khwaibah Posted October 23, 2014 Author Share Posted October 23, 2014 I suggest you take this up with City News as it from City News "Changing visa status Under the new rules, changing one's visa status – for example, from a tourist visa to a retirement visa – can no longer be done in one day. The process will now take up to 21 days. Immigration officers encourage people who wish to change their visas to apply as soon as possible. If someone enters the country on a 30-day tourist visa, for example, they should apply for a new visa within nine days to ensure they can remain in the country legally." http://www.chiangmaicitynews.com/news.php?id=4557 "The process will now take up to 21 days". It does not take a translator or rocket scientist to figure out what going on. What do you think is going on? My reading says CM is still doing CONVERSIONS from tourist visas or entry stamps to O visas (first step in two step process) and that you need to leave plenty of time on your initial stay (entry stamp or tourist visa) when going in for that first step (second step is the retirement extension). In many offices over the years, that is nothing new at all! There is a more interesting item in the article which I find hard to believe. Often there are a massive amount of "lost in translation" errors in press reports on visa changes. Often the writers of such articles don't have a clue about visa details in the first place (not to mention the language issues), so you can't exactly be surprised. They report Applicants must have an income of 65,000 baht per month or have more than 800,000 baht in a single bank account over three months prior to application. If true, that would be a big change. The part of about SINGLE BANK ACCOUNT. In other words, they are indicating that you can't combine two (or more) Thai bank accounts to meet the 800K rule (still must be seasoned). Never heard of such a rule at any office. I am skeptical this is real and if it is real I wonder if it is a national rule. Also they don't mention that first time retirement extensions actually require only TWO months seasoning. Again, I suspect a miscommunication on both details. If not, that would mean they are now saying it is three months for FIRST time retirement extensions. Also there is no such as getting an O-A visa in Thailand. Never has been, isn't now. Be wary of reports in the press here about visas. Also seek confirmation and clarification because frankly they print a lot of *$^#@$$. Chiang Mai City News lost a fair amount of credibility over their reporting of immigration issues the last time and it would not surprise me if this issue is still plaguing them. At the same time what was written may be factual. We shall just have to wait as CMCN has opened up another can of worms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Do not have high expectations of English language expat press in Thailand and you will not be disappointed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laislica Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 PlastikbinLina: This process has been described on TV many hundreds of times. You're a relative newcomer so check out the Visas Forum. You seem to be confused between a visa on arrival and a visa exempt entry. They are not the same. You can get up to speed on the terminology by checking the appropriate forum. I'm sure nobody want to rehash the details. I think that post was actually about the process of doing two steps towards a retirement extension. First step, change of status from entry stamp or tourist visa to O. Second step, annual retirement extension. CNX Immigration is saying that a single entry 90 day O-Visa can not be issued by them. This is the first step for retirement by extension. Pattaya and Phuket immigration has had this done to them and now CNX. Things must have changed there since I did it before. In early 2012, in CNX, I needed consular proof of funds and got a 90 day non O. I had entered on a tourist visa waiver. In the last 30 days of this visa, I needed new proof of funds (another fifty quid to the consulate LOL) And I extended the non O visa for reasons of retirement. Then I stupidly let the extension lapse and entered again but with a 90 day non O. I keep the funds in the bank for the appropriate time and get a bank letter, 100 b and get the extension for retirement. A much better arrangement. My lifestyle is about half time in Thailand and half in Spain. The timing of the extension renewal is vital to make it fit in with your regular trips. My extension expires 25 th April, so, in CNX it is possible to apply for the new extension up to 45 days prior. This gives me a nice window to get the job done. As soon as the extension has been granted we can leave if we like. In this way we can spend time in Thailand with family and friends yet still have time to visit other family and friends in other countries. My wife needs to spend at least 180 days in Spain to maintain her residency there. We humans, with our greed and need to control, sure make things hard for ourselves LOL We are the only mammals on the planet that need all this BS LOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 I think the post stating CM no longer does conversions to O (as part of two step process towards retirement extension) has been well refuted on this thread already. I would assume CM DOES still offer the conversions (from entry stamp or tourist visas). But you do need to leave at least 21 days left on your entry stamp or tourist visa when coming on, so those on 30 days will be under a lot of TIME PRESSURE to get the conversion step