Does anyone have recent experience of converting a tourist visa to Non O based on retirement at Chiang Mai Immigration? Would it be easier to do this or go to Vientiane next month when my tourist visa expires?

Thanks.

I thought that only Bangkok / Chengwattana  can do conversion  from Tourist to Non-O  ??

experts will reply soon no doubt.

Past reports would suggest you would be best advised to obtain your visa in Vientiane.

You can convert your tourist visa to a retirement visa at Immigration Promenada if you have a TM30, appropriate proof of income and/or savings in Thailand and adequate time remaining on your permission to stay.  It's a two step process by which you first apply for a 90-day O visa and then during the final 45 days of life of that O visa, you apply for your 12-month retirement extension.

 

Sometimes people can encounter roadblocks when applying for the 90-day O visa here in Chiang Mai and decide to go to Vientiane instead.  Here in Chiang Mai you have to have at least 21 days remaining on your permission to stay because your application is sent to Bangkok for approval, while it's a next day process in Vientiane.  Also, some people encounter problems in trying to apply for the 90-day O visa here, discovering that they need to have "an appointment" or that their documents aren't quite right, or they're told to go here or there for something -- in other words, they're pushed into using an agent here in Chiang Mai for the visa conversion process.  Not everyone.  I've known some people who have successfully done visa conversions recently here in Chiang Mai and others have seemed to encounter nothing but roadblocks and either end up going to Vientiane or hiring a visa agent.  

Nancy do they need to show money at the conversion to Non immigrant O stage ?

 

6 minutes ago, anto said:

Nancy do they need to show money at the conversion to Non immigrant O stage ?

 

Yes, you'll need either an Income Letter or an account in Thailand of 800,000 baht.  It doesn't need to be aged, of course.

4 hours ago, NancyL said:

You can convert your tourist visa to a retirement visa at Immigration Promenada if you have a TM30, appropriate proof of income and/or savings in Thailand and adequate time remaining on your permission to stay.  It's a two step process by which you first apply for a 90-day O visa and then during the final 45 days of life of that O visa, you apply for your 12-month retirement extension.

 

Sometimes people can encounter roadblocks when applying for the 90-day O visa here in Chiang Mai and decide to go to Vientiane instead.  Here in Chiang Mai you have to have at least 21 days remaining on your permission to stay because your application is sent to Bangkok for approval, while it's a next day process in Vientiane.  Also, some people encounter problems in trying to apply for the 90-day O visa here, discovering that they need to have "an appointment" or that their documents aren't quite right, or they're told to go here or there for something -- in other words, they're pushed into using an agent here in Chiang Mai for the visa conversion process.  Not everyone.  I've known some people who have successfully done visa conversions recently here in Chiang Mai and others have seemed to encounter nothing but roadblocks and either end up going to Vientiane or hiring a visa agent.  

 

Thanks, Nancy. I guess I've got nothing to lose by trying to convert in CM. I'm reluctant to apply in Vientiane again as I was turned down last time because I was given incorrect information that they didn't require a bank letter.

Can you please confirm that I need to apply at Promenda as I have read in previous posts that conversions are done at the airport branch.

Conversions are now done at Promenada.  They're in the process of moving many services over to Promenada because they'll start construction of the new Imm. office at the old location near the airport soon.