Extending tourist visa into 1 year visa IN Thailand

[terminal 22]

I'm sure this has been answered somewhere within the myriad of Thaivisa but i've had a look and can't find the EXACT same circumstances as I find myself in .

What I want to do is this .... (I am from the UK by the way )

I want to go to Thailand on a double entry tourist visa and , because I am over 50 , I want to extend the visa into a one year visa whilst there . My plan is to send the 800000 baht 2 months before I go into my thai bank savings account which is already open .

My questions are these ..

1) Does the 800000 HAVE to be transferred from overseas or can someone pay it into my account who is already in Bangkok ?

2) Does the 800000 baht HAVE to be in baht or can it be in say GBP in a GBP account ?

3) Am I right in thinking that I can extend my tourist visa into a one year extention assuming I get the 800000 into my account at least 2 months before I apply ?

If one of the many knowledgeable persons on here could answer I would be grateful . It would help if answers could be definitive and not just conjecture .

Thanks in advance

[paz]

1. Anyway

2. Thai Baht

3. Yes. First you do a visa conversion, for which no money seasoning is needed, just money in bank.

There are countless threads you can read.

[terminal 22]

Paz , thanks for the quick reply . BUT When you say 1) "anyway" are you certain ? The reason I ask is that the other threads you refer to state that it MUST come from overseas . I can do that , but I have friends in BKK who could pay the cash in hence the reason I asked . Does anyone know the DEFINITIVE answer to this , must the money come from overseas ?

2) understood

3) So first a visa conversion to non-immigrant O I am guessing ? That can be done INSIDE Thailand from a tourist visa then can it ? And then , once I got the O I go and apply for the extention based on retirement and go back 2 weeks later to get the stamp . Right ? And then have to report every 90 days . I stay in BKK only so I would go to immigration there .

[paz]

Where the money comes from doesn't matter.

When you do a visa conversion you will need to do 2 or 3 visits to immigration, depending on how the will handle it.

[Jingthing]

My impression also from reading the forum is that for the CONVERSION process, the money indeed needs to be IMPORTED into Thailand.

For retirement extensions, no.

I agree for the first step, conversion, the money doesn't need to be seasoned.

For the second step, the retirement extension, the money needs to be seasoned for 2 months (and 3 months later annual extensions).

Where will your Thai residence be?

It used to be many Thai immigration offices offered the conversion.

Not any more.

The only offices I know that do it now are Bangkok and Jomtien which sends the application to Bangkok.

If your local office does not do it, and your local office won't be Bangkok, you need to do that step in Bangkok.

If that's inconvenient for you, you might consider getting a single entry O visa in Vientiane or Penang.

[terminal 22]

Thanks Jingthing ,

I think its safer if I do send the money from abroad , seems that way one potential problem is removed . Because even if its not needed to be imported for the conversion it is needed to be imported for the extention which will immediately follow the conversion .

My residence will be in Bangkok so a trip to the immigration there will be enough .

Thanks for all the quick replies and seems we have cracked this one although if someone knows for SURE about if the 800000 HAS to be sent from abroad , it might help both me and others following after . So does anyone here know , I mean really know .. for certain ??

[Jingthing]

Again, I don't think it needs to be imported for retirement extensions but it does need to be imported for the CONVERSION application. Anyway, you are importing, so no worries.

[ubonjoe]

You don't need a 2 entry tourist visa to get to the point where you will be on an extension of stay. A single entry is all that i needed.

You can apply for a change of visa status to obtain a 90 day non immigrant visa entry at immigration Bangkok. You can do it at any time during your 60 day entry up; to the last 15 days, You will certainly need to show proof the 800k baht came from abroad. The money just has to be in the bank on the date you apply for the change of visa status (no 60 days needed).

It will require 2 trips to immigration 15 days apart to get the visa/entry stamp.

Then 45 days after you apply for the change and the money has been in the bank for 60 days you can apply for a one year extension of stay based upon retirement.

[Jingthing]

Agree, no need for a DOUBLE entry tourist visa for this plan except if the OP wants that for some other unrelated reason. On the other hand entering on a tourist visa rather than a 30 day stamp is definitely a good idea.

[terminal 22]

Thanks guys for all your help , and the last post by ubonjoe really sums it all up . Now I know where I stand . BTW the only reason I wanted a double entry tourist visa is it allows me that extra bit of time for things to go wrong / be delayed at immigration , makes it less stressful if I have more time .

Thanks to all