Getting a 1-year extension of Non-Immigrant (O) visa

As suggested by some on this forum I will be going to the local immigration office beforehand to see what their particular list of requirements are for an extension (I know this can vary from city to city and office to office).

I initially tried this at an Immigration sub-office in the local mega-mall but they said I had to go to the main office. They didn't quite understand what I wanted because they gave me an information sheet detailing the procedure one had to go through to convert an ordinary tourist visa into a Non-Immigrant (O) ! I didn't even know that was possible.

Thank you to @scbrock for all the useful information about his recent 1-year extension.

Question: the TM7 form ("APPLICATION FOR EXTENSION OF TEMPORARY STAY IN THE KINGDOM") has a line asking for:

Arrival/Departure Card TM.6 No.

I don't remember receiving a TM6 Arrival/Departure card! Should I have?

@rbakker

i just received a 2 month extendion on my non immgrant O visa , i wanted 3 months , but was told 2 months is enough to apply for a marriage visa ,

Peter

Congratulations! Was it an easy process?

@rbakker

Them TM6 is an old requirement form before 2021. Some have em, new arrivals don't,  so no worries

@petercurr55

This is what they call a family reunion visa. Only for married couples and for 60 days. It can be given on any visa or exempt visa

information sheet detailing the procedure one had to go through to convert an ordinary tourist visa into a Non-Immigrant (O) ! I didn't even know that was possible.
   

    -@rbakker

ANY visa expect ED can be converted to Non O A B.

Stamp on arrival can not as well.

    @rbakker
Them TM6 is an old requirement form before 2021. Some have em, new arrivals don't,  so no worries
   

    -@martinoo2002

Thanks!

@martinoo2002

thank you for that

Peter

If one gets a one year extension on a non-O, when and how is that then extended further, i.e. at the end of that year?

@JonSt

On annual basis you have to extend your visa. Same rules, mostly same requirements (quadruple check) can be extended from 2 weeks before end of visa.

Go there day before and you run a risk... with fines included.

@martinoo2002

Thanks.

So people that use visa agents need to pay their fee annually I guess.

    @martinoo2002
Thanks.
So people that use visa agents need to pay their fee annually I guess.
   

    -@JonSt

Once they see how it's done they can just do it themselves instead of paying every year.

A friend went by the Immigration office near the airport in Chiang Mai and asked one of the friendly volunteers there what the requirements are for a 1-year extension of a Non-Immigrant O Visa (he didn't have time to wait in line to ask staff). They gave him this handout:

QUOTE

Document Required (prepare 1 set document)

1. Application TM7

2. Photo 4x6 cm

3. Copy of Passport and signature on every page

4. Copy of Residence registration (TM.30) Copy of Residence of proof

5. Rental Agreement or House Registration or Letter from House Master Criteria for Consideration

6. The foreigner need to get NON-Immigrant Visa Stamp (NON-O) Aged 50 or more

7. Proof of Saving or Income/Pension

   7.1 There are the documents to show income not less than 65,000 bath per month

   - Proof of income/pension from Embassy or Consulate in Thailand. The amount not less than 65,000 bath

   per month certified by his/her Embassy or Consulate in Thailand, the document of proof has 6 months

   validity period

   7.2 freed the deposit an commercial bank in Thailand not less than 800,000 Bath within 2 month

   before apply the visa. And 3 months after apply the visa. After 3 months when get approved the visa

   stamp can withdraw money but need the account balance in the bank not less than 400,000 bath

   - Certificate of the bank document of proof has 7 days validity period [ letter from bank ]

   - Copy of update bank book until present date with every page back to 1 year

   - Bank account records (1 year statement)

   7.3 There are income each year (7.1) and deposit in the commercial bank in Thailand (7.2) total

   less than 800,000 bath count to the date of submission of the request. And the deposit needs to keep

   the bank before and after applying including can withdraw as no. (7.2)

   - Certificate of the bank document of proof has 7 days validity period

   - Copy of update bank book until present date with every page

   - Bank account records (1 year statement)

   - Proof of Saving or income/pension from Embassy or Consulate in Thailand. Certified by his/her

     Embassy or Consulate in Thailand, the document of proof has 6 months validity period

   [ Bank account must show only applicant name - Joint account must not less than 1,600,000 bath ]

   [For O-A Retirement visa, must include Thai health insurance from longstay.teia.org]

UNQUOTE

When this is all over I'll offer them a new sheet with some of the typographical errors corrected. I won't take the above as gospel but more as an indication of what to expect when I go to extend in a week or so. They also gave copies of the other two forms that need to be filled out :

• The Acknowledgement of Penalties for a Visa Overstay
• Acknowledgement of Terms and Conditions for Permit of Temporary Stay in the Kingdom of Thailand

@rbakker

Correct these are the requirements, when apply direct yourself and when through agent

@rbakker

Using an agent for their ridiculous fee is only needed if you cannot meet the requirements on income or bank balance.

READ CAREFULLY BELOW.

An agent usually has a contact somewhere in Nakhon Nowhere.

