payanak

UbonJoe - thanks for your response but I had 21 days left on my one month permission to stay received at the airport. Additionally, as I commented, the senior IO we talked to told us all my documents were good. Lopburi3 - thanks for your response. What you say makes sense. I have had a million baht in Bangkok Bank for over 6 years so that is not an issue. I find it appalling that not a single person, not even a supervisor, could explain the procedure to me in understandable English or in Thai to my gf. Every single person they deal with every day is a non Thai speaker yet they have no ability to communicate even the basics. This is inexcusable and no amount of "TIT" can justify this. I have located an agent in Bangkok I have hopes for. I have chosen this route as I do not suffer fools lightly and probably would not be able to keep my smart mouth shut during a second experience and risk getting thrown out of the country for good and blacklisted. My appreciation to all who took the time to respond.

I have lived in Thailand for over 10 years with a Non-O retirement extension. Due to covid I had to spend two years in US and my extension expired. Arrived in Bangkok last week and received a permission to stay for 1 month at he airport. Went to Chaeng Wattana with all the usual documents as in the past including an updated bank letter. The front desk tells me I must fill out a TM 87 form as the TM 7 is out of date. They are 100% identical in the information asked. I expected to receive a que for the L section as in past years but am then told I must go to the "K" section first. This turns out to be a completely different building several miles away. I taxi there and go through the steps shown, not really knowing what I am doing. Thai gf gets directions. I think I received a new stamp in my passport giving me an actual visa for 60 days. I pay 1900 baht for this and return to CW. Now I am sent to a C1 counter. Still can't get the one year retirement extension. The IO girl could not explain why. An older agent came over and tried to explain in English. Her English was incomprehensible. She then went off on my gf in Thai for 10 minutes. My gf later tells me she didn't make much sense to her either. The best the two of us could figure out later was that I could return in 15 days and then I would be given a 90 day visa. Shortly before this was up I could return again and then get the one year Non-O extension. Was told all my documents were good. Additionally I was told I need to bring a copy of the lease for my gf's apartment as that is where I am currently staying. The above is the best of my understanding. If someone could explain as best they can what happened I would greatly appreciate it. The 90 day wait is not an option for me as I will need to make a trip back to US in September and that visa will expire. My only options seem to be to try and find an agent and pay him to get around this nonsense or wait until I go back to the US and try the original process through the consulate in Los Angeles. Thanks so much for any help.