Trip to Bangkok immigration for retirement conversion

[nkped 1,208]

Made my trip to Bangkok Immigration last week to apply to convert my tourist visa to a non-immigrant O. Hope I got the terminology correct as, yes, it does matter. I had executed my income affidavit the day before at the US Embassy.

 

The first step is getting to the correct office. My first try to figure out where to go on Google Maps gave some place SE of Lumpini Park. That would not have been good. I needed to go to Division 1, which is out in the direction of Don Muang airport. http://bangkok.immigration.go.th/en/location1.html I copied the address from the website and showed it to the hotel doorman. First guy up said no thanks. Next guy was willing. If you haven't taken a Bangkok taxi recently, use of the meter seemed to be a given. He asked my okay to take the expressway, which was good with me and got the baht for the toll from me before we got to the booth.

 

The driver certainly knew where the complex was but had to get directions from motorcycle taxi drivers to get pointed towards the immigration office. It's on the south end of a huge complex. Fortunately, the signage for Building B is prominent.

 

The immigration office is just to the right of the entrance. The ladies at the information counter figured out what I really wanted to do, gave me a TM.86 form to complete, told me to make sure I copies of my passport identity page, my visa + admission stamp and the departure card. With all that, went to the queue counter for a cursory check, and a queue card.

 

One thing which wasn't immediately clear was that there were multiple sign boards. The interview area is quite large and you don't want to be waiting in the wrong area. I got a queue card beginning with C1, which was near the south side of the building.

 

My number was called within 15 minutes. A pleasant and professional female officer checked my application and the copies and had me sign everything. She asked me if I had the letter from the embassy, which I had gotten the day before. She used a calculator, I suspect to convert the dollar amount to baht. She collected 2,000 baht, gave me a receipt and told me to come back on 12 February and advised me I could not leave the country. No request for additional proof of income or for a copy of a lease. The receipt has a stamp to come back on 12 February for result. An evil bureaucratic voice keeps whispering that a denial would be a result, but my distinct impression was that everything was in order.

 

I was in and out in about an hour .

[RhinoTusk 4,901]

Couldn't you get a 12 month retirement extension with your tourist visa? Was the change of visa necessary?

[nkped 1,208]

Couldn't you get a 12 month retirement extension with your tourist visa? Was the change of visa necessary?

Walking out on the water here, but the officer told me I would get 45 days and after a month I could go to Jomtien for the one year extension.

[jacko 8,822]

Couldn't you get a 12 month retirement extension with your tourist visa? Was the change of visa necessary?

No, a retirement extension is an extension to a Non-Imm O.

You can convert it in Bangkok, or travel to a nearby country to obtain a single Non-Imm O, or get one in your home country.

 

An alternative is a retirement Visa obtained in your own country, a Non-Imm OA.

[jacko 8,822]

Walking out on the water here, but the officer told me I would get 45 days and after a month I could go to Jomtien for the one year extension.

You can get a 30 day extension to a tourist visa, and a subsequent 7 day extension, but under normal circumstances that is it.

Extenuating circumstances, whatever they might be, may enable a longer extension.

[ttk 236]

You can get a 30 day extension to a tourist visa, and a subsequent 7 day extension, but under normal circumstances that is it.

Extenuating circumstances, whatever they might be, may enable a longer extension.

The only time I ever tried an extension ( during the airport shutdown), I was given 2 weeks at the Jomtien office and told I could comeback and get a second 2...but needed all the copies and paperwork again Of course, the fee was not reduced

[jacko 8,822]

The only time I ever tried an extension ( during the airport shutdown), I was given 2 weeks at the Jomtien office and told I could comeback and get a second 2...but needed all the copies and paperwork again Of course, the fee was not reduced

The extensions available to tourist visas and Visa exempt stamps has changed a bit since then, hard to keep track.

[cbrib 354]

Same as if you enter on a passport. You will need to go up to Chaeng Wattana and get it changed to a non o before you can proceed in Jomtien for a marriage or retirement visa