What to do when immigration have passport for initial Non-O and visa expires

[RichardColeman 11,374]

OK, I recently returned to Thailand after 10 months - lived in Thailand previously without problems for 3 years with my wife and child. I'm no criminal or wanted by the UK police or anything daft. Few silly things as a kid near 40 years ago, but nothing flagged up previously.

 

Now, 26 days ago whilst in Pattaya I applied to get the Non-O, and convert to retirement visa, etc (so 15 months). Having to start all again as retirement expired whilst away.

 

26 days gone and its still not back. 

 

My tourist visa expires in 2 days and I am worried about being here without passport or any valid visa. 

 

What should I do ? I have reciept. A contact I have says the passport is still in Bangkok - though I am in Pattaya.

 

Should I not worry about it and just sit tight ? Or ? ..................

 

Is anyone else having long initial Non-O issues ? 

 

 

 

[ubonjoe 35,266]

Immigration does not keep your passport when you apply for for a non immigrant visa entry or for anything else.

After you do the application they give your passport back to you and tell you to return before your current permit to stay ends to get the visa/entry stamps done.

Did you do it yourself or are you using a agent?

[Matzzon 4,536]

37 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

A contact I have says the passport is still in Bangkok - though I am in Pattaya.

How can you apply for retirement extension in Bangkok if you are in Pattaya? Or have you only gone on a trip?

 

And most important. Why do they at all have your passport?

Edited October 15 by Matzzon

[ubonjoe 35,266]

1 minute ago, Matzzon said:

How can you apply for retirement extension in Bangkok if you are in Pattaya?

He has only applied for the 90 day non immigrant visa (category O) entry at immigration need to apply for the extension. Those have to be sent to the division level of immigration for approval which is Bangkok in his case.

[Matzzon 4,536]

15 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

He has only applied for the 90 day non immigrant visa (category O) entry at immigration need to apply for the extension. Those have to be sent to the division level of immigration for approval which is Bangkok in his case.

Ok. read wrong there. Took it as he applied for an extension of Non-O for retirement. My bad.

[elviajero 7,469]

It shouldn’t take that long. However, even if you don’t get it back within the next two days, when it comes back, you’ll have a 90 day stay stamped in the passport and there shouldn’t be a gap in your permission to stay. 
 

It’s probably delayed because the agent was slow submitting the paperwork.

Edited October 15 by elviajero

[john terry1001 139]

32 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Immigration does not keep your passport when you apply for for a non immigrant visa entry or for anything else.

After you do the application they give your passport back to you and tell you to return before your current permit to stay ends to get the visa/entry stamps done.

Did you do it yourself or are you using a agent?

Unless the rules in Jomtien have changed in the last 2-3 years (when my mate went through this same process) they do keep your passport when you apply for a change of visa from Tourist/VE to a 90 day non O visa. The passport is/was sent to CW for approval. Unless you pay for the 'express service' they offer within the office for about 15k baht, they advice the standard process takes about one month. They give a receipt, and a date to return, to confirm they have your passport.

 

UJ, my mate didn't use an agent. The female IO tried pushing the 'express service, and highlighted the fact that all would be completed within a week and included transfer from a tourist visa to non O to extension based on retirem+ent and included a multi re-entry permit in the price. He declined the offer. On the downside, he needed proof of income (BE Income letter at the time) amongst other docs for the initial application. Then once his non O was stamped in his passport he had to wait two months before making a new application for his extension. Immigration had kept his first income letter at CW so he was conned into going back to the BE  for a second one @ 3k baht + and the hassle involved. I know there's no income letters anymore but it could happen over bank letters instead.

[ubonjoe 35,266]

4 minutes ago, john terry1001 said:

Unless the rules in Jomtien have changed in the last 2-3 years (when my mate went through this same process) they do keep your passport when you apply for a change of visa from Tourist/VE to a 90 day non O visa.

It has changed. The application and supporting document have to be send to division 3 in Bangkok for approval. They do not keep the passport while that is being done.

They have not done the visa application and then the retirement extension on the same day for a long time now. You have to wait for a about 60 days to the application.

[RichardColeman 11,374]

Thanks for all answer. Your all the best

[john terry1001 139]

28 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

It has changed. The application and supporting document have to be send to division 3 in Bangkok for approval.

Well that hasn't changed, Or if it did its changed twice. A while age local immigration were stopped from accepting and converting to non O applications. All applications had to be applied for at CW. That was the situation when my mate first arrived in Thailand and , I checked with CW, it was still in operation two weeks before he wanted to apply, the application needed to be done at CW. But when we arrived the IO was full of apologies and said, as from the Monday 21-9-2015, three days previously, applications and documentation need to be presented at Jomtien, who would forward them to CW for processing, before being returned to Jomtien for collection.

 

That process was returned to Jomtien on the very week we went to CW. And I've just the records on my PC, I was a year out with my earlier date. It was on Monday 28th September 2015 that he made his application in Jomtien. Four years ago, not three.