Jomtien Imm require lease contract for Non O retirement

[S6edge]

Jomtien Immigration now require Lease contract, when applying for a new Non o retirement.

Arrived last month in Thailand and got a 30 days visa exempt. Went to Jomtien Immigration and asked to change to non o retirement, as previous years. Had my embassy pension letter 800k+ and bank letter they didn't want since pension more than 800K, and receipt from my rented apartment.

Was told I could only get a 30 days extension of stay, and 15 days before expiring, I should come back and apply again with the following docs:

- copy id card of house owner.

- copy house book.

- contract of rent.

I explained to immigration that I stay in apartment building that rent out by day, week, and month, without contract. I was told that all documents above was now required.

Returned to my apartment building and asked office if they could make a contract for me, but reply was that they never use a contract.

I gave them the following brochure below from Immigration, to make owner of apartments understand, to no avail.

Have others got the same requirements at Jomtien recently, and how did you solve this, if your apartment office don't use contract?

Any recommendation for a visa agent in Pattaya, who can do the paperwork for me?

[dennis123]

Perhaps an idea to find a new apartment?

[oncearugge]

Here.is.some good advise.

1. Find somewhere else to stay

2. Obtain a Non "O" visa from either Penang or Vientiane.

Most immigration offices are now requiring exactly the same as you have been asked to provide.

[RHerberth]

When i hear all this about requirements for extensions. I think the best option is to apply for a Non-Immigrant "O" "B" or "ED" multiple entry in your home country and stay for up to 15 month with a border run every 3 month. No need of show proof of where you live or house owner id cards, lease contracts etc. Only a simple border run every 3 month. My opinion.

[BudRight]

...and what if a retired person wished to live in a hotel? What if they lived with their spouse and didn't have a contract? Worthless immigration <deleted>.

That form you showed looks to be directed at condo owners and hoteliers on filing TM-6 and does not seem to have anything to do with providing documents to help their tenants get extensions of stay.

Edited October 25, 2015 by BudRight

[ubonjoe]

If it is an apartment that is renting out rooms they should be doing the reports online. Check with them and ask if they are doing it. If they have made the reports immigration should not require you do do it.

In your case immigration should accept receipts for you apartment instead of a rental agreement.

[Jingthing]

FYI:

Recent report retirement extension at Jomtien for condo owner living in condo.

Copy of PHONE BILL accepted as proof of address, as in previous years.

Nothing else asked for.

I reckon it might be different for FIRST TIME extension applicants (condo owners)

[Liquorice]

...and what if a retired person wished to live in a hotel? What if they lived with their spouse and didn't have a contract? Worthless immigration <deleted>.

That form you showed looks to be directed at condo owners and hoteliers on filing TM-6 and does not seem to have anything to do with providing documents to help their tenants get extensions of stay.

and what if a retired person wished to live in a hotel?

A receipt from the hotel should be sufficient.

What if they lived with their spouse and didn't have a contract?

Then a copy of the title deeds should be sufficient.

[Pattaya46]

What if they lived with their spouse and didn't have a contract? Worthless immigration <deleted>.

Then the wife should have reported at Immigration that this foreigner (her husband) live in her house.

If registered, he should have no problem or question with extensions.

Just follow the rules.

[ubonjoe]

...and what if a retired person wished to live in a hotel? What if they lived with their spouse and didn't have a contract? Worthless immigration <deleted>.

That form you showed looks to be directed at condo owners and hoteliers on filing TM-6 and does not seem to have anything to do with providing documents to help their tenants get extensions of stay.

and what if a retired person wished to live in a hotel?

A receipt from the hotel should be sufficient.

What if they lived with their spouse and didn't have a contract?

Then a copy of the title deeds should be sufficient.

If living any place that is reporting residents to immigration should not need to show proof of residence. Just a receipt should be enough.

If the spouse is Thai and living in the house where her house book is for all that would be needed is copies of it and her ID card.

[S6edge]

If it is an apartment that is renting out rooms they should be doing the reports online. Check with them and ask if they are doing it. If they have made the reports immigration should not require you do do it.

