Can I extend my retirement visa in Thailand before it expires if I show travel plans?

I can relate an experience that happened with a friend of mine. She was going to be out of the country almost 3 months before her retirement extension expired. We went out and asked showing the confirmation of her tickets out and back in, showing she was leaving 86 days before the extension expired and not returning until 30 some days after it would have expired. The officer said, let it expire start over again new.

I disagreed and pushed it to the section head telling here it was a valid reason and it didn't make any sense to start all over when she came back. I told her I wanted to file an appeal on the denial.

The officer had us write a letter asking for special consideration. It went upstairs to the big-wigs out at chaengwattana for consideration. They said they'd let her know within 3 days. They called me two days later saying the request had been approved and to go out and get the yearly extension done.

So yes it can be done, but a low to mid level passport stamping officer is gonna tell you to let it expire and start again. That's what they told us when we tried. If I hadn't pushed it up the chain of command to a section head, who in turn had to kick it even further up the food chain it would have never gotten done.

You can apply for an Extension of Stay at local Immigration 30 or 45 days before the last day of your permitted to stay date.