2017 Retirement Extension at Chaengwattana BKK

[BobTH]

I did my extension based on retirement yesterday and left home (Lumpini) for Bangkok's Chaengwattana Immigration this morning at 6:30 AM. Arrived there around 7:10 AM and left a place holder paper folder mat in the line on the floor to hold my place after the first 90 degree turn and about half way to the building entrance doors. I went downstairs and had a little breakfast and looked around and came back upstairs around 8:00 AM and everyone had gone in already . I found out they went in about 7:50 AM and my place holder stuff was lying on a cube in the sitting area. I queued for extension an got number 8. They did wait until 8:30 AM to start but they were pretty fast and I got my passport back at 8:50 AM. Went downstairs to get two copies of new "permitted to stay until" page and then queued for re-entry permits and I was the next in line. I had my passport there given back at 9:35 AM. I then queued for a residence certificate and there was one number ahead and had it completed at 9:47 and out of there and on my way home. Pretty good morning at Immigration I would say and by far the least amount of people I have ever seen there in my six years here.

[ubonjoe]

23 minutes ago, BobTH said:

I guess I am missing something in your statement that the wording has changed from 2016 to 2017.  When I open the Word Document on the Immigration Division One forms page I open now what you are referring to as the 2016 form. I was not able to open the PDF file, maybe that is the one that has changed the wording.

Both forms on the Bangkok immigration website are the old ones. 

Here is the new form set up to be fillable. Fillable TM7 form.pdf

Also here on the new immigration website. https://www.immigration.go.th/download/1486547929418.pdf

[ChouDoufu]

got my one year extension (retirement) from chang wattana this

morning (thursday).

 

arrived early, didn't bother with placeholder.  grabbed coffee and cake,

then to back of line.  got a que number (#28) then downstairs to get

bankbook update and guarantee letter.  back upstairs at 9:00, four

numbers to go, so in line again to get a re-entry que number.

 

intake officer had me sign 3 additional forms.  first two about the

rules and overstays.  the third had MY info at the top, and the second

half was for a thai landlord/owner appearing with me to confirm

residency.  i filled out the top half, signed, and gave it back with extra

papers i'd brought:  gf's id, letter from gf stating i lived at her residence,

copy of her lease.  those were accepted.

 

then to processing officer for review.  when she got to the letter/lease

she asked "are you married?"  not yet, said i.  good enough, sent me out

to wait.  ten minutes later intern returned passport.

 

quick trip for copies, made it to re-entry desk as my number was called. 

took only a few minutes, then wait 20 minutes to process.  during this

time returned to front desk for residence certificate que number.

 

passport with re-entry permit returned at 10:30.

 

10:45 to the J2 desk to attempt to submit.  officer very pleasant, but

would not accept.  said i could apply when i filed my first 90-day report

in december.  but she took the opportunity to let an intern go over my

papers.  (i'm retired, i have time..)  they wanted only the passport/visa/

extension copies and the application form,  did NOT want the lease

and id/letter from gf.

 

was told the fee would be 200 baht to cover postage, and could only

get one copy.

 

 

 

 

[partington]

3 hours ago, ChouDoufu said:

g

intake officer had me sign 3 additional forms.  first two about the

rules and overstays.  the third had MY info at the top, and the second

half was for a thai landlord/owner appearing with me to confirm

residency.  i filled out the top half, signed, and gave it back with extra

papers i'd brought:  gf's id, letter from gf stating i lived at her residence,

copy of her lease.  those were accepted.

This is an extraordinary and difficult change if not specific to a special case applying to you.

 

I have done six extensions and never been asked for the landlord or owner to appear with me or supply any documentation!

 

How on earth could you do this? Who can bring their landlord with them? No-one else in this thread has reported this , for example see 1st post:

On 8/30/2017 at 10:45 PM, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

As usual, brought a folder full of supporting documents:  statements covering my various income sources, Thai bank books, map to my home, utility bills showing my address, copy of my apartment lease, etc.  Wasn't asked for any of that.

 

and it represents an extreme and difficult hurdle for many people. I have never met my landlord/owner and do not even know their name.

 

Any further information by others who have done retirement extensions at Chaengwattana recently about how common this request is would be extremely useful.

Edited September 21, 2017 by partington

[ChouDoufu]

i don't see that it was particular to me.  OP mentioned

3 additional forms to fill out at the intake desk.

 

i was given those forms to fill out before the officer

started going through my papers, so assume those

are now standard for anyone doing an extension at CW.