done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laislica Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 To Jinthing, When they report a single bank account, they may mean, not a joint account. For a joint account I think that the required funds are doubled! I asked Kasikorn for a joint account but they wouldn't let us have one. Probably just as well LOL I have multiple accounts and I bet that the bank would include them all in e proof letter if necessary. The only problem would be having to photocopy them all and see they were updated first. The simplest is the right cash in a single account. First time with bank funds is indeed 60 days and subsequent applications are 90 days as you said. Also best to have at least 2 accounts, one with ATM access, the other not. Keep most funds in the isolated account and transfer to the ATM account in small doses as required. A little bit of scam protection LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 (edited) To Jinthing, When they report a single bank account, they may mean, not a joint account. For a joint account I think that the required funds are doubled! I asked Kasikorn for a joint account but they wouldn't let us have one. Probably just as well LOL I have multiple accounts and I bet that the bank would include them all in e proof letter if necessary. The only problem would be having to photocopy them all and see they were updated first. The simplest is the right cash in a single account. First time with bank funds is indeed 60 days and subsequent applications are 90 days as you said. Also best to have at least 2 accounts, one with ATM access, the other not. Keep most funds in the isolated account and transfer to the ATM account in small doses as required. A little bit of scam protection LOL We're talking about different things. It is NOT NEW that it is not OK to have multiple names on qualifying immigration accounts. What the text of article also talks about is multiple accounts not being used (implied by text about ONE ACCOUNT). Nothing about same bank either. You are thinking that I am talking only about same bank. I am not. Many people have accounts in MORE THAN ONE Thai bank. In other words 700 at Kasikorn and 120 at Bangkok Bank, still seasoned, but you have to do some math to show the seasoning. As far as I know this has always been OK. The text in the articles suggests not now, at least at CM. I do not really believe it yet. But by vague reporting, they have raised another question, and when people hear of possible changes in a large office like CM they do wonder if this is a Thailand wide change. Edited October 23, 2014 by Jingthing 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laislica Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 To Jinthing, When they report a single bank account, they may mean, not a joint account. For a joint account I think that the required funds are doubled! I asked Kasikorn for a joint account but they wouldn't let us have one. Probably just as well LOL I have multiple accounts and I bet that the bank would include them all in e proof letter if necessary. The only problem would be having to photocopy them all and see they were updated first. The simplest is the right cash in a single account. First time with bank funds is indeed 60 days and subsequent applications are 90 days as you said. Also best to have at least 2 accounts, one with ATM access, the other not. Keep most funds in the isolated account and transfer to the ATM account in small doses as required. A little bit of scam protection LOL We're talking about different things.It is NOT NEW that it is not OK to have multiple names on qualifying immigration accounts. What the text of article also talks about is multiple accounts not being used (implied by text about ONE ACCOUNT). Nothing about same bank either. You are thinking that I am talking only about same bank. I am not. Many people have accounts in MORE THAN ONE Thai bank. In other words 700 at Kasikorn and 120 at Bangkok Bank, still seasoned, but you have to do some math to show the seasoning. As far as I know this has always been OK. The text in the articles suggests not now, at least at CM. I do not really believe it yet. But by vague reporting, they have raised another question, and when people hear of possible changes in a large office like CM they do wonder if this is a Thailand wide change. Having accounts in several banks makes good sense as protection against "all eggs in one basket". We also use several banks for that reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billd766 Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 When I did my last 90 day report in Udon Thani the IO said they are about to initiate 90 day reports by internet/e-mail. i know it's not Chiang Mai, and I'd happily pay 10 baht at my local 7-11 to save a 150 km round trip! I just went 125 km to Nakhon Sawan this morning and thought it was quiet at Immigration. It was. Today is Chulalongkorn day and they were closed. My fault for not checking and not theirs. The problem with being retired is that all days are the same. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noahvail Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 When I did my last 90 day report in Udon Thani the IO said they are about to initiate 90 day reports by internet/e-mail. i know it's not Chiang Mai, and I'd happily pay 10 baht at my local 7-11 to save a 150 km round trip! I just went 125 km to Nakhon Sawan this morning and thought it was quiet at Immigration. It was. Today is Chulalongkorn day and they were closed. My fault for not checking and not theirs. The problem with being retired is that all days are the same. Ayup, sometimes the days do seem to run into each other. We don't have any wall calendars, so it adds to the challenge! ?? