Thailand Visa question No. 014/22: Tourist to Non-immigrant

Questioner: Pat

I had applied for a retirement visa (non-immigrant) at immigration in Hua Hin. I came to Thailand on the basis of an exemption (30 days) All necessary documents, bank book print, bank statement, origin money, address, lease agreement, plan to go to home…) submitted and yesterday I was able to go back to immigration. Got my passport back and later saw that I had been stamped with “retirement non” O” immigration. Valid until March 29 (90 days).

I suspect that I will have to submit another application for the 1 year retirement? My question is: can this be done immediately or is this only allowed at the end of the 90 days? And then the entire file must be submitted again (see above) or are some documents sufficient (for example bank book update).

Reaction RonnyLatYa

What you first received is a conversion of your Tourist status (Visa Exemption) to a Non-immigrant. If you want a year extension, the requirement is that you have a Non-immigrant status and if you entered on Visa Exemption you do not have that. With a Tourist status you simply cannot obtain an annual extension. You have now first obtained 90 days, just the same as someone who enters Thailand with a Non-immigrant O. You can extend those 90 days by a year.

If you ask that immediately, they will probably send you back. The default is from 30 days before the expiration of those 90 days, although some also accept it 45 days before that. But you have plenty of time because you can request it until those 90 days are up. Doesn't matter because that year extension will always connect to your 90 days. Waiting until the last day is not a good idea now either.

You will indeed have to submit a completely new file and meet all the requirements again. Just as the years that follow will also be the case.

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