Do-It-Yourself Retirement Extension Questions

[watgate]

If you obtain a time slot from the online immigration queue for a particular day, I take it you just show up at that time at immigration for your scheduled appt. Is that correct and do you just walk to the front ahead of the throngs of people in line waiting to get a number? I have never been to immigration so am not familiar with the proper procedures. This would be for an extension of stay based on retirement.

[jobin]

Boots on the ground, maybe even tomorrow, at 5.30am, for year long retirement extension and multiple re-entry into the Kingdom right here at the CM Immig Office. Have got TM7, new residence contract, passport copies,head photo, copy of USA Consulate financial statement (90 days old) and ample cash. Any foreseeable problems with the financial statement?. I did all the stuff new on 24 June, when received 90 extension, so now i return to go for full year extension.

Once this complete, let's say 11am, then same day i will seek the re-entry permit, i presume in same office. Have TM8 and what else is needed?

thanks all.

[padlin]

If one gets and agent to do the retirement visa extension, do you just give all the stuff to the agent and let him do the queue-ing - or does one have to be there with him at some stage?

Surely they have to see the applicant ... or do they?

[JimGant]

Well, I'll give this thread a bump, seeing I've got the same question as the previous post, that never got answered.....

....... namely, are there agents out there who do it all for your one year retirement extensions, i.e., you're not required AT ALL to visit Immigration in person?

Apparently such agents exist in Bangkok per this thread:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/767359-how-to-get-retirement-visa-when-in-thailand-on-visa-exemption/page-2

"Neither time did I go to Immigration, I dropped off my passport together with photos and bankbook at the agents office in Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok one day, and picked up them up the next day with everything taken care of. The agent concerned is well known and advertises the service online."

And if so, who and at what cost (the example from Bangkok seems a little exorbitant, but of course such service would require a little greasing at Immigration).

[Konini]

I don't think it can be done - any extension, including retirement has to be made in person as far as I am aware.

That's what the man with the gun says, anyway.

[FredLee]

If you obtain a time slot from the online immigration queue for a particular day, I take it you just show up at that time at immigration for your scheduled appt. Is that correct and do you just walk to the front ahead of the throngs of people in line waiting to get a number? I have never been to immigration so am not familiar with the proper procedures. This would be for an extension of stay based on retirement.

Last year I had an appt for an extension of stay. I showed up an hour early and showed my appt printout to the young lady at the front counter. She said to have a seat. I asked her if she needed to keep the appt printout and she said no.

15 minutes after my appt time they still had not called me. I went back to the front counter where a different lady was now manning. She asked to see my appt printout. I showed her, and she collected it and put it in one of the inboxes behind the counter, and told me to have a seat.

40 minutes after my appt time, they still had not called me. I went back to the front counter, and was told again to have a seat. This time I just backed up a few feet from the counter and stood there. After about 5 minutes, the young lady went to the back and brought a young man to the front. He asked me to have a seat and that they would call me. I told him I preferred to stand, since I had been sitting a long time. He went to the back and conversed with a lady at a desk doing paperwork. She looked up at me, and motioned me to come in, and she took care of my extension.

I have an appt this year as well, so I hope it goes quicker than last time. If not, I will start using an agent.

[CMBob]

If you obtain a time slot from the online immigration queue for a particular day, I take it you just show up at that time at immigration for your scheduled appt. Is that correct and do you just walk to the front ahead of the throngs of people in line waiting to get a number? I have never been to immigration so am not familiar with the proper procedures. This would be for an extension of stay based on retirement.

To make it clear, you don't get a number if you have the online appointment. The best thing is to show up about 10-15 minutes before your appointment and then go tell the girl at the center desk that you've arrived for your appointment (show them your printed-out sheet). They'll tell you to go sit down and wait.

I've done the online appointment deal for the last two years and both times they called my name within just a few minutes after the appointed time (which sounds quite different from the experience noted immediately above). Once they call you up (they'll take you one of a couple of desks handling the extensions), typically (as long as you have all the proper paperwork) you'll only spend 5-10 minutes at most with the officer. Then you just go back to the general area and sit down and wait for them to call you to get your passport (that can take 20-40 minutes). Once you get your passport back, probably wise to take a quick look at your extension to make sure it seems to be correct (probably will be but I'd guess the best time to note a problem is right then).

[Spaniel]

I have been doing these retirement extensions myself for the past 15 years (in Bangkok) and I have found it to be a pretty straight forward, uncomplicated procedure. Can someone explain exactly what an "agent" does for you?

[Sparkles]

I have been doing these retirement extensions myself for the past 15 years (in Bangkok) and I have found it to be a pretty straight forward, uncomplicated procedure. Can someone explain exactly what an "agent" does for you?

Yes easy answer. An Agent gladly accepts a load of money for something that you can do yourself. Like you,doing it myself for 14 years without a problem.

Then again I wash my own car and my wife and I don't need a maid or a gardener. There is a mindset, amongst some, that once you settle in Thailand, where wages are low, that you are able to employ

someone to look after your every need.

Each to his own and I guess using an Agent increases the revenue stream for locals and the Thai economy.

[delboy]

I recently got my visa extended for another year at Chiang Mai. I left my car in the car wash across the road for a 100 baht wash, and arrived at the office at 9.50 for my 10.30 appointment. Showed my papers at the information desk and was told to take a seat. My name was called at 10.10, and the interview took 10 minutes. Then I had to have my photo taken and my passport was scanned into the computer (new this year). I waited outside for a further 20 minutes for my passport to be returned, and that was it.

As suggested above, please check that the details are correct before leaving the office. Once I was given somebody elses passport in error, and another time they stamped the wrong date on the extension.

[Mapguy]

Another example of very speedy service. (There is another thread with a report like this.) It appears that there has been some welcome success administratively in smoothing out and shortening the process. That is good news!