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billd766 Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 When I did my last 90 day report in Udon Thani the IO said they are about to initiate 90 day reports by internet/e-mail. i know it's not Chiang Mai, and I'd happily pay 10 baht at my local 7-11 to save a 150 km round trip! I just went 125 km to Nakhon Sawan this morning and thought it was quiet at Immigration. It was. Today is Chulalongkorn day and they were closed. My fault for not checking and not theirs. The problem with being retired is that all days are the same. Ayup, sometimes the days do seem to run into each other. We don't have any wall calendars, so it adds to the challenge! ?? I feel that I am getting more technically challenged every year. My 10 year old son on the other hand thrives on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noahvail Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 When I did my last 90 day report in Udon Thani the IO said they are about to initiate 90 day reports by internet/e-mail. i know it's not Chiang Mai, and I'd happily pay 10 baht at my local 7-11 to save a 150 km round trip! I just went 125 km to Nakhon Sawan this morning and thought it was quiet at Immigration. It was. Today is Chulalongkorn day and they were closed. My fault for not checking and not theirs. The problem with being retired is that all days are the same. Ayup, sometimes the days do seem to run into each other. We don't have any wall calendars, so it adds to the challenge! ?? I feel that I am getting more technically challenged every year. My 10 year old son on the other hand thrives on it. They say mankind's knowledge doubles every five years. That would mean, from the time I graduated high school, our species' knowledge has grown some 512 times. Can't get my head around it. I started my elder son on a PC when he was 4, and younger when he was two. The older one was like a duck to water. In high school, the IT teacher would toss him a factory-sealed DVD program, and tell him to take it home and teach it to the class tomorrow. He was written up twice in PC magazine by the time he was 17 for having done mechanical things to the insides of PCs that hadn't been done before. He went to uni, double major in computer stuff, and one day in his junior year he phoned me, all excited, to say "I actually learned something in class today!". In the meantime he was building websites and coding games, and he bought a house and semi-retired when he was 25. The younger son just finds it a useful tool for his chemistry calculations and gaming lol... So, I would say to you, encourage your son to learn not only how to use the machine, but also how to code and how it works on the inside. If he's good at it, there's a great future for him. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laislica Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 When I did my last 90 day report in Udon Thani the IO said they are about to initiate 90 day reports by internet/e-mail. i know it's not Chiang Mai, and I'd happily pay 10 baht at my local 7-11 to save a 150 km round trip! I just went 125 km to Nakhon Sawan this morning and thought it was quiet at Immigration. It was. Today is Chulalongkorn day and they were closed. My fault for not checking and not theirs. The problem with being retired is that all days are the same. Ayup, sometimes the days do seem to run into each other. We don't have any wall calendars, so it adds to the challenge! I feel that I am getting more technically challenged every year. My 10 year old son on the other hand thrives on it. They say mankind's knowledge doubles every five years. That would mean, from the time I graduated high school, our species' knowledge has grown some 512 times. Can't get my head around it. I started my elder son on a PC when he was 4, and younger when he was two. The older one was like a duck to water. In high school, the IT teacher would toss him a factory-sealed DVD program, and tell him to take it home and teach it to the class tomorrow. He was written up twice in PC magazine by the time he was 17 for having done mechanical things to the insides of PCs that hadn't been done before. He went to uni, double major in computer stuff, and one day in his junior year he phoned me, all excited, to say "I actually learned something in class today!". In the meantime he was building websites and coding games, and he bought a house and semi-retired when he was 25. The younger son just finds it a useful tool for his chemistry calculations and gaming lol... So, I would say to you, encourage your son to learn not only how to use the machine, but also how to code and how it works on the inside. If he's good at it, there's a great future for him. No need for any of that - the Wife Knows Everything LOL 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watcharacters Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 The Missus just takes my passport and a copy of my departure card to immigration and takes care of the process in a quick jiffy. She doesn't mind going and it saves me any possible aggravation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watcharacters Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Any proxy can do for the 90 day report. