Guest Astrrro Posted January 17, 2009 Posted January 17, 2009 I'll probably be in America when my retirement visa expires. Can I renew it in the USA? Quote
Guest fountainhall Posted January 17, 2009 Posted January 17, 2009 I'm sure this needs GB's input. My own view is that it is highly unlikely, given the number of documents that you must supply - originals and copies, including a statement from your bank that should only be 1 or 2 days old. If I was in your position, I'd get it renewed before you leave. Quote
Guest shebavon Posted January 17, 2009 Posted January 17, 2009 I agree, and the Immigration office made it real easy for me, even a month before my visa was to expire. I did not even lose any time, as they extended it one year from my expiration date. Quote
Gaybutton Posted January 17, 2009 Posted January 17, 2009 I'm afraid my input won't be very helpful. This is the first time this question has come up. I would guess that you can renew at a Thai consulate because you can get a first retirement visa at a Thai consulate. But considering the weird way things can work Thai style, that's only a guess on my part. If I were you I would do either of two things: The Immigration authorities do allow people to renew their retirement visa prior to a trip that means they won't be back in Thailand before the visa expires. I know people who have done it months in advance. The second thing I would do would be to spring for a phone call to the Thai consulate at which you would apply for a renewal. They're the ones who would approve or reject the renewal, so you might as well get your information directly from them. The worst that can happen would be that you would lose the visa and have to go through the process again when you return to Thailand. That's not really much of a problem considering you have to provide most of the same documentation when you apply for a renewal anyway. It would mean an extra couple of thousand baht to convert your entry visa to the retirement visa, but I see no problem about it. Out of all the choices, I think the easiest, least expensive, and best choice is to renew your visa prior to leaving Thailand. Just don't forget to obtain a re-entry permit before leaving Thailand. If you fail to get a re-entry permit, then your visa will be null and void whether you renewed or not. Quote
Guest joseph44 Posted January 18, 2009 Posted January 18, 2009 Dealt with visa's over the last years, especially tourist, non-B and non-ED visas. Learned, that an immigration office is allowed to extend and change visa's and Embassies and Consulates are only allowed to issue new visa's. (exceptions apply of course!) Of course, in the case of the OP: Contact the Embassy/Consulate and just ask THEM the question. Quote
Gaybutton Posted January 18, 2009 Posted January 18, 2009 Of course, in the case of the OP: Contact the Embassy/Consulate and just ask THEM the question. I'll bite. What is the "OP"? Quote
Guest Astrrro Posted January 18, 2009 Posted January 18, 2009 I'll bite. What is the "OP"? Forumspeak for Orginal Poster, the guy who started the thread, in this case moi. Quote
Guest joseph44 Posted January 19, 2009 Posted January 19, 2009 Forumspeak for Orginal Poster, the guy who started the thread, in this case moi. Oh but, maybe you could renew your retirement visa before you leave for the States. Of course this will shorten your current validity. But again, the best way to find out is by taking your question to the authorities. Do that on any Tuesday or Wedsneday and you'll see that they can be extremely helpfull. (On Monday they're drunk from the sunday and on thursday and friday they're so exhausted, that any question is too much. Quote
2lz2p Posted January 20, 2009 Posted January 20, 2009 Oh but, maybe you could renew your retirement visa before you leave for the States. Of course this will shorten your current validity. But again, the best way to find out is by taking your question to the authorities. Do that on any Tuesday or Wedsneday and you'll see that they can be extremely helpfull. (On Monday they're drunk from the sunday and on thursday and friday they're so exhausted, that any question is too much. per Barry Kenyon, Honorary British Consul, and a couple of friends of mine who have done so, pattaya Immigration will renew a retirement visa up to 90 days prior to its expiration - the new expiration date will be 12 months from the old one -- thus, no loss in validity. Myself, I have done it 6 weeks early - again, no questions asked and expiration date is the same as if I renewed a few days before (12 months from the old expiration date). If you are departing more than 3 months before and explain you will not return until after the expiration date, they might do it even earlier. Since a renewal requires the same paperwork and requirements, if it does expire while in US, you can return, convert the 30 days on arrival to a non-immigrant "O" visa (according to reports, you pay for that visa and they will give you a 90 day stay - then on same day, you apply for a 12 month extension based on retirement (pay again for extension fee). Again based on reports of others, the 12 months will be from the expiration of the 90 days, thus making 15 month stay). The primary risk in letting the retirement visa (extension) expire is that in the interim before reapplying, Thailand might change the requirements, e.g., money required or age. Always in the past, if they change the requirements, those with an existing extension are "grandfathered" in and can continue to renew under the requirements in effect when they first obtained their retirement visa (extension). Quote
Gaybutton Posted January 20, 2009 Posted January 20, 2009 Oh but, maybe you could renew your retirement visa before you leave for the States. Of course this will shorten your current validity. Not maybe . . . it's definitely. And it does not shorten the validity period. The visa will be valid for the full year beyond it's current expiration date, even if you renew months in advance. I'm certain of that because that's the way it worked with two friends who had to renew early. Quote
Guest Astrrro Posted January 20, 2009 Posted January 20, 2009 When "renewing" a retirement visa does it all happen in one day? I seem to recall that when "originally" getting the visa it was a two day process. This is important to me since I am leaving the country on the morning of the 30th and the US Consulate is in Pattaya on the morning of the 29th so I can get my notarized form. I only have about 500K in my Thai bank. If I act fast I might be able to get some more money in. That would mean I'd need to request a bank letter on the 28th and receive it on the 29th, right? Quote
