Retirement Visa -change of rules at Chiang Mai

[bluey1234]

3 years ago CM immigration urged all people over 50 years of age on an Education Visa to convert to a Retirement Visa. I did this, as recommended by them. I went to an agent today to extend my visa ( amongst other things) only to be told that the rules have now changed. Immigration in CM will not extend a Retirement Visa if it has been converted from a previous Ed Visa, even if you converted it years ago. Apparently now they will only extend Retiremnet visas from Non O visa. This means either leaving the country and coming back in on a tourist visa or extending at another province. I was very shocked by this. has anyone else had the same experience

[Lite Beer]

You do not need an agent.

If I were you I would go and ask Immigration themselves.

You cannot extend at another province.

[ubonjoe]

Moved to the Thai visas forum.

[ubonjoe]

Sounds like somebody trying to collect some extra fees or misinformation. Perhaps he heard that they will not change the reason for an extension for education to retirement now.

You should go to immigration and apply for the extension yourself. Once you are on the extension already they would not deny doing another one for that reason.

[Beetlejuice]

Once you are on a retirement visa, than this can be extended provided you fulfill all the imposed Immigration requirements to do so. Your past status here in Thailand is irrelevant.

[Jingthing]

I thought this was a national rule now.

Basically if you've got current extensions for ONE reason you can't get a new extension based on a new reason without starting over with a new O visa.

I was basically required to sign a form to that effect last year at Jomtien, it was worded oddly so I might have misinterpreted it ... but it looked super official, so I assumed it was a national change.

In other words, as I read it, I'm currently on retirement extensions, suppose I want to change to marriage (fat chance) or ED extensions ... then I would be required to start with a new O visa.

Edited June 23, 2015 by Jingthing

[ubonjoe]

I thought this was a national rule now.

Basically if you've got current extensions for ONE reason you can't get a new extension based on a new reason without starting over with a new O visa.

I was basically required to sign a form to that effect last year at Jomtien, it was worded oddly so I might have misinterpreted it ... but it looked super official, so I assumed it was a national change.

In other words, as I read it, I'm currently on retirement extensions, suppose I want to change to marriage (fat chance) or ED extensions ... then I would be required to start with a new O visa.

He is not changing anything now. He is already on extension based upon retirement and is wanting to renew it.

They will still do a change from retirement to marriage and vice versa.

[Jingthing]

Sorry, I did misread the OP, he had already changed it.

Oh well.

Is this possibly a more strict RETROACTIVE enforcement of the concept of no changes of extension reason?

Or perhaps as you said, the agent might be churning or misunderstood the actual rule as well.

Edited June 23, 2015 by Jingthing

[Rama]

What your 'agent' is saying makes no sense. Maybe he will now suggest that he can clear it all up for a few baht more. I would go directly to Immigration and ask them directly - or go ask another agent.

[happy Joe]

He is not changing anything now. He is already on extension based upon retirement and is wanting to renew it.

They will still do a change from retirement to marriage and vice versa.

Not sure.

The immigration office told me there are some days that an evolution of an O visa to a marriage visa was no longer possible without departing from the country and return with a tourist visa.

I think the only reason for this rule is force us to pay 1900 baht 2 times for change status.

So I remain with my O retirement visa.

[Maestro]

When you applied for the one-year retirement extension that you currently have you paid the regular fee of 1,900 Baht. If towards the end of this extension period you apply as usual for a new one-year extension, but this time for a marriage extension, you pay again the regular fee of 1,900 Baht. There is nothing wrong with that.

[Saan]

When you applied for the one-year retirement extension that you currently have you paid the regular fee of 1,900 Baht. If towards the end of this extension period you apply as usual for a new one-year extension, but this time for a marriage extension, you pay again the regular fee of 1,900 Baht. There is nothing wrong with that.

I am confused. Can you switch from a retirement visa to a marriage visa without having to leave the country?

Is it simply a matter of turning up for appointment and handling over relevant papers for an extension based on marriage?

