Can I book an appointment to renew my retirement visa at Phuket Immigration Office?

Get there nice and early

I did my retirement extension in March of this year and there was no booking system. You just go to Room 103 (ground floor, corner closest to the motorcycle parking) and give your paperwork to the cheerful Immigration Officer who is usually seated outside. (Just to be clear you don't need to go inside or get a queue number from the immigration volunteers -- you deal directly with the immigration officers for long term extensions in Room 103.) He will confirm that you have everything, tell you what else you may need, and then gives you a queue number with which you wait outside of Room 103. (Generally, with Covid-19 they prefer you to wait outside of Room 103 unless you've been called in to present your application to an officer or are waiting to have your picture taken. This system is really nice compared to how it was done 4 or so years ago. I usually pick up my bank documentation and then make my way over to Phuket Immigration, so arrive there around 9:30 AM. I've never had to wait too long, maybe half an hour, before being seen by an officer. The time spent with the officer is usually pretty quick as well, maybe 10 minutes, then you wait to have your picture taken (20 minutes) and get a receipt to pick up your passport with the new extension (and usually a new 90-Day Report notice) the next day.

On the day I pick up my passport I usually also apply for a re-entry permit, which is done inside the building getting a queue number after the immigration volunteers check your paperwork. This year it was amazingly quick. Took about 10 minutes. In previous years it could take 2 hours or more. I think because of the virus situation wait times are for the time being pretty short.

That's it 2 days out of the year. I file my 90-Day Reports online, and the only other reason I have to visit Immigration is for the odd Residence Certificate (e.g., for getting a driver's license or similar).

Phuket, Bangkok and a few other offices around the country will extend a visa up to 45 days before expiry. For most others it’s 30 days.

I see from the Phuket Immigration Volunteers site (which is usually reliable) that you can apply for the retirement extension 30 days before expiration. I may have just been lucky when they accepted my application more than 30 days before expiration. It may actually depend on how busy they are. If you show up 45 days before expiration and they are not busy they might just figure, why not, and accept it from you at that time. Worst case they say, too early, and you come back 30 days before expiration. Of course, you would need new bank letter and stamped bank statement if they turned you away.

I have been successful applying for a retirement extension at Phuket Immigration as early as 45 days before the expiration date. However, I have never had an appointment, I just show up early in the morning.

I think you can do it a month before it expires