 

when i got to the second half of the 3rd form, thought i

was screwed.  i gave the nice lady the forms, said

i wasn't sure what to do with this one.....and gave

her my gf's id/lease/letter.  she studied the papers a

moment and told me just to sign the 3rd form,  then

started to apply stamps. 

 

did not see a TM form number, and did not think it

wise to take a photo.  maybe not an officially required

document, just something that office added in order to

require more papers?

 

 

Edited September 22, 2017 by ChouDoufu

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

9 hours ago, partington said:

I have done six extensions and never been asked for the landlord or owner to appear with me or supply any documentation!

Any further information by others who have done retirement extensions at Chaengwattana recently about how common this request is would be extremely useful.

I did mine last month at CW, and have never been asked about that in all my years here and doing retirement extensions at CW. I'm a renter, BTW.

 

I always bring a copy of my current lease with me, just in case. But never been asked to show that either.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

13 hours ago, ChouDoufu said:

got my one year extension (retirement) from chang wattana this

morning (thursday).
 

intake officer had me sign 3 additional forms.  first two about the

rules and overstays.  the third had MY info at the top, and the second

half was for a thai landlord/owner appearing with me to confirm

residency.  i filled out the top half, signed, and gave it back with extra

papers i'd brought:  gf's id, letter from gf stating i lived at her residence,

copy of her lease.  those were accepted.

 

 

The two or three misc forms at CW have been standard for a long time. And as you said, the familiar two about rules and overstays were there for my last visit.

 

The third form, as best as I recall, was a long one and may have been a different one from in the past. I queried the officer about it via my wife, and basically, she just wanted me to sign at the bottom and leave everything else blank. I read thru it quickly, didn't see anything problematic, so just signed and gave it back to the officer. Honestly, I don't remember it saying anything about my landlord, but it might have. Don't recall that specifically. In any event, I wasn't asked for anything in connection with that.

[OJAS]

13 hours ago, ChouDoufu said:

intake officer had me sign 3 additional forms.  first two about the

rules and overstays.  the third had MY info at the top, and the second

half was for a thai landlord/owner appearing with me to confirm

residency.  i filled out the top half, signed, and gave it back with extra

papers i'd brought:  gf's id, letter from gf stating i lived at her residence,

copy of her lease.  those were accepted.

The third form = a local version of the TM30, possibly (meaning that CW might finally have fallen into line with most other offices in this regard, albeit inconsistently it would appear)?

[ChouDoufu]

i found this on another thread:

 

"... The three additional forms were quickly produced and signed, the one I seemed to need help with was the 3rd form everybody here was talking about. It was mostly in thai, and I noticed there was a line for a witness to fill in after mine. The officer promtly showed me where to sign and whisked it off my fingers afterward. ..."

 

and

 

"... One form was required to certify that my address was correct. Another certified that I understood the penalties for overstay. I'm not sure what the third form was but I didn't provide any of the information that it requested. I just signed and dated it. ..."

 

 

[partington]

3 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

The two or three misc forms at CW have been standard for a long time. And as you said, the familiar two about rules and overstays were there for my last visit.

 

The third form, as best as I recall, was a long one and may have been a different one from in the past. I queried the officer about it via my wife, and basically, she just wanted me to sign at the bottom and leave everything else blank. I read thru it quickly, didn't see anything problematic, so just signed and gave it back to the officer. Honestly, I don't remember it saying anything about my landlord, but it might have. Don't recall that specifically. In any event, I wasn't asked for anything in connection with that.

OK that sounds fine, business as usual. The appearance of another form to sign only and do nothing about doesn't bother me at all.

 

Now that I think about it the idea that 60 or 70 people a day would have to turn up with their landlords hanging around to witness a form saying where they live is a bit ridiculous, so I think I over reacted.

 

Also the poster who mentioned this previously mentioned even before he went that he had a load of documents prepared about where he lived: letter from his girlfriend, lease, and so  he probably was probably determined to produce these, even if not asked.

 

Edited September 22, 2017 by partington

[JackThompson]

On 8/30/2017 at 10:45 PM, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

... As usual, brought a folder full of supporting documents:  statements covering my various income sources, Thai bank books, map to my home, utility bills showing my address, copy of my apartment lease, etc.  Wasn't asked for any of that.

You guys in Bangkok are darn lucky!!  They actually seem to follow immigration laws/rules "by the book," instead of making up stuff, creating useless add-ons, and/or digging up old, unused laws that have lay dormant for decades (TM-30).  I bet they promptly process online 90-day reports, too.

