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Do I need to cancel my Non-O Retirement visa before applying for a Non-B visa?

Non-B Visa Non-O Retirement Visa Visa Cancellation Process Thai Immigration Visa Application Process

Aug 8, 2025

a day ago

Jerry *******

ORIGINAL POSTER

I have learnt from this forum that if one wants to get a new Non-B, one has to cancel the Non-O Retirement at the office of issue (in my case, Chiangmai). But yesterday I queried this with the IO at the CNX immigration office, and he said that Non-O retirement cannot be cancelled like other visas. What one needs to do is just leave the country from any exit port, then get a new Non-B (in my case, the Royal Thai Embassy in Kuala Lumpur). So now I am confused. Do I need to cancel the existing Non-O retirement in Chiangmai, or simply let it lapse, and then apply for a new Non-B through the e-Visa portal in Kuala Lumpur? Please advise. Thank you.

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TLDR : Answer Summary

The user is seeking clarification on whether they need to cancel their Non-O Retirement visa at the Chiangmai immigration office before applying for a Non-B visa. Confusion arises from differing advice received: one immigration officer claimed the Non-O cannot be cancelled, while a forum user suggests it is sufficient to leave the country and apply for the Non-B visa from abroad.

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Tod *********

I'd wager you're not on any Non-O VISA and instead are on a year extension of stay based on retirement.

Those don't need to be cancelled, leaving the country and stamping out on it is sufficient when you go to get a new visa at a thai consulate, so just leave and go apply for the Non-B

Keep in mind since the thai consulates in Malaysia went to eVisa online all three (KL, Penang and Kota Bharu) became really NOT user friendly and you need to be prepared to hang out in Malaysia until that visa is approved or denied on the eVisa system once you apply.

There are certainly far more user friendly and faster processing time thai consulates (Vientiane or Savannakhet) to use

a day ago

Jerry *******

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Tod ********

Thanks for the information. I have technically a retirement visa, so I will just leave as advised. BTW, I am a Malaysian citizen, working as an academic here for 30 years at a university with 12 years in Riyadh, and living in Thailand for 45 years. All my degrees are local (from AU, Sasin, and AIT), and I am 65 now, but have been approached to work with a long-established private university, with an official letter from the university, and also with a police clearance (meeting all documentary evidence). So if I do go to the Thai Embassy in KL, will it be easier? Or should I just opt for maybe Vientiane or Suwannaket as recommended?

19 hours ago

Tod *********

@Jerry ******

I have technically a retirement visa, so I will just leave as advised. you don't have ANY visa and if you looked at your passport you'd see the stamp in it says "extension of stay permitted until" and has a date <- that is NOT a visa

Be that as it may

My advice about Penang, KL and Kota Bharu stands, since they went to the eVisa online web portal (like every thai embassy in the world did) they got to be not that fast in processing.

As long as you know you stay in Malaysia until your visa is approved, go to KL upload your application, pay online and wait for it to be approved.

ALL the consulates require the same documentation to get the visa and I only pointed out that both Vientiane and Savannakhet are faster processing time

8 hours ago

Reply to

Tod *********

Adam *******

@Tod ********

provided of course that he didn't already get a multiple reentry stamp...

a day ago

Tod *********

@Adam ******

still no issue going out, buying a new Non-B visa even if you have a year extension w/a multiple re-entry stamp.

You just print the PDF from the new visa you applied for and tell them that's what you want to stamp in on when you come back

Thousands of people have extensions w/re-entry, go get DTV's and come back in on it, without issue

You can't have a valid VISA and apply for another visa, you CAN have a still valid extension of stay w/re-entry and go get a new VISA at a consulate though

a day ago

Reply to

Tod *********

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Can I apply for a Non-O retirement visa from within Thailand after exiting to apply as a tourist?

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