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thailand Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 90 day reports + 711 = chaos. But dream on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyL Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 90 day reports + 711 = chaos. But dream on. Why would this be chaos? We pay our electric bill at the 711 and somehow our lights remain on. It just shows that CM Immigration is "thinking outside the box" in trying to relieve the office overcrowding. It has been suggested that they outsource the 90-day reporting process to a third party -- viola, 711 could probably do it very efficiently and meet the requirements of Immigration all for the same 10 baht fee they charge when they do other similar transactions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thailand Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 90 day reports + 711 = chaos. But dream on. Why would this be chaos? We pay our electric bill at the 711 and somehow our lights remain on.It just shows that CM Immigration is "thinking outside the box" in trying to relieve the office overcrowding. It has been suggested that they outsource the 90-day reporting process to a third party -- viola, 711 could probably do it very efficiently and meet the requirements of Immigration all for the same 10 baht fee they charge when they do other similar transactions. Wouldn't it rely on computers talking to each other in some shape or form via bar codes etc and retaining that information? Now that has been a huge success so far,ever had your bar code used even at immigration. Not knocking the efforts, but as I said dream on. Use the post,choose the right time, employ an agent. But number one,more staff and bigger premises for the overworked immigration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
animatic Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 (edited) Quote from CityNews... "Police Colonel Rutjapong Saravanangkool said officials had mooted plans that would allow foreigners to use a keycard or something similar when checking in at convenience stores. He would push this idea over the next year and hoped to make it a reality, he added" What is "mooted plans"... They have mooted plans for a new Immigration office... They have mooted plans for a Skytrain... They have mooted plans for Democracy... This sounds similar to when pigs fly out... moot/muːt/ adjective 1. subject or open to debate: a moot point verb 2. (transitive) to suggest or bring up for debate 3. (intransitive) to plead or argue theoretical or hypothetical cases, as an academic exercise or as vocational training for law students noun 4. a discussion or debate of a hypothetical case or point, held as an academic activity 5. (in Anglo-Saxon England) an assembly, mainly in a shire or hundred, dealing with local legal and administrative affairs Derived Forms mooter, noun Word Origin Old English gemōt; compare Old Saxon mōt, Middle High German muoze meeting .... So essentially this nothing of consequence, just an idea they might toss around. Nothing in the realm of hard fact. Guy in Chaing Mai is a public mooter of the silliest sort. We are in LOM Land of Mooters, S.E. Asia's Hub of Mooters. Edited October 24, 2014 by animatic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StefanBBK Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 I can imagine that many visa runners or people that used to come and go frequently have changed their visas recently to one year "O" etc. That would mean many more would need to do 90 day reports. So improving efficiency would be a logical step. That may be online or outsourcing to I. E. 7 Eleven. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmsally Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Maybe in trying to tackle the issue, they should go back to the root theory. What exactly is the point of the 90 day thing. Does it serve any purpose? If one has a years visa then it would be fairly obvious one intends to stay longer than 90 days and address would be on the visa. If exiting you would have a re-entry visa and therefore presumably appear on the system in that way. Still don't get the point of the 90 day thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umbanda Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 When I did my last 90 day report in Udon Thani the IO said they are about to initiate 90 day reports by internet/e-mail. i know it's not Chiang Mai, and I'd happily pay 10 baht at my local 7-11 to save a 150 km round trip! Very good...Isn't?....Every farang will be very happy in pay a lot more than 10 thb for that service....making the richest man in Thailand happier too! By the way, will be a good opportunity to get some CP products too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmsally Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 When I did my last 90 day report in Udon Thani the IO said they are about to initiate 90 day reports by internet/e-mail. i know it's not Chiang Mai, and I'd happily pay 10 baht at my local 7-11 to save a 150 km round trip! Very good...Isn't?....Every farang will be very happy in pay a lot more than 10 thb for that service....making the richest man in Thailand happier too! By the way, will be a good opportunity to get some CP products too! One presumes that CP is now running hospitals too. Looking at a lot of the food in there, daily consumption will put you in need of a hospital very quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worgeordie Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Whenever I see a Govt. announcement with the words "may" or "mulls"in it, you can be pretty sure nothings,going to happen,if by chance it does, they quickly do a u turn. regards Worgeordie. