How can I successfully extend my retirement visa in Thailand?

Charles Hallam You will need to prove finances for this application on Immigration.

In case you seek to provide proof of finances for the application for the “1-year extension of stay” with a balance of at least THB 800,000 THB, you must have a Thai bank account in your sole name.

If you use a monthly income of at least 65,000 THB as financial proof, then you must get your income “legalized”, i.e. been issued an “affidavit of income” from your embassy in Bangkok or from one of the honorary consuls

NOTE: British, Australian and American embassies don’t issue this income affidavit any more, thus citizens of these countries will need to go by the 800,000 THB deposit method (at least in the first year). After having collected 12 consecutive transfers, each month, month for month, of a minimum of equivalent of 65,000 THB having been transferred into your account from abroad, you can switch to the “income method” using the bank’s yearly statement.

To apply for the 1-year extension of stay permit at immigration inside Thailand out of a Non-Imm-O retirement/over 50-visa, you do NOT need to provide proof of health insurance.

The documents required to apply for the “1-year extension of stay permit based on retirement/over 50 years old” from a Non-Imm-O visa are:

(The exact documents may vary depending on the immigration office you are dealing with. Most immigration offices have a handout with a list of the documents you need to bring with you. You need to visit them and ask for the handout before you apply)

Proof of meeting the financial requirements

EITHER

by the “deposit method”:

a certificate from the bank that you got a balance of a minimum of 800,000 THB.- that have been in the account for at least 2 months on the day of application.

This must be proven with a same day (some immigrations accept up to 7 days) "bank letter of guarantee" (in Thai: "rab roong thanakan") as well as an updated bankbook and an ATM receipt for a small withdrawal at the bank’s ATM on the same day.

The 800,000 THB must remain in the account for a further 3 months after the one-year Extension of Stay Permit has been issued, and an amount of 400,000 THB must not be less than 400,000 THB for the rest of the year. Then 2 months before the new application for the next “1-year extension”, a minimum of 800,000 THB must be deposited again.

OR

by the “Income method”:

an income certificate (affidavit of income) from the embassy or a honorary consul of the country which’s passport you hold, of a monthly income of at minimum of 65,000 THB

and the following documents:

***Copies of the relevant pages in your passport:

***the pages with personal details.

***The page with the entry stamp.

*** a copy of your .pdf visa document (if applicable)

***A rental agreement (if applicable), the blue house book and the Thai ID card of the owner of the place that you are staying

For the registration of a foreigner at a place in Thailand, you should visit immigration together with the landlord, because a landlord is required to register you by TM30 within 24 hours of your arrival at the place of accommodation.

The landlord can also TM30 you online, in case he already has registered the accommodation in the TM30 system.

NOTE: without a TM30 residence registration, you will most probably not get serviced on Immigration!

***A completed TM7 application form for extension of the stay permit (the form is available at immigration, but you can also download it from the internet)

***a handful of passport photos (most immigration offices now take the photos digitally, but it doesn't hurt to have a few up-to-date passport pictures at hand)

*** all copies of the documents must be signed by you in blue ink (!)

*** you will need to sign on Immigration the forms STM2, STM11 and STM 9. No big deal, just sign them, they are affirmations that you have read and understood the rules

The 1-year extension itself costs a 1900 Baht fee

As soon as you got issued the 1-year extension of stay permit, you should buy a “re-entry permit”, because in the event that you suddenly have to leave the country or if you generally want to leave the country for a holiday elsewhere, the “re -entry permit” keeps the “1-year extended stay permit” alive.

A single re-entry permit is 1000 THB, and a multi re-entry permit is 3800 THB.

If you plan to exit Thailand more often than 3 times during the 1-year stay permit, a multi re-entry permit is the right choice

Post Scriptum: I always make a colour copy of the last issued bank letter, in case the bank staff gets replaced and the new clerk has no idea.

I can easily explain what I need the for the "Tor Mor" (the Thai name for Immigration). It is called "rab roong thanakan" and if you wish to get 100% safe, add the words "fai song duean" (for two months) . . .

I always ask for a 3-months bank letter just in case some newbie officer on Immigration doesn't like my nose

Charles Hallam only if you have to use the 12-months transfers-method (only citizens of countries whose embassies don't issue income affidavits) . If you use 800,000 THB deposit in your account method, you only need to prove a 2-months seasoning