Dear editors,
I have struggled through your extensive visa file and gratefully found some clear information, but still a single question that I would like to ask you. I have been on a non-immigrant O visa in Thailand for years, so every year I visit the Thai embassy in The Hague. I now want to switch to a retirement visa (the extension of the non-immigrant O visa).
What I need for that was clear in your file. My current visa expires January 6, 2016, so I cannot go to Soi 6 Immigration in Pattaya until December 2015, 5. For this extension I have to pay 1900 baht.
My questions are how do I get multiple entry on the retirement visa? Can that be done immediately upon application for the first application or do I have to come back for that? And what are the costs of this?
Furthermore, do I understand that I have to re-apply for immigration every 90 days? Is there also a form for this or do I only report with my passport within 90 days? Is that new stamp free or are there costs involved?
Thanks for the info.
Piet
Dear Pete,
As for your extension, you can usually start an extension request from 30 days before the end of the stay period, but some also accept it from 45 days. Depends a bit on the immigration office where you are going to ask for the extension and the rules they apply there. Good advice is not to wait until the last minute. You never know what might come in between. They want to see extra/other forms, or there are a lot of people, or you have not taken a closing period/day into account, you get sick, etc….. Anything can happen.
There is nothing to be gained by waiting until the last minute. An extension is always following the end date of your previous period of stay and you do not win or lose anything with it.
As for the Re-entry. After you have obtained your “Retirement visa”, ie your extension, you can apply for a re-entry. You can do it immediately or come back later. You decide that yourself. There are many who do it immediately because they are there anyway.
A Single re-entry costs 1000 Baht and a multiple re-entry costs 3800 Baht. See also page 29 of the Dossier – www.thailandblog.nl/wp-content/uploads/TB-2014-12-27-Dossier-Visa-Thailand-full version.pdf Chapter 13. A re-entry permit is always needed when you leave Thailand in the meantime
As for the 90-day report, you must make it for each period of 90 days of continuous residence in Thailand. The count expires from the moment you leave Thailand. It starts again from day 1 upon entry, ie do not continue counting where you left off when you left Thailand. There is a form to make your 90 day notice. This is the form “TM 47, Form for alien notify of staying longer than 90 day”.
The 90-day notification is free. It's not a stamp by the way. You will receive a slip of paper as proof of your report. It also tells you when to come back next time. You can make this report in person, but it can also be done by a third party, by post or online (the latter is still a bit of a teething problem). See also page 28 of the File – https://www.thailandblog.nl/wp-content/uploads/TB-2014-12-27-Dossier-Visa-Thailand-full-version.pdf Chapter 12. Reporting whereabouts and 90-day notice
See also www.immigration.go.th/
You can click in the left column
-Click “Download form” to download the form “TM 47, Form for alien notify of staying longer than 90 day”.
-“Apply for notification of staying in the Kingdom (over 90 days)” to make your 90 days notification on-line (maybe better to use later if the system works well and is reliable)
Regards,
RonnyLatPhrao
Disclaimer: The advice is based on existing regulations. The editors accept no responsibility if this is deviated from in practice.