Do I have to apply for a retirement extension @ CW in Bangkok?

[mc4asia]

Yesterday I spent the better part of the day converting my 60-day tourist visa to a Type O 90 day visa, in preparation for getting my retirement extension in December.  Thankfully I was prepared due to helpful posts on this site.

 

The IO (a very helpful nice lady) told me I was approved for the Type O (picking it up Oct 24).  She said I must come back within 60 days to apply for my 1-year retirement extension.  While I currently live in Bangkok, I'm fairly certain that by then I'll have settled in the south - I've no desire to live in BKK.  

 

Here's the weird part: When I asked if I could apply for the retirement extension at a local immigration office close to where I'd be living, she emphatically said I must return to CW for the retirement extension.  When I said again I wouldn't be living in BKK, she said, "No."  I asked her, "Do I have to live in Bangkok?" and she replied, "Yes."  She added that I'm free to travel around Thailand with my visa, even leave the country and return with a re-entry permit.

 

Granted this may have been a language issue, but this is essentially telling me where I must live during the first year of my retirement extension (if you take what she said literally).

 

Question: I'll get my Type O (she already said it's approved) and plan to apply for my Retirement Extension the first week of December.  Am I in fact required to apply at the CW Immigration office?  Or do I apply locally to where I will live in December?  If I have to apply at CW, can I change my address on my visa?

 

Again, she seemed sincere, even told me to come directly to her desk in December for the Retirement Extension without getting a queue number.  But I hope this is just a big language issue / misunderstanding as I don't wish to live in Bangkok.

 

Assistance & clarification appreciated.

[Martyp]

You could try asking the same question to the Immigration office where you plan to live.

[SEtonal]

19 minutes ago, mc4asia said:

Question: I'll get my Type O (she already said it's approved) and plan to apply for my Retirement Extension the first week of December.  Am I in fact required to apply at the CW Immigration office?  Or do I apply locally to where I will live in December?  If I have to apply at CW, can I change my address on my visa?

Here is the policy in Phuket:

The Non-O visa application has to be done in the same office as where the 1 year extension application will be submitted.

 

http://piv-phuket.com/long-stay-extensions/non-o-visa/

 

 

[jacko45k]

I have heard of this before, here is a recent post from someone wrt Nonthabury issued Visa where they stated a Nonthaburi Visa could only be extended there. Perhaps read the thread.

 

[john terry1001]

When my mate converted his tourist visa to a 90 day non O about four years ago, he did in Jomtien because he was living in Chonburi. Then before applying for his retirement extension he moved to Korat to stay with his girlfriend. Immigration told him he couldn't apply for his extension in Korat and he must return to Chonburi to live and apply for it in Jomtien. They told him there was no problem with him moving to Korat once his extension was granted.

 

He stayed in Chonburi though because of mixed reports he'd read on this forum about 90 day report problems after moving to another province straight away. 

[worrab]

Back on 21st Sept 2015, I arrived on a tourist visa. Then on 23 Sept this was converted to a 90 day Non-O Retirement in CW Bangkok. On 16th Dec, I then applied for my first Extension of Stay based on Retirement in Prachuap Khiri Khan. So the OP can move south before completing his first Extension of Stay. 

[ubonjoe]

20 minutes ago, worrab said:

Back on 21st Sept 2015, I arrived on a tourist visa. Then on 23 Sept this was converted to a 90 day Non-O Retirement in CW Bangkok. On 16th Dec, I then applied for my first Extension of Stay based on Retirement in Prachuap Khiri Khan. So the OP can move south before completing his first Extension of Stay. 

Back then that was possible due to only certain offices being allowed to accept the applications for a non immigrant visa.

Now any immigration office can accept the application and issue them.

[worrab]

44 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Back then that was possible due to only certain offices being allowed to accept the applications for a non immigrant visa.

Now any immigration office can accept the application and issue them.

So the OP is okay to go south to do his first extension of stay then and not have to go to CW?

[ubonjoe]

1 minute ago, worrab said:

So the OP is okay to go south to do his first extension of stay then and not have to go to CW?

No

That is the reason he has to apply for the extension in Bangkok. He should of applied for the non immigrant visa where he planned on living. 

I suspect the OP thought he could only apply for the visa in Bangkok.

[worrab]

8 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

No

That is the reason he has to apply for the extension in Bangkok. He should of applied for the non immigrant visa where he planned on living. 

I suspect the OP thought he could only apply for the visa in Bangkok.

Now I understand.

[Captain 776]

You can do anywhere

[jacko45k]

28 minutes ago, Captain 776 said:

You can do anywhere

You need to be more clear or you waste people's time. The extension needs to be obtained at the same office the conversion to a Non-Imm-O was made. 

 

[roberta]

I have first-hand experience of this, and will share it here, for what it is worth.
Early this year I received a Non-O visa issued at Nonthaburi immigration.  I was staying at an address in that province.  Before I was able to apply for the first extension of stay, I moved to an address in Bangkok, and registered that residence with a TM30 at Bangkok immigration.  Once I was within the last 30 days validity of the visa I applied at BKK for an extension, but was rejected as they were refusing to extend a visa not originally issued there.  They told me to return to Nonthaburi and extend it there, but my application there was also rejected also as I had no longer lived in that province.
The rule seems to be that the first extension must be applied for at the office which issued the visa, and the applicant must still reside there.  I have sought advice from some of the officers at BKK on how this will affect subsequent applications for extension, but have received conflicting answers, and my situation is still unclear.  My advice is to stay in one place at least until the first extension has been granted.