Where to renew retirement visa in Surin Province?

Chong Chom Immigration office

214, Tambon Kap Choeng, Amphoe Kap Choeng, Chang Wat Surin 32210

https://www.surinimmigration.go.th/

Make sure you file TM-28 and TM-30 at immigration if recently moved.  Doing both should cover all the basis to report your new address.

Thanks. Since I'm not technically moving (never had residency certificate or whatever anywhere) I'm not sure what I have to do. I guess I'll wait till I return to Surin in November and go down to the local office with my (new) Thai wife to straighten that out. I'm presuming that they will accept a certified US marriage certificate, as our only marriage will be US (apart from a eventual non-official Buddhist wedding to satisfy the local family). I will have my 400,000/800,000 in Bangkok Bank account 3 months ahead.

If you're renewing your extension based on retirement using the 400/800 bank method, then you won't need to show a marriage certificate. You will need to use an address in that province to renew there. If your address on record is a Bangkok address, then you are supposed to renew in Bangkok or file a TM-28 form with your new Surin address at the Surin office. And, your landlord or house owner is suppose to file a TM-30 form.

Thanks. It's my understanding that 400,000 is only allowed if you are married to a Thai.
I could be wrong about that. It appears to be easiest to meet the intent if you just put that much in the bank, and leave it there.

As I am outside of Thailand till November, my understanding is that the clock for 90 days starts running only when I re-enter. That I do not need to report every 90 days if not in Thailand.

Extension based on Retirement is 800k for 2 mths prior to renewal, then 3 mths after your renewal is granted you can reduce it to 400k. Then 2 mths before next renewal you have to put it back up to 800k. It can't ever fall below 400k. Extensions based on marriage has different requirements. When you come back in country your 90 day clock starts ticking for 90 day reporting.

When I referred to 400/800k I was referring to being able to reduce it for part of the year.

Thanks. I asked a senior officer at the Bangkok Immigration office if I could provide proof of the required income level in the form of US IRS certified tax return records, or any other such proof, and was told that that was not acceptable. That to qualify under income, you must have a regular monthly transfer to a Thai bank that qualifies. That does not work for me, as I am only in Thailand for several months each year.

Someone said that, in essence, Thailand is requiring that you post and keep a 'bond' amount in your bank account, and that the best way to view it is as a long term permanent deposit.

That said, I would prefer to limit it to 400,000฿ via establishing that I am married to a Thai. I have found that transfer.xe.com is a reliable and cost-effective way to move US$ into my Bangkok Bank account as ฿ as needed.

I wish that Thailand would provide some longer term visa for spouses of Thai, so you could skip the yearly renewal burden, and just report online every 90 days. However, in the USA, we have a parallel bureaucracy, so that my Thai wife must re-apply for a green card periodically. At least in that case it is every 10 years after the initial 2 years.

melmalinowski wrote:

Thanks. I asked a senior officer at the Bangkok Immigration office if I could provide proof of the required income level in the form of US IRS certified tax return records, or any other such proof, and was told that that was not acceptable. That to qualify under income, you must have a regular monthly transfer to a Thai bank that qualifies. That does not work for me, as I am only in Thailand for several months each year.

Someone said that, in essence, Thailand is requiring that you post and keep a 'bond' amount in your bank account, and that the best way to view it is as a long term permanent deposit.

That said, I would prefer to limit it to 400,000฿ via establishing that I am married to a Thai. I have found that transfer.xe.com is a reliable and cost-effective way to move US$ into my Bangkok Bank account as ฿ as needed.

I wish that Thailand would provide some longer term visa for spouses of Thai, so you could skip the yearly renewal burden, and just report online every 90 days. However, in the USA, we have a parallel bureaucracy, so that my Thai wife must re-apply for a green card periodically. At least in that case it is every 10 years after the initial 2 years.

Unfortunately, does nothing seem to change, even when you're living here for 16 years married to a Thai citizen and working here at government schools for more than 14 years? The invention of something like a "green card", or offering a passport doesn't seem to be part of the game.

   It looks like certain people are only interested in your/our money, once that's gone, it's time to go back where we came from, which is something very difficult for me to comprehend.

    Only to add some more choices, you can easily apply for a Non-O ME visa at the Thai consulate in Savannakhet/Laos, or the Thai embassy in Vientiane/Laos, whatever's more convenient for you.  and that's even possible without any financial proof. Kind regards from lower northeast.