Retirement Extension Renewal - no problems

[2lz2p]

Although it was an unusual renewal this year, there were no surprises. What made it unusual was I didn't deal with any Immigration Officers - my caregiver did. I use the 65k monthly foreign transfer into my Thai bank account.

Due to some mobility issues (weakness and limited ability to walk any distance which for now I attribute to a medicine I am taking - weakness is one of the side effects mentioned) - so I was in a wheelchair. I did everything on this past Thursday (3 July) - going to my Bangkok Bank branch in the morning to pick up my bank statements (ordered on 23 June as it takes at least 5 business days for them to receive from Bangkok HQ). I also needed two bank letters, one showing all my foreign transfers for the past 12 months and the other one, required of all, verifying my bank account and current balance. It took them some time to prepare the transfer letter - I had several as my USA health insurance reimburses me for outpatient claims by transferring baht from a foreign account into by Bangkok Bank account.

By the time I had finished, it was after 11am so I returned home, had lunch, and went to Immigration arriving around 1:15pm. My caregiver parked me in my wheelchair just outside the doors nearest the Information counter in Building B. I gave her my packet of documents, less my bank statements as I was not sure they would be required as my passbook(s) showed the required transfers, and she went into building B to get a queue number for Desk 8 (retirement). There was a long line, so I expected a bit of a wait for her to come out with the queue number and to wheel me around the building to where the handicap ramp starts.

After waiting a bit over 15 minutes, I was getting concerned because I am still sitting there waiting. To my surprise, she came out the doors from the main building to tell me they wanted the bank statements. Instead of wheeling me into the main building, she had gone out a different way and used the ramp entrance into the main building and took my documents to Desk 8. I gave her the statements along with the 1900 baht to pay the fee. A few minutes later she comes out holding the "claim check" to pick up the passport followed by 2 Immigration Officers. One positioned himself next to the chair holding up my passport opened to the identity page. The other one stepped in front and took a photograph. That was it! We were on our way home after about 25 minutes of arrival. Yesterday she went back to Immigration - no need for me to be there - and picked up my passport with my extensions stamp.

As to documents required, I used the Pattaya City Expats Club checklist for the 65k method - https://pcec.club/CHECKLISTS-Extensions-of-Stay. In my case, it included the following with my signature on every photocopied page:

TM 7 Application for Extension of Stay (form downloaded from PCEC website link)

Photograph

Original - Passport

Photo Copy of passport pages
o Identification page
o Non-Immigrant Visa
o Latest Extension of Stay stamp
o Latest entry into Thailand stamp

Photo Copy of TM.6 Departure Card (my last entry was in May 2008)

Original Bank Passbook showing transactions for 12 months preceding the date of application

Photo Copy of Bank Passbook(s) pages showing all the above transactions

Original - Bank Letter showing transfers from source outside of Thailand for the 12 months preceding the application date

Original - Bank Letter verifying Account

Pension Letter from US Office of Personnel (downloaded from online site in May 2025)

Photocopies of Proof of Residence - Rental Agreement, Owner's Housebook, and Owner's ID

Evidence that a TM.30 Address Report has been made.

Acknowledgement of penalties for overstay. Click here for document (form downloaded from PCEC website link).

Completed Acknowledgment of responsibility to report changes in status (form downloaded from PCEC website link).

Extension Fee - 1,900 Baht

[Gaybutton]

I have always wondered what happens with the extension if a person is incapacitated and cannot personally go go immigration. I'm sure there must be some sort of accommodation, but in your case, even if you never actually went inside, you still appeared personally at immigration, which is what the rules require.

So, I still don't know how it is handled if you cannot physically go to immigration at all, especially if you are not fortunate enough to have a caregiver. If anyone does know, not guess, please post.

[Dodger]

....... A few minutes later she comes out holding the "claim check" to pick up the passport followed by 2 Immigration Officers. One positioned himself next to the chair holding up my passport opened to the identity page. The other one stepped in front and took a photograph.......

It's great they allowed your caregiver to submit the documentation for you - but the photo of you sitting in the chair was a bit too much IMO.

I'm sure they would much prefer farang with mobility issues to use an agent to keep the $$money" flowing, and if you weren't there on the premises that's exactly what they would have instructed your caregiver to do.

I knew a farang once who resided in a Thai senior care facility that provided on-site services for obtaining annual visa extensions for their residents without them having to go to immigration. I assume this service operated the same as the agents...for a fee of course.

In any event...good going !

[Gaybutton]

for a fee of course.

That bothers me. If a person cannot physically go to immigration, their recourse has to be a visa agent? I find that unreasonable and unfair. The 1900 baht visa fee would now become many thousands of baht - and only because a person became incapacitated.

What I want to know is what the alternatives are. Again, if you know, please post. If you don't know, please refrain from posting guesses. If I see such guess posts, I'm going to delete them.

[Dodger]

...... If a person cannot physically go to immigration, their recourse has to be a visa agent?

I don't know. That is fact.

If there is an alternative I'd also love to hear all about it.