US passport and want to continue to visit Thailand multiple times a year ( 5 times this year so far ) and to avoid problems want to get retirement extension. Usually stay for up to 28 days but will be able to stay longer 2nd half of 2015. Question is can I get through the process ( will have all paper work done ) in a 30 day period.

Depends.

Will you be relying on pension income alone, a bank deposit alone, or a combination of the two to meet the financial requirements?

If a bank account is in the mix, do you already have one here, or will you have to open a new account?

Do you have a residence here and if so, in which province? If not, in which province will you reside?

It can be done. My wife and I arrived in Thailand on ordinary tourist visas on 19 December, got our embassy letters in Bangkok, (US embassy requires an advance appointment online) rented a condo in Pattaya, opened bank accounts and obtained the bank letter on 14 January. On 15 January, we applied for our non-immigrant conversions and then our extensions of those visas, and obtained our re-entry permits. All finished on 15 January. Caution: I understand that this is possible only in Chon Buri (Pattaya) and Hua Hin, whereas other provinces won't convert to a non-immigrant visa and then give the one year extension on the same day.

Will be using pension income and will be staying in Bangkok renting a condo.

This is a bit difficult to answer because there are too many unknown variables.

1. Which method of meeting the financial requirements for the retirement extension are your planning to use? See clause 2.22 of Immigration Bureau Order 327/2557
2. Do you already have a bank account in Thailand?
3. With what visa, or visa-exempt, do you plan to arrive in Thailand to initiate you retirement extension?
4. Where in Thailand will you live, ie at what immigration office will you apply for the retirement extension? Some offices do not make the change from visa-exempt entry or tourist visa to non-O. Some offices accept the application for extension only within the last 30 days of your current permission to stay, others within 45 days.
5. At what intervals are you making your trips to Thailand for your stays of up to 28 days? This timing is important because some offices give the retirement extension on the same visit when you change from visa-exempt or tourist visa to non-O, others ask you to come back within 30 or 45 days from expiration or your permission to stay.

Does anyone know the time frames for this in Bangkok?

Using pension income and will have original letters confirming 85,000 baht per month

What visa would you suggest to start with

Will be living in Bangkok

Usual intervals are 2 months or less

Embassy letter confirming income for the financial requirement. OK.

Single-entry non-O visa is the simplest method, but let's look at the time line.

The Bangkok immigration office accepts the application for retirement extension within 45 days from the expiration of the permission to stay, if I remember this correctly. Somebody please correct me if I got it wrong.

Trips to Thailand every two months or a little less, stay of up to 28 days per visit. Time line with single entry non-O visa:

• Day 1: arrive in Bangkok. Permission to stay for 90 days, ie until day 89.
• Day 1 to day of departure after ≤28 days: get single-entry re-entry permit from local immigration office.
• Approx. day 28: depart from Thailand.
• Approx. day 60: arrive in Bangkok. Permission to stay until day 89.
• Day of arrival to day of departure after ≤28 days but not later than day 89: Get the embassy letter and apply for one-year extension of stay for retirement, issued on the day of application. The one-year extension is added to the current permission to stay, ie the new permission to stay is now until day 454.
• Day 409 to day 454: apply for your next one-year extension of stay.
• etc.

Note: Never wait until the last possible day to apply for the extension, in case you are being asked for some more documentation.

Thanks for the info Appreciated

Not stated but would assume you are over 50yr old

Yes over 50

Thanks for info

And don't forget to obtain a multiple re-entry permit at a cost of 3,800 THB when you apply for an extension of stay at Chaengwattana (Bangkok) Immigration!

Depends.

Will you be relying on pension income alone, a bank deposit alone, or a combination of the two to meet the financial requirements?

If a bank account is in the mix, do you already have one here, or will you have to open a new account?

Do you have a residence here and if so, in which province? If not, in which province will you reside?

It can be done. My wife and I arrived in Thailand on ordinary tourist visas on 19 December, got our embassy letters in Bangkok, (US embassy requires an advance appointment online) rented a condo in Pattaya, opened bank accounts and obtained the bank letter on 14 January. On 15 January, we applied for our non-immigrant conversions and then our extensions of those visas, and obtained our re-entry permits. All finished on 15 January. Caution: I understand that this is possible only in Chon Buri (Pattaya) and Hua Hin, whereas other provinces won't convert to a non-immigrant visa and then give the one year extension on the same day.

I must be missing something here?