In your case immigration should accept receipts for you apartment instead of a rental agreement.

All extension applicants before me, was sent up to 2nd floor office, to show receipt/proof of address. Passport was then returned to us, with a 'Receipt of Notification' with registered address, attached at the back of the passport. We was then sent downstairs to get a queue number and continue our extension application.

Seems that all extension applicants now must do this at Jomtien Immigration, regardless if apartment management report online, or not.

Lack of required Lease contract, force me to move to another place that use contract. All places I stayed the last 10+ years (budget 10-20K) don't use any contract. The freedom to move out end of month, if area become too noisy, is what I loved about this place.

I'm really uncertain what to do now. Apply Non O in Vietiane, or leave.

[Jingthing]

No. Not all. See my very recent report. Owner who lives in condo. Address form already in passport. Never registered anything. Ever. Just gave phone bill.

[ubonjoe]

If it is an apartment that is renting out rooms they should be doing the reports online. Check with them and ask if they are doing it. If they have made the reports immigration should not require you do do it.

In your case immigration should accept receipts for you apartment instead of a rental agreement.

All extension applicants before me, was sent up to 2nd floor office, to show receipt/proof of address. Passport was then returned to us, with a 'Receipt of Notification' with registered address, attached at the back of the passport. We was then sent downstairs to get a queue number and continue our extension application.

Seems that all extension applicants now must do this at Jomtien Immigration, regardless if apartment management report online, or not.

Lack of required Lease contract, force me to move to another place that use contract. All places I stayed the last 10+ years (budget 10-20K) don't use any contract. The freedom to move out end of month, if area become too noisy, is what I loved about this place.

I'm really uncertain what to do now. Apply Non O in Vietiane, or leave.

You can get a 30 day extension of your visa exempt entry to give you time to get things sorted out. Then apply for the non immigrant visa prior to the last 15 days of it.

If it is only management operating the apartment building the should be able to give you a letter stating are staying there along with their business registration or some other document instead of the house book and ID card.

[wpcoe]

No. Not all. See my very recent report. Owner who lives in condo. Address form already in passport. Never registered anything. Ever. Just gave phone bill.

By address form, do you mean the 90-day report or a TM.30/TM.28? (My head still spins about what they really want.)

My apologies if you explained it all in detail elsewhere. If so, can you link to it? I try to keep up, but sometimes I miss an important thread.

[gk10002000]

This sounds ridiculous. I don't sign long term leases here in the USA, and I certainly wouldn't do it in Thailand where I would have even less recourse if issues arise, crazy neighbors, out of control noisy dogs, nutty landlords, utilities or other services not being kept up, etc.

[Jingthing]

No. Not all. See my very recent report. Owner who lives in condo. Address form already in passport. Never registered anything. Ever. Just gave phone bill.

By address form, do you mean the 90-day report or a TM.30/TM.28? (My head still spins about what they really want.)

My apologies if you explained it all in detail elsewhere. If so, can you link to it? I try to keep up, but sometimes I miss an important thread.

OK. For years now, when I go in for 90 day address reports, I've already got a report form stapled in the back of my passport. I just go to the reporting desk and hand them my passport. No form to fill out, no copies, no nothing. They then print out a new updated form, take the old one out, and staple the new one in. The report form being only about the 90 day address report as all foreigners must do when staying 90 days in Thailand. Those forms just being print outs that they provide when reporting for 90 days.

For my extension, I ASSUME that being in their automated reporting system ALREADY on top of the copy of phone bill (which they didn't ask for but they didn't reject either so I assume that something like that was probably needed) meant I was known to them as an owner (even though I never proved that to them with documentation, ever) and that was that.

Which strongly suggests to me, if you're an owner-occupant and ALREADY in their system with previous extensions and ALREADY in their system with computer generated 90 day address reports, that this "crack down" is not a crack down for YOU.

Edited October 26, 2015 by Jingthing

[wpcoe]

For my extension, I ASSUME that being in their automated reporting system ALREADY on top of the copy of phone bill (which they didn't ask for but they didn't reject either so I assume that something like that was probably needed) meant I was known to them as an owner (even though I never proved that to them with documentation, ever) and that was that.

