What are the current challenges in converting a Tourist Visa to Non O in Thailand?

Information for Administrators

I spent Tuesday and Wednesday at Lopburi Immigration this week. Some take-aways:

1. Very unusually busy. As far as I could see, that was mainly with foreign workers buying re-entry permits to travel home for Songkran.

2. It appears that ChangWattana are feeling the strain. Approval of my conversion of a tourist Visa to Non O based on retirement was amongst around 10 that didn't turn up in time. (hence the two visits). Conversations between the Officer and CW sounded testy to me...

3. The dates applied to my passport seem bizarre. I entered with a Tourist Visa at NongKhai on 13th December, stay permitted until 10th Feb, had to extend on 4th Feb because of missing the two weeks before application deadline to convert to Non O. Extension expired on 11th March. Yet the new Non O Visa is dated 28th February and the Stay permit, also dated 28th February and both Visa and stay permit applied to the Passport on 11th March, is until 27th May - 77 days from the day applied to the passport. I had expected a one month Non O to extend to one year on expiry. Either it's all an error - unlikely at the Lopburi end - or perhaps CW are trying to push future workload back? Clearly something is afoot!

All of the above apparently in my favour, so I'm certainly not complaining.......................

Also notable that the Immigration Officer reacted to my fear that the application for conversion to Non O had been rejected by being loudly clear that I belonged in Thailand..........

The officer, I thought, had told me that she would call me once the Visa was available to come in to the office to collect it. That was reiterated in Thai to a Thai family member last week. Yesterday, the story changed slightly and a call would only have been forthcoming if the application had been rejected. Suggesting further signs of system strain.

4. At the time of the application for conversion of the Tourist Visa to Non O based on retirement, the Officer, in conversation with CW and apparently prompted by them, asked for evidence that I was in receipt of a pension (two in this case). That was after she and CW were both happy with the level of monthly money transfers. That did not appear to exist in the document check list she was using. Luckily I had some documents, but I doubt either Lopburi or CW would have got any useful information from them.

Hope that is useful.