They will use that office to process your application. And this will complicate the 90 says and TM 30 reporting,  which the agent will gladly do for a nice fee (do yourself for free)

The biggest issue however is that when you want do do yourself as suggested, the immigration office where you actually live and/or want to aks for your new extension can grill you about your previous location.

They look like fools, but they are very keen to find an anomaly and deny extension.....just for the fun of it.

My advise is if you can afford, and you should, the requirement do it correctly by yourself. That said, there are agents that give their service in the community that you actually live, that would be ok, but you pay trough the nose. Prices vary between 20 and 50,000 thb....

I would never use an agent but that's just me. If you want something done properly....

@rbakker

I think we should all understand the posts we make are made in general and not specific to a person unless it is a question that needs an answer.

Through your posts I read you have your head on straight....

Very helpful information given here, thanks martino and rbakker

@martinoo2002

Question plesea , Im aware of the requiments for a marriage visa application , but is there a Fee for this visa

regards

Peter

@petercurr55

1900 thb for single entry.

Additional 3800 thb for multi entry

@martinoo2002

1900 Baht PLUS 3800 baht total 4700 baht for multi entry is that correct ??

1900 + 3800 = 5700

Update: I managed to get my 1-year extension, all in one day, exactly two months after I deposited 800,000 baht in my new Thai bank account.

This was in Chiang Mai and it can vary a lot from city to city, but this is what they wanted from me:

- TM7 form

- copy of E-visa

- STM 2 form (Acknowledgement of terms and conditions)

- The Acknowledgementof Penalties for a Visa Overstay (form)

- Passport photo (4x6 cm)

- Photocopy of picture page of passport

- Photocopy of visa page of passport

- Updated bank book showing 800k in there for two months

- Bank letter for Immigration

- Bank statements going back a year [well, in my case, 2 moinths]

- TM30

- rental agreement

- 1900 baht

There were some surprises. The visa I received states very clearly that I have to confirm my address every 3 months. I asked how and they said it can be "done online" but admitted it doesn't always work and I will probably have to visit Immigration. Is this new? I haven't seen anyone else mention this on the forum.

Also my visa was extended for slightly more than a year - it was a year from when my original 90-day stay would expire, which is two weeks from now. Just a minor point.

There are volunteers at the Immigration office that gave me a list of things needed for this extension and there is also an "official" list posted on the wall but both of them were either very wrong or very out of date.

All in all it was a very painless procedure. Thailand is great!

@rbakker

the 3 months reporting is what is called 90 days / TM47 confirmation of address. THis means your TM 30 and TM 47 should be in line with the address where you stay, does not really matter where but you do the reporting at the immi office of your location

Both TM 30 and TM 47 can be done online

For the TM30 you will need the cooperation of your landlord

https://tm30.immigration.go.th/tm30api/ … a826691498

The tm47 does not always work the first or second time and some cannot get it work at all

https://tm47.immigration.go.th/tm47/#/login

Your extension and your 90 do not always line up, make sure you around the 90 day mark

@rbakker

This has been super helpful for me as I am doing it in 30 days (extend my non-O) at CM (airport) immigration office. I have everything prepared and will get my bank letter a day or so prior to going in (I think they allow the letter to be within 7 days, but could also get it the same day).

Question related to this:  "Bank statements going back a year [well, in my case, 2 months]"

I had a bank account here prior to getting my non-O. I wonder if they want the last year from me or if I can also just provide the 2 months. I may just have the bank prep 6 months of statements, but I had been using my app to pay for many bowls of of kao soi (etc.) so there's a lot of individual transactions from the prior year (when I was on a 6 month multi-entry visa).

Any thoughts on this from folks?

@rbakker

In your list you wrote

- Copy of E-Visa

- Copy of visa stamp in your passport...

You can't have BOTH, can you? 🤔

    @rbakker
In your list you wrote

- Copy of E-Visa
- Copy of visa stamp in your passport...

You can't have BOTH, can you? 🤔
   

    -@ThailandHereICome

Oh yes you can. They send you an email with an official looking attachment. You print that out and show it to the officer at Immigration (on arrival) in Thailand and he puts the stamp in your passport.

Later on at Immigration (for the extension) you need to show both

    @rbakker
This has been super helpful for me as I am doing it in 30 days (extend my non-O) at CM (airport) immigration office. I have everything prepared and will get my bank letter a day or so prior to going in (I think they allow the letter to be within 7 days, but could also get it the same day).

Question related to this:  "Bank statements going back a year [well, in my case, 2 months]"

I had a bank account here prior to getting my non-O. I wonder if they want the last year from me or if I can also just provide the 2 months. I may just have the bank prep 6 months of statements, but I had been using my app to pay for many bowls of of kao soi (etc.) so there's a lot of individual transactions from the prior year (when I was on a 6 month multi-entry visa).

Any thoughts on this from folks?
   

    -@jpword

I'm glad this was helpful to you. This forum was very helpful for me so I wanted to return the favour.

I'd read that they're strict about it being a same-day bank statement but in the end they didn't care that it was from the day before. Not sure about a week! But let us know how it goes.

