Jomtien Immigration Office

[wowpow]

I went to Immigration on Monday to renew my retirement visa. I thought it would be quiet as this is low season. I went about 9.45 a.m. I got a ticket to wait and I was No.20 and they were on No 8. After 30 minutes they were still on No.8! I decided to early next day.

Next day arrived at 08.15, went in and sat down. Their official opening time is 08.30 I was presenting my documents by 08.20 and out before 0835. I had to return after 02.00 to collect my passport.

Every year they seem to invent some new little thing that I have not done. I now keep a check list:

Retirement Visa renewal:

1) Form TM7 . This is very confusing and user-unfriendly but struggle and keep some snowpake handy. Don't forget to fill in both sides. Write in your telephone number anywhere on the reverse page. A 4 x 6 cm photograph needs to be stuck on the form.

2) Passport is required and photocopies of a) main page with photo b) existing Visa stamp c) arrival entry stamp d) Departure card. Each photocopy must be signed and dated

3) Bank book and photocopies of a) the front page with your name and account number b) the page showing the balance and this must be less than 8 days old. Each photocopy must be signed and dated. You need a letter from the bank confirming that you have over 800,000 baht in your account that has come from abroad in a foreign currency. There are ways to use a pension to defray or in place of the amount required.

4) Medical certificate. I get a letter from the local hospital confirming that I am in reasonable health

5) Fee 1900 baht - best to have the right amount - I think

Once you get the new stamp you can then apply for a single or multiple re-entrey permission if you want.

you can then apply for a single or multiple re-entrey permission if you want.

Can you refresh my memory, please? With a retirement visa, do you need to visit the Immigration Office in advance of each time you want to leave Thailand? Or, can you just go to the airport, present the departure card and be on your way?

...and the above post shown as being from gwm4asian was actually posted by me, bkk gwm.

This is twice now in the past week that I've been logged on as bkk gwm and suddenly found myself logged on as another user. I have reported it in the Posting Guidelines forums in the thread "Norman, is that you?" thread.

BEWARE: Be on the alert for postings with your name that you did not author. Twice now in the past week, and quite possibly several more times, I have found myself suddenly logged on as another user. If it's happening to me, it undoubtedly is happening to other members. Can you imagine the pandemonium if someone else was suddenly logged on as you, someone who has a bone to pick with you, perhaps?

DELETED

[wowpow]

gwm4asian/ bkkgwm and all gwm who are interested - Gorgeous With Money?

When you have a retirement Visa you are required to report to an Immigration Ofice every 90 days to confirm your address. There is a fine of 200 baht a day for being late. Each time you re-enter Thailand you automatically get a new 90 days.

If you want to exit and re-enter Thailand during the period of your Visa you have to have a re-entry permit - otherwise your visa is cancelled as you leave. You can apply for these stamps at an Immigration Office or at Phuket or Bangkok airports. The cost is, I think 1000 baht for a single or 3900 baht for multiple. Last year I got a series of singles and wasted a few baht. I got the permits at Bangkok but it is a bit of a pain and always takes me takes 30 minutes. You need one photo.

Thanks for that info, TP. I had forgotten how it worked. I plan to be totally retired by years' end, and will apply for the retirement visa. My luck, I'll go for the B3900 multiple-entry, and then sit around happily in Thailand for 12 months. :-)

And, alas, in my case the G in gwm doesn't stand for gorgeous, and there's not a lot of money for the M, either.