If you arrived on 19 December and then opened bank recounts how did you manage to obtain the bank letter on 14 January? This is less than the two months that the money needs to be sitting in the bank account.

I must be missing something here?

If you arrived on 19 December and then opened bank recounts how did you manage to obtain the bank letter on 14 January? This is less than the two months that the money needs to be sitting in the bank account.

Jomtien is an accommodating office, As mentioned, it is common that the initial visa conversion and first extension are given with a single visit. It is also the place where people can pay an agent for the extension to be issued without money in the bank.

Depends.

Will you be relying on pension income alone, a bank deposit alone, or a combination of the two to meet the financial requirements?

If a bank account is in the mix, do you already have one here, or will you have to open a new account?

Do you have a residence here and if so, in which province? If not, in which province will you reside?

It can be done. My wife and I arrived in Thailand on ordinary tourist visas on 19 December, got our embassy letters in Bangkok, (US embassy requires an advance appointment online) rented a condo in Pattaya, opened bank accounts and obtained the bank letter on 14 January. On 15 January, we applied for our non-immigrant conversions and then our extensions of those visas, and obtained our re-entry permits. All finished on 15 January. Caution: I understand that this is possible only in Chon Buri (Pattaya) and Hua Hin, whereas other provinces won't convert to a non-immigrant visa and then give the one year extension on the same day.

I must be missing something here?

If you arrived on 19 December and then opened bank recounts how did you manage to obtain the bank letter on 14 January? This is less than the two months that the money needs to be sitting in the bank account.

He also said: "got our embassy letters in Bangkok, "

So he must be using the combination of bank deposit and income. No need for seasoning of bank balance if you use the income only or income/bank combination.

Depends.

Will you be relying on pension income alone, a bank deposit alone, or a combination of the two to meet the financial requirements?

If a bank account is in the mix, do you already have one here, or will you have to open a new account?

Do you have a residence here and if so, in which province? If not, in which province will you reside?

It can be done. My wife and I arrived in Thailand on ordinary tourist visas on 19 December, got our embassy letters in Bangkok, (US embassy requires an advance appointment online) rented a condo in Pattaya, opened bank accounts and obtained the bank letter on 14 January. On 15 January, we applied for our non-immigrant conversions and then our extensions of those visas, and obtained our re-entry permits. All finished on 15 January. Caution: I understand that this is possible only in Chon Buri (Pattaya) and Hua Hin, whereas other provinces won't convert to a non-immigrant visa and then give the one year extension on the same day.

I must be missing something here?

If you arrived on 19 December and then opened bank recounts how did you manage to obtain the bank letter on 14 January? This is less than the two months that the money needs to be sitting in the bank account.

He also said: "got our embassy letters in Bangkok, "

So he must be using the combination of bank deposit and income. No need for seasoning of bank balance if you use the income only or income/bank combination.

Correct. I was fine on income, but my wife was short, so she had both the embassy letter, and the bank letter showing sufficient funds on deposit to make up the difference.

Depends.

Will you be relying on pension income alone, a bank deposit alone, or a combination of the two to meet the financial requirements?

If a bank account is in the mix, do you already have one here, or will you have to open a new account?

Do you have a residence here and if so, in which province? If not, in which province will you reside?

It can be done. My wife and I arrived in Thailand on ordinary tourist visas on 19 December, got our embassy letters in Bangkok, (US embassy requires an advance appointment online) rented a condo in Pattaya, opened bank accounts and obtained the bank letter on 14 January. On 15 January, we applied for our non-immigrant conversions and then our extensions of those visas, and obtained our re-entry permits. All finished on 15 January. Caution: I understand that this is possible only in Chon Buri (Pattaya) and Hua Hin, whereas other provinces won't convert to a non-immigrant visa and then give the one year extension on the same day.

I must be missing something here?

If you arrived on 19 December and then opened bank recounts how did you manage to obtain the bank letter on 14 January? This is less than the two months that the money needs to be sitting in the bank account.

Sorry for the confusion. I should have written "...obtained the bank letter for my wife as her income alone was insufficient..."

If there is any regular income (pension, etc) from abroad, then the seeding requirement is no longer applicable. Even a small amount of income will do.

If there is any regular income (pension, etc) from abroad, then the seeding requirement is no longer applicable. Even a small amount of income will do.

There are reports about some offices, CW included, now requiring the deposit portion to be seasoned

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/752971-retirement-visa-combination-of-pension-money-in-bank-account/