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khwaibah Posted October 24, 2014 Author Share Posted October 24, 2014 (edited) Whenever I see a Govt. announcement with the words "may" or "mulls"in it, you can be pretty sure nothings,going to happen,if by chance it does, they quickly do a u turn. regards Worgeordie. Watch out CNX you could be next..Hua Hin added to NO O-Visa http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/767406-pattaya-immigration-no-longer-does-conversion-to-non-o-visa/page-3#entry8578650 Edited October 24, 2014 by khwaibah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante99 Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 Well the man really had a bunch of you on about the 7-11 90 day report. Hard to believe that anyone would take him seriously about that, he said it as a joke and a lot of you took the bait. He is having a good laugh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyL Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 Whenever I see a Govt. announcement with the words "may" or "mulls"in it, you can be pretty sure nothings,going to happen,if by chance it does, they quickly do a u turn. regards Worgeordie. Watch out CNX you could be next..Hua Hin added to NO O-Visa http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/767406-pattaya-immigration-no-longer-does-conversion-to-non-o-visa/page-3#entry8578650 Yes, this is interesting that the Immigration officials made such a point to specifically address the two-step conversion process in their talk -- just like they specifically made a point of addressing how they can't do "proof of life" certification. It would appear that those are two issues they confront that are maybe unique to the Chiang Mai office, maybe issues not confronted to such a degree in other Immigration offices. Anyway, I wonder why they would spend so much time informing the audience about the details of how to do a two-step conversion if that privilege was about to be removed from Chiang Mai? Yet, the recent trend isn't good, what with the privilege being removed from other offices that serve retirees. Time will tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billd766 Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 Perhaps the Immigration Department could go 2 or 3 steps beyond and open a Skype account for each Immigration office where the Immigration officer and the customer could literally see and speak to each other. Forms could be posted and then they know who you are, where you were at that time and even if you were actually who you said you were. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northernjohn Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 Do not have high expectations of English language expat press in Thailand and you will not be disappointed. Not sure what is happening with my like button. But I like your post. The scary thing is the number of people who take it as Gospel. For myself I am going to watch the video as it was easy to misunderstand some of what he said unless you have full command of the immigration procedures. The one thing he made it real easy to understand was they prefer you to mail in your 90 day reports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northernjohn Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 Well the man really had a bunch of you on about the 7-11 90 day report. Hard to believe that anyone would take him seriously about that, he said it as a joke and a lot of you took the bait. He is having a good laugh. That is why I want to see the video. I at first thought he was talking about a machine there at their office and then he was talking about 7/11 and I took it as an idea that it was some thing that could happen. There was another point that was a bit vague to me. Possibly my hearing loss. But he had said some thing about 2 years and things would be better. I had heard a rumor earlier that they were going to remodel on the same premises in the next two years. Now I don't know if that is some thing they are going to ask Bangkok for or some thing they have already been given the green light on. When I get the video I will be able to rerun it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laislica Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 Although the 7/11 is very efficient in allowing you to pay bills, even very expensive international flights and therefore it is very feasible that we could make the 90 day report there. Why can't we just walk into the local police station/post And report there? Why don't Thai immigration issue us with an identity number connected with the visa and its subsequent extensions? How hard would it be to create an online system, a secure government gateway, that lets the police and other authorised bodies login and make the report? On the other hand, why keep the 90 day requirement? My wife has a Spanish residential "foreigners" ID card, good for 5 years! It replaced the initial 90 day EEA Family member visa. She is not required to make any reports, can own land etc. same as me. Yes there were many hoops to jump through, firstly to get the EEA visa and then in Spain, to get the foreigners residential ID. But, it only has to be done once and subsequently, updated every 5 years, the same as has to be done by everyone in Spain, local or foreigner. Perhaps it's time that immigration applied this type of procedure to the marriage extension and issue Sami with a Thai Foreigners ID card? (I write this in the hope that Thai immigration read it......) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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