 

I may have to "live" there 1 month/yr, just so I can use it for my annual extensions.  A month's rent in Bangkok for a temporary "2nd home in Thailand" is significantly cheaper than an agent, and would be about the same cost as my last trip out to work-around a local-office that won't process Conversions (Jomtien). 

Edited September 22, 2017 by JackThompson

[WorriedNoodle]

6 hours ago, JackThompson said:

You guys in Bangkok are darn lucky!!

I was thinking the opposite!. Normally I do my extension in Bangkok but this year did it in a southern province. I left home at 11am and was back home by 11:50am with a 1 year extension. Its only two minutes drive from the Imm office and I was the only person there that morning! 

[James2020]

My wife (a Thai) and I went to CW two days ago to get my first ever Extension of Stay and Multiple Re-entry permit.  Many thanks to TallGuyJohn for leading me through it.  Some other issues that haven't been discussed yet:

• In case the taxi driver doesn't know, the Immigration office is located in the Government Complex, Building B, Gate (door) 2.  Go to "Immigration - Division 1" just to the right as you walk in.
• Take a Thai with you, if possible. (But not necessary, since all of the people there speak English.)  I found the Thai's prefer to speak their own language, if given a choice.  More information is given if Thai is spoken.
• We arrived at 9 AM, left at 4:30 PM, an all day affair.  We probably should have arrived earlier.  We got # 41 at the first queue, and waited until 11:30 AM to be called by an IO.  My passport wasn't returned until 2 PM.  My wife struck up a conversation with an agent, who told us they're usually more efficient.  The agent said (later confirmed by an IO) that even with an agent, I still would have to show up for a photo.
• When I got the passport back, we immediately went back to the queue area to get another number for the Re-entry Permit.  We had number 232 this time, and they were working on number 180, but it went faster this time.  The same agent told us that we had to copy the new Extension of Stay in my passport, sign it,  and also and indicate on the TM8 form that I had permission to stay for another year.  We went to the lower level to get a copy made, just beyond the Food Court, for 2 B per page.  It's a huge place.
• I left the part blank on the TM8 about leaving and re-entering Thailand, since we weren't sure yet, but the IO filled it in without asking us anything.  Apparently something has to be there.
• When we came at 9:00 AM there were about 50 taxis in line for pickups, but when we left at 4:30 PM there wasn't one, although there was line of about 15 people.  After about 30 minutes we got one that just dropped somebody off, but had to pay double to get back to the Mo Chit BTS - (sigh)... it took us another 30 minutes to get out of the Government Complex in the taxi.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Thanks for the nice comment. A couple of thoughts on your post:

 

1. Usually, the middle of the week days in general seem to be less busy than Mondays or Fridays, so I always aim for mid-week.

 

2. I always like to drag my Thai wife along, because, like you, I've found that the female Immigration officers at CW seem to prefer to speak in Thai. And if they want to have the entire conversation with my wife and leave me out of it, I'm perfectly fine. As long as the job gets done. BTW, in my experience, whatever English any of the officers there speak seems to be rudimentary at best, and far short of actually having a conversation about anything in English, other than short snips like, "sign here", "1900 baht," "passport," etc.

 

3. Where your day went seriously wrong was in getting caught having not finished your business prior to their lunch break at noon, where all the customers get kicked out and the Immigration office closes for their break. I always try to arrive right at their opening time, 8 or 8:30, whatever it is, and almost always have managed to get my extension and re-entry permit completed prior to lunch break. Otherwise, dragging on into the afternoon is a pain. And then that makes the traffic coming back into the city center worse.

 

4. Last time I was there in August, like you, the re-entry permit staff kept bugging me about filling in the blank dates for my future travel. Something that I'd never really had them kick up a fuss about in the past. But last time they did. So I started telling them I didn't have my reservations yet. And then they kept asking for specific dates. So I finally gave them something and they wrote it in. Glad that they were happy finally.

 

5. As for taxis, you can always take the circulating little small bus that runs between the Government Complex and the main CW road every few minutes. And then catch a taxi from the main road, if things are backed up at the Govt. Complex building itself. BTW, when speaking Thai with the taxi drivers, I believe the phrases you can use are "Soon Ratchagan" and/or "Dtor Mor" -- which will tell them you want to go to the Government Complex bldg.

 

 

[James2020]

I just saw this response - thanks for the suggestions.  I'll get better with experience...