Can I Extend Retirement Visa A Bit ?

[gawguy]

No, that is not what I said at all.

 

Forget the visa. It is meaningless for this discussion. This is not about visa extension. In fact there is no such thing as a visa extension. What gets extended or preserved (with a re-entry permit) is the permission to stay stamp.

 

Look at the page in passport that has the entry stamp the last time you entered Thailand. It should have two dates on it. First one is admitted date. Right below that is another date called "until". What is the difference between those two dates? If it is about 365 days then it would appear you have a one year multi entry "OA" visa.

 

If indeed you have the one year multi entry "OA" visa, they will stamp you in for 365 days every time you enter until the visa expires. If you are coming in April next year, you should get stamped in until April 2013. During that stay you go get a re-entry permit (3,800 baht for multiple entry). A re-entry permit allows you to leave and on coming back keeps the "until" date, mentioned earlier, that you had when you got the re-entry permit valid, even when you leave the country.

 

So if you go to immigration during your April 2012 visit and get a re-entry permit. That re-entry permit will say it is valid until April 2013, the date of your permission to stay stamp at the time you get the re-entry permit. That re-entry permit will have a number on it. That is number you put on the entry card. The immigration officer will look at your entry card, see that number and look in your passport for the re-entry permit which will tell him what date to put on in the “until†part of the arrival stamp.

 

It’s all very simple, but people make a mess of it by using the wrong terms.

 

TH

 

Visa = a document in your passport, usually a stamp or sticker, that allows you to travel to a country's port of entry and subject to the conditions of the Visa be granted a Permit of Stay at an immigration post

 

Permit of stay = usually in the form of a stamp, is a document that is placed in your passport by the immigration official stipulating your allowed duration of stay. Permit's of stay may be extended in various situations(work etc...)detailing "issue date" and "permitted to stay until" date.

 

TH thank you very much for the unbelievably detailed response. This is why I love NanaPlaza / T360 / T2 or whatever the heck it is these days.

 

I used to do tax work for clients in the USA and with familiarity, codes and regulations that were once completely opaque, became obvious / simple to me, while still being opaque to clients.

 

I've taken in what you written and I think I can solve my problem by forking over 3,800 baht in Jomtien.

 

I'll have to go through the process once and walk out of there with things just as you say to actually "get it."

 

Thanks again,

Gaw Guy