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Do I need to cancel my extension of the original Non-O visa after entering Thailand on a new DTV?

DTV visa Non-O visa visa extension Thailand immigration retirement visa re-entry permit

Aug 21, 2025

3 days ago

Jeff *******

ORIGINAL POSTER

I've been in Thailand for many years with an Extension based on retirement of an original Non-Immigrant O visa. I also have a ME Reentry Permit. I just returned to Thailand with a new soft power DTV. The IO wanted to admit me under the old extension but I explained that I wanted to enter under the new DTV so that my wife could apply for a spousal DTV. After a few minutes and a short discussion with another IO, he stamped me in for 6 months. The entry stamp says "DTV" hand written on it.

My question is -- am I required to go to Immigration to cancel the extension of the original Non-O visa? Or can I just let it expire on its own? I do plan on leaving and re-entering Thailand at least one more time before the extension expires. I'd like to avoid the half day at Immigration if possible.

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TLDR : Answer Summary

The user recently entered Thailand on a new DTV visa after having an extension based on a Non-Immigrant O visa. They question whether they need to officially cancel their old extension or if they can simply let it expire. Community responses suggest that while it may not be strictly necessary to cancel the old extension, it is advisable to do so for clarity and to avoid future complications with immigration.

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John ****

I would go to Immigration and cancel the old visa just to be safe.. The way immigration is here you want to have it as clean as possible. From my experience at least....

21 hours ago

Brandon ************

A little confused about your statement of wanting to be stamped in on the DTV so your wife could apply for one. That's not a requirement. You just need to upload your DTV e-visa for your wife's application. Doesn't have anything to do with you being stamped in or not. Unless you just said that to get in, then it would be fine.

2 days ago

Jeff *******

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Brandon ***********

I was standing in front of the IO and didn't know what the DTV stamp in my passport would look like when he wanted to stamp me in under my "Retirement Extension". All I knew is that in order for my wife to get a spousal DTV she needed to be the spouse of a DTV holder and her application requires my passport info. I didn't know at the time, and still don't know for sure, that if I entered under an extension of an O visa, whether or not that would qualify her when she applied.

2 days ago

Reply to

Jeff *******

Tod *********

you can go out to the immigration office that issued your extension/re-entry permit and get them to cancel them.

I mean you're stamped in on the DTV now so that's fine, you're not on that extension anymore

It's far safer than trying to explain to them that you went to get a new visa while you still had a valid extension re-entry each time you stamp in until your old extension expires

3 days ago

Tod *********

are you "required to" go cancel that extension no you're not, but you're going to have to watch stamping in each time on the DTV as long as the old extension re-entry are valid so you're not stamped back in on it

3 days ago

Jeff *******

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Tod ********

1. Wouldn't I have the same problem trying to explain to Immigration that I got a new visa while still on extension as I would talking to an IO at airport arrivals? (I didn't want to cancel my old extension until I had confirmation that I was approved for the DTV since I've heard so many stories of people being denied.) If it matters, my extension was granted at Chiang Mai.

2, Even if I missed it and they stamped me in on my old extension, wouldn't my DTV still be valid for my next entry since it's multiple entry? As it happens, I expect to be out of the country when my extension expires.

3 days ago

Tod *********

@Jeff ******

nope you're far from the first person who left the country on a valid extension/re-entry, went and got a DTV then came back in

Most don't bother cancelling their earlier extension

I'm just saying you COULD do that at the immigration office and they would know exactly what you were doing (jumping on the DTV band wagon 😛)

You are correct, even if for some reason you were stamped in on the old extension/re-entry you'd be fine as long as you left before it ran out. Then comin' back just show the DTV print out and you'd get in on it

3 days ago

Jeff *******

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Tod ********

Thanks. That's what I really wanted to know. Going to Immigration is the "proper" way to do it but the practical matter is to not bother.

And, yes, after 20 years here, the DTV band wagon was too good to pass up. I'll worry again in 2031!

2 days ago

Reply to

Jeff *******

Lloyd ********

Not sure about the cancelling. The concern might be the financials for the previous retirement extension.

3 days ago

Jeff *******

ORIGINAL POSTER

The 800k baht? That's one of the reasons I wanted to switch to the DTV. It frees up 1.6 mil baht for me and my wife. We both fulfilled the obligation to keep 800k in the bank for over 6 months.

3 days ago

Graham ******

@Jeff ******

Why have you maintained the 800k for all these years? Don't you regularly bring money into Thailand to live off because you could have switched to the 65k monthly transfer method a long time ago?

2 days ago

Jeff *******

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Graham *****

We're off on the wrong tangent. My question was about limiting my trips to Immigration and dealing with bureaucracy.

Back when we first got our Non-Imm O visas, using the 65k/mo method meant buying a letter from the US Consulate. Another round of bureaucracy! Then when Immigration stopped that practice, there was no other method than 800k in the bank. Now, of course, we could each do a 65k transfer every month from our investment accounts to "prove" our income. That would be 130k a month and there is no way we can spend that much living in CM. That still means multiple trips to the bank here, then multiple trips to Immigration. And the excess funds I converted from USD to THB? What do I do? Take them out of the Thai bank with an ATM card and convert the baht to dollars and then bring that back to the US and deposit the cash?

2 days ago

Graham ******

@Jeff ******

then you recycle the transferred funds by sending the excess back every few months for subsequent transfers

2 days ago

Jeff *******

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Graham *****

Double exchange rate losses. Wire transfer fees. Annual fees of 5800+ baht.

Never having t go to Immigration again, PRICELESS!

2 days ago

Reply to

Jeff *******

Lloyd ********

@Jeff ******

yours is a complicated situation regarding the financials, and I would recommend speaking to your local immigration office to clarify.

3 days ago

Lloyd ********

@Jeff ******

but, the second you go under the required amount for the retirement extension you had, that could easily be taken as you did not maintain the requirements for that extension. Ergo, overstay.

3 days ago

Jeff *******

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Lloyd *******

What am I missing? How would I ever get my money out of Thailand? If I wanted to leave Thailand permanently and withdrew my 800k a week or a month before I left, or now, I'd be violating the requirement for that extension and be on overstay!

2 days ago

Lloyd ********

@Jeff ******

But you are not leaving :-)

2 days ago

Jeff *******

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Lloyd *******

I'm not sure what the difference is but in my case, and my wife's case, there's an easy solution -- we've each had the 800k in the bank for over 6 months since the last extension; we can each withdraw up to 400k and leave 400k in the bank until our extensions expire in a few months. We'll have met both the 800 k requirement and the requirement to never let the balance fall below 400k. Fortunately, I don't need the money anytime soon. It's been there for over 15 years! Once we pass the renewal date, we can withdraw all but a small amount. Just need to keep the account active in case we ever need one again.

2 days ago

Kim **********

@Jeff ******

I've been seeing reports of a DTV not being considered to be a long-term visa by the banks and as a result they've been closing customers accounts.

2 days ago

Jeff *******

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Kim *********

Good point. I've seen a few of those reports too. But not much I can do about it. I can't worry about things I have no control over. My savings account has been open for 19 years so hopefully the bank never questions it. In my case, it's a risk worth taking to switch to a DTV.

2 days ago

Reply to

Jeff *******

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Can I cancel my expired Non-O extension and apply for a new visa while my spouse remains in Thailand?

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