Possible to switch from B to O without leaving Thailand?

[attrayant]

I recently did a 90 day report and another foreigner who lives nearby asked me to do his as well since he's currently tied to crutches from a sprained ankle.

So as I was sitting there waiting for my numbers to be called, I thumbed through his passport and notice that he seems to have been on a B visa with several extensions up until mid last summer, and then suddenly started getting non-O extensions (retirement) without having gone out of the country to get the visa sticker with the embossed foil and all that good stuff. I didn't think that was possible.

The address report went through without a hitch, so I'm assuming everything's on the up-and-up.

I'm tempted to ask him but I really don't know him that well - our friendship is limited to waving at each other when I walk past his house on the way to work in the morning and we've spoken only three or four times in the three years I've been here. I was actually surprised that he asked me to do the favor.

So what's the trick?

[paz]

That is just a change of reason for an yearly extension of stay. With the correct paperwork is issued normally.

[attrayant]

Oh, I seem to recall from another thread that it wasn't possible to jump from B extensions to O extensions without leaving. Let me search for that thread and see if I misunderstood, in which case this is just a big "never mind".

[paz]

Oh, I seem to recall from another thread that it wasn't possible to jump from B extensions to O extensions without leaving. Let me search for that thread and see if I misunderstood, in which case this is just a big "never mind".

Check below about someone that did it recently. Note he incorrectly calls visa what is an extension of stay.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/837091-getting-a-retirement-visa-or-extension-at-jomthien-immigation/

[attrayant]

Yes, I see.

I can't find the thread I'm thinking of, but this one came up in my search:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/826560-visa-conversion-wo-leaving-thailand/

It seems to be asking a similar question (although the reverse switch of what I'm asking about), and I think that OP might also be using the word visa when they meant extension. The moderator spaketh thusly:

Once you go on an extension of stay based upon retirement you will have to go out for a non-b if you you want to teach again.

The moderator didn't mention that the OP could just do paperwork at immigration to go from B extensions to a retirement extension, which I take to mean it's not possible.

[paz]

Yes, I see.

I can't find the thread I'm thinking of, but this one came up in my search:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/826560-visa-conversion-wo-leaving-thailand/

It seems to be asking a similar question (although the reverse switch of what I'm asking about), and I think that OP might also be using the word visa when they meant extension. The moderator spaketh thusly:

Once you go on an extension of stay based upon retirement you will have to go out for a non-b if you you want to teach again.

The moderator didn't mention that the OP could just do paperwork at immigration to go from B extensions to a retirement extension, which I take to mean it's not possible.

That above is the opposite. We are talking from working to retirement extension, There is no similarity.

[attrayant]

Just to be clear:

1. Going from non-B to non-O (retirement) can be done without leaving the country.

2. Going from non-O (retirement) to non-B requires a trip abroad.

Is that correct?

Both statements refer to changing the reason for a 1 year extension, so that was the similarity I saw (the only difference is the direction of the switch). And if statement #1 is correct, it would have been nice for somebody to mention it to the OP in the thread I linked to, as that looks like the reason the OP went to Malaysia was to switch from non-B to non-O.

[paz]

Just to be clear:

1. Going from non-B to non-O (retirement) can be done without leaving the country.

2. Going from non-O (retirement) to non-B requires a trip abroad.

Is that correct?

Both statements refer to changing the reason for a 1 year extension, so that was the similarity I saw (the only difference is the direction of the switch). And if statement #1 is correct, it would have been nice for somebody to mention it to the OP in the thread I linked to, as that looks like the reason the OP went to Malaysia was to switch from non-B to non-O.

The way you wrote is not correct. You asked about switching to an extension of stay, which is not a visa. Visa and extension of stay are different things.

The difference from non-working to working is major because most labor dept. offices will refuse to even accept an application for a work permit while on a retirement, study extension, etc. The opposite is not a problem, just cancel work permit.

[attrayant]

I don't think I mentioned visas at all in this thread - I'm only talking about extensions of stay.

My most recent visa is a non-B, and I'm currently on my 2nd extension. If I decide to drop out of the workforce next year and become a retiree, immigration will simply stop issuing me extensions based on working, and start issuing me extensions based on retirement (assuming all paperwork is in order). That means immigration will continue to extend my non-B but using the reason of retirement instead of working. Have I got that right?

[paz]

I don't think I mentioned visas at all in this thread - I'm only talking about extensions of stay.

Extensions of stay are not named like "non-B" or "Non-O". You can see how they are named and numbered at:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/749918-thai-immigration-issues-new-police-order-3272557-effective-august-29-2014/

My most recent visa is a non-B, and I'm currently on my 2nd extension. If I decide to drop out of the workforce next year and become a retiree, immigration will simply stop issuing me extensions based on working, and start issuing me extensions based on retirement (assuming all paperwork is in order). That means immigration will continue to extend my non-B but using the reason of retirement instead of working. Have I got that right?

Visa are never extended. The extension of stay is an immigration decision for which the original visa, if any, may or may not be a requisite. In your case, no problem, you will not need a new visa just apply with a different reason and paperwork.

[OJAS]

OP - why not have a fifth conversation with your acquaintance to check this out? If he was prepared to entrust you with his passport for the 90-day report, I'm sure he wouldn't mind your favour for him being reciprocated in this way!

Even better, why not ask your local immigration office what their take is on this? At the end of the day their word on this matter is the gospel!

Instead of leaving the country, it might be possible for you, if need be, to do a non-O conversion as described by ubonjoe in post #2 on the thread at http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/833250-can-i-change-30-day-exemption-to-retirement/

[BritTim]

OP - why not have a fifth conversation with your acquaintance to check this out? If he was prepared to entrust you with his passport for the 90-day report, I'm sure he wouldn't mind your favour for him being reciprocated in this way!

Even better, why not ask your local immigration office what their take is on this? At the end of the day their word on this matter is the gospel!

Instead of leaving the country, it might be possible for you, if need be, to do a non-O conversion as described by ubonjoe in post #2 on the thread at http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/833250-can-i-change-30-day-exemption-to-retirement/

Even better, why not ask your local immigration office what their take is on this? At the end of the day their word on this matter is the gospel!

Not quite. While the local immigration can be definitive in what is required for an extension, they cannot speak for whether the labor department will issue you a work permit. I suspect:

• the labor department may not issue you a work permit while you are on an extension of stay for reason of retirement; and
• the immigration office may not give you an extension based on working in the country when you do not have a work permit.

I could be wrong.

[attrayant]

OP - why not have a fifth conversation with your acquaintance to check this out? If he was prepared to entrust you with his passport for the 90-day report, I'm sure he wouldn't mind your favour for him being reciprocated in this way!

It's a weird American thing. It's similar to how we're all fully aware that we check out each other's medicine cabinets whenever we visit a friend's house and use their bathroom, but we would NEVER dream of asking them "Hey, what are you taking Amoxicillin for??" when we come out.

Besides, according to the above replies it seems this is perfectly within the realm of normality so the "mystery" is solved.

[paz]

Not quite. While the local immigration can be definitive in what is required for an extension, they cannot speak for whether the labor department will issue you a work permit. I suspect:

• • the labor department may not issue you a work permit while you are on an extension of stay for reason of retirement; and
  • the immigration office may not give you an extension based on working in the country when you do not have a work permit.

Correct, but that is not the issue discussed here. Which is going from working to not working.

[Mario2008]

off topic and unattributed news article removed.