Tried searching to see if I could find anything on the forum about this but no luck.

Anyway went to do my Retirement Visa renewal today and it seems so much has changed from a year ago. Here is my experience.

This was at Kap Choeng immigration office today.

First of all had to report with paperwork to the lady, on the left sitting at a desk, as you enter the building, for her to check all is in order.

Luckily I knew this from before however it seems many others do not and go straight into the main office and sit down waiting their turn, only to be sent back out again to have their paperwork checked.

This could cost you anything from an hour to 2 hours of your time.

There is no notice when you enter to inform you of this.

Then when you go into the main office the queue machine where you have to press to state what service you require is not working and to my knowledge has not been for at least 6 months, so you still get the queue jumpers.

The first big change I noticed was the extra paperwork one had to fill in including a map of how to reach your house.

Secondly after all was checked and in the correct order had to take all of the papers out of the building, walk about 150 metres to find a shop to have the whole lot photocopied. About 20 sheets in all.

There was a queue waiting for photocopying so including walking time there and back this took over 30 minutes.

On return go into the main office and wait my turn to be called and had to try my best to ignore the queue jumping. One hor wait.

Saw the immigration officer who sat in the second seat from the left, he was arrogant, abrasive and very rude. He talks to people like sh*t. They expect to have respect shown to them but none is shown to you.

Whether this was to foreigners as well as the Thais I don't know but to all the foreigners he treated them the same. By the way this was after I told him he could keep the 100B from the 2,000B I gave hime for the cost of visa renewal.

I was brought up to respect everyone unless they gave you reason not to do so. It does not matter if they are Royalty, Government official, Bank Manager, head of the village or the man picking out plastic bottles from garbage bins to sell.

My biggest surprise though was after yet again tediously going through all the paperwork he does not give me my new 12 month visa but tells me I have to report again in 1 month to get the visa stamped into my

passport. I queried this, nicely, and he just said 'New regulation come back January 14' and go sit down!!. Then had to wait for the senior officer on the right to check the paperwork over again before told to collect my passport.

A stamp in the passport states I have reported on today's date and that my Visa request is 'Under Consideration' and that I must report back on the 14th January, even though my current visa expires on the 2nd January.

Now I had heard that when you first apply for a marraige visa then you did have to wait a month for approval but never have I had heard of this being a requirement for a renewal of a Retirement Visa.

Listening to what was going on around me while waiting my turn this 1 month approval period seems to apply to all.

Anyone know if this is in fact, new regulations.

Edited December 14, 201510 yr by Pormax

All marriage extensions of stay applications are put under consideration, but immigration have the right/authority to do it for any extension. Some offices are putting all retirement extensions under consideration, yours being one of them.

You are not applying for a Visa.

You are applying for an extension of stay.

One or two Immigration Offices now give one month while waiting for approval of retirement extensions.

Edited December 14, 201510 yr by Eclipse

You are not applying for a Visa.

You are applying for an extension of stay.

One or two Immigration Offices now give one month while waiting for approval of retirement extensions.

Yes, I'm sorry, my mistake, you are correct.

Seems like I have drawn the short straw with the immigration office I have to report to. So now it is another another 300+Kms just to get a stamp.

My only concellation is that I can do, as before, my 90 day reporting online. Otherwise i would have to do a further journey 15days after getting my stamp for the extension of stay.

Kap Choeng are particularly notorious, on the basis of several reports on here over recent months, for now putting retirement extensions under consideration. I find it rather surprising that none of these reports showed up in your search,

If you have a Thai wife I would strongly advise you to consider applying for your next extension on the basis of marriage. As you say your application will still be put under consideration, but you will at least be able to bask in the quiet satisfaction that processing a marriage extension would probably mean considerably more work for your particular rogue immigration office than in the case of a retirement extension. Revenge, as they say, is sweet!

Not only that, but, assuming that you have been proving finances for your retirement extensions on the basis of at least 800,000 THB in the bank, you will also be able to go on a 400,000 THB spending spree over the coming year!

Edited December 14, 201510 yr by OJAS

Kap Choeng are particularly notorious, on the basis of several reports on here over recent months, for now putting retirement extensions under consideration. I find it rather surprising that none of these reports showed up in your search,

If you have a Thai wife I would strongly advise you to consider applying for your next extension on the basis of marriage. As you say your application will still be put under consideration, but you will at least be able to bask in the quiet satisfaction that processing a marriage extension would probably mean considerably more work for your particular rogue immigration office than in the case of a retirement extension. Revenge, as they say, is sweet!

Not only that, but, assuming that you have been proving finances for your retirement extensions on the basis of at least 800,000 THB in the bank, you will also be able to go on a 400,000 THB spending spree over the coming year!

Thanks for your reply,

It is food for thought, tbut I'm not sure that there will not be further things I have to do for a marraige visa. The goalposts keep on changing.

I have always either done the 800,000 in the bank or once a mixture of pensions plus money, so I thought I knew the score. WRONG.

I have been told that photos of not just you and the wife in your house are required but also with the family. I heard in Kap choeng a while ago someone asked for the photo of the couple in their bedroom was needed.

As regards not finding anything on this in the forum, perhaps my search did not ask the right questions.

There's plenty about Kap Choeng to be found on TV. Did you do a search on it in the upper right corner?

There's plenty about Kap Choeng to be found on TV. Did you do a search on it in the upper right corner?

Yes I did that but I now realise that I searched with the wrong words.

Instead of ' Extension of Stay' I had searched incorrectly for ' Visa Renewal'

I know there is quite a lot on Kap Choeng immigration, most of it shows it is as one said before, a rougue office, that seems to have more corruption than most

and tends to make it's own rules. It also seems to have more than it's fair share of belligerent, , unhelpful staff.

Have been informed of the day that members of the immigration office will be visiting me at the house.

Told that I have to ensure Head of Village is in attendance, which means I will have to pay something to him.

plus I have to pay for petrol, no doubt not less than 500Bt as I live a long way away from Kap Choeng.

So all told having now to make two journeys in a month, the visa fee, plus pay these other expenses, it will cost me each year almost 4,000B for my visa extension.

Do others who require a visit by immigration, normally only for an extension to a marraige visa, required to pay these extra costs.

Have been informed of the day that members of the immigration office will be visiting me at the house.

Told that I have to ensure Head of Village is in attendance, which means I will have to pay something to him.

plus I have to pay for petrol, no doubt not less than 500Bt as I live a long way away from Kap Choeng.

So all told having now to make two journeys in a month, the visa fee, plus pay these other expenses, it will cost me each year almost 4,000B for my visa extension.

Do others who require a visit by immigration, normally only for an extension to a marraige visa, required to pay these extra costs.

I got a home visit from KCI last week for my retirement extension. It was all over in 20 minutes. No "expenses" were asked for. I live 130 Km from Kap Choeng. The Puyai and another witness were questioned and the IO recorded details on his laptop, then printed affidavits which both witnesses had to sign. The IOs also copied the witnesses ID cards & blue house books. I did nothing except exchange pleasantries with the IOs. All very painless, carried out by polite & professional staff.

My last extension was on the basis of marriage and again I was not asked for any expenses when they visited me.

Edited December 21, 201510 yr by mxyzptlk