Can I change my retirement extension to marriage six months early?

[glen1]

Can I change my retirement extension to marriage six months early? I renewed my 0-A visa in February this year. I had all the documents and bank docs. necessary but we didn’t get to see the IO lady till 4.15. They shut down at 4.30 and she told my wife (married at Huay Kwang 10 years ago) that it was too much work so she offered to renew my retirement extension (based on 65k for previous 12  months plus Oz embassy stat dec.) Foolishly I agreed. Now the Oz dollar is hitting new lows against the baht. My question is, can I go back mid-this year and apply to change to an extension on retirement? Ive kept up the 65k monthly deposit. I realise it means paying for a new visa and maybe the multiple re-entry as well, but I’d save much more by shifting to the marriage extension. Thoughts, advice, please?

[allane]

You can change the reason for extension anytime that you want to.

[Tanoshi]

Firstly you didn't renew your 0-A Visa, that expired on the 'enter before' date.

You extended your permission of stay.

 

Secondly, there is no reason to change the reason of your extension early.

You can apply for the extension based on marriage in Feb 2020 and provided you can provide evidence of 12 x monthly overseas transfers of min 40K THB to a Thai bank account (Jan 19 - Jan 20) you meet the financial criteria.

Alternatively if you can deposit 400K THB in a Thai bank 2 months prior to your application date, that also meets the financial criteria (Dec 19 - Jan 20).

[ubonjoe]

1 hour ago, allane said:

You can change the reason for extension anytime that you want to.

Most offices would not do it until your current extension is near ending. There is really no reason to do it earlier. 

 

[allane]

I did it twice, though in one case it was nearly ended. In the other, it was only about 3 months old.

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, allane said:

In the other, it was only about 3 months old.

What was the basis for that extension?

[nickmondo]

my question is this, very similar to OP, bit different, but concerns dates.

My Retirement Extension falls on 6th June each year, so just renewed, I do it on the 800k method.

It does not suit me to renew in June each year.

I want to renew it in February each year - 4 months earlier than my current renewal date.

Reason being, I want to go to Spain each February until about October (starting in 2020), and come back here October to the following February.

So is it possible for me to go to Immigration early February next year to renew the visa 4 months early?  therefore changing my annual renewal date?

Anybody actually done this sort of thing (rather than just giving opinion) 

Edited June 19, 2019 by nickmondo

[nickmondo]

6 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Most offices would not do it until your current extension is near ending. There is really no reason to do it earlier. 

 

no reason to do it earlier eh?

here is one for you, ok slightly different circumstances:

 

my question is this, very similar to OP, bit different, but concerns dates.

My Retirement Extension falls on 6th June each year, so just renewed, I do it on the 800k method.

It does not suit me to renew in June each year.

I want to renew it in February each year - 4 months earlier than my current renewal date.

Reason being, I want to go to Spain each February until about October (starting in 2020), and come back here October to the following February.

So is it possible for me to go to Immigration early February next year to renew the visa 4 months early?  therefore changing my annual renewal date?

Anybody actually done this sort of thing (rather than just giving opinion) 

[allane]

5 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

What was the basis for that extension?

I changed from "retirement" to "employment".

[crazygreg44]

10 minutes ago, nickmondo said:

no reason to do it earlier eh?

here is one for you, ok slightly different circumstances:

 

my question is this, very similar to OP, bit different, but concerns dates.

My Retirement Extension falls on 6th June each year, so just renewed, I do it on the 800k method.

It does not suit me to renew in June each year.

I want to renew it in February each year - 4 months earlier than my current renewal date.

Reason being, I want to go to Spain each February until about October (starting in 2020), and come back here October to the following February.

So is it possible for me to go to Immigration early February next year to renew the visa 4 months early?  therefore changing my annual renewal date?

Anybody actually done this sort of thing (rather than just giving opinion) 

That is a very good question !

 

I am really curious to any replies!   

 

Fortunately, I did careful planning when applying for an extension based on retirement in Hua Hin, in 2003.  I was aware that I would only spend the winter months in Thailand, so the renewal date had to match. I was able to put it onto January 4th and all extensions have been made according to this date. I visit immigration in the last week of December with all documents needed and always get the new extension dated onto the Junuary 4th of the over next year.

 

While the fixed date forces me to establish a certain routine into my travel itinerary and stays, I think of how good it would be for many expats if you could choose the next extension date according to your own likes any time within the next 12 months . . . . . that would be cool

 

Am I dreaming too much ?

