My friend has several drunk driving convictions back in the US. Could this cause denial of a retirement extension?  If so then maybe there would be a different Visa option to use to stay here nine month's per year? I'm just afraid if he applies for the extension and gets denied that he may not be allowed to come back at all.  Thank you in advance for any help here.

How would immigration know about the convictions in the US?

A very small chance that he could be refused a visa, but, not an extension.

I always get suspicious when the heading starts with ....

My friend .....  

Retirement extension in Thailand does not include a criminal background check.

So why should there be a problem.

Normal Non-O visa (applying in home country) also do not require background check.

The only visa that I am aware of is the Non-OA where a criminal check is required.

 

Advise your friend to stay away from the steering wheels in Thailand.

Otherwise his stay may be short.

8 minutes ago, Grubster said:

My friend has several drunk driving convictions back in the US. Could this cause denial of a retirement extension? 

A background check is not required to apply for an extension of stay based upon retirement at immigration.

The background check is only required to apply for an OA visa at an embassy in a person's home country or country of legal residence.

If the friend is applying for an O-A at his/her consulate or embassy a Police Background check is required.  Depending on how long ago the convictions were the background check could reveal them.  I do not know if a DUI conviction(s) are disqualifying factors for an O-A visa.

13 minutes ago, KarenBravo said:

How would immigration know about the convictions in the US?

A very small chance that he could be refused a visa, but, not an extension.

I don't know how but another friend of mine got tossed out of Thailand for a different type of conviction in the US when he switched from a Marriage to Retirement extension.

9 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

A background check is not required to apply for an extension of stay based upon retirement at immigration.

The background check is only required to apply for an OA visa at an embassy in a person's home country or country of legal residence.

I'm glad I asked because I was going to suggest he get it in the US before he comes, He has come on a 60 day visa several times before so I will tell him to just do that again and take care of the rest here.  Thanks Joe.

14 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

Retirement extension in Thailand does not include a criminal background check.

So why should there be a problem.

Normal Non-O visa (applying in home country) also do not require background check.

The only visa that I am aware of is the Non-OA where a criminal check is required.

 

Advise your friend to stay away from the steering wheels in Thailand.

Otherwise his stay may be short.

He hasn't driven in many years now, thank god as he was a horrible driver even sober.  He hires a driver here to haul him around.

25 minutes ago, steven100 said:

I always get suspicious when the heading starts with ....

My friend .....  

I agree but in this case it is my friend, he doesn't have or want a computer.

10 minutes ago, Grubster said:

I don't know how but another friend of mine got tossed out of Thailand for a different type of conviction in the US when he switched from a Marriage to Retirement extension.

I would guess that was because he had an international arrest warrant out for him. It was just coincidental that it showed up when immigration opened is his records when he went to do the application.

1 minute ago, ubonjoe said:

I would guess that was because he had an international arrest warrant out for him. It was just coincidental that it showed up when immigration opened is his records when he went to do the application.

That wasn't the story he told me but then that doesn't mean anything either.  I could see why he might not want to tell me the truth on that.

the DUI system in the usa is not all that old; my first (yes not proud of any of that) was 'pre-computer' and thus never showed up when all the states got a single system

i would just notmention it to immig here; highly doubtful they have any way (doubt interpol registers DUIs) to check