Gaybutton Posted January 20, 2009 Posted January 20, 2009 When "renewing" a retirement visa does it all happen in one day? I seem to recall that when "originally" getting the visa it was a two day process. I only have about 500K in my Thai bank. That would mean I'd need to request a bank letter on the 28th and receive it on the 29th, right? Normally they give you a claims ticket and have you come back the next day at about 10:00am. If the 800,000 baht is a problem, why not simply get the proof-of-income statement from the US Embassy? All you need is a valid passport. Then it doesn't matter what you have in the bank. You'll still need the letter from the bank, but that's routine. The bank letter is acceptable for one week. Based on what you have written, none of this appears to be any problem at all. I really don't think you're going to have any trouble. Just don't wait until the last minute. I suggest going in to get the visa renewal three days in advance of your trip out of Thailand. That way, if there is any kind of a paperwork problem, you'll still have time to deal with it. I also suggest bringing your airline ticket with you. I doubt you'll be asked to produce any evidence of when you're actually leaving, but you never know, so have it handy just in case you're asked. Remember . . . get the re-entry permit. Quote
Guest Astrrro Posted January 20, 2009 Posted January 20, 2009 Remember . . . get the re-entry permit. This is good for multiple, rentries, right? This is important to me because I will be returning to Thailand for one night and then leaving again for a few months. Quote
Gaybutton Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 This is good for multiple, rentries, right? It's your choice as to whether you wish to purchase a single re-entry permit or a multiple re-entry permit. Based on what you posted, I would go with the multiple re-entry permit. Remember, though, either permit expires the same day your visa expires. Quote
2lz2p Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 It's your choice as to whether you wish to purchase a single re-entry permit or a multiple re-entry permit. Based on what you posted, I would go with the multiple re-entry permit. Remember, though, either permit expires the same day your visa expires. If you wait till the American Embassy folks come to Pattaya, then IMHO, you are cutting it way too close. As GB says, Immigration often asks you to return the following day to pick up your passport. It may be a bit of a bother to go to Bangkok now to get the letter, but better that then having Immigration hold onto your passport because you waited for the convenience of the Embassy visit to Pattaya - although Thai Immigration might expedite and return it the same day if you plead enough, but that is a BIG chance to take. Barry Kenyon, Honorary British Counsel, at the Pattaya City Expats Club meeting a while back said Immigration is urging all retirement visa holders to renew at least one week early - so you may not get any sympathy. Also, you will need to renew BEFORE you apply for the re-entry permit; otherwise, the permit expiration date will be the current retirement visa expiration date. Once you renew, they will put the latter expiration date on the re-entry permit. On a previous renewal, I renewed over a month early and got my re-entry permit the same day I picked up my passport (the following day after going in to renew) -- the expiration date for the re-entry permit (single) was some 13 months later (new expiration date for retirement visa - this is the case for either single or multiple reentry permit). If you get a single reentry permit (1,000 baht fee), then when you return, you will need to apply for another reentry permit, which can no longer be done at the airport. If you are not going to have that much time, then get the multiple reentry permit (3,800 baht fee). This will allow you to leave and reenter as many times as you want until the expiration date of the reentry permit. Quote
Guest Astrrro Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 "A guy in a bar" last night was telling me that the time one spends outside of Thailand restarts the clock if the retirement visa hasn't expired so if I had the re-entry permit and left for 120 days and my visa has not expired I'll get an extra 120 days. I think he is incorrect or confusing a retirement visa with another type of visa. But wondering if anyone has had this experience? Quote
Gaybutton Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 anyone has had this experience? I have. The number of days you spend outside of Thailand has no effect on the expiration date of a retirement visa or any other type of visa. He is probably confusing that with the address reporting deadlines. The clock restarts for address reporting dates upon re-entry into Thailand. Quote
Guest GaySacGuy Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 I agree with GB on this issue. You will have a retirement visa till the date that is stamped on that visa, and nothing seems to change this date. I have gotten a multiple re-entry visa, as I tend to do some travelling. It sure makes it simple. You put the number of the re-entry visa on your arrival card, and immigration is a snap...took about 2 minutes Tuesday evening returning from Vietnam. There are still people waiting in long queues in part of immigration when the lines are empty 25 yards to the left or right. I was first in line at the area I went to, and my Thai bf walked through quickly on the Thai Passport line. Quote
2lz2p Posted January 22, 2009 Posted January 22, 2009 "A guy in a bar" last night was telling me that the time one spends outside of Thailand restarts the clock if the retirement visa hasn't expired so if I had the re-entry permit and left for 120 days and my visa has not expired I'll get an extra 120 days. I think he is incorrect or confusing a retirement visa with another type of visa. But wondering if anyone has had this experience? I know of a few folks who received an "O-A" (retirement/long-stay) multiple entry visa in USA. When they arrived, their entry stamp permitted them to stay one year. During that year, they left Thailand and returned to Thailand. Upon return, they received another full year stay on arrival. However, those folks didn't have to have a reentry permit so long as their initial visa was valid. Quote
Guest Astrrro Posted January 22, 2009 Posted January 22, 2009 If you wait till the American Embassy folks come to Pattaya, then IMHO, you are cutting it way too close. Agreed, I'm going to Bangkok on Friday. Quote