As for the year of bank statements, sorry I don't know but it's usually better to have too much information than too little, unless you happen to like visiting the Immigration office! Again, let us know how it goes.

@rbakker

In my extension case they accepted 24 hours... pretty sure that is the limit. I was surprised already about the 24 hours.....but I thankfully took it

On a bit of a side note. When I did my 1 year extension, they updated my ninety day report as well. Maybe that's confusing what I mean is I last entered country in December but extended in January. So they replaced my report with one saying that i'm due to report again in April not March.

    I will soon be applying for the initial 1-year extension to my Non-Immigrant (O) visa and would like to keep a record of it here along with any questions that pop up along the way.
I'm eligible to apply on Feb 5 2024 because then it's 2 months since I deposited 800,000 B at a local bank. I did that a few days after arriving on the 90-day initial visa entry for Non-Immigrant (O).
   

    -@rbakker WOW didn't you know that all you have to do is show 65,000 baht per month in personal income rather than park almost $23,000.00 where it pays no interest? You could put it into a money market or mutual fund and do the 65,000 baht per month without batting an eye. Use Wise, transfer that amount around the same time each month for a year. Wise uses the real exchange rate rather than cheating on it like all the others do, and they only charge about $10 or $15 for the transfer. You can open an account at Kasikorn, and using their phone app send your money back to the US if you need to and they charge from 100 to 250 baht, it converts to dollars here in Thailand, and when it gets to the US your bank sees a generic ACH deposit and charges no fee. I hope you're not using a "VISA service". Maybe they didn't tell you about that,

My wife and I are seriously considering a move to Thailand which we have visited many times when we lived in Malaysia. We returned to the USA becsuse of Covid and now live in Puerto Vallarta ,  Mexico.

What are the income requirements for a couple to go for the I year extension after the initial 90 day visitor visa.

Also, I an 70 and my wife is 67, do we have to have proof of medical insurance to start the process?

"WOW didn't you know that all you have to do is show 65,000 baht per month in personal income rather than park almost $23,000.00 where it pays no interest?"

I did know that but proving your income can be a big hassle - see other threads on this forum. I'd rather just set and forget.

I do use Wise and agree that they're great!

If you come to Thailand on a tourist visa you can convert to a non-O retirement visa which does not require insurance. If you do it in the US you will get an O-A visa which requires insurance. The requirement is 65,000 baht per month income (that's what I pay and I don't think it has changed) deposited each month into a Thai bank with one year of bank statements showing it. If you don't have a Thai bank account and/or the one year of statements, you must deposit 800,000 baht into a bank when you get here and it has to remain until you apply. After you get the visa you can switch to the 65,000 a month and take back your 800,000. Bear in mind that if your income is not social security you may have to file a tax return here, if you paid taxes on your income in the US you pay nothing here, but you have to show it on your return. Social Security is exempt. That is new as of this year. You have to have proof of permanent residency here. Also, though your question is a simple one, I wouldn't depend on forums for the best and most accurate immigration and visa information. Go to the Thai Immigration website and look it up. It's not hard. Straight from the horse's mouth, as it were. Here's a website that is not Thai immigration but has accurate information: https://www.thaiembassy.com/thailand-vi … ement-visa  You should always check the official website because they tend to change some of the rules periodically, like the taxes and the required proof of income. Additionally, if I were you when you get here I would go to your nearest immigration office in Thailand (I go to Chaengwatthana) and ask them, ask them for the forms (because you don't always get all of them by downloading online) and the information desk should answer all your questions. You can hire a VISA service to handle the whole process, that's what most people do, no muss no fuss, I'm not sure what they charge but it was more than I wanted to pay. I like to do my own work when it comes to these things. Good luck, chok dee. Oh, learn to say hello, sawatdee kup if you're a man, sawatdee ka if you're female; learn thank you: Khap Khun kup/ka. and how are you, sabai dee mai kup/ka. They're easy to say and the Thai people appreciate it. maybe you already learned it.

@gmf1313 Thanks for that info, i have retirement pensions that can cover the 65,000 but it is made up of SS and other company pensions which I assume qualify. I cant seem to fund out what the qualification is for a married couple?

My main concerns are arriving back in Thailand to find out that our joint income is not enough to qualify and secondly forced to acquire health insurance quickly at  a higher cost than expected.

Here  in PV we were able to get all information  re Mexico before we came without any unexpected financial surprises.

I understand every country is different and expect bureaucracy , thats life, but don’t want to make any mistakes at our age

    "WOW didn't you know that all you have to do is show 65,000 baht per month in personal income rather than park almost $23,000.00 where it pays no interest?"I did know that but proving your income can be a big hassle - see other threads on this forum. I'd rather just set and forget.I do use Wise and agree that they're great!        -@rbakker

Proving your income is as easy as going to your bank and requesting a one year's accounting statement, and providing it to immigration. That's it. Where's the hassle in that? But that's why there are visa agencies that specialize in this - so people can avoid the "hassle".