I am currently holding a retirement visa in Thailand, valid until March next year. However, when I traveled outside of Thailand last month, I did not obtain a re-entry permit before leaving. (Yes I totally forgot) Upon my return at airport, I was granted a 60-day tourist visa instead.
At the airport, the immigration officer informed me that I could resolve this matter at the immigration office. A week after my return, I visited the immigration office in Bangkok to resolve this. There, the officer explained that my retirement visa could be validated, but my landlord would need to update my residential status in the system.
When I contacted my landlord, she informed me that this update can only be made within 24 hours of my arrival. Since more than 24 hours had passed, she is unable to update it now, as entering false information would be an offense. Without this update in the system, immigration is unable to proceed further.
Therefore, I am kindly seeking your guidance on what I should do next. Does this mean that once my 60-day tourist visa expires, I will need to leave Thailand? Or is there a way to reapply or convert to a new retirement visa within Thailand without having to leave the country? And what if I stay over and let's say I travel in December and apply for re-entry b4 I go, will I get away with it.
Thank you very much for your time, understanding, and assistance with this matter.
TLDR : Answer Summary
The user's retirement visa in Thailand expired due to a lack of a re-entry permit when traveling abroad. Upon returning, they were issued a 60-day tourist visa and have since learned that their retirement visa can potentially be reinstated if their landlord updates their TM30 registration within 24 hours of arrival. However, since that timeframe has passed, the landlord cannot assist them. The community comments suggest that the user should start over with a 90-day Non-O visa application, potentially by staying at a hotel for registration or requesting the landlord to file a new TM30. To convert back to a retirement extension, they need to meet the 15-day minimum stay requirement and provide financial documentation. The process can be complex, and there are indications that once the tourist visa expires, the user may need to leave Thailand unless they successfully apply for a new visa before that time.
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