Edited June 19, 2019 by crazygreg44

[edwardflory]

21 minutes ago, nickmondo said:

I want to renew it in February each year - 4 months earlier than my current renewal date. 

Depending on the IO YOU, you can renew up to 60 days early.....so in 2 renewal's at certain offices you could hit your target date

[hugocnx]

7 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Most offices would not do it until your current extension is near ending. There is really no reason to do it earlier. 

 

I had a reason to change from retirement to spouse extension in order to become a work permit.

Chiang mai imm won't change my extension and so I had to wait 9 months. What a drag.

That was a while ago though; things may have changed.

[nickmondo]

41 minutes ago, edwardflory said:

Depending on the IO YOU, you can renew up to 60 days early.....so in 2 renewal's at certain offices you could hit your target date

no mate, that would not work

because even though they allow 45 days normally, not 60, the date would still be 6th June

I know, because been there, done that, but cheers anyway

[Tanoshi]

1 hour ago, nickmondo said:

no reason to do it earlier eh?

here is one for you, ok slightly different circumstances:

 

my question is this, very similar to OP, bit different, but concerns dates.

My Retirement Extension falls on 6th June each year, so just renewed, I do it on the 800k method.

It does not suit me to renew in June each year.

I want to renew it in February each year - 4 months earlier than my current renewal date.

Reason being, I want to go to Spain each February until about October (starting in 2020), and come back here October to the following February.

So is it possible for me to go to Immigration early February next year to renew the visa 4 months early?  therefore changing my annual renewal date?

Anybody actually done this sort of thing (rather than just giving opinion) 

Leave in February without a re-entry permit, your extension is then dead.

Re-enter in October on a 30 day Visa exempt entry.

Convert to Non O. (90 days).

Apply for extension in January, dated February.

Do get a re-entry permit.

 

https://www.immigration.go.th/content/service_80

 

Edited June 19, 2019 by Tanoshi

[justin case]

I see a future where immigration will ask for a fresh new 400k coming from outside of thailand, even most have it fixed for years without touching and no more bank account in good old home country...

[AboutThaim]

Another question on this topic.  Is it possible to enter on a 30 day visa exempt and get a 12 month extension based on marriage?

Got “married” in a village ceremony earlier this year but was told we had to have it authorised by the embassy in Bangkok before i could apply for an extension based on marriage.  Didn't have time for that before coming back to Oz. Returning to Thailand soon for another 9 or 10 months and trying to avoid applying for another OA visa.

Edited June 21, 2019 by AboutThaim
Clarification

[ubonjoe]

14 minutes ago, AboutThaim said:

Another question on this topic.  Is it possible to enter on a 30 day visa exempt and get a 12 month extension based on marriage?

Best to get a single entry tourist visa to allow time to get married and apply for a 90 day non immigrant visa (category O) entry before applying for the one year extension based upon marriage.

You must have at least 15 days (longer at some offices) remaining on your entry or the 30 day extension to apply for the visa.

[WyrldTraveler]

On 6/19/2019 at 4:02 AM, nickmondo said:

So is it possible for me to go to Immigration early February next year to renew the visa 4 months early?  therefore changing my annual renewal date?

Anybody actually done this sort of thing (rather than just giving opinion) 

Anything is possible.  If one reads the forum  (and pays attention) one will likely notice that

things  that worked last month, last year or five years ago may no longer work. Everything is changing in Thai immigration. Because of this, the best people to ask are the officials who actually have the authority to make the decision: the officers at Thai immigration.

Government officials are there to provide a service to the public. If you treat them with respect and compassion for the miserable situation in which they are forced to work, you may discover that you can actually get service.

A good rule of thumb to follow is that officials are more likely to do what is easy. On the other hand, you may have caught them on a day when they were reminded that the agency earns fees for providing services and they are more inclined to do something which will cost you money. It is impossible to know which situation you will get on any given day.

If it was predictable, it would not be exciting. If you prefer boring, don't rock the boat. If you want to live in interesting life, go out there and do things, try things, and see what happens.

Otherwise, you are wasting everyone's time.

[Neeranam]

On 6/19/2019 at 8:09 AM, allane said:

You can change the reason for extension anytime that you want to.

I was told that I couldn't change from working via to marriage visa.