Edited June 23, 2015 by Saan

[paz]

I am confused. Can you switch from a retirement visa to a marriage visa without having to leave the country?

Is it simply a matter of turning up for appointment and handling over relevant papers for an extension based on marriage?

These are not visa, are extension of stay. And yes you you can switch reason, except to/from ED visa and extensions.

[paz]

Not sure.

The immigration office told me there are some days that an evolution of an O visa to a marriage visa was no longer possible without departing from the country and return with a tourist visa.

I think the only reason for this rule is force us to pay 1900 baht 2 times for change status.

So I remain with my O retirement visa.

Incorrect. In fact is not possible to obtain an extension of stay for marriage (that you call visa), while on a tourist visa. One needs a non-imm 'O' visa for that.

Also note, you are staying on a extension of stay for retirement. Not a non-imm 'O' visa.

[happy Joe]

Lorsque vous avez demandé l'extension de la retraite d'un an que vous avez actuellement vous avez payé le tarif régulier de 1900 bahts. Si vers la fin de cette période de prolongation vous appliquez comme d'habitude pour une nouvelle prolongation d'un an, mais cette fois pour une extension de mariage, vous payez les frais de nouveau régulière de 1900 bahts. Il n'y a rien de mal à cela.

No.

you must take a 60 day tourist visa 1900 baht and then your annual visa for 1900 b also.

At Jomptien last year where people are far more conciliatory the immigration service Cumulative these two formulas to give me a 15-month visa (30 days + 60 + 365) against 3800 b. Price for a first visa O retirement.

This year I would change status for a "young married" visa. But Chiang Mai responsible did not offer to combine Tourist + marriage in one step.

Edited June 24, 2015 by happy Joe

[IMA_FARANG]

When you applied for the one-year retirement extension that you currently have you paid the regular fee of 1,900 Baht. If towards the end of this extension period you apply as usual for a new one-year extension, but this time for a marriage extension, you pay again the regular fee of 1,900 Baht. There is nothing wrong with that.

I am confused. Can you switch from a retirement visa to a marriage visa without having to leave the country?

Is it simply a matter of turning up for appointment and handling over relevant papers for an extension based on marriage?

---------------------------

Generally yes, you can.

It only requires you meet what they require for that extension.

f you are married they sometimes ask you to get a "retirement" extension if you qualify as the paperwork involved for them is less.

But as I said before, immigration always has the right to ask for further clarification of your personal case, and they can therefore ask for further documents or procedures pertaining to your case.

That is rare but they can do it if they feel it is required.

There are no hard and fast "rules".

In my original post, the OP said that asking for an updated balance in his passbook on the day he applied for a retirement extension was a new procedure.

I only wanted to point out that immigration asked me for exactly that same thing in October 2011.

[ubonjoe]

Lorsque vous avez demandé l'extension de la retraite d'un an que vous avez actuellement vous avez payé le tarif régulier de 1900 bahts. Si vers la fin de cette période de prolongation vous appliquez comme d'habitude pour une nouvelle prolongation d'un an, mais cette fois pour une extension de mariage, vous payez les frais de nouveau régulière de 1900 bahts. Il n'y a rien de mal à cela.

No.

you must take a 60 day tourist visa 1900 baht and then your annual visa for 1900 b also.

At Jomptien last year where people are far more conciliatory the immigration service Cumulative these two formulas to give me a 15-month visa (30 days + 60 + 365) against 3800 b. Price for a first visa O retirement.

This year I would change status for a "young married" visa. But Chiang Mai responsible did not offer to combine Tourist + marriage in one step.

You can only get get tourist visa at an embassy or consulate that costs 1000 baht per entry.

What you did was a apply for a non immigrant visa which gave you a 90 day entry from the date you applied for it and paid a 2000 baht fee for it.

Then you applied for an extension of stay and paid a 1900 fee for it.

You could change the reason for your extension of stay from retirement to marriage. Immigration might not want to do it though especially if you showed sufficient financial proof for a retirement extension.

The only place a non immigrant visa based upon qualifying for an extension of stay based upon marriage is at Bangkok immigration.