I have had three consecutive one-year extension based firstly on retirement then the following two on marriage to a Thai lady. What happened was that due to health reason I had to return to my home country, Sweden, for a surgery operation. My extension ended September 29, 2006, and I left Thailand July 10, 2006 without a re-entry permit. Now I will rejoin my wife in Thailand Jan. 18, 2007. I have the same passport that shows all my stays in Thailand for the past 4 years. I'll have a non-immigrant O multiple entry visa in the same passport when I arrive in Thailand. My question is if I will experience any problems and will I start the paperwork all over, or does Immigration hold ones papers for a time. I have pension in excess of 40.000 baht a month. Can I also use my old orginal certification from my Embassy that is some years old now but orginal? My extension were obtained in Alanyaprathet Immigration Office.

I suspect that by not obtaining the re-entry permit you have ended up in the same position that I did 3 years ago.

If you are going the Thai wife support visa you will have to start again as I did. One thing in your favour (or not) is that you do not need the 400,000 in the bank but you do have to prove your 40,000 monthly income.

While I was renewing my visa in August at Suan Phlu in Bangkok I saw that my file was very thick so I think that Immigration do keep a lot of previous documentation.

I am not sure whether you will have to start again in Bangkok or Aranya Phrathet and you may be better off with a new certificate from your embassy.

Since I screwed up over the re-entry permit, when my extenion is completed I go and apply for a multi entry on the same day even if I have no plans to leave the country.

Experience is costly and a lesson well learned.

Best of luck and I am sure that more experienced members will correct me if I went wrong.

You would most likely have to start all over again. They wanted 3 'consecutive' years, so there should not be any break there

You would most likely have to start all over again. They wanted 3 'consecutive' years, so there should not be any break there

Absolutely correct.