Which strongly suggests to me, if you're an owner-occupant and ALREADY in their system with previous extensions and ALREADY in their system with computer generated 90 day address reports, that this "crack down" is not a crack down for YOU.

Yeah, that's what I'm assuming, too. I've never had to produce a phone bill, though I vaguely recall making a copy of the condo chanote for some reason in the past. With the discussions here about new requests & changes at Jomtien for retirement extensions, I guess I won't know for sure what I'll need until the day in December when I go apply for my new extension. Sure would be "nice" to know in advance, but the process is not based on niceties, now, is it?

[Jingthing]

Well, I can say this.

If you're already in their system as I am, computer generated address reports, told them your an owner before, etc. I reckon you'll be OK just bringing a phone bill. I brought copies of chanote and blue book as well just in case based on all the noise here, but it wasn't asked for, so they didn't get.

I am strong promoter of NEVER giving them anything they don't explicitly require.

The phone bill I did give because it's my understanding some proof of address is part of a standard retirement extension package and that's what I've always given in the past, and they've never pushed it back.

Some may notice that sometimes they push back papers.

For example I used to give them a print of an entire year of my bank book when they really only need 3 months or so. They have pushed back such extra pages to me before of too much record, so that's a hint don't give it in the first place.

To add, I'm sensitive to some people thinking the detail I'm adding about the situation for OWNER OCCUPANTS is off topic to this thread. However, I say it isn't because early on here it was asserted that these extra reports/forms are needed and required for ALL retirement extension applicants, so I'm here to say: NO THEY AREN'T.

Edited October 26, 2015 by Jingthing

[S6edge]

Just to clarify as OP, I got visa exempt on arrival, and extended it with 30 days.

My OP is not about retirement extension, but about change of visa from: visa exempt - 30 days extension - Retirement. New requirement is lease contract etc. I just arrived from another country without Visa. We was 15 people on 2nd floor at Immigration for proof of address, and the few minutes I was there another 5+ arrived.

For those of you who are already here on Retirement, different requirements might apply.

Maybe headline should had been: Jomtien Imm require lease contract for first time Non O retirement applicants. Condo owners excluded.

Hope this clear up any misunderstandings. My apologies.

Edited October 26, 2015 by S6edge

[ubonjoe]

Just to clarify as OP, I got visa exempt on arrival, and extended it with 30 days.

My OP is not about retirement extension, but about change of visa from: visa exempt - 30 days extension - Retirement. New requirement is lease contract etc. I just arrived from another country without Visa. We was 15 people on 2nd floor at Immigration for proof of address, and the few minutes I was there another 5+ arrived.

For those of you who are already here on Retirement, different requirements might apply.

Maybe headline should had been: Jomtien Imm require lease contract for first time Non O retirement applicants. Condo owners excluded.

Hope this clear up any misunderstandings. My apologies.

If you are out of time to meet the 15 days remaining needed to apply for the non immigrant visa your best option is to make a trip to Vientiane or Penang for a single entry non-o. You will need the same financial proof required for the application at immigration.

But you will still need the same proof of residence to apply for the extension when you apply for it.

[Linnets1961]

This was also my experience applying for my first Non-Imm O based on retirement at Jomtien. I had to produce lease contract, copy of owners ID and copy of owners Tabien Ban. They also made a point of saying to make sure I brought the same again when I came back to get my 1 year extension. Which as it happens is this Monday coming 2nd November, I'll update after I've been.

[KittenKong]

Just to clarify as OP, I got visa exempt on arrival, and extended it with 30 days.

My OP is not about retirement extension, but about change of visa from: visa exempt - 30 days extension - Retirement. New requirement is lease contract etc. I just arrived from another country without Visa. We was 15 people on 2nd floor at Immigration for proof of address, and the few minutes I was there another 5+ arrived.

For those of you who are already here on Retirement, different requirements might apply.

