Extension of stay unexpected success

[Dumbastheycome]

Quick  background.

I am a long  stay individual  who although also long time married have opted  for  extensions of stay based on retirement for the simplicity of a  one time  visit to apply and  of  course financially  compliant from the start which was and has until recently been based on an original  Non O A  visa.

When the issue of the Insurance requirement for renewals  of extension of stay seemed to be  being applied to one and all  rather than  interpretations as applying  to those who after a  certain  date made  first applications for  extensions of stay for  reason of  retirement I chose  the option of nullifying my historic record of legitimate permissions of stay by exiting with no re entry permit.

So away I go to Savannakhet  and  attain  a NON O 12 month  multi entry Visa in  mid  Feb 2020 which was unspecified as to  but based on marriage.

Great. I have options. Do a  border run  every  90  days  or go  for an extension to that of   (?) 60  day  and near end of that  apply for an annual extension based on either  marriage or  retirement. Thinking  that  with  the  multi entry status  would save  me a  re  entry permit cost than if I  went the  extension path I had  some flexibility if I wanted  to  exit  Thailand   for any  reason and  return.

Unfortunately  Covid-19  screwed up that.

Closed  borders, conditional re entry, expensive  Medical Insurance ( albeit  more  realistic policies on offer  than were  for the seemingly  bogus  Non O A  extortionist attempts).

So   sit and  wait and watch. Amnesty . 90  days  stay  exceeds validity   but  not an issue . No problems  under the terms of that  until 1st August.

In probability  I believe in some  form it will be extended .

So  rather than wait I decided  to approach  my  Immigration Office  in Buriram  today.

My thinking was  that perhaps I could  negotiate  a  back dated  60  day extension  to my  original  90 day  validity  and then  progress to an application  to an annual extension . I prepared copies of  everything  I  thought appropriate  and  more .

In the  company of  my wife off we went  to test the  air in the  Immigration Office at the top of the  hill. A salubrious/ostentatious piece of  architecture if   ever there was !

As  can be expected there are some "filtering "  measures now for such attendance.

First  contact was  with  a senior Officer who simply asked  to see  my Passport .

Her perusal of my  Passport which  involved a  rapid  inspection  of   many  pages with  some  minor   pauses to absorb content/relevance resulted  in her  questioning  my  wife  as  to my  ignorance! Not  in terms  of my actual  situation  but  in terms  of  alternatives I was  unaware of  at the time of  applying for  my  Non O  in Laos.( I  could  explain that  but  immaterial   to  my outcome).

The significant outcome of  my  day was  that being in  possession of a  valid  Non O  visa, having a  Passport  record of consecutive extensions  of  stay on the  basis  of  retirement, I/we were informed  that I  could apply  for permission  of  annual stay  on the basis of  retirement if I could  provide   verification  of the  appropriate financial deposit and a Bank generated   copy  of   2 months  statements.( Not  expecting the way of events I had  discounted the  need ).

A visit  to the  nearest  branch of  my Thai  Bank,  an interlude  for  lunch, a  return  to   the Immigration  Office  and  greeted  again in  very  friendly   manner....

Within  20  minutes we  exited with  my  Passport containing an  annual extension of permission to  stay and a  90  day  report   date  in October.

So  why am I  making this  post?

From  my perspective  it is to  suggest that  Thai Immigration  is  very well aware  of the   complications that have  been  created and in response  where they can see the  genuosity of an individuals  situation  they will  react to it with as   much measure as they are  enabled .

[BritTim]

It very much depends on the immigration office you need to use and, in many cases, the individual immigration official. I am happy things worked out well for you, and just feel sorry for those who encounter a much different reaction.

[northsouthdevide]

I've read so many IO horror stories, that it's nice to read a good one. 

I think the provincial offices must be easier to deal with than the resort offices and their agent culture. 

All the same, we'll done the op. 

[Peter Denis]

Hi,

Thanks for sharing your experience!  Highly appreciated.

And of course congratulations with your successful application not even having to play your 60-day Extension of stay Joker.

You are most surely lucky.

Lucky in the sense that your Buriram IO did not even accept but actually proposed a 1-year extension of stay of your Non Imm O Visa for reason of retirement.

If all IOs would be that accomodating!

Those in same situation as yourself but reporting to e.g. Nonthaburi IO and applying with an expired permission to stay, do not even get their 60-day extension of stay accepted (and of course the 1-year permission to stay is completely out of the question).  Forcing them to either relocate to a different province with a reasonable IO, or having to leave the country.

So yes, you are quite lucky.  Of course it is also a somewhat reciprocal situation, because an application for a 1-year Non Imm O extension of stay for reason of retirement requires far less paperwork (for you to provide, and for IO to process) than an application for reason of marriage, which you would also have been able to apply for (after first having used your 60-day extension of stay).

Time for you to celebrate after a somewhat stressful period of insecurity!  Cheers.