year, if you are not here 30 days before your visa finish to apply for new year or the day they give it to you, you have to start everything all over again. Just like I did.

Is there a difference between renewing and "starting all over again"? Having recently started all over again, I did not notice any difference, except the Imm. officer asking why I did not renew it last year, as the years before. Even had the pleasure of the police officers calling to hear if we could accommodate a visit from them at the abode, like they did the first time, but not subsequent years.

Only difference I can think of is past traditions concerning financial requirements being grandfathered for those who have (enough?) uninterrupted multiple extensions, whereas I might be out of luck if the financial requirements should increase.

Edited August 24, 201411 yr by Awk