Maybe headline should had been: Jomtien Imm require lease contract for first time Non O retirement applicants. Condo owners excluded.

I suspect that hardly anyone follows the route you have chosen. Why should they when it's so much easier to get a tourist visa outside the country and then extend it here for retirement purposes?

I've been renewing the extension of my original visa every year for 1900B (plus 1000B or 3900B for re-entry permits, if needed) without any hassle.

Given that you apparently go through the same rigmarole every year ("Went to Jomtien Immigration and asked to change to non o retirement, as previous years."), I wonder why you dont just do as I do? The only complicated thing is that you need to remember to be in Thailand for two or three days during the couple of months before your extension expires, in order to renew it. Apart from that you have carte blanche, and you dont even need to spend any time at all in Thailand in the year unless you want to.

[oncearugge]

Just to clarify as OP, I got visa exempt on arrival, and extended it with 30 days.

My OP is not about retirement extension, but about change of visa from: visa exempt - 30 days extension - Retirement. New requirement is lease contract etc. I just arrived from another country without Visa. We was 15 people on 2nd floor at Immigration for proof of address, and the few minutes I was there another 5+ arrived.

For those of you who are already here on Retirement, different requirements might apply.

Maybe headline should had been: Jomtien Imm require lease contract for first time Non O retirement applicants. Condo owners excluded.

I suspect that hardly anyone follows the route you have chosen. Why should they when it's so much easier to get a tourist visa outside the country and then extend it here for retirement purposes?

I've been renewing the extension of my original visa every year for 1900B (plus 1000B or 3900B for re-entry permits, if needed) without any hassle.

Given that you apparently go through the same rigmarole every year ("Went to Jomtien Immigration and asked to change to non o retirement, as previous years."), I wonder why you dont just do as I do? The only complicated thing is that you need to remember to be in Thailand for two or three days during the couple of months before your extension expires, in order to renew it. Apart from that you have carte blanche, and you dont even need to spend any time at all in Thailand in the year unless you want to.

A "mistaken" and misleading post

It is not possible to extend a "tourist visa " for retirement purposes.

[KittenKong]

A "mistaken" and misleading post

It is not possible to extend a "tourist visa " for retirement purposes.

I wonder what I've been doing for 5 years then?

[oncearugge]

A "mistaken" and misleading post

It is not possible to extend a "tourist visa " for retirement purposes.

I wonder what I've been doing for 5 years then?

Perhaps you will explain how a "tourist visa" is extended for "retirement purposes"

[ubonjoe]

A "mistaken" and misleading post

It is not possible to extend a "tourist visa " for retirement purposes.

I wonder what I've been doing for 5 years then?

You may of entered the country using a tourist visa. But prior to applying for an extension you applied for a change of visa status and obtained a non immigrant visa entry that you have been extending/

[KittenKong]

A "mistaken" and misleading post

It is not possible to extend a "tourist visa " for retirement purposes.

I wonder what I've been doing for 5 years then?

You may of entered the country using a tourist visa. But prior to applying for an extension you applied for a change of visa status and obtained a non immigrant visa entry that you have been extending/

No, I had a multiple entry visa issued for the purpose of tourism in the UK (which at the time cost about 5000B and required no documentation apart from a photo). Perhaps I should have been clearer when calling it a "tourist visa".

Either way, it stills seems a much easier option to me than doing it here.

[Jingthing]

To get your FIRST annual extension based on retirement in Thailand, you first ALWAYS need an O visa in your passport. Many people enter with tourist visas or 30 day stamps and then do a CONVERSION to the O in Thailand as the first step, with the second step being the extension. Perhaps some people are just not aware of what's in their passports. Nothing new there.

After the first extension, you can continue to get continuous serial annual extensions for life (no new O visa needed), as long as you don't break the chain and continue to apply for the new extensions before each has expired.

For countless personal reasons, some people do break the chain, even if they've been here for many years on new extensions. In those cases, we often use the phrase "START OVER" to indicate the need to get a new O visa in the passport (either abroad or through the CONVERSION in Thailand).

Edited October 